Kip Powick Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Nice to see the Union heads are all on the same page (sarcasm intended) From the Toronto star.... "This extravaganza and glitz is a bad idea; it's just waste," said Pamela Sachs, head of the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants. Union official Paul Lefebvre said he planned to circulate a company-wide petition to inform Air Canada chief executive Robert Milton that poor morale remains widespread within company ranks — Dion's signing notwithstanding. "It's an insult to have that kind of opulence," said Lefebvre, who heads the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Air Canada in Ontario. "They just crashed the company and now they're arrogant enough to think a paint job and Celine Dion will make things OK? It's a waste of money." From the Vacouver Province.. Unionized workers gave up more than $1 billion a year in cost cuts to help in the airline's restructuring, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers was indignant about Air Canada's spending on the Toronto ceremony and similar parties in other centres. Spokesman Jocelyn Vincent said he was shocked by the lavish expenditure by a company just emerged from bankruptcy protection after wringing concessions in salaries and working conditions from its workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest long keel Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Actually Kip, You're favorite target of sarcasm ACPA, made no negative statements whatsoever. Not ALL the union heads were bad mouthing this. Time for these guys to wake up and realize this is a business, and business costs include marketing. You can bet Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and most other fortune 50 companies spend almost as much on marketing as on payroll. If we want to get passengers flying with us from abroad, who better than the highest grossing Canadian singer of all time who speaks both of Canada's languages fluently? If the company markets itself well, and we deliver cost effective service, profits will follow. Without profit, there ain't no company to pay you. When will these boneheads learn? Methinks that the old adage of the Canadian Lobsters is alive and well within the ranks of the IAM, CUPE and the CAW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 ...miserable, myopic, sad sack, narrow minded, grumbly assed, spoil sports! Y'know... if this had all happened as we were suffering big time and headed down the drain (as I seem to recall it was like at some other entity that did something similar), I'd be right there bitching along with these grumps. ...But I see this as being somewhat different! We've just spent the better part of two years fighting off the current pulling us into that drain, and we've emerged from the muck with our heads held high. It's time to wash all that off, put on some clean clothes and celebrate our victory! To heck with the grumblers. I like this clean and fresh new look... and the celebration that goes with it. It feels right to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted October 20, 2004 Author Share Posted October 20, 2004 Actually Kip, You're favorite target of sarcasm ACPA, made no negative statements whatsoever. Not ALL the union heads were bad mouthing this. Certainly you are correct...I should have written "Some" union heads... re ACPA .... lets not go there...there is enough written on the OCP "private" forum, the OAC "private" forum and the OAC "very private" forum that illustrate many pilots opinions about "other" pilot unions...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jiminy Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 I actually found this part of the article interesting. Dion's signing comes months after DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler division quit ties with the singer when an advertising campaign featuring Dion's hit song "I Drove All Night" failed to spur sales of the auto maker's new Pacifica brand. Chrysler had signed Dion to a reported $12 million (U.S.) agreement. Dion's Chrysler ads showed her gripping the wheel of a convertible or singing to herself in the passenger seat. The full story is here: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968793972154 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 You have to realise though... She took a good Cyndi Lauper song and turned it into shlock. Maybe they should take soundtrack advice from Mitsubushi,,,, Their commercials have the coolest tunes! Iceman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagger Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 ...miserable, myopic, sad sack, narrow minded, grumbly assed, spoil sports! Y'know... if this had all happened as we were suffering big time and headed down the drain (as I seem to recall it was like at some other entity that did something similar), I'd be right there bitching along with these grumps. ...But I see this as being somewhat different! We've just spent the better part of two years fighting off the current pulling us into that drain, and we've emerged from the muck with our heads held high. It's time to wash all that off, put on some clean clothes and celebrate our victory! To heck with the grumblers. I like this clean and fresh new look... and the celebration that goes with it. It feels right to me. Mitch, the union leaders - as opposed to most employees - want you to think that every penny AC will ever spend in its existence is coming out of their members' pockets. In truth, a lot of people "gave", and some new people have come in with $1.1 billion in new money. So if an employee doesn't like the fact Celine is the new voice of AC, they can always say that's Milton wasting Cerberus' money. Or Deutsche Bank's money. And hey, they have deep pockets But two things caught my eye today: 1) Some union talking heads complain, but never say what they WOULD do. Okay, do you have a better plan, Ms Sachs? Shall we never paint the planes, never upgrade the interiors, never launch a new route, never run another TV ad "because it's a waste of money"? If so, what is your plan to stop international travellers - especially the business class passenger paying $8,000 to fly to Tokyo - from defecting to other airlines because they find AC's aircraft to be old and ratty looking? I can tell you that JAL just put a newer 747 with upgraded entertainment options on its Narita-Vancouver-Mexico City route. 2) Celine Dion is not being paid whatever she is being paid for a two day concert tour of Air Canada facilities. She is being paid to put Air Canada on the front pages, and she is being paid to sing a song that is the centre piece of an international ad campaign, and she is being paid (in part by the Canadian Tourism Commission) to promote travel to Canada which creates jobs in hotels and restaurants and at car rental companies, etc. Whatever she is being paid is being amortized over three years, and some of what she is being paid would have been paid to produce other, less effective ads. I saw the ad yesterday, and I thought it is quite creative. I don't say that about a lot of AC ads. I had little good to say about the Olympic ads, for example. But this one will have broad appeal. Anyway, a box score for the feeble union leaders: Toronto Star - Large color front page picture of Celine with a great headline "You and I were meant to fly; Celine Dion helps launch the revamped Air Canada" Globe and Mail - Color photo on page 3 with story, almost entirely positive story. National Post - Large front page color photo What price good publicity and star power... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Needless to say that pretty much ALL of the radio stations (around GTA anyhow) were talking about it. Sure they were poking fun at Celine, but the story was out there. I personally think that this is a great way to get the NEW AC ou there and in the face of the world. Bring AC back to its former glory as one of the finest airlines in the world. Good Luck to all B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Hey, I'm hardly Celine's biggest fan, but I have to say, I think the new campaign is sharp. I would have been very surprised if they didn't do something, and the fact that they're being so bold shows me they're serious about a new beginning. I have to say, I've seen some nice improvements in the service level and the demeanour of front line staff at AC in the past few months. And every one of the folks I've encountered are represented by these union reps who are spouting off in the media. Seems they're out of touch with the membership. As for the spineless wranglings of Pam et al, they lack substance, and most Canadians will take them for what they are, which is nothing more than pre-negotiation posturing, done in the hope they'll be able to win support for some ridiculous new demands when the next contract comes around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jiminy Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Union official Paul Lefebvre said he planned to circulate a company-wide petition to inform Air Canada chief executive Robert Milton that poor morale remains widespread within company ranks — Dion's signing notwithstanding. "It's an insult to have that kind of opulence," said Lefebvre, who heads the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Air Canada in Ontario. "They just crashed the company and now they're arrogant enough to think a paint job and Celine Dion will make things OK? It's a waste of money." Looks like Paul Lefebvre is making good on his threat to start a petition. http://www.ll2323iamaw.org/2323_bulletins/...rale_Oct_04.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FA@AC Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Looks like Paul Lefebvre is making good on his threat to start a petition. A petition! Too bad that he and the brass from the other unions didn't bother to get opinions from their members before they drove Trinity away and landed us instead with the investors that required the deeper concessions that LeFebvre and his counterparts from CUPE and the CAW are now carping and bitching about. I hope that nobody signs the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz2 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 They did get it right with rebranding, paint , uniforms etc., but there has to be some cost control, and I would think they could have done without Celine and her costly appearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.