Who Clipped US Airways Wings?
In a Sept. 15 Business article airline management blamed US Airways’ recent bankruptcy filing on employees. US Airways was forced to seek bankruptcy protection because it is no longer competitive. Many factors are involved, but management was responsible for the decisions that led to bankruptcy. Management negotiated the contracts under which the airline operates. Officials shouldn’t have signed a union contract if the airline couldn’t sustain it. The story said, “US Airways has been trying to secure about $800 million in pay and benefits cuts from its four labor groups.” As the employee of a major airline, I know what the story didn’t say: That since US Airways’ last bankruptcy filing, barely two years ago, those labor groups have accepted significant cuts in pay and benefits. It didn’t say that the previous top management left the company with “golden parachute” compensation packages after leading it into bankruptcy. That leaves the employees to be the primary victims of a bankruptcy
