I agree with the first few posters, about this being amusing to watch.

First of all, you get employees who don't show up to work to 'make a point', and now you want OTHER employees around in case the same thing happens?

Looks like the cause of a dying and wounded beast.

I'm *terribly* sorry for all the hard-working, honest, true employees of USAir (I've had the opportunity to fly them 3 or 4 times, and most of the people I met were very kind) for what is about to happen to them, but I have *no* pitty or feeling towards the people who keep standing in the way of progress.

You know what? IF you don't like your job, leave.

If you don't like the pay you're getting because the airline is suffering, leave.

There's PLENTY of hard working individuals who are without a job right now who'd die to be in your place.

Good riddance to those people.

Sad thing is, they'll end up migrating to another honest airline, and we'll be on the lookout in a few years there.

1011yyz

Clipper,

DO what SPREE34 says. I admire your loyality but if all the employees don't share this feeling and stick together it's a waste.

Oh, baloney.

According to the press release, fewer people called in sick this Christmas Eve than last year, and only 8 more called in sick this Christmas Day than last year.

Were they all protesting wage cuts last year, too, when this latest round of wage cuts had not happened?

Blind Freddie could see that there is a pattern to this at US Airways, at Christmas time, and management should have been prepared for it.

cheers

mariner

Beginning this January, it looks as though Southwest employees at PHL will no longer be harrassed and equipment will no longer be vandalized by You Ess Errorworst employees.

By the way, since they are looking for volunteers on New Years Eve, can anyone from the general public work? I'm sure there are some airline enthusiasts that would love the chance.....you see? They should've thought outside the box

[Edited 2004-12-29 03:36:44]

This sounds like a good idea for a team oriented young upstart carrier trying to make a go of it against a giant. Unfortunately, that's not the case here. What baffles me is that in one sentence they are asking the team to pull together for the good of the whole and in the next, they basically say that big brother is watching and they may lose their jobs.

I'd love to put on an USairways uniform and greet people as they arrive MCO as long as they'd let me bring my camera with me to shoot pictures on breaks or somethin.  

Theres no way in hell they'd let people off the streets just come in and work for them with no training or background checks. Some bum could come in and cuss out the passengers and make them never wanna fly US again, which is kinda what those employees doing the sick-outs are doing too in another sense but anyway...

Clipper you are a very good employee and your head work is admirable. Shame a lot of people around here have to be so cold.

Once again I ask where is Management in all this. Shouldn't they lead by example and be out there filling the vacant spots on the ramps, at the checking desks etc? Then again - they probably would create more of a mess. But still...

I don't think it would ever occur to management. They want the employees to work harder for less in order to.... continue to work harder for less.

What actions have US Air's management taken in terms of benefit losses, reduced pay/positions and increased hours? I can tell you that whomever thought that "Seth" character was a good idea should be taken out and summarily fired.

The good US Air employees should go to an airline that will value their efforts.

After the bad press they got this weekend I don't think too many people will be taking them up on their "gofares".

Just another nail in US Airways coffin. If all their employees were like clipper, US may have a chance, but with a bunch of low lives calling in sick is going to put every single US Airways employee on unemployment. What a shame. I feel really sorry for US employees like Clipper, but for all the people who called in sick, shame on you. I don't know if these people think the government is going to bail them out or what, but I don't think it will happen. I hope the government let's a free market do it's thing, because I don't think the consumers are going to think too highly of this kind of action. If you are upset with your airline go on strike or whatever you got to do, but don't take it out on the customer, because nothing will kill an airline faster than that. I was rooting for US, but I have heard too much inexcusable BS like this from their employees and my sympathy is pretty much gone. All I got to say is good employees like Clipper, get out before they collapse and all the rest of their low life employees flood the market with job applications. Good Luck!

It really is a shame, and unfortunately, will not be felt for a while. I think anyone that had to go through the experience last weekend will think twice before booking on USAir in the future, if there is one.

Who is to blame? Everyone involved, I guess. When the same thing happened with BA last summer, all top management, including Eddington, spent time at LHR greeting passengers. Maybe USAir management should do the same.

this is a very very very very very very bad sign.

me thinks usair will sputter out of existence quite soon now.

Personally I have no time for a bunch of professional golfers and computer consultants and travelling salesman making judgements about these employees. You sit here and patronize clipperaurora like he is some saint and then blame this entire political and economic crisis, with its vast and diverse roots, on a couple of hundred flight attendants. You have no idea what clipperaurora is going through, or anyone else. Until you have worked at a bankrupt, collapsing airline, please spare us all of your tired, cliched judgement.

Personally after having been through a lot of tough days at United I think the picture is much more complex than most of you make it on here. I understand why clipperaurora would want to go in and give it his best. But I also fully understand why a lot of his colleagues refuse to be pushed around anymore, and are drawing a line in the sand by not coming to work, or by engaging in acts of resistance in the workplace.

I just want to say thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with it at USAirways - those who sicked out, and those who didn't. A lot of the people on this website are the same blowhards we wait on every day as airline workers - telling us how dumb we are, and how much they know. But then there are others of us who want to get our voices out there to support all the workers who have built and continue to allow this industry to opperate.

It is sad that the same employees are going to ground the airline. Another repeat of Braniff, PanAm, Eastern, etc... Thanks to the same employees... Customers believed in the airline and bought tickets for the holidays to see their love ones and that is what they get back!  

Maybe every employee working for every company should work for free. After all, it's good for the companies.

Give me a break. Working for no compensation is called slavery. I suppose that most people would support that if it means a cheaper ticket.

RyanAFAMSP,

Personally I have no time for a bunch of professional golfers and computer consultants and travelling salesman making judgements about these employees

That sums it all up in a nutshell. You, an obvious union F/A, have no time for the "professional golfers, computer consultants and travelling salesman" who, more than likely, make up 90% of the passengers that the AFA alienated this past weekend with this sick-out stunt! Bravo! You showed US management! Guess who will be out of jobs and who will still be collecting paychecks - Management stays on the payroll to shut the airline down while the rank-and-file union people get to stand in the unemployment line. (Been there - Done that!)

Until you have worked at a bankrupt, collapsing airline, please spare us all of your tired, cliched judgement.

And spare us your tired, cliched union drivel. The employees AND management of US Airways are both to blame for the current situation and driving paying customers away, by "drawing a line in the sand" is just plain stupid! (And, I have been on the receiving end of a carrier going into bankruptcy and oblivion - Pan Am in 1991 - and it isn't any fun. As union members, we did what we had to do to try and save the airline - because, even with the pay cut, it beat saying "would you like fries with that?" - and it sadly still wasn't enough.)

I just want to say thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with it at USAirways - those who sicked out, and those who didn't.

Those who sicked-out, are NOT the ones who have "stuck with it at USAirways", rather they are the idiots who are sticking the final nails in the coffin of USAirways.

Maybe there is nothing left to save but hastening the demise of this carrier, strictly to "show management" is stupid, foolish, imprudent and impetuous. Griping at those who point this fact out, even though those people may be the reason for your paycheck, is even more stupid, foolish, imprudent and impetuous!

Having been through the bankruptcy and liquidation process, losing a "lifetime job", watching family and friends suffer because of the sudden loss of several incomes (multiple family members working at the same airline, or family members losing jobs from ancillary suppliers that supported that airline). Having gone through divorce, relocation and personal bankruptcy because of the loss of income. Been there and don't ever want to do that again. Then to watch some union pigheads create havoc, and listen to other union pigheads laud those actions, just pisses me off to no end!

Edit: Just for clarification, I was a Union Shop Steward at PA and feel that, the same as at US, PA mismanagement and union greed were equally to blame for the failure at PA. Management had no clear direction and the union had greedy clauses in the contracts that penalized the airline's ability to make a profit (demanding a full hour of overtime pay for no less than 5 minutes work past scheduled clock-out time, paying employees 30 minutes of pay strictly to walk to their cars after clocking out, etc).

MxCtrlr  
Freight Dogs Anonymous - O.O.T.S.K.  


[Edited 2004-12-29 08:42:27]

Aero....

Its not really necessary to worry about the staffing levels and hiring as the application process probably would outlast the remaining time span of the airline. Anything that US management embarks on at this time is essentially rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

My point earlier in the post was not to trash all USAirways employees. However, there are too many USAirways employees who just don't realize or care that the company can only survive if it treats its customers well. It may be just a minority of employees who are pulling devastating stunts on customers and the airline, but it's enough in my view (a former customer) to say it's time for USAirways to call it quits.

And for USAirways employees to think that they are the only ones who have ever worked for a financially struggling company... wake up! Millions in America have worked for such companies. Many of those were good employees who made the bold choice of jumping ship and moved to another company or started a new career... not an easy thing to do. And, to assume that someone who doesn't work for USAirways doesn't understand what it's like for the employees there shows the closed-mindedness and naivete of this significant minority of employees who singlehandedly are hastening the demise of their airline.

As a management consultant who travels frequently I can assure you I understand that USAirways' troubles owe a lot to management incompetence and ineptitude. I can also assure you that given the choice of flying an airline where I have a good chance of encountering abusive employees or flying an airline that treats me as a valuable customer... I choose the airline that treats me well.

My advice to the good USAirways employees is to leave now and search for a new job... better to be out there in the job search before USAirways ceases operation (which appears to be pretty soon) and the bozos who helped hasten the airline's demise flood the job market.

As an USAir employee at HQ, I'll be going to Philly to work for free this w/e. I have one simple reason that I am doing so: I want to help people. Sure I am helping the company out of a Jam, but far more important to me is the fact that I can help prevent the anguish that affected children, elderly, and others. No one deserves to go through this again and I am in a position to help. Enough said.

Wonder if Lakefied, Bronner and the rest of management will come in and work for free those days? If they were worth a damm the article would have read "come in and join us to work on New Years eve". But nope. They don't even try to hint at management working for free.

Aerofan,

I guarantee that if one manager went out to the ramp and touched one bag, the union emploees would walk off the job. This is the way the union operates particularly in the northeast.

It wasn't the managers who created this mess. Can't say the same about the union goons who called in sick. They showed the management that they won't be triffled with. I'm sure Charles Bryant is happy!

MxCtrlr

Couldn't have said it better myself! Welcome to my respected user list!

Personally, I like US Airways. I've flown more segments with them (including the old USAir )than any other airline, and always found the staff polite and efficient-even in coach. I hate to see any airline go under, but the unions and management have destroyed a good airline, and they now deserve what is coming.

One thing I think, and I've not seen one mention of it so far, it's not just USAirways employees who will be affected by this. Employees of Airbus, Bombardier and Embraer are also going to be affected, along with employees of their subcontractors, due to the outstanding orders not being taken up. Sure another airline may come in and pick up the order, but that's still just a replacement rather than more work. Many of these people are working for a lot less than the minimum wage in North America or Europe.

Now if someone in US Airways ops wants a list of what aircraft to bring back to Philly on the day they close down, send me an email! It's not a long list just a few aircraft are now needed to finish off the fleet!

Personally, I'm glad I chose Southwest this weekend. If I was on my own, I wouldn't care, but I don't need the grief from the wife when things don't work out as planned!

MxCtrlr, welcome to my RU list as well.

Once again I ask where is Management in all this. Shouldn't they lead by example and be out there filling the vacant spots on the ramps, at the checking desks etc? Then again - they probably would create more of a mess. But still...

Like John Spanjers did for Mesaba on Christmas

Peter Hayes, spokesman for the US Airways unit of the Association of Flight Attendants wrote:

"Sadly, the employees who took this action may ultimately cause the failure of the airline."

This really made me laugh. Management trying to blame a one day sickout on the possible failure of the airline....are they kidding?? Just like management...always looking for a scapegoat! I really feel sorry for the dedicated workers of US Airways...those who dont give a damn and US Airways management can fry in hell for all I care...but for those dedicated...I feel for you.

Have the Union militants in PHL have finally succeeded in killing the goose that laid the golden egg??

US is steadily losing it's customer base due to a few discontented/disgruntled employees. So sad that a small minority may have effectively killed the airline. They will lose a lot of customers over this and perhaps end up shutting down this airline. Then of course, these same people will complain about the management when they are standing in the line to collect unemployment.  

" Management trying to blame a one day sickout on the possible failure of the airline....are they kidding?? Just like management...always looking for a scapegoat!"

Iberia,

I really think you are missing something here. Peter Hayes is a union leader, not US management and his comments were directed at his "constituents", not his employees.

Still, understanding your point, have you missed all the news stories? The interviews with passengers? Piles of bags sitting everywhere in the US system waiting to get to their owners? The sickout, over Christmas none-the-less, caused more damage to US than any one thing that the management has done over the past 3 years.

There is no doubt that the airline is in trouble with most signs pointing to an end of operations, although there is still a valid attempt to make it work. A company in that situation could not afford such a P.R. nightmare that will undoubtedly scare away any remaining potential customers. The employees didn't bring the company to the financial situation it is in today, they simply shut the door on any recovery attempts.

Personally, having been a part both workgroups in my career, I don't think that any employee in his right mind decided to call in sick not knowing the devastation it was going to cause the airline. It was a personal decision, to turn on your company and your fellow co-workers in one of the busiest travel times of the year. For that reason and that reason only, they deserve to go under. Trust me that upper management is already well taken care of, it's the employees that will be the ones standing in the unemployment line when it's all said and done.

USAirways employees have totally lost any respect from the people who pay their salaries... their customers.

sadly, that's the case. it doesn't end there however. a lot of employees are losing all resepct for managment as well.



bostonguy, you really hit it on the nose. thanks for supporting us. and as nick said, welcome to my ru list.

It's amazing how in reading all the posts surrounding US Airways problems, one central theme keeps coming up...that is the PHL airport and it's workers. Working for a company in the Philly area, I find myself having to fly into that airport several times during the course of a year.

During 2004, my four worst flying experiences have been on US Airways through PHL. I travel about 75% of my time, splitting most of my flights between Delta and Southwest. I was trying to give US Airways the benefit only because I know a lot of former Piedmont folks.

The last experience came oddly enough when my flight out of PHL was delayed 2.5 hours because they didn't have anyone to load the bags. This was the middle of JUNE! I have never seen or heard of that kind of problem at any other airport in 25 years of flying. The people that work at the airport at Philly seem to be the rudest and most arrogant I've had to encounter (especially the US Airways folks). If there is a post mortem on this situation, I think it will reveal that putting so much emphasis on PHL was a huge error in judgement. All other carriers be forewarned! I've been told PHL was so important because of the great O&D potential..but it doesn't appear that potential has saved them.

I've said it once and will continue to say it....back in 1986...the table should have been turned. Piedmont should have bought out US Air.

But alas...the "shoulda, woulda, coulda" won't help them. I can't afford to fly them because I can't depend on them to get me where I need to be when I need to be there. It's that simple and I think many of my traveling companions feel the same.

No..I'm not an airline expert...but in my simple thought process a commercial air carrier has several basic responsibilities.
1. Keep their airplanes safe and sound.
2. Transport passengers and baggage safely and on schedule.
3. Treat both employees and passengers with dignity and respect.

Good luck to the good folks at US Airways and to the ones who didn't do their best...hope you like what you see in the mirror when you look at yourself every day.

But I also fully understand why a lot of his colleagues refuse to be pushed around anymore, and are drawing a line in the sand by not coming to work, or by engaging in acts of resistance in the workplace.

Ryan, this statement tells me that you're no better than the cowardly scrubs who called in sick. This isn't Henry David Thoreau--it's their JOB. There is no such construct as "civil disobedience" when your company is on death's door.

You either suck it up and recover, or you die. Period. Sure, we feel for the honest hardworking US Airways employees, but don't sympathize with those who pull some stupid stunt under the guise of "drawing a line in the sand."

US is at a crossroads much like CO was in 1994. It would have been easy to folkd up the tent and pack it in. But the employees--union, non-union and their leadership banded together to right the ship. Presently, at US, there is no dynamic leadership and the employees are tearing each other and everyone around them to pieces out of spite.

It's ridiculous. So it may sound trite and hokey, but if my company asked me to pony up through adversity, I'd do it. If people value their livelihood and want a better future, that's what you do.

Slider, I could not agree with you more.

MxCtrlr, very well said... you're the first person I've added to my respected list.

"I guarantee that if one manager went out to the ramp and touched one bag, the union emploees would walk off the job. This is the way the union operates particularly in the northeast."


Fine, I dont care if management doesn't touch a bag. They should be out there greeting the pax and making sure they are getting the service they need. But they should be there.

Clipper:

You are why I continue to fly US Airways as much as I can. I have never recieved anything less than they best from US. Thanks.

Chris

How is this request legal?

There are wage and hour laws.

But I do take it as a sign of how far gone this airline is despite some of the efforts of it's employee's. Take care of your employee's and they will take care of you.

You said it perfect Matt. It's a tough situation now with most respect lost.

I applaud the US employees who are going in to work for free, I hope it makes a difference. I think a lot of pax have a bad taste in their mouths over last weekend.

The thing that strikes me is that a lot of airline employees have joked over the years that our critics would only be happy when we worked for free. Reading this thread is a big statement of vindication.

I bet Wal-Mart is just salivating over this. Why pay 7 bucks an hour and no health insurance when you can pay nothing!

70 years ago economists popularized the idea (through Henry Ford) that workers should have enough money to buy the products they made, therefore growing the economy by augmenting demand. Now the whole thing is inverted. Have below cost airline tickets and workers that don't make anything. I think we have become a really uncreative society, manufacturing poverty for most and a beautiful spread for the few guys at the top.

I'll stick by the union any day.