Question For All

[mwereplanes]

For those who saw or listened to the webcast:

Is there anyone out there, after listening to Mr. Siegel, who truly believes he can lead this company to profitability?

Please answer honestly. For those who do please explain why you feel he can.

mr

 

[SVQLBA]

FWIW from an outsider -- I happily defer to all employees on this thread ...

Off the top of my head, some requirements for leadership:

1) Can create a vision of where the company is going (that is not the same as detailing the threats)
2) Can get the team behind him and marching down a clear plan to get there
3) Inspires confidence and respect in his abilities

I heard lots of creating the "burning platform" for change. But I didn't see any of 1, 2, 3. As an outsider, what struck me was how superficial (and flawed) his discussion of everything from unit cost differences to price structures was. I don't think there was any vision. Great - a new web site, but what happens to the network? What changes in how you operate? And price? What's the onboard product? There was abig TBD against all these. So overall, I cam away with no faith in the abilities of his and his team.

It's up to the BOD to take action now. It almost doesn't matter whether the employees get behind him or not. The unions could give him everything he wants and I still don't think Siegel could help US survive.

 

[wearethecompany]

One thing that could be done is to restructure. Dave hasn't done this and dosen't seem to understand what it is. There are still many little kingdoms left over from pre-merger days filled with unnecessary employees. Dave has just cut from the bottom of the union ranks. There are large numbers of management positions that not only are not needed, but actually interfere with getting things done and inhibit the fast and accurate communication that we need to have in order to adapt rapidly to the market and implement cost saving changes. Of course, when he asks his managers who can we cut, they never tell him "you can cut me and my group because we really don't add anything to the company and have been fooling you for years by taking a simle task and convoluting it to look as though we are doing important work." Yet, I'm sure most of you out there see many areas where management can not only be cut, but the company would function better if those positions were eliminated. Managment must have representation, but this company has over done it, partly due to the legacy of the cover your ass mentality that built up multiple management layers for protection, and created a culture where the best decision is no decision, therefore never being wrong. My advice to Dave is to CLEAN HOUSE and weed out all unnecessary management positions. Rather than complain about the high payroll costs do to high senority in the union groups, realize that the LEAST experienced people have almost two decades of experience and do not need as much supervision and actually have many cost saving ideas they would love to implement without managements huge bureaucratic wall. Managment has no idea of the TEAM concept, they are lost in an every man for himself world. I have seen many situations where managers have consistently made decisions in their own personal best interest rather than the companies' best interest. They don't understand that if we take care of the company it will take care of us. The union employees who have been sticking with the company through thick and thin, in many cases devoting their entire working lives to this company CAN BE TRUSTED! We have been going above and beyond the call of duty for years. Restructure Dave, you can cut half of management and the only difference you will see besides a lower payroll is more efficency, better communication, quick adaptability, and better morale if you empower the people who are really running this airline. Then we won't be angry when management merit raises are given because then they may actually earn it. It is frustrating to the union groups when we see you cutting our pay and the next day giving retention raises to unnessecary managers that you couldn't blow off the job with a stick of dynamite. If things are desperate as you say, give us the ball Dave, you have nothing to lose, and we have always pulled through before, in spite of extremely poor, convoluted management.

 

[diogenes]

wearethecompany knows whereof he speaks. Management lost operational control of this airline twice (once, they didn't even know where all the planes were) and the frontline grunts set things right.

There have been plenty of stations that have done without a manager for months, and those stations still hit their numbers, or improved them.

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, actually has sage advice here.

1. If a manager is more than two levels from production, get rid of him, and redistribute his duties.

2. Fire all the a$$holes, no matter how talented, as they are more trouble than they're worth.

3. When the work gets done, leave.

Sounds about right to me.

 

[More Facts and Less Emotion]

There are still many little kingdoms left over from pre-merger days filled with unnecessary employees.

What are some examples?

 

[wearethecompany]

More Facts Less Emotion,

Please don't tell me you are getting emotional on me. It would be easy to name specific positions and multiple redundancies, but would it really be the right thing to do? Would you like to see your name and job title on a list of superfluous employees? Given that without a sea change of structure, lines of communication, accountability, and a culture based upon trust and teamwork, we will soon cease to exist as an entity, why point unnecessary fingers in a forum that is ignored by anyone that can make a difference. Many ideas have been expressed here that are logical practical solutions to what ails this airline. However, the powers that be will not embrace the change until it is too late. We know the fare structures are wrong, even Dave has acknowledged it for over a year, but someone has advised him that it is still possible to squeeze loyal and once loyal customers for every penny until the last minute. Do not think that goes unnoticed. Heaven forbid we take the lead and unilateraly treat our customers, especially our business customers with the appreciation and fairness that they deserve thereby earning marketshare and loyalty. And certainly lets not trust our rank and file employees who have stuck with this company for decades through thick and thin compensating for multiple management errors which are never ackowleged. Meanwhile Dave has alienated the actual people who run this airline by granting bonuses to ineffectual, self serving members of management, while asking for cuts from the true company loyalists that are getting the job done regardless of the bureaucratic obstacles put forth by inept, short sited, cya management. My apologies to the excellent management personnel who desereve their bonuses and are truly appreciated by the lowly scum who actually care about the customers and are running this airline despited the limited tools and afforded us by our "superiors". However "More Facts" if you insist, and you work for UAIR, name your department and position and I will try to give you a specific example for your edification in a context that will be understood from your perspective. As most of the rest of us know, our management structure impedes communication, is not proactive, instills fear in people that could be good managers given the opportunity, and frowns upon any idea that they haven't come up with, which they never will because original thought has always been frowned upon at UAIR. Sometimes I feel sorry for Dave because he only knows what is passed up from management and it just isn't the true facts he needs to restucture the airline correctly. If Dave had the TRUE facts, and cut management to necessary personnel only (without bonuses even though a few of them deserve them), I would take parity -1 with Southwest, I would even work with a 50% cut until we turned profitable if all were joining in equally to defeat our common foe, unfortunatley, UAIR management sees their own employees as foes, even though we have bailed them out time and time again. Good luck to all readers and contributers no matter your position. Sad to see arguably the best airline workers in the business fall to the wayside do to management that makes desisons based on their own personal benefit rather than what is best fothe company (this includes customers, stockholders and employees). Best of luck to all, including those who have aided and abetted the conditions responsible for the demise of a once respected airline. wewerethecompany

 

[Reservation Agent]

I believe the unions don't have faith in him...don't trust him...And he doesn't seem to respect any of the workers, from the: pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, gate, ticket counter agents, reservation agents, etc....

I hope Mr Bronner understands..... this is the path we are heading now ...............