- May 4, 2011
- 501
- 580
Day in and out, year in and out, I keep hearing the news that such and such airline has reached a TA with such and such labor Group. At others you hear about ratifying contracts.
Since the merger between AWA and US, there has been little movement on the larger work-groups getting ahead in obtaining "up-to-today's-economy" contracts. For instance, America West flight attendants contract expired or became amendable in 2004. Towards the end of negotiations and short of presenting a TA to the workforce, America West pulled everything out from under the AWA F/As feet and left them with the worst contract possible from 1999 stuck until -now nearing- 2012. America West management has played hardball with the combined group trying to negotiate a joint contract in an attempt to delay, having to finally make good with the flight attendants. It's all a vicious cut-throat business tactic meant to keep advantageously dirt cheap labor costs for as long as they can at the expense of the low-paid F/A workforce of AWA.
Now let's look at United Airlines and their merger with Continental. Continental, like America West, was just prior to the merger near a contract agreement with COs F/As. Instead of following in the unscrupulous footsteps of US Airways, the new United decided to finish the contract negotiation with COs flight attendants, and subsequently ratified it post merger - a totally separate contract with the IAM/or Teamsters (not sure now which one) that was almost done with prior to the merger.
Since the 1999 contract became economically unaffordable to AWA flight attendant in 2004, AWA has done everything to prevent AWA F/As from reaching a decent contract, while many other airlines have reached agreements with their F/A groups, including Southwest, Horizon, Alaska (not sure) and possible other I cannot think about right now.
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We all know about the nightmare of AWA pilots vs US pilots that the current management team from AWA/US has managed orchestrated and thrive from.
By contrast, Delta decided to do exactly the opposite. They worked with the NW and DL pilots ahead of the merger to get most of (if not all) of the possible future disagreements out of the way. Oh yeah, and they also showered them with money so that they would bite into it.
I believe that, SW just announced a similar deal with Airtran pilots.
Spirit Airlines also just recently got a contract with pilots.
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So I guess the point of this posting is to highlight again how little regard US Airways executives have for employees. They don't give a hoot about people, and they just hope to operate for as cheap on the back of employee suffering for as long as they can, no-matter what sort of human tool it takes on its employees during these days of high cost of living. It is all business, I suppose, run by self-loathing egotistical greedy bastards, that cash in hundreds of thousands of dollars at minimum a year.
Just keep on watching other work groups at other airlines scoring contracts before US Airways will finish the still pending ones.
Keep a score of every other airline maintaining or achieving labor peace, but how US Airways just continues their same old philosophy. My estimation date for F/As at US to obtain a new contract is somewhere around 2013; and that's being optimistic. I hope I am wrong, but something tells me, based on observing the scum that manages that run the company, that it could take longer. And if things get heated, loud and serious, then don't be surprised at the companies crackdown on strong voices within the F/A and other workforce groups. And then again, US Airways might just try to pull another "OOOpss, well have to scratch out everything and start from the beginning again, now that we've announced a merger with someone else." I totally believe that they are capable of pulling that same stunt *successfully* again, especially on the F/A workforce again.
As for that of the pilots, I foresee at earliest a resolution by 2017, but it could possibly run into the 2020s or even - never be resolved. Which would, again, be perfect for US's cost savings plan.
What do you think about the fact that so many companies are reaching TAs and CBAs with so many of their groups, yet nothing ever comes out of US Airways?
Since the merger between AWA and US, there has been little movement on the larger work-groups getting ahead in obtaining "up-to-today's-economy" contracts. For instance, America West flight attendants contract expired or became amendable in 2004. Towards the end of negotiations and short of presenting a TA to the workforce, America West pulled everything out from under the AWA F/As feet and left them with the worst contract possible from 1999 stuck until -now nearing- 2012. America West management has played hardball with the combined group trying to negotiate a joint contract in an attempt to delay, having to finally make good with the flight attendants. It's all a vicious cut-throat business tactic meant to keep advantageously dirt cheap labor costs for as long as they can at the expense of the low-paid F/A workforce of AWA.
Now let's look at United Airlines and their merger with Continental. Continental, like America West, was just prior to the merger near a contract agreement with COs F/As. Instead of following in the unscrupulous footsteps of US Airways, the new United decided to finish the contract negotiation with COs flight attendants, and subsequently ratified it post merger - a totally separate contract with the IAM/or Teamsters (not sure now which one) that was almost done with prior to the merger.
Since the 1999 contract became economically unaffordable to AWA flight attendant in 2004, AWA has done everything to prevent AWA F/As from reaching a decent contract, while many other airlines have reached agreements with their F/A groups, including Southwest, Horizon, Alaska (not sure) and possible other I cannot think about right now.
--
We all know about the nightmare of AWA pilots vs US pilots that the current management team from AWA/US has managed orchestrated and thrive from.
By contrast, Delta decided to do exactly the opposite. They worked with the NW and DL pilots ahead of the merger to get most of (if not all) of the possible future disagreements out of the way. Oh yeah, and they also showered them with money so that they would bite into it.
I believe that, SW just announced a similar deal with Airtran pilots.
Spirit Airlines also just recently got a contract with pilots.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I guess the point of this posting is to highlight again how little regard US Airways executives have for employees. They don't give a hoot about people, and they just hope to operate for as cheap on the back of employee suffering for as long as they can, no-matter what sort of human tool it takes on its employees during these days of high cost of living. It is all business, I suppose, run by self-loathing egotistical greedy bastards, that cash in hundreds of thousands of dollars at minimum a year.
Just keep on watching other work groups at other airlines scoring contracts before US Airways will finish the still pending ones.
Keep a score of every other airline maintaining or achieving labor peace, but how US Airways just continues their same old philosophy. My estimation date for F/As at US to obtain a new contract is somewhere around 2013; and that's being optimistic. I hope I am wrong, but something tells me, based on observing the scum that manages that run the company, that it could take longer. And if things get heated, loud and serious, then don't be surprised at the companies crackdown on strong voices within the F/A and other workforce groups. And then again, US Airways might just try to pull another "OOOpss, well have to scratch out everything and start from the beginning again, now that we've announced a merger with someone else." I totally believe that they are capable of pulling that same stunt *successfully* again, especially on the F/A workforce again.
As for that of the pilots, I foresee at earliest a resolution by 2017, but it could possibly run into the 2020s or even - never be resolved. Which would, again, be perfect for US's cost savings plan.
What do you think about the fact that so many companies are reaching TAs and CBAs with so many of their groups, yet nothing ever comes out of US Airways?
