Union chief to United, "Let's talk."

It's not me, it's you. In not so many words, Union chief and pilot, Mark Bathurst, delivered his assessment of UA's current state of business. Read the Chicago Tribune article for more details.

In a direct quote from the article, of a quote from his letter, Bathurst says: "United, is not in a good place." But despite its troubles, he said, company officials appear content to let UAL remain stuck in a "fog of mediocrity.""

I'm not really sure what all of this would have to do with re-opening contract negotiations though. Do the pilots want to give back more money so UA can buy more planes, or invest in more onboard/airport amenities? I doubt that. Though I would agree to a certain extent that it seems UA is getting stale. Many things have been made internally of the push to increase customer service/experience, but the work, and the ability to change employees attitudes, is slow at best. Can you collectively bargain for a smile and a friendly attitude? The constant us-vs-them mentality of management-vs-unions continues.

One of the final quotes in the article, (not the one about demanding a new management; that might cut this blog short), is this: "United, Bathurst told Tilton, has "reached a crossroads. You can either take bold, dramatic steps now to reverse the decline or stand by and watch things continue to deteriorate.""

I'd echo this sentiment with a classic quote from a fellow Chicagoan: "Make no small plans; for they lack the magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble and logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing." ~ Daniel Hudson Burnham (1846-1912); Architect and Planner of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Blocked at Wacker

Apologies for the long delay in posts and for the cheeky nature of my last post. UA has instituted new web policies and is now blocking blog sites and the like. Thus, I've been unable to post while between projects at the office. Surprisingly enough, access to FlyerTalk was not blocked. Much news has reached the press since my last post and I'll try to capture some of that soon. Until then, I'll post this now, before I'm blocked again by the IT-folks.