Anger may derail American offer By Dan Reed, USA TODAY GRAPEVINE, Texas =97 The $1.6 billion package of labor concessions that=20 American Airlines' managers say are needed to avoid a bankruptcy court=20 filing next week is in danger of rejection by angry union workers.=20 Opposition to the proposed agreements is impossible to quantify. But the=20 depth of employees' anger and mistrust of American's management has been on= =20 vivid display this week at union "roadshows" held to explain the details of= =20 the proposals and in Internet chat rooms for American's employees.That has= =20 both American executives and union leaders worried. Late Wednesday, the=20 Transport Workers Union, which represents 35,000 mechanics and ground=20 workers, accepted a deal sweetener that would give their members a shot at= =20 temporary 12-month raises in each of the last three years of the proposed=20 six-year agreement. The offer is perceived by some employees as a token gesture because of the= =20 remote chance that the airline can achieve the financial goals that would=20 trigger the additional raises in 2006-08. It was made only after TWU=20 officials begged for something to help sell the deal to their skeptical=20 members. Management's survey of employees confirmed weak support for the=20 tentative agreements. Similar sweeteners have been offered to the unions=20 representing flight attendants and pilots. Neither has responded. The=20 original tentative agreements were reached on March 31, just minutes before= =20 American attorneys were to file a petition for Chapter 11. The company also= =20 is seeking $200 million a year in savings from non-union employees. Workers at Dallas/Fort Worth airport this week said in interviews that they= =20 don't want American to enter Chapter 11, but they're also suspicious that=20 company management wants them to pay for its mistakes. Many said they=20 hadn't decided how to vote. Keenly aware of the widespread anger and=20 cynicism among his employees, American CEO Don Carty begged workers at=20 American's Kansas City maintenance base on Wednesday to give up the belief= =20 that a "no" vote would lead to less-onerous concessions. In bankruptcy=20 reorganization, American officials say, the company will need $500 million= =20 a year more in labor cuts to meet the demands of the banks that will=20 provide the debtor-in-possession loans necessary to continue flying. "A=20 better contract is not an option," Carty says. "Voting 'no' is a vote for=20 bankruptcy. Voting 'no' is a vote for additional job cuts. There is simply= =20 no more time and no more money." Similarly, Jim Philpot, an American=20 captain and chairman of the Allied Pilots Association's pilots based at=20 Dallas/Fort Worth airport, said Thursday that he's concerned that workers=20 might not have time to deal with the emotions and anger generated by "this= =20 ugly pig of a contract" before they have to vote. "That's a big concern,"=20 he said. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.carstt.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************