We also need to remember that with the closing of TPA, bumping and displacements are continuing. I'm not exactly sure how many people took the layoff out of TPA and how many people elected to excersize seniority, but the fact remains that US Airways went out of their way to p1ss off a signifigant amount of people just before the holidays.
Employees are also willing to take layoffs when they know that they have a reasonable chance of being recalled. With the recall period (for IAM mech and related) being reduced to three years and the cuts going so deep, now add in the outsourcing - many of those on the bottom seniority rungs have nothing to gain by voting yes. They will quite likely never get brought back from recall, so they might as well get "full pay to the last day."
I think that the employee cost problem was resolved in the last round of cuts and that many of our efficiencies are in management and pricing.
Plus, the company and the unions STILL refuse to look at compressed work weeks and other provisions that increase productivity and boost morale. I doubt the company's real desire to work with labor as long as they continue to see a life outside of work as a management perk.
As our company shrinks, we STILL have just as many vice-presidents as pre 9-11, this needs to change. We could get by with four or five, with most of that work being handled by director level employees.
Also, as many of you have said, we still have a crazy, non-sensical fare structure that entirely revolves around pillaging the business traveller. Why are we flying empty airplanes, when we could fill them? Perhaps we still wouldn't "break even", but we'd be close than we are now! It isn't rocket science that you can make money in volume (read Wal-Mart) or in a target, select high end market (read Nordstroms or Lord and Taylor). However, since US Airways product is NOT a high end product (ie. coach is coach), we are essentially a Wal-Mart charging $90 for shirts. No wonder we don't have many customers. I really wish that our leadership would get the hint and lower the business fares to a realistic level and stimulate traffic. The only airline that survives is one that grows and we certainly aren't doing that.
At this point, our cost structure is competive with WN and FL, and its time for managment to stop blaming labor for ruining the company and start running an airline.
I wish you all the best and hopefully I'll find another job soon after the holidays. I'm waiting to put in for recall until I see a year or so of profitable quarters, since I want clear evidence that things have changed at US Airways. But, perhaps by then, I've found something better.
Jon C.