Thanks Doug: US Outsourcing 7 cities

[Barrister]

I'm just talking about facts, logic and reason. So, my response is have you ever heard of a company outsourcing to more expensive labor costs than what they could otherwise pay their own employees to do? You can wish and be philosophical all you like, but the result is the same - businesses will find a way to reduce costs and earn more profit regardless of what organized labor does. If labor gets the upper hand companies are often forced into chapter 11 or chapter 7 bankruptcy court. So the invisible hand leads to a point of equilibrium either by negotiations or by court protections. The final result of paying above market rates is lower wages, fewer jobs or both. It's just the reality of the world economic systems and especially in a competitive commodity market like airlines operate in.

You have your head so far up your ass you have to unbutton your shirt to eat!!!!

NICDOA
NPJB

 

[CallawayGolf]

That is why a E-170/190 FO makes less than a CLT city bus driver you sanctimonius moron!

NICDOA
NPJB

Wrong. The E FOs were last to the pay trough so they got what was left over after everyone else picked the place clean. Reset everyone's wages to competitive market-based rates and they might get a more representative portion of the pie.

 

[Move2CLT]

That is why a E-170/190 FO makes less than a CLT city bus driver you sanctimonius moron!

NICDOA
NPJB

No, its because USAPA has failed.

 

[ChockJockey]

Reset everyone's wages to competitive market-based rates and they might get a more representative portion of the pie.

The "market-based rates" would then be equivalent to the least the airlines management would be willing to pay, since they'd effectively control the market price by setting the wages. As such, wage adjustments as corrections to the market would always result in wage reductions.

 

[Harry Callahan]

Hope you have a happy holiday Doug.....You f'in moron....Screw you and all your supporters you drunken bastard, you shouldn't even have your job.

+1000

 

[CallawayGolf]

The "market-based rates" would then be equivalent to the least the airlines management would be willing to pay, since they'd effectively control the market price by setting the wages. As such, wage adjustments as corrections to the market would always result in wage reductions.

So long as there is an availability of labor wiling to do the work below the price you are offering in wages, then you would be paying a premium on wages. When you put an ad to fill jobs and no one qualified shows up, then you are below market on wages. As long as wages are at a premium versus the market, outsourcing will always act as an incentive to management and as a risk to unions and labor.

 

[ggiby]

My station manager told us packets go out tomorrow.... SNA/ABQ and 5 other cities. ATL will be INSOURCED (40 jobs).

Thanks Uncle Doug.... I hope you enjoy the cheap labor.

All of the west needs to see what Uncle Dougs dream is..

its.. to outsource every employee there is...
cleaning... catering... f/a's... w/ vending machines...
mechanics with non english engineers. Next... outsource reservations.... the one big complaint
that our Chairman's Preferred have... I hate it when they speak no english...
Next... Lets sell pillows and blankets..... OH I forgot they have bed bugs and Lice... ( I actually love
the idea of that.... because I did not like to touch the blankets w/ bodily fluids on them... so I was fine
with that...) Next... Lets get a contract... w/ the flight crews... I really need ... need to merge with someone..
Marry me Please you can fly free...!!

Please lets not marry American..

 

[theboss175]

This is really sad... I hate when airlines out source ramp personal.

 

[28L_or_10R?]

They took our jobs!

 

[UPNAWAY]

You folks do realize this is less then 1% and all have jobs if willing to move.

 

[Alfa1900CSS]

I'm very sorry for those effected. US isn't the only carrier to outsource ramp workers. Remember Alaska? They sent out pink slips to all ramp personal in one day. Fired everyone and replaced them with contact workers. When talking to the management folks that made the decision, they said it was simple. The public interacts with pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents. Passengers don't care who throws their bags. A short period prior to the ramper firings Alaska went through and gutted middle and lower management. I know you think Mr. Parker is the worst out there. He's not, not by a long shot.

 

[necigrad]

You folks do realize this is less then 1% and all have jobs if willing to move.

Let's see. I'm probably one of the highest in seniority that is getting furloughed (guessing, haven't actually been to work since the announcement). I'm enrolled in school, am underwater in my condo (that probably won't sell anyway), have family and friends here. So I can give up on family and friends, drop out of school, and be stuck paying for a mortgage on a place I'm not living in while paying for another place in another city. Maybe if I was, I dunno, a pilot making $100K a year I could afford it and it would be worth the transfer, but not at $40K. I'd seriously consider commuting to PHX, except it's impossible to get on flights and I can't jumpseat. But you're right, we all have jobs available to us technically.

US isn't the only carrier to outsource ramp workers. Remember Alaska? They sent out pink slips to all ramp personal in one day. Fired everyone and replaced them with contact workers.

While I don't know the pay involved, this isn't quite a valid comparison. AS employees were offered jobs at the company they were replaced by. Very few lost jobs on that, and they all got to remain where they were.

 

[Black Magic]

You folks do realize this is less then 1% and all have jobs if willing to move.

Point exactly..1%. Is this company on such a tight shoestring budget it can't afford to keep the work in house. Give me a break

 

[Jester]

You folks do realize this is less then 1% and all have jobs if willing to move.

I usually don't agree with Necigrad on much of anything, but moving is not so simple, and commuting into a city with now very limited connections is nearly impossible. From what I recall of the LAS furloughs from 18 months ago or so, most of the options were limited to PHL and DCA, and probably ATL now. So driving is out of the question, and if the flights into LAS are full, then PHX is the other option (which are usually full hub-to-hub flights), and then PHX - LAS is notorious in being oversold. No more stop overs using SNA, LAX, SAN, SFO or even DFW as in-between stops to get into LAS.

Now I am hearing around PHX that Management hired approximately 80 PT for Fleet, and closed the door for now on bringing in more team leads and additional PT positions, so those furloughed in LAS will not have open positions to transfer into PHX. Let's hope Management's charitableness allowed open some spots for those furloughed and wishing to transfer into PHX.

Personally, I am not sure the job is worth the $20/hour as there are recall/transfer rights up to 4 years and enough time to figure other career options or moving at some later date when the time and location would be better. Then again, the economy, especially in Las Vegas is not all that good either, so it depends on one's personal circumstances.

While it might have been "less than 1%" let us recall this is not the first time, as LAS has experienced its third major cut in 3 years, PIT is a shell of its former self, and various other smaller hubs have been reduced or eliminated in the past few years. Sadly, no one should feel secure in their location, as one merger could endanger any of the large hubs, and the spoke cities have a clear target drawn upon them. Eventually, all those 1%'s add up.

So Opines Jester.

 

[Kev3188]

While I don't know the pay involved, this isn't quite a valid comparison. AS employees were offered jobs at the company they were replaced by. Very few lost jobs on that, and they all got to remain where they were.

AS employees in SEA (where the locking out occurred) were *not* offered automatic jobs with the vendor who took over. A few were able to transfer to cargo, some transfered to other cities still staffed, and some took the early retirement. Most hit the street.