American Airlines wants to reduce union share of fleet and mechanic workers, machinists union says

American Airlines is trying to gradually reduce the size of its union workforce, an effort that is slowing the pace of contract talks with its mechanics and fleet service workers, a union spokesman said Tuesday. “It’s union busting on the instalment plan,” said a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists. Through a joint association, the IAM and the Transport Workers Union jointly represent about 31,000 American employees, principally mechanics and fleet service workers. “The company is demanding, either through a buyout or other form of attrition, the ability to vendor out jobs,” the union said. While current jobs would be protected, some union workers who leave could be replaced by non-union workers, he said. The total number of jobs that could be lost under the company’s proposal is about 5,000. <br/>