Last week when I was at work we were pretty busy for most of the weekend. When it finally died down the guys put the show "The Franchise" on the TV. The show is about the SF Giants and the year they are having. A kind of behind the scene take on what goes on when no one is watching and what goes on to the players and their lives. It's a pretty good show, and I'm no big baseball fan.
One of the story lines was a player who got called up from the minors because of another player being injured. The guy did well but once the injured guy came back the called up player went into a slump. The Manager calls him into the office and sits him down. The Manager says "Look you know that you have been struggling, Big Bob is back and hitting good. I'm going to have to send you down (to the minors again). You have proved you can play up here (the major league), once you do some improvement you will be back."
On of the mechanics turns to me and says "Imagine we could do that to the mechanics here. They screw up over and over and they get sent down to the minors."
I thought this was a great idea! If there was a threat that you as a mechanic could be sent to a commuter airline (if there are commuter mechanics that read this blog, I apologize up front, but that is the way major airline people think). I bet that people would be a lot less irresponsible with their work!
I can picture it now: The boss comes in in the morning and calls Joe MechanCant into the office. He sits him down and says something like this:
"Joe you really screwed up that repair last night. On top of that you have two late punch ins and your paperwork keeps coming back because you are always screwing it up. I'm not sure what is going on with you MechanCant but we are going to send you down to the commuters. If you can manage to get you act together we will try to make a spot for you again".
How crazy would that be?!? Think of it from the other side. A guy got out of school, was scouted while there and picked by a commuter or 135 operation out in Colorado. After a few years there he has proven that he is worth his salt. The Airline Scouts hear about him and review his records, they even come out to talk to his boss and watch him work. After a month or so the airline scout has a meeting with his boss. Next thing you know the mechanic gets an offer to come to the big leagues!
If the mechanic is really good he may get a competing offer from another airline. Only the best of the best would be picked.
I know that it seems strange to suggest that everyone starts in a lower position like that at a 135 operation, but, think of the pay off for the airline. The mechanics who make it to an airline are the top of the bunch. There is a reason for the mechanics to strive to do their best. If the mechanic wants to screw off and be lazy he or she risks being sent down.
We all want to be the highest paid in the industry. We all know that there are guys making the same money as we do that are worth a lot less. We want to solve the industry problems we need to reevaluate how we hire and keep employees.
Let's scout the good ones out!!
The other day a supervisor told me it is the unions fault that the some mechanics are horrible and nothing being done. Mechanics love to say it is Managements fault. What do you think? Can we also send Management down to double A ball too?
ReplyDeleteManagement are where they are BECAUSE they screw up!
ReplyDeleteRemember the old sayings:
F@*& up, move up
If you can’t do, teach. If you can’t teach, work for the FAA!
I think if it's good for the mechanics it should be good for the supervisors also. I know that I have come across some pretty bad supervisors in my time.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Goat! Let's do it!
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world pay would be a reflection of skill, knowledge, contribution, motivation and attitude. It's rare to see folks In our industry who match those attributes with their pay scale.
ReplyDeleteSeems like I often hear "In the old days" or "this guy Is not doing this" well maybe a little more leading by example by the senior guys to show juniors the way and a little more "behind the hanger" talks from the senior guys to the guys not pulling there weight might go alot further than the blunt tools mgt is given to keep those non performers In line.
Look I never f'ed a plane up I'n my 4 years of mil and 18 years on the majors wrenching, and I know i can out work many of the mechs I supervise so watch your tounge, this position was the only way into this airline and I gladly took it with the motivation to help out however I could.
So the old adage may qualify to some but this Sup earned his stripes so don't put all of us In your narrow minded basket!
Mr. Anonymous, narrow minded? It was implied that if the shoe fits than put it on. If it doesn't than the comment was not for you. Name calling? Wonder why your in Management.Damaging an aircraft does not mean you are not a great mechanic. I am fortunate like you to have a clean record with that. Both sides need to pick it up and as a senior Mech (in our station) I am a lead by example guy. I did not take Goats comments to heart when speaking of lazy mechanics, maybe you shouldn't have either when I spoke of bad sups.
ReplyDeleteI know who you are because of your description of your time served in the Military and the Airlines. I speak with you on a daily basis. You are a weak link in this blog now and probably monitor this column for you superiors. I know I won’t be writing anything on this blog worth reading since you are the type of person (it comes from where you worked before and the fact that you were hired off the street) who thinks he is a “God Of The Gate Call”. I’ve heard you speak, seen you work, and you’re a real chip off the old block of the guy who hired you.
ReplyDeleteNow, as for taking the Junior Mehcs behind the hangar for a talk, we all know where that leads. They cry foul and go to a Sup. or Manager and tell how their feelings were hurt and their manhood was stepped on. You in turn go to the Senior Mechanic that tried to help and tell him stop harassing said bonehead and that the guy is probably “doing the best he can” or “he has trouble at home, leave him be“ or "he has a medical problem that won’t allow him to do a gate call without assistance”.
Horse shit I say!
I have been in this industry a mighty long time compared to you. Eighteen years at a hangar? BFD! Military? Give me a break. How is the Military ANYTHING like the Airlines? If you are so good at being a Supervisor, then Goat wouldn’t even have to bring up the subject of laziness. You and your cronies would have motivation coming out the behinds of every Mechanic that works with you if you were that hot.
I’m not perfect. I have damaged an airplane. I have not been able to fix every Pirep I come across. I am not perfect and admit it.
I do though, go out every day and show the people I work around, be it the Maintenance guys, people in Ops, the Crew or whomever, that I am confident in what I do, will do my very best in a timely manner, and will do all I can, by the book, to make that plane fly again in a safe manner. I hope that every day the lazies will realize that if a punk like me can do it, then so can they. Learn by example. I know more than a handful of mechs that I work with that I consider examples of the finest kind. But do the lazies ever try and follow there examples? Nope.
They take the easy ride and earn the same pay as me.
If you are so good and earned you “stripes”, then why not show everyone. Pushing paper is not impressive to me. You have the ability to drop back into an open mechanic slot, but I don’t see you doing it. So what goes?
If you want to impress people, then get the lazies to eat motivation and crap out signed-off discrepencies.
That’s my last post for this excellent blog that Goat puts out. I know now that someone is out there watching and crying to management concerning this blog. I’m packing my back cause I don’t need the ag!
Right below POST A COMMENT is a a little Tab called (Comment as)click on it and then click on (name/URL). Now type in who you are so we can have open comunication to try to fix the industry. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI have broken planes. It's a reality of life in our business. A long time ago a senior guy told me that if you never break a plane then you are never really working. I think it's a bad measure of whether or not you are a good mechanic.
ReplyDeleteI think the guys we are talking about are the ones who break a plane, truck, golfcart, etc and never admit to it. Those guys are also the ones who don't clean-up, leave radios on tables, don't help out others.
To be real I have been told by Management to take it easy on the newer guys. That pretty much kills the whole "take the new guys behind the hangar" thing. This industry has always been about "peer pressure" and the new guys wanting to do better. Without that tool so to speak the senior guys are hand cuffed.
I think the senior guys do lead by example. I know that I take my lead from them. For the most part the job is about integrity, knowledge, willingness to learn, and a little bit of going the extra mile. I don't see these things in the slacking group. Add a good helping of pride in workmanship and you will be a good Line Mechanic.
I am not concerned with anyone in Dallas reading this blog. I truly love this job and I think it shows in my topics and comments. If Dallas wants to read and keep track the most they will get out of it is a better understanding of how the Line Mech in OAK is doing.
One last thing it's true we have some new supervisors and yes they are from other airlines, but the problems we have had here in OAK far precede their arrival so we can't even lay any of the blame on them. Those guys are just doing what every supervisor and Lead and Mechanic in OAK is doing. No fault their really.
Now this is a blog with some MEAT to it. Keep it going everyone!
ReplyDelete"On of the mechanics turns to me and says "Imagine we could do that to the mechanics here. They screw up over and over and they get sent down to the minors.""
ReplyDeleteI work at a hangar on corporate aircraft where there is no "Minor leagues" per se, but if you do screw up, you get pulled into a meeting with management, made to feel like a idiot, and they never really forget, and will occasionally bring it up in group meetings for everyone to have a big laugh at your expense. It hasn't happened to me personally, but I've seen it happen to others, and it hurts their confidence. Every day at my work we audition for our jobs it seems like. So I'm not sure if that kind of mentality would really work in a maintenance hangar.