Very well said Basher. Let me add to your post from what I posted in another thread:
As far back as Ed Colodny mistakes have been made that has probably cost this company millions if not billons if you add all the blunders.
Colodny’s Blunders:
· Mirror Image, imposing US Air’s business methods upon Piedmont and PSA, instead of looking at each respective airline and adapting their successful practices. Some examples would be dismantling of the Piedmont Shuttle which accounted for 32% of Piedmont’s Gross Revenue.
· Not furthering International Service and canceling the last three 767s on order from Boeing, then realizing how much money was made serving international destinations and paying Boeing a $30 million penalty to reorder the three planes.
Schofield’s Blunders:
· Business select, $50 million on wasted seats that never worked properly and we eventually removed from the 737-200 fleet. Operation Highground.
· The IAM Mechanic and Related Strike of 1992 in which US Air lost $35 million and agreeing to pay all the pilots during our strike regardless if they flew or not.
· The hiring of Joe Gorman from United Airlines. Gorman stayed a few months then went right back to United, then United started taking us on head to head in numerous markets where we did not compete before Gorman’s tenure.
· The alliance with British Airways to infuse quick cash, but not on favorable terms to US Air, BA got more out of the alliance then we did.
Wolf and Gangwal:
· Canceling all the Boeing orders and having to pay a substantial penalty to Boeing to this day the dollar amount is not known as it was a confidential out of court settlement after Boeing sued US Airways, but it is believed to be hundreds of millions of dollars.
· Closing of three maintenance bases and trying to accomplish all the work in just three bases, which caused a backlog of airplanes awaiting “Q†and “C†checks and Mod visits. At one point you could see numerous airplanes parked in Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Tampa awaiting maintenance.
· Buying back over $1.5 billon of US Airways stock instead of using the money as operating capital or paying down debt or just having it around for a downturn.
· Selling the company to United Airlines and then for the next 14 months having no direction and running the company into the ground.
· Overreacting to the September 11th tragedy and shrinking the airline by 23% and increasing costs by putting larger airplanes on shorter routes.
Many mistakes have been made by so called corporate executives in this company and the majority of executives who made this horrible business decisions are still here. So now the hard working employees who have kept US Airways going and you can look at the Department of Transportation statistics that have us in the top tier of performance are going to be faced with major decision on concessions to try and keep this company a viable operation. Now is the time to not listen or spread rumors, use sound judgments when the FACTS are explained to you and stop pointing fingers at other workers who are out here just trying to survive and support themselves and/or their families. Many employees are writing executives saying get rid of this classification or that classification, just don’t touch what I have. I do believe a union is supposed to be about what is best for all, not one. All showing the company that we are a group that would eat our young to save ourselves accomplishes nothing positive for our membership.
As far back as Ed Colodny mistakes have been made that has probably cost this company millions if not billons if you add all the blunders.
Colodny’s Blunders:
· Mirror Image, imposing US Air’s business methods upon Piedmont and PSA, instead of looking at each respective airline and adapting their successful practices. Some examples would be dismantling of the Piedmont Shuttle which accounted for 32% of Piedmont’s Gross Revenue.
· Not furthering International Service and canceling the last three 767s on order from Boeing, then realizing how much money was made serving international destinations and paying Boeing a $30 million penalty to reorder the three planes.
Schofield’s Blunders:
· Business select, $50 million on wasted seats that never worked properly and we eventually removed from the 737-200 fleet. Operation Highground.
· The IAM Mechanic and Related Strike of 1992 in which US Air lost $35 million and agreeing to pay all the pilots during our strike regardless if they flew or not.
· The hiring of Joe Gorman from United Airlines. Gorman stayed a few months then went right back to United, then United started taking us on head to head in numerous markets where we did not compete before Gorman’s tenure.
· The alliance with British Airways to infuse quick cash, but not on favorable terms to US Air, BA got more out of the alliance then we did.
Wolf and Gangwal:
· Canceling all the Boeing orders and having to pay a substantial penalty to Boeing to this day the dollar amount is not known as it was a confidential out of court settlement after Boeing sued US Airways, but it is believed to be hundreds of millions of dollars.
· Closing of three maintenance bases and trying to accomplish all the work in just three bases, which caused a backlog of airplanes awaiting “Q†and “C†checks and Mod visits. At one point you could see numerous airplanes parked in Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Tampa awaiting maintenance.
· Buying back over $1.5 billon of US Airways stock instead of using the money as operating capital or paying down debt or just having it around for a downturn.
· Selling the company to United Airlines and then for the next 14 months having no direction and running the company into the ground.
· Overreacting to the September 11th tragedy and shrinking the airline by 23% and increasing costs by putting larger airplanes on shorter routes.
Many mistakes have been made by so called corporate executives in this company and the majority of executives who made this horrible business decisions are still here. So now the hard working employees who have kept US Airways going and you can look at the Department of Transportation statistics that have us in the top tier of performance are going to be faced with major decision on concessions to try and keep this company a viable operation. Now is the time to not listen or spread rumors, use sound judgments when the FACTS are explained to you and stop pointing fingers at other workers who are out here just trying to survive and support themselves and/or their families. Many employees are writing executives saying get rid of this classification or that classification, just don’t touch what I have. I do believe a union is supposed to be about what is best for all, not one. All showing the company that we are a group that would eat our young to save ourselves accomplishes nothing positive for our membership.
