PineyBob said:
This is such a Deja Vu experience for me. Big Steels collapse was equally painful.
I remember distinctly one of the Bethlehem local Presidents saying " we have to decide what we want, it either 200 jobs that pay $15/hr or 75 that pay $35/hr" They decided to eat their young and go with the 75 @ $35/hr
NOTE to the nitpickers, the hourly rates are made up, but the wage gap was about the same.
It seems that the dilema is similar though more complex here. In order for the "Plan" to work some groups will nearly cease to exist and others will have their work rules altered dramatically.
The bottom line will be 28,000 jos will disappear from the airline industry in under a year OR some number of jobs LESS than 28,000 will be left largely intact with OK but not stellar wages. The choices aren't great. But right now you still have choices.
All I will say was the Beth Steel guys got a very rude reception when they went job hunting in Bethlehem. It was ugly and it was because they made so much money with few marketable jobs skills that were transferable. All I'm saying is THINK
See Bob,
You think you know what the future holds. No one really does. Its just speculation on our part. Being on the "inside" we know very well that as Winglet poigantly stated, we can either fight or give them what they want and "silently" go off the cliff.
When Bronner speaks, everyone needs to pay attention to his meaning. To say the "plan" will be implemented with or without employees, is saying either, we concede and throw ourselves on the sword, or management will force us on the sword. Labor will lose. Perhaps not in your definition if we concede; but in our definition, to concede is to destroy the professions for all in the industry.
Your example of Steel Mill Industry and blaming the unions for lack of insight that the corporate BOD and decision makers should have had, is not the reason why USA Steel Corporations are not producing steel in this country as in the past. The pollution controls that the government environmental laws that were put into place made it unprofitable for many of the steel companies to produce steel, along with Vietnam war and than the Hostage situation in Iran caused the recession in the late 70s and early 80s. Even United State Steel Corporation had to merge with Petroleum company to become USX and diversify as many companies were doing back then. This is just from what I remember from living in Pittsburgh back then, as a teenager and young adult when much of this was taking place.
Another contributor was "outsourcing" jobs to another country to produce steel in total, was just much much cheaper. In order for the worker to compete, they would have to literally give up health care, benefits and pension. Didn't pay to keep the job for many. From living in Pittsburgh, many of the steel industry workers got grants from the government for reeducation, and many did take advantage of that. It might have taken some time, but folks did go on to find other jobs. My father owned a family restaurant, and I remember our neighbors who worked in the mills taking advantage of the "grant money" for reeducation. The mill where I lived close to was Allegheny Ludium Steel.
The unfortunate part for the workers at U, is that USAirways can not ensure that we will not be sold off. They say no, but that is in the "short term". No one can ensure the "long term". As a pax, you want U to stick around, after all you have said repeatedly, its for selfish reasons, and your frequent flying miles come to mind. So, I take your input with a "grain of salt" when it comes to the decisions for labor. I can say, I want folks to fly us, and we need the business and customers, but we can't compromise ourselves and subsidize the lowering of fares because management lacks the vision and creativity to produce a product that the customer will want to pay for, even if it a little higher than the competitor.
