Time will tell if this is just rhetoric, but he's saying a lot of things SmallStack would never have DREAMED of saying. Here's to hoping words turn into action.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/business/dealbook/uniteds-chief-says-airline-must-improve.html?referer=http://news.google.com/

 

I love this, especially that he looks like Kevin Spacey...and his comments that we haven't lived up to our reputation is a huge slap in the face to Count Chocula.

 

My impression too, and Hilltopper, I think Jeffy might be clinically depressed now.

Oscar seems to be an actual human, not a cardboard cutout with Vampire incisors.

 

"He emphasized that the way to improve customer service was to fix employee relations first."

AMEN! Looks like he has his priorities straight!

Granted, we have a LONG way to go before we have good relations with management, but as a line dog, this guys gives me hope, and a willingness to be more of a team player. Call me a koolaid drinker...but i think its time we all started pulling in the same direction!

 

Lots of words. Show me some real, tangible deeds and I'll consider pulling harder. Show me some investment in the employees before I invest my time and efforts to the company. FIX the broken payroll system so I don't have to spend a couple hours auditing my pay...then I may consider writing notes to our 1K's and GS. Lots of words...Smisek had those too.

 

No doubt the airlines are similar to the railroads but he sounds more like Tilton than someone who learned about the airlines while seated at the board.

And like Tilton, who knew nothing about the airlines, he used "on time performance and numbers" as his major talking point during the first days. I don't think Tilton ever really learned anything about the airlines. We'll see what Munoz does but expectations are not very high. He's already figuring a way to fill his pockets.

 

Oscar said he was going to put better coffee on board. Big deal, right? I consider that encouraging. Looking back to the beginning of the merger, that crap coffee they switched to was an ominous sign of what was to come. I mean how do you keep decent, well liked coffee on board during a CH11 event then go to crap afterwards? All the while, telling everyone that "you are going to like the changes." The coffee decision was indicative of many of the management decisions that the Smisek regime made, from customer service to IT. No wonder we now have to pull ourselves off the bottom.

 

Nicely stated. I'm in total agreement.

The stock buy back is a perfect example of a missed opportunity to shore up the airline from within. I still feel as though we have great potential, as we always have. It would be nice to see someone follow through for a change.

 

not off to good start...

CHICAGO, Oct. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Airlines' [NYSE: UAL] labor woes continue as talks with International Brotherhood of Teamsters-represented aviation maintenance technicians and related workers stalled today.

"Delta and American are setting the pace and United is dragging its feet," said Clacy Griswold, lead negotiator for the Teamsters. "Our hardworking aviation professionals deserve industry- leading pay and benefits and will settle for nothing less."

The union has been in negotiations with the company since November 2012 and under the guidance of a federal mediator since November 2013.

The company continues to trail the industry standard in compensation after having the most profitable quarters in its history.

"We hoped to see a change in the airline's attitude toward its workers under the new leadership of CEO Oscar Munoz, but that has yet to be seen," Griswold said.

The Teamsters Airline Division represents 9,000 aircraft maintenance technicians and related workers at United Airlines, and over 80,000 workers in the aviation industry.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:
Kara Deniz, (202) 624-6911
[email protected]

 

Munoz should get NO HONEYMOON. He's been on the board and was paid for that, meaning he should have known what Jeff was doing.

Now, he'll ask for our patience as he gets up to speed and makes United the airline we all want to work for and be proud of. We've already paid for this once and more for some. Let him put the money on the table and get contracts for all employee groups done. In the meantime he can tell his people to honor our contract and handle the grievances that have accumulated since the merger. I'm sure he knew what Jeff was doing in this regard.