Saturday, May 14, 2005

    Win-Win for Everyone

    Alaska Airlines and 472 ramp workers and baggage handlers are very happy now. Here's why:
    Last Saturday the AP reported hundreds of ramp workers and baggage handlers have voted down Alaska Airlines' latest contract proposal and voted to authorize a strike, though talks are expected to continue through the summer. The union members rejected the proposal from the company, Alaska Airlines, by 87% - over the 85% required for a strike. These workers were not happy with their jobs and they were not happy with their compensation, this is obvious.
    Today, one week later, the news is that Alaska Airlines workers arriving for work just before 3 a.m. yesterday found out their jobs have been given to an outsourcing company. All 472 of Alaska's baggage handlers at Sea-Tac got the same message by phone or as they showed up for their shifts. By replacing the unionized baggage handlers in Seattle with contract workers from Menzies Aviation, the airline estimates it will save more than $13 million a year. WOW.
    The same job done for much less money (really, how much talent does it take to move bags?) so it's a win for the Airlines!
    The outsourcing company was able to find work for many workers that are very happy to have those jobs - so it's a win for the outsource workers as well!
    Those 472 union workers don't have to worry about working under conditions they despised so much, freeing them to take their highly skilled talents to a company that will compensate them as they would like - so it's a win for the union workers too!
    Don't ya just love a happy ending!

    1 comment:

    Anonymous said...

    BRILLIANT!

    Normally, you can't fire striking workers--they have a legal protection. But no one ever said you can't layoff a department and outsource to a subcontractor to save money!

    Hey managers: any time you feel a perceived strike by your union thug labor, start quietly calling around to subcontractors and see if you can get a low big, a bid low enough-even just one dollar lower than what you are currently spending-to qualify. Lay off the union thugs, bring in subcontractors, spend one dollar less (maybe millions less!), and be free of union tyranny.

    BRILLIANT!