With today being Labor Day and all, I thought I would interject a thought here with your indulgence.
I have always said that the only way that this company was going to survive, and perhaps thrive, was going to be if management realized that the employees and customers are the most vital assets they have in achieving same, not the liabilities that you and we are treated like. In this case, however, labor has taken a different turn, and instead of fighting for proper treatment by the company, they are fighting amongst themselves. The energy which is going into the constant east/west bickering is amazing--it could probably fuel the entire fleet for a month or more.
Instead of seeing labor coming together toward a common goal (a single contract which may not be perfect but represents fairness and EQUAL sacrifice on both sides), we are seeing labor fighting labor here. I am not going to get into which side is right and which side is wrong because it does not matter at this point. The fact is that this squabbling is NOT productive to you, the pilots on either side, nor will it help you achieve your ultimate goals. It is, however contributing to the ultimate demise of your airline, whether you like it or not.
I realize I don't have a dog in this fight, but on behalf of your customers, former customers, and especially ALL of the fine people on the front line at US Airways, I would implore you ALL to take a second look at what you're doing, from the outside if you can, and see if there is not a better way to go about this. Your fight should be with management, not with each other.
The higher costs associated with the two operating groups and the inability to work as one unit at this time are crippling the chances for long term survival of this company and have forced management to cut more than other airlines, and to make STUPID decision, which have ticked off customers far more than those of other airlines. It's the old save a penny, cost a dime syndrome all over again.
In the end, I believe that this fight among the two pilot groups will be a major contributor to the ultimate end of US Airways. While I do respect that both sides may have valid points, the BIGGER picture is that unless they can find a way to work together SOMEHOW, they may ALL be unemployed within the next year--along with ALL the other employees of this company.
I think this would be the perfect time to show some solidarity at this time--management is against the wall--between firing top executives (who deserved to go anyway but that's not the point), and the cash crunch which is looming in the immediate future, you should be thinking of finding a way to throw them an olive branch--lower costs and improved efficiencies NOW in exchange for a contract that is FAIR to ALL.
Just my thoughts--I do wish EACH and EVERY employee of US Airways nothing but the best, and I sincerely hope this company is around to see another Labor Day....
My BEST to you all.
