What is it with United's pilots?
United's employees got control six years ago, with seats on the
board of directors. This was supposed to give them the incentive to
go out and kick butt.
Instead, they're kicking themselves.
Here we are, having a record summer for airline traffic, and the
world's largest carrier is canceling up to 16% of its schedule on
some days because pilots are refusing to accept overtime
assignments.
According to some accounts, some pilots are deliberately
reducing their taxiing speed. This appears to be a resurrection of
the "Sweet 16" campaign of a few years ago, when United's pilots,
in a beef with a previous management, tried to arrive 16 minutes
after the posted arrival time, just enough to quality as
"late."
We understand that labor strife will take us down a rocky road
from time to time, but it seems to us that United's cockpit
professionals should be able to pursue their goals without
subjecting their own passengers to this kind of sophomoric
sabotage.
If this is what it takes to get a contract with pilots who have
an equity stake in the company, we don't want to think about what
it will take to assimilate US Airways, with its own corps of edgy
labor groups.
• • •
Visit USA
Applause is in order for the Travel Industry Association of
America, which just opened its new Tokyo office.
Since the U.S. government got out of the business of promoting
inbound tourism, TIA, as the industry's major umbrella group, has
tried to pick up the slack with increased promotional activities in
key overseas markets.
It has opened offices in London, Sao Paulo and now Tokyo to
represent U.S. interests at foreign trade shows and to work with
overseas travel agents, tour operators and the foreign press.
This is important work and we're glad that it's getting
done.