The Best Post In A Long Time

[OldpropGuy]

Normally, I would not post directing others to someone's post, in another thread. But this hits the nail on the head. It is a must read for everyone!

Moderators, please be tolerant.

BoeingBoy posted at:

Words of Wisdom


I'd compare us to a ship that's been torpedoed (economy, 0-11, LCC's, past mgt decisions) and is taking on water.

The Captain (Siegel) calls out "I'll save us, I have a plan. We need to lighten the load (costs) and we'll be ok." So all hands start throwing their personal possessions (wages, benefits, pensions) and cargo (furloughs) overboard.

But what's this, the water's up to our waist! The captain encourages us on. "Throw more overboard. If we can just lighten the load some more, everything will be ok." Again all hands respond and throw their heirlooms overboard.

But wait, the water's up to our necks. And listen, isn't that waves crashing on a reef (ATSB requirements). Again the captain's voice rings out. "More, more, throw more overboard. I know that if this ship gets light enough, we'll float over the reef." So we start throwing the women & children over (asset sales).

Oh no, the water is up to our chins. And what is that crunching noise? If only the captain had thought to plug the hole.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Thanks, OldPropGuy. Just wished that I'd pointed out that he "hole in the hull" is the outdated, inefficient business model.

Jim

 

[X-U]

Another part of the analogy would be "Captain" Siegal commanding his crew:
"We need to further lighten the ship! Offload the oars, food, water and survival kit onto "Captain" Ornstein's vessel!"

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

Siegal is merely the safe and easy target for all the employees' frustrations -- at the market, themselves and their union.

Your past CEOs have good reps with you because they told you and gave you what you wanted to avoid nastiness. Immaturity on both sides.

At least Siegel has the courage to step up and try to do the right thing, a trait lacking in all your former selfish, greedy leaders.

Question: please offer one example from the past year that gives hope for the long-term future of USAir?

 

[AOG-N-IT]

Siegal is merely the safe and easy target for all the employees' frustrations -- at the market, themselves and their union.

Your past CEOs have good reps with you because they told you and gave you what you wanted to avoid nastiness. Immaturity on both sides.

At least Siegel has the courage to step up and try to do the right thing, a trait lacking in all your former selfish, greedy leaders.

Question: please offer one example from the past year that gives hope for the long-term future of USAir?

what,

I have to agree with you on the facts regarding the former leaders at U.

Colodny bit off more than he could chew with the mulitiple mergers...and going along with the financing fiasco of the new PIT airport...but he was looking in terms of U being a stand alone , coupled to protecting the Allegheny legacy.

Schofield was purely over his head with the job...and looking for nothing more than peace during his watch.

Wolf was doing nothing more than what he had always done in the past...he dusted us off , painted us blue...and sought a deal to spin us away just like he did at Republic and Flying Tigers. He failed by not having a plan B , when the chit hit the fan.

Seigel is trying to do something..but he's failing by destroying his credibility with those whom he needs to be negotiating with openly and foremost honestly...I'm concerned that the chance for that is long since died.

Looking for a ray of hope for U's pro-longed future is difficult at best..yet we still have the fact that ALPA is willing to talk regarding productivity concerns that will better increase our fleets utilization ..the AFA will of course be "Me Too'ed" with them somewhat.

The IAM on the other hand needs to secure it's work....and both sides need to find a way to make things work better, faster and smarter without making grievous violations of what should be a mutual trust. again...that aspect has been damaged greatly , yet it needs to be resolved with a positive exchange instead of what we are presently dealing with.

The last thing that needs to be made painfully clear to the employee groups is this...A public statement that U is not for sale...and U does not seek a formal merger with any other airline you care to name. Stand Alone langauge will help bond the groups involved...the current rumor mongering only deepens the rift and widens the fragmentation between labor and management.

 

[28yearsnojob]

A lot of red flags on the board today i love it. Everybody has problems

 

[OldpropGuy]

whatkindoffreshhell makes some comments:

Siegal is merely the safe and easy target for all the employees' frustrations -- at the market, themselves and their union.

Well, yes he is the leader, it's his plan we've been forced into, and the buck has to stop somewhere! Who else should be the target?

Your past CEOs have good reps with you because they told you and gave you what you wanted to avoid nastiness. Immaturity on both sides.

This has been discussed.

At least Siegel has the courage to step up and try to do the right thing, a trait lacking in all your former selfish, greedy leaders.

The problem seems to be he doesn't have a clue about how to run an airline or apparently, the ability. I can try to be a brain surgeon, but that doesn't make me one!

Question: please offer one example from the past year that gives hope for the long-term future of USAir?

That's the problem, there is none, thanks to the failed business plan. You seem to have done a good job of pointing out managements weaknesses.

 

[PITbull]

Boeing Boy,


That was beautiful. That would be a great analogy in a "new book".

 

[OldpropGuy]

:unsure:
It appears from the Q4 results, which shows a loss of a little ove $1.4 million per day, that the captain isn't even close to plugging the hole!

 

[RedOne]

The Captain never acknowledges that there is a hole in the ship! I'm not sure he knows what has happened or that there really is a hole. He only knows that for some reason the ship is taking on water and to fix the problem you need only get rid of weight. It's the weight (saleries, cost of insurance, work rules, etc) that is forcing water into the ship! Once as much weight as possible has been disposed of...you then must call on the crew to bail water out of the ship. So-o-o, come on guys, until now you have only been using 1 bucket. Now you will be asked to grab a bucket in each hand to bail (change more work rules, outsourcing, mainline to mainline express, etc). The solution then becomes the "handle" someone I know uses on a boating web site ..."Bail-faster-we're-sinking!