Bonuses Inflame Air Unions

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Article

 

[Tim Nelson]

Why do these union leaders scream in the newspaper and exactly how does that benefit who they represent? Basically it is either grandstanding, ignorance. or trying to 'wash hands'.

The bottom line is that The flight attendants don't have fair health care because their union leaders signed and agreed to piss clam benefits while they walked away from million$ of dollars left at the table that will now be used for bigtime Bo$$ bonuses.

But this is not new.

regards,

 

[PITbull]

Tim,

I guess from reading your post my perception of your mind set is labor now should just sit as spectators. Hell, why bother now.

I guess also that you hadn't been paying attention to these latest rounds of negotiations. After all, union reps were silent now were they not?

Pittsburgh base voted the past two concessions DOWN. Different culture, different people. What passed these concessions is the "exist" that it offered. Folks want out of this stearless ship.

Bottom line, amnesia helps to make your point, if you have one.

 

[MrAeroMan]

Lakefield, who makes $425,000 a year, gets to keep a clause that allows him to make three times his salary, or $1.27 million, if he loses the job as the result of a merger. The company's other top nine officers are guaranteed two times salary in the event of a merger and a job loss -- as opposed to the three times salary they would have received under current contracts.

Wasn't it always a known fact that he was just doing Bronner a favor by being in charge to look after Bronners investment? Boy....Dave sure knows how to return a favor wouldn't you say? $1.27 million dollars worth of favors smells like a badly run chicken farm in Alabama in the dead heat of August.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

I think retention bonuses are essential when talk of a merger and job loss are happening. In fact, they are common practice, but $55 million seems excessive.... well, actually, it seems rediculous.

Well, what do you think?

If the bonus package is $55 million and there are 1700 potential recipients that's

$32,353 per employee. I wonder how it's distributed.

Sorry, if this has been posted already and sorry if my numbers are wildly inaccurate.

 

[Justair]

This is unbelievable.

REMEMBER this group of people DID NOT precipitate in the last round of concessions!!

And now they are getting bonuses.

I am glad I am leaving. I am ashamed to work for such a lousy company.

 

[Travelpro72]

We could go on and on about this forever. All I can really say is that this is just horrible yet expected. I'm only surprised that they don't want more to keep the "Top Talent" at the pig farm. I myself am ashamed to be a part of this horrible, horribly ran company. Great employees but the mgmt. sets the tone. This is just bad but hey, they'll get what they want. Nice huh?.... Can't wait to have to talk about this stuff with the first class people on my next flight. Always seems to make you feel good.

 

[Whatnow?]

Yes we all know PIT voted it down. Fortunately for all cooler heads prevailed. The thing passed because, yes, people wanted the various "buyout/early retirement" options but also there are many people still wanting to just keep their jobs here. Yes, we all must work harder, longer hours with fewer benefits. Working conditions and work rules have all changed. If you are willing to accept these changes, you will realize that this place is still an ok place to work. That is what is so hard for Pitbull and other hardliners (Pittsburgh) to accept.

 

[UseYourHead]

Will December come quick enough?

 

[robbedagain]

I cant wait until June 5th my last day at usair. actually officially it is memorial day. it is a crying shame foul that these knucle heads get bonuse when at a time that the airline refuses to keep the experienced employees in 30 cities that are being outsourced. it is a shame and if the judge agrees to it, well he too can go to hell with the rest of our so called talent mgmt team

 

[tug_slug]

Yes, we all must work harder, longer hours with fewer benefits. Working conditions and work rules have all changed. If you are willing to accept these changes, you will realize that this place is still an ok place to work.

[post="268405"][/post]​

The employees work harder and have fewer benefits so management can make more... yup... sounds like an ok place to work to me.

 

[local 12 proud]

Lakefield, who makes $425,000 a year, gets to keep a clause that allows him to make three times his salary, or $1.27 million, if he loses the job as the result of a merger. The company's other top nine officers are guaranteed two times salary in the event of a merger and a job loss -- as opposed to the three times salary they would have received under current contracts.

Wasn't it always a known fact that he was just doing Bronner a favor by being in charge to look after Bronners investment? Boy....Dave sure knows how to return a favor wouldn't you say? $1.27 million dollars worth of favors smells like a badly run chicken farm in Alabama in the dead heat of August.

[post="268377"][/post]​

ever been to fayetteville, arkansas in the heat of the summer? even the maggots avoid this place :unsure:

 

[JAMAKE1]

Hi Everyone...

My posting is going to be very unpopular but feel that it is appropriate to the topic at hand, so here goes...

In management positions, a bonus program is part of one's compensation package. In traditional collective barganing agreements, bonuses are not NEGOTIATIED as part of the compensation package. Bonuses are paid to managers for meeting certain departmental performance objectives. It's just how the compensation is structured in upper level managerial positions. If one's department meets certain performance objectives, ragardless of whether the company is making a profit, a bonus is paid. Unfortunately, most people who belong to a labor union don't understand this concept.

I do find it rather misguided when the AFA contests retention bonuses that, in this case, USAirways needs to pay in order to RETAIN highly-skilled talent from fleeing to other airlines or other industries where they could COMMAND more money based on the skill-set that these employees bring to their position. Retention bonuses are necessary. It behooves everybody at US to to have the BEST people working in positions that are critical to the success of the corporation.

It's unfortunate that the word "BONUS" has such a bad connotation to organized labor (of which I am a part of). In traditional collective bargaining agreements, compensation is tied to SENIORITY rather than PERFORMANCE. Management compensation is just a different model.

For the most part, union employees continue to get longevity raises each time they hit another year in seniority...in spite of the company's financial performance. So what's the difference? Union members continue to get a raise based on SENIORITY and management employees continue to get a raise based on PERFORMANCE, regardless of whether or not the company is profitable.

I took a Managerial Accounting class which really educated me on this subject. Rentention bonuses can be a GOOD THING, if it keeps the right people who are the best in their game (finance, revenue management, accounting, etc). from flocking elsewhere.

Okay Ms. Pitbull...flame away!

 

[ELP_WN_Psgr]

I took a Managerial Accounting class which really educated me on this subject. Rentention bonuses can be a GOOD THING, if it keeps the right people who are the best in their game (finance, revenue management, accounting, etc). from flocking elsewhere.

Instead of managerial accounting, maybe you should have taken a Dale Carnegie course???

Of course, you if you are part of the rank-and-file at USAirways, your best bet (certainly not any worse than staying on the job) might be to go to correspondence art school on a scholarship you can win by sketching "Blinky" from the magazine ad. But I digress.

Have they no shame? The short answer is no, they don't.

The key part of that post is 'if the bonuses keep the right people who are the best in their game'.

Can anyone honestly say that the crew in CCY is the best at anything? I made the comment before.....you could not do any worse at making executive decisions than to write them on the ground, then turn a blindfolded chicken loose to see which decision he or she pecks at.

 

[airbiiguy]

Excellent post and well said I might add. As Ive said before, why dont these people go back to school get an education and then start a new career if they arnt happy. Instead they jsut want to contiinue moaing and feeling bad for themlselves while they could be taking classes to make them smarter and help them obtain a better job.