PHL getting fixed?

[Boeing4me]

Let me toss this out there. Is it REALLY the pay scales that are causing the problems in PHL, or is it poor hiring decisions by management, and poor work ethic by the workers along with slack oversight by the managers? I may be the exception, but I once worked for $8.65 per hour loading aircraft for PSA in PIT, and not once did I equate my wage with the amount of work I accomplished during my shift. I gave 110% regardless of the situation, as did the majority of my co-workers, because we actually had pride in our work and wanted to meet the peformance parameters that were set for us. And.... before you try to blame PHL problems on equipment and staffing issues, I can tell you that we were always short staffed and had inoperable equipment on the USE ramp in PIT, but we still handled 195 flights per day in an efficient, effective manner. Remember this if nothing else, nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to work for US Airways. There are many doors that lead to the airport exit.

Amen Spin Doc. Where the heck are the vaunted unions in all of this mess? The union silence is deafening. Where is the pride, and where is the work ethic? I have worked thousands and thousands of hours in my career for far less that I thought it and I was worth. I always had the option of voting with my feet and leaving. Instead I have always chosen to work at 110% and eventually I was rewarded for working my but off.

If the unions stepped up to the table and offered some real constructive solutions and incented a real work ethic along with peer pressure for everyone to work at 100% the PHL problems would go away. If the unions became part of the solution, future negotiating positions would be immeasurably stronger and LCC and all employees would be better for it. If unions acted to benefit the company in situations like this they would have more power than they have ever known. Instead, I hear the unions bemoan about what was instead of acting on what is.

Every employee needs to think like a shareholder.

 

[D M G]

IS there now O.T. available on the ramp in PHL ?

Yes, an endless supply of it right now.

 

[D M G]

Now, on the other hand, working shift trades where the agent trading is paying a premium (cash/tax free) to get the time off, that could easily put another $100 to $300 per week in your pocket, or an average of $12K annually. I presume this is the scam you were referring to.

No, I'm talking about getting paid for overtime while you're home in bed or at the bar. Most of this happened when Managers had to sign the overtime slips and a lot of the time they knew what was going on. Staffing was horrible and Management had to do what they had to do in order to get FSAs to stay longer then their assigned overtime shifts. There weren't enough agents, so they had to pay a premium.

I'll give you an example:

The old International re-check and bag chute were severely short staffed and required a lot of overtime every day. The re-check OT shifts were 1400-1800, but staffing was needed at the chute from about 1700-2100. They couldn't get people to take the OT in the chute because most FSAs were off their day shift at 1400 and didn't feel like coming back in for a 1700-2100 shift in the chute. Management made a deal with the agents who took the OT in re-check to also work the chute until 2000, but get paid until 2200. Agents jumped on this and after a while you could get the Managers to pay you until 0000 if you went to the chute from 1800-2000. You simply told the Manager "I want +4" and more times than not you got it.

This is how Philly needs to operate for things to run smooth. You want FSA to go the extra mile for you when short staffed and equipment, you need to go the extra mile for them. This is a business, plain and simple, and in PHL we realized this long ago and took it for everything we could. We weren't one of the groups that was surprised when the company stuck it to us a few times in the past four years. We were already down that road in the early 90s.

 

[barbeetantrums]

This discussion is going on at airliners.net:

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/gener...d.main/3030885/

"Have you seen the operation in PHL - lazy ass local workers - and please don't sit and tell me that everyone has taken pay cuts and because of that people don't do more than what they are paid for. We all have, it sucks. No one is making the money they were - but fact of the matter is that if you look at those who work in PHL - and I mean everywhere in the airport, from Burger King to the city cleaners, they are all lazy local workers."

"PHL is just a mess flown in on US about a dozen times now (sadly majority had on leg going to a dang CRJ!). Heck I even remember sitting for a flight in F on a CRJ in July, theres a worker sitting in the aft bin legs out sleeping (at least he remembered that step, remember the FL dummy who got stuck in there), upon pushback the adjacent gate was just dealing with an incoming flight, I watch as a cart zips up towards the main terminal leaving 3 bags in the dust. They were only moved by our wing walkers as they were close to where we'd be backing up. I dunno the inner working of PHL, but best thing to raise moral is not send BS gifts and raffles and cash incentives, show empathy. I say fire the late guy and take his place that day. Make it clear you can replace others and also show your willing to do what they do. Dave at B6 does it sometimes when he's in a jam why can't these guys."

"Now I know why it took me 30 minutes to get my bag on Friday. Not to mention PHL is a mess when the wind is blowing in a different direction. No rain, only 15 mph wind caused my first flight to be cancelled and then my next one to be delayed 2.5 hours. All in all it took me 13 hours to get from RDU-PHL with only a 46 minute flight."

"US Airways' PHL problems are multi-faceted. Employee problems are a part of it, but oddly enough in every other US Airways station, including big hubs like CLT they can get it done. The labor and labor leaders need to show some accountability here, which they do not do. I am pro-labor in most circumstances, but in PHL you see them being their own worst enemy."

 

[barbeetantrums]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/ed...al/15736132.htm

Posted on Thu, Oct. 12, 2006
Editorial | US Airways
Losing more than luggage

US Airways officials are pledging to fix the airline's horrendous performance in handling luggage at Philadelphia International Airport. They should attack the problem as if it's their last chance to get it right.

As The Inquirer documented on Sunday, US Airways' baggage system in Philadelphia is by far the worst in the airline's nationwide operation. The hub in Philadelphia loses passengers' bags four times more often than the airline's overall rate for lost luggage - which is no great shakes either.

And even when it doesn't lose bags in Philadelphia, US Airways is slower than other airlines here at moving luggage from the planes to the baggage carousels in the terminal.

The chaos at Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2004 was enough to sour some travelers from ever flying US Airways again.

The negative impact of this poor performance by the Philadelphia airport's dominant airline can't be overstated. It has resulted in unwritten rules among travelers. First rule: Don't check bags on US Airways in Philadelphia. Or: Don't fly US Airways into or out of Philadelphia. Not far behind those maxims is the really scary one: Don't use the Philly airport if you can avoid it.

Getting travelers into or out of Philadelphia International Airport without a major hassle is the simplest way for this region to make a good first impression. Conversely, a late-night melee at baggage claim is something that people never forget. Remember, those people with the sour memory could be business leaders with power to decide where their companies will locate or do business.

Airline CEO Doug Parker says the airline is spending more than $20 million to improve the system - for renovations, equipment and software.

Investing in the airline's workforce should be part of the solution, too. Since 9/11, about one-third of the workforce were laid off. Top pay for baggage handlers of $17 per hour is the exact same rate as it was 12 years ago.

Yes, the airline was going through tough fiscal times during that time period. But employees have given up nearly $2 billion in wages and benefits in recent years and the airline turned a profit of $305 million in the second quarter of 2006.

Morale and staffing problems are as implicated in the baggage mess as any equipment shortfalls. Better training and management might help with those problems. But basic labor market economics may dictate that the airline must pay more to get the qualified, motivated workers it needs to turn around the problem.

This might really be the Last Chance Carousel for US Airways in Philadelphia. Some passengers are already voting with their feet, choosing other airlines or different airports. If the baggage situation isn't fixed pronto, the airport will have to reexamine whether it should devote as many gates as it does to US Airways.

Winning back the trust of air travelers will require a lengthy record of improved, reliable service from US Airways.

 

[wings396]

While the US rampers did enjoy a high rate of pay for a VERY SHORT TIME, we were never the highest paid in the industry. I know for certain that SWA and UA were both a few bucks per hour above us. Had we ever actually seen the pay parity +1% that were were supposed to, then we would have been at the top placing us over UA's rates. It was just about that time that Wolfie started crying poverty, and filed for CH-11 AFTER he and his little sidekick took their Millions in bonusus...

 

[goya]

it is a beat dempralized group lokk at what we all have gone thru over the course of the last 3 yrs and its a no brainer as to why philthadelphia is the way it is. and mgt wants to impove it---yeah right

It's Philadelphia to you scumbag.

This discussion is going on at airliners.net:

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/gener...d.main/3030885/

"Have you seen the operation in PHL - lazy ass local workers - and please don't sit and tell me that everyone has taken pay cuts and because of that people don't do more than what they are paid for. We all have, it sucks. No one is making the money they were - but fact of the matter is that if you look at those who work in PHL - and I mean everywhere in the airport, from Burger King to the city cleaners, they are all lazy local workers."

"PHL is just a mess flown in on US about a dozen times now (sadly majority had on leg going to a dang CRJ!). Heck I even remember sitting for a flight in F on a CRJ in July, theres a worker sitting in the aft bin legs out sleeping (at least he remembered that step, remember the FL dummy who got stuck in there), upon pushback the adjacent gate was just dealing with an incoming flight, I watch as a cart zips up towards the main terminal leaving 3 bags in the dust. They were only moved by our wing walkers as they were close to where we'd be backing up. I dunno the inner working of PHL, but best thing to raise moral is not send BS gifts and raffles and cash incentives, show empathy. I say fire the late guy and take his place that day. Make it clear you can replace others and also show your willing to do what they do. Dave at B6 does it sometimes when he's in a jam why can't these guys."

"Now I know why it took me 30 minutes to get my bag on Friday. Not to mention PHL is a mess when the wind is blowing in a different direction. No rain, only 15 mph wind caused my first flight to be cancelled and then my next one to be delayed 2.5 hours. All in all it took me 13 hours to get from RDU-PHL with only a 46 minute flight."

"US Airways' PHL problems are multi-faceted. Employee problems are a part of it, but oddly enough in every other US Airways station, including big hubs like CLT they can get it done. The labor and labor leaders need to show some accountability here, which they do not do. I am pro-labor in most circumstances, but in PHL you see them being their own worst enemy."

That's express NOT mainline.

Spin Doc and 924PS, As a PHL ramper, I can assure you that 5 weeks vacation, double-time, getting paid for sickness and $22 Plus per hour will put a little giddy-up in most of the senior workforce. I guarantee it!

What I can't guarantee are the new-hires. Sorry.

Regards,

Management is the problem,let's not forget that.

 

[PA18]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/ed...al/15736132.htm

The chaos at Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2004 was enough to sour some travelers from ever flying US Airways again.

The negative impact of this poor performance by the Philadelphia airport's dominant airline can't be overstated. It has resulted in unwritten rules among travelers. First rule: Don't check bags on US Airways in Philadelphia. Or: Don't fly US Airways into or out of Philadelphia. Not far behind those maxims is the really scary one: Don't use the Philly airport if you can avoid it.

Well, the good news is, there will be fewer lost and misconnected bags in PHL this winter from passengers traveling from BOS to Florida.

AirTran is offering non-stop service from BOS to both RSW and FLL beginning Nov. 15.

(And for the benefit of you management types who lurk here, that's spelled "N-O-N-S-T-O-P".)

 

[NCFL]

It seems a lot of people think they know the solution, and that it inevitably is someone else's fault. "It's Express." "It's the guys on the ramp with high seniority." "It's those darn new-hires." "It's management's fault."

But nobody will step up and say "PHL sucks and it is MY fault." Until that happens, and until workers stop being so slack on the ramp, so rude inside and until management stops being so generally disorganized, nothing is going to change.

"Fixing PHL" is like a big game of Whack-a-Mole.

PHL's problems are systemic:

1. Poor airport design. Right from the start, the airport and airfield and airspace are poorly designed.
2. Management. It's been a revolving door there for years. Everyone is too busy whacking moles to make any real change. Managers don't do their jobs effectively, either because of a lack of tools, a lack of experience or a lack of know-how and there is not sufficient oversight.
3. Workers. My observation (and no offense is intended by this statement, although I know it will piss a few people off) is that the average worker in the PHL area has an "air" about him or her. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but they give an impression of laziness and rudeness. A simple question at Acme like "what aisle are beans on?" is met with disgust and annoyance instead of simply saying "Beans are on aisle four."

In my opinion, until management and workers stop pointing fingers at one another, nothing is going to change. It is as much the workers' fault as it is the managers'.