UAL/CAL pilot talks hit snag, article

[Chairman]

I'm in it for the long haul. I'm saving money for a strike and hopefully if it comes down to it, I'll be ok. 100 percent retro pay. It's a must!!!

With Longivity Pay also!

 

[Kugelblitz]

This Merger will Fail (for most employees)

As a CAL pilot for past the few years, I would like to provide my thoughts given what I have seen from our management. Our UAL/CAL merger will eclipse the futility of the USAir/West merger and it won't be the fault of the pilots or other "lower" level employees. Blame Harvard.

Sounds incoherent but let me expand please. Our "mastermind" behind this merger hails from the hallowed halls of Harvard University. If you look at the American business schema the last 30 or so years in the United States you may see an interesting pattern. Graduates from Harvard and other Ivy League schools such as Yale, Princeton, etc. have taken positions in both government and big business and have completely rearranged the socioeconomic landscape to their own ends. Graduates from these schools who occupy powerful corporate hierarchical positions bribe other fellow MBA buddies in government to massage tax laws (like Glass-Steagall) or mitigate other such restrictions on their personal income under the guise of capitalism. The consequence of this has been generations of the eroding of organized labor, the loss of the middle class, and a log-rhythmic increase in the incomes of the top 2%.

As if the destruction of the middle class isn't enough, these same elitist narcissists send our "troops" (as they condescendingly classify them) off to fight wars for their own economic benefit. These graduates have no value on human life and see all of us as tools for their own financial progress and self-satisfaction, nothing more. In fact, it would seem that Harvard teaches that compassion to one's workforce is a weakness, and Harvard only puts out "tough" business men (or lawyers in Smisek's case). How many times have we seen these types build a company and a community around them symbiotically for a few decades only to pick up and leave to cheaper labor elsewhere (not cheaper upper management, however) stranding thousands of Americans at a time without work. At least the dwindling, under paid middle class can support these victims through taxes while the MBA'S run off with their higher profits/compensation bonuses.

So what does the afore ineloquently written soliloquy have to do with UAL/CAL? Jeffrey Smisek hails from Harvard, I don't know about Mr. Tilton. I can assume that my family, my life, and the greater good for the companies involved in this transaction are an irrelevancy to him and the other 16 board members collectively of the companies. As a privileged, fortunate son, he doesn't know what compromise means and will settle for only his way and no other. This inability to bend a little on a non-economic agreement pays some credibility to that idea. I am ever amazed at the CAL corporate culture of do unto others that which you would never want done unto you. I am in the midst of working 27 out of 33 days with no more than 2 days off between 6 day work blocks. I have a wife and children. Do you think anyone in management above me would want that schedule and level of isolation from their family? Work rules like this emanate from the top of the corporate structure, and required in this case, the help of Judas, SCAB pilot union negotiators who are now part of management and stand to make millions off this merger transaction.

Do you pilots at United really want to get involved in this sort of culture?

I know this is a rant, and apologize accordingly. It is feckless to complain about the banana republic government that America has evolved into, the foxes in government also run the hen houses that they are supposed to guard. I think ultimately that this transaction (UAL/CAL) is emblematic of a much larger issue, one that sees most of our hopes erode for the sake of the upper caste few. 16 board members, most of which if they lost their jobs today would never want for the rest of their lives, determine the future of 90,000 day to day income dependent employees. What is wrong with that picture? Nothing, if you graduate from Harvard or Yale and occupy a CEO or board member position I suppose.

 

[michael707767]

I am in the midst of working 27 out of 33 days with no more than 2 days off between 6 day work blocks. I have a wife and children. Do you think anyone in management above me would want that schedule and level of isolation from their family?

I think you would be surprised. Upper management folks get there by sacrificing everything to work. Their families come second.

 

[Kugelblitz]

I think you would be surprised. Upper management folks get there by sacrificing everything to work. Their families come second.

You must be kidding, of course. If I were to have made 17 million by this point in my career at CAL as Mr. Smisek has perhaps I would think that some of this scheduling is justified. In most of our cases, however, we give up those things most precious to us for what little we get to ultimately benefit those privileged few that help themselves to everything.

I am sure you are right about families coming second though. The insane amount of narcissism required to get where these people are would suggest that.

 

[bizicmo]

"This inability to bend a little on a non-economic agreement"

What is the thing that is causing this issue?

 

[bluefin]

Ual/co "snag"

Rumor: The talks hit snag on the issue of,"NO FURLOUGH CLAUSE" I guess the immediate relief of scope is first and foremost pressing issue for Mgmt. Anyone else hear this?

 

[NoJoy]

This is going to get interesting. I wonder how long CAL will have the 50 seat scope?

 

[MINIME]

As a CAL pilot for past the few years, I would like to provide my thoughts given what I have seen from our management. Our UAL/CAL merger will eclipse the futility of the USAir/West merger and it won't be the fault of the pilots or other "lower" level employees. Blame Harvard.

Sounds incoherent but let me expand please. Our "mastermind" behind this merger hails from the hallowed halls of Harvard University. If you look at the American business schema the last 30 or so years in the United States you may see an interesting pattern. Graduates from Harvard and other Ivy League schools such as Yale, Princeton, etc. have taken positions in both government and big business and have completely rearranged the socioeconomic landscape to their own ends. Graduates from these schools who occupy powerful corporate hierarchical positions bribe other fellow MBA buddies in government to massage tax laws (like Glass-Steagall) or mitigate other such restrictions on their personal income under the guise of capitalism. The consequence of this has been generations of the eroding of organized labor, the loss of the middle class, and a log-rhythmic increase in the incomes of the top 2%.

As if the destruction of the middle class isn't enough, these same elitist narcissists send our "troops" (as they condescendingly classify them) off to fight wars for their own economic benefit. These graduates have no value on human life and see all of us as tools for their own financial progress and self-satisfaction, nothing more. In fact, it would seem that Harvard teaches that compassion to one's workforce is a weakness, and Harvard only puts out "tough" business men (or lawyers in Smisek's case). How many times have we seen these types build a company and a community around them symbiotically for a few decades only to pick up and leave to cheaper labor elsewhere (not cheaper upper management, however) stranding thousands of Americans at a time without work. At least the dwindling, under paid middle class can support these victims through taxes while the MBA'S run off with their higher profits/compensation bonuses.

So what does the afore ineloquently written soliloquy have to do with UAL/CAL? Jeffrey Smisek hails from Harvard, I don't know about Mr. Tilton. I can assume that my family, my life, and the greater good for the companies involved in this transaction are an irrelevancy to him and the other 16 board members collectively of the companies. As a privileged, fortunate son, he doesn't know what compromise means and will settle for only his way and no other. This inability to bend a little on a non-economic agreement pays some credibility to that idea. I am ever amazed at the CAL corporate culture of do unto others that which you would never want done unto you. I am in the midst of working 27 out of 33 days with no more than 2 days off between 6 day work blocks. I have a wife and children. Do you think anyone in management above me would want that schedule and level of isolation from their family? Work rules like this emanate from the top of the corporate structure, and required in this case, the help of Judas, SCAB pilot union negotiators who are now part of management and stand to make millions off this merger transaction.

Do you pilots at United really want to get involved in this sort of culture?

I know this is a rant, and apologize accordingly. It is feckless to complain about the banana republic government that America has evolved into, the foxes in government also run the hen houses that they are supposed to guard. I think ultimately that this transaction (UAL/CAL) is emblematic of a much larger issue, one that sees most of our hopes erode for the sake of the upper caste few. 16 board members, most of which if they lost their jobs today would never want for the rest of their lives, determine the future of 90,000 day to day income dependent employees. What is wrong with that picture? Nothing, if you graduate from Harvard or Yale and occupy a CEO or board member position I suppose.

Nicely done sir. You surmize really well what we as "the little people" are dealing with. It's been a scary trend. Even more alarming however, is the fact that most Americans cannot grasp these realities.

We sometimes pay more attention to diversionary issues, intentionally created by these "elites" while they reap the rewards and feast on the hen.

 

[UALRATT]

I guess the immediate relief of scope is first and foremost pressing issue for Mgmt.

I would be surprise if that was not one of the principal reason for merging. The CO pilots won't yield on the domestic code share (pilot approval required before the DOT 2010 deadline) or 50+ seat clause in their contract. So the way around it? An operation call United. Remember the theme "Let the beatings continue until morale improves"? Morale at UAL must have improved judging from their claim of "best on time" airline. Guess the thought is that the UA pilots are beaten down enough and would finally lower the draw bridge. Just my opinion!

 

[tomgoodman]

Everything has a price these days

"This inability to bend a little on a non-economic agreement"

What is the thing that is causing this issue?

My guess is that it's some QOL improvement which would cost the company little or nothing. But management sees even a cost-free concession as a loss of negotiating capital, since it could have been traded for something of value.
They don't believe that there is any such thing as a "non-economic" issue.