Afa-apfa Our Futures At Stake

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

Oneflyer, one of these days you're gonna have to go to Wal-mart for heart surgery. Do you really want the lowest paid people to operate on you?

 

[Oneflyer]

Oneflyer, one of these days you're gonna have to go to Wal-mart for heart surgery. Do you really want the lowest paid people to operate on you?

No and I won't have to, because heart surgeons have skills that very, very few people can replicate. Aren't that many people mentally and physically capable of being heart surgeons, on the other hand almost everyone is capable of throwing bags on to an airplane or serving drinks. Any job that you can learn in a six week long training course is always going to have downward salary pressure. I've watched union ramp workers clean planes and I've watch the outsourced crews clean planes, they do the exact same quality of work, so in that regard, I don't care if the lowest paid people do the work.

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

Well Oneflyer,since your job can be learned in less than two weeks, I'm afraid that you're going to be replaced by part time "pencil Pushers" . They can push a pencil for a whole lot less and with better quality . TOO BAD, SOO SAD.

 

[Oneflyer]

I'll take your response as a sign that you realize I'm right.

 

[aafsc]

No and I won't have to, because heart surgeons have skills that very, very few people can replicate. Aren't that many people mentally and physically capable of being heart surgeons, on the other hand almost everyone is capable of throwing bags on to an airplane or serving drinks. Any job that you can learn in a six week long training course is always going to have downward salary pressure. I've watched union ramp workers clean planes and I've watch the outsourced crews clean planes, they do the exact same quality of work, so in that regard, I don't care if the lowest paid people do the work.

[post="203787"][/post]​

Not true, the quality is not the same. I have seen it with my own eyes. The contractors have a very high turnover rate. At my city we had 11 RONs. The contractor is supposed to have 14 people clean the planes. On some nights maybe 8 show up. On one night only 4 showed up. Obviously, 4 people could not do 11 heavy cleans. I asked one of them what the problem was. He said they have a very high turnover. Why? I asked. He said they make only $7.50 an hour. Any medical benefits? I asked. He said no. The following morning at 6:00 the first flight was supposed to depart. It could not depart because it was filthy and someone vomited in one of the lavs the night before. This is just one instance, there were many others. When we did the RONs, the airplanes were much cleaner and ready to depart as scheduled. You do get what you paid for.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

Not true, the quality is not the same. I have seen it with my own eyes. The contractors have a very high turnover rate. At my city we had 11 RONs. The contractor is supposed to have 14 people clean the planes. On some nights maybe 8 show up. On one night only 4 showed up. Obviously, 4 people could not do 11 heavy cleans. I asked one of them what the problem was. He said they have a very high turnover. Why? I asked. He said they make only $7.50 an hour. Any medical benefits? I asked. He said no. The following morning at 6:00 the first flight was supposed to depart. It could not depart because it was filthy and someone vomited in one of the lavs the night before. This is just one instance, there were many others. When we did the RONs, the airplanes were much cleaner and ready to depart as scheduled. You do get what you paid for.

[post="203894"][/post]​

I don't know what city you are in but it sounds like the same here in SAN too. We have eight RON a/c. I'm not sure of how many people Source One (the scab outfit that cleans our jets here) have on shift but I will call it about 8/9. Only about three speak English well enough to understand. Whenever they need a/c power or information on the location of a particular a/c they send the same person in to ask. The supervisor runs them hard. I asked the one person who speaks English well how many hours they get paid for. He said they get paid UP TO eight hours a night. But the supervisor doesn't let them take breaks and when they are done cleaning one a/c they push their supply cart to the next a/c. They are done in about six hours and get paid for six hours. For the time being, (about the past 2 months) I have seen the same people. Several could be someones grandmother. These people work hard for next to nothing in pay. All are Mexican and I think most, if not all, live in TiJuana where their next to nothing salary enables them to live.
The sad part is that after the twu ALLOWED RON cleaners to become extinct the ramp/cabin people didn't blink an eye!

 

[eolesen]

(the scab outfit that cleans our jets here)

The sad part is that after the twu ALLOWED RON cleaners to become extinct the ramp/cabin people didn't blink an eye!

If the vendor is not doing protected work (which you confirm in your second comment), it is not possible for them to be scabs. Call it what you want, but a scab is a fairly specific and powerful term, and not one to be used casually...

are done in about six hours and get paid for six hours. For the time being, (about the past 2 months) I have seen the same people.

This would appear to contradict the notion that there's a lot of turnover.....

I used to do QCs for cabin service in the late 90's, and saw more than my fair share of cabins which hadn't been touched before the flight attendants showed up the following morning and raised hell about it... If you don't believe it, just ask anyone who was a CURE rep at the time.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

If the vendor is not doing protected work (which you confirm in your second comment), it is not possible for them to be scabs. Call it what you want, but a scab is a fairly specific and powerful term, and not one to be used casually...
This would appear to contradict the notion that there's a lot of turnover.....

I used to do QCs for cabin service in the late 90's, and saw more than my fair share of cabins which hadn't been touched before the flight attendants showed up the following morning and raised hell about it... If you don't believe it, just ask anyone who was a CURE rep at the time.

[post="204348"][/post]​

FM, why would this work not be protected? One day the twu is taking dues from these cabin cleaners and the next there is not ONE PEEP from the twu on how they ALLOWED these jobs to be removed. OK, a scab crosses a picket line. I know and understand the the emotion with this word. What would you call them?

Two months is not a long time. I have spoken with the these people, through the ones who can translate for me and they all say they are beat like a rented mule. No breaks and they sweat like pigs because we can't run APUs for a/c. They are most waiting for another low paying job that at least gives them a full days pay and rest periods.

 

[eolesen]

FM, why would this work not be protected? One day the twu is taking dues from these cabin cleaners and the next there is not ONE PEEP from the twu on how they ALLOWED these jobs to be removed. OK, a scab crosses a picket line. I know and understand the the emotion with this word. What would you call them?

[post="204444"][/post]​

How 'bout contractors?....

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

How 'bout contractors?....

[post="204542"][/post]​

Don't contractors have "contracts"? These people are not unionized... yet. Give the twu some time.

We simply do not agree on this thread. I am not being sarcastic or confrontational. I feel that it is wrong for these people to be doing this work without the twu fighting to protect their dues paying members.

It does go to show you though how afraid the twu is of fighting FOR their members.