UAL Pilots to wear leather jackets.

[Occam's Razor]

Occam what is the answer? As stated in the ATW article no one wants to do the job of airline managment. Pilots don't like what is going on, but they have no answers to give to managment that will make it better. As stated in another thread. All the pilots who want the "good ole days" back should get together, buy DAL, fire all the management, hire there own team, talk them into doing their jobs for pilot wages. When the airline turns around the stockholders will be happy, the pilots will be happy, and managment will have the resume to move on to another job at higher pay.

The solution is simple, but can't be accomplished simply.

The "good ole days" featured managers who were accountable. A kid got hired at an airline and worked his/her way up from junior lackey...to CEO. The compay...YOUR COMPANY...was in your blood. Your livelihood, your pension, and to a certain extent, your professional identity, were directly connected to the success of your company.

Now, partially due to the "Jack Welchification" of corporate America, exectuives at United don't compete against Delta....they compete against each other! "Steve, your department lagged Edward's department by 40% last quarter...you're fired!"

So Steve goes to work for another airline. Only this time he's more Machivellian at work. He becomes a cannibal. His goal is to take care of himself first. CEO's encourage internal competition becase they think it makes their company "leaner". They like cannibals because they're "aggressive".

The cannibals prey on those who are either too slow, or can't defend themselves. Pilots are the latter. 10,000 control freaks who can't agree on a fixed retirement age, or who-should-fly-what-size-aircraft are brunch for cannibals who are practiced in the methods of divide and conquer. Rather than gathering the parties of interest together, the cannibals pit them against each other, then bonk them on the head.

Look at guys like Steve Wolf. Cut his teeth at American...then hopped from airline-to-airline. At each airline (Republic, Flying Tigers, United, USAir), he divided the herd, hacked at their contracts, then sold the airline. In the case of United, he pulled the ulitmate scam....he sold it to the employees.

In each case he walked away with millions of dollars.

The fix for our industry is to eliminate the rewards for cannibalism. Notice I'm not calling for a "level playing field"? That's a myth! The Serengeti is a level playing field, and the cheetahs always eat the zebras instead of vice versa.

Pilots will have to collectively adopt anti-cannibal provisions in their contract(s). It will take time, and there will be a lot of zebra carcasses on the plains before it happens.

 

[mar]

The Facts of Life

The fix for our industry is to eliminate the rewards for cannibalism. Notice I'm not calling for a "level playing field"? That's a myth! The Serengeti is a level playing field, and the cheetahs always eat the zebras instead of vice versa.

Pilots will have to collectively adopt anti-cannibal provisions in their contract(s). It will take time, and there will be a lot of zebra carcasses on the plains before it happens.

<shiver>

Another good post but that one scared the crap out of me.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

O. Razor and Mar... good stuff... .... It might hurt the heads in the herd, nonetheless..keep 'em coming...

 

[Hvy]

I'm just happy that in their cash-strapped, bankruptcy-flirting airline, they are finding the need to buy all new leather jackets for all their pilots. All the meanwhile asking for concessions and wage cuts.

UAL is not buying anything. The jackets are optional and the cost comes out of our own pockets. It is only allowed on domestic trips.

 

[FN FAL]

Plus, the more pilots are looking like bikers with their leather jackets, ball caps and back packs, the easier it will be to assume they are blue collar workers.

 

[Hvy]

Plus, the more pilots are looking like bikers with their leather jackets, ball caps and back packs, the easier it will be to assume they are blue collar workers.

Although I have no plan to purchase a leather jacket, I think that they look very nice. Besides, what's wrong w/ leather jackets? Our military pilots wear them and look dang sharp!

Oh yeah.....like it or not....we're labor.

 

[GogglesPisano]

This thread started with leather jackets, and now we're delving in the finer philosophies of profit vs compassion and where pilots fit in.

Good posts Occam and Mar!

 

[mar]

Where do I fit in?

This thread started with leather jackets, and now we're delving in the finer philosophies of profit vs compassion and where pilots fit in.

I fit in my leather jacket.

And my company bought mine. But we can only talk about leather jacket for so long.

Mine was made in Pakistan.

 

[Big Duke Six]

Good posts guys!

Occam - What could we possibly do to eliminate "cannibalism" via our contracts?

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Good posts guys!

Occam - What could we possibly do to eliminate "cannibalism" via our contracts?

I suggest: More involvment in the process. More education. More empathy for other pilot groups. A better working relationship between pilot groups. Eliminate Us v. Them with our Ranks.

The arguing and debating on the message board is really ineffective. I maintain that if we had these debates face to face we would really find more in common. It is difficult to communicate effectlely on the msg. boards...

Merry Christmas to all.