Piedmont workers nearing open rebellion ....

[nycbusdriver]

I have no idea how many ground employees PDT has at LGA, but the 299 is the amount to be furloughed. Not the number that keep their jobs. I suspect that US will still have some Express flights at LGA, for example the LGA-PHL. Plus I don't know how low the number of mainline flights can go before the various employee groups are "Expressed".

Jim

For ground personnel, LGA may simply become an express station and the mainline fleet and customer service people will get furloughed. I imagine they will keep a mainline maintenance base there simply for reliability of the shuttle. Although I may be overstepping by assuming they are even interested in shuttle reliability.

Is there anything in contracts anywhere that says all the mainline flights at LGA can't be handled by express employees? IMO, doing that would be a huge error, but Tempe is about the money, not about the service.

At any rate, I doubt they will keep a small express contingent simply to hang out for the few express flights that may survive. Why does LGA-PHL have to be express? We already have some mainline on it, and Saturdays it is mostly mainline. All that express flying in LGA was simply there as a placeholder to keep slots alive. No one in their right mind would schedule 5 Dashes and a CRJ inside of two hours to run from LGA to PHL on a daily basis because it made economic sense. (Especially when they consistently ran less than half full.)

 

[JetguyCLT]

Is there anything in contracts anywhere that says all the mainline flights at LGA can't be handled by express employees? IMO, doing that would be a huge error, but Tempe is about the money, not about the service.

[/quote

In the Mainline Customer Service CWA CBA, a express station can only handle 2 mainline flights a day. Unless its a seasonal/even type schedule, ex DAB for the Daytona 500, or AGS or the Masters.

 

[gizmo_sc]

When Piedmont started bidding on US Airways contracts and other ground contracts they were not able to SECURE any bids due to salaries of the rampers. SO PDT management came up with the B SCALE at PDT which means any new stations pays 7.50 to start and they max out at 10.00,, any present PDT employee that transfers is subject to the new salary caps not matter your seniority. So they are just getting what they are paying for. All those 299 that lost their jobs or going to lose their jobs in LGA if they apply for DL will come in as READY RESERVE and have to wait on a DL part time or full time position to come available.

There is a posting over on www.airliners.net that PDT is on the verge of LIQUIDATION. Not sure of the validity of that but they have been held back due being owned by US AIRWAYS. Those OLD Dash 8's are getting pretty ragged. They have slowly returned them to the lessors and probably are just about DONE WITH.

 

[BoeingBoy]

At any rate, I doubt they will keep a small express contingent simply to hang out for the few express flights that may survive. Why does LGA-PHL have to be express? We already have some mainline on it, and Saturdays it is mostly mainline. All that express flying in LGA was simply there as a placeholder to keep slots alive.

In general I agree, and certainly have no idea what US will do. On the LGA-PHL flights there may not be enough traffic to justify mainline 7 days/week without reducing the number of flights to 1-2 per day, which would itself depress traffic. I suspect much of that traffic is connecting in PHL so while all those current RJ flights may not be profitable by themselves they add passengers to flights to/from PHL, helping profitability there. And an RJ with X passengers is less expensive than a mainline plane with the same X passengers. For connecting business traffic no decent frequency (at least 4 flts/day) would mean a lot of it would go to CO or UA instead - could still get US miles but fly a *A partner.

Jim

 

[cynic]

In general I agree, and certainly have no idea what US will do. On the LGA-PHL flights there may not be enough traffic to justify mainline 7 days/week without reducing the number of flights to 1-2 per day, which would itself depress traffic. I suspect much of that traffic is connecting in PHL so while all those current RJ flights may not be profitable by themselves they add passengers to flights to/from PHL, helping profitability there. And an RJ with X passengers is less expensive than a mainline plane with the same X passengers. For connecting business traffic no decent frequency (at least 4 flts/day) would mean a lot of it would go to CO or UA instead - could still get US miles but fly a *A partner.

Jim

They could probably schedule mainline aircraft around the international banks every day but they would still need regional aircraft for the early and late flights that would be needed for domestic and business passengers.

 

[commuterman]

The guys running the Piedmont show out in PHX were the same guys who turned over the PHL Piedmont station to a group of managers who have since fired all of the actual talent they had on staff and replaced them with relatives and friends. I'm sure there are others on here who know of what I am speaking about.

 

[signals]

At the risk of appearing insensitive I agree with Freedom's basic premise.

I don't go to work to make friends. I go to work to earn the best living I can and that's it. There may not be an "I" in TEAM, however there is a "ME" and that's the only person I'm interested in at work.

The above is one reason I don't "work union". Not wired that way and many aren't. I get and even agree with certain aspects of trade unionism but it doesn't work for me as an individual.

I'm very empathetic to others plight, I'm just not crawling out to the thin end of the limb for them.

As far as the freedom the sandflea...

Other than that, I agree with all your points, except that I am union that has been at the other end of the spectrum. I always said that there is a me in team and work doesn't have to be enjoyed as long as it pays bills!

 

[signals]

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11358701/1/us-airways-affiliate-plans-laguardia-layoffs.html
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheStreet) -- US Airways(LCC_) says that 299 workers at subsidiary Piedmont Airlines will lose their jobs as it downsizes at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

This is going to branch out to other US-X stations that would serve LaGuardia. The number of actual layoffs will be far reaching.

 

[strangiatotheme]

The guys running the Piedmont show out in PHX were the same guys who turned over the PHL Piedmont station to a group of managers who have since fired all of the actual talent they had on staff and replaced them with relatives and friends.

Wasn't Ornstein doing the same thing? Some things will never change over there for Express...

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

When Piedmont started bidding on US Airways contracts and other ground contracts they were not able to SECURE any bids due to salaries of the rampers. SO PDT management came up with the B SCALE at PDT which means any new stations pays 7.50 to start and they max out at 10.00,,

USD 7.50/hour is below minimum wage in many states:

http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm

 

[nycbusdriver]

In general I agree, and certainly have no idea what US will do. On the LGA-PHL flights there may not be enough traffic to justify mainline 7 days/week without reducing the number of flights to 1-2 per day, which would itself depress traffic. I suspect much of that traffic is connecting in PHL so while all those current RJ flights may not be profitable by themselves they add passengers to flights to/from PHL, helping profitability there. And an RJ with X passengers is less expensive than a mainline plane with the same X passengers. For connecting business traffic no decent frequency (at least 4 flts/day) would mean a lot of it would go to CO or UA instead - could still get US miles but fly a *A partner.

Jim

My suggested service between PHL and LGA.

to PHL --
A319 about 6:30 am
E190 about 11 am
A319/320 about 3pm (to connect to most European flights)
E190 about 7:30 p m

to LGA --
E170/190 about 8 am
A319 about noon
A319/320 about 6 pm (to get European travelers to NYC)
E190 about 10 pm

With the exception of the one (maybe) E170, that's all mainline and I would wager that they would run with heavy loads. Load factor doesn't mean profits, but almost all of the traffic would be connections, so the profitability is dependent on the fare paid for the entire trip.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Is the "open rebellion" only in PHX? I travel on Piedmont all the time, and I haven't seen any employees that are any more pissed off (the general everyday attitude) than everybody else working for Tempe and it's subsidiaries.

 

[UPNAWAY]

I find it hard to believe people could go from Mesa to Piedmont and feel worse off.

 

[SparrowHawk]

I find it hard to believe people could go from Mesa to Piedmont and feel worse off.

Was thinking the same thing. However the "Old US" management had the unique talent of managing to piss off employees with alarming regularity. IMO it can't all be laid at the feet of unions and employees.

DP & SK share significant blame in that they failed to eradicate the cancer in 2005 by being more aware of and proactive in fostering the kind of culture change that IMO will be required in order for US to continue to grow and prosper in its current configuration.

 

[Jester]

I find it hard to believe people could go from Mesa to Piedmont and feel worse off.

I think much of it to be psychological. When one worked for Mesa, then it was understood the employer to be unrelated to US, but when the employer is a wholly subsidiary, then the parent company has created two different pay grades for the same type of work. Even though people understand the pay scale upon accepting the position, it will not change the perception of the arrangement as being unfair, and thus, a morale issue may ensue.

So Views Jester.