US Airways' merger glow dims

[mdarules]

Well Gonzo
You are right as to what you said about lies. We at US East are NOT your enemy and many of us stand behind the f/a's (since I am one) to get a fair contract and for there to be no flushing into the PHX base.


THat is right we are not your enemies, as far as the flushing part goes - well - that is kind of a toss, if they don't allow our invols to come over, and don't stop using them as a sacrificial lamb for higher pay ( although they definitely should be paid more) but should not be using the invols as a negotiating tool well then maybe we could just scrap the whole bump and flush "agreement" and after the fence is down we will just have one seniority list, if your seniority number holds a spot in the company, fine - if you are too junior - you go on furlough, I hate to see people lose their jobs, but obviously the AWA union reps don't mind keeping some of the US East invols out there without their jobs either... Maybe they should think of it that way - one list -

 

[LCC_#1]

Really? How do you get that from the article? The only thing I can find even close to that are these two paragraphs:
Seems more like McLelland is merely trying to prepare any skeptical ex-HP-ers to justify the screwing they are about to get.

Sure maybe at some point down the road, HP would have had to do something. (Or maybe not.) But compare that to U's (for whom bankruptcy was not "an option" but was reality -- again) imminent demise within weeks had this not gone through.

Bear
I will e-mail you something that Parker wrote thru our newsletter. He makes it CLEAR that AWA did NOT SAVE US...that we SAVED each other.

 

[awausairtech]

Well there it is in black and white, where everyone can see it, that AWA also needed this merger to survive.

You Will Learn The Way AWA Works. (CRY POOR FOR ALL TO SEE) BUT GIVE THE UPPER MANAGEMENT BONUSES ..If you fall for this you need a pay cut and I have swamp land to sell you. Boys and Girls LOCK up the love lub and the valve grinding compound DP is out to get you.

 

[Twicebaked]

Really? How do you get that from the article?

Bear,

Maybe you should read up on the statement that the USWest put out regarding this. I believe it was in About US. It stated point blank that they DID NOT SAVE US, but saved each other. Denial is the hardest thing to get over.

 

[yvrusfa]

Everyone,

I read that article as well.

I have not, however seen ANY arguements or any kind of strife between US/wst and US/east employees. As a matter of fact, as a west F/A/ I have been traveling quite a bit on east metal and have had nothing but friendly interactions with both gate/ticket and inflight staff!!! I alos have had a number of /east folks on our a/c and there have been no problems at all.

I think all-in-all most everyone is happy to be seeing this merger progress so well...in comparison to some past ones we could think of.

There are a few issues with transition agreements and the like that are unresolved and there is a bit of back and forth between a few of the unions. True. I would also agree that there are a few extra issues with uncompleted /west contracts that have those groupsa bit annoyed.
Also,Parker should really try to get those done as quickly and quietly as possible...I think he has been lacking a bit on that front.

I don't think the article paints a very accurate portrait of what is actually going on. Just normal "housekeeping" in a merger in my view. But, the press has to have something negative to report....don't they????

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!! 😀

 

[gonzo]

Bear,

Maybe you should read up on the statement that the USWest put out regarding this. I believe it was in About US. It stated point blank that they DID NOT SAVE US, but saved each other. Denial is the hardest thing to get over.

Remember who puts the information in "About US", the company.

DP has made several statements to the contrary on local public media shows. They will scream poverty and possible future financial disaster, so that they don't have to pay anything to their "other" employees.

It's all part of the game and they are counting on the "employees" to believe what the company says. No matter what they say. "The company would never lie to us", is not a safe attitude to have.

My experience is question every thing they tell you and decide for yourself, whether it is the truth or not. 🙂

 

[LCC_#1]

Remember who puts the information in "About US", the company.

DP has made several statements to the contrary on local public media shows. They will scream poverty and possible future financial disaster, so that they don't have to pay anything to their "other" employees.

It's all part of the game and they are counting on the "employees" to believe what the company says. No matter what they say. "The company would never lie to us", is not a safe attitude to have.

My experience is question every thing they tell you and decide for yourself, whether it is the truth or not. 🙂

And I will be asking questions concerning just that tomorrow in CLT at the Town Hall meeting AND about exactly the issues you stated. 😉

 

[Bear96]

One of the big differences is old US had Glass and the gang HP did not. Now the new US has Glass and the gang HP kept them. Noting new their deja vou. I think we are down the road now.

Don't get me wrong -- I agree with that last part. Merging with U was a very stupid move on the part of HP. They had no idea what they were getting into, though it appears to be dawning on them now.

Bear,

Maybe you should read up on the statement that the USWest put out regarding this. I believe it was in About US. It stated point blank that they DID NOT SAVE US, but saved each other. Denial is the hardest thing to get over.

😀

Denial? What do I have to be in denial about? Unlike you, I have no dog in the U -vs- HP fight, so I have nothing to "deny." I just state the facts as a neutral observer with no feelings one way or the other. If HP had been in bankruptcy for the second time and on the brink of shutting out the lights while U had been plugging along, neither making or losing a ton of money just before the merger, I would have been just as happy to say it was U that saved HP. But the facts suggest otherwise, at least to those who are objective enough to see it.

Hey, if you want to go on thinking that HP was in the same position as U before the merger and had no other options, and that without the merger HP would be out of business right now, go right ahead. I know I can't convince people like you.

And if you can't see how U now needs to try to make it sound to the ex-HP-ers that they had no other choice as a way of justifying the nastiness that's about to come, you really learned nothing over the past few years, which is surprising considering all you have been through.

 

[proudf/a]

Don't get me wrong -- I agree with that last part. Merging with U was a very stupid move on the part of HP. They had no idea what they were getting into, though it appears to be dawning on them now.
😀

Denial? What do I have to be in denial about? Unlike you, I have no dog in the U -vs- HP fight, so I have nothing to "deny." I just state the facts as a neutral observer with no feelings one way or the other. If HP had been in bankruptcy for the second time and on the brink of shutting out the lights while U had been plugging along, neither making or losing a ton of money just before the merger, I would have been just as happy to say it was U that saved HP. But the facts suggest otherwise, at least to those who are objective enough to see it.

Hey, if you want to go on thinking that HP was in the same position as U before the merger and had no other options, and that without the merger HP would be out of business right now, go right ahead. I know I can't convince people like you.

And if you can't see how U now needs to try to make it sound to the ex-HP-ers that they had no other choice as a way of justifying the nastiness that's about to come, you really learned nothing over the past few years, which is surprising considering all you have been through.

I really have to disagree with this. I think the combining of these 2 airlines could be one of the best things to happen to this industry. If everyone would just give it a chance, we really could come out on top with one hell of an airline. I have had nothing but positive encounters with Uwest f/a's. I think if there are any hard feelings as the article states, they are very far and few in between.

 

[Bear96]

I really have to disagree with this. I think the combining of these 2 airlines could be one of the best things to happen to this industry.

Please do feel free to disagree with me, and I really hope I am wrong in my predictions / feelings about where this merger will be headed.

But I reach my conclusions based on the fact that airline megers rarely go well in the BEST of times, and we are hardly in the best of times now. Plus, the combination wasn't of two airlines in great financial shape -- it was a merger of a fairly weak airline, and a walking dead airline. Finally, it seems to have been undertaken out of a sense of desperation on the part of one and maybe gullibility or naivite on the part of the other.

From the first day I heard about it I pictured a drowning man grabbing on to someone just barely treading water. That image hasn't changed. I keep hoping for some evidence that I am wrong because I have lots of friends at U who deserve better.

 

[proudf/a]

Please do feel free to disagree with me, and I really hope I am wrong in my predictions / feelings about where this merger will be headed.

But I reach my conclusions based on the fact that airline megers rarely go well in the BEST of times, and we are hardly in the best of times now. Plus, the combination wasn't of two airlines in great financial shape -- it was a merger of a fairly weak airline, and a walking dead airline. Finally, it seems to have been undertaken out of a sense of desperation on the part of one and maybe gullibility or naivite on the part of the other.

From the first day I heard about it I pictured a drowning man grabbing on to someone just barely treading water. That image hasn't changed. I keep hoping for some evidence that I am wrong because I have lots of friends at U who deserve better.

Like you said you do not have a dog in this fight..but most of us on here do, we would all like to stay employed. I still say lets give this a chance, try to make it a good thing.

 

[LCC_#1]

Bear
You NEVER, EVER have ANYTHING positive to say about US Airways. :down:

 

[gonzo]

Like you said you do not have a dog in this fight..but most of us on here do, we would all like to stay employed. I still say lets give this a chance, try to make it a good thing.

I agree proud we should give it the best chance possible and having a job is a good thing, but there will always be questions and speculation about the "merger". Questioning the reasoning of the "merger" will take nothing from my ability to do my job nor will it stop me from doing my best. Questions are a natural response and IMHO should be exercised more often. 🙂

 

[Whatnow?]

Meanwhile......DAL and NWA should be in the spotlight for a more worthy news story. B)

 

[gonzo]

Meanwhile......DAL and NWA should be in the spotlight for a more worthy news story. B)

Hmmmm.......that's true. 🙂