Non-labor Costs

[PITbull]

Geo,

The AFA members know their "threshold". Pittsburgh base voted down the winter concessions, I don't think any improvements have occured in their situation or "quality of life" to make this vote change. With regard to the rest of the bases, again, they decide. There will be either a survey or straight ballot to even open our contracts. AFA never presented that before. So, in essence there will be voting before and after. If f/as decide to open contracts a third time. Our structure is based on democratic principles, and majority rules the day.

CWA members ratified the 2002 Winter proposal by 5 votes, can't imagine any kind of improvements since then to change their vote to a positive as a majority.

IAM members have the "outsource" issue, they had to take two votes for the Summer 2002 Concession #1 proposal and the "no- outsource" issue was why it passed the second time.

 

[Aryeh]

My two cents regarding "Workbrain:"
It's another example of the many tools, in this case a productivity tool, that various outside companies develop and then are sold by their marketing people to companies such as US, promising improvment to the bottom line.
The problem is Workbrain only detects an agent's presence on the job, or his/her absence, and other payroll-related issues. However Workbrain can't detect what happens after "clocking-in." And as always, what's ignored are the many subjective issues that merely get lip service. Attention to quality and service, although it can't be quantified or charted, also impacts the bottom line but is overlooked. I may have been on duty seven hours, three minues and sixteen seconds but HOW well did I perform?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Aryeh,

Just judging by the DOT rankings in the various catagories, the vast majority of employees seem to be doing their job pretty well. Wouldn't you agree?

Jim

 

[Aryeh]

Yes I agree most are doing a great job, considering many of us work in a harried, customer service occupation and what we've endured from within.
My point, that you apparently missed, is if the company is hoping to improve the bottom line via Workbrain, perhaps improving improving the customer's would benefit the company more so.
You may take this personally, meaning how most employees are doing their job. Don't! I don't even know what "the vast majority of employees seem to be doing their job pretty well" means! Doing well under often difficult conditions? Or doing well with less pay? Or doing well without adequate training? Doing well at minimum staffing? I could go on. We do very "well" considering. But striving to be best, in many categories is not a real goal. As for the DOT rankings, among most carriers, those numbers are fairly close (rankings have a top and bottom). And the rankings' statistical range isn't very wide. What makes the customer pleased is being on-time, and many, many other things along the way.

 

[mweiss]

...when the low cost carriers run UAIR out of town just how long do you think their prices will remain so low??...are they the cheapest at every location.......particularly in cities where they are the largest carrier???

Geez, what a red herring question. Where they are the dominant carrier, they aren't the cheapest because the other carriers are forced down to theirs. Show me a single WN fare in four digits. Just one will do.

They move into cities, and their prices remain low. They remain low for a couple of reasons:
1) They don't have to raise them
2) If they do raise them, they are inviting someone else to move in. The best defense is to remain on the offense.

Are you really in such a legacy carrier coccoon that you cannot see how this business model works?