Management Elitism

[nycbusdriver]

At ONE poster's request, a reasonable discussion was locked at EXACTLY the time that the whole truth came out and would illuminate the debate.

Nice going, Moderator.

Of COURSE this poster would want to close off debate once it was revealed that his love of WalMart is colored by the fact that he works in the "head shed," not as a front line employee. This is EXACTLY the situation at USAirways. The folks in Tempe are mostly clueless; they are oblivious to the fact that they have a large morale problem which grows daily despite the fact that profits are now rolling in. For some reason they believe that money flowing to Tempe makes everyone in the ditches become happy campers.

It's typical management elitist thinking.

Now, to his credit, Doug Parker does actually go out and visit the ditch-diggers. He has his script and, when asked questions, answers from the script. This was most clearly demonstrated to me when I attended the CLT pilot meeting with DP on Sept. 20. Two pilots (union officials) made impassioned statements which, bottom line, told Parker that there is a huge morale problem. Parker, listening with his bean-counter ears, missed the point and told us that combining our contracts would be a very small cost savings (i.e. "I don't really care about your desire to have a single contract. It's not money in my pocket, so go pound sand.")

My guess is that the Bentonville cadre is just as clueless. While morale of the ditch-diggers DOES have impact on the bottom line, the bean-counters can't calculate the figure with their graphs and charts, so therefore it doesn't really exist.

 

[LCC_#1]

At ONE poster's request, a reasonable discussion was locked at EXACTLY the time that the whole truth came out and would illuminate the debate.

Nice going, Moderator.

Of COURSE this poster would want to close off debate once it was revealed that his love of WalMart is colored by the fact that he works in the "head shed," not as a front line employee. This is EXACTLY the situation at USAirways. The folks in Tempe are mostly clueless; they are oblivious to the fact that they have a large morale problem which grows daily despite the fact that profits are now rolling in. For some reason they believe that money flowing to Tempe makes everyone in the ditches become happy campers.

It's typical management elitist thinking.

Now, to his credit, Doug Parker does actually go out and visit the ditch-diggers. He has his script and, when asked questions, answers from the script. This was most clearly demonstrated to me when I attended the CLT pilot meeting with DP on Sept. 20. Two pilots (union officials) made impassioned statements which, bottom line, told Parker that there is a huge morale problem. Parker, listening with his bean-counter ears, missed the point and told us that combining our contracts would be a very small cost savings (i.e. "I don't really care about your desire to have a single contract. It's not money in my pocket, so go pound sand.")

My guess is that the Bentonville cadre is just as clueless. While morale of the ditch-diggers DOES have impact on the bottom line, the bean-counters can't calculate the figure with their graphs and charts, so therefore it doesn't really exist.

I agree. Thanks for bringing that up. Never have I seen the moderators lock a thread so fast after a request. It was not THAT off topic and the moderators have let threads get waaaay off topic and never close. As usual, inconsistancies from those that have the power to do what they want. Sounds like US Airways management.

 

[EricLv2Fish]

It's typical management elitist thinking.

Now, to his credit, Doug Parker does actually go out and visit the ditch-diggers. He has his script and, when asked questions, answers from the script. This was most clearly demonstrated to me when I attended the CLT pilot meeting with DP on Sept. 20. Two pilots (union officials) made impassioned statements which, bottom line, told Parker that there is a huge morale problem. Parker, listening with his bean-counter ears, missed the point and told us that combining our contracts would be a very small cost savings (i.e. "I don't really care about your desire to have a single contract. It's not money in my pocket, so go pound sand.")

My guess is that the Bentonville cadre is just as clueless. While morale of the ditch-diggers DOES have impact on the bottom line, the bean-counters can't calculate the figure with their graphs and charts, so therefore it doesn't really exist.

DP needs to reign his Union busting hitman and restore balance to labor and management. Telling the non-represented West tech-ops folks who are going to be creted they would get their 3% pay raise and then saying..."whoops we forgot about the union contract so we can't give it to you" is nothing but a kick in the crotch and what's worse a lie. Until a transition agreement is reached they are not bound by the union and will not pay dues. These harding working folks don't deserve to have their intelligence insulted. This is probably only one example of what's been going on, but it's one I'm familair with. Shame on you DP :down: , wake up before it's too late.

 

[PITbull]

DP needs to reign his Union busting hitman and restore balance to labor and management. Telling the non-represented West tech-ops folks who are going to be creted they would get their 3% pay raise and then saying..."whoops we forgot about the union contract so we can't give it to you" is nothing but a kick in the crotch and what's worse a lie. Until a transition agreement is reached they are not bound by the union and will not pay dues. These harding working folks don't deserve to have their intelligence insulted. This is probably only one example of what's been going on, but it's one I'm familair with. Shame on you DP :down: , wake up before it's too late.

I take back everything I've ever thought negative about you... B)

 

[diogenes]

nycbusdriver,

Your larger point is spot-on. The convergence of management styles between disparate industries is almost enough to make you go the black helicopter route.

Of course, greed is a simpler, though less sexy explanation, and the one I'm going with.

 

[N965VJ]

Just about any company will throw their weight around if they feel they are big enough to get away with it.

What’s really starting to annoy me is the trend to pay Net 30 Invoices Net 60, or even Net 90.

The last thing I want to do is finance my receivables.

 

[diogenes]

Have they got enough leverage with you to make that stick, or can you tack on fees for receivables paid past 30 days?

 

[EricLv2Fish]

I take back everything I've ever thought negative about you... B)

Well you know Pit...when I first came on this board as an at will employee on the Westside things were much rosier and all the negatism floating around was not indicative of the situation AT THAT TIME for at will employees in the West. AWA is gone. Things have changed. Sad the at will employees had no choice in becoming union and got a kick in the crotch due to association. DP treated at will employees very well with bonuses during a time logical reasons could have easily been given so the bonuses wouldn't be paid out.

The AWA days are long gone and it seems that DP has deferred labor relations to Al Heminway. DP, if your reading this then step in and do the right thing. 3% isn't much, but it's the message being sent that will lower morale and hurt the bottom line much worse than giving a 3% raise (which doesn't even come close to keeping up with inflation). Those folks in tech-ops have been busting their aces getting this merger done for the company and this is how they are treated! If their pay is frozen without a chance for a merit increase during a period of time where the company is profitable then SHAME ON YOU! Don't let this tarnish your image over a 3% merit increase in pay! Your either not paying attention or have gone to the far right of labor/management relations. You want to be as good as SWA? Then treat all employees with respect, union and non-union alike!

 

[OldGuyinPA]

That is how Microsoft operates. Tons of cash, but try getting any money out of them....you have to wait 120 days before they would even think of paying you.

As far as morale problems, it's probably similar to the old USAir..ways.

All problems stopped at Crellin. Wolf, Gangwal...etc never really knew what was going on in the trenches. Al...stopped it all. Philly...no problem.

 

[twoturnin]

Bet no one in Tempe has ever thought of "just how much money could we make if we had the help of the entire pilot group" ooops out of the box thinking again---remember when pilots were called "Profit Centers" or words to that effect.

 

[N965VJ]

Have they got enough leverage with you to make that stick, or can you tack on fees for receivables paid past 30 days?

I went to my own vendors and negotiated longer terms. It all rolls downhill.

Ultimately, I solved the problem by not having them as a customer anymore.