p positions in American airline companies. In other instances, the combined effects of economic pressures and labor-management difficulties resulted in employee ownership or partial ownership of some carriers.
The nearly 15 year since the completion of the deregulation program have been financially turbulent for the American airline industry. One casualty of this financial turbulence has been the bond of trust between the airline companies and their employees. Employment practices have become a major issue in the industry. This research examines employment practices in the American airline industry with an objective of assessing the effects on such practices of airline ownership structure.
Ownership structure classifications used in this research are (1) traditional ownershipùpublicly held by domestic stockholders, (2) foreign ownership participationùan equity position held by a foreign air carrier in a publicly held American airline, and (3) employee ownership or ownership participationùeither completely employee-owned or an equity position held by the employees of a publicly held American airline. The employment practices of seven American airlines were examined. These airlines were as follows:
1. American Airlines. American Airlines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AMR Corp. The airline is included in the traditional ownership classification in this research. American Airlines has approximately 102,000 employees.
2. Continental Airlines. Continental Airlines is a public stand-alone company. The airline is included in the traditional ownership classification in this research. Continental Airlines employs approximately 37,800 persons.
3. Delta Air Lines. Delta Air Lines is a public stand-alone company. The airline is included in the traditional ownership classification in this research. Delta Air Lines has approximately 71,500 employees.
4. Northwest Airlines. Northwest Airlines is a wholly...