Connect The Dots

T

Traveler

Guest
"The subsequent media coverage has tried to connect dots, leading to rumors,
speculations and assumptions. And let's not kid ourselves -- it is sometimes in
the interest of our competitors to seize upon opportunities to whisper things
that further those rumors," said Siegel, who had remained publicly silent about
the plans.†--Washington Post, Saturday, January 10, 2004

Dave Siegel once used the same paranoid finger pointing with the Pension Legislation for USAirways’ Pilots. He communicated, in a statement to the Pilots, that Pension Legislation, designed to restore the Pilot’s Defined Benefit Plan, which had been previously terminated, was something akin to a subversive plot by the Airline’s competition to assure USAirways’ demise.

A finger pointing here. A finger pointing there. Here a finger. There a finger. Everywhere a finger, finger. It’s the employee’s fault. It’s the Union’s fault. It’s the Government’s fault, It’s the PBGC’s fault, it’s the Airport Authority’s fault, it’s the court’s fault. Now it’s a subversive plot by the Competition. Of course... the Competition wouldn’t have a fighting chance against Management’s strategic initiatives in a fair, aboveboard, competitive, toe-to-toe battle for market share. Thus those competitors must resort to underhanded tactics, designed to ruin the Airline’s Goodwill, force future ticket bookings away from USAirways and drop the Airlines credit rating deeper into Junk, from B to B-, overnight, thereby threatening GE commitment as source funding for Billions of Dollars in Regional Jets acquisitions.

In contrast, what’s our competition’s leadership approach to public relations and Corporate Plans for the communities they serve? Is it more forthright and upbeat?

Southwest reveals it’s plans for all the word to see, nearly Six month’s before it celebrates its first arrival in Philadelphia. JetBlue launches Press Releases, outlining its plans for aircraft acquisitions and market expansion. No super secret, withholding of Corporate strategies by these fellows. Markets respond favorably, Cities praise the initiatives, critics hail the moves, Professional endorsements, Official Athletic Sponsorships, Official Airline of this, Official Airline of that. Everything falls into their laps months before the Airline even begins service because they generate excitement about detailed plans and strategies which they brilliantly share with everyone. Competitors, Investors, Analysts and Communities alike!

Let’s be very clear. The LCCs such as Southwest and JetBlue are not going to be surprised by any of the USAirways Executive Team secret initiatives or strategies. The only thing this team is achieving with concealed and secret plans is confusion and uncertainty among an uneasy traveling public, the financial community and the employees.

-USAirways employees operate in a leadership vacuum. -No definable corporate goals or objectives. -Except for photo-ops with Regional Jet Manufactures, Employees see very little or no new Initiatives. -Employees become increasingly concerned about their sacrifices, totaling in the Billions of Dollars. -The Executives, reliving the Bliss of Bankruptcy Wrangling summarily violate employee contracts, with the numbers of grievances growing into the Hundreds. -The Airline reveals, it must revise it’s business Plan. -The Employees are confused because they’ve seen no discernable original Plan. One by one, the separate employee groups express – “no confidence†in the Management team. Management communiqués, increasingly focus on gloom. Employee groups call for Senior Executive resignations. -Industry observers familiar with the Executive Team’s recipe for extracting concessions calculate the probability of Bankruptcy. –The company announces to the World that it will disclose it’s Plan to no one. -With no idea of a comprehensive strategy, the Press is surprised by Management’s move to sell vital assets, divisions and Airline Hubs.

How can you expect the World not to connect the dots? How can you point fingers when you take such apparent drastic initiatives with out prefacing these initiatives days in advance as part of an exciting logical strategy for success? How can you not anticipate the negative press while Management consistently manages Employee expectations with gloom? You keep the Plan a complete secret, initiate austere measures, then expect the world to bestow praise on a team which blunders through another public relations calamity?

This is a typical response of this Executive team. Has anyone ever heard them take responsibility. Have they ever stated, “We were just a bit off the mark on that one.†Never. This Management has never yet admitted a strategic miscalculation. The finger is always pointing outward. The Press is wrong here for making such outrageous “leaps to conclusionsâ€. And the Airline’s Competition, typically outsmarted by this Executive Team, has had to resort to underhanded prodding of the Press to cast USAirways in the most unfavorable light.

As Ambassadors of Goodwill and effective Public Relations, this executive team is bringing embarrassment and discredit upon the Airline and its employees. Remarkably, the Employees are generating high marks for the Airline in national surveys despite struggling with the limited tools and initiatives Management has crafted since Bankruptcy.

This Bulldog Executive Team throws down a handful of dots. Dot – It’s not that our Plan isn’t working but rather, Labor is the culprit of Airline doom. Dot – Management expresses surprise and confusion by Competitor’s initiatives. Dot – Labor expresses “no confidence†in Management. Dot – Management shares dismal projections with doubtful conclusions accompanied by no Plan. Dot – Management scrambles to revise the Plan. Dot – Management devises a Plan but abruptly retracts the mysterious plan. Dot – Management places critical assets on the Block with no warning or explanation of this strategy as a part of a comprehensive Plan.

Then Management Points fingers at the World for connecting these dots.

What Management did or didn’t do in Philidelphia with the Sport Sponsorships and the Official Airline Status of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Phillies, is an embarrassment to the largest Airline calling Philadelphia home. This, along with the public relations debacle of effectively communicated Plans and initiatives are telling examples of the lack of a Human face on this Airline. While the employees struggle to cultivate loyalty and goodwill in the community, a Bulldog Management team delivers an arrogant, “What can you do for meâ€, approach to community fellowship. If one could only recognize the obvious abrasiveness between USAirways and the communities it serves along with the eroding loyalty, support and commitment by those communities with USAirways struggle for survival; one might then recognize the nature of the abrasive relationship existing between Labor and this Executive Team behind those doors at USAirways Crystal City Offices.

While the Executive team of USAirways look down, cheekily from their Crystal Throne, the employees continue to live, work and raise their families as supportive citizens of the communities they serve. These employees are part of the thread of life of these communities. These Airline employees, neighbors and citizens are an integral part, with many actively contributing to community’s aspirations for growth and prosperity. The Employees are currently struggling to find a metamorphosis in new leadership worthy of the sacrifices they and their families have made. Their struggle is to find a visionary leader who will make the employees proud to work at the Airline and to live in a Community proud to call USAirways its home. We hope and pray for patience, understanding and support during this difficult metamorphosis.
 
yes....tell me who put the dots on the paper in their efforts to intimidate the employees into haranguing their respective labor groups into negotiating?and now how has this feeble attempt at blackmail affected future ticket sales and advance bookings?
 
Traveler,

Thank-you for your wise and insightful post. Please excuse me if I repost some of the points if feel are most poignant:

"What Management did or didn’t do in Philidelphia with the Sport Sponsorships...is an embarrassment to the largest Airline calling Philadelphia home."

"USAirways employees operate in a leadership vacuum. -No definable corporate goals or objectives."

"-The Airline reveals, it must revise it’s business Plan. -The Employees are confused because they’ve seen no discernable original Plan."

"While the Executive team of USAirways look down, cheekily from their Crystal Throne, the employees continue to live, work and raise their families as supportive citizens of the communities they serve. These employees are part of the thread of life of these communities. These Airline employees, neighbors and citizens are an integral part, with many actively contributing to community’s aspirations for growth and prosperity. "

What I find truely amazing is not, how many of us get it. What I find amazing this that our leadership, by choice, won't.

Therefore we can only take one stance:
 
Someone kindly PMed me, noticing that all my former posts have been removed. I can't tell this from my computer. Somehow I've become an unregistered member. I suppose it could be something I've done. I'm not perfect with the technology. And I'm not paranoid.

Just in case however... In Advance... It's been nice talking to ya.
 
Traveler said:
Someone kindly PMed me, noticing that all my former posts have been removed. I can't tell this from my computer. Somehow I've become an unregistered member. I suppose it could be something I've done. I'm not perfect with the technology. And I'm not paranoid.

Just in case however... In Advance... It's been nice talking to ya.
you try an login again?
 
delldude said:
Traveler said:
Someone kindly PMed me, noticing that all my former posts have been removed. I can't tell this from my computer. Somehow I've become an unregistered member. I suppose it could be something I've done. I'm not perfect with the technology. And I'm not paranoid.

Just in case however... In Advance... It's been nice talking to ya.
you try an login again?


I see your point.

Tried several times.

Checked different variations. Perhaps I timed out on attempts and became unregistered.

dohhh!
 
Traveler.....Your post is right on the money. USAir has had a leadership vacuum for years. It is amazing to see a well run, employee respecting, savy airline move in to our home turf and show how it is done. While there are improvements and efficiancies needed by the company from labor to survive the new marketplace, they have set such a distrustful environment, they may never get them. That is their fault....not employees. It amazes me that this team of highly paid MBAs seem to have no plan....no vision.....no nothing....just a vacuum, even after all this time. A radicle change is needed soon....either a new group of leaders....or an awakening from the current ones...or this once great airline is doomed.
 
Traveler's post shows wisdom and if our team in charge had that wisdom, then reading these posts would paint a very different and happier picture. Maturity comes with age in most cases. In the case of our management team they showed us all how lacking they are in wisdom, they are not most cases. You can hold every degree there is and be very intelligent, but without wisdom it's all for not.

I believe if Dave B lets us have an interim leader of wisdom we will have a chance, otherwise I believe the party is ending. I and many of my co-workers are not young kids. I know in my heart most of us have more wisdom then this touted brilliant Harvard boy will every have. It's a shame the way things go, a kid out of an ivy league college believed to be brilliant only because of the college's name. This kid proves himself unworthy in big league leadership such as this airline at the expense of many thousands of long time employees. The kid on the other hand will not be hurt financially but let loose on another corporation to ruin more working men’s livelihoods. The American way they say is the best on the planet unless you are a U employee or like victim of corporate America ways.
 
CAV-I hear ya loud and clear....but i must say that i think siegel has been operating on the advice of glass' and company....i'm sure you heard of the rumor regarding him?
well anyways...if you run 'jerold glass' on google i think you will find his firm and its history.you will find what they do for money as good entertainment.i think he sold his interest or something as such...check it out...
check it out: :shock:
 
Traveler wrote a well thought out, analyitical view point of USAirways, that I wanted to bring this topic back to the top for those who didn't get a chance to view his sentiments.

This needs to be read again and conceptulized, instead of all the crap topics that have been posted over this past weekend that enlighten no one!
 
Where is PineyBob to tell us all how wonderful this management team is and how all the employees should bend over and take it in the shorts again?
 
Trav although i disagree with some of what you say , Ill have to say very very well written and obviously from the heart and i salute you for your compassion. The difference here to me is that you truely showed a deepness there and mad your point without acting like some kid who has nothing better to do than cry moan complain. Again very well written. I suggest emailing that to dave and mailing it seriously.
 
dots will never me connected with this outfit for 28 yrs except for ed everythings a BIG secret with these guys. well !! maybe ,i dont know,i have to check with boss
we cant get anybody to fix it,they havent made the decision yet,who in charge of that,you have to greive it to get a answer,have to check with the shop stu ,
got a write cant go,in all my years with the company i just did what i had to
do at time and never checked with any of this bull or allegheny dc9 would still
at the gate on jan12 2004.
 
Ok, we've connected the dots so, let's look at the picture.

Here's the big plan:

Take a meat cleaver and chop away anything that resembles fat.

Then, take the meat cleaver and chop away anything that resembles bone or grisl.

Then, take your meat cleaver and start chopping away lean meat, until:
The final peice is small enough, and lean enough, that somebody, anybody, will buy what's left..

Then those at the top get their accommodation bonuses and probably stock from the buyers company. Then they'll kick back and enjoy the good life until another company "hires" them.

Rape complete.

Broken careers, broken marriages, and broken lives. But of course the big boys make out like the bandits that they are.

Too bad the unions won't play ball, or it may have already worked.

So, if your looking for a plan, just re-read the above post. I dare any of us to find any evidence of anything to the contrary.

Meanwhile, those of us in the Unionized groups have a message for the bandits. You'd better get off your expectations and start running this airline, because: