AFA Labor Thread Aug 27- Union Issues Here

[Itestwell]

Here is another concern of mine. I am so sick of junior people with very little transatlantic experience being juniored into the CSD position! I remember when I was in PHL talking to reserves who would be forced to be the CSD and D on a trip while all the senior f/as worked in the back or where they would make the junior f/a be the CSD yet the senior f/as wouldn't help out and would be very mean or try to boss the CSD around and try to tell him/her what to do! How can someone deliver the best service that envoy pax deserve when f/as are being juniored into an unfamiliar position and don't know what to do and have little support from the crew? I sincerely believe Mike needs to implement a purser/CSD program where you have to go through special training and only those f/as can work envoy or be the purser. I'm sure someone will say that goes against seniority or will never work but trust me it is a problem and it isn't just happening to junior reserves I have seen it happen to blockholders are perhaps have 25 years whereas the rest have 40. It's not right! I have worked with flight attendants in the past who were CSDs who really should not have been because of how rude they are. I wish they would only let flight attendants with a good track record be in the program so they rude and bitter ones who just want the extra money or who are on a power trip can't be a CSD. I mean, imagine being a passenger and spending all that extra money for an envoy ticket and having to put up with a surly flight attendant who doesn't care. OK I know I am just dreaming.

Calgon, take me [and my run on sentence] away!

 

[NoMoreKoolAid]

I saw an email someone sent out that is hanging up in the crew room about contacting Mike if you are for or against staying with pilots. Then some f/as wrote comments on the sheet such as remember when we didn't fly with the same pilots years ago we will be sitting around the airport for hours waiting for pilots, we will have to fly an Airbus leg then a Boeing leg EW, then an airbus leg, etc. According to the email there haven't been very many people who have written Mike and told them that they do NOT want to split from the pilots.

Also, how would this impact our overnights? Would we still have long overnights? Would we be flying West coast turns all day long?

If we split from the pilots there better be some very clear language (I'm talking black and white - no room for creative interpretation by the company) that protects our work group from the abuse that many flight attendants are imagining.

AMEN TO THAT! What we need is professionals writing this language... because you know the company will
just make you fly something and then say file a grievance.

 

[airportman]

I read this and wonder what people are thinking...........

the important issues should be:

1. Healthcare
More affordable,less copays better rx coverage. Eye coverage that covers RK.....its not experimental any more. dental insurance that accutlly lets you fix your teeth. and most important retiree coverage.....if we have that people will retire and we will all move into better block positions.

2.automatic cola raises- like social security

3.duty rigs- force the company to use us productivly or pay a penalty

4.the reserve system

i dont really understand why we are in a hurry to settle this contract in a economic downturn.......when times are good you get more. I think we should insist that the company impliment the last contract IE PREF BID before we go on on a new contract


WHY DOES THE MEC NOT INSIST THE CURRENT CONTRACT BE HONORED PREF BID WAS VOTED IN YET YEARS LATER WE STILL DONT HAVE IT

THE MEC NEEDS TO GO

 

[Iheartflying]

I read this and wonder what people are thinking...........

the important issues should be:

1. Healthcare
More affordable,less copays better rx coverage. Eye coverage that covers RK.....its not experimental any more. dental insurance that accutlly lets you fix your teeth. and most important retiree coverage.....if we have that people will retire and we will all move into better block positions.

2.automatic cola raises- like social security

3.duty rigs- force the company to use us productivly or pay a penalty

4.the reserve system

i dont really understand why we are in a hurry to settle this contract in a economic downturn.......when times are good you get more. I think we should insist that the company impliment the last contract IE PREF BID before we go on on a new contract


WHY DOES THE MEC NOT INSIST THE CURRENT CONTRACT BE HONORED PREF BID WAS VOTED IN YET YEARS LATER WE STILL DONT HAVE IT

THE MEC NEEDS TO GO

I agree with you so much. I pay so much in co-pays a month sometimes I have to choose whether or not I will see a doctor or get a prescription. These are long term benefits that we should be discussing and fighting for.

 

[PITbull]

Sigh.

BANKRUPTCY CONTRACT.

LIQUIDATION THREATENED.

NOT AMENDABLE UNTIL 2011, ACTUALLY 2012 FOR ANY TYPE OF LEVERAGE.

MERGER WITH ULTRA LOW COST CARRIER WITH ULTRA LOW COST EMPLOYEES.

Whole new attitude, no longer customer focused, dollar focused. When you have a company concerned only with squeezing every last penny from both customers and employees they're not going to be easy to negotiate with. Add that to DP's read that he has the least paid employees in the air, what's the incentive to negotiate?

Answer: NONE.

AFA can't get blood from a stone. That's not being inept, that's reality. I've said it before, put your house in order because the only way to get a decent contract from this bunch is to take them to the wall. They inherited LTO and they're not going to give it up on the cheap. We're going to have to inflict a good amount of pain first.

Anyone who expects a contract before CHAOS is dreaming. They want cheap employees as long as they can have them.

You, my friend, are spot on! The f/as need to get their house in order. It will take CHAOS to force the changes that are needed. JNC does not have the clout or experience to negotiate outside of enacting CHAOS at the amendable date. It will take the WILL of all f/as to agree that the only alernative will be CHAOS. And, you will have to convince the International that this is what you need.

Get educated on it now.

 

[FlyUs]

The only way you're going to get anyone to do Chaos is to establish a fund for these f/as after the company fires them. Let's get this started now.

 

[ClueByFour]

If Teddy was still running the show, you all might have a chance. With the current crowd versus the gang in Tempe, you are monumentally screwed.

Plan on the CHAOS routine. It's the only way you will see a red cent.

 

[hp_fa]

Plan on the CHAOS routine. It's the only way you will see a red cent.

Unfortunately, I agree.

 

[Onestep2flt]

That all sounds great. However, things to remember. You must first be released and have that cooling off period. Your contract is not amendable until sometime in 2011. I am no expert but I don't think you will even be considered for release until sometime after 2011. You guy are not in section 6 negotiations right now. The company is fully aware of your situation and are in no hurry at this point to bargain in good faith. They will throw a few bones here and there but until made to I think you might have a while before any movement.

This is the reason I still believe you need outside counsel that specializes in contract negotiations. Your negotiations committee headed up by MF is getting you nowhere fast. I do hope that I am wrong though.

 

[galley princess]

You're not saying anything we don't know. We knew it three years ago. It was readily apparent that AWA management relished these bankruptcy contracts. DP flat out said that he would run two airlines as long as it was cheaper to do so.

They have cleverly rung out most of the synergies that are available. Merging the pilots and flight attendants is going to cost money, so it's probably a wash as far as they're concerned. BTW, I do have to appreciate that for all of their ruthlessness, they have kept US alive, and for that I am appreciative.

However, my appreciation ends with my present compensation. That's why I have been preaching "get your house in order" for basically three years. What I mean by that is if you can acquire an alternate source of income within the structure of US presently available: ie fly less, build something elsewhere, or fly more ETB and build up a nest egg, it is advisable to do so, because the brutal truth is that they are going to run this contract out until at best 2012, worst, 2013. That's ten years for EAST and God knows how long for WEST. That's half a flying career for some. I could indignantly marvel over what they've been allowed to do to WEST but I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't bother them as much as it does me, so pax.

Do you really want an entity to decide what you earn for that long? Further, will US FAs be ready to walk off a plane? The senior mamas were ready, way back when, but the new generation is pretty busy with life and getting to work. PIT isn't there anymore with its in house unionistas, they're busy trying to get home and on their way to retirement.

I would like to see something from the union that indicates AFA Legal is preparing for this. I have no doubt that AWA management has a few tricks up their sleeve for CHAOS and it's imperative that those of us who do volunteer to walk off a plane are covered.

In November PHL is going to take a serious scheduling hit. Reserve is going to hit years in the obscene two digits. Take a look around, you can't do anything about what US does to you, but you can change the way that you react to it. PLAN B. Plan B only needs to be a sideline, but if it saves you or gives you independence it'll be priceless.

There are a few wildcards floating around. We don't know if the BOD will ever get tired of US' lousy reputation and press for a contract. The pilots have a trainwreck fast approaching with the 9th circuit, as well as a 50/50 chance at snapbacks in 2010.

And so all of this is just my humble opinion and I hope that I'm wrong.

 

[john john]

I have no doubt that AWA management has a few tricks up their sleeve for CHAOS and it's imperative that those of us who do volunteer to walk off a plane are covered.

Express will fill in for the CHAOS flights

 

[Dorf]

Express will fill in for the CHAOS flights

Quick, those F/A's are doing CHAOS....get 10 Dash 8's to SJU and pick up the passengers!!!!

 

[john john]

Quick, those F/A's are doing CHAOS....get 10 Dash 8's to SJU and pick up the passengers!!!!

The 32 seat weight restricted DH-8 are pretty much history
E170/75/90 and crj900/700/200 are the replacement for mainline
Republic is also scheduled to get Airbus A319 and A320 jets from Frontier

 

[Itestwell]

The 32 seat weight restricted DH-8 are pretty much history
E170/75/90 and crj900/700/200 are the replacement for mainline
Republic is also scheduled to get Airbus A319 and A320 jets from Frontier

Oh, absolutely. It always makes me chuckle when FA's say the pilots "protect us" endlessly. They (or their bargaining agent), have outsourced about 50% of our flying since the 90's. ( I won't even get into duty rigs/ duty day "protections"...) Think about it: aside from the "one mainline a day" stations, where do you find significant domestic mainline aircraft flying to? Answer: Transcon (including PHX/ LAS) and Florida. That's pretty much it. Woot!

If you think more of these "protections" are not on the horizon, you're kidding yourself. Can't wait until the pilots are asked to fly 319/320's at Republic's/ Mesa's rates (but we have to compete!!!) It wouldn't shock me at all to see the Republic replacement crews lining up miles deep to work our A320 in a few years, without even a vote from the FA corps...... :blink:

Plan accordingly.

 

[cactusflyer]

Word on the jumpseat is that the petitions sent to Washington were good. The west officers are up for recall. All of 'em. Too bad I'm furloughed. That is one union meeting I wouldn't miss.

Let the finger pointing begin, just hope the west fa's don't loose sight that those people need to go!