OPERATIONAL MELTDOWN

OFFICE OF ‘RE-NAME-IFICATION’ INTRODUCED
NUMBERS SPIRAL DOWNWARD


I don’t remember the exact day that we lost control of our Airline, but it happened some time ago. There was a time when our numbers were the envy of the airline industry. Our professionalism and treatment of our customers and passengers was world renowned. Our employees were extremely well compensated and happy. Passengers loved flying on us because we took care of them and why not? We didn’t have a care or a worry in the world.

Our inability to keep up with changing times and economic realities by not adapting like forward thinking airlines, coupled with the inevitable ebb and flow of the economy, caused over-reactions by ever changing management teams. These Management teams were admittedly not up to the job and made terrible decisions resulting in further deterioration of our profit margin and survivability. We all know the history. We haven’t been the same since. Our pay and benefits were slashed, our numbers tanked, and our professionalism suffered.

What was our management team’s reaction to these calamities? Just re-name everything.

The thought process was remarkably simple. If you want a more professionally run operation, just make it sound more important. The Tower became the ‘Coordination Center’, AIC’s (agent in charge) became the ALA (aircraft load agent), Air Freight or Air Cargo was changed to Air Logistics (whatever the hell that means!). Central Load Plan was renamed LCC, and most curious, Supervisors were anointed to the lofty title of Performance Leader. Boy, what a misnomer that has become.

But what is not understandable is — why stop there? Why not continue on with the ‘re-name-ification’ process higher up the food chain. We could re-name the CFO position Mr. Moneypenny. That name simultaneously denotes assets plus frugality; a perfect combination for a Chief Financial Officer. The CEO could be called the ‘Oracle’ giving him an aura of infallibility. None of his decisions would be questioned because of his ability to know and see all.

In other words, how silly have we gotten? You don’t become more professional by changing your title. I would love to know the thought process that went into the re-branding of our positions and departments. Please, expose the person or over-paid consultant who came up with this daffy program. We could all use a good belly laugh at someone else’s expense right about now.

Seriously, we haven’t long, unless we turn around the dismal numbers that our hubs are producing, vis-à-vis baggage handling. The figures don’t lie, but the solutions are remarkably simple and quickly solvable.

The experts with the answers are all around us. You don’t find them in high priced consulting firms or at other airlines. They exist inside the bins of aircrafts, in freight houses and running wide-body loaders. They are the top 20% of our seniority lists and have learned their trades the old-fashioned way, through experience. Delta’s way, until quite recently, was to ignore them, contract them out or worse, terminate them; an obvious over-reaction to spiraling costs.

Some Delta cities won’t allow dissent or a devil’s advocacy role within management circles. An opinion different from that of the Ramp Manager is quickly stifled, and loyal dissent or advice is muffled or permanently silenced. Any attempt to by-pass the Manager and push information higher up is dealt with swiftly and deadly. Careers are threatened.

Our crusty, old supervisors (Performance Leaders) were long ago thrown off the ship without a life boat or preserver. New age Administrators were brought in from other departments to replace them, mainly from Reservations, and our numbers have been tanking ever since. Just because someone knows how to write a report or dress more properly doesn’t mean they can run a complex choreography of constantly arriving planes and bags. Administrators don’t always make good operationalists, (not a word, but it fits!) especially if they have no previous experience in the field of operations.

We ask you to bring back the people, the policies and the attitude that made us the envy of the airline world. Ramp people who have been mentored over years of work and experience will make the best supervisors and managers. It’s the most common sense approach and our past numbers have already proven it.

Listen to the people around you. The ‘many’, over time, always come up with and develop the most workable solutions to problems. No one person, however sharp, is more intelligent than the entire group.

Our union campaign is about justice and fairness, about legitimacy and permanency. Of course it is also about equitable pay and benefits that enhance life. Most importantly, it is about survivability. We will not continue as an airline producing ineffectual numbers, especially when the economy inevitably turns downward. We offer professionalism and consistency; ultimately that is what will sustain us.