U
- Status
jimntx
Veteran
"Pat Friend, president of the 55,000-member Association of Flight Attendants, said longer weeks and lower pay at all airlines could reshape the workforce to resemble the one she encountered 40 years ago: people in their twenties who stay a few years, then leave in search of a more livable wage."
Precisely. All of the major airlines (with the possible exception of SWA) would very much like for the job of flight attendant to go back to what it once was...
A job that young ladies of good family and nice legs did for a few years until
A. they found a husband
B. they got the "travel bug" out of their system
C. found a "real" job, or
D. got sick and tired of trying to live on nothing while sharing a 2-bedroom apartment with 6 other people.
With this exception...
That people like me who have had another career or careers do for a few years before they retire for good.
In either case the airline is not faced with major pension obligations for it largest single work group, nor for the most part is there much pressure in the medical benefits area for problems generally associated with aging.
Over the next few years I think all the airlines are going to try to make the job of flight attendant as untenable as possible so that no one in their right mind would consider doing it as a long-term "career." They also intend to stop the practice like we have at AA of people calling themselves f/as, but never flying. Per our union's website, we have over 200 f/as that haven't flown a trip in over 10 years. Yet, these people will not retire, either. From what I hear, AMR is going to insist in the next contract that every f/a has to fly some minimum number of hours during the year. This should get quite a few to retire.
Precisely. All of the major airlines (with the possible exception of SWA) would very much like for the job of flight attendant to go back to what it once was...
A job that young ladies of good family and nice legs did for a few years until
A. they found a husband
B. they got the "travel bug" out of their system
C. found a "real" job, or
D. got sick and tired of trying to live on nothing while sharing a 2-bedroom apartment with 6 other people.
With this exception...
That people like me who have had another career or careers do for a few years before they retire for good.
In either case the airline is not faced with major pension obligations for it largest single work group, nor for the most part is there much pressure in the medical benefits area for problems generally associated with aging.
Over the next few years I think all the airlines are going to try to make the job of flight attendant as untenable as possible so that no one in their right mind would consider doing it as a long-term "career." They also intend to stop the practice like we have at AA of people calling themselves f/as, but never flying. Per our union's website, we have over 200 f/as that haven't flown a trip in over 10 years. Yet, these people will not retire, either. From what I hear, AMR is going to insist in the next contract that every f/a has to fly some minimum number of hours during the year. This should get quite a few to retire.
BoeingBoy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
- Banned
- #3
From the article it sounds like they're saying they don't expect to get back to where they were pre-BK but expect to get more than they're getting now. Sort of a shot across DL/NW's bow by the only F/A union on the property. As a starting position for negotiations that's ok I guess - I'd have stayed mum on the part about it being ok to stay below pre-BK levels although it's probably unavoidable. At this point in the process, though, I'm not sure CHAOS is warrented.
Jim
- Status
