AlaskaAV
GONE WEST
Mission, TX
This was especially true of the employees working for Alaska Airlines in the late 1960s. Since I was working for Wien, their competitor at the time, I have no direct information, only what was told to me by friends that worked for Alaska and what I saw so I suppose you should take this with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if what I am telling you is true as I knew it was at the time.
As with most airlines at the time, finances were short everywhere. Route expansion and added equipment can really dig into the reserves. Also keep in mind that at the time, Alaska Airlines was a rather small regional carrier serving lots of Alaska and into Seattle with a home base of Anchorage with a top management team that always looked toward tomorrow.
Alaska stock was selling for something like 1.5 to 1.75 at the time and if I recall right, it was near 40 not too long ago. Top management of the airline always kept the employees informed of the company situation and often asked for suggestions from the employees on how to cut costs. There were times, I understand, that even payroll might not be made but again, that is only what I heard. Lets put it this way, I often gave my girlfriend money at times just to get by.
Here are some of the suggestions the employees came up with and that were put into effect.
Some employees offered to take half pay for a while. Others agreed to work half shifts so someone else could work the other half shift. At least a little pay for two people. Those that could afford to worked without pay for a couple of months. Many with higher seniority took a voluntary lay off so others below that needed money worse could stay working. Some offered to work overtime at no pay when needed. All this done by the employees and not asked for or required by management. Instead of hiring new employees, often workers in another department would jump over and help near departure time. Remember, on time departures. It was nothing unusual to see a Captain or flight attendant helping with checkin or writing tickets when the chips were down. After the turnaround checks were completed, the mechanics often helped load last minute mail, baggage and cargo. Of course that would not be posable is this day and age but to keep that airline flying durring their hard times and it was something special to watch. At the same time, Delta Airlines was known for doing the same things at times and even ran TV ads about it.
It is my understanding that all of these cuts were kept track of and later, every employee received the balance of the pay they had earned plus a bonus.
All employees looked for every way posable to cut corners except for maintenance of course but even they helped out in a way so I was told. When they dropped a safety nut, washer or safety wire on the floor, they picked it up instead of grabbing another. Needless to say, some of those very minor items cost a lot of money. I understood that many employees took their uniforms home to wash instead of the company sending them out for cleaning. Suddenly the cost of office supplies was cut nearly in half because of the employee consideration. Ground equipment was driven in a more sane "attitude" to cut down on maintenance. All kinds of ways that a great group of employees can find to keep their company flying.
It was always so great watching those Alaska Airlines employees at the time holding their heads up and always with a smile and never a bad word about their company. When the traveling public would have some derogatory statement about the airline, every employee that I saw always had a positive reply and a smile. Out of respect for Alaska Airlines, I will not even repeat the nickname they received in those days. Since our ticket counter was next to that of Alaska Airlines in Fairbanks at the time, it was easy to watch all of this going on. Also at our interline club parties which I often co-hosted at, once in a while I got to talk indepth with AS employees, off the record, one on one and it seemed that employees from other airlines always had encouraging words to those from Alaska. After all, they just might have had to go through the same things. The beauty of the airline interline clubs world wide was that no management personnel were allowed, except for the hosts, and whatever was said or happened at those parties never left the room. There was never any company competition, regardless of the airline. Of course the next day, all back to normal, fighting tooth and nail for every passenger.
Regardless of some labor and legal problems lately, Alaska Airlines is still flying because of a fantastic bunch of employees 40 years ago and I am sure top management has not forgotten. ln a way, it made me feel good just to be their competitor. Sorry Wien employees, I calls um as I sees um, I offer respect where respect is due.
As with most airlines at the time, finances were short everywhere. Route expansion and added equipment can really dig into the reserves. Also keep in mind that at the time, Alaska Airlines was a rather small regional carrier serving lots of Alaska and into Seattle with a home base of Anchorage with a top management team that always looked toward tomorrow.
Alaska stock was selling for something like 1.5 to 1.75 at the time and if I recall right, it was near 40 not too long ago. Top management of the airline always kept the employees informed of the company situation and often asked for suggestions from the employees on how to cut costs. There were times, I understand, that even payroll might not be made but again, that is only what I heard. Lets put it this way, I often gave my girlfriend money at times just to get by.
Here are some of the suggestions the employees came up with and that were put into effect.
Some employees offered to take half pay for a while. Others agreed to work half shifts so someone else could work the other half shift. At least a little pay for two people. Those that could afford to worked without pay for a couple of months. Many with higher seniority took a voluntary lay off so others below that needed money worse could stay working. Some offered to work overtime at no pay when needed. All this done by the employees and not asked for or required by management. Instead of hiring new employees, often workers in another department would jump over and help near departure time. Remember, on time departures. It was nothing unusual to see a Captain or flight attendant helping with checkin or writing tickets when the chips were down. After the turnaround checks were completed, the mechanics often helped load last minute mail, baggage and cargo. Of course that would not be posable is this day and age but to keep that airline flying durring their hard times and it was something special to watch. At the same time, Delta Airlines was known for doing the same things at times and even ran TV ads about it.
It is my understanding that all of these cuts were kept track of and later, every employee received the balance of the pay they had earned plus a bonus.
All employees looked for every way posable to cut corners except for maintenance of course but even they helped out in a way so I was told. When they dropped a safety nut, washer or safety wire on the floor, they picked it up instead of grabbing another. Needless to say, some of those very minor items cost a lot of money. I understood that many employees took their uniforms home to wash instead of the company sending them out for cleaning. Suddenly the cost of office supplies was cut nearly in half because of the employee consideration. Ground equipment was driven in a more sane "attitude" to cut down on maintenance. All kinds of ways that a great group of employees can find to keep their company flying.
It was always so great watching those Alaska Airlines employees at the time holding their heads up and always with a smile and never a bad word about their company. When the traveling public would have some derogatory statement about the airline, every employee that I saw always had a positive reply and a smile. Out of respect for Alaska Airlines, I will not even repeat the nickname they received in those days. Since our ticket counter was next to that of Alaska Airlines in Fairbanks at the time, it was easy to watch all of this going on. Also at our interline club parties which I often co-hosted at, once in a while I got to talk indepth with AS employees, off the record, one on one and it seemed that employees from other airlines always had encouraging words to those from Alaska. After all, they just might have had to go through the same things. The beauty of the airline interline clubs world wide was that no management personnel were allowed, except for the hosts, and whatever was said or happened at those parties never left the room. There was never any company competition, regardless of the airline. Of course the next day, all back to normal, fighting tooth and nail for every passenger.
Regardless of some labor and legal problems lately, Alaska Airlines is still flying because of a fantastic bunch of employees 40 years ago and I am sure top management has not forgotten. ln a way, it made me feel good just to be their competitor. Sorry Wien employees, I calls um as I sees um, I offer respect where respect is due.
