It's The Leadership, Stupid!

it sends a message to management that we are happy to break our contracts and gives them leverage in future negotiations.

Thanks for the quick reply. I retired 12 yrs ago, and thanks to the AAA MEC, as a Retiree I am unable to view the Contract on the website. As I recall in "my" day, the Company was required to provide cabin seating for D/H. That was not to say that at my option, I could surrender that seat and enjoy the pleasure of the cockpit. That did not violate any Contract as far as I was concerned.

Where is the violation in the current Contact??

Thanks ..... 2B
 
Although I'm now in the same boat as you, I don't think anything has changed since Nov 06 in the East contract that would affect the requirement for deadhead seats in the cabin. As far as I know it's still required to have coach seats, exit row if scheduled D/H.

Jim
 
Although I'm now in the same boat as you, I don't think anything has changed since Nov 06 in the East contract that would affect the requirement for deadhead seats in the cabin. As far as I know it's still required to have coach seats, exit row if scheduled D/H.

Jim

Yes Jim ... those were the contract provisions when I left. I'm afraid I find fault with the assumptions of Autofixer.

Congrats' on your Retirement. Hope you don't find yourself missing it as much as I do. Even now I find myself dreaming, in my sleep, of ILS approaches (I loved them), running checklists, or fearing a missed report time! Takes awhile to get that out of one's system, I guess!

Enjoy!!

2B
 
This is going to sound crazy but i still believe in doug parker , i think we've just hit a rough spot.

You are correct on the first part, but, then, over 7,000 people believe the earth is flat.

Thank you for being honest with your mental handicap........
 
There is outrage here in the East...
Doug has taken a profitable company....last
year was quite good...and run it into the ground. The change from Sabre to Shares is a huge problem for the frontline folks.
We have gone back 25 years in technology.

Secondly...with all the reconfigurations of the first class cabins, good preferred clients are flocking to other carriers.

I am as discouraged as ever. I agree, Doug
has no plans to improve our company..Management and the investors are just stealing assets from the employees and the company and hoping a merger down the road will save them.

I was particularily incensed to read of some
employee focus groups they want to start up.
Take away all of our tools to do a good job,
and then tell the employees to figure it out.
Well, it is difficult to overcome technological problems without the company spending some money to give us what we need!!!!
We've been telling them since Mar 4 this system does not suit our needs.
 
Yesterday I had the opportunity to deadhead on a flight from BOS-LAS, a westie flight. We Easties were nervous about the kind of reception we would get. We all just sat down and minded our own affairs. The f/a's were older and one heavier, but nice to us, giving us water and small chit chat. If I didn't know better I would think I was with an East crew as we extend the same courtesies. Hell, the captain even gave up his seat and sat JS so another passenger would get on the oversold flight.

The precedures were followed as we have all be told and we we're off on the almost 6 hr flight west. I was able to spend a few moments and take a peek at galleys and seats. The AB was one of the newer 319's, so it was very nice with all leather seats and very nice f/c seats. After we took off I was able to see that the A f/a was able to actually have some privacy with a fc galley cutain as he prepared the food and bevs for f/c. Low and behold, the fine folks in f/c had glassware. Gee, don't I work for the SAME company? Where was my glassware on MY SAME US AIRWAYS FLIGHTS?? Where are my curtains? Can I PLEASE have a place to scratch if I need without all of f/c seeing?

Then coach service started. The f/a's did their WEST PROCEDURES as per the STILL seperate inflight procedures. They do a complete bev services and are to give the whole can. They did. They cleaned up and then sold snacks with coffee/water on top. That's procedure and they did as they are instructed. Hummmmmm, I fly for US Airways as well. Our procedure tell us to give a cup of soda with the BOB, and then coffee/water. In both classes, those flying on West metal get more. We STILL have TWO procedures and guess which group looks cheap and stingy?

After the service the f/a's chilled out in the back with us and we all discussed various topics but ALL agreed that the company's management team has lost it and are out of touch with what is going on. I mentioned how I was going to catch a nap as we now had 30 hrs in Vegas and I wanted to enjoy every moment. The B f/a mention how they couldn't nap on a DH. I explained that we could. I dozed off for a few and then the f/a's did their arrival service...like the East. All is good. The captain even had the same concerned discussions...MINUS senority.

LAS was fun but I couldn't help but stop and think about how HORRIBLE our leadership is. So you merge with a company that has a bad reputation and has gone thru 2 chapter 11's. You decide to keep that name and take control of the operation of the NEW US Airways. From that day forward the company is in the hands of Doug Parker and company. You mention that you want to take the best of both carriers. Sounds good, however the only thing taken from US Airways was the crippled name. Every change is now reflected on US Airways...not the management team that mostly came from AWA. Passengers and the press only know that US Airways is doing this or that. They start bad mouthing about how much worse US Airways has gotten when "US Airways" or the company we KNEW as "US Airways" has nothing to do with these decisions. To them it's just an affirmation of how bad US is. Meanwhile, it is business as usual out west and so all the AWA are wondering what the big deal is while the East is falling apart. After TWO YEARS...TWO YEARS people, our a/c look worse, the computer system is archaic and we have a mangement team that can't even make a simple decision like which inflight procedures to implement. We as a company are so bare boned that the agents are loosing it. Morale has been ALLOWED to tank. A TRUE leader doesn't allow that. A TRUE leader takes the time to undertsand WHY morale sucks and WHY the employees no longer have pride in what we do or how we look.

I may get completely blasted for this, but this company was at it's best when Stephen Wolf was in charge of the daily ops. He looked the part as a CEO...not some sloppy looking goon that IS Doug Parker. Wolfman would never tolerate the sloppy looks of this company. Look at the the male employees of US...especially East. Most look just like the CEO picture in the US Airways mag...sloppy and unkept.

When Wolf was in charge, he DEMANDED and EXPECTED excellence AND we had the TOOLS to provide that excellence expected. Funny we made money when we were polished and given the tools to do our job. Now we have no tools, have a CEO that is sloppy and ignorant to what the company needs and only makes money BECAUSE of being the lowest paid and having the WORST contracts in the industry.

A TRUE leader would had elevated the company down troden instead of making things worse. He EXPECTS excellence and settles for nothing less. A TRUE leader understands that no matter how pretty the outside of the a/c is, you must take care of the interiors...both literally and figuratively. You will NEVER run a complete airline if you continue to run seperate carriers. A TRUE leader would have these contracts settle and would make us TRULY ONE AIRLINE!! A TRUE leader understands that every year the price of everything goes up and their employees need pay that equals cost of living. A TRUE leader PAYS you well and expects RESULTS in return. Parker is getting BACK what he is giving...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND A SLOPPY OPERATION!! A TRUE leader would do as Delta and bombard the web, press, and FF's about all these changes you are promising with real deadlines packaged in an online video explaing and getting everyone excited. This team only talks the talk. They NEVER walk the walk.

I walked away from my last trip feeling badly for the West employees. They are carrying the burden of an incompetent man who was CEO there before here and has basically ripped out the pages from the old US Airways management team book on how NOT to run an airline. Westies, 99% of us thought those days were gone. I PROMISE you THAT is why we on the East are angry, tired, sloppy, aloath, and have lost all HOPE in this company. I think both sides have many MORE reasons to be united than to be divided.

Whether it is labor issues or service issues, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM is responsible for the new US Airways. The buck stops with Doug Parker, Scott Kirby, and the entire upper management team.

IT IS TIME FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO EITHER CRACK THE WIPE ON UPPER MANAGEMENT OR FIRED THEM!!


For some reason we on the East are being treated as Red Headed Step-Children. The West End has taken our china and is presenting a better product than us/US. There is no reason why the East operation doesn't have the same serving procedures. I'm somewhat miffed about it. :angry:
 
Maybe I should clarify myself a bit here. The West end is utilizing the old US Airways Dining and Cabin Procedures with glassess and china and not doing the same thing on the East coast.

I think this is strange. We should have the same service procedures by now. In fact I find it very odd that the west is using china in first class and we're not. This is backwards.

I want my china back. My pay cut paid for it.

Lord..do I not sound like an ex-wife??? :D
 
The changes that are minimal on the west side are usually HUGE to the east operation. Ok talk about making one side look better than the other. Our airbus 319's have the same amount of seats as the west yet we have the closets up front that are over a foot wide. So that would only mean that since the lavs in the back are the same the seats must be more cramped in our a/c versus the ones the west operation uses. The china thing is HUGE for me. How is it that it takes TWO yes TWO years to get the east operation glassware yet the west gets it practically OVERNIGHT! ! ! Every single airbus that was reconfigured has NO curtain up front. Some don't even have a first/coach divider curtain. Hmmm why is that? I just flew on the 75E yesterday ALL day and HOW in hell the galley setup in back is acceptable is beyond me. Cases of soda literally thrown and not stacked in carts with drawers of ice stacked on top of each other in another meal cart. What the hell is going on. I took pictures and ONLY if I knew how to get them from my phone to here. It was insane. I know, I know there are contractual issues we should be concerned about but we have folks at the table doing that for us. ALL of these issues are still important and should be dealt with NOW. Man does this place suck.
 
IT IS TIME FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO EITHER CRACK THE WIPE ON UPPER MANAGEMENT OR FIRED THEM!!

I am sorry, 2000 words and all I saw was crack the wipe on upper management. Shouldn't that be wipe the crack of upper management? That seems to be the BODs main function.
 
I am glad to know you had a good DH'd. We have a lot of DH'ing on EAST meatal these days and it can be a bit intimidating at times. But I have never had a bad experience everyone has been very nice.

As for the Capt sitting on the jumpseat... he probably gave it up for a non-rev. I would too... for a non-rev ONLY!

We on the west feel like red-headed step children too... You are not alone! We have had our whole world turned upside down in regards to catering, our bid, staffing, and we never thought management couldn't get any worse... They did! The whole catering department needs to be cleaned out and everyone should have to reapply for all there precious VP positions and manager positions. Just because we have the China doesn't mean anything.

We are all in this together. We need to be loud and tell them enough is enough! We all want a succesful product...however, the tools we are given and the working conditions we are put in are substandard and unacceptable. Adding another VP postion or manger positions isn't going to fix it either.
 
I am sorry, 2000 words and all I saw was crack the wipe on upper management. Shouldn't that be wipe the crack of upper management? That seems to be the BODs main function.
That's funny! Oh, and I just realized I typed wipe. I guess after 2000 words. :p
 
as someone wrote on the AFA66 discussion board the solution is:

Maybe the new VP of Carts and Ice Cubes can provide us with a new directive on this.

Immediate consultation should begin with the Director of Inflight Pretzels and Condiments on this ASAP.

We need action, or else Im going to get an online degree from the Aeroflot Institute of Safety and Satisifed Customers and be the Director and VP and Chairman over everyone. :up:
 
This is going to sound crazy but i still believe in doug parker , i think we've just hit a rough spot.
:lol: And I am going to dress up as a priest and take three hits of viagra . This Management Team is a JOKE.....I know it has been extremely HOT in the desert, but has the heat FRIED their brains? <LCC, your post was quite FACTUAL BTW.....evryone But THEM See it :down: >