AFA - Questions & Answers

[Twicebaked]

All I can say is the Union better not sacrifice the HP Flight Attendants. It's ridiculous to be on reserve for 17 years or even 25 years in other bases! We should have a rotating reserve after 5 years.

I agree with you 100%! However, when you have a base where the most junior reserve is 23 years that won't work. I would assume that you would have to do a percentage. Instead of having say 10% reserve, make it 20% and rotate them. 1 on 1 off. PIT base is at 54% reserve so, I don't know how to fix that.

 

[PITbull]

I'm gonna butt in here and PITbull correct me if I'm wrong.

It sounds to me that EVERY Flight attendent needs to GET INVOLVED YESTERDAY in the day to day activities of their union. Both sides of the fence HP and US.

We've all witnessed the treachery of the PHL LEC leadership in action. Your job satisfaction and career may depend on what happens over the next 90 to 120 days so get up stand up and be heard.

The AFA is only as strong as its laziest loser member. So take a stand and be heard. So what if your ideas get shot down at least your voice was heard. It's better than whining and complaining after the fact.

Godspeed, see you in the air.

Bob,

You are exactly correct!

I agree with you 100%! However, when you have a base where the most junior reserve is 23 years that won't work. I would assume that you would have to do a percentage. Instead of having say 10% reserve, make it 20% and rotate them. 1 on 1 off. PIT base is at 54% reserve so, I don't know how to fix that.

Transfers and then displace. Its in the contract.

The company needs to offer the VFLR and then fix the population in the bases once and for all.

 

[Twicebaked]

Bob,

You are exactly correct!
Transfers and then displace. Its in the contract.

The company needs to offer the VFLR and then fix the population in the bases once and for all.

It is also in the contract that you cannot "transfer" into a base if it is closed. PHL is WAY over staffed right now. Why should say 50 be allowed to voluntarily transfer in causing more of an overage? Then say 50 get involuntarily displaced and "kick" the junior folks out??? We been kicked out of too many places too many times. It's time to consider the junior folks and not worry about just the senior folks!! I know you NEVER agree with that. It's all about the Senior folks that put their time in. Well, F@#* that.........we have suffered way toooooooooo long.

 

[BoeingBoy]

It seems to me that a large part of the East staffing overage (particularly F/A, although to a smaller degree for pilots) is that system block hours have been disappearing faster than attrition reduced the employee ranks. Returning as many airplanes as we did the last few months will do that.

The word came out today that there won't be an April pilot permanent bid - the Feb bid was "rolled over" for another month - so the block hours will be relative stable at least thru then. I suspect that there'll be a May bid, but barring something unforseen it should be for the shift of time to international for the summer.

It's little solice for the reserves not flying now, but attrition will slowly reduce the staffing overage.

Jim

 

[PITbull]

It is also in the contract that you cannot "transfer" into a base if it is closed. PHL is WAY over staffed right now. Why should say 50 be allowed to voluntarily transfer in causing more of an overage? Then say 50 get involuntarily displaced and "kick" the junior folks out??? We been kicked out of too many places too many times. It's time to consider the junior folks and not worry about just the senior folks!! I know you NEVER agree with that. It's all about the Senior folks that put their time in. Well, F@#* that.........we have suffered way toooooooooo long.

The issue of overstaffing has nothing to do with what I agree with or not. Normal attrition is not happening fast enough to equal out in the bases. Perhaps there maybe an elimination of a base if there is not enough flying to substantiate a base. I suspect that may happen.

You can not transfer into a base that is closed. Once the VFLR is offered and more folks leave voluntarily or a VSIP is offered (which is the first process contractually), then the bases will open for transfers. If not enough folks voluntarily take a furlough, and an overstaff situation still is present in all the bases, then there would have to be involuntary furloughs. Nothing in that area contractually has changed. The company has postponed the VF program, and if you are looking for correction in the bases, the above is the only way to get there. Otherwise, don't complain about bases being over staffed. The only remedy to an overstaffed situation is furlough.

 

[IpourNotCan]

Maybe if you guys don't overnight with your pilots all the time, they can avoid furloughs and involuntary displacements. Seems your problems involves scheduling restrictions. We keep hearing here in the west that US east doesn't utilize their reserves very well.

 

[Twicebaked]

Involuntarily furloughing F/As is NOT the answer. Fix this F@#&d up draconian system that the East has. Let's start with that bid sheet!!! What the he!! is that all about? Let's keep hundreds of trips open for the month so that the senior people can switch around their schedule for the 5th time to get what they want! If they would cover EVERYTRIP creating more blocks, the reserves would be truly reserves. You would not need 300+ reserves on duty every day. And yes that is what it is.

 

[PITbull]

Hey Twice,

You couldn't get more wrong. Once the bid sheet is gone, there will be even more excess fa/s. Once pref bid comes in, there will be even more excess f/as. The base that has excess reserves is in PIT only. And the remedy for that is to displace. All other bases have a 19-20% reserve factor and that is appropriate for the flying in those bases.

Either the co. offeres VF (contractually) and if not enough folks take it, there will be involuntary furloughing for the excess. As you can see, VPLOA were offered for Jan. and Feb...rumor has it that the co. will be offering the VFLR sometime commencing in May. If this is true, there should be information going out to the f/as sometime in March.

 

[andyperkins]

Had a CO crew on the bus in PIT on my trip and they gave me a copy of their tentative agreement....an interesting read it all here,(copy&paste)

http://www.iamdl142.org/fa/Contract2005/Final.CBA.With.Boxes.12.15.05.V4.pdf

This is the direction that our talks should be going!

Highlights of the Agreement
http://www.iamdl142.org/fa/Contract2005/Highlights.12-08-05.Final.V3.pdf


Pay @75 hrs/Month or less

Effective Date Ratification
1st 6 mos. $19.50
2nd 6 mos. 19.50
2nd year 22.78
3rd year 24.06
4th year 25.95
5th year 27.84
6th year 32.30
7th year 34.32
8th year 36.18
9th year 37.54
10th year 39.44
11th year 40.65
12th year 42.67
13th year 44.27
14th year 46.12
15th year 48.15
16th year 50.00*
* 16th year rate effective December 30, 2009

Incentive Pay Rates
1. Flight Attendants will be paid the following incentive pay rates for all block hours flown in excess of two hundred and twenty-five hours (225:00) per calendar quarter, including vacation and deadhead, to a maximum of three hundred and thirty hours (330:00), except that no incentive pay will apply for block hours flown in excess of one hundred and ten (110:00) hours in a bid month.

Effective Date of Ratification
1st 6 mos. $24.50
2nd6 mos. 24.50
2nd year 27.78
3rd year 29.06
4th year 30.95
5th year 32.84
6th year 37.30
7th year 39.32
8th year 41.18
9th year 42.54
10th year 44.44
11th year 45.65
12th year 47.67
13th year 49.27
14th year 51.12
15th year 53.15
16th year 55.00*
*16th year rate effective December 30, 2009

 

[USstew23]

That would be a nice payscale, kind of close to what ours was before BK1..Thanks for the info AndyPerkins.

 

[N109UW]

You gotta be kidding me. That is awesome. Makes our half a percent raise we used to get, even when we were making money, look like a joke. I hope someone takes notice of thos. Parity plus 1 baby.

 

[Buttercup]

Quote /the biggest complaint from our RSV's is that we want to fly, so let us./

This is a significant complaint here at west.

RV FAs compete with each other for assignments based on the lowest number of hours. And when their turn does come, scheduling calls and lets you know what it is, you do not have any choice or by pass option.

The last few months Reserve has gone increasing senior compared to where it had been for about a year and a half.

I was wondering since N109UW complains so much and seems to be such a winer :down: has he ever done anything with the union. He seems to always be talking out of his rear. What a shame to be so miserable! You would never have been elected for the position...you obviously do not know much about the contract. I have yet to see you mention that you get paid 73 hours whether you fly it or not. Not to say the reserve system is good nor bad, but stop complaining. It is not benificial to fly separate from the pilots. Alot of sitting for the other and it is not as safe as it is now staying with the same crew. Also PBS would be a wonderful thing and you would not be on reserve you would be a blk holder. Hopefully we will end up on that system. Sometime speak to a America West Pilot and ask them about the system you would learn alot. Stop complaining about your union and get involved. You obviously have a lot to learn!!!!

**Edited to merge posts only**

 

[jec9]

N109UW was almost the AFA CLT LECP, see
http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php...ndpost&p=342789

 

[PITbull]

CO f/as are represented by the IAM.

Their contract is THE concessionary agreement they ratified last year and OUTSIDE of BK. If you note, U was NOT the highest paid f/as in the industry pre BK as U-managment paraded around to the media. CO, LUV, Delta and Amercan were higher paid than us as Legacy carriers go.

If you ever fly Continental ...they are a well-run company,and have an extroadinary workforce with an excellent and extraordinary managment team. Some I know personally. I also know well one of their IAM negotiators who was on their team in negotiations for that particular contract. And as fyi...Continental deposited $50 million into their employees defined pension plan April 2005.

 

[PITbull]

N109UW was almost the AFA CLT LECP, see
http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php...ndpost&p=342789

Sure wish the guy would have won the election instead of Mike. Sure glad Ann C. took over his seat.