Editor’s Notebook: Aretha Got it Right

Respect. It’s a simple concept, but where does that word come into play for the aviation maintenance career professional? Industry-wide, but especially at the airline level today, mechanics are feeling less than appreciated. According to a recent New York Times article called "Now Departing: Airline Careers," the loss of jobs after 9/11, pay cuts, and evaporating pensions have taken a toll on the one thing all of us in the business have in common: our love for aviation.

The thrill and privilege of working in aviation just isn’t enough anymore.

The story in the Times talks about a family of mechanics with the father and three sons all in the business and that seemingly have jet fuel in their veins (you’ve heard that old saying, "Once it gets in your blood..."). But over time, with all the ups and downs in the aviation industry, all of these men have become disillusioned with aviation.

Layoffs, pay cuts, and the loss of pensions have left that family, and many mechanics, feeling like Rodney "I don’t get no respect" Dangerfield. In the case of the family in the Times story, the father experienced the end of a dream when Pan Am went under, and although each of his sons is still working at an airline, they are starting their own businesses in hopes of getting out of the aviation industry.

One reason they are starting their own businesses is to supplement their income. But another, more telling reason is that it brings greater personal satisfaction. One brother, who now operates a trophy business said, "I’m into being a businessman. I like the respect." Recently an AM reader had this to say about this phenomenon, "You can’t blame intelligent, hard-working folks for wanting to provide the best they can for their families." You also can’t blame them for seeking greater job satisfaction.

This brings me to another topic that has been bandied about quite a bit recently — "the shortage." Is there really a shortage of aviation mechanics? Or are all those experienced, trained mechanics just moving on to different industries? I am definitely hearing that is the case. Aviation maintenance technicians are going to work on the trains, ocean liners, amusement parks, computer technology, etc.

Why? Because it isn’t enough anymore to have the thrill and privilege of working in aviation. When that was the case, pay was relatively good (good enough), pensions were a guarantee, and it was a mark of honor to say you worked for an airline.

Do you remember hearing the old story of the guy whose job it was to clean the honey bucket of the airliners that came to his airport? He told a friend that he had to work crazy hours, that he often got covered in human excrement, and that he barely made minimum wage. The friend said to him that he could help him out with a cleaner, better paying job, that had predictable 9-5 hours, to which the aviation enthusiast said, "What! And give up aviation?" Those days are gone.

The tragedy in all of this is that aviation is still a great industry and for those gifted mechanics who seem to know an aircraft as though it was their own child, it should be an incredible place to work.

Some companies do seem to be doing better than others. For example, American Airlines has made a team effort of growing their maintenance business. The management and the Transport Workers Union Local 514 jointly decided to pursue this growth. Their Tulsa operations has a facility-wide policy called "Working Together."

Preventing a mass exodus of the brain trust of the experienced mechanics who are left in the industry should be a top priority for the airlines. If I were in charge of the human resources departments at the airlines, I would take a serious look at all the factors that lead to job satisfaction. Most of the mechanics I know are about more than just the money, although pay is important. But just as crucial is to feel valued for the incredibly hard work, dedication, and risk involved in the complex work aircraft mechanics do everyday.