Labor/Economics

[Motor City]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycBVt4lq64g

"Tired of the Apologies": Workers, Flyers Say Southwest Airlines Meltdown Was Decades in the Making

The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will investigate cancellations and delays by Southwest Airlines after the airline canceled about two-thirds of its flights since a Christmas snowstorm.

The unprecedented operational meltdown left thousands of travelers stranded, causing scenes of chaos at airports across the country during one of the busiest travel seasons in the year. Corliss King, vice president of TWU Local 556 representing Southwest flight attendants, says the union has warned the company for years about the technical issues that contributed to this week's chaos.

We also speak with Paul Hudson of FlyersRights, the largest nonprofit airline passenger rights organization in the U.S., who blames decades of cost-cutting and chasing profits for the deteriorating service in the airline industry. "It's more profitable to have bad service than good service," says Hudson.

The Mental Health struggles of administrative and executive people keeps going unnoticed and untreated.

[ZoWie]

I'm still having mental health issues from last June, when the airports had signs saying masks were required in the terminals, $50 fine for violation, and not a soul was wearing a mask.

It probably didn't contribute to covid spread, but it was yet another indication for me that the airline system is broken. Apparently Southwest had been warned about the inadequacy of its computer system for years and nothing was done about it.

Now there are TV pictures of the mess at LAX. It's a disaster area, literally, they're having to feed people camped out there. Apparently also a lot of baggage made it to LAX but the owners are still somewhere else. It's all piled up. No one has the slightest idea what to do.

It's a lot quieter here in the evening. About 1/4 of arriving flights at LAX were Southwest at that time of day, and they're still all cancelled. You really hear the difference.

[Number6]

I'm still having mental health issues from last June, when the airports had signs saying masks were required in the terminals, $50 fine for violation, and not a soul was wearing a mask.

It probably didn't contribute to covid spread, but it was yet another indication for me that the airline system is broken. Apparently Southwest had been warned about the inadequacy of its computer system for years and nothing was done about it.

Now there are TV pictures of the mess at LAX. It's a disaster area, literally, they're having to feed people camped out there. Apparently also a lot of baggage made it to LAX but the owners are still somewhere else. It's all piled up. No one has the slightest idea what to do.

It's a lot quieter here in the evening. About 1/4 of arriving flights at LAX were Southwest at that time of day, and they're still all cancelled. You really hear the difference.

Regarding the baggage, from the pictures on TV it appears the bags have claim tags with bar codes. The airlines should be able to use a scanner to scan the bar codes of each bag and determine not only which airport it should be at but who the owner is. I'm wondering if the software for scheduling flights is tied-into the check-in computers where boarding passes are issued and luggage checked-in and tagged.

[ZoWie]

I'm sure it's a computer issue, since the bags are tagged. Southwest's system was old and inadequate, and it appears to have, uh, crashed.

[gounion]

Southwest's system isn't THAT old - they do have the bags coded. Southwest is the airline I used the most.

Lots of people are putting those apple tags on their bags these days, so they know where their bags are.

Southwest uses a point-to-point system which is a LOT different than the hub-and-spoke system. Mostly the other airlines have planes that just go back and forth from cities to the hub. On a Southwest flight, it might start in, say, Seattle, but five flights later, it's in Miami. So once a bunch of them are out of place, they're screwed.

And of course, as usual, Fox News is blaming the government for Southwest's fuckups. It's all Pete Buttigieg's fault. I'm sure the GOP House'll try to impeach him over it.

[Bludogdem]

“ Mr. Murray said the union had been urging the airline for years to update “I.T. and infrastructure from the 1990s.”

“We’re seeing these meltdowns occur with more severity and more frequency and this past weekend was the exclamation point,” he said. The airline also suffered a technology meltdown in June 2021 that resulted in a day when half of its flights were delayed and many were canceled; it took days before the situation could be resolved. In October of that year, it had similar issues and canceled more than 1,800 flights over one weekend.

Even before this week’s problems, Mr. Jordan, Southwest’s chief executive, had acknowledged that the scheduling system was outdated.

“We’re behind,” Mr. Jordan said in November, according to Fortune. “As we’ve grown, we’ve outrun our tools.”

For example, Southwest does not have a quick, automated way to contact crew members who get reassigned, he said. “Someone needs to call them or chase them down in the airport and tell them,” he said.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/trav ... tions.html

[gounion]

“ Mr. Murray said the union had been urging the airline for years to update “I.T. and infrastructure from the 1990s.”

“We’re seeing these meltdowns occur with more severity and more frequency and this past weekend was the exclamation point,” he said. The airline also suffered a technology meltdown in June 2021 that resulted in a day when half of its flights were delayed and many were canceled; it took days before the situation could be resolved. In October of that year, it had similar issues and canceled more than 1,800 flights over one weekend.

Even before this week’s problems, Mr. Jordan, Southwest’s chief executive, had acknowledged that the scheduling system was outdated.

“We’re behind,” Mr. Jordan said in November, according to Fortune. “As we’ve grown, we’ve outrun our tools.”

For example, Southwest does not have a quick, automated way to contact crew members who get reassigned, he said. “Someone needs to call them or chase them down in the airport and tell them,” he said.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/trav ... tions.html

Again, yes, they're system is outdated, but I flew them all the time - and still have a lot of points I'm using up. I was at the companion pass level of Rapid Rewards.

I was just pointing out that, while it's outdated it wasn't THAT outdated. They do tag every bag and it's computerized.

I'm not defending Southwest. They need to realize if they don't fix things, they are in real trouble.

[Bludogdem]

Again, yes, they're system is outdated, but I flew them all the time - and still have a lot of points I'm using up. I was at the companion pass level of Rapid Rewards.

I was just pointing out that, while it's outdated it wasn't THAT outdated. They do tag every bag and it's computerized.

I'm not defending Southwest. They need to realize if they don't fix things, they are in real trouble.

1990’s is woefully outdated. Can’t communicate effectively with crews. It really is THAT outdated.

[gounion]

1990’s is woefully outdated. Can’t communicate effectively with crews. It really is THAT outdated.

But again, I fly with them (thankfully not now), and they do have barcodes on the bags.

I must say, for three years of constant flight with Southwest, I didn't have a flight that was canceled. Only once did I have a big delay, and it was weather related. I spent a week in St. Louis one day.

And believe me, it felt like a week. Can't stand that airport.

8 AM flight, supposed to have a 10 AM connection, missed it by five minutes because it was snowing at BWI. But there was weather everywhere, and didn't get to Minneapolis until after midnight.

It's funny, as I was thinking about this, I thought, "never a cancellation, never late.... OH WAIT!"

Nashville's a big Southwest airport, so I can go many places without having a connection. The main exception is I always have to fly through St. Louis to get to Wichita.

When I flew American, it was always a lot worse. I hated flying American.

[Bludogdem]

But again, I fly with them (thankfully not now), and they do have barcodes on the bags.

I must say, for three years of constant flight with Southwest, I didn't have a flight that was canceled. Only once did I have a big delay, and it was weather related. I spent a week in St. Louis one day.

And believe me, it felt like a week. Can't stand that airport.

8 AM flight, supposed to have a 10 AM connection, missed it by five minutes because it was snowing at BWI. But there was weather everywhere, and didn't get to Minneapolis until after midnight.

It's funny, as I was thinking about this, I thought, "never a cancellation, never late.... OH WAIT!"

Nashville's a big Southwest airport, so I can go many places without having a connection. The main exception is I always have to fly through St. Louis to get to Wichita.

When I flew American, it was always a lot worse. I hated flying American.

I fly Delta. I’m not a big traveler. But when I do it’s Delta. Apparently Delta didn’t have many cancellations. They actually alert me when the bag is loaded on the plane.

[gounion]

I fly Delta. I’m not a big traveler. But when I do it’s Delta. Apparently Delta didn’t have many cancellations. They actually alert me when the bag is loaded on the plane.

Never a fan of Delta. They were like American, always treated everyone like shit.

[Number6]

Never a fan of Delta. They were like American, always treated everyone like shit.

Over the past 18 years I've only flown Southwestern because the place I've flown to is Las Vegas which is an hour by air. No doubt many Southwestern passengers will say they won't fly Southwestern again but in the end most of them will.

[bird]

Never a fan of Delta. They were like American, always treated everyone like shit.

Hm, I flew Southwest for a while back when I started flying to the East coast. I always paid for A1-A15 and then checked in the second I could. Usually got A1 or A2. I got pissed when I could not get an exit row or the front row because enough people stayed on the plane from the previous hop. I was living in Chicago at the time and that was always a hub for them at Midway. When I moved to NE Ohio for the company (had to live in the territory, they paid for the move) I started flying AirTran out of Akron-Canton. I would buy the upgrade to first class for a pretty cheap price. Then Southwest bought AirTran and that went away. After that I flew Delta. Since then I have flown American once but besides that only Delta. I have had no problems with them. Of course the airline “industry” is completely fucked up anyway. American and United are too expensive flying out of Cleveland.

[Motor City]

Missouri’s minimum wage increased

On Sunday, more than 360,000 Missourians received a raise.

The minimum wage in Missouri is now up to $12 an hour after voters approved an increase back in 2018. The jump means an 85-cent-an-hour increase for thousands of workers across the state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AH94CUl5ko

[Motor City]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1To-yYjqlU

New Missouri law makes sleeping, camping on state-owned land illegal

Missouri Governor Signs Bill Into Law Criminalizing Homelessness

Governor Mike Parson has signed a bill into law that will make it a felony to sleep on state-owned land. The bill has drawn wide criticism from unhoused advocates for the way it seemingly criminalizes homelessness.

After one warning, anyone found illegally camping on state-owned land could face a $750 fine or a Class C misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 15 days in prison.

The law authorizes the state attorney general to sue any municipalities that don’t enforce the ban. It further penalizes cities with rates of homelessness higher than the state average by taking away state funding for unhoused services.....

[Motor City]

https://twitter.com/ReuvenBlau/status/1 ... 1425774594

The city has quietly agreed to pay the homeless man $135K after cops dragged him off a near-empty train bc he was allegedly taking up two seats. Harrowing video obtained by @RosaGoldensohn

cause if you starve people of resources, take everything from them, criminalize them, and violently attack them they will somehow heal, be productive, magically be enabled to do anything.

[ap215]

Private payroll growth surged by 235,000 in December, well above estimate, ADP reports

The jobs market closed out 2022 on a high note, with companies adding far more positions than expected in December, payroll processing firm ADP reported Thursday.

Private payrolls rose by 235,000 for the month, well ahead of the 153,000 Dow Jones estimate and the 127,000 initially reported for November.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/adp-job ... -2022.html

[ap215]

Unemployment rate falls below 7%

Detroit's unemployment rate hit 6.4% in November — its first time below 7% in 22 years, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday.

Yes, but: It's "not something that we're celebrating and stopping, we're going to keep going," he said in a news conference.

https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/202 ... low-7-2023

[ap215]

Nonfarm payrolls rose 223,000 in December, as strong jobs market tops expectations

Payroll growth decelerated in December but was still better than expected, a sign that the labor market remains strong even as the Federal Reserve tries to slow economic growth.

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 223,000 for the month, above the Dow Jones estimate for 200,000, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, 0.2 percentage point below the expectation. The job growth marked a small decrease from the 256,000 gain in November, which was revised down 7,000 from the initial estimate.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/06/jobs-re ... tions.html

[ap215]

Real average hourly earnings for all employees increase 0.4% in December

Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.4 percent from November to December,
seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from an
increase of 0.3 percent in average hourly earnings combined with a decrease of 0.1 percent in the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Real average weekly earnings increased 0.1 percent over the month due to the change in real average
hourly earnings combined with a decrease of 0.3 percent in the average workweek

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/realer.nr0.htm

[ap215]

Consumer prices fell 0.1% in December, in line with expectations from economists

Inflation closed out 2022 in a modest retreat, with consumer prices in December posting their biggest monthly decline since early in the pandemic, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The consumer price index, which measures the cost of a broad basket of goods and services, fell 0.1% for the month, in line with the Dow Jones estimate. That equated to the largest month-over-month decrease since April 2020, as much of the country was in lockdown to combat Covid.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/12/consume ... tions.html

[ap215]

Nurses at 2 NYC hospitals return to work as deal ends strike

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses at two New York City hospitals ended a three-day strike Thursday after reaching a tentative contract agreement that union officials said offers better working conditions, in addition to pay raises.

The tentative deals at Mount Sinai Hospital, in Manhattan, and Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, include raises totaling 19% over three years. Nurses began returning to work at both hospitals Thursday morning, with Gov. Kathy Hochul greeting returning nurses at Mount Sinai just before dawn.

https://apnews.com/article/nyc-nurses-s ... osition_03

[Motor City]

Disinformation season is upon us. News media, pundits and politicians alike doing the thing they say is the worst.

Michigan faces mild recession ahead with huge budget surplus, economists say

Outlook for Michigan businesses drops in annual survey, but two state leaders are hopeful

U.S. Treasury Department to take 'extraordinary measures' as government nears debt ceiling

[Motor City]

State of the Working Class

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcDXL1T1FkI

Now is the time for Congress to show the American working class that our government can work for them – not just the 1%.

[Motor City]

France: Over 1 million march against raising retirement age

At least 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other French cities Thursday amid nationwide strikes against plans to raise the retirement age — but President Emmanuel Macron insisted he would press ahead with the proposed pension reforms.

Emboldened by the mass show of resistance, French unions announced new strikes and protests Jan. 31, vowing to try to get the government to back down on plans to push up the standard retirement age from 62 to 64. ....


.....Paris police said that 38 people were detained as a mass of people thronged the streets of the capital despite freezing rain, the crowd so big that it took hours to reach their destination. Retirees and college students joined the diverse crowd, united in their fear and anger over the reform.....