Like Your Job Then Listen Up!

[tim]

I guess, I should be grateful that Alpa has my future in the palm of it's hands. :down: :down:

I know that was tongue-in-cheek.

We alone are the ones that hold our destinies, not Dave and gang, not the politicians etc. We alone are the power or agency that determines the course of events in our life.

If not, there is a problem.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

kt,

What I find intersesting is the fact that ALPA is the only group that is actually being approached in regards to getting "Cost Saving" input or feedback so far.

I have not seen where the AFA , IAM or the CWA has been appraoched in an alike manner.

Sure the ALPA group constitutes the greater percentage of overall employee costs..and I know they have given their share like all the rest prior , yet the real issue is bringing the whole operation into the fold , is it not?

I know the IAM had suggestions to avoid the current battle in regards to out-sourcing the Airbus work...but all the suggestions were ignored piecemeal...and it's been game on from that point forward.

I surprised to see "Doc Bronner" taking such a "hands-on" approach with the ALPA membership...and in a way I see this as an admission on his part about just how little credibility his hired guns have with the employee's in general.

I keep hoping that somehow the employee's will be allowed to have a greater degree of input as to the direction things need to be taking...afterall , who sees the failures in our methods any clearer than those whom are up-close an personal with the day to day happenings here?

 

[SpinDoc]

I guess, I should be grateful that Alpa has my future in the palm of it's hands. :down: :down:

I know that was tongue-in-cheek.

We alone are the ones that hold our destinies, not Dave and gang, not the politicians etc. We alone are the power or agency that determines the course of events in our life.

If not, you have a problem.

As an informed industry observer, I see a lot of immature knee jerk responses from posters who type before they think. While the end result of the current tactical maneuvers by David Seigel and Company may be that the entire industry is changed forever and wages are lowered across the board, the sad reality is that the industry was changed on forever on September 11, 2001. All facets of the economy were beaten down by the events of that fateful day and corporations and small business owners are no longer willing to pay full coach fares. WN, B6, FL, F9, HP, AT, and NK all took advantage of the market downturn and began agressivley courting business travelers. They have conditioned them to accept lower standards and expectations so they can save money on their travel expenses. This created a shift in the industry which is what is driving the current scramble by US, AA, NW, UA, DL and CO to lower their costs so that they can offer the same lower fares as the low fare carriers. Whether you choose to believe it or not, the changes are permanent and either US employees accept this fact and negotiate productivity changes (in exchange for profit sharing and other incentives tied to performance) or US will surely join TW, PA, EA., PE, and others in the graveyard. It is time for everyone to open their eyes and understand that small sacrifices made today can turn into large investments in a few short years. The days of getting raises and being paid based on your seniority are over. Only those who perform will reap the benefits. With the right culture and business changes, US can and will be able to successfully compete with the low fare carriers, but it all depends on the employees giving Dave and Company the opportunity to make it happen.

 

[ktflyhome]

Well, Tim af far as an "agency" goes, it just might be welfare or unemployement, but I do apprecitate your philosophical view.

And as far as my self worth is concerned.....My granddaughter thinks I am worth a fortune. B)

 

[sentrido]

With the right culture and business changes, US can and will be able to successfully compete with the low fare carriers, but it all depends on the employees giving Dave and Company the opportunity to make it happen

I think with the right culture and business changes, US can and will be able to successfully compete with the low fare carriers, but it all depends on Dave giving the employees and Company the opportunity to make it happen.

 

[mweiss]

the sad reality is that the industry was changed on forever on September 11, 2001. All facets of the economy were beaten down by the events of that fateful day and corporations and small business owners are no longer willing to pay full coach fares.

I'm soooo tired of hearing this. I wish my posts on USAviation from late 2000 were still available. If they were, you'd read how I was already seeing businesses changing their travel policies and how the dotcom meltdown was going to do unbelievable damage to the airline industry.

Meanwhile, everyone on this board was busy telling me how misinformed I was, how the industry was healthier than it had ever been, how people were willing to spend $2000 for a round-trip flight in coach.

The industry was already failing in late 2000, a full year before four planes were hijacked by al-Qaida members. They may have prolonged the agony, but the writing was already on the wall.

 

[tim]

QUOTE:

As an informed industry observer, I see a lot of immature knee jerk responses from posters who type before they think.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course you are the sole exception and not included in the fools posting category.

 

[tim]

Well, Tim af far as an "agency" goes, it just might be welfare or unemployement, but I do apprecitate your philosophical view.

That's the spirit. lol

 

[diogenes]

To understand the future that faces us, consider one solitary fact.

Has anyone, in any workgroup, ever heard Dave say that he would like them to adopt Southwest's contract? Or JetBlue's? I didn't think so.

Dave never says he wants us to accept Southwest's wages. Or JetBlue's. He never says he wants us to accept Southwest's workrules. Or JetBlue's. He never says he wants us to accept Southwest's benefit package. Or JetBlue's.

Why? The answer is obvious to most of you. If we accepted all of those things, our cost structure would not be competitive with their's. What Dave wants, and what we need to survive, is a "competitive cost structure".

So let's break down "competitive cost structure":

Competitive - What we need to be in able to survive.

Cost - One method of becoming competitive, thru lower employee costs than the competition.

Structure - Another method of becoming competitive, thru having as efficient a structure as the competition.

So far, the entire emphasis has been on lowering costs while leaving the structure alone. If every effort were made to increase the efficiency of the structure, we would be nearly competitive. Various factors would prevent us from being truly competitive - hub/spoke, mixed fleet, older/more senior workforce, etc. So we employees would have to accept slightly lower wages, benefits, etc to become truly competitive.

Oh! We've already done that, haven't we?

Jim

Exactly so.

dave is selling 'subsidize the poor business plan' to employees, as he has little leverage in forcing the shareholders and customers to do so.

Now, the only question is, how low will it go?

And, I've got to make the point once again. With what IAM fleet and CWA has already conceded, and with UNLIMITED 'expression' already agreed too, the local job market compares favorably to the end game U has in mind for agents.

Not a sou more!