NorthWorstAir.org
NWA Has Some Good
Ex-Employees - Here is one: Professor James Dixey.
NWA Has
Some Good Employees - #2
Even
I can not help but have empathy for people like this. Names have
been removed to protect the innocent. NWA employee comments are
in black, my replies are in brown and underlined for the benefit
of blind people who are using a screen reader.
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 11:38 AM
Mr. Riley,
I saw your website listed recently in a
newspaper article concerning passenger complaints and
rights. I just explored your website, and I have a few
comments to share with you.
Firstly, I will remain anonymous. I do
this because of privacy, not for fear from you, or my
company. I will tell you that I am a ** year Northwest
flight attendant.
To begin, I totally understand your problems
with Northwest. These are things I hear daily when I am at
work. You must also understand that there actually
"are" people who are okay with our airline. I
wonder why you are so angrily adamant against the company? And,
why you put forth so much effort with your detailed
website? The biggest power you have is to simply fly
someone else. I understand you have done that, as many
others have.
Frankly, I wish it weren't that way.
However, you must understand that although things are bad for
many of our customers, they are equally bad for many of the
employees. Nevertheless, I personally have many years
vested in wages and seniority, and it would be difficult for me
to leave Northwest and start all over again. Your plight to
destroy the airline concerns me, because there are over 50,000
"people" who have lives to lead, families to raise, and
bills to pay, all whom rely on Northwest for paychecks.
While I would prefer to be proud of the company
I work for, I still must understand that destroying it would take
away my livelihood, and that's why I am writing you.
Things are aweful for the employees too.
That's why service is so poor. We work for greedy upper
management who keep chipping away at costs. I am tired of
constantly apologizing for things that are far out of my control.
I am tired of working full flights with minimum
flight attendant crew. I am tired of being paid wages at
$38 per flight hour (top pay), while flight attendants at Delta
make over $56 per flight hour. We ALL deserve better.
The employees, and the traveling public. I
do what I can by trying to change things. I write things
up, and encourage passengers to do the same. I hope and pray that
eventually the message will come across to the jerks who
"run the show", and that things will improve.
Employees want to be respected, paid well, and
given the tools to do their jobs well. Unfortunately, that
currently is not the case. It once was, and I hope it will
be again. Passengers should be treated respectfully, and
given consistent quality transportation. That also is not
happening right now. Again, I hope that changes.
I think re-regulating the airline industry would
be a mistake. It would take away lower fares and
competition. I believe that this bad period for Northwest
wont last forever. While it is going on, I don't blame you
for staying away. I encourage you to keep complaining to
Northwest management to get what you deserve. But, please
don't try to destroy the company that helps me live my life when
I am home. I don't like working for Northwest right now,
but I really don't have a choice. You don't like flying
Northwest right now, and you have voiced the loudest choice, you
changed carriers. I hope one day soon, that I will be happy
to go to work, and proud once again. And, that I have the
opportunity to welcome back formerly disgrunted passengers, who
may actually be happy to fly with us.
In the meantime, continue to stay away from
us. Voice your concerns to management, but don't try to
destroy many employees' lives based on several stupid people's
decisions in upper management.
Thanks for listening.
Date:
Wednesday, March 24, 1999 12:03 PM
I understand the plight
people like you are in. I know that NWA staff has it worse
than the passengers. But the cure for this problem is going
to be some very bitter medicine. If NWA continues as it has
it will eventually fold. The only chance of saving the
company is to raise enough of a stink that the board initiates a
house cleaning of upper management.
Last, I suggest that
you consider moving to another airline. I know it is
difficult, but you sound like you deserve a better work
environment than NWA.
Ron
The reply
Date: Wednesday, March 24,
1999 1:16 PM
Moving to another airline
has always been a concern of mine. Unfortunately, it means
being paid wages so low that you almost qualify for food
stamps. I am currently looking into opening my own
business. It is unfortunate, as I have always wanted to
work in the airline industry, ever since I was little. It has
changed so much since I started. I truly do enjoy my job, but
wish things would get better for all of us. It gives me
pleasure to work on a flight and have everyone have a pleasant
trip. It just doesn't happen as much as it used to. I
have watched service deteriorate, and carry-on baggage increase
to unbelievable proportions! It's a war out there!
Recently, I flew as a flight attendant on a flight from **** to
****, and had to have a woman arrested for throwing her food at a
co-worker because she thought it was inadequate. I remember when
first class was for the elite, and everyone dressed in their
Sunday best to fly. How things change!
I agree that upper
management needs to "go" at NWA. They are
uninformed. The only reason NWA won't go out of business is due
to our lock on our hubs in DTW, MEM and MSP, and due to our feeds
from KLM, Alaska, Alitalia, Air China etc.
I hope with the help of
passengers like you, and employees who care, that things will get
better. I just hope that you aren't out to destroy NWA,
because it would devastate many peoples lives, and ruin many
communities' economies, as evident by our pilot strike.
Currently, the flight attendants are in negotiations, and they
are NOT going well. We are bracing for a possible strike
ourselves. Will they ever learn?
Good luck!
Date:
Wednesday, March 24, 1999 1:57 PM
I was
faced with a similar decision ten years ago. I bailed out
of Sun Oil. I do not make anywhere near as much money, but I am
having fun. And there is a real possibility that I will,
granted with considerable risk, make a great deal of money over
the next ten years.
Ron
Page last revised 3-31-99
 Northwest Made
Me A Very
Unhappy Customer
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Ronald
J. Riley
1323 West Cook Road
Grand Blanc, MI 48439
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 Wasted Time & Money
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