Delta Job Cuts Begin Saturday (69,000 total cuts)

[UpInArms]

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=56855

ATLANTA (AP) -- Delta Air Lines' plan to cut up to 69,000 jobs starts today.

The plan, first announced in September, will be spread over 18 months.

The Atlanta-based carrier has said it will cut between 15,000 to 18,000 administrative jobs, 16,000 to 2,000 technical operations jobs and 29,000 to 31,000 customer service jobs.

The airline is asking employees to voluntarily retire or accept severance packages. Other employees may have to be laid off.

The jobs cuts are part of a broad cost-cutting plan by the nation's third-largest airline in its effort to return to profitability.

...more...

[saltpoint]

1. Bush's tax cuts --

-- aren't going to be of much use to the people whose jobs at Delta are on the block.

In a world of my control, the career worker at Delta keeps his or her job and Dubya loses his.

===
ed: sp.

[acmavm]

2. "16,000 to 2,000 technical operations jobs "...

There's an airlines I'll be certain never to use since I'm assuming that this means aircraft technicians and repair crews, inspection crews, etc.

I think they'd be better off getting rid of the people who run the company. And make their replacements take pay cuts. I think it's less important really for a CEO to be making the big bucks than the guy who's supposed to ensure that the damn thing doesn't fall out of the sky.

[Deja Q]

4. I agree with you utterly. For a CEO to keep is 600x greater salary by

nixing a bunch of people who do the frigging work...

Despicable.

I now agree with those who say America's empire is about to end. Putting greed in front of quality says it all.

[annabanana]

3. More Recipes for the Golden Egg Laying Goose...

Whenever I see another instance of penny-wise, pound-foolish personnel "adjustments".. I wonder:

"When will these fired folks be able to fly somewhere again?"


America's CEO's are a bunch of goose cookers.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. How can they do that when...

they only have around 50,000 employees?

Didn't see anything on Delta's site, but did dig this old article out:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040909/ZNYT01/409090771

"Delta had 55,281 full-time employees at the end of 2003, about 11,000 fewer than in 2000, the industry's peak year for passenger travel. Collectively, the major airlines cut more than 110,000 jobs after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."

Note that this is before the 2004 cutbacks.

But, that's OK, everyone can still jump up and down screaming and yelling. It's much easier when you don't check the facts.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. That kinda jumped out at me, too.

I was sure they didn't have 69,000 employees; that was probably the very most they ever had. I was aware they were laying off some more employees, but obviously the numbers in the article must be incorrect.

[UpInArms]

7. here's some corporate info

http://www.delta.com/inside/investors/corp_info/index.jsp

Delta Air Lines, Inc. provides air transportation for passengers and freight throughout the United States and around the world. As of December 1, 2004, Delta (including its wholly owned subsidiaries, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. and Comair, Inc.) served 215 domestic cities in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as 53 international cities in 35 countries. Delta mainline, domestic and international service, Song®, Delta Shuttle®, Delta Connection®, Delta SkyTeam®, and Worldwide Partners operate 7,550 flights each day to over 487 cities in 88 countries.

http://www.delta.com/home/press_url/dal_stats_facts/index.jsp

Founded: 1928, Monroe, LA
Headquarters: Atlanta, GA
CEO: Gerald Grinstein
2003 Revenue: 13.3 billion
Employees: 60,000+
Delta Daily Flights: 2,065
ASA Daily Flights: 863
Comair Daily Flights: 1,143
Daily Flights + Partners: 7,550

I didn't write the original news article post - merely posted it - perhaps there was an error in it - I don't control the Gannett News Service (or any other one for that matter)

[bin.dare]

8. DELTA AIRLINES RECRUITMENT EXPO --- wtf?

it seems they are replacing them with parttimers.

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:RUBB0AueOPcJ:user970783.wx15.registeredsite.com/content/PDF/deltajob.pdf+delta+airline+workforce+&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8

What: Delta Airlines is conducting a Recruitment Expo in College Park.

When: Thursday, December 30, 2004, 10:00AM - 3:00PM

Where: Hugh C. Conley Recreation Center - Multi-Purpose Room3636 College Street, College Park, GA 30337

College Park: On Thursday, December 30, 2004, Delta Airlines will hold a Recruitment Expo in College Park. The airline has immediate opportunities for Customer Service Agents - Ramp Operations. Delta representatives will be accepting resumes and taking applications from those interested in the position. Applicants are encouraged to come with resumes and dressed in business attire.

Minimum Requirements
•At least 18 yrs of age
•High School diploma or GED
•Valid driver’s license
•Ability to lift up to 70 lbs repetitiously
•Required to undergo a fingerprint-based, FBI criminal history records check
•Be passionate about providing outstanding customer service Benefits
•$9.12 starting hourly pay
•Full benefits package.

Interested candidates must be willing to work 40 hours per week, including evenings, weekends and holidays.

Current Atlanta positions are Regular Part Time, Ramp only. Regular part time work schedules are less than 40-hours per week, with a minimum work schedule of 20-hours per week.
All Customer Service Agents within a location/department bid for available shifts which are then awarded according to company length of service within the employee's bid classification.

[Merlot]

11. New part timers = no benifits + lower pay scale

The highest payed (those with the most senority) are forced to retire or be laid off. Replaced with lower wage, probably non-union part-timers. Oh, and that part time? that's only assigned hours. There are always "extra" shifts you can sign up for to easily get over 40 hours a week. But you'll still be classified as part-time.

It's the wal-mart of the skies.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. American and United already

replaced a lot of their people with part-timers, or contracted the work out. Delta's already contracted out a lot of warehouse types, and Continental never paid much anyway.

American took the ramp workers and made them work for a subsidiary for around 10 bucks an hour here with few benefits. Continental started their ramp workers at $8.19 an hour last time I looked. United tossed their cargo workers and hired what seems to be a service subsidiary of Swissair, at much less money.

It sucka, but can someone come up with a better idea for an industry that's bleeding cash and facing bankruptcies all over the place.

Before anyone jumps in with some easy answers...

Taking away all high end salaries won't make a dent in the numbers. the industry lost 10 billion this year, and all the CEOs in the industry didn't make close to that-- many took pay cuts. Maybe take the money away from pilots and mechanics? Extend pilots' mandatory retirement? Fat chance there-- they've already been hit.

The big airlines are saddled with enormous fixed costs, FAA mandated costs, TSA mandated costs, and more expensive fuel as the final nice touch.

The smaller, profitable, airlines have cherrypicked the most lucrative markets, and often use smaller airports with fewer delays. They're also not saddled with a hub and spoke system to the extent the big guys are. They also are largely non-union, and don't pay very well.

People just aren't flying all that much any more, and the ones that do are buying cheaper tickets.

[DS1]

9. I didn't know there were 29,000 customer service jobs in the entire

INDUSTRY!!

:eyes:

I'm usually against Monopolies, but if Virgin took over the Western World's airline industry, I'd be okay with that.

[TomClash]

10. Class War

And only one side's fighting.