What if there were NO unions?

The only way is to walk out such as the new york transit workers did and the contract issue was settled after a few days.

I feel ya. I work up front on the planes you keep flying. But a sad fact regarding your solution remains:

"A state judge this afternoon imposed a $1 million-a-day fine on the union of striking New York City transit workers, and said he would consider $1,000 fines against each member of the leadership. The union indicated that it would appeal."

That's hefty.

Keep up your good work. Hell, keep up your GREAT work. We know what's going on, management knows what's going on, we'll just do what we do- and you keep doing what you all are doing.

;)
 
Ok - my 2 cents worth. #1 pet peeve about unions on the property - unless this administration changes we are helpless to do ANY job actions. Think you can strike after a cooling off period? Forget about it. And that totally pi**ess me off. If we have gone through all the steps in mediation, etc. why are we not allowed to exercise all our options? The union can do NOTHING about that. So what is our recourse when we are backed into the wall? #2 pet peeve - I am SO SICK of the company violating our contract (I am an f/a) and my union says "fly it and grieve it later". What??? If they are violating my contract which I voted for, why is my union telling me to "go along with the company and we will file a grievance later"? Our pilots got it right from the start - they refused to violate their contract and guess what? After a few months scheduling and the rest of the company stopped asking them to go against their contract.... because they knew they wouldn't. Had AFA from Day 1 done the same thing we would not be having the issues we are having now. If I choose to not go beyond a 14 hour duty day then I am harrassed by scheduling because they expect me to violate my contract for one simple reason - $$$. I won't do it. The big joke here is "We have a union? Are you sure? I don't think we do". That is the sentiment now. I am not sure about job protection - what I am sure about it is that you are little, have no b****, do not stick together then it doesn't matter one iota if you have a union.
 
The finger pointing should go all around the table.

Look at all the jobs working 5 days at 12 hour shifts,split days off....reduced benefits

and high co-pays...Americans seem all too willing to accept these labor conditions.But damn those

pesky unions.Last I checked overall union membership was teetering on the lowside

of 12% nationally.So who's to blame?
 
OK customer service agents HP’re how was your non-union pay, work rules and benefits?
 
IMO- US Airway's decline started when Wolfe stepped on the premises. He was determined to destroy US Airways. He took a profitable employee friendly airline and changed the company culture for the worse.

Check your facts. US was not at all profitable when Wolf and Gangwal came to the table. They were brought in to fix it, and the reason people hated them so much is that they actually (gasp) made people work and held management accountable for poor performance. They practically had to install a revolving door on CCY. Everything - and I mean everything - was measured and people either met their goals, or they were fired. But Rocky and Bullwinkle did know how to run an airline, and turned US from a joke into something to be proud of. Maybe they were fattening it up for slaughter, but they turned things around. Now, don't get me wrong, I think those two men were EVIL, but they did run a tight ship.

Sadly, BK and now DP have erased all of that progress.

So, who is the more evil? Those who ran a good airline, or those who took a good airline and turned it into the Big Lots of the sky?
 
Check your facts. US was not at all profitable when Wolf and Gangwal came to the table.

That's completely not right, incorrect and untrue. Seth Schofield put up numbers his last year and in the speech he gave as a going away speech he said, "I'm happy I'm able to leave on a high note, the airline is in the best shape it's been in for many years and it's set up to prosper."

US Air was profitable his last year at the helm in 1996. I still have the report in my office.
 
During most of the 90's, US was one of the few carriers not to routninely turn a profit. Seth turned one once on the way out the door, and he did it on the backs of station agents.

Seth set the stage for the agent organization drive.

One of the comments I heard about Seth was his golf handicap was too low to be a good CEO.
 
Another thing UP

The unionized employees of US gave concessions back in 1992 to save the company, twice in the first chapter 11 and once in the second.

Seems to me management doesnt know how to run the company, they filed twice in less than years!

I agree, and it looks to me like the US unions haven't had much success fighting back against that lousy management. Again and again and again. Ya just keep giving and giving.