IAM Ratification Passes 55% YES

[UAL777flyer]

Congratulations to the employees of US Airways on completing yet another very difficult step in your road to a successful restructuring. And make no mistake about it, you've accomplished arguably the most difficult part of laying the foundation to even have a chance at a recovery: restructuring wages/benefits to competitively sustainable levels. After all the uncertainty you folks have been through, you deserve a few breaks. Keep the momentum moving forward!

 

[Steiner]

When does the IAM raise the dues? This is SOP.

 

[DCAflyer]

Airline orphan said: But telling people to quit because they voted no is over the top.


DCAflyer response:

Airlineorphan,

Nobody told N513AU to quit because he voted no. Undoubtedly many, many people voted identically to him, but they have accepted that it is now time to move on and do their part to rebuild this fine airline. I am tearfully impressed today by the many individuals who clearly and vehemently opposed concessions, but have risen above their objections and now, in the shadow of their defeat, position themselves to move forward with us all.

People said that N513 should quit if he is going to self-impose a work slowdown. I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment. We are all called to build this airline again and anyone who is going to stand in the way of the livelihoods of the tens of thousands of those who step up to the plate and work with management, should leave post haste. The idea that somebody isn't going to pull his share of the work because he didn't get his way is beyond childish, it is downright unacceptable.

We all face a new reality in aviation. This is not just a concept new to US Airways. Add UAL, DAL, AA, NWA and CAL to that equation. There is not now, nor has there ever been, an endless flow of cash.

Finally we have new blood in the executive suite... read, new, young blood... read further an end to the old boys' network! And we finally have direction which does not involve lining the pockets of fly-by-night executives who are in CCY only for their own self-serving interests.

And lastly, we finally have a chance to make it, and I believe we will. But anybody who feels that the new contracts are an invitation not to work hard I believe should be shown the door. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ready, willing, and able furloughed employees who gladly would trade places with N513 and do their part to bring US Airways back to its glory.

DCAflyer

 

[N513AU]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 9/18/2002 2:12:39 PM DCAflyer wrote:
People said that N513 should quit if he is going to self-impose a work slowdown. I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment. We are all called to build this airline again and anyone who is going to stand in the way of the livelihoods of the tens of thousands of those who step up to the plate and work with management, should leave post haste.
----------------
[/blockquote]

$XXX of pay = XXX amount of work. Decrease one side of the equasion, the other will fall suit. Therefore less pay equals less work. It's the market, good old capitalism at its finest. I do more work for more money, less work for less money.
[blockquote]

....I believe should be shown the door. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ready, willing, and able furloughed employees who gladly would trade places with N513 and do their part to bring US Airways back to its glory.

DCAflyer
[/blockquote]

Days of glory? When was that? The Wolf years? Maybe Schofield's years? Perhaps under Colodney (sp)? I'm pretty hard pressed to think of ANY time in U's history when it was glorious - maybe except before my time when the airline industry was sensible and stable during regulation. When service was good, planes were clean, food was decent and schedules operated on time.

Life at US Airways is more like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. Economy craps the bed, employees give back money. The economy improves, managment (executive and up) makes a ton of money, managment takes their bit and runs. The leadership cooks up crackpipe ideas like GhettoJet, Business Select, our new FQTV rules, United merger, etc. Then the economy starts to slide, employees cough up the money to set up a new regime - which makes money and hits the road. Same old sad story. Dave will be gone when he cashes out in a few years, trust me. I'm tired of having the company break their contracts with me, while the contracts with management (executive level) always get paid out. Wolf got his, so should I.

 

[ClueByFour]

[blockquote]

$XXX of pay = XXX amount of work. Decrease one side of the equasion, the other will fall suit. Therefore less pay equals less work. It's the market, good old capitalism at its finest. I do more work for more money, less work for less money.
[/blockquote]

Huh? By that logic, when you started at U, you must have done damn near nothing, since your primary form of compensation increased was never based on amount of work, per se, but always based on seniority. The way your union likes it.

Now, when the opposite is true, you concoct some BS about money being equally in step with what you are paid. I'm glad you belong to a union, so you can have your cake and eat it too (as opposed to summarily dismissed, which is what somebody who pulls this crap in the real world has happen to them). Once again, what we have here is a stellar example of the horrible effect of trade union's protectionism.

[blockquote]
I'm tired of having the company break their contracts with me, while the contracts with management (executive level) always get paid out. Wolf got his, so should I.
----------------
[/blockquote]

Your union and fellow members voted for it. If you really want yours, quit your job, lose the union protection, and try at-will employment. With risk comes reward (of course, with things like threatening or suggesting work slowdowns comes the door).

 

[B707B]

That was a great post DCAflier!

 

[DCAflyer]

N513AU wrote:

Life at US Airways is more like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. Economy craps the bed, employees give back money. The economy improves, managment (executive and up) makes a ton of money, managment takes their bit and runs. The leadership cooks up crackpipe ideas like GhettoJet, Business Select, our new FQTV rules, United merger, etc. Then the economy starts to slide, employees cough up the money to set up a new regime - which makes money and hits the road. Same old sad story. Dave will be gone when he cashes out in a few years, trust me. I'm tired of having the company break their contracts with me, while the contracts with management (executive level) always get paid out. Wolf got his, so should I.

DCAflyer response:

Well then what keeps you here if things are so bad? Either you are the stupidest person walking the face of the earth, which I doubt, or things really aren't as bad as you say. But if you take a paycheck, you are honorbound to do the best job you can. It's called a work ethic, something that apparently escaped your upbringing. In my entire adult life, and even stretching back to my high school jobs, when I didn't like my job enough that the money or other benefits didn't compensate for the negatives, I quit. I never, ever, ever, EVER said I believe I should be making 22% more money, so I will give only 78% of my best. By that logic, I would never board passengers on a plane (time for which I don't get paid), conduct preflight checks (time for which I don't get paid), smile at passengers as they disembark and thank them for traveling with us (time for which I don't get paid), give the passengers ice with their drinks, or even perform CPR when a passenger has a heart attack or put out a lav fire. I could say I don't make firefighter wages, therfore I'll just let that toilet paper burn. I do my job and I do it the best I can. If I am not happy with managment, my passengers never know it.

I doubt that Chip or even Captainron would unilaterally decide not to walk outside the aircraft before departure to do their preflights just because they are now making less money. Yet you, in a public safety position, elect to overlook your obligation to the flying public, to your company, and to your coworkers.

Also, by your logic, you with say 15 years of seniority (example) earning 35% more than someone having four years of seniority, should be doing 35% more work. Something tells me that that four year guy outshines your performance.

Your argument does nothing to make the other labor groups feel positive that the IAM members ratified the concessions agreement and weren't subject to the abrogation motion in bankruptcy court. I must remind myself that your thoughts are not typical of the many fine mechanics at US Airways.

And God knows I have never been a supporter of the likes of Wolf. In fact, I think he is the yucky coating on scum that floats on the Potomac (ever notice how that scum coagulates around CCY!). But the glory of US Airways is, and always has been, its people (sans people with your attitude). We have a reputation of being one of the friendliest airlines. I personally find a great deal of glory in that.

 

[chipmunn]

DCAflyer:

Thanks for the well thought out and written comments.

Chip

 

[cavalier]

DCAflyer

Well said indeed, but the sad truth is this man is full of hate and angry that probably has nothing to do with U, it's just his outlet because that is where he is. His is a life full of dissatisfaction, discontentment, resentment. Everyone’s at fault except himself. You are wasting your time and energy trying to reason with his troubled mind, a mind that needs healing within. If he never receives that healing he will go through life the way he is, unhappy and not the guy everyone loves to be around. God Help him, we can't.