"T" minus
06-13-2012, 03:05 PM
#31
Banned
Joined APC: Jun 2008
Position: A320 Cap
Posts: 2,282
Originally Posted by boxer6
Very likely. There will be no way a contract will be announced on June 15th.
Smisek's EGO will never allow the pilots to win...i.e. set a hard date for completion and have it come to fruition.
The contract could be 99.9% complete but he will play the delay game a little bit to bait the group to some sort of action then hello lawsuit. A successful lawsuit will make him feel like he asserted his power over us...he likes it and in his mind he needs to feel he won.
As always, its about power, control with ego thrown in...not about money.
As the poster above stated, stay cool...and document everything. Don't let Smisek win. In fact, I'll bet nothing would infuriate him more than an absolute perfectly run operation on the 15th and after.
Smisek's EGO will never allow the pilots to win...i.e. set a hard date for completion and have it come to fruition.
The contract could be 99.9% complete but he will play the delay game a little bit to bait the group to some sort of action then hello lawsuit. A successful lawsuit will make him feel like he asserted his power over us...he likes it and in his mind he needs to feel he won.
As always, its about power, control with ego thrown in...not about money.
As the poster above stated, stay cool...and document everything. Don't let Smisek win. In fact, I'll bet nothing would infuriate him more than an absolute perfectly run operation on the 15th and after.
Excellent post
06-13-2012, 04:39 PM
#32
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jun 2009
Posts: 786
Finding myself disagreeing with some of the ideas here:
1) Smizeck is not significantly different from Tilton in my eyes. Tilton was the "bankruptcy guy" and Smizeck is the "merger guy". I think his mold was cast a long time ago as a one trick pony. Once most of the loose ends of the merger are tied up, I think you'll see him hit the silk of the golden parachute. To congeal and completely define the corporate culture and actually run United airlines like we would all like to see it run, will take someone with far more talent than Smizeck has.
2) I am more concerned about the summer slipping through labor's fingers than I am any potential lawsuit the airline might launch against our union leaders and pilots. The political spin net that Smizeck would have to try to cast by suing his labor groups, would go over with travel writers and newspaper columnists like a ripe silent stinker in a nice formal church. If labor misses the chance to act this summer, we will more than likely be playing right into their hands for a bigger than usual downsize in the fall. Thinking back to the events that preceded both MECs coming together to request release was just incredibly poorly timed with the most leverage we have...summer time. Too late for a redo now, but a 30 day cooling off period starting August 1 or later is about as useless as (insert your favorite over used cliche here that means useless).
1) Smizeck is not significantly different from Tilton in my eyes. Tilton was the "bankruptcy guy" and Smizeck is the "merger guy". I think his mold was cast a long time ago as a one trick pony. Once most of the loose ends of the merger are tied up, I think you'll see him hit the silk of the golden parachute. To congeal and completely define the corporate culture and actually run United airlines like we would all like to see it run, will take someone with far more talent than Smizeck has.
2) I am more concerned about the summer slipping through labor's fingers than I am any potential lawsuit the airline might launch against our union leaders and pilots. The political spin net that Smizeck would have to try to cast by suing his labor groups, would go over with travel writers and newspaper columnists like a ripe silent stinker in a nice formal church. If labor misses the chance to act this summer, we will more than likely be playing right into their hands for a bigger than usual downsize in the fall. Thinking back to the events that preceded both MECs coming together to request release was just incredibly poorly timed with the most leverage we have...summer time. Too late for a redo now, but a 30 day cooling off period starting August 1 or later is about as useless as (insert your favorite over used cliche here that means useless).
06-13-2012, 06:58 PM
#33
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2011
Posts: 467
Originally Posted by Captain Bligh
Finding myself disagreeing with some of the ideas here:
1) Smizeck is not significantly different from Tilton in my eyes. Tilton was the "bankruptcy guy" and Smizeck is the "merger guy".
2) I am more concerned about the summer slipping through labor's fingers than I am any potential lawsuit the airline might launch against our union leaders and pilots.
1) Smizeck is not significantly different from Tilton in my eyes. Tilton was the "bankruptcy guy" and Smizeck is the "merger guy".
2) I am more concerned about the summer slipping through labor's fingers than I am any potential lawsuit the airline might launch against our union leaders and pilots.
Smizek is the "yes man" That it to say, he surrounds himself with yes men, and they all say "yes" together, in chorus. They tell him what he wants to hear and he can't hear anything else. Gordon was right...read his book. He noted Smizek is a "non operational person" and a competent attorney.
You are correct about summer. Next time up is Winter/Thanksgiving/Christmas, and by then Obama will be gone, so game up.
06-13-2012, 08:48 PM
#34
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2010
Posts: 239
Originally Posted by Captain Bligh
Finding myself disagreeing with some of the ideas here:
2) I am more concerned about the summer slipping through labor's fingers than I am any potential lawsuit the airline might launch against our union leaders and pilots. The political spin net that Smizeck would have to try to cast by suing his labor groups, would go over with travel writers and newspaper columnists like a ripe silent stinker in a nice formal church. If labor misses the chance to act this summer, we will more than likely be playing right into their hands for a bigger than usual downsize in the fall. Thinking back to the events that preceded both MECs coming together to request release was just incredibly poorly timed with the most leverage we have...summer time. Too late for a redo now, but a 30 day cooling off period starting August 1 or later is about as useless as (insert your favorite over used cliche here that means useless).
2) I am more concerned about the summer slipping through labor's fingers than I am any potential lawsuit the airline might launch against our union leaders and pilots. The political spin net that Smizeck would have to try to cast by suing his labor groups, would go over with travel writers and newspaper columnists like a ripe silent stinker in a nice formal church. If labor misses the chance to act this summer, we will more than likely be playing right into their hands for a bigger than usual downsize in the fall. Thinking back to the events that preceded both MECs coming together to request release was just incredibly poorly timed with the most leverage we have...summer time. Too late for a redo now, but a 30 day cooling off period starting August 1 or later is about as useless as (insert your favorite over used cliche here that means useless).
As for Smisek and the political spin, I really don't think he cares too much. Just read what's come out his mouth lately....a bit head scratching.
I'm quite sure he is an intelligent man but I sense his ego/emotion makes some of the decisions for him.
06-14-2012, 04:00 AM
#35
(retired)
Joined APC: Apr 2011
Position: Old, retired, healthy, debt-free, liquid
Posts: 422
Originally Posted by Captain Bligh
...To congeal and completely define the corporate culture and actually run United airlines like we would all like to see it run, will take someone with far more talent than Smizeck has...
Just one man's very humble, retired opinion, but the best this industry has seen recently (Herb Kelleher, Gordon Bethune and Greg Brenneman) could all be tag-teaming at the top and the "United culture" would still be whining about it.
It is what it is. History rarely misleads...you are who you are.
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