American Airlines says that it will freeze retirement plans for flight attendants and ground workers, rather than eliminating them as they had previously said. The company, which is attempting to cut costs due to bankruptcy, said that they hoped that the unions would work with them after they made this decision. The change does not affect pilots, who have the best pensions at the airline. The company wants the pilots to give up a lump sum payment or it says it will terminate their pensions. American and the unions that represent its workers are currently in negotiations.
See "Retirement cuts? American backs off threat", David Koenig, The Christian Science Monitor, March 7, 2012