Jumpseatnews.com - United Airlines flight attendant resources

Home > News > Final Commentary on UAL-US Airways Merger

Final Commentary on UAL-US Airways Merger

print
Source: Archived Content

Date: Jul 27, 2001

July 27, 2001

The US Airways merger is finally dead.  It was thankfully burned to the ground today by the U.S. Justice Department--good riddance.

Folks, before we pop open the champagne, breathe that collective sign of relief, celebrate, and put this merger nightmare behind us once and for all, we need to cover a few points:

  • This 14-month ordeal was a colossal waste---a waste of time, a waste of money, and a waste valuable human resources at our airline.  The numerous 'DAY ONE' research/planning teams and silly PR attempts to make the employees and public buy into this nonsense---all did nothing but add up to the very real loss of millions of dollars at our company.  This foolish merger proposal, submitted on May 24, 2000 at an even more foolish stock price, is so obscene that words can't describe it.
  • The decision to take on billions in debt and as well as create havoc within our company didn't just materialize out of thin air.  Some of our UAL leaders, our very well paid, multi-million dollar salaried, limo-riding, stock option/bonus-accumulating 'leaders' were directly responsible for this merger decision.

I don't care if you are a member of the ESOP or not: United Airlines belongs to all of us.  We have every reason, right, and justification to take issue with the financial and moral aftermath of this merger rollercoaster.  United is our home and our career, a place we spend a great portion of our lives.  In fact, many UAL employees, particularly flight attendants, have been acquainted with the airline far longer than either our current CEO (joined UAL 34 years ago) or our current company president, who has been here a mere 16 years for heaven's sake!

Back in early 2000 United Airlines was supposed to be about new beginnings and promised changes.  With the reorganization of the Onboard Service division, and other employee empowerment proposals, there was the glowing promise of a new direction for this airline.

Well ladies and gentlemen, look at the state we are currently in.  Pick up a newspaper and read what many financial analysts are thinking of us right now.  Talk with your flying partners on the real jumpseat.  It honestly makes me quite sad, as I care deeply about my co-workers at United Airlines.

Accountability Time

But, it isn't too late to change.  Along with our tooted 'Redesign' and 'Performance' philosophy comes accountability.  Time to pay the piper.  Some of this company's officers, members of the Board of Directors, and certain other senior leaders will have to publicly answer for the current state of affairs they led us into.  A slowing economy sure as hell isn't the only factor to blame here!  Remember, corporate leaders aren't working in untouchable, permanently appointed positions such as Supreme Court Justices.  They can be removed from office if they not serving the company's best interests.  They must answer for their leadership actions, just as if you or I had popped a slide or slugged a 1K passenger in the groin---we'd sure as hell would have to answer for that poor choice of action.

You can obtain further information and/or contact this company's leaders at United's Officers and Board of Directors website.  As a stockholder, your opinions would probably carry even more weight by sharing them with the members of the Board of Directors.  Heck, you can even submit a shareholder proposal.  The specific individuals who were responsible for leading us to our current problems and difficulties can be singled out from the leadership group as having lost your confidence.

Wake-Up Call

But I'm not going to let our AFA Constitution off the hook either.  We came very close to losing thousands of priceless seniority points.  Why?  Because of AFA's Merger Policy, as spelled out in AFA's Constitution and Bylaws, states that all AFA members receive equal protection (read: straight date of hire) of their current seniority in the event of a merger between two AFA airlines.  It doesn't matter how big or small those respective airline are, or their previous activity of hiring---it's date of hire, pure and simple.  And that scenario almost happened to us.

There are people who believe this is the fair way to handle a merger between two AFA carriers, and others who believe that in the event of that situation, one side should not benefit at the detriment of the other.  This is a hot debate, and beyond the scope of this commentary.  Nevertheless, this ought to serve as our wake-up call as to what might have happened to our seniority under the language of our current Constitution and Bylaws.  That document isn't etched in stone by the way, and can be modified should the membership so desire and drastically put forth the effort.  Whatever your opinion, get involved with your union!  It's your 39 bucks. Enough said.

Looking Forward

So what are we left with?  Still a remarkable airline with damn good people.  Even the senior leaders who charted this merger disaster are good people, then just made poor choices.  But just as if a 16 year-old were to smash up the family car on Saturday night, they too must answer for their financial mistakes.  Even that $50 million 'cancellation fee' down the drain isn't Monopoly money we're talking about.

So keep all this in mind, not just today, but in the days ahead, as we certainly do not want to have a repeat of the past 16 months.

In the meantime however, go ahead and pop open your champagne tonight.  Get on out there and celebrate in style!  Have a fun and merger-free weekend!  Raise a toast to all your fellow flying partners, the public, and anyone else who wrote numerous letters to the Department of Justice.  Thank you.

And then come Monday, let's all get back to the business of focusing on improving the state of our great airline.  We need some fresh ideas, refocused priorities, increased professionalism, leadership position modifications, and improvements in how we do business internally.

Let's get back to those new beginnings, those promising changes, but with a emphasis on never forgetting this merger ordeal and the people who were responsible for it.

Christopher Lee

NOTE:  This is the final commentary about the US Airways merger that will appear on Jumpseatnews.

< Return to Latest News


Quick Find

Travel and Safety

And now a word from...

Printed from www.jumpseatnews.com. Have a nice day!