The real deal...from the front line

[757fixer]

AOG-N-IT,as I'm sure you know,its no better on the line.I've said for years that they have to either increase the manpower to match the workload or decrease the workload to match the manpower.You cant keep hammering these guys night after night.Working midnights and outside is hard enough,at least set realistic goals.Also consider that 44% of the mechanics have been laid off.The station I worked at dosent have a mechanic under the age of 40.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

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On 8/8/2003 4:36:01 PM 757fixer wrote:

AOG-N-IT,as I'm sure you know,its no better on the line.I've said for years that they have to either increase the manpower to match the workload or decrease the workload to match the manpower.You cant keep hammering these guys night after night.Working midnights and outside is hard enough,at least set realistic goals.Also consider that 44% of the mechanics have been laid off.The station I worked at dosent have a mechanic under the age of 40.

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757fixer,
You are most correct Sir, about the ages of our people...I don't think maintenance has a lock on that aspect either.
The on-going joke in CLT Heavy is about being able to hear the Resperators and other life support devices churning during the work day...especialy on the most senior people whom are lucky enough to be working 1st shift.
The worst aspect as I see it is this...Without Junior people being around to reap the benefits of working with some of the real " High-Timers"...at some point there will be a void in the talent pool as seniors retire...and the displaced juniors find other and less hostile methods to make a living.
This problem is not just a USAirways issue...it's a USA issue. Over the last three to four decades we as a country have lost our dominance in many areas..that at one time offered it's skilled workers reasonable wages. I can site plenty of this type of loss of work and depleted talent withn the US Textile Industry, US Auto Industry and the Shipping Industry...now we have Airbus knocking the crap out of the US Aviation Industry too. Boeing has idled workers by the thousands...and after having purchased McDonnell Douglas too.
The shear fact that US companies have no prime players in the "Regional Commercial" aircraft market should un-nerve US workers to no end. Where are these jobs now? Lets see , Germany, France , Austria , Canada , Brazil just for starters.
Sure the IAM has sent out a semi-threatening letter to Mr.Siegel..but unless the bark matches the bite? Many more in the skilled labor ranks will likely be in the service industry ranks in very short order. The time for our government to put it's foot down on exporting US jobs...or out-sourcing skilled labor is long over do. We are quickly approaching a 3 party class system at this rate.
During our parents hay-day..we had 3 classes
(1) The Rich
(2) The Middle Class
(3) The Poor
In our current situation , we are working at a three class system too
(1) The Mega Rich
(2) The "Working Poor"
(3) The "Dirt Poor"
Those whom read this , that are not part of a labor union...or think your job can't be boxed up and shipped overseas without you...you had better think again.
Work in all aspects of todays society is walking off and leaving this country for good. Sure many will say it's the cost of doing business with our Labor Rules coming back to bite us..I say that it's true to a degree...but the prime issue is corporate greed. The need to inflate profits to benefit those whom have never had to break a sweat is an awesome thing. Look at the disaster at Enron for example. You have corporate officers fighting thier legal battles with money they did not earn....and you have workers seeking work in vain attempts to re-build thier lives and lost retirements because of a select few.
Sorry for the geo-political rant...but I'm sick of watching a few ruin everything for the masses.

 

[Dea Certe]

AOG-N-IT,

Very well said. Our whole country is really suffering. I don't understand this "jobless recovery" jazz.

Unemployment is up, people have burned through their benefits and are losing their homes. These aren't lazy slackers who aren't willing to take jobs, there's just nothing out there.

Why are we sending work to India and other countries overseas? Frankly, I wouldn't feel safe knowing my plane was worked on by some third-party vendor. I trust our mechanics, I don't know about these other places.

I am feeling very stressed, blood pressure is way up and I don't trust our management. I can only do so much but take much comfort in knowing my fellow employees are still trying to do their very best every day for our customers.

We, the employees, need to take back our company. It was built with our sweat, not some interlopers who stopped by for the quick buck. I will wear my little green ribbon to show solidarity with my co-workers and with my customers. I think we all need to know who cares about this company, who cares about their fellow employees and our customers. All I can do at this point is wear the green. I would encourage all employees to pin that little ribbon under their union pin. That way, we'll know who is willing to stand up for the company (not management) and the customers.

We need to give the best customer service we can and if that means it takes longer to get the plane cleaned, our customers deserve it. If it takes longer to straighten out a ticketing problem so the customer doesn't have to deal with it downline, so be it. If it means getting passenger inflight amenities fixed (reading lights, lavs, seat backs, tray tables, that sort of thing) then that's the way it will have to be! People want to arrive with their checked bags. Is that too much to ask?

This business is labor intensive. It takes what it takes to make it work. We are sorely understaffed in all areas that meet the customers needs.

Jerry Glass needs to go. He's poisoned the well of good will with the employees. Ben Baldanza needs to go. He's not doing such a good job at marketing our product and enraging our most frequent flyers. Who's in charge of setting the fares? Who's running this show?

Sorry about the rant. I'm burnt out, overly tired and extremely distressed by the state of our company. I'm going to bed and watch reruns of the Simpsons.

Dea

 

[SETMAXTHRUST]

AGC1....Blaffling isn't it? Many here have stood here ready to turn what was once a very proud airline around, assisted by the labor groups who know the best how to fix it! Hey, I'm just a line Captain with a MBA in Finance! But I have the common sense to know when something will or will not work out here....all he has to do is tap that knowledge base that many out here have.....will he, its looking less and less probable, per ALPA's latest update.....I thought he was smarter than that...

 

[wings396]

Wait until we are in the dead of winter with snow and freezing rain tossed into the operation. I can only imagine what the quailty of the de-iceing operation is going to be like in the Contracted and Expressed stations. With all of the good experienced people out the door, and the new $8 an hour breed taking over. If I were a crew, I would be hanging out the window watching every move that they make. Last winter another Expressed carrier asked us to provide a deicer for them to use on their A/C due to a breakdown of their truck. I drove the truck over to their A/C to find out that their Supervisor was going to deice and anti-ice using type 4 ONLY. The A/C had 2 inches of snow on the wings and he was actually going to spray type 4 on it without cleaning it off with type 1 first. Had I not stopped him and told him what the correct procedure was, I hate to think what the end result would have been here. Keep in mind that he was in charge...this is they caliber of folks we are now hiring for CHEAP LABOR....is it worth it???? Not in this case......Sad to say but safety takes a back seat to saving a few bucks for experienced employees who know what they are doing. I would hope that the 3rd party maintainence issue has already been answered by the tragedy with the B-1900 in CLT.

 

[allegheny1]

Setmaxthrust:
Well stated. There is so much talent and experience within our work groups
that is just chomping at the bit to be unleashed. We do not need any
more outside consultants to tell us what needs to be fixed. We know what
the problems are and how to make this a great place to work and be proud
of our airline.
Here is something that has been so understated and almost forgotten.....
No other carrier...and i mean No one...can operate in the east coast
enviroment and do it better than we can. When it comes to the east coast
we are the 800 lb gorilla...we just don t act like it anymore.
Hopefully...someday management will avail itself of the treasure trove of
knowledge that many of you posess.
I understand that Mr. Seigel will be in PIT this coming week. I hope
someone can convey our message to him.

for those old enough to remember.....get the prop wash and bin stretcher
ready.

 

[LavMan]

Don't forget the chock hammers

 

[Doc]

[email protected]

And keep sending it untill you get a response. We should also send in some of these threads maybe just maybe he will know what is going on.

 

[PITbull]

What's being said here by AOG and DEA is so true.

I believe that this present Gov. Administration does not know how to create Jobs, Livable wage jobs. Corporate greed has been aloud to run wildly "unchecked" and their are not enough bills written or laws to protect the working class jobs and wages, let alone hault the Chaos happening in Corporate America with a paradigm shifting towards a two-class system. Rich are encouraged to set the rules to make them richer, and suppress the working class from ever getting ahead or wanting more in life. And if folks think that the answer is go get more educated to change your life, are dreaming of excuses to make an argument. Even if every single person had a masters degree or PHD, then what? How would it possibly change our present state, if that would happen. All you would have is a very educated society with a two class sytem.

The answer is once again repeated...

You need a system of "checks and balances". That IS WHAT UNIONS CREATE FOR WORKING AMERICANS. Not a perfect system by any means, but none the less, a means in which to balance the equation in our capitalistic economy.

As you can attest, the "union busters" have infiltrated all of our union organizations and mounted a major attack, not to save an airline; but "position" this company to feed their own greedy appetites.

Dea, You are a truely great employee here, and U is very lucky to have you with such a heart and loyalty to customer service.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

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On 8/9/2003 1139 AM Doc wrote:

[email protected]

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It would help if you spell his name correctly!

It's "Siegel"

 

[SETMAXTHRUST]

AGC1...Thanks and likewise, your comments are valued and respected also. Our East/Northeast operational expertise, now that you mention it is a understated/under-realized asset! I wonder if he even realizes just how much expertise we have with this. I've communicated with him on three seperate times, the first he responded, the second and third....still waiting....If I have the opportunity to convey this too him, I will, amoung other things. Lets keep this discussion active.