Letter AA-TWU - Thursday, November 04, 2004 at 18:20
AmericanAirlines®
November 4, 2004
TO: Capt. Ralph Hunter
Tommie Hutto-Blake
James C. Little
As we discussed during our debriefing of yesterday’s analyst’s conference, the session was American’s opportunity to discuss many issues with the financial analysts who follow our industry. Interestingly, there was as much interest in our collaborative approach to labor relations as there was about any of the traditional fiscal issues that typically capture their attention. The analysts were very positive about what we together have accomplished so far, and especially about our framework for moving forward.
In response to one question, I tried to educate those who are not familiar with labor relations in the airline industry or the processes we use to resolve issues that are unique to American. Unfortunately, the media’s attempt to summarize my response resulted in one sentence that took the explanation out of context. Let me assure you that I never said nor implied that we have any intentions of circumventing the collective bargaining process, including the ratification process.
What I was saying was that because of the way we are changing the business, we can collaborate on solutions that help the company without violating the negotiated contract. My point was we all recognize that the success of American Airlines has to be our shared goal; therefore, we have to resolve our issues and improve our processes continually.
I tried to be as careful and specific as I can be in explaining how we can move forward together. In this case, my attempt to educate the analysts led to a misinterpretation.
Unfortunately, we can’t always prevent the miscommunication that happens when working with the media; but the good news is that we are now communicating well enough that we raise issues when they occur and respond accordingly. I appreciate your candor and your willingness to work together to reach our mutual goal.
Sincerely,
Jeff Brundage
Senior Vice President ,
Human Resources