How can American employees be more productive?

[Oliver Stone''s Apprentice]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 3/5/2003 1:23:07 PM Plane Paper Facts wrote:

In most cases a capable secretary could replace several supervisors.

----------------
[/blockquote]

Where licenses aren't an issue, a secretary could also replace several crew chiefs. Aside from it being a contractual requirement, can someone explain to me why we need crew chiefs to be staffed at the same ratio they were in 1961?

Can someone also explain to me why we shouldn't use part-timers where the operating schedule doesn't require having the station staffed for 8 hours at a time, and instead create busy work (level 1's and ultracleans) to fill out an 8 hour shift for the full-timers?

 

[RV4]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 3/6/2003 12:28:32 AM eolesen wrote:

Where licenses aren't an issue, a secretary could also replace several crew chiefs. Aside from it being a contractual requirement, can someone explain to me why we need crew chiefs to be staffed at the same ratio they were in 1961?

----------------
[/blockquote]

For two reaons that I can think of...

Supervisors have emerged as time and attendance clerks as they shovel off most of their duties to the Crew Chief so they can attend the micro management meetings.

In addition, the SRP/OSM upgrade program is leaving crews with non-mechanical, non-skilled, non-loyal, workers who require constant monitoring and training.

I will admit that a Crew Chief could do more work along side his crew, and many could be better Crew Chiefs, but I dispute that a secretary with no working knowledge of the product would be a valid replacement. Licenses are not required for machinist/welding crew chief positions, yet, these skills are "red circled" for layoff purposes. Why is that? Find me a secretary that knows what a 2% thoriated tungsten and argon purge cups are and how to make them, and succesfully use them during Tungsten Inert Gas Welding. Show me secratary that can program and edit a CNC Machine Operation. Show me a secratary that can read the Illustrated Parts Catalog and determine part classification against the applicable Service Bulletins, Airworthiness Directives, and Fleet Campaign Directives. Show me secretary that can even read a precision measuring device. Show me a secretary capable of reading the ESO's and comparing the Master Data Record of a part's Shop Order and insure manual compliance and documentation of work accomplished. Hell "E", for that matter, lets even line up the current Supervisors and see how many of them can do these things. Then tell me, who is going to train the upgraded building cleaner wanna be mechanic?

I believe the ratio of Crew Chiefs is still the same because working-product-incompetence runs freely in the Supervisor ranks and the Crew Chiefs have taken on many of the 1961 Supervisors duties.

 

[KCFlyer]

[blockquote]
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On 3/5/2003 10:27:45 AM WingNaPrayer wrote:

You have to define productive. If there's not enough work to keep everyone moving non-stop all day long, which I assume is what AMR wants in this aspect, then I have to agree with PPF...you need to thin the herd. American has a sizeable part time work force, it's time to consolidate those part time positions into full time positions and cut back on the head count. In some instances, less is more.
----------------
[/blockquote]

Does AA pay benefits to part time workers? If they do not, in those cases more is less. If they do pay full benefits to part timers, then I agree with your post.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

They do - benefits for the part time employees same as for the full time.

 

[Hopeful]

Well pilots do damn well for part timers!




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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I think the IRS functions better today than it did 5 years ago." Bill Clinton, 9/30/97. Reported on CNN

(Translation: 'Five years ago I couldn't pick up the phone and have Paula Jones audited.')

This was around the time Congress was conducting hearings on IRS abuses. Originally, Clinton and Rubin defended the IRS and its practices, and later they became critics. It was a little like transportation secretary Frederico Pena's comment after the Value Jet Everglades crash calling them "totally safe," also responding "Oh yes, I fly them all the time." Three days later he shut down the company, citing it had the worst safety record in the industry.
Thanks to Gary Kirkpatrick [[email protected]] for this information!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You can't say you love your country and hate your government." - Bill Clinton, 1995 (After the OKC bombing)

"A lot of wonderful people love their country and hate the military." - Bill Clinton, 1969 (Letter to the National Guard)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The other thing we have to do is to take seriously the role in this problem of...older men who prey on underage women...There are consequences to decisions and...one way or the other, people always wind up being held accountable." Bill Clinton, June 13, 1996, in a speech endorsing a national effort against teen pregnancy.
Unless the person is an Intern, of course...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from transcript on allpolitics.com - Speech given by President Bill Clinton at a church on Martha's Vineyard, Aug 28, 1998 - Anniversary of March on Washington
"And so, it is important that we are able to forgive those we believe have wronged us even as we ask for forgiveness from people we have wronged. And I heard that first -- first in the civil rights movement. Love thy neighbor as thyself."


Bill Clinton
Famous Quotations


Bill Clinton Quotes





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Bill Clinton We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans...

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Bill Clinton The road to tyranny, we must never forget, begins with the destruction of the truth.

 

[Plane Paper Facts]

WNP you just had to go and get political on us didn't you? I believe you ask for all the criticism you get from Buck and any other of the right-wingers present. I thought this was about AA being more productive.

 

[Ch. 12]

Yes...it is about being more productive. But I find it humorous that you made no mention of Hopeful's space-wasting signature from the other side in the post just before yours.

 

[Hopeful]

CH.12:

I just posted that as a response to wingnaprayer's post. I think the administrator of this boaad should only allow postings relating to aviation. He should not allow any political postings. And he should not allow political cartoons and quotes as well.

 

[Buck]

[blockquote]
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On 3/6/2003 12:54:59 PM Ch. 12 wrote:

Couldn't agree more.
----------------
[/blockquote]
The problem would be that Wing and a Prayer cannot stay neutral. I do not have a problem with your request for censorship. After all this is the United States of America and you have that right.

The problem with posting only about aviation, is that aviation in itself becomes political when the discussion involves those represented by industrial unionism, those affiliated with the AFL-CIO. This topic is not about political postings. It is "How can American employees be more productive?"

 

[WingNaPrayer]

I don't recall getting political. All of my posts in this particular thread have been on topic.

If you're talking about my signature line, then you're barking up the wrong tree. You are not Rumsfeld, no matter how much you appear to agree with his secret yearning (re: your demand that moderators limit posts) to gut the constitution in favor of the fascist desires of the current White House Squatter who happens to be a political hack with a bad case of dictator-wannabe syndrome (just like Saddam, go figure). Remember, these are the guys who truly hold the fate of your airline jobs in their hands.

If you limit the thoughts and postings of this or any other message board, then they become nothing but advertisements for each particular airline, and that's not what this is all about.

Now....is THAT political enough for you?

 

[WingNaPrayer]

[blockquote]
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On 3/6/2003 2:17:09 PM eolesen wrote:

Take away the middle-man, and the supervisors who don't know what the he1l they're doing will have nobody to cover for them...
----------------
[/blockquote]

Can I get that on a T-shirt and matching bumper sticker please?

 

[Oliver Stone''s Apprentice]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 3/6/2003 5:57:34 AM RV4 wrote:

Supervisors have emerged as time and attendance clerks as they shovel off most of their duties to the Crew Chief so they can attend the micro management meetings.

[[snip]]

I believe the ratio of Crew Chiefs is still the same because working-product-incompetence runs freely in the Supervisor ranks and the Crew Chiefs have taken on many of the 1961 Supervisors duties.
----------------
[/blockquote]

You need to think outside your four walls, Dave. I'm not talking about tech crew chiefs. I'm talking about those out in the operation, e.g. cabin service crew chief, line cargo crew chief, and bagroom crew chief.

Keeping crew chiefs in a middle-man position between the supv and the crew only serves to foster what you call working-product-incompetence.

Take away the middle-man, and the supervisors who don't know what the he1l they're doing will have nobody to cover for them...

 

[Ch. 12]

Couldn't agree more.

 

[j7915]

[blockquote]----------------On 3/6/2003 1:03:10 PM Buck wrote: [blockquote]
----------------
On 3/6/2003 12:54:59 PM Ch. 12 wrote:

Couldn't agree more.
----------------
[/blockquote]
The problem would be that Wing and a Prayer cannot stay neutral. I do not have a problem with your request for censorship. After all this is the United States of America and you have that right.

The problem with posting only about aviation, is that aviation in itself becomes political when the discussion involves those represented by industrial unionism, those affiliated with the AFL-CIO. This topic is not about political postings. It is "How can American employees be more productive?" ----------------[/blockquote]

Talking about AMFA is not political? Particularly when the AMFA pusher posts cute little graphics, or advertises for the NRA? Makes derogatory remarks about anyone that seems to care for all working people as opposed to just "ME"?

 

[RV4]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 3/6/2003 2:17:09 PM eolesen wrote:

You need to think outside your four walls, Dave. I'm not talking about tech crew chiefs. I'm talking about those out in the operation, e.g. cabin service crew chief, line cargo crew chief, and bagroom crew chief.

Keeping crew chiefs in a middle-man position between the supv and the crew only serves to foster what you call working-product-incompetence.

Take away the middle-man, and the supervisors who don't know what the he1l they're doing will have nobody to cover for them...
----------------
[/blockquote]

And so should you look inside my walls before you make such bold comments. I am not talking about tech-crew chief's either. There are SKILLED unlicensed Crew Chiefs within your airline which also fall within your original comment of ignorance.

In short, your comments reflect views that are from a HDQ desk job without a clue of reality.

I am a Crew Chief and foster nothing to working-product-incompetence. The biggest problem? Only a fool would leave the union for an AA Supervisor Job. Crew Chiefs do not "cover" for supervisor incompetence. The utter and complete lack of discipline and accountablity covers for them.

I believe no further comment is needed, your words say it all to anyone that works in the real world.