American pilots issue vote of ‘no confidence’ in CEO

The Allied Pilots Association, the union that represents American Airlines’ more than 15,000 pilots, said it has lost confidence in Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker’s leadership abilities due to “questionable economic and strategic decisions.”    American Airlines Group, Inc. pilots have issued a vote of “no confidence” in Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker and his management team, according to a statement from the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union that represents American’s more than 15,000 pilots.
   APA said the primary reason for the vote, which is largely symbolic, was the company’s “failure to implement and abide by the pilots’ contract and their seeming disinterest in resolving such problems.”
   “They can’t even pay our pilots for the work they’ve performed,” said APA President Capt. Dan Carey. “When the world’s largest airline can’t figure out how to cut paychecks, you have to question how American Airlines can even consider that it’s on a path to ‘Going for Great.’”
   But the real tipping point, according to the union, was Parker’s decision not to meet with President Donald Trump and other airline industry executives at the White House last week.
   “His decision to disrespectfully not accept an invitation to meet with the President of the United States has left the APA leadership and many of our pilots amazed at the lack of judgment and leadership exhibited,” said Carey.
   The union leader fired the first shot late last week, releasing a strong statement criticizing Parker for skipping the White House meeting in order to attend American’s annual leadership conference in Dallas.
   “Mr. Parker serves as chairman and chief executive officer of American Airlines, the world’s largest passenger carrier. He likewise serves as chairman of Airlines for America, the U.S. airline industry’s principal lobbying organization. His absence from yesterday’s meeting raises questions about his suitability for both of those vitally important roles,” wrote Carey.
   American spokesman Matt Miller reportedly told Reuters news service the union and the airline “share the same goal” and “have a solid foundation in place upon which to build.”
   “Therefore, further public dialogue serves no purpose,” Miller said.
   “Since the merger (with U.S. Airways) closed over three years ago, we have witnessed questionable economic and strategic decisions that have created gaps in the areas of customer satisfaction, operational performance, and revenue when compared to industry leader Delta,” Carey said Tuesday. “These gaps may have a lasting negative impact on the future profitability and success of American Airlines.
   “Simply put, we’ve watched Mr. Parker and his team being out-managed by our competitors’ executives and have lost trust in their ability to lead and protect the interests of American Airlines employees and shareholders without partnering with American’s front-line operational leaders: American Airlines’ pilots.”
   In addition, the APA indicated that their dissatisfaction with management is shared by other members of the American family.
   “Today, while Delta Air Lines employees are celebrating profit-sharing payouts from a pool of $1.1 billion, American Airlines flight attendants are picketing at three hub airports and company headquarters,” the union said.
   In addition to belly hold capacity on passenger flights, the company’s cargo division offers 6,700 daily freighter flights to 339 airports worldwide, according to the American Airlines Cargo website.

Correction: A previous version of this article said American Airlines Cargo offers 670 daily flights.