Mr. Siegel, by all accounts, you are on the verge of asking your employees for additional concessions because you claim the competitive environment we operate in now is vastly different than what you had anticipated when we were still in bankruptcy.
I am putting you on notice that your employees are too smart to accept such a sophmoric approach to solving our problems. We no longer will follow someone with such weak leadership skills and apparent LACK of vision for our company as you seem to have UNLESS.........you immediately do the following.
1) DEFINE WHAT TYPE OF AIRLINE WE ARE TRYING TO BE. Unless you haven't figured it out, there is no long term future for an airline of our size and resources to compete effectively. We either need to be merged with another carrier (UAL), or we need to change our whole business model and operate like America West, pricing our product with simplicity and value and increasing frequencies between markets like Southwest. You will never get your employees to follow you until you define what type of airline we are trying to be.
2) IF A UNITED/USAIR MERGER IS THE PLAN,THERE MUST BE A PUBLIC NEWS RELEASE STATING SUCH. Your approach to UAL reminds me of two teenagers in love (lust) who are secretly engaged but are scared to tell their parents for fear they won't approve. GUESS WHAT? You and Glen Tilton are the only ones who still think a UAL/US merger is a secret. You and Tilton MUST, I repeat MUST, have a public news conference stating that a merger of the two companies is being planned as part of UAL exiting bankruptcy. Outline which hubs will be kept and how many employees will be furloughed. Put the DOT and Justice Dept. on notice that this merger will happen and we will sue the government if they try to block it on anti-trust grounds. Does anyone really think a combined UAL/US will monopolize ANY markets given the present size and future planned growth of the discount carriers? IF for some reason I am wrong about Glen Tilton being "on board" with this plan, then Mr. Siegel, we need to either approach other interested carriers about a merger, or as I stated previously, change our whole business model. If Mr. Tilton is being vague, uncommitted, uncertain or wishy-washy about any aspect of combining our two companies, then Mr. Siegel, it is your responsibility to immediately inform your employees that our best course of action is to either merge with another airline that has the "balls" to pursue a combination in a public forum, or to change our whole business model and operate like Southwest or Jetblue.
In closing Mr. Siegel, for now , you have LOST the respect and commitment of your employees. Any attempts on your part to seek wage concessions and/or productivity improvements WITHOUT defining "who we are" as an airline will only result in our company filing for Chapter 7 Liquidation. I have personally heard too many employees just resign themselves to the point of saying " Just Shut The Place Down".
It doesn't have to be this way Mr. Siegel. Show some leadership---Don't operate behind closed doors with regards to UAL. In other words "SHOW YOUR CARDS". If after all of your time spent with Glen Tilton has resulted in a "hand" with only a pair of deuces, then it is your duty as our leader to fold your cards and walk away from UAL. Don't "bet the farm" without a back-up plan like Wolf did. If you can't demonstate to us that you're better than Wolf, then please, JUST LEAVE!!
I am putting you on notice that your employees are too smart to accept such a sophmoric approach to solving our problems. We no longer will follow someone with such weak leadership skills and apparent LACK of vision for our company as you seem to have UNLESS.........you immediately do the following.
1) DEFINE WHAT TYPE OF AIRLINE WE ARE TRYING TO BE. Unless you haven't figured it out, there is no long term future for an airline of our size and resources to compete effectively. We either need to be merged with another carrier (UAL), or we need to change our whole business model and operate like America West, pricing our product with simplicity and value and increasing frequencies between markets like Southwest. You will never get your employees to follow you until you define what type of airline we are trying to be.
2) IF A UNITED/USAIR MERGER IS THE PLAN,THERE MUST BE A PUBLIC NEWS RELEASE STATING SUCH. Your approach to UAL reminds me of two teenagers in love (lust) who are secretly engaged but are scared to tell their parents for fear they won't approve. GUESS WHAT? You and Glen Tilton are the only ones who still think a UAL/US merger is a secret. You and Tilton MUST, I repeat MUST, have a public news conference stating that a merger of the two companies is being planned as part of UAL exiting bankruptcy. Outline which hubs will be kept and how many employees will be furloughed. Put the DOT and Justice Dept. on notice that this merger will happen and we will sue the government if they try to block it on anti-trust grounds. Does anyone really think a combined UAL/US will monopolize ANY markets given the present size and future planned growth of the discount carriers? IF for some reason I am wrong about Glen Tilton being "on board" with this plan, then Mr. Siegel, we need to either approach other interested carriers about a merger, or as I stated previously, change our whole business model. If Mr. Tilton is being vague, uncommitted, uncertain or wishy-washy about any aspect of combining our two companies, then Mr. Siegel, it is your responsibility to immediately inform your employees that our best course of action is to either merge with another airline that has the "balls" to pursue a combination in a public forum, or to change our whole business model and operate like Southwest or Jetblue.
In closing Mr. Siegel, for now , you have LOST the respect and commitment of your employees. Any attempts on your part to seek wage concessions and/or productivity improvements WITHOUT defining "who we are" as an airline will only result in our company filing for Chapter 7 Liquidation. I have personally heard too many employees just resign themselves to the point of saying " Just Shut The Place Down".
It doesn't have to be this way Mr. Siegel. Show some leadership---Don't operate behind closed doors with regards to UAL. In other words "SHOW YOUR CARDS". If after all of your time spent with Glen Tilton has resulted in a "hand" with only a pair of deuces, then it is your duty as our leader to fold your cards and walk away from UAL. Don't "bet the farm" without a back-up plan like Wolf did. If you can't demonstate to us that you're better than Wolf, then please, JUST LEAVE!!
