“American Airlines Group Inc. said it would shed 19,000 workers by Oct. 1 as the carrier prepares to downsize to cope with the coronavirus pandemic’s blow to travel demand, which isn’t expected to rebound for years.
The reductions include 17,500 furloughs of pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and others, as well as 1,500 cuts from management and administrative ranks.
Airlines received $25 billion in federal aid to pay workers through the end of September to avoid mass layoffs.
Unions and airline officials have advocated for another round of funds to keep employees on the job through March 2021.“
Doug
Parker, American Airlines CEO and Chairman of the Board, wrote a letter
to his employees today that pretty much defines high-functioning
sociopathy.
I’m going to reprint excerpts from that letter
– which is couched in the saccharine vocabulary of modern team-speak,
but is in truth a shakedown letter to employees and a ransom note to the
US government – and then I’m going to tell you a few things about Doug.
Dear fellow team members,
We respect and greatly appreciate the sacrifice these team members have made, and continue to make, for American and their fellow team members.
Even with those sacrifices, approximately 19,000 of our team members will be involuntarily furloughed or separated from the company on Oct. 1.
The one possibility of avoiding these involuntary reductions on Oct. 1 is a clean extension of the PSP.
If you haven’t already done so, you can let your elected officials know just how important a PSP extension is to you, your families and our economic recovery.
The American Airlines team is no stranger to adversity, and in adversity, we always come through.
We will come out on the other side of this crisis. Until then, take heart that we will get through this together.
The professionalism and care this team has shown over the past six months has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are all American Airlines, and we will survive, and one day, thrive again. Thank you for all you are doing now, and tomorrow, to carry us through.
Know who’s not sweating the October 1 firing line? Know who’s surviving and thriving just fine, thank you very much?
Doug Parker, that’s who.
Here
are some fun facts about Doug Parker and his “leadership” of American
Airlines since he became Chairman and CEO of the company in 2013, after
its merger with US Airways. All of this (and more) can be found in a
long note I wrote on the airline bailout back in March.
