Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Menzies Frenzies
I trust the baggage handlers and ramp workers of the International Association of Machinists (I.A.M.) are taking grim satisfaction in the disastrous - and dangerous - mess being made by the cowboys of Menzies Aviation over their bumbled Sea-Tac ground operations, for which they were hired after Sea-Tac fired the 472 IAM members to save a paltry $13.7 million. I wonder how much anyone *now* thinks has been saved, what with the delays and appalling publicity over the Menzies bunch's incompetence. I remember seeing TV coverage of the early Menzies incidents and thinking how thoroughly odiously and patronising the British spokesmen came across. Indeed, never have British accents sounded more archly offensive, breezily dismissing the incident(s) as a mere storm in a teacup and giving the impression of impatience and puzzlement that an American airport should have the gall to lecture *them* on standards of ground handling. I see from coverage of the "tossed dog" incident that a Menzies employee in the company's Seattle office is referring questions to London, but that the calls aren't being returned. Assuming they're using the same glib spokesmen, that's actually their best PR move.... Meanwhile, look forward to further such incidents emerging and Alaska looking even more sheepish in the light of their shortsighted penny pinching ways.
crashing their trolleys, gashing planes, and creating worry and chaos.
