TWU takes out ad against WN mgmt, plans pickets

[WorldTraveler]

in another high profile escalation of WN's relationship with the TWU, which represents WN's baggage handlers, the TWU took out a high profile ad in USA Today citing WN's industry worst baggage handling performance and charge that WN is more interested in profits than good customer service.

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/11/southwest-airlines-union-to-highlight-lost-bags-in-anti-company-picketing.html/

 

[DL2WN]

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[WorldTraveler]

so, do you support TWU's efforts to gain higher pay and better staffing?

 

[DL2WN]

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[swamt]

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I agree with what you said 100%.  Very well said sir...

 

[WorldTraveler]

but can you respond to the real issue that WN has a labor group that is now taking out ads against the co. in the USA's most widely circulated newspaper

my how the culture of WN has changed.

 

[eolesen]

It's only changed to those who haven't followed the company in any great amount of detail.

The TWU represents both baggage handlers and the flight attendants. The last round of negotiating between the flight attendants and the company got pretty nasty, too. The difference is that they don't take it out on their customers.

 

[WorldTraveler]

perhaps you can let us know when other unions took out ads against the company..... and touting an industry worst performance statistic in an area where that work group is responsible is certainly not part of the WN culture.

but perhaps you or swamt can remind us of how bad labor relations at WN have gotten in the past.

kthx

 

[700UW]

USAPA took an ad out against US about fuel provisioning.

 

[737823]

Remember the APA billboards near DFW blasting AA for false safety issues?

Josh

 

[eolesen]

We've just given you three examples, one from within WN's own history, and it's probably not going to get any better with SWAPA asking for a federal mediator.

Without a doubt, WN's not the same company it was under Herb, so it was only a matter of time before labor relations took a turn for the worse. I call it Founders Syndrome -- employees are willing to trust a company's founder, but as soon as he/she/they leave(s), then all bets are off.

We've seen the same thing happen at Home Depot. People would do anything Bernie or Marcus asked. Not so much anymore, and the service levels & product selection quality are now reflect that.

Jetblue? Similar track. People would work for free for Neeleman. Not so much for Barger, and it won't get better under Robin. He'll try, but will always be cast in a dimmer light than David still is.

On a smaller scale, there are CEOs who can garner the same type of goodwill. Look at Crandall, Bethune, and today, Anderson. But all good things eventually come to an end.

 

[WorldTraveler]

part of the art of leadership is to instill confidence in those who have the potential to follow.... Herb was one of the most capable CEOs in American business in this regard.

yes, you are correct, that many things can come to an end.... but I'm not sure in WN's case it is due as much to Gary's relatively little charisma but because the legacy carriers are far more capable of competing with WN than they ever have been - at the very time when WN is forced to start competing in some of the same high profile markets that the legacies have served for years and which WN has to serve in order to win the national route profile necessary to push profits higher.

WN is at a crossroads and has figured out how to restructure it network and reposition its products for profitability in this era... but like AA and UA, the process of getting employees onboard with changes is a whole lot longer process for most businesses than making strategic changes.

WN will get there but it will take time and WN will likely lose some of its historic cultural strengths in the process.

specific to the TWU ramp, B6's decision to start charging for bags for some customers could go a long way to helping WN do the same and to diffuse a major issue for WN's rampers

 

[DL2WN]

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[swamt]

We've just given you three examples, one from within WN's own history, and it's probably not going to get any better with SWAPA asking for a federal mediator.

Without a doubt, WN's not the same company it was under Herb, so it was only a matter of time before labor relations took a turn for the worse. I call it Founders Syndrome -- employees are willing to trust a company's founder, but as soon as he/she/they leave(s), then all bets are off.

We've seen the same thing happen at Home Depot. People would do anything Bernie or Marcus asked. Not so much anymore, and the service levels & product selection quality are now reflect that.

Jetblue? Similar track. People would work for free for Neeleman. Not so much for Barger, and it won't get better under Robin. He'll try, but will always be cast in a dimmer light than David still is.

On a smaller scale, there are CEOs who can garner the same type of goodwill. Look at Crandall, Bethune, and today, Anderson. But all good things eventually come to an end.

Your examples are right on.  People flooded Lowes during this awful time that Home Depot was trying to get thru.  I am one of them and will remain loyal to Lowes unless they make me choose otherwise.  The very same thing can and will happen to SWA with their customers if something is not changed very, very quickly.  The one working in SWA's advantage, but quite possibly against the customers, is the fact that SWA is now the only airline to not charge for bags.  SWA is now pumping up the "Bags Fly Free" campaign which in my opinion will keep the flow of customers coming over to SWA and the company will not notice as much, the disappearance of some of our customers.  All my opinion. Remember HQ is in Dallas, 13% passenger increase in Oct. with 90% or better load factors may be giving SWA leaders a false sense of security.  If we were still number one in on time, bags and customer complaints these numbers could quite possibly be 15-20% and 95% respectively...
 
I can tell you right now we miss Herb and Colleen.  This new regime is not starting out on a good foot. People are very concerned with what direction SWA is heading. Some articles have stated that SWA will turn into "just another legacy", if they keep up the way they are operating and treating the employees then they very well may.  I would hate to see this happen, but it does look like it is headed that way...

 

[Black Magic]

You won't find much sympathy from the public when they find out how much their current wages are. The ramp is around $26 something an hr, the highest of any airline but boo hoo its not enough and they want more. Make the whiners work for a different company for a bit, then they will really be crying!