Charlotte W.

I am a flight attendant with 21 years seniority.
 
During that time I became painfully aware of the divide between management and labor.
 
When Mr. Arpey took the helm, I hoped against the odds that finally, American's management was going to work fairly with the employees to ensure the success of the airline in a manner that consisted of respect and honor.
 
The planned distribution of windfall bonuses for a select number of management, when the employees are still suffering from  huge pay cuts and concessions, has proved my optimism and faith in management's integrity erroneous.
 
I am saddened to see what is about to occur, just when we began to believe Mr. Arpey's administration was different from the corporate greed we had become conditioned to expect.
 
Personally, I would not resent the bonuses for management, if only management had honored their stated intention of shared sacrifices, shared gain BEFORE they awarded themselves copious amounts of money now that American is once again seeing a profit.

Specifically, in terms of the flight attendants, I would expect the contract of 2001 to be reinstated before, or simultaneously with, the award to select management.
 
The return to profitablility happened because the employees took hard concessions to ensure the airline remained afloat.
 
To reward management because they were able to convince us to take pay cuts, vacation cuts, and numerous other concessions, is essentially pulling the money out of our paychecks and putting it into their own.
 
This is a dark hour for American.
 
If this happens as planned, I do not believe the damage to morale and the faith we began to have in our leaders will ever be restored.
 
Simply put, our 2001 contract needs to be restored before a single dime is given to those who took it away.
Otherwise, the bonuses are effectively, and in all actuality, nothing more than stealing from the employees to line the pockets of management.
 
This is a shameful day for American.
 
Charlotte W.