Our Dave At It Again

This is the same Gate Gourmet headed by Dave Siegel who refused to cater Delta unless Delta paid up front and was spanked by the courts.

Caterer ordered to resume serving on Delta flights
A Superior Court judge in Fulton County, Ga., has ordered Gate Gourmet International to immediately resume catering services on Delta Air Lines Inc. flights.

Many Delta flights had been forced to continue without regular food and beverage service this week after Gate Gourmet International cut off deliveries amid a contract dispute.
 
PITbull said:
Ok. I spelled his name wrong and can't go back to fix it.
BUT, IT IS TPG (Texas Pacific Group) not TPS.
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You're right. I should not type early in the morning in a strange city on my laptop without coffee. :)
 
I was caught in that whole mess with BA at Heathrow yesterday trying to get to Edinburgh. NO ONE was manning the ticket counters, the kiosks were inoperable, and all BA flights from that airport were cancelled. Literally thousands of passengers were at the airport with no where to go. I and my friend raced back to Paddington Station via the Heathrow Express, and then hired a taxi to London City Airport in the hope of getting on a flight from that airport. We were successful in getting the last two seats.

This morning in Edinburgh, as I drank coffee in the bar area, I watched a report on BBC 24... and saw.... DAVID SIEGEL making comments about the strike. I almost choked on my coffee upon seeing his face!!! So yes, David Siegel is ultimately responsible for this whole mess!!!

truly yours,

An American in London
 
Texas Pacific struggles to make airline caterer profitable

Texas Pacific Group co-founder David Bonderman, who bought Continental Airlines out of bankruptcy in 1992, is struggling to make an investment in airline caterer Gate Gourmet International AG profitable amid a labor dispute that disrupted London’s biggest airport.

"We are not profitable overall as a company," said David Siegel, 43, a former chief executive of US Airways Group Inc. who became Gate Gourmet’s chairman in June last year. "We’re better off not being in the U.K. if we can’t make the business cash-flow positive." The U.K. unit is set to lose 25 million pounds this year, he added.

Click for Story
 
WorldTraveler said:
you have to give the Brits credit. American labor unions have talked a blue streak about what they would do to protect their interests but these Brits just up and did what had to be done; this is news around the world. I'm not saying labor was right since they do seem to be out of touch with reality but they do have to be commended for acting and not just talking. If you believe in something, then prove it. Otherwise, just accept the consequences and move on.
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:down: Oh yeah right....acting and not talking...like lemmings running off the cliff!
Since when is acting and not talking the litmus test for something positive happening??
 
PHL said:
It is interesting that the BA employees walked out as a supportive action to the Gate Gourmet issue. That's a complete breach of contract and will probably do more harm than good. I suppose legal action is also in the works.

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Breach of contract? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe Gate Gourmet is in breach and the British labor laws allow unions to summarily walk out in sympathy.

Don't compare the organized labor movement in Europe with that in the U.S. Things are VERY different over there. The playing field is tipped steeping in the favor of management on U.S. soil, but in Europe the unions still have at least a level playing field. Some would argue that it's tipped in labor's favor over there.

Legal action may very well be in the works. It would not surprise me to see Gate Gourmet sued and fined over this action.
 
August 16, 2005


LONDON(AP) A transport workers' union and airline catering company said Tuesday talks aimed at resolving an industrial dispute that led to major disruptions of British Airways PLC services last week, had broken down.

Negotiations between catering firm Gate Gourmet and the Transport and General Workers Union were abandoned Tuesday after the two sides failed to reach agreement, both parties said.

About 670 Gate Gourmet workers were fired last week in an ongoing dispute over changes to work practices.

An estimated 100,000 British Airways passengers were stranded at London's Heathrow airport and other international airports when some of the airline's baggage staff went on strike in support of the fired Gate Gourmet workers.

Gate Gourmet said it had offered to reinstate some of the dismissed employees and provide generous severance terms for others, but it said it was not willing to reinstate employees who had instigated an illegal strike.

"Gate Gourmet is deeply disappointed that it was unable to reach an agreement with the union and while formal talks have ceased we continue to remain committed to finding a consensual solution," said Eric Born, managing director of Gate Gourmet U.K.

Transport and General Workers Union general secretary Tony Woodley said the talks had broken down "as a consequence of Gate Gourmet wanting to selectively re-employ those who had been sacked even though there is enough for everyone."