Dave Porks Pittsburgh?

[nycbusdriver]

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On 4/1/2003 9:46:30 AM firstamendment wrote:

I have been observing this forum for a while and decided to jump in on the fun. I purposely decided to use the name I am using because of a disturbing trend in our country and at U. If it isn''t our president telling us we are unpatriotic to speak out against the war, it is some management guru trying to intimidate U employees from speaking their minds. This goes against one of the most precious rights we have.

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Please don''t try to invoke our precious Constitutional rights to places they don''t apply.

"CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF; OR ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OR OF THE PRESS; OR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, AND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES."

This is a limit on GOVERNMENT, not corporations. It protects our political speech, as you pointed out, but not speech in the context of employee/employer.

The Consitution and the Bill or Rights are our protection from the overreach of a tyrannical government. If you speak out against your employer, and he fires you, you can''t claim First Amendment protections. Sorry, it just doesn''t work that way.

 

[firstamendment]

Ease up busdriver....I can use the first amendment any way I feel I would like. I am not a child and do not need for YOU to somehow belittle my feelings or opinions where its concerned. My choosing this name is in protest of NOT only a mangement team who comes on and tries to limit the opinions of it''s employees, but a jerk King, oops, I mean President who likes to make reference with his cronnies that if you don''t agree with him you are somehow not an American. Get it? PROTEST! Please spare me your intellectual hogwash where the contitution is concern. Go ahead and slam me. You have your right. Dicussion ended. Be gone.

 

[Dea Certe]

Firstamendment,

Better watch out lest Secondamendment comes after you!

Dea AKA Dead Equine Abuser

(sorry guys, I''m getting a little goofy)

 

[repeet]

I find it interesting that Pittsburgh seemed to be ignored during the whole bankruptcy process, but the minute we get a "new" board of directors, Mr. Seigel makes an early morning phone call.

The cost of the Pittsburgh facility compared to the other hubs has been a mystery to me, but now seems to be clear. Pittsburgh had some "patron saints" on the old Board of Directors.

As far as the new Board of directors goes, Alabama is heavily represented, and Mr. Robert Johnson, owner of the new Charlotte NBA franchise is on the board.

Maybe, we all should learn how to whistle Dixie.

 

[nycbusdriver]

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On 4/1/2003 10:31:49 PM firstamendment wrote:

Ease up busdriver....I can use the first amendment any way I feel I would like. I am not a child and do not need for YOU to somehow belittle my feelings or opinions where its concerned. My choosing this name is in protest of NOT only a mangement team who comes on and tries to limit the opinions of it''s employees, but a jerk King, oops, I mean President who likes to make reference with his cronnies that if you don''t agree with him you are somehow not an American. Get it? PROTEST! Please spare me your intellectual hogwash where the contitution is concern. Go ahead and slam me. You have your right. Dicussion ended. Be gone.

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I''ll spare you the "intellectual hogwash" which is clearly beyond your ken. I do agree with your political stance regarding the present environment of accusations from the White House.

I''ll try to keep my posts to single- and double-syllable words so you are not overwhelmed by the "intellectual" stuff.

"Discussion ended?" Just because YOU say so?

"Be gone," you say? Like that''s going to happen.

 

[ClueByFour]

Some of the conjecture here cracks me up.

US can''t afford the leases at PIT, so they are going to run out and buy chunks of DEN, STL, or the mtc base at IND? Okay. Let''s approach these one at a time:

CO is an airline with a reasonably low cost structure, who has not been thru Chapter 11 (lately), and has made it known that they would consider jumping back into DEN if UA left. US has no existing ops to speak of west of the Mississippi. Who do you think gets DEN?

STL has a relatively weak o/d market, and a large Southwest presence, thus diluting yields. AA uses it primarily as a reliever and low-cost connecting point. AA just cut a deal with their unions, so they are surely going to surrender ground to U immediately, who just came out of BK with relatively little cash.

IND. If UA were to go under, it is possible that IND might cut US a sweetheart deal on the mtc facilities at IND.

But let''s not forget--the airline only has a billion and change, revenue is depressed due to the war, and somebody wants to run out and buy 400 RJs with 1.25 billion in the bank. And yet there is this theory that U is going to go buying its way into STL or DEN or ORD wholesale? Get real.

Gonna try to put another 300+ flights a day thru PHL when it rains? Good luck.

I reinterate: Jim Roddey should begin the process _right now_ of courting OAs to PIT, and give Dave the finger. PIT traffic does not support the existing terminal without a hub, but if the county is going to have to give the damn thing away at a clip that causes a debt service default anyway, we might as well get a decent amount of service from OAs and the corresponding lower fares. All this should happen because US waited until the 11th hour before springing this little missive on the city, county, and state.

I do agree, BTW, with those who say that the PIT folks put all their eggs in the proverbial US basket in the early 1990s with the current terminal. FWIW, if it had been up to me, the monster never would have been built. This type of stuff (coddling marginal businesses to pander to large existing labor groups) is why I don''t live in Allegheny County in the first place.

 

[DCAflyer]

Clue,

[edited by moderator]

First, RSA has already said it would finance capital investments if they were beneficial to U. What could be more beneficial than a mid-national hub?

Second, UAL IS closing its maintenance facility at IND. I never said U WOULD take it over. I was simply responding to a post about rumors that PIT was moving to IND (which I clearly said I don't think would happen but it is POSSIBLE that maintenance may move there, depending what happens with PIT cost restructuring efforts).

Third, if UAL decides to jetison DEN (which they ARE looking in to doing), who do you think they would want to sell it to? Continental or U, it's codeshare partner?

Fourth, it has been widely speculated for some time that AA may jetison STL. They don't use it as a major hub because they don't need it. It is located smack-dab between their massive DTW and ORD hubs. I never said they would sell it or that they may sell it to U. I mentioned the possibility that it MAY become available as AA, like all other airlines, attempts to cut costs. This has nothing to do with striking TA's with its unions (which, judging from their board, are a long way from ratification). There is still no guarantee that AA won't go the C-11 route and, I suspect, if any of their unions turn down the TA, AA will almost immediately file.

I never mentioned adding 300 flights a day to PHL. I don't know what orafice you pulled that our of.

I never said I think any of this WILL happen, but that these (and other scenarios) are most likely being discussed by the new U board of directors.

 

[scot]

Discuss without personal attacks please.

 

[oldiebutgoody]

Yea, I'd be careful. The UAL guys can really dish it out, but they have a hard time taking it. I guess they're a little "touchy" about the way things are looking over there. Adding 300 flights a day to PHL STILL wouldn't make it as bad as ORD on a bad weather day. I've been to both, and the new facilities at PHL are GREAT!

 

[funguy2]

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On 4/2/2003 12:18:51 AM PineyBob wrote:


Jeepers can''t we all just get along? US is coming out with a new advertising program. The slogan is:

"US Airways Treats you like a king - Rodney King"

The reality in all seriousness is US Airways did what was prudent for US Airways and that was to attempt to reduce its costs wherever it can. The fact that the public officials sought to put all of their eggs in the US Airways economic basket is no fault of US management. Now Mr. Roddy will get a taste of what all of the work groups got prior. A decision with no real options. Either settle for some portion of the 70 million or get 100% of NOTHING! Now I realize their will always be a substantial amout of business from US at PIT but nt the full blown hub opps like now. The contracts are not affirmed in BK court and Dave is well within his rights to do this. I mean you want him to reduce the leases by say 30 million or would you be willing to provide that in another pay cut?

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PineyBob: Well I agree with most of what you have said. I have to assume, though (and this may be a leap of faith), that Roddey/PIT Airport had some discussions of what USAir''s management thought their future at PIT may be like. I am assuming that U''s management at that time painted a rosy picture. If they had said anything else (i.e. "we see it about the same" or "it could shrink"), I have to assume that reasonable people would not go forward with such a project. Furthermore, I remember hearing about how cramped and crowded the old terminal was.

Otherwise, this terminal is a giant "white elephant" project built under the "build it and they will come" theory. With the amount of capital we are talking about, going on that theory is irresponsible almost to the point of negligence.

But you are right... Even if U management painted the best possible scenario ever, PIT airport management should have prepared for a worst-case scenario. And perhaps used some restraint by opening the terminal in a more modular fashion.

I wonder if the airport project was a "look at how far we have come since the steel days" type, where the government really wanted to make a big impression with the locals with it, instead of having it viewed as a constant work in progress (i.e PHL... terminal construction unending for years and years). Any comments on this?

 

[usfliboi]

YAWN

 

[PITbull]

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On 4/1/2003 10:28:59 AM trvlr64 wrote:

As a long time PAX on USAirways I have invested a lot of time and $$ over the years. I want to see this airline succeed, believe me. What I am finally happy to see is the City of Pgh and our obsolete Allegheny Count Airport Authority finally getting it in the chops.

The PIT airport was to be the crowning jewel in the U route system when it was built. It still happens to be a much nicer airport of the 3 in the U system. But it's time that the city and county had better realize they laid their eggs in 1 basket and now they are going to have to scramble to find some resolution. Too much of the counties $$ was invested in U at that time, which was noble. But it kept the other airlines from gaining any strength here. It's going to be fun to watch the news here in Pgh and see Roddey sweat.




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Here again is another travesty to the surrounding community and employees. Whatever concessions they give to U, the county will have to make up in tax dollars. Here's another "sucker punch" to PIT community and the employees that live here. We will be looking at increased taxes sooner, than later. When that happens, you won't be able to even sell your house to get the hell out of Pittsubrgh. If you are a customer and don't live in PIT, you can just coast. But, if your a resident, and employee here, won't be able to hold on to your wallet, cause the difference has to be made up from somewhere.

 

[delldude]

i guess this means roddey won''t be fronting any money for the "Frank Schifano Maintenence Facility" then will he?
did you notice in the article in the paper he said he was going to meet with dave asap? he also said he was going to meet with the unions also...what he''s going to look to us to kick in and help pay their bonds?DUH....

 

[PITbull]

Dell,

I think your absolutely correct. Roddey wants to meet with Dave to ask for "mercy", but he''ll find none. These guys don''t look for "balance". It will be there way or the highway. And you will witness labor leaders will beg Roddey to comply because they are so "short sighted". Once again, labor unions will be asked to pressure the county for these concessions. What these employees just don''t quite get YET, is those that live, work, raise families in Pittsuburgh, will have to foot the difference through higher taxation in all spects to help support the airport, and this ALL on a U employee reduced wage, 5% included reduction, "lock, stock, and barrel".

Yep, just looked in my crystal ball again, and I can see it as plain as day!

 

[X-U]

A big part of the drop in traffic rests on the Allegheny County Commisioners.
They raised the taxes and drove away the Corporations that were based there. Hence the drop in O&D traffic. The "Steel Mill Mentality" is to bleed the Golden Goose until it drops dead, and then complain that it didn''t have enough blood.