Eastern Airlines demise

[B190Captain]

I am doing a research paper on the demise of Eastern Airlines. Can some of you who are familiar can explain what really took place? It is my understanding that the Machinists at Eastern were on a strike and the pilots went alongside them in a sympathy strike. Is that correct? So the pilot's involvement was not a official sanctioned strike? Can someone please explain?

Thanks in advance.

 

[I.P. Freley]

That strange sound you hear is the can of worms being opened....

 

[B190Captain]

Why is it opening a can of worms? It's not flamebait. It was never clear to me as to what really happened and now I have to write about it, go figure.

 

[Andy Neill]

First am I to understand that you are going to put in your bibliography: "Heard on flightinfo.com'?

Read "Hard Landing" for one view on the event. Elements involved were a hard-ball executive who could divert Eastern assetts to more compliant airlines owned under the same umbrella and a hard ball union leader.

 

[Publishers]

loss

Do a search--- there has been several very long and complicated threads on this issue. In short, it was a big game of chicken where everyone lost.

 

[52Vincent]

this might help

http://www.scripophily.net/easairlininc1.html

and this one, say basically the same thing

http://www.1903to2003.gov/essay/Commercial_Aviation/EasternAirlines/Tran13.htm

 

[B190Captain]

First am I to understand that you are going to put in your bibliography: "Heard on flightinfo.com'?

Read "Hard Landing" for one view on the event. Elements involved were a hard-ball executive who could divert Eastern assetts to more compliant airlines owned under the same umbrella and a hard ball union leader.

Of course not, I just need some input from folks that have knowledge of it and can point me in the right direction to other sources. RESEARCH! Doh!

So the pilots stood with the Machinists in a sympathy strike due to scumbag Lorenzo's harsh tactics?

Thanks 52 Vincent!

 

[Andy Neill]

So the pilots stood with the Machinists in a sympathy strike due to scumbag Lorenzo's harsh tactics?

Ah...I see you are using the objective analytical approach.

 

[B190Captain]

Thank you.

From what I just read from the links, Lorenzo is a real piece of work.

 

[cl-65link]

Lorenzo had no intention of keeping EAL in the industry. He took it over to sell off the assests and make a profit. Ever seen the movie 'Wall Street' with Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas?

 

[airgator]

In your paper give a good background on Lorenzo's previous involvement with Texas Air, New York Air, People's Express, Continental, and Frontier. Did I leave a couple out?

 

[bobbysamd]

Lorenzo resources

Along with Hard Landing read up on the Eastern demise in Flying the Line. The author, George Hopkins, is a recognized historian. You can use his material in your bibliography.

I just ran a quick search on Lorenzo books and found this one. Hope all this helps.

 

[Publishers]

Bryan

Unfortunately there were not that many books on Borman and Bryan that painted the complete picture.


While most on this board would like to paint this black picture of Frank Lorenzo crushing Eastern, the fact is that this was a most interesting business case study in all the things that can and do go wrong.

It is a great study in labor relations, airline management, and business in general. I have always thought that the fact that the reservation system was really more valuable than the airline itself was a great comment on the situation in general.

The demise of Eastern also needs to be taken in the context of the times. In fact, much of what Lorenzo did would have been a non event in another industry. This was a period of time when companies were being bought and sold, packaged and repackaged, assets moved and traded, employee's cut and added elsewhere all over the business marketplace.

While many will disagree, for my money, Frank Borman put the ship on course to disaster, Lorenzo and Bryan were the iceberg.

 

[bobbysamd]

Mohawk

In your paper give a good background on Lorenzo's previous involvement with Texas Air, New York Air, People's Express, Continental, and Frontier. Did I leave a couple out?

Frank's initial hijacking attempt was Mohawk Airlines.

By the way, look up "hijack" in the dictionary for another meaning of the word besides "forced and unlawful comandeering an airliner."

 

[acarpe3448]

It just blew me away that in the final weeks of Eastern Airlines anyone could see that it was not going to work. But this idiot Judge kept allowing the management to dip into the pension funds to fund the operating expenses for another week. Millions and millions of employees retirment money pissed away by managment. It was a really sad.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

Don't forget to look at who appointed that "idiot judge" as trustee and the role of George Bush Sr. who benefitted financially from a relationship with Frank Lorenzo.

For extra credit you could examine Dubya's track record on labor relations..............

 

[resistance]

One thing is for sure....Continental Airlines would not be here on this planet if it wasn't from the blood, sweat and tears of all the Eastern Airlines employees. Lorenzo was the milkmaid....Eastern was the dairy cow....and Continental was the thirsty baby.

 

[Boeingman]

One thing is for sure....Continental Airlines would not be here on this planet if it wasn't from the blood, sweat and tears of all the Eastern Airlines employees. Lorenzo was the milkmaid....Eastern was the dairy cow....and Continental was the thirsty baby.

Absolute bull$hit. Lorenzo financially raped CAL with EAL assets through TAC at userous lease rates.

What the EAL employess had anything to do with CAL is a mystery to me.

 

[Crosscheck]

Try this

ALPA magazine circa Jan/Feb/March, April, May 1989....Had kept them from dads last days at EAL...somewhere in the house... but I think you'll find a nice summary there. Good luck.