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Old 12-23-2005, 04:07 AM
  #7  
fireman0174
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Joined APC: Aug 2005
Position: Retired 121 pilot
Posts: 1,032
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Originally Posted by ryane946
The previous post makes it seem that management is at fault for all the problems at UAL. That is dead wrong. The current problems started with the pilot work slowdown in 2000 and were exacerbated by the mechanics union unwilling to negotiate after September 11th.
Of course, UAL management's idiotic plan to buy USAir at $60/share in 2000 had nothing to do with their problems, right?

Why not just take the "easy way out" and blame the unions!

Management took their “eye off the bouncing ball”, which was running an airline. Instead, all they could see were the “benefits” of the merger while the airline collapsed around them.

I’ll never forget a reporter’s question to Jim Goodwin, UAL-CEO at the time, when asked why UAL was willing to pay the $60 when no one else (probably meaning American) was willing. He was struck speechless, then meekly replied something to the effect that they wanted to avoid a “bidding war”. Yea, right.

The fact is Stevie Wolf totally out-maneuvered Goodwin and his staff. They were like a bunch of 7-8 year old kids in a new candy store; grab and eat and don't worry about the upcoming stomach ache.

Also, senior management directly under Goodwin never supported him and so you had management by dysfunction. A strong management team would have made all the difference in the world at UAL. Management is supposed to lead - they didn't.

Jim Goodwin was a man you would love to have as a next door neighbor, but he was simply not CEO material.

Was there and got the t-shirt.
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