- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
January 7, 2004
Mr. David Bronner
Chief Executive Officer
Retirement Services of Alabama
135 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
Dear Sir:
Once again I have listened to Mr. Siegel’s weekly message. Unfortunately, I was left with the impression that he is more interested in building a list of reasons why he was unable to resuscitate this airline than in pulling us back from the brink of extinction. Perhaps Mr. Siegel is thinking more of his next job interview than the survival of US Airways.
If there was ever a time in US Airways’ history that a leader was needed, this is the time. A leader that tells the employees and customers where we are, what we need to become, and most importantly, how he plans to take us there. Mr. Siegel has certainly accomplished the first step, but he has given only vague hints of the second step, and has completely ignored the third and most important step.
As I see it, the Board of Directors of this company face a choice - find someone who will provide the leadership this company desperately needs or force Mr. Siegel to provide that leadership. I personally believe that there is no time to find and hire new leadership unless the forbearance of the lenders of the ATSB guaranteed loan (including RSA) can be assured. Therefore the only course available in the short term is to force Mr. Siegel to lead. If he has a plan, he needs to not only get out and sell his plan to the employees but start implementing it. If the plan is viable, I believe most employees will embrace it. If some further short-term contract changes are believed necessary, I think most employees will at least listen. One thing is certain - if Mr. Siegel continues to sit in his office in Crystal City and point the finger of blame at “union leadershipâ€, this airline’s days are numbered.
In your “day job†as CEO of RSA. your primary focus is (and certainly should be) the interests of those who entrust their retirement funds to your stewardship. The investment in US Airways stock and loans are surely a minuscule part of the portfolio you oversee, so RSA will not thrive or flounder on the outcome of that investment. I would hope, however, that you would rather see this airline succeed than fail. I implore you, therefore, to take the leadership position that goes with your position as Chairman of the Board. To use an old country phrase where I grew up, “Light a fire under Mr. Siegel†and require him to begin acting like a leader.
Respectfully,
Captain Jim Garner
Mr. David Bronner
Chief Executive Officer
Retirement Services of Alabama
135 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
Dear Sir:
Once again I have listened to Mr. Siegel’s weekly message. Unfortunately, I was left with the impression that he is more interested in building a list of reasons why he was unable to resuscitate this airline than in pulling us back from the brink of extinction. Perhaps Mr. Siegel is thinking more of his next job interview than the survival of US Airways.
If there was ever a time in US Airways’ history that a leader was needed, this is the time. A leader that tells the employees and customers where we are, what we need to become, and most importantly, how he plans to take us there. Mr. Siegel has certainly accomplished the first step, but he has given only vague hints of the second step, and has completely ignored the third and most important step.
As I see it, the Board of Directors of this company face a choice - find someone who will provide the leadership this company desperately needs or force Mr. Siegel to provide that leadership. I personally believe that there is no time to find and hire new leadership unless the forbearance of the lenders of the ATSB guaranteed loan (including RSA) can be assured. Therefore the only course available in the short term is to force Mr. Siegel to lead. If he has a plan, he needs to not only get out and sell his plan to the employees but start implementing it. If the plan is viable, I believe most employees will embrace it. If some further short-term contract changes are believed necessary, I think most employees will at least listen. One thing is certain - if Mr. Siegel continues to sit in his office in Crystal City and point the finger of blame at “union leadershipâ€, this airline’s days are numbered.
In your “day job†as CEO of RSA. your primary focus is (and certainly should be) the interests of those who entrust their retirement funds to your stewardship. The investment in US Airways stock and loans are surely a minuscule part of the portfolio you oversee, so RSA will not thrive or flounder on the outcome of that investment. I would hope, however, that you would rather see this airline succeed than fail. I implore you, therefore, to take the leadership position that goes with your position as Chairman of the Board. To use an old country phrase where I grew up, “Light a fire under Mr. Siegel†and require him to begin acting like a leader.
Respectfully,
Captain Jim Garner
