Union Members Rally Against American Airlines Bankruptcy Ploy

Hundreds of members of TWU-American Airlines Locals and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants – with a big assist from Local 100 – rallied outside Bankruptcy Court in lower Manhattan on April 22, 2012 just minutes before opening arguments in American’s attempt to use bankruptcy proceedings to slash thousands of jobs and gut labor agreements.

The demonstrators demanded the Bankruptcy judge reject American’s bid to cut workers wages by billions of dollars and eliminate 13,000 good union jobs. Instead, the united labor force at the carrier is asking the Judge to approve a competing proposal of a purchase of the carrier by USAir.

Local 100 President John Samuelsen served as emcee of the event, stating that the American crisis is symptomatic of attacks on workers, both public and private sector, across the country. Key speakers included TWU International President James C. Little, APFA President Laura Glading and New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento.