2000-08-22 - 00:10 MDT

August 22, 2000

United untied ?

Please Note -- these are the opinions of a retired working man, OPINIONS that is. I guess maybe my outrage over air travel in this country should reflect the feelings of a good many compatriots, especially those who have been stranded at some West Podunk far away from their comfortable beds.

But my thoughts take a different direction. How many of us knew that pilots flying overtime has been a routine thing? Has this been behind some of our air tragedies? How many of us have had to work overtime without the prerogative of refusing same ? Over time on a day when out of sorts, or fighting an illness, or trying get the work day over and take care of pressing problems - - - I have been there, done that. I have worked in places where refusal to work overtime on demand was grounds for dismissal.

Kept the corporation away from the need to hire more people, yunno. Cheaper to pay overtime pay than do the necessary bookwork to hire new people, and grant benefits such as HMO coverage, etc., etc., etc. So for the extra corporate bucks people are forced to take their lives in their hands, as well as several hundred other souls and fly overtime.

Seems to me that way back when, railroad engineers were restricted as to hours worked, and long haul truck drivers had to keep a log and not drive too many hours with out rest. Why should labor disputes be blamed for a situation which never should have existed save for the squeezing of the extra buck for the shareholder by the bottom line upper echelon CEO types whose yearly bonuses and stock options were the main things on their minds - that and the urge to extract the last bit of sweat from their peons.

Of course there are weather problems, they crop up every summer, fall, winter and spring. Each season has its peculiar problems which must be coped with by all airlines.

The multiplicity of airliners in the sky and the air control systems are things all airlines have to live with and make a profit.

With United Air and its Expresses being the biggest air travel entity in this country, how is it that a corporation, which if my memory serves me aright was bought by it's employees let itself get in such a position to screw over the American public and it's pilots in a labor dispute ? Was the purchase of the carrier made with funds from the the overpaid, bonused upper big boys who didn't really care about anything other than greedy more, more, more ? ? ? So why are all these things cited as being valid excuses for the stupidly run Untied airlines ?

Is this truly a situation so aptly shown on some shoulder patches I have seen before with the two ducks and the slogan, "Fly United"

Even so, now days when the time and trouble to get to and from airports now being built way out in the boonies, standing in line at the ticket counter, baggage check in area getting through security gates usually more time is spent doing all that than the actual time in the air. Oh yes, I forgot to mention the time spent sitting at the concourse waiting for a turn at the runway and the wait in line at the runway. Sheesh, probably time and expense could be better used by driving the route.

Pretty strong language from a rabid rabble rouser, I know. So much of this is my own personal opinion based on the little knowledge I have but it is self evident there is fire and smoke when the government has a summit ? meeting about the air travel troubles. I wonder how much more the situation will be screwed up by the bureaucrats muddling the mud ?

Untied-united-untied-united ?

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