ASA in years past?

[SkyNation]

I'm wondering this in all seriousness.

reading the posts on this board, my impression is that ASA is not a very pleasant place to be right now. I realize that this board tends to attract the vocal minority at most airlines, so my impression could be very skewed by that.

what I'm wondering, though, is was it always this way at ASA, or were there the 'glory days'? if so, when were they? how were they? what changed? what brought the mood at ASA to this point, and when did that happen?

thanks for the serious replies.

PS-I'm really hoping to hear from Fins, be it via his old or new screen name ;-)

 

[outtahere]

ASA's problem has always been unfriendly mgmt. It started with George and John, the founders, who although were financially sound, they were so at the expence of their employees. Skip was a moron who although bringing ASA into the 20th century with computer tech., really did not accomplish much in the way of employee realations. Enter Brian Liarbreque and King Tutt and the worst mgmt team ASA has ever seen and you have absolutly no trust whatsoever between mgmt and its employees. Now when I say employees I don't just meen pilots, but all employees. They have offered all non-union groups performance bonus' and the performance got much worse. How is this possible? Well, they short staffed the ramp by 200 rampers I believe, causing all of the rampers who at one time cared to just give up. Because of this Brian had to issue an apology letter to all employees, which basicly ruined any chance he ever had at becoming an effective leader. So to answer your question, yes things have pretty much always been tumultuious here at ASA yet we still have guys who make it a career because its easy to get comfortable here (kind of like an abused woman who won't leave). In my opinion the glory days for ASA are still ahead of us and after we sign a new contract hopefully we will be able to repair some of the damage caused by the previous ineffective leaders.

 

[atrdriver]

Yes, ASA was once a great place to be. George and John were not very employee friendly, but they DID know how to run an airline. After DAL bought us one of our line pilots was promoted to the position of VP of Flight Ops, and the relationship between management and pilots was quite good for several years. At that time we had CPs that supported the pilots, we were growing, and times were quite good. Toward the end of the CMR strike the company pissed off the VP of flight Ops, and he stepped down, along with several others who contributed to making this a great place to be.

When he stepped down a new VP of Flight Ops was brought in, I believe from TWA, who hated pilots, and stated it many times. That is when things started going downhill. From him on our upper management has gone from bad to worse, and morale, throughout the company has suffered.

For the most part those of us on here that bitch and moan the most remember what it WAS like when this was a great place to work, and we realize how little would be required to return this company to its "glory days." The simple fact is that our current management isn't willing to take those SMALL steps that would allow it. I don't hate ASA by any means. I do hate the management "team" that has run it into the ground.

 

[ASARJMan]

Toward the end of the CMR strike the company pissed off the VP of flight Ops, and he stepped down, along with several others who contributed to making this a great place to be.
.

Not true. That particular VP FltOps had to step down or be fired. That person did something that warranted his firing from that position. That's all I'll say about it. That person did do alot for the line pilot, and was definitely the line pilots friend. It was sad to see this happen. But the individual caused it.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

 

[BuzzSaw]

I wasn't around in the George and John days but I have heard this statement attributed to them. The subject of on time flights and customer service was asked by many crews during a pep talk in the crew lounge. George or John's response was...

"Don't worry about it, we already have their money. Its us or the bus."

Not much has changed at ASA.....

BuzzSaw

 

[atrdriver]

Not true. That particular VP FltOps had to step down or be fired. That person did something that warranted his firing from that position. That's all I'll say about it. That person did do alot for the line pilot, and was definitely the line pilots friend. It was sad to see this happen. But the individual caused it.

VOTED IN FAVOR!

Regardless of WHY he stepped down, that was the beginning of our current problems.

 

[John Pennekamp]

George and John were total jerks who hated pilots, but at least they had the knowledge and drive to run a successful airline. Our current management are clueless jerks, and can't run an airline. At this point, I almost wish George and John would buy the place back!

 

[asqmatt]

It was never very pleasant and god damn I miss DFW..the atl sucks ass

 

[Dave Benjamin]

Are there any airlines with a good relationship between the pilots and management? Perhaps an airline where promises to employees mean something and bargaining actually happens in good faith....

 

[atrdriver]

Are there any airlines with a good relationship between the pilots and management? Perhaps an airline where promises to employees mean something and bargaining actually happens in good faith....

Yeah, for the most part SWA, and you will notice that year after year they are successful.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Are there any airlines with a good relationship between the pilots and management? Perhaps an airline where promises to employees mean something and bargaining actually happens in good faith....

Like the Skywest 70 seat rate?

 

[OCP]

Hall and Tutt are FAR from being the worst managment team. I don't like what is going on, but more has been done at this company in the last year them probably most of the years that this place has been in business.

 

[scott hall]

hey guys we try. the problem is the union. if you would vote them out we could give you the moon.

 

["GO AROUND"]

The only things Tutt has done good for ASA so far is the CANPA that he pushed for. Other than that he is worthless as it relates to employee relations. He has made them worse since he started.

 

[Huck]

I was there '95-'99 and it was pretty much management by intimidation. Back then the EMB training dept was known as the Hitler Youth.

I heard it was better in the early early (prior to ~1990) days.

I'll say this though - by God we knew how to fly. And ASA's safety record has proven that. At least you got that going for you....

 

[scott hall]

and thats nice

 

[Tomct]

This place could actually be a good place to work if they would just get rid of the mgmnt and start "LISTENING" to the front line employee's. This mgmnt could not fight it's way out of a paper bag. The only thing that will save the relations here....NEW MGMNT! However, it will take a while before there is any trust. It could all start with a nice new contract and some actual initiative on the part of mgmnt to get off their @sses and start to make things happen around here. People are tired of flogging a dead horse....we have had ENOUGH!