www.cwa.netCWA Update March 10 '04 www.cwa.net
Are further passenger service concessions justified?
CWA Research Dept. compared the salaries, benefits and workrules of Southwest Airlines' passenger service group with those of our US Airways passenger service group to learn whether our execs are right when they say we're overpaid and non-competitive compared to a "Low Cost Carrier."
Our conclusion: Southwest Airlines - the most successful airline in the country, the airline that our management fears most (PHL) - has a passenger service cost per agent that is much higher than US Airways'. There is no reason whatever for US Airways execs to complain about our passenger service employee costs. Thanks to our concessions, our execs have a very large passenger service employee cost advantage over Southwest.
Download the attached .pdf or .ppt file below for all the data and charts that spell out the full passenger service comparison between US Airways and Southwest. The information is also posted at www.cwa.net
Chart not shown here. USAirways cost per agent $47,312
Southwest cost per agent $ 53,278
Difference $5,966
*Does not include health and retirement which are comparable between the two airlines.
Are "merit" pay raises for management justified?
That's a question that doesn't even have to be asked - even the management memo announcing the raise states, "Some may be wondering how we are able to afford this merit increase given our need to reduce costs."
But we'll ask anyway: "How can a management team that is unable to guide this airline to profitability despite $1.3 billion in concessions from its employees "merit" a pay raise and an increase in holidays/personal days at the same time they're in the newspapers saying they intend to make further cuts in employee salaries and benefits?"
There are some very good managers in this company who are probably ashamed of this raise at this time. But "Lead-by-Example" is a concept that most US Airways execs and management don't seem to understand.
Is our CEO's $4.5 million golden parachute justified?
Some felt surprised and/or betrayed when reading in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that our CEO had negotiated (during the Bankruptcy) for a very large and unjustified golden parachute for himself, at the same time that the rest of us were negotiating our own salary and benefit cuts to save the airline.
We call on all our executives to repudiate any golden parachutes and under-the-table rewards they may have in their personal contracts. The comparison between a $4.5 million golden parachute on the one hand - and then our CEO's remarks that our res agents should only be paid $9 an hour on the other hand - is something passenger service employees will take into account next time management comes asking for concessions.
Are further passenger service concessions justified?
CWA Research Dept. compared the salaries, benefits and workrules of Southwest Airlines' passenger service group with those of our US Airways passenger service group to learn whether our execs are right when they say we're overpaid and non-competitive compared to a "Low Cost Carrier."
Our conclusion: Southwest Airlines - the most successful airline in the country, the airline that our management fears most (PHL) - has a passenger service cost per agent that is much higher than US Airways'. There is no reason whatever for US Airways execs to complain about our passenger service employee costs. Thanks to our concessions, our execs have a very large passenger service employee cost advantage over Southwest.
Download the attached .pdf or .ppt file below for all the data and charts that spell out the full passenger service comparison between US Airways and Southwest. The information is also posted at www.cwa.net
Chart not shown here. USAirways cost per agent $47,312
Southwest cost per agent $ 53,278
Difference $5,966
*Does not include health and retirement which are comparable between the two airlines.
Are "merit" pay raises for management justified?
That's a question that doesn't even have to be asked - even the management memo announcing the raise states, "Some may be wondering how we are able to afford this merit increase given our need to reduce costs."
But we'll ask anyway: "How can a management team that is unable to guide this airline to profitability despite $1.3 billion in concessions from its employees "merit" a pay raise and an increase in holidays/personal days at the same time they're in the newspapers saying they intend to make further cuts in employee salaries and benefits?"
There are some very good managers in this company who are probably ashamed of this raise at this time. But "Lead-by-Example" is a concept that most US Airways execs and management don't seem to understand.
Is our CEO's $4.5 million golden parachute justified?
Some felt surprised and/or betrayed when reading in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that our CEO had negotiated (during the Bankruptcy) for a very large and unjustified golden parachute for himself, at the same time that the rest of us were negotiating our own salary and benefit cuts to save the airline.
We call on all our executives to repudiate any golden parachutes and under-the-table rewards they may have in their personal contracts. The comparison between a $4.5 million golden parachute on the one hand - and then our CEO's remarks that our res agents should only be paid $9 an hour on the other hand - is something passenger service employees will take into account next time management comes asking for concessions.