Nwa To Cut 600
- Thread starter nwa400
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QUESTION:
If NWA wants more pay cuts and the employee groups have independant studies done that show the company really does need pay cuts.......and.......the employees take wage consessions to the tune of Jet Blue wages or Ual wages......Does this mean that the employees are scabs or weak or morons? Or, are these employees surviving?
Don't be nasty, I just want to get opinions and see what people think. Let us know what you think.
If NWA wants more pay cuts and the employee groups have independant studies done that show the company really does need pay cuts.......and.......the employees take wage consessions to the tune of Jet Blue wages or Ual wages......Does this mean that the employees are scabs or weak or morons? Or, are these employees surviving?
Don't be nasty, I just want to get opinions and see what people think. Let us know what you think.
Red Tail Bear
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Is this something you foresaw in your aviation crystal ball? Or do you know something that we don't?aafsc said:
North by Northwest
Veteran
400, here's my take on it: We will (employees) provide some form of relief for our company (not for bonuses for Sen. mang.) that will be made clear. The agreements must be air tight. They will most likely be in the form of temp. work rule changes. This money will be temp., will be given in return for profit sharing and bonuses. It must be created with the opportunity for those contributing to make a profit. That is how Sen. Mang. pay is constructed, and IMHO that is how we should do it. I do not forsee any direct pay concessions from the PFAA/ AMFA. Northwest employees have ALWAYS met troubled times with a tenacity for survival. We will do it now.nwa400 said:QUESTION:Â
  If NWA wants more pay cuts and the employee groups have independant studies done that show the company really does need pay cuts.......and.......the employees take wage consessions to the tune of Jet Blue wages or Ual wages......Does this mean that the employees are scabs or weak or morons? Or, are these employees surviving?Â
  Don't be nasty, I just want to get opinions and see what people think. Let us know what you think.
[post="262385"][/post]
jimntx
Veteran
Then again, it may just be a simple case of NWA has decided to ground their DC-9 fleet. If they are flying no DC-9s, they probably don't need any DC-9 mechanics.
If you close your buggy-whip manufacturing department, you probably don't need your hide-tanning department either. From the perspective of an outsider, it seems to me that NWA management has done rather well up until now. Why would they suddenly change and hang on to an unneeded department?
If you close your buggy-whip manufacturing department, you probably don't need your hide-tanning department either. From the perspective of an outsider, it seems to me that NWA management has done rather well up until now. Why would they suddenly change and hang on to an unneeded department?
coolflyingfool
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I thought that NWA was only grounding 25 or so of the DC9s, so laying off 600+ a/c mechanics would seem a little high. Now if NWA decided to get rid of all the DC9s, then that 600 would seem like a much smaller number. Just my thoughts.........
Red Tail Bear
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I agree with you on all points NxNW. However the IAM seems to be absent from your lineup. What do you foresee for them?North by Northwest said:
North by Northwest
Veteran
Bear...I can not comment on the IAM as AMFA and PFAA seem to share simular persepectives...caution AND suspicion! <_<
From my experience the IAM, AMFA and the rest of the groups will be a hard sell on pay cuts. I am hoping that level heads prevail on all sides to see us through. I believe that there is great potential if everyone plays ball like a team. I mean Senior Management also!!! I dont see the pilot group taking the entire wage hit on our own. That wont be happin'in. Just my opinion.
North by Northwest
Veteran
"I dont see the pilot group taking the entire wage hit on our own" And they shouldn't! Most of us have stared down this beast before... I think we are a pragmatic bunch and will do what is( logically) required.
Kev3188
Veteran
North by Northwest said:
You're kidding, right?
How about making good on the promises they made the first time around before trying a second?
Kev3188
Veteran
nwa400 said:
How about some ideas to avoid having to lower wages/impose draconian work rules?
1.If NW offered an early out, our labor cost would drop significantly (how many of you know people with 30+ years, TOS, 7 weeks vacation just hanging on?). I can't imagine it's not the same across all work groups. IMO, the short term cost(s) would be worth the long term savings. Give the "seasoned" folks the dignified send-off they've earned, and let's get some junior people recalled back to work.
2.If NW kept all of us moving more, our overall costs would drop as well. There's no reason to keep planes on the ground for 3-5 hours during the middle of the day. For ground Ops, the analogy I use is: You're going to pay me "X." Now for that rate, I can work 2 flights, or 12...you pick.
Remember, WN has the highest pay rates in the industry (not sure about the pilots?). One of the main reasons they can keep their CASM costs down is due to keeping the crews very productive..
As an aside (and not to get nasty), but if I had a nickel for everytime in the last few weeks I heard a pilot give the limp speech imploring us to "give in," I'd be rich, and none of this would matter! "85% of the pie is better than no pie?" WTF? You guys are supposed to be the aggressive, commanding ones, not mgmt. mouthpieces. On the other hand, the F/A's seem angrier than ever.
***Again this is not an attack on NWA400**** Maybe I've just drawn more than my share of apologists lately.
jimntx said:
Actually they're grounding only a small portion of the DC-9 fleet.
Yet, mechanics who work on DC-9s can also work on A330s, or any other airplane, so your analogy doesn't really stand up.
NWA realizes that they are still constrained by the no-layoff clause of the TCC agreement until May, 2006. This means any jobs eliminated in MSP will be absorbed elsewhere in the system, for those who are willing to bump.
With that in mind, most see this as merely another NWA 'slash and burn' negotiating tactic intended to punish AMFA and it's members for not bellying up to the concession trough as quickly as NWA would like. Considering how well that has gone for us previously, it's not surprising that we're in no rush to give concessions this time. As Kev3188 points out, they still haven't fulfilled the promises from last time we gave concessions, also allegedly to 'save the company', so don't expect anyone to rush to give more.
