Reality

[USA320Pilot]

Reality - just look around...

Dear Fellow Employee,

Continental Airlines chief executive officer Gordon Bethune said in a conference call with analysts and reporters today, "The barriers to Continental's profitability have not changed over the last several months and continue into 2004 -- low fares, high ticket taxes, a weak economy, the growth of low-cost carriers, and stubbornly high fuel prices."

I am not trying to carry management's message and God knows there is enough blame for all of us to share in all corporate departments, but it's clear some of these issues are cyclical and two are not: low fares caused by internet booking and the LCC's. Every legacy carrier including US Airways has to deal with today's economic reality and it's not myopic management that caused the LCC's to build a better business model.

From a cyclical perspective, Credit Suisse First Boston analyst James Higgins told Reuters News that the Houston-based airlines break-even results could be difficult if high fuel prices persist.

Whose fault is that? OPEC, airline management, or simply an undisputed economic reality, which will effect US Airways' current financial challenges?

Either US Airways’ management, creditors, investors, and employees adjust to the current economic reality or the company will perish. The ATSB and RSA hold all of the cards because the problems of companies like Continental Airlines and US Airways will not go away.

Thus, when would now be a good time for US Airways’ unions and management to begin negotiations on the “transformation planâ€￾, contract changes to permit growth, and discussions on ways for the company to return to profitability in preparation for the inevitable industry consolidation?

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[737nCH11]

Isn't it supposed to be, "would now be a good time......" Just curious. :blink:

 

[USA320Pilot]

737nCh11:

Nope, I wrote it the way I wanted to say it.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[AOG-N-IT]

(1) Management This is the same group that has been given 1.1Billion Tools to offset the affects of an ever changing world...yet never actually changes itself , unless you qualify stooping to deeper levels of dishonesty with it's employee's change?

This is also to same group that allows potential revenue generating acft to languish in the desert sun...all the while blowing away company liquidity waging legal battle after battle with the labor groups...and still loses based on how shortsighted their draconian measures are weighed out in when attempting to do so.

This is also the same management group that pays themselves bonuses for performance and retention....yet the exodus and the results just piddle away by the month.

(2) Creditors How can you approach people whom have already been extorted into cutting you better deals via the Chapter 11 process to give more or take less when the credit ratings and profit potential is as bleak as it is?....I'll refer back to the mitigating facts in phase 1 for clarification purposes.

(3) Investors I believe the investment community is "Rightfully Leary" of U. The business plan has yet to be shown or altered since the emergence from Chapter 11...and the Non-Executive CEO publically threatens liquidation of the company more than once in the last two years. Does this stimulate investor or employee confidence? Simply put .....HELL NO !!! This also hampers long range/advanced bookings on our hapless little airline Do you see the problem yet?


(4) Employee's This group gave 1.1 Billion in relief to this company..and since doing so , every group on the property has had aspects of their CBA's violated to the empth degree...which has led to further red ink for everyone except the lawyers whom present these cases at the companies expense and collective peril.

The Employee's have had thier faith shaken to levels that only mirror that of the potential outside investors we so despiratly need at present.

Basically Ernie's Brother and Tramps "Lap-Boy"....your daily dose changes nothing when it's all said and done. The Management of this company is the only ones that can show the dramatic changes that are needed for UAIR to survive. Let them take "The Draconian Hit" for a change..let them present a viable long-range plan , let them alter our short haul high cost structure ....and then just maybe the rank and file will feel confident in showing it's support by further means????....it would have to be dramatic to achieve this , when recent/past actions are taken into account.

 

[XJTGuy]

320,
Maybe someone will help these troops.

EVERONE IN PIT WANTS THIS TO WORK OUT FOR UAIR.

 

[javaboy]

i am just curious would anything prevent the following from happening?
(meaning some kind of union type rule ? or FAA reg?)


1. schedule all trips sequences as follows am report
work 6am-2pm
work 1pm-9pm
work 8pm- 2 am
(special situations for work back side of clock (redeyes))

during the day you fly 6 of the 8 hrs of duty (heck lets bump it to 10 hrs duty 6 hrs flight time ok?) thus the above would add 1 hour each side.

then work 14 days, that = 84 hrs.

heres the catcher in return for any "rig relief" the above 1 day - 6hrs pay is guarenteed if you fly or not (idea behind this is if company is paying you might as well be flying thus the company WOULD schedule you to work not sit?)

so from just this the pilot gets more time off, the company gets a huge increase (greater than 27%) in productivity at get this 0 increase in W2 compensation?

both sides win

theres your starting point.

 

[michael707767]

USA320Pilot
I would stand ready to give more if management were truly going to try and fix our company. But they are not. Their only answer is lower costs, but continue with the same old broken model. I will not subsidize an airline structure that will fail no matter how much I give back. Show me some real plans, that we are going to transform the way this airline operates, and I may consider more give backs. But, I will not subsidize management stupidity. Unless we change this airline, the only way it will work is if I work for less money than those at the LCCs, because the structure of their airlines is inherently cheaper than ours. And I will not work for less.
Michael

 

[USA320Pilot]

Michael:

Earlier today the ALPA MEC passed a resolution directing the MEC Officers and Negotiating Committee to receive a detailed briefing on the "transformation plan." This resolution is in response to last Thursday's meeting between ALPA's MEC Officers, Negotiating Committee, Financial, and Legal Advisors and US Airways senior vice president of employee relations Jerry Glass and senior vice president of corporate development and express Bruce Ashby.

It is expected this briefing will occur quickly and then the information will be presented to the entire MEC shortly.

In addition, I understand we can expect some ATSB and additional mainline aircraft news in the not-so-distant future, regardless of the "transformation plan" presentation to ALPA.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[28yearsnojob]

nOW WE KNOW WHO RUNS THIS AIRLINE PILOTS

 

[cavalier]

You just don't get it. Your reality and most others are very different.

It's over unless a couple things happen like fast. Get an interim team in here, someone who will be taken seriously, or, this team needs pull out the magic card.

Coming on here ad nauseam begging the readers to please succumb to more abuse and lies all for not doesn't put you in a good light, sort of makes you look desperate, scared, worried, wondering what will become of your life.

You can come back at me and tell me to quit, and do everyone a favor sparing the readers such negativity I don't really care USA320PILOT. Your relentless must do posts and this being the third time no less, well, they make you look ______fill in the blank.

Respectfully...Cav

 

[USA320Pilot]

Cav:

I understand your frustration...this sucks for all of us. Furthermore, the IAM could be in for a big surprise.

If I was a mechanic, I would lobby my union to find a way to cost competively conduct heavy maintenance in-house or things could get much worse for you and your colleagues.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[AOG-N-IT]

USA320PILOT,

How can it get worse if the contract is not opened to them? They are going to lose in the appeals court...and these planes will not fix themselves.

The availablity of flyable Acft does supply your means for being....So flush out your headset...and stop trying to scare people whom can't be intimidated by you or anyone else.

Just remember...every plane that is parked hampers our ability to make revenue...and if enough get parked? SO DO YOU !!!

 

[funguy2]

USA320Pilot:

Why don't you discuss these items with your fellow pilots in the breakrooms, and with your union rep. Those are the people you really need to convince.

Constantly coming on this board and regurgitating the same stuff won't solve your problems. If you feel that ALPA can further negotiate with US Airways to a positive end... Great... Go tell ALPA... Go tell your fellow pilots... Make fliers and hang them in the break room... Go to an ALPA chatboard / website (I assume they have those... I have heard of them... not sure if they are airline specific).

Generally speaking, everybody who reads this board knows your viewpoints.

 

[ClueByFour]

I understand your frustration...this sucks for all of us. Furthermore, the IAM could be in for a big surprise.

If I was a mechanic, I would lobby my union to find a way to cost competively conduct heavy maintenance in-house or things could get much worse for you and your colleagues.

If the IAM loses in court, you will have Eastern. No doubt on this--no concessions from the M&R group, and the final trip to Chapter 7.

If they win, US can do two fundamental things in a rather childish and egotistical response (from a CEO of Dave's vertical size, such an outburst of little-man syndrome would hardly be unexpected or a first):

1. Try to move the maintenance operation to Indy. In which case, half the mechs will probably move anyway. Whoops. Of course, to do this would play all sorts of havoc with the operation, as no large number of aircraft spend any appreciable time at IND.

2. Declare force majure, and drop the fleet count below 279. This won't be particularly healthy for any labor group on the property, since presumably pilot furloughs (as well as FAs) would follow. (2a would be to declare force majure and sell all the CRJ and large embrarer delivery positions to Mesa AND move the lost mainline flying over).

At this stage in the game, if it goes bad for one labor group, it's going to go bad for all of them. Moreover, I'm curious what ALPA is prepared to part with this time around? Or, since we are encouraging various labor groups to bargain away scope, let's play apples to apples: outsource the Airbus flying to go with the Airbus maintenance. Just forget about that minor section of the contract entitled "scope."

The following silly statements brought to you by a customer who thinks that one labor group telling another labor group to bend-over "or else things could get much worse" is some of the dirtiest pool I've seen since US entered Chapter 11.

 

[700UW]

Clue,

Force majuere can only be invoked by something that happens that is beyond the company's control.

Like the terroist attack or FAA grounded of a fleet type. They can't declare a force majuere situation for their inability to run an airline.