US Airways Troubles, Whats The Real Source?

[Dash8]

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/brancatelli/2004-09-17-brancatelli_x.htm

 

[Publishers]

post

In another post and thread about the topic, I pointed out that if one just looks at it as the company has failed. It is over, done, kaput. This will make it easier to go forth. It does not matter what the deal was yesterday or why. That company is gone and we are trying to find a new way forward.

As with any new company, you can elect to go elsewhere..

 

[LarryinTN]

From the link provided by Dash8.

"Labor costs are already below the projections US Airways made last year. After wrenching two rounds of concessions worth $1.2 billion from its employees, US Airways estimated that this year's labor costs would be 4.2 cents per available seat mile. The airline's current labor costs? Just 4.1 cents per mile. Why would employees give any more to this particular group of management?"
​

The problem isn't labor cost.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I noticed that and ammended the numbers to reflect mid-range numbers. The numbers change some, but they are still very high on the total list (although having ASA and Delta on the list really skews the average pay and I'd almost DQ them from the listbecause of it)

What, no apology?

Nice eye for detail you got there bub. Took you 2 days to figure out that a bunch of USAirways pilots may know what they get paid. (Or got paid as the case may be.)

But since it is clear that you do not know much about U or its operation, I can cut you some slack. What you have been arguing is the company line that they have been spewing forth to the papers for the last two years. And so far in two years I have not seen a single article or TV News story that came anywhere close to the facts. All have demonized the pilots as greedy SOB's. Heck a couple of years ago the local paper had all my neighbors thinking that I made 300k a year!!! My next door neighbor asked me what I was doing driving that 10 year old truck and living in this neighborhood when I made that kind of money?

 

[DrRaptor]

I won't apologize in full because I never singled out the pilots (although I keep getting told I am, even though I keep using the word "Everyone" in my pay cut statements). Yes, the numbers I originally had for the pilots was flawed, but the point still remains that the company asked for concessions (of all employee groups) and no one gave them, including management, which I always see as a problem when no one's even WILLING to negotiate to try and keep a company afloat.

Also, at the same time, I know not all pilots, FAs, and mechanics were doing this, but one of those "wasteful" items on the list of things that took money from the company was that some people, when in PIT for training, and who were technically based at PIT (according to the company at least), were going to and using, at the company's expense, hotel rooms at a PIT hotel. I know that the company eventually found out and the practice was halted by crew scheduling sending out a daily list of who was authorized to use a room there, but before that, how many thousands of dollars were dumped into that hotel per month to pay for rooms that shouldn't have been used under the company policy and CBAs? (This information from the hotel manager when discussing with him our new program to protect us from the same thing). Actions like that make me wonder about whether or not the employees really care how well the company does when they willfully violate the contract that keeps them employed. I know it happens at almost every company, but it's something that I think people need to push to change because aviation isn't an industry that can survive if everyone who works in it doesn't have pride in their own job and their company and strives to do whatever they can to make it better. Otherwise, they should leave the company if they can't do it. Everyone thinks about money too much anymore and not enough about being prideful of their job (no matter what level you're at) and trying to make your company the best by doing your job as well as you can and helping the company as much as you can. I think part of that is also finding a way to get bad management out of the company too. There's legal ways to do it, and it's sad when the employees, instead of standing up and getting rid of bad bosses the right way, do work slowdowns, strikes, etc. to protest the managment, and end up hurting themselves as much as they hurt the management.

 

[LarryinTN]

the point still remains that the company asked for concessions (of all employee groups) and no one gave them, including management

What part of "they have already given several rounds of deep pay cuts" are you having trouble understanding?

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

WHO is the ASA on your list?

 

[LarryinTN]

ASA is Alaska Airlines

 

[DrRaptor]

What part of "they have already given several rounds of deep pay cuts" are you having trouble understanding?

What part of "AGAIN" are you having trouble understanding? The pilots made concessions during the LAST bankruptcy, I've acknowledged that. The fact still remains that when the management asked for cuts AGAIN, no one stepped up to the plate, including themseleves.

 

[LarryinTN]

What part of "AGAIN" are you having trouble understanding?

I guess the part that you didn't include in your post?

"Yes, the numbers I originally had for the pilots was flawed, but the point still remains that the company asked for concessions (of all employee groups) and no one gave them, including management, which I always see as a problem when no one's even WILLING to negotiate to try and keep a company afloat."
​

The USAirways employees have already given THREE rounds of paycuts since 1998 and lost most of their pensions. Why do you expect them to continuing giving and giving and giving and giving again when there's no reason for them to beleive that another round of cuts will do what the first three rounds did not?

If management expects more voluntary cuts from their employees they will have to display enough leadership to convince the employees that they have a workable business model for the airline and the cuts will result in a viable airline.

"Fool me three times, shame on you. Fool me four times, shame on me", or something like that.

 

[bart]

US Air was going out of business before the ink was dry on the papers for the merger of all the airlines that made up the original company. Even then there was speculation as to how long it would be before they ran out of cash. So now it has happened, again, big surprise. This time they need to go on and liquidate it and be done with it.