Why Don't The Angry People Leave?

[MarkMyWords]

Sorry USA320 but to just roll over and hand someone your wallet isn't the answer. I am sure in your travels you ahve seen many examples of where the company wastes money, yet you want me to continue to fund that waste through concessions? Not going to happen.

I may not agree with the union metal heads on here very often, but in this case I do feel that they have a valid point to take a hard stance against the company. Imagine you are a mechanic and you and your counterparts have been able to identify 80-100 million dollars worth of cost savings to the company. You put together a presentation and take it to the CEO and the Chariman of the Board. Even if the numbers were skewd in the IAM's favor, there is still a cost savings factor that they have been able to identify, but it falls on deaf ears cause it doesn't fit the plan. Well shouldn't the plan be changed to fit the new factors that were brought to light? Should the IAM be asked to fork over their wallets to still fund this 80-100 million dollar loss in their department, especially givent the blatant contract violation with the Airbus S check issue.

What if ALPA had recommendations to the company for 80-100 million in cost savings. What if the company brushed those recommendations aside with a cordial Thanks, but we still want your wallet. Would you be as eager to roll over?

Personally, if the company did everything in their power to reduce costs as much as possible, if they did everything to raise revenue, utilized every item in every contract that they negotiated - and we were still not profitable, then I would be willing to sit down and discuss what I can do to help. If they have taken every step to ensure that they were going to minimize the effect on me, my pay and my benefits, then lets talk. Instead the employees become the quick fix.

Dave first talked about "the plan" and the need for concession in Nov 2003. It is now April 2004. What has Dave and company done in 5 months to reduce costs? What have they done in 5 months to bridge a gap with employees? What have they done to change our business model? What have we done as a competitive response to WN (besides add service)? 5 months of the same rhetoric and employee bashing, but nothing has changed. What is holding them back? What sections of your contract are stopping them from rolling PHL, righting the fare structure, changing the web, scheduling crews and airplanes more efficiently?

Sorry USA320, but as much as I love my company and my job, I am not willing ot open my wallet to another round of concessions until someone shows me that this will not be business as usual and I am not going to leave.

 

[savyinvestor]

Since USA320 has his job opportunity in Europe and his wife's Fortune 500 job opportunity here I would be expecting him to resign his position in the near future. This would eliminate all the problems he has with his fellow employees who disagree with his call for them to quit. Respectfully, Savy

 

[AP Tech]

Sorry 320, but I though a person is entitled to vent every once and awhile, and a forum is a great way to do it! I apologize that my thinking does not agree with yours, but I don't agree with throwing others to the wolves to save myself.

Bottom line I USED to love coming to work and really enjoyed my job, but after the events of the past few years I dread coming to work...but still give 100%! I have accepted the fact that furture with U looks grimm but there is nothing that can be done about it!!!! Send me packing with my severence and it will be closure of my career here at USAir. And please don't say it as am not a quitter, but a realist!!!!

 

[dbcwaar]

Just an observation!!! Please correct me if I am wrong as I am looking at it from the customers stand point. Didn't Dave try to make changes but every time he tried he was met with resistance from the unions? Seems as if its unions that are standing in the way and are reluctant to change...... Oh and as for the pay cuts.. No body ever said life was fair!!!! It sucks but its the reality of the industry.

 

[mweiss]

You make them work with you...

But that's just it. You can't "make" them work with you, any more than they can "make" you accept concessions.

 

[bobcat]

When anyone on this board screams "Why don't you just quit?", I just shake my head and wonder how stupid do these people think we are. Why in the world would anyone just up and quit? The people that ask this question are the stupid ones.

In reservations no one is happy and the majority are just biding their time waiting for the lights to go out. We've been pushed too far and no one really seems to care any more.

No one is going to quit. We're staying until the end and in the mean time working as much as possible and taking advantage of over time to catch up on bills, getting medical issues taken care of, using our 75% paid vacations and making plans for life after USAirways.

Many of my co-workers have plans to go back to school. You stick with it until the end and either part or all of school will be paid for and you will have some income from unemployment benefits while furthering your education. Not taking advantage of unemployment but using it to better yourself to be a productive citizen.

Many others, including myself, have plans for starting a business or growing an already existing business. I'm sticking with it until the end so as to have the benefit of unemployment compensation while I'm getting my business going. Not to sit at home and do nothing while taking advantage of the system. I for one could not live on unemployment for very long. I have ambition and will be successful long after US ceases to be.

The longer this company operates and the more they scream for concessions from employees and the longer we operate without changes and the longer that money is wasted on salaries and benefits for the top "meat puppets", the more PO'd the employees get, the more "NO" votes they are going to get and the more the employees don't care.

So, stop with the ridiculously stupid question of "Why don't you quit?". We are not stupid! We are going down with the ship to better ourselves in the end.

Hell NO we won't go! Full pay until the last day!

 

[michael707767]

Here's the issue:

The company says it cannot pay above LCC wages and benefits and prosper.

Does this apply to you too? Last time I checked our pilot costs are still way above the LCCs. How much are you willing to give?

 

[insp89]

Just an observation!!! Please correct me if I am wrong as I am looking at it from the customers stand point. Didn't Dave try to make changes but every time he tried he was met with resistance from the unions? Seems as if its unions that are standing in the way and are reluctant to change...... Oh and as for the pay cuts.. No body ever said life was fair!!!! It sucks but its the reality of the industry.

I'll be glad to correct you , because you ARE wrong.. Siegle and his mis-management team created this working enviroment that we all have to work in. They have on more than one occasion LIED to the mechanics..,Publicaly stating that the company has no plans on outsourcing maintence.. Then, they turn right around and attempt to circumvent the IAM contract !!!! I don't know,, Do people have short memories or is it that people just do not know what is going on ?????? Yea, blame it all on the people that DO THE WORK..Just to give you an update,, The arbitration hearing between the company & IAM is scheduled to begin on Friday April 30 and conclude in about 3 days..I may be wrong, but I do not look for any agreement between the company & IAM until this hearing is complete. You're right about one thing, It does "SUCK"

 

[usfliboi]

Im trying to figure out when this became your company 700? Its not. !!!!! The company didnt not squander your money. If we hadnt give before and before , you wouldnt be here today doing what you do best . COMPLAINING! Get over it all ready. Find you a new job wghere they treat you better and pay you more. Why you say? Why havent you yet done that? BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE IT MADE!

 

[700UW]

If there are suicides happening in the maint. department where is the cry from the IAM? Why haven't they set up some professionals to come in and talk to their members? As was stated on here previously it is healthy to vent some steam but it's those that don't vent that end up erupting in unpredictable ways and causing irreparable harm to themselves and their families. Venting will help but they need someone to vent to and if it's a problem the IAM should be supplying some avenue for them to at least explore. The company also provides the EAP program.

Well maybe if you attended union meetings or asked around, the IAM EAS people in CLT and PIT are very proactive, the company and the union are working together on the issue to prevent it from happening again.

And I know in CLT, there was a two page article in the IAM newsletter late last year.

So instead of trying to blame the union, why don't you find out what is happening first.

 

[michael707767]

320pilot,
one more thing. I don't have to justify myself to you. If I decide it's in the best interest of myself and my union to stay here and fight to defend the wages and work rules others have fought for, then I will do so. USAirways may go under. But my next job may well be at another airline represented by the same union, and I don't want them to have to pay the price for my failing to hold the line.

 

[700UW]

Im trying to figure out when this became your company 700? Its not. !!!!! The company didnt not squander your money. If we hadnt give before and before , you wouldnt be here today doing what you do best . COMPLAINING! Get over it all ready. Find you a new job wghere they treat you better and pay you more. Why you say? Why havent you yet done that? BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE IT MADE!

Let me see I am a stockholder and a employee it is my company and my coworkers.

Maybe you need to understand that and grow a backbone.

My concessions and my coworkers concessions financed this company staying in business to a tune of $1.2 Billion a year, without that there would be no investment of $240 million by the RSA and no ATSB loan.

Maybe if you stopped bending over for dave so much you would read what happened and understand it.

And dont tell me what to do. It is the hard working employees that kept this company running, not dave and his crooked executives.

Bronner fired siegel, yep your main man dave siegel is a failure, that is fact, the POR plan did not work, two rounds of concessions did not work, wall street and Standard and Poors have no confidence in the executives running this company. Yep dave and his gang sure did a great job with squandering $4 billion dollars the employees and vendors gave back, that is FACT!

Go take the time to educate yourself!

Go tell my son why we cant do this or that because Dad cant afford it, yep sure I got it made, NOT!

Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.
President John F. Kennedy, 1962

 

[Seatacus]

If US Airways is so miserable then leave. Why be miserable?

Maybe a lot of us would like to leave, but I bet a lot of folks would like to keep this job until they can find another. Having food on the table keeps the misery level down....................

 

[MrAeroMan]

Well maybe if you attended union meetings or asked around, the IAM EAS people in CLT and PIT are very proactive, the company and the union are working together on the issue to prevent it from happening again.

And I know in CLT, there was a two page article in the IAM newsletter late last year.

So instead of trying to blame the union, why don't you find out what is happening first.

I have asked a relative in CLT IAM and he hasn't heard a thing. Seems the "word" isn't getting out like you would like to believe.
One more question. If the company and the IAM are working together on the issue then how can fingers be pointed at the company blaming them for the suicides?

 

[cavalier]

Thus, if you're unhappy my advice is to move on. The challenge: Most people have no other option but to stay that's why they complain.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

Pilots are just like every other individual, different, and this pilot who started this topic is different all right. We have the captain who started this topic and it’s receiving responses to the hilt, a few dripping with rage and by the way they are the ones I agree with. A pilot, who lost his way and can't empathize with the lower class of his co-workers, although he says differently, his posts prove otherwise. Then we have another pilot, "Jim" who is just like every other Joe untouched by the fortunes this life granted him through his hard work and diligence. This is just my observation on how different people are even when in the same station in life.

Telling people to quit if you don't like it is an outright insult given "some" of the reasons we find ourselves in these tough times. It's no different than saying: Look I have accepted things as they are. I am taking the beatings and willing to let them beat me up some more. In my case " the pilots" I will still be making three to four times what you make, but I think you should just quit and save me from listening to your whining.

Captain: now I understand why you were run off the yahoo boards years ago, because people wanted to kill you. I can understand that rage now. You posses no empathy, you’re no different then the people who come in scrapping millions from the top every few years blaming employees for U’s problems and doing nothing to fix things and only leaving the employee the worse for his or her time.

To say to a U employee it’s not healthy to get mad at what’s happening is like saying to the combat veteran he is silly to let all that killing bother him.