2011 Annual Leadershipship Conference

[Crzipilot]

I believe around last Feb. One of the West Alpa people, kinda strange bedfellows...

 

[flyus2]

Xerox - Wow - I bet you wish you never had left.
There seems to be a lot of blame to go around......these days.
You are right about one thing: It is about personal pride - and what you can do (and doing right the first time).

With most successful and profitable companies, accountability and sacrifice usually starts at the top - except US Airways.
Tempe feels it it should start at the bottom where all the little people are, much in the tradition of "trickle down economics".

At this "profitable" airline, management blames labor (while benefiting from their sacrifice to "show" paper profits. Labor then blames management when they realize they have been manipulated and had their pay, work rules, (and pensions on the East) stripped away just to consummate a merger. They no longer trust management, which results in low moral, which then results in no combined contract for the pilots and flight attendants. All the while, the management team still can't seem to do anything right - the first time, but still thinks they are doing a remarkable job and operating a great airline.

Are they? Guess that depends on how low your definition of successful IS.

Is this the same corporate traits that make SWA successful (the one PSA showed them)?

Not Exactly -

Much like everything they do - they did it very simply: Call it the: "1-2-3 Plan"

1. People (hire employees right then take good care of them) +
2. Passengers (employees will take great care of) =
3. Profits (people love your employees and have a good time and that results in)

I am sure our management team laughs at the simplicity - but it works - and it is far side better than our formula - if we even have one.

A lot of people here are still drinking the Cactus Kool Aide, and for reasons unknown to any logical mind, feel that Tempe is doing a great job. They enjoy being a participant in the (ongoing 5 year+) corporate version of the "emperor's new clothes". Why? I guess they just don't know any better. Probably the same people that have been in fear everyday the past 26 years of losing their job. They also think "Cross Utilization" worked and should be brought back.

OK that's harsh - we all know cross utilization was a complete failure.

The economy is bad right now, and probably will be bad again, but sooner or later - it will get better. But in this downturn that doesn't mean we all should watch our pay and work rules be decimated any further. I am personally not willing to concede any more pay, work rules, or self dignity just to say I fly for an airline any longer. But then again - that's me.

Lot of rhetoric about "let the market decide", "what the market will bear", Larry Kudlow, Blah, Blah, Blah

Well this is from Business 101:
If you can't make a profit providing a service, without the employees making up for the difference (monetarily) - your not a successful business.
PROFITABLE MAYBE - BUT NOT SUCCESSFUL.

This management team proved last year you can be profitable yet still be unsuccessful - we live with that result everyday we come to work. And truthfully, if asked again, some would sacrifice (some never had to) again to keep this company afloat, and their job. But it's really time for this airline to start working on their version of the "1-2-3" equation - especially the first step. This entire work group is like a powder keg. Time to put the kid gloves on and start providing your employees something other than the lip service for their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Just a thought... and here's one for all "those underpaid MBA's that US Airways is in fear of losing to the competition if their not compensated competitively" (they feel the same way too?) ......

Come up with a plan to charge the passengers what it actually costs to fly somewhere (making at least a profit and not violating the Sherman Act) without all the added BS fees - it really, really ticks people off. Even more so when they are forced to sit in one of our uncomfortable planes with no amenities for 5 hours.

Solve that problem. Then we will talk.

Until then - your just another over paid corporate mediocrity that's getting wealthy on the back's of their employees while waiting for the payday of yet another merger - God Help Us.

I think what most people don't realize is that we, who are not part of the upper echelon, nor are we flight crew members, took huge pay cuts also during the years.....we however don't get to negotiate any better. Everyone thinks management is living high and mighty................get real..................the majority of our employees are worse off than most...........just a horrible job market out there to do anything else!!!!

 

[SparrowHawk]

I believe around last Feb. One of the West Alpa people, kinda strange bedfellows...

Only if she screams "Oh Baby Give it to me like LOA 93"