Doug should take a lesson
- Thread starter 700UW
- Start date
PB,
As far as this 25yr employee is concerned, there is nothing he can do to change my perception of him or his cronies. He has no credibility with me. The best thing he can do is go away. Gary Kelly is in the major leagues. DP is still playing "T" ball.
As far as this 25yr employee is concerned, there is nothing he can do to change my perception of him or his cronies. He has no credibility with me. The best thing he can do is go away. Gary Kelly is in the major leagues. DP is still playing "T" ball.
We haven't had solid leadership here since Colodny or Davis. These folks don't want to run an airline, they are selling a commodity and looking to sell/merge the company. Employees are liabilities, not assets. Just an inevitable part of a cost structure that does not add one whit to the product and easily controlled. Like the cost of paper or diet coke. This is why there is such a disconnect between employees and management. A lot of us think of this as a service business. Parker does not. Southwest does, hence the importance of the employee group.
I have as much loyalty and respect for this company as they have for me. I've learned how they think and I've adjusted my work ethic accordingly. Millions in bonuses for their on time performance. Good for them. They have it figured out and so do I. Used to go the extra yard. No more. I comply with the contract. That's it. And I try to get the most out of my contract as possible. As many off days as are legal.
Figure it out folks. You are working for money managers. Not airline managers. Southwest is an abberation in this business. Oh yeah, but consistently profitable until recently. But they won't lose money for long. They know how to run an airline. Our guys only pretend. First in on time, last in everything else. Sad thing is, they could care less.
I have as much loyalty and respect for this company as they have for me. I've learned how they think and I've adjusted my work ethic accordingly. Millions in bonuses for their on time performance. Good for them. They have it figured out and so do I. Used to go the extra yard. No more. I comply with the contract. That's it. And I try to get the most out of my contract as possible. As many off days as are legal.
Figure it out folks. You are working for money managers. Not airline managers. Southwest is an abberation in this business. Oh yeah, but consistently profitable until recently. But they won't lose money for long. They know how to run an airline. Our guys only pretend. First in on time, last in everything else. Sad thing is, they could care less.
Dog Wonder
Veteran
If Doug followed suit would he be a leader?
nycbusdriver
Veteran
No. Parker needs a total rethink of how he runs this place. A token pay cut on his part, with no other changes in attitude, action and demeanor, would simply raise suspicions among the workforce.
It would not be "Wow! What great leadership!" It would be more like "What's he up to now?"
BoeingBoy
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I was going to ask Bob if he thought Lakefield's answer when asked if he was going to take a pay cut like all the employees were being asked for was an indication of Lakefield's people skills. To paraphrase, he said "He!! no - my salary is no more than a pimple on the ### of US Airways."
Jim
Jim
BoeingBoy
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I didn't ask if his reply was factual or not - I happen to agree that it was factual. I asked if it was a demonstration of his people skills. To me, demanding concessions from the employees under threat of abrogating the contracts in BK while refusing to take even a token paycut himself is not the action of a particularly people skilled leader. I'm reasonably confident it's not what Herb would do.
I now that you truly believe that, so I'll only ask what I've asked before. Without the merger to sell to potential investors would he have had as much ability to shake that money tree?
Before the merger announcement, he wasn't having that much luck - $125 million in DIP financing (spent as fast as it came in) and the promise of another $125 million upon BK exit, both sums from carriers that had their own motives. Air Wisconsin was desperate for a contract to fly their CRJ's and Republic wanted the E170's, slots at LGA/DCA, and a contract to fly the 170's under.
After the merger announcement promises of something around $650-700 million appeared pretty quickly - enough that Republics $125 million was rejected.
So to me everything that happened to keep US afloat depended on one single thing - Parker agreeing to the merger. I certainly can agree that with 20/20 hindsight the case can be made that HP needed the merger as much as US. But to argue that point, one must concede that Parker was smart enough to foretell in the spring of 2005 what would happen with fuel prices in 2007/2008 and that the world economy would then do what it did in late 2008.
Jim
Lakefield was here at the behest of the money folks. GE Captial, ILFC and others. His sole purpose was to arrange the merger. He did his job. He put the deal together (without Parker help BTW. Parker has no street credibility or expertise) and then the deal that he arranged using other peoples money was "presented" to the AWA board and the rest is history. AWA did not "buy" US Airways. Bank money was put together by Lakefield and the merger happened. It quite possibly saved BOTH entities. For a time.
Another merger or split/piece meal sale will occur at some point. If LCC can survive long enough. My bet is that the money people will once again figure out how to keep their jets flying by arranging another deal.
It's about the money folks. Not building an airline.
Another merger or split/piece meal sale will occur at some point. If LCC can survive long enough. My bet is that the money people will once again figure out how to keep their jets flying by arranging another deal.
It's about the money folks. Not building an airline.
Singleflyer
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Bob and Jim,
I sat in the courtroom during the emergency section 1113 paycut hearings and Lakefield was on the stand and he could not justify why his salary was more then Neeleman at JetBlue and Kelleher at WN and yet those two airlines were very profitable and US was in its second chapter 11 filing in less than two years and he refused to take a paycut yet he was asking the court to impose a 20% paycut on all employees.
That is real leadership, NOT!
I sat in the courtroom during the emergency section 1113 paycut hearings and Lakefield was on the stand and he could not justify why his salary was more then Neeleman at JetBlue and Kelleher at WN and yet those two airlines were very profitable and US was in its second chapter 11 filing in less than two years and he refused to take a paycut yet he was asking the court to impose a 20% paycut on all employees.
That is real leadership, NOT!
Its not the point, it is a lack of respect and leadership when you force a 19% paycut on your employees and you dont take a penny paycut and you have no airline experience.
And like I said, you were an outsider, I was at CCY and Lakefield had NOTHING to do with negotiations and was not calling the shots.
And like I said, you were an outsider, I was at CCY and Lakefield had NOTHING to do with negotiations and was not calling the shots.
