United, US Airways fly closer to merger

[usair preferred]

I will admit there was a time in our country that unions were extremely needed and all US workers (union and non-union) have pretty good pay and benefits because of the work they did. The difference is that today the union (or to be more specific, the union leaders) are corrupt and doing nothing to better serve their members. I hope you realize only 6-8% of US workers are members of a union...so, if they do so much for workers and the country, why aren't there more union members? I find it interesting that two of the major US industries (minus the oil industries...and they are screwing all of us) having incredible financial difficult times right now have a majority of their workforce as unions (automobile and airlines). The deal is that its like trying to change a democrat to a republican or vise versa or someone's religious affiliation...what you know and grew up with through your family generations is what you are going to think is right and the best. So, with that, i know I won't change the minds of union members nor will they change the minds of non union members. All i would ask is that the union members take a good look at their union's financial statement and truly asses if the dues you are paying are helping you or the union leaders. In the end, if the employees and the company are doing well, who really cares if your union or non-union...unfortunately, in my opinon, the companies with a large union workforce have neither the company nor the employees doing well today and both are at risk.

[fly girl]

as far as wages from the usairways employees who are not up to industry standard as well as those of us that have stuck it out through the difficult times with a 40percent paycut......etc...etc......OUR BANK IS CLOSED.

[call me Al]

fly girl wrote:

as far as wages from the usairways employees who are not up to industry standard as well as those of us that have stuck it out through the difficult times with a 40percent paycut......etc...etc......OUR BANK IS CLOSED.

If that's the employee bank you're talking about, then sad to say it's never closed.

Of course loss of jobs would slow the withdrawl for a while.

[Spector]

I don't know about unions or wages or whatnot -- but I do know that one commentator, I think in the New York Times, stated a few weeks ago that there is not a single, solitary US airline that has a sustainable business model that will be able to cope with oil priced at over 1XX-per barrel.(I don't recall the exact price per barrel, but it seems as though we are fast approaching it!)

I pray we will have any decent airlines left if we can't end this artificial run up in oil prices.

[J_Roa]

Glenn Tilton and his subjects must go! They're preaching cost cutting but they're not practicing it. I'm a UA flight attendant and today I flew to Eugene OR twice, from San Francisco. The planes (737-300's) were practically empty on all four legs between EUG-SFO. This is a route normally operated by United Express (Skywest).
Want to talk about cutting costs?? Start with the executives and the MILLIONS they put into their pockets.

[call me Al]

Spector wrote:

I don't know about unions or wages or whatnot -- but I do know that one commentator, I think in the New York Times, stated a few weeks ago that there is not a single, solitary US airline that has a sustainable business model that will be able to cope with oil priced at over 1XX-per barrel.(I don't recall the exact price per barrel, but it seems as though we are fast approaching it!)
I pray we will have any decent airlines left if we can't end this artificial run up in oil prices.

It's my understnding (from recent analysis reports) that the mergers will only slow down the entering of BK court should oil remain high (there's no indication that prices will decline).

IMO the airline execs will promise it's employees whatever it takes to get these mergers through, only to reneg in BK.

[hanksta]

GSPFlyGuy wrote:

As long as US Airways management runs it we will have a good shot. I work for US Air and have seen the past couple CEO run us in to the ground, but I have to say that Doug Parker does know what he is doing for the most part. As much as I would not like to see a merger, I would welcome it as long as Parker ran the company.

I worked for USAirways for 23 yrs. Doug Parker is no different from all the other bloodsucker ceo's from the past. Doug needs to concentrate on taking care of the backbone of the airline,his employees,to boost the rock bottom morale that envelopes the airline and finish the first mess he started before he makes a bigger one. No wonder why we finish last in all categories every quarter. We can only hope that United can save us.

[Spade a Spade]

usair preferred wrote:

I will admit there was a time in our country that unions were extremely needed and all US workers (union and non-union) have pretty good pay and benefits because of the work they did. The difference is that today the union (or to be more specific, the union leaders) are corrupt and doing nothing to better serve their members. I hope you realize only 6-8% of US workers are members of a union...so, if they do so much for workers and the country, why aren't there more union members? I find it interesting that two of the major US industries (minus the oil industries...and they are screwing all of us) having incredible financial difficult times right now have a majority of their workforce as unions (automobile and airlines). The deal is that its like trying to change a democrat to a republican or vise versa or someone's religious affiliation...what you know and grew up with through your family generations is what you are going to think is right and the best. So, with that, i know I won't change the minds of union members nor will they change the minds of non union members. All i would ask is that the union members take a good look at their union's financial statement and truly asses if the dues you are paying are helping you or the union leaders. In the end, if the employees and the company are doing well, who really cares if your union or non-union...unfortunately, in my opinon, the companies with a large union workforce have neither the company nor the employees doing well today and both are at risk.

First of all about 13% of the workforce in the USA is union..Secondly outsourcing out of the country is running at a rate of over 65% of the manufacturing jobs..My math tells me that the majority of those jobs are not UNION.. No one right now is benifitting from this economy, which the american people did it to themselve. I watch as the workforce in this country ,which is 87% non-union, goes backwards as they lose medical,pensions and other benifits that the unions fought for, and the non-union workers have beneifited from..
I believe you are right about corrupt union leaders but then again not all of them are bad. To ignore the corrupt company officers and say they will do the right thing is closing your eyes to the other end of corruption..We need reform in the unions but we also need reform in the company board rooms and the government.

[dazed415]

I think they should merge the management groups of both outfits and then sell them to the government of Burma.

[Zhenderson]

A United-US merger will never work. They serve almost completely different markets,and have very different fleets. The only thing that they have in common is that they are both key Star Alliance members. If this goes through, the legacy airline United will come to an end, just as with Pan Am and TWA.

[LJM]

This merger would be silly.

Both airlines have a sorry history of employee relations.

Merge them and compound erstwhile America West (not too bad) with US Airways reputation (ack!), and UA's consistent losses, even right out of bankruptcy and what do we have?

Bitter employees, lost bags, bad service, money-losing operations, and host of other problems.

Seems to me that the only difference between merger and go-it-alone is the time each re-enters bankruptcy.

[c3po]

shouldn we be thinking about the customers, how nicer it would be to travel on one airline around the world without grabbing your bags running to another terminal.

[hanksta]

usair preferred wrote:

although i know ticket prices will go up and flight options may decrease, i think its in the airline industry's best interest to have several major airlines...it may be a difficult journey, but in the end, we will all be better off. i do find the comments about the union interesting...i totally agree with them. Thank God I don't have to be in a union. Why don't all these union members wake up and kick them out...there only concern is making moeny for themselves.

Unfortunately, unions are a necessary evil. The only thing the union is good for nowadays is to save jobs for screwups who don't deserve their job. Without a union you are an employee at will and the biggest kiss @#!'s get to keep their job.
Unions are against mergers because it means trimming down members which result in less union dues funneled to the union. It makes you wonder whos interest they claim they are fighting for. This merger between US/UA can be good for the employees, if done carefully and correctly.

[Thomas]

Steve wrote:

I worked for United and have many friends who work there. They are all misrable.They will go the way of Pan Am.

Two of the worst airlines in the country joining to form one giant pile of crap.

[David]

Ok, so Doug Parker and the ALPA negotiators still haven't merged the pilot seniority lists and contracts of America West and USAirways, and now he wants to add United to the mix? What a mess.

[tulaaretired]

Today's Headline:

UNITED, US AIRWAYS FLY CLOSER TO MERGER

In a few years or less to come the headline will read:

UNITED, US AIRWAYS FLY CLOSER TO DISASTER

[Another GSP pilot]

Spade a Spade wrote:

<quoted text>
As usual your SCAB point of view misses the isuue.
A SCAB like like you can't see that if there is no unions then there is no reason to treat the non-union employees fair..

I agree that the unions sometimes appear to misuse their authority, however that is only from the perspective of the misinformed; they are indeed there for the employees' protection. When I was fuloughed, the union paid all my COBRA (health care unsurance) for the year following my release from United. This was critical as I was finding temporary work as a Naval reservist, which covered my health care but not my family's. Not only did I recover ever last cent in dues during this period, but ALPA (Air Line Pilot's Assoc - the union) provided me peace of mind that I can never repay. Unions are not the enemy nor are pilots - an example being the 40%+ paycut United pilots took when the company went into/out of bankruptcy. If you think being a pilot is easy or lucrative, think about this: 10 years with the company,$83k per year and 20 days away from home per month (240 days away from the family per year!). That is why I am on military leave - you make better money and see your family more! That's why the union is there - to work toward returning pilots to a "profession" with descent wages, even if we're away from home for long periods. The union leadership is working toward this slowly as the industry remains "ill". Mergers, even in good economic times, just complicate their goal. If 2000 is any indicator, pilot integration will indeed be a sticking point for the United/US Airways merger; especially as US Airways' pilots now have a different union representing them.

[Do Not Forget History]

Thomas wrote:

<quoted text>
Two of the worst airlines in the country joining to form one giant pile of crap.

...which was no different than scab-Continental Airlines scab-Eastern Airlines, New York Air, and People Express combined "pile of crap" run by Lorenzo during the early 80's, my friend. As Continental Airlines today, they went from worst to first UNDER THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP (Gordon Bethune), agreed? History admonishes us to never, NEVER underestimate the potential of loyal and long suffering employees UNDER THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP.

[sfosw fa]

Bad politicans make's for BAD CEO's the best is still to come and its comming verey soon before BUSH get out of office as he got repay all favor's.....gas wiil be at $5 by the summer if this not happen you can shoot me with my own S***....GLENN and his GOONS got there D**** so up the white house ......the merger need's happen before the Bush and regeime off good to the rich gets out off office......look around you amarica in last 8 years has only given us WAR Layoffes crime the list gose on and on. ON what we know ...... and Big company and CEO's have get richer......LOOK OUT AMARICA the BEST A** F*** is just arond the corner compliments off the white house and BIG OIL.....happy flying will that be coke or diet coke.

[ACLU Member]

usair preferred wrote:

All i would ask is that the union members take a good look at their union's financial statement and truly asses if the dues you are paying are helping you or the union leaders.

I very much agree with you, but this will never happen. Union members have been conditioned to be lemmings, never thinking for themselves and just doing whatever their leader tells them. For example, all union members are told to vote a straight Democratic ticket, no matter who is running. Any union member who votes Republican wouldn't dare tell anyone about it. With this level of complacency and refusing to question an authority figure, it's no wonder unions are in the shape they are in. The leadership is looking out for the union organization itself, not the members, because the members let it become this way.