2015 Fleet Service Discussion

[T5towbar]

Real Time Staffing looks great on paper, but doesn't factor in all of the things that happen on a daily basis. Maybe the flight you're on is running late. Now you're late to the next flight you're supposed to bring in, etc...
 
 

Yep.

At our line stations, we work whatever shows up. Divided into crews-and then assigned flights accordingly-but nothing gate-specific.

We are experiencing this right now. It looks good by the staff planners who move people around like chess pieces, but it all falls apart by many factors. 
The On-Times and MBR's show the faulty plan. They keep trying to reinvent the wheel......

 

[ograc]

orgac  earlier I told you it was going good for us with handling AA metal   I will admit this  I am wrong on this to an extent.   Fridays and Saturdays are pretty bad as we barely have 10 rampers to do the job for both sides.  and delays are piling up   for example  our phx flight the other day took an 11 min ramp delay   personal shortage  and again yesterday for 21 min delay  and a lot of the other flights on both sides are late  but I fault mgmt. for failure to hire more of the former ENVOY folks    At one point they had around 30 folks  and now may be 4 or 5 of them were hired.   although I have heard rumors that our mgr is trying to get as many help as possible..  only time will tell     in the beginning it was good bec we had a number of the folks during the transition period  then it got worse after jan 5th    It is what it is  and we aren't gonna rush  

Inadequate staffing in JAX also. The insourcing of AA metal nearly doubled our flight operation, yet authorized manpower was far short of doubling. In the beginning they added OT shifts. Local management is now trying to eliminate as much of that now as possible. Nine former Envoy employees were hired. One hired permanent FT and eight PT. They have had those eight on temporary FT upgrades since day one. If or when those temporary upgrades expire the operation is sure to implode. We are no longer a destination station but have been listed as a connecting station. Loads of transfer bags, combined with local bags to be run, is labor intensive and takes more time. Four active jet ways and one overflow is only staffed with between 10 - 12 rampers including Leads/Crew Chiefs. We often have 3 - 4 regularly scheduled flights on the ground at the same time. With irregular operations we've had 5. I don't know where Manpower / Staffing comes up with their numbers but I can tell you their math is way off mark. Two employees out on OJI since the cutover and many seeking FMLA for the future. You go from one flight to the next one waiting. The heat of the summer months has not yet arrived but when it does guys will be dropping. The expectation, by the company, to do more with less seems to be a common thread. In the long term; this strategy could be more costly than just providing adequate staffing.

 

[robbedagain]

to make matters worse for us   our injury list looks more like a football injury reserve with folks out  and to add insult to injury this week will be a nightmare in hell  as we have at least 4 peeps on vacation plus some on sick or fmla and at least 1 is hurt  and may not come back    its a shaping up to be a bad rough week   throw in the weather and its gonna be "fun"   

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

to make matters worse for us   our injury list looks more like a football injury reserve with folks out  and to add insult to injury this week will be a nightmare in hell  as we have at least 4 peeps on vacation plus some on sick or fmla and at least 1 is hurt  and may not come back    its a shaping up to be a bad rough week   throw in the weather and its gonna be "fun"   

 
Work safely and ensure you don't join the unfortunate soul on OJI.It goes out when you're done,go home in the same condition you arrived at work.

 

[MetalMover]

Inadequate staffing in JAX also. The insourcing of AA metal nearly doubled our flight operation, yet authorized manpower was far short of doubling. In the beginning they added OT shifts. Local management is now trying to eliminate as much of that now as possible. Nine former Envoy employees were hired. One hired permanent FT and eight PT. They have had those eight on temporary FT upgrades since day one. If or when those temporary upgrades expire the operation is sure to implode. We are no longer a destination station but have been listed as a connecting station. Loads of transfer bags, combined with local bags to be run, is labor intensive and takes more time. Four active jet ways and one overflow is only staffed with between 10 - 12 rampers including Leads/Crew Chiefs. We often have 3 - 4 regularly scheduled flights on the ground at the same time. With irregular operations we've had 5. I don't know where Manpower / Staffing comes up with their numbers but I can tell you their math is way off mark. Two employees out on OJI since the cutover and many seeking FMLA for the future. You go from one flight to the next one waiting. The heat of the summer months has not yet arrived but when it does guys will be dropping. The expectation, by the company, to do more with less seems to be a common thread. In the long term; this strategy could be more costly than just providing adequate staffing.

Just gonna have do more with less.....Simple concept really.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Just gonna have do more with less.....Simple concept really.

It is always simple when you are not the one doing it.

 

[robbedagain]

Thanks jfk we will work safe n1 flight at time

 

[Kev3188]

 
Work safely and ensure you don't join the unfortunate soul on OJI.It goes out when you're done,go home in the same condition you arrived at work.

^This^

And let's look out for another while we're at it.

 

[Zom JFK]

Why should AA care if you get hurt. They give you two weeks pay and drop you on the state. One of the many things that make it hard to belive it's a union job. So make sure to look out for yourself (the twu certainly isn't) and work safe every day.

 

[MetalMover]

It is always simple when you are not the one doing it]

I guess you don't know what sarcasm is.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Why should AA care if you get hurt. They give you two weeks pay and drop you on the state. One of the many things that make it hard to belive it's a union job. So make sure to look out for yourself (the twu certainly isn't) and work safe every day.

They care because it causes their Workmans Comp insurance to go up.
 
They don't "dump" you on the state, Workers' Compensation is an insurance policy they are REQUIRED by law to carry on you.

 

[Zom JFK]

They don't care too much in JFK where the equipment is junk (so much so it's hard to believe its a union shop) and saftey awareness is non existent. And since workman's comp is REQUIRED by law why be in a union if that's all you get when injured? When I hired on in 1991 we used to get 90 days of full pay when injured on duty.

 

[robbedagain]

just 7 of us today to work multiple flights plus a diversion  and delays just keep piling up   phx flight 17 min delay as we work safe

 

[Jester]

just 7 of us today to work multiple flights plus a diversion  and delays just keep piling up   phx flight 17 min delay as we work safe

 
I am getting the impression from the several new AA transfers regarding their rude awakening on the "El Cheapo" America West management ways of operating in PHX... short staffed, short on equipment, lousy scheduling, poor communication, etc.  The Company has been advertising openings in cargo without much success (as that's a huge mess in its own right), but large numbers of new AA guys have leaped into the cargo fire from out of the ramp frying pan!  Seriously, Good Luck to them!
 
I just hope when more of the AA way of operations take effect, we may finally rid ourselves of the old America West mismanagement.

 

[Black Magic]

Sadly I feel its going to be the other way around. Doug and gang sent Dale Salsbury to the ORD ramp to try and implement the PHX way of things being done...doubt it will work.