I'm just a retarded semi-frequent flyer who works an office job who travels for both business and leisure....just though I should qualify myself.
As an office worker, I have hard time fathoming the usefulness of a union. I'm paid well because I perform well. People who don't perform well are fired, or at least aren't promoted. I don't b;itch when my boss asks me to do a job that isn't my primary responsibility. I do what I'm asked because I know it reflects well on me. Unions negate this because extra effort is never rewarded, and underachieving is rarely punished.
Remember, in order for Doug to get his golden parachute as many of you feel is the end goal, he needs an operating airline.
#1 You state, although I'm guessing jokingly''
that I'm just a retarded semi-frequent flyer ''.
In qualifying yourself in that respect you are not a member of the rank and file who have seen the
best of times and the worst of times. So though you like many others are indeed entitled to your opinion
but you should note that you are not in the mix as far as what the employees have been through and continue to go through.
#2 Congrats' on having a well paying job and feeling happy in your work enviroment. Most, not all of the airline employees do work and perform well but when the airline continue to expand and the hiring practices were offering a good start rate along with the contract the union an company provided you could see what the job offered and the industry was a much sought after career choice. Now, when the cuts and slash's took place the hiring fell far below what was offered prior to these changes and the people seeking employment with the company were not what was considered your pick of the litter type of workers. That old addage ''you get what you pay for'' started to apply. The senior workers too never bitched or complained when they were asked to deviate from thier supposed work functions to assist in another area but these same employees are now treated with a bias associated with what management and corporate see as a lower caliber of person. This company went from a ''hey can you get me an interview'' to a incentive driven hiring practice. People would be awarded slightly if they could get someone to apply, get hired and remain employed for a certain term.
#3 You do not have to remind us of what Doug Parker and the others will get or are gonna get based on the airlines success or failure they are certainly not in a position to worry about the ''parachute''. They are very well compensted and continually recieve bonus's and cash heavy
Contracts.
As an afternote I'd like to ask you if we questioned any bitterness you may hold if you had your pay and benifits severly impacted and yet still saw no signs of your upper management and corporate taking the cuts that impacted you would you still feel happy. We see the numbers every quarter and along with those numbers we see and hear from a company talking of record profits and the pay scale for management increases continually, yet the company refuses to take care of the worker. So although unions can be seen as a unneeded represenitive to some as a group they represent the whole. We work together as a group or unit and need representation to bargain for us as the needs of the few are the needs of the many in most cases. We do not work individually but as a chain of different department each one relying on the other to help in keeping the other working and operating smoothly. If one slips the chain of events from that point on is effected.
You indicate you work as an individual whose own performance dictates your compensation. We do not have that luxury. We,be it fair or unjust work as a group and need representation from members in our work group , elected by our work group, to seek the changes that should be reflected in our performance and the profits that the company incurs. We try to maintain a good public image but the wages and benifits offered by the company for employment are seriously infecting this........sorry, if you do not see the need for union representation but to be frank your not seeing the whole picture. Your only reading and seeing it through your eyes. I prefer union representation as to the alternative of leaving me at the will of the company.
Thanks
Also, just so you know after I typed in this post I had risen from my chair walked away hunched over for the first few steps and gingerly on my feet til my back and knees loosened up a bit because after 20+ years of loading and unloading A/C's my body has and continues to pay a price and what number could one place on that...............