Employees Tell Columnist about New Delta
Aug 21, 2003, 7:40 am
#1
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Employees Tell Columnist about New Delta
I don't remember if his previous column was posted here or not, but here's a follow-up where Athens Banner-Herald columnist Dick Yarbrough chronicles responses he got from Delta employees. Delta Suits' Perks Just Don't Fly
(Athens, by the way, lost all air service recently when USAir Express pulled out. Since they are fairly close to Atlanta, the EAS subsidies cannot be applied to service there. Everybody is now expected to drive to Atlanta.)
(Athens, by the way, lost all air service recently when USAir Express pulled out. Since they are fairly close to Atlanta, the EAS subsidies cannot be applied to service there. Everybody is now expected to drive to Atlanta.)
Aug 21, 2003, 7:57 am
#2
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Wow.
Bruce
Bruce
Aug 21, 2003, 8:38 am
#3
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I believe I also saw his previous column. This guy doesn't pull any punches....nor should he. Too bad he doesn't write for an ATL paper where he'd get wider readership.
This is one of my favorite quotes from the article:
This is one of my favorite quotes from the article:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> To sum up, Delta employees are mad as hell, and I don't blame them. I suggest to the dunderheads on Delta's board of directors that they look out for their employees for a change. Bring in Dave Garrett and his management team to resuscitate Delta Air Lines and its employees. Do that and Delta won't need image experts. Simple isn't it?</font>
Aug 21, 2003, 8:40 am
#4
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"During former CEO Dave Garrett's tenure as Delta chief, employees chipped in and bought the company a $30 million airplane. I doubt employees would buy current CEO Leo Mullin anything but a farewell lunch."
I'll chip in for Leo's bye-bye meal. He can "super-size" it on me.
I'll chip in for Leo's bye-bye meal. He can "super-size" it on me.
Aug 21, 2003, 9:19 am
#5
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Great Article. Hit's the nail right on the head. How can a publicly traded company's management get away with this way of ruining a company? Whatever happened to "fiduciary duty" to their stockholders?
I wonder if DL Management have seen this article. Maybe we should e-mail it to Leo and his gang just to make sure!
I wonder if DL Management have seen this article. Maybe we should e-mail it to Leo and his gang just to make sure!
Aug 21, 2003, 9:24 am
#6
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Wow.. good article.
The thing I can't get is this. We all know that leaders (military, CEOs, etc) all become more generalists and visionaries as they rise to the top. They don't deal with the "in the trenches" stuff day to day - that's what bosses, supervisors and managers are for.
But at Delta - I cannot for the life of me comprehend the board of directors lack of understanding of common business practice. Any current college student taking marketing 101 will tell you that comsumers are driven by:
1). Good service / friendly service
2). Realiability
3). Price
4). Extras (in tha case of airlines - meals, upgrades)
DL's management seems to have a ZERO understanding of any of these principles. It's all simply $$$ to them. Their actions are destroying DL from within and without. They are concurrently destroying morale and the respect of their workers, and through stupid actions, driving loyal customers (and revenue) away.
Personally, I think the chairman of JetBlue (whom Ms. Escarra was throwing darts at) was right: the DL is "indiferrent" - at least from the CEO perspective
The thing I can't get is this. We all know that leaders (military, CEOs, etc) all become more generalists and visionaries as they rise to the top. They don't deal with the "in the trenches" stuff day to day - that's what bosses, supervisors and managers are for.
But at Delta - I cannot for the life of me comprehend the board of directors lack of understanding of common business practice. Any current college student taking marketing 101 will tell you that comsumers are driven by:
1). Good service / friendly service
2). Realiability
3). Price
4). Extras (in tha case of airlines - meals, upgrades)
DL's management seems to have a ZERO understanding of any of these principles. It's all simply $$$ to them. Their actions are destroying DL from within and without. They are concurrently destroying morale and the respect of their workers, and through stupid actions, driving loyal customers (and revenue) away.
Personally, I think the chairman of JetBlue (whom Ms. Escarra was throwing darts at) was right: the DL is "indiferrent" - at least from the CEO perspective
Aug 21, 2003, 9:26 am
#7
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With all due respect to the employees who gripe about the executive pension programs, these aren't anything new. These have been in place for years and will continue to be in place for years to come. It's not unique to Delta by any means.
The Delta employees largely have themselves to thank for this mess. They saw the kind of lies that management threw out during the unionization drives but still didn't come forward to vote and protect themselves. They have very little sympathy from me as a result.
The Delta employees largely have themselves to thank for this mess. They saw the kind of lies that management threw out during the unionization drives but still didn't come forward to vote and protect themselves. They have very little sympathy from me as a result.
Aug 21, 2003, 9:39 am
#8
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B747-437B:
The Delta employees largely have themselves to thank for this mess. They saw the kind of lies that management threw out during the unionization drives but still didn't come forward to vote and protect themselves. </font>
The Delta employees largely have themselves to thank for this mess. They saw the kind of lies that management threw out during the unionization drives but still didn't come forward to vote and protect themselves. </font>
Aug 21, 2003, 10:26 am
#9
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B747-437B:
With all due respect to the employees who gripe about the executive pension programs, these aren't anything new. These have been in place for years and will continue to be in place for years to come. It's not unique to Delta by any means.
The Delta employees largely have themselves to thank for this mess. They saw the kind of lies that management threw out during the unionization drives but still didn't come forward to vote and protect themselves. They have very little sympathy from me as a result.</font>
With all due respect to the employees who gripe about the executive pension programs, these aren't anything new. These have been in place for years and will continue to be in place for years to come. It's not unique to Delta by any means.
The Delta employees largely have themselves to thank for this mess. They saw the kind of lies that management threw out during the unionization drives but still didn't come forward to vote and protect themselves. They have very little sympathy from me as a result.</font>
And as for the "reversal" of this decision: Delta's "gang of 50" in this program will now receive only 2 or the scheduled three payments. Gee, what a shame.
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Aug 21, 2003, 10:37 am
#10
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Tell me again how it is morally correct to underfund your employees pension by 4 billion dollars and have 35 people at the same company with 45 million. How is this legal and ethical??? Once again, shame on DL management
Aug 21, 2003, 11:16 am
#11
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by gilpin:
Attention Delta Air Lines management: Sean has called you liars.</font>
Attention Delta Air Lines management: Sean has called you liars.</font>
Aug 21, 2003, 11:29 am
#12
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Did he call Ms. Icky Mascara a dunderhead? 
Aug 21, 2003, 1:02 pm
#13
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In all fairness, B747, I don't think having a union in place would have helped a darn bit as far as the airline as a whole is concerned. It might have limited the workforce reductions some, but I doubt it. In the end, frontline customer service would probably have suffered (as with a union in place, you basically can't fire anybody and hence surly employees can often go unchallenged). And a union in place certainly wouldn't have changed the executive pension scandal.
Aug 21, 2003, 1:15 pm
#14
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Robert Leach:
In all fairness, B747, I don't think having a union in place would have helped a darn bit as far as the airline as a whole is concerned. It might have limited the workforce reductions some, but I doubt it. In the end, frontline customer service would probably have suffered (as with a union in place, you basically can't fire anybody and hence surly employees can often go unchallenged). And a union in place certainly wouldn't have changed the executive pension scandal. </font>
In all fairness, B747, I don't think having a union in place would have helped a darn bit as far as the airline as a whole is concerned. It might have limited the workforce reductions some, but I doubt it. In the end, frontline customer service would probably have suffered (as with a union in place, you basically can't fire anybody and hence surly employees can often go unchallenged). And a union in place certainly wouldn't have changed the executive pension scandal. </font>
Actually, it might have well affected the executive pension scandal, as it is likely that the MECs would have been in some position to either make noise sooner or else block the pension agreements from being established.
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Aug 21, 2003, 6:37 pm
#15
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dfwbob: actually, he called the BOD "dunderheads".
Miss Vicky is just an extremely well-paid and pension-4/5ths-protected executive.
Miss Vicky is just an extremely well-paid and pension-4/5ths-protected executive.