By Bill Zeeble, KERA reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-580122.mp3
Fort Worth, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: Posters in hand, fight attendants walked & chanted 11 different rehearsed and scripted phrases, all criticizing the millions in bonuses going to fewer than a thousand executives next week. With support from the pilots and transport workers, flight attendants said 4 years ago, American Airlines promised shared sacrifice would mean shared benefits, if the company avoided bankruptcy and again made money. Russ Kidwell, a veteran international flight attendant wants carrier to keep its promise.
Russ Kidwell, American Airlines Flight Attendant : There was 212 million dollars profit made this year and we're seeing 200 million is going to 874 people out of 80 thousand employees who sacrificed.
Zeeble: Kidwell doesn't expect the company to rescind the bonuses, but says management's now on notice things better change. But the carrier's Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Jeff Brundage, says all workers are being treated fairly, whether compared to other carriers, of industry in general.
Jeff Brundage, Senior Vice President,Human Resources,American Airlines : Our entire industry is in a tough spot. But our employees are the best compensated in the industry, after we avoided bankruptcy. If you look at our pay, pension, benefits, this is the best compensated work force in the industry.
Zeeble; Those executive bonuses, he said, reflect a 4-year rising share price from 2 dollars to above 30. He added that in the past 4 years, there had been zero in bonuses or stock compensation. And if analyst projections hold, union workers will share the profits in less than a year.Next week,
the flight attendants will form informational picket lines at 16 terminals across the country. For KERA 90.1 I'm Bill Zeeble.
Bzeeble@Kera.Org