Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) picketed at various locations in and around Miami Dade County last week, as the Republican party prepared for the Florida primary election on January 31. The union, which represents mechanics and fleet service workers at American Airlines and regional subsidiary American Eagle, recently filed a formal objection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York to the hiring of Bain &amp; Company by the bankrupt AMR Corporation. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a former executive with Bain &amp; Company and CEO of leveraged buyout specialist Bain Capital until 1992, has drawn criticism even from fellow Republicans, most notably presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, for Bain’s record of layoffs and plant closings.&nbsp;


“Mitt Romney is a job cremator, not a job creator,” said TWU President James Little.&nbsp; “He made a fortune snatching up companies, closing factories and laying off workers. Now, Bain &amp; Company—which still lines Mitt Romney’s pockets with their profits—has been hired to axe workers at AMR Corporation.”


The union charges that AMR subsidiary American Eagle specifically hired Bain at a fee of $525,000 a month for the task of cutting jobs at the regional airline. AMR claims Bain will engage in “strategic consulting” services.


“The consulting firm was not hired to renegotiate aircraft leases, advise on financing or alter route structures; [its] sole function is eliminating employees,” said the TWU in a statement.&nbsp;


More than 24,000 TWU members work at American Airlines and American Eagle.&nbsp; AMR Corporation, the parent company of both airlines, <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/2011-11-29/amr-declares-bankruptcy">filed for bankruptcy reorganization</a> on November 29.


“It’s outrageous that someone running for president as a ‘job creator’ is going to enrich himself by cutting pensions, cutting wages and destroying American jobs,” said Little.&nbsp; “Like so many on Wall Street, Mitt Romney earns his money by destroying the jobs of airline employees. We’re going to do our best to make sure voters in Florida and elsewhere know exactly where Mitt gets his money.


“This company filed for bankruptcy with $4 billion in the bank, and they just stiffed our employee pension plans by more than $95 million,” added Little.&nbsp; “Their excuse was they had to ‘preserve cash.’ If AMR is trying to preserve cash, there’s no reason to pay more than half a million dollars a month to Bain &amp; Company. Bain’s advice is simply pay rank and file workers less, and give executives more.”

Transport Workers Union, Objecting to AMR’s Hiring of Bain, Picket Romney Campaign 

TWU objects to AMR hiring of Bain & Company 

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