Can U Afford To Operate Like This?

[NYPD]

These little factoids (above) are only the tip of the iceberg. Daily operations are getting worse every day, with parts problems cropping up everywhere. Undoubtedly, if nothing drastic is done soon there will be too many airplanes sitting on the ground. An airline operation is not an airline operation without airplanes to fly.

Bad news. Bad news. We work for a bunch of idiots, although one must wonder if they really care. Either way, they get THEIR money, while we wither away to other careers.

 

[E-TRONS]

The $100 cost as presented to us, as employees, was represented to be the companies cost of our labor, including benefits and goverment required costs.

The Charlotte Battery Shop had at least 10 test stations. The two man crew would load them up and preform deep cycle tests. If they passed, they were returned to service. If they failed, they were troubleshot, repaired and retested.

The number of batteries turned out over a year divided by the cost of the employees and parts, was represented to be the companies cost.

US Airways new battery vendor told the company up front that they only had three test stations, and couldn't handle the required load. The company has been trying to find other vendors. When I left two weeks ago, they company was short eighty batteries from their ideal allocation.

[post="260778"][/post]​

Like I said before.....others will validate my post.

Thanks REPEET

 

[delldude]

the seat problem is compounded here in pit as they really haven't started banging out the 's' checks and they are in that gray area between in house and vendoring......
on another front...i'm getting reports that the apu shop may be being restaffed shortly due to difficulties with vendoring and word was possibilities of additional staffing for pit fab .
i love it when a plan comes together....
who you gonna call??

 

[Boeing4me]

The $100 cost as presented to us, as employees, was represented to be the companies cost of our labor, including benefits and goverment required costs.

The Charlotte Battery Shop had at least 10 test stations. The two man crew would load them up and preform deep cycle tests. If they passed, they were returned to service. If they failed, they were troubleshot, repaired and retested.

The number of batteries turned out over a year divided by the cost of the employees and parts, was represented to be the companies cost.

US Airways new battery vendor told the company up front that they only had three test stations, and couldn't handle the required load. The company has been trying to find other vendors. When I left two weeks ago, they company was short eighty batteries from their ideal allocation.

[post="260778"][/post]​

Wow. Based on this information it sure sounds like the boneheads at CCY continue to amaze us all. If I owned any stock my blood sure would be boiling by this point. Common sense and business acumen sure seem to be in short suply among the senior managers.

 

[Q2DETX5]

The $100 cost as presented to us, as employees, was represented to be the companies cost of our labor, including benefits and goverment required costs.

The Charlotte Battery Shop had at least 10 test stations. The two man crew would load them up and preform deep cycle tests. If they passed, they were returned to service. If they failed, they were troubleshot, repaired and retested.

The number of batteries turned out over a year divided by the cost of the employees and parts, was represented to be the companies cost.

US Airways new battery vendor told the company up front that they only had three test stations, and couldn't handle the required load. The company has been trying to find other vendors. When I left two weeks ago, they company was short eighty batteries from their ideal allocation.

[post="260778"][/post]​

On the subject of the Battery Shop, the only cost they have gotten rid of is the four mechanics. The shop space is still there, and the equipment may still be there, but it will be sold or scrapped for pennies on the dollar. They saved four mechanics wages and incurred systemwide costs and didn't even have a viable vendor lined up.
Standard procedure seems to be to outsource the work but we have to provide ALL the supplies, parts, tooling, support ( engineering, materials, shipping, training, parts ) that we did before. Only now add on the loss of any control or influence over production, quality and availability. While they may have to add jobs in planning and material control, etc. to shuffle paperwork and work with mutiple vendors, they did succeed in get rid of many of those rascally mechanics.
I could go on, to no avail, the stories are legion and could fill volumes. The Maintenance organization did need some work, but it is basically being dismantled. The lost capabilities will be unrecoverable except at great cost.

 

[AP Tech]

I recall reading one weekly maintenence breifing where a supervisor in the toolroom was congratulated for finding a buyer for surplus tooling for about 12K what was not mentioned was the intial price paid for the tooling which if I had to guess was 10X that!!!!! What a deal!!!

U is sending much tooling to the vendors which are doing the work, another good deal!!! Costs are much lower for the vendor when the customer provides the tooling!!!

Bottom line is they do not have a clue!!!!

 

[Q2DETX5]

At this time, there is not enough vendor capacity for the work being shopped by the majors. What is available out there is generally substandard to the airlines' own operation. Eventually, it will catch up. But so will the cost. The problem is the (overall) cost of doing business this way will be higher than it is now. Another looks good on paper situation that gets someone promoted then the remaining folks have to deal with it.

 

[hp_fa]

Outsourcing work such as battery shops, etc. is, and was, a very bad idea.

1. The airline lost control of of the quality of the actual work.

2. With another party in the loop it is likely to slow the speed of the work.

3. Assume the the airline was running the shop without a direct profit motive, that the shop was there to support the airline by keeping planes flying and that the airlines profit was to be generated from keeping it's aircraft flying. Don't you think the new company doing the work is looking to make a profit where no profit motive previously existed?

4. Do you actually expect the employees of Acme Battery Company to really have any loyalty to the airline?

Management has sold you both a bill of goods and down the river.

 

[tadjr]

I understand another cancellation due to a MTC MEL issue running out of time with no one able to fix it? Anyone with a clue on how to clear a MEL item on time? Thats right, theres hardly anyone left to fix it. Maybe someone in CCY can get out their mighty Wrencho set and put it right? :down:
I understand it was maint ferried to CLT to get fixed...

US Airways Flight 1128

Thursday, April 7, 2005
Departure Arrival
Airport: Orlando Intl, FL (MCO) Airport: Charlotte, NC (CLT)

Scheduled Time:
5:30am Scheduled Time:
7:08am

Estimated Time:
Cancelled Estimated Time:
Cancelled
Aircraft:
Boeing 737-400 Baggage Claim:
Not Available
Status: Cancelled
Comments: The flight is cancelled due to aircraft maintenance. Customers will be re-accommodated. For information about your party please contact US Airways Reservations at (800) 428-4322.

 

[WO/drone]

At the old Allegheny Airlines operation (x Pa Airlines) they (management) farmed out the brakes that were being done in house. After costs of shipping and the extra brakes to keep a certain number in the pipeline, the vendor shipped brakes that leaked, were missing seals, missing bleeders, when you add it all up it cost the company more in the long run, and USAirways also since they were wholly owed. And when they ran out of brakes, and caniblized off check aircraft, the management said it would cost too much to tool back up and do them in house. Some freinds at Delta and American have told me similar stories. Looks like Continental Express does all they can in house and are very solvent, then again the mother company split them off and they are independent, andd still have a profit. Anyway it is correct to say that USAirways is not the only one with these problems and as more got to out sourcing the vendors will back up more.

 

[UAL_TECH]

At the old Allegheny Airlines operation (x Pa Airlines) they (management) farmed out the brakes that were being done in house. After costs of shipping and the extra brakes to keep a certain number in the pipeline, the vendor shipped brakes that leaked, were missing seals, missing bleeders, when you add it all up it cost the company more in the long run, and USAirways also since they were wholly owed. And when they ran out of brakes, and caniblized off check aircraft, the management said it would cost too much to tool back up and do them in house. Some freinds at Delta and American have told me similar stories. Looks like Continental Express does all they can in house and are very solvent, then again the mother company split them off and they are independent, andd still have a profit. Anyway it is correct to say that USAirways is not the only one with these problems and as more got to out sourcing the vendors will back up more.

[post="261333"][/post]​

It isn't about costs and/or cost savings. It 'IS' about getting rid of the 'people' (not overhead as the 'space' is still there).
This is an endimic problem confronted by 'US ALL' and it is recognized that we are not "allowed" to compete against our own work.

Of course, this is all 'BS' and we can sit here and whine about it for ages.
Are we so different?

Good Read:
Lessons from the Brake Shop

As a competitor in the marketplace, management prevents our shop’s participation. We can’t even get copies of the official OSV bids to see their prices. Are their numbers for real, or do the OSV bidders low-ball price to get our work? Will their prices jump after UAL dismantles the tooling and closes the Brake Shop?

Mechanics in the Brake Shop have always met or exceeded the goals of the shop. Ask any mechanic or supervisor. They know the facts—the truth. I am writing this not to toot my own horn, but to express my feelings of betrayal by management.

FYI, The UA brake shop is 'gone' !!!

Good luck to us all!!!

Take Care,
B) UAL_TECH

 

[AP Tech]

It is my understanding that crew o2 bottles are in short supply due to vendor problems and that there is also a short supply of wheels and brakes. Several of our aircraft are using leased brake assys. Now that makes sense!!!

 

[justaumechanic]

Outsourcing work such as battery shops, etc. is, and was, a very bad idea.

1. The airline lost control of of the quality of the actual work.

2. With another party in the loop it is likely to slow the speed of the work.

3. Assume the the airline was running the shop without a direct profit motive, that the shop was there to support the airline by keeping planes flying and that the airlines profit was to be generated from keeping it's aircraft flying. Don't you think the new company doing the work is looking to make a profit where no profit motive previously existed?

4. Do you actually expect the employees of Acme Battery Company to really have any loyalty to the airline?

Management has sold you both a bill of goods and down the river.

[post="260868"][/post]​

The Company could care less.. All they wanted was to get rid of people.. They chaulk this up to the cost of doing business.. If the passenger is boned they don't care..

The plan was to get rid of as many people as they could.. If the Brake Shop or the APU shop were doing the work in 1/2 the time and 1/2 the cost the company still didn't want the work..

Lakewad, Bronerhead and Prestowipe all wanted to get rid of people.. The love doing it, they enjoy seeing families destroyed and careers lost.. They care about nothing else..