http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2007_04/18_amrprofit.jhtml
AMR Corporation based out of Dallas/Ft. Worth has come under scrutiny in the media lately due to a disagreement between American Airlines' staff and the payouts received by the executives of the company. The problem stems from the flight staff's agreement to take a cut in pay in 2003 so that American Airlines would not have to file bankruptcy. They were all under the idea that once the company became profitable again they would get paid their regular wages. The online business section of WFAA was quick to pick up the story, spinning it to a certain degree to empathize with the pilots and flight attendants who felt the actions of the company were unfair. The report on the WFAA site noted with great detail the exact payment amounts and stock shares that were given to the company's executives. While the news report does not go into great detail about the company's response, it does indeed expose the payment schemes and touches base on the fact that the pilots and flight attendants took a cut in pay in 2003 and have yet to be compensated for their sacrifices.
All this may leave you wondering as to how American Airlines and parent company AMR would respond. Surprisingly enough, there was actually no mention of the strike or payment issues on the company's website. A corporate press release, however, did assure investors that the company had indeed received a net profit of $81 million during the first quarter of 2007. The company took the quiet approach choosing not to respond to media inqueries about American's unions being unhappy and suggesting a change. The only mention of anything regarding employee's salary was this quote saying:
"AMR began to accrue for a potential profit sharing payout to employees for the 2007 year, payable in 2008. There can be no assurance that the Company’s forecast will approximate actual results, which are dependent upon many factors, including fuel prices and economic and industry conditions."American Airlines' neglect to mention any staff issues could have escalated into a PR nightmare but fortunately for them, the media hasn't given the "crisis" much attention.
