I agree with all on the value of merit and competency, however, this company is not run by John Galts.
I spent a miserable 1-1/2 years in management and have never been so disgusted in my life. Politics, creating jobs for "dead weight", et al. When the RIF hit, it was the best and brightest on the street.
This company is too management-heavy, managers for managers? C'mon!
Coldplay is absolutely correct about paying vouchers to downgrade revenue for A2/A4/A6 pax travellers. Find someone with a RES code and see N*Codes. Recently, a DFW agent told me they paid $7,000 in vouchers in one day to accomodate Execs and their families. This, in my mind, is compAAny theft...call Corporate Security! God only knows what other wasteful and costly perks they possess. I don't care if they are confirmed Coach and upgraded if available but DO NOT DENY REVENUE.
My "Utopia" would be run by engineers, mechanics, and designers...people who CREATE, ACT, and SOLVE PROBLEMS. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We exist in a world of number-crunchers and "the bottom line" which is where unions come in.
Our corporate structure cares not for competency or merit, if they could avoid paying "top dollar" for experience just to get by, they would. I've seen too many "witch-hunts" in my non-union positions where "someone HAD to be BLAMED or FIRED", no matter their merit, years of experience, etc...they simply had no protection.
Yes, it often seems unions protect "bad eggs" but if ANYONE can pull this company through the "dark clouds to the sunny skies of 33,000 feet (cheesy, yes, but one of the coolest perks of my profession[
), it is the "grunts" of this company.
We have the biggest stake in this, not the "golden parachute" Execs sitting on numerous other boards.
We need a leader who cares and thirsts for the challenge, not "what they can take away from this".
I believe there was a Japanese company structure that paid SET wages to all, everything above and beyond was bonuses and profit sharing, Top/Down. Everyone was important in that structure. That gives everyone a stake, doesn't it? I believe it also fostered the fiercest loyalty ever. I am loyal to my brand, not my upper management. I will do everything possible to ensure a passenger comes back. I don't feel they think the same way.
Please, on another thread, it is mechanics VS. ramp...STOP IT! I don't expect to make as much as a pilot, yet I am the final barrier at that door, the "sacrificial lamb" so-to-speak. Everyone in this company serves a vital purpose. Learn their jobs. That's what I spend half of my time explaining. I hate hearing "those agents...blah-blah", I can explain those agents, having been one. I worked with the ramp as a manager, so many hard-working, genuinely GOOD people. I agree that mechanics are more skilled (and under-appreciated unless something goes wrong) but let's stick together!
I'm proud that my union, the APFA, told AA they would work with them on concessions, but not permanently. We've been down this road before.
No more AA kool-aid, FULL-Disclosure. I work with too many amazing and brilliant people.
The airlines chose us, not vice-versa. So many of us have many other "money-making" opportunities. I had a PLT pax tell me to find another job recently. I looked at him and said, "I come to work and I don't hate it! I look forward to it!". I swear I saw jealousy in his face! I love to work and I will never hate coming to my job again...I also know my worth. My fav thing is a "world-weary" traveller" leaving a plane, telling me what a great time he had! No, not THAT way! I'm Southern, hysterical, and damn entertaining! When people leave the plane smilng, I've done my job!
Ironically, I had planned on being an A/C Mechanic...I spent time on the ramp and really missed the "people". I "fell" into my current position, you know what? I'm damn good at it!
18 AM flydcoop wrote: 
