Two Senator's kick Sean Menke in the teeth!!
04-04-2012, 07:27 PM
#1
Line Holder
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2011
Position: Bermuda Triangle
Posts: 66
Two Senator's kick Sean Menke in the teeth!!
It's pretty pathetic when not one, but TWO, Senators SCOLDS the CEO of a regional airline for taking a 60% payraise amidst filing for bankruptcy. What a "kick in the teeth" for Sean Menke. ALPA needs to setup a picket line in front of One Commerce Square with signs that read "Sean Menke is an GUTLESS PIECE OF $H1T" and invite Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to attend the event.
Bankrupt Pinnacle should rethink big raises for execs, lawmakers say - Flight 3407 - The Buffalo News
Sure is nice to know that some of our elected leaders in our goverment are actually standing up to corporate goons like Sean Menke. What a loser he is.
Bankrupt Pinnacle should rethink big raises for execs, lawmakers say - Flight 3407 - The Buffalo News
Bankrupt Pinnacle should rethink big raises for execs, lawmakers say
Updated: April 4, 2012, 10:54 PM
WASHINGTON -- The Buffalo area's three House members and New York's two senators Wednesday urged Pinnacle Airlines executives to rethink the big raises they recently received in light of revelations that the bankrupt airline is struggling to pay its pilots.
"It is reprehensible and unconscionable that your company would shortchange its pilots, who are critical to the safety of the flying public, while approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra payment for its corporate officers," the lawmakers said in a letter to John G. Spanjers, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Pinnacle.
"On behalf of our constituents, we ask that Pinnacle executives, including yourself, reconsider the propriety of accepting generous raises while pilots in your employ are waiting to be paid," the lawmakers added.
The Buffalo News reported Wednesday that Pinnacle -- which owns Colgan Air, operator of Continental Connection Flight 3407, which crashed in Clarence Center in 2009 -- was struggling to pay its pilots. Low pilot pay was one of the issues that was raised in the investigation of the crash, which claimed 50 lives.
Despite the pay problems -- which the company blamed largely on a new software system -- Pinnacle last month boosted the annual salary of CEO Sean E. Menke from $425,000 to $675,000. Spanjers, meanwhile, got a raise from $275,000 to $400,000.
Pinnacle said those raises came in conjunction with new duties stemming from the departure of other executives and the company's efforts to reorganize. Those efforts culminated in a bankruptcy filing Sunday, less than two weeks after the raises were announced.
Local lawmakers didn't think very much of the raises at Pinnacle.
"The tragedy of Flight 3407, right in the heart of my district, highlights the dangers of underpaid and overworked pilots, and it's unconscionable for their corporate officers to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay increases right before declaring bankruptcy," said Rep. Kathleen C. Hochul, D-Amherst.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y, agreed. He made reference to the fact that in addition to the raises for Pinnacle's top executives, departing CEO Philip H. Trenary left the company with a $1.7 million consulting deal.
"These latest facts are appalling, and Pinnacle needs to reset their priorities immediately," Schumer said. "Instead of providing golden parachutes for retiring CEOs, Pinnacle should make sure its pilots are paid a decent wage on time and that they put passenger safety above personal perks."
Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also signed the letter to Pinnacle, as did Reps. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, and Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport.
[email protected]null
Updated: April 4, 2012, 10:54 PM
WASHINGTON -- The Buffalo area's three House members and New York's two senators Wednesday urged Pinnacle Airlines executives to rethink the big raises they recently received in light of revelations that the bankrupt airline is struggling to pay its pilots.
"It is reprehensible and unconscionable that your company would shortchange its pilots, who are critical to the safety of the flying public, while approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra payment for its corporate officers," the lawmakers said in a letter to John G. Spanjers, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Pinnacle.
"On behalf of our constituents, we ask that Pinnacle executives, including yourself, reconsider the propriety of accepting generous raises while pilots in your employ are waiting to be paid," the lawmakers added.
The Buffalo News reported Wednesday that Pinnacle -- which owns Colgan Air, operator of Continental Connection Flight 3407, which crashed in Clarence Center in 2009 -- was struggling to pay its pilots. Low pilot pay was one of the issues that was raised in the investigation of the crash, which claimed 50 lives.
Despite the pay problems -- which the company blamed largely on a new software system -- Pinnacle last month boosted the annual salary of CEO Sean E. Menke from $425,000 to $675,000. Spanjers, meanwhile, got a raise from $275,000 to $400,000.
Pinnacle said those raises came in conjunction with new duties stemming from the departure of other executives and the company's efforts to reorganize. Those efforts culminated in a bankruptcy filing Sunday, less than two weeks after the raises were announced.
Local lawmakers didn't think very much of the raises at Pinnacle.
"The tragedy of Flight 3407, right in the heart of my district, highlights the dangers of underpaid and overworked pilots, and it's unconscionable for their corporate officers to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay increases right before declaring bankruptcy," said Rep. Kathleen C. Hochul, D-Amherst.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y, agreed. He made reference to the fact that in addition to the raises for Pinnacle's top executives, departing CEO Philip H. Trenary left the company with a $1.7 million consulting deal.
"These latest facts are appalling, and Pinnacle needs to reset their priorities immediately," Schumer said. "Instead of providing golden parachutes for retiring CEOs, Pinnacle should make sure its pilots are paid a decent wage on time and that they put passenger safety above personal perks."
Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also signed the letter to Pinnacle, as did Reps. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, and Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport.
[email protected]null
04-04-2012, 07:47 PM
#4
Line Holder
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2011
Position: Bermuda Triangle
Posts: 66
Originally Posted by captain152
Hate to say it, but it won't change anything. Wish it would!
Actually it just might. If there's enough bad publicity of the CEO, then the shareholders can put enough pressure on the Board of Directors to oust him.
IMHO, he is already on his way out. He has done nothing constructive to benefit the financial well being of Pinnacle. He was unsuccessful with the labor group concessions, unsuccessful with renogotiations of business partner contracts and has taken the stock from $6.00 to 60 cents in a short period of a few months.
An airline with dark clouds on the horizons needs innovation, creativity and leadership that everyone can fall in line behind. Sean Menke has NONE of that. What he has done, is anger employees to the point of no return as to which you can expect to see a reduction in labor costs through bankruptcy, but an increase in operating expenses as the employee's are now unified in their new mantra of "I don't give a crap" attitude towards running an efficient and streamlined operation. This will result in an exit from bankruptcy with a Cost per Available Seat Mile actually INCREASING! Just wait and see. It's happening now as APU useage has skyrocketed overnight, two engine taxis are the norm, and maintenance writeups at outstations are now becoming the norm. He has single handedly butchered an airline by making ALL the wrong moves.
The Supreme Captain of Pinnacle, Sean Menke, has just hit an iceberg and is the first one to bail into a lifeboat. He is drunk, and needs to be restrained to prevent causing even more damage.
04-04-2012, 08:05 PM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2008
Posts: 879
Originally Posted by Liv2soar
... but an increase in operating expenses as the employee's are now unified in their new mantra of "I don't give a crap" attitude towards running an efficient and streamlined operation. This will result in an exit from bankruptcy with a Cost per Available Seat Mile actually INCREASING! Just wait and see. It's happening now as APU useage has skyrocketed overnight, two engine taxis are the norm, and maintenance writeups at outstations are now becoming the norm. .
04-04-2012, 09:29 PM
#10
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2008
Posts: 426
Originally Posted by Liv2soar
Actually it just might. If there's enough bad publicity of the CEO, then the shareholders can put enough pressure on the Board of Directors to oust him.
IMHO, he is already on his way out. He has done nothing constructive to benefit the financial well being of Pinnacle. He was unsuccessful with the labor group concessions, unsuccessful with renogotiations of business partner contracts and has taken the stock from $6.00 to 60 cents in a short period of a few months.
An airline with dark clouds on the horizons needs innovation, creativity and leadership that everyone can fall in line behind. Sean Menke has NONE of that. What he has done, is anger employees to the point of no return as to which you can expect to see a reduction in labor costs through bankruptcy, but an increase in operating expenses as the employee's are now unified in their new mantra of "I don't give a crap" attitude towards running an efficient and streamlined operation. This will result in an exit from bankruptcy with a Cost per Available Seat Mile actually INCREASING! Just wait and see. It's happening now as APU useage has skyrocketed overnight, two engine taxis are the norm, and maintenance writeups at outstations are now becoming the norm. He has single handedly butchered an airline by making ALL the wrong moves.
The Supreme Captain of Pinnacle, Sean Menke, has just hit an iceberg and is the first one to bail into a lifeboat. He is drunk, and needs to be restrained to prevent causing even more damage.
IMHO, he is already on his way out. He has done nothing constructive to benefit the financial well being of Pinnacle. He was unsuccessful with the labor group concessions, unsuccessful with renogotiations of business partner contracts and has taken the stock from $6.00 to 60 cents in a short period of a few months.
An airline with dark clouds on the horizons needs innovation, creativity and leadership that everyone can fall in line behind. Sean Menke has NONE of that. What he has done, is anger employees to the point of no return as to which you can expect to see a reduction in labor costs through bankruptcy, but an increase in operating expenses as the employee's are now unified in their new mantra of "I don't give a crap" attitude towards running an efficient and streamlined operation. This will result in an exit from bankruptcy with a Cost per Available Seat Mile actually INCREASING! Just wait and see. It's happening now as APU useage has skyrocketed overnight, two engine taxis are the norm, and maintenance writeups at outstations are now becoming the norm. He has single handedly butchered an airline by making ALL the wrong moves.
The Supreme Captain of Pinnacle, Sean Menke, has just hit an iceberg and is the first one to bail into a lifeboat. He is drunk, and needs to be restrained to prevent causing even more damage.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
