AFA Labor Relations thread 6/17-

[Furloughd4now]

CBS message out today. 30 MORE openings in CLT effective Sept. 1. More displacements? Probably! :blink:

 

[BajaBabe]

Guess what Life is difficult and what do you do

 

[Furloughd4now]

So who's luvin the MT? I guess no one on this board! Cause they can't figure out how to get here h34r:

 

[etops1]

So who's luvin the MT? I guess no one on this board! Cause they can't figure out how to get here h34r:

The co-pairing with the pilots is a HUGE reason why we are going through this. If we did not co-pair with the pilots it wouldn't matter where the time went .We could still be based in PHL and fly with CLT & DCA pilots .The time that has gone down to CLT is PILOT time. USAPA bulids the lines . But since we co-pair we go with it . It limits us from a lot of things. No flexibilty at all. I keep saying this and I will keep saying it. We are the only airline who continues to do this and it has gotten us NO WHERE. Time to break free in my opinion .

 

[Zarah]

Another 30. *sigh* this is going in the wrong direction for me to get back into PHL quickly. LOL

 

[Furloughd4now]

The co-pairing with the pilots is a HUGE reason why we are going through this. If we did not co-pair with the pilots it wouldn't matter where the time went .We could still be based in PHL and fly with CLT & DCA pilots .The time that has gone down to CLT is PILOT time. USAPA bulids the lines . But since we co-pair we go with it . It limits us from a lot of things. No flexibilty at all. I keep saying this and I will keep saying it. We are the only airline who continues to do this and it has gotten us NO WHERE. Time to break free in my opinion .

Problem is the Union and its puppets, (or should that be stated the other way around) do not subscribe to this board (or any other for that matter) Ignorance is bliss! :blink:

 

[Onestep2flt]

The co-pairing with the pilots is a HUGE reason why we are going through this. If we did not co-pair with the pilots it wouldn't matter where the time went .We could still be based in PHL and fly with CLT & DCA pilots .The time that has gone down to CLT is PILOT time. USAPA bulids the lines . But since we co-pair we go with it . It limits us from a lot of things. No flexibilty at all. I keep saying this and I will keep saying it. We are the only airline who continues to do this and it has gotten us NO WHERE. Time to break free in my opinion .

I believe this was discussed in the previous AFA thread. USAPA may build the actual pairings, but that is only after the company determines where the airplanes (read Time) need to be. I think someone said that the marketing department has a big say in where your time needs to be . The Pilots just take the time wherever it may be and then builds blocks from it. I am not so sure that co-pairing or not would make much difference in this situation. "The time" still starts somewhere and you need flight attendants to start where "the time" begins. I am just talking from my memory of a previous thread so forgive me. I may not have a full understanding of how it works. I understand that on paper you can be more "productive" and have a feeling that it provides for more flexibility. Again, that may be true, I don't have a clue. Just be sure all the flexibility you think you are getting from it benefits all your flight attendants. It seems to me as someone looking in from outside it could be a recipe for disappointment if proper protections are not built into it. Remember, I think what was said before on this subject was that the idea behind not co-pairing actually gives your company the ability to be more flexible with your schedule. Think you are going to Miami for some fun in the sun? Think again, because on your way to the airport they decided you were going to Buffalo and it's January. You can negotiate anything and can make sure that you negotiate provisions that protect you from re-scheduling. Thing I would be concerned about is the fact that the present team you have negotiating your contract has an agenda that does not seem to include everyone.

I think there are a lot of good ideas many of you have. I just think your biggest and most important item for your contract is keeping the people negotiating it honest. I think until you guys get that straitened out that should be your first priority. Many of you have said that the company violates the contract you have daily. It is the Unions duty to defend it. If they can't defend the one you have I am not sure a new one negotiated by the same people that are ignoring the one you have serves much purpose.

 

[cynic]

In regards to co-pairing, you have to ask yourself one question: Which union do you trust to negotiate better work rules for your group? If it is the AFA, there is no benefit to co-pairing. If you have no faith in the AFA and think USAPA will get better working conditions, then you're going to have to wait it out for a while.

 

[Travelpro72]

I know it's lost in translation but just ask the flight attendants who are being displaced how they feel about "co-pairing". ME TOO has screwed US f/a's more than it has helped. Our guys/gals of the flight deck will be hashing out their drama for many more moons to come. I CANNOT afford to sit it out and wait. No thanks.

 

[Furloughd4now]

Many of you have said that the company violates the contract you have daily. It is the Unions duty to defend it. If they can't defend the one you have I am not sure a new one negotiated by the same people that are ignoring the one you have serves much purpose.

This also goes to the FAs who don't know the contract which allows the company to walk all over them. FAs say all the time the company violates the contract and yet still work the trip. A contract is only as good as the people who honor it.

ie. KNOW YOUR CONTRACT.

 

[Travelpro72]

The very same people that don't know when they are going illegal with a duty day are the VERY same f/a's that don't want to split. I shut this pilot down the other day. I heard him say during the brief "me-too" discussion BACK AT PIEDMONT. Ugggggh for the love of God. I said, "Yeah well back at Piedmont lines were constructed by pencil on a piece of paper". The world has moved BEYOND the comprehension of US and many of it's employees. This place is like a bad 70's show.

 

[flybynite]

In this situation, co-pairing with the pilots is irrelevant. The flying time has been shifted from PHL. I hate it for everyone that's been impacted by this.

But everyone that's been hired by this company as well as any other airline knows that displacements may occur. The shifting of flying time has always been at the company's discretion.

 

[VAflyGal]

I beg to differ. If we didn't copair PHL f/a's could work the domestic 757-767 trips which are currently being RON'd in PHL with CLT f/a's. That alone would prevent some displacements.

As far as the last part of that post with the company discretion, not one of us expected that after ten years we would still be at the bottom, picking u the scraps from what's left over. We're expected to be happy about this mess? My hunch is that you probably haven't been displaced 3 times or furloughed once or twice here, but what do I know? I'm just getting the boot again.

Oh, and I'd like to personally thank all the people who overfly from open time because that, too, causes less need for flight attendants. I personally hold those who overfly responsible for a portion of our displacements.

Keep it up and RSV will go back to 87-88 and all of us will hate that for you...

 

[Zarah]

But everyone that's been hired by this company as well as any other airline knows that displacements may occur. The shifting of flying time has always been at the company's discretion.

It is not just that I am being displaced that has upset me. It is that the company could have and should have put out the numbers for the FA group so that those that wanted to move to CLT to hold a line could have instead of sitting reserve in PHL. It is the flip-flopping the company did in not knowing how many positions were needed. It is that nothing in the contract stopped the company or the union for telling the most junior of the junior that were moving out of their closed bases that they might not be able to hold PHL or DCA due to this possibility and they could have used caution in placing deposits and signing leases. It is the total lack of respect time-after-time, on top of being displaced.

 

[Travelpro72]

The company moved the time. PILOT TIME! ! ! ! The company has every right to do so when they see a need. The flight attendants being "me-too'd" with the pilots moved OUR time right along with it. There is NO OTHER reason these poor and I do mean POOR individuals are being jerked around again besides TIME leaving the base. The PHL base isn't growing smaller in terms of flights operated. Well the usual t/a flights drop as expected but the time loss comes as no shock due to seasonal flying. The "ME TOO" screws us along with the company and their way of doing things. They couldn't care any less about the poor employee and their financial hardship. Oh and and take it for what it's worth but the union is claiming they have already negotiated better language than what we currently have in many parts of the "ME-TOO".