Check out my reserve flight attendant blog...

[Travelpro72]

Ok defeated may be a bit of a stretch but we certainly are feeling pretty helpless. You have a union which protects the blockholder coupled with a company that couldn't care less. We are in a ratified agreement and the company won't change anything regardless of how bad we push the union. What can we MAKE the union do exactly? The company has us at 73 hours with NO DANGER of us timing out. Your not gonna see them negotiate any improvements to us that can be used against them in joint negotiations. I don't care if we all walked off the property. Let's be honest here. I'm sitting here on my 5th day on duty with no hopes of going anywhere. Just as they want it. We have no legal recourse as far as I know to pressure them to do anything with an "or else" attitude. That goes for the company as well as the union. Our troubles fall on deaf ears and I just don't see that changing. Maybe with a recall as an agenda item but we can't even get people together unless we are showing off a new dress.

 

[theFLYonthewall]

IMO all the energy can be channeled through perfectly legal means in your AFA Bylaws. If you don't like who is representing you, you gather enough people (the reserves and others) and flip to your Constitution and Bylaws. It states:

ARTICAL IX RECALL
C. Local Council Officers

At a Local Council meeting, which has been called to consider, among other things, a recall, (recall requires a petition in accordance with Article III.D.9 that is signed by 30% of the Active Members in Good Standing, and notice in accordance with Article III.D.4.) such Local Council, by a majority vote of the members present, may request the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union to initiate and circulate a ballot among the active members in good standing of such Local Council for the removal of a Local Council Officer. Said ballot shall be mailed within fifteen (15) days of the request thereof. The International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union, upon completion of such balloting, shall certify to the Local Executive Council and the Local Council the results of such vote.

Then an election will follow. Other AFA airlines have tossed out officers with little problem. My suggestion. Pay careful attention to who you vote in. This is a prime example. We are not helpless.

Isn't this a moot point? CLT/LGA/BOS local elections were just held. PHL comes up again in June. Recalling your local officers isn't going to change the pace of the contract negoiations. What good is recalling your local office what difference is that going to make?

 

[beachboy]

I am just pointing out there is a mechanism for the members to get together and change how things are. It would not do much good in this case. But the person that controls PHL hold the majority of the cards.

 

[flightattend21]

I am just pointing out there is a mechanism for the members to get together and change how things are. It would not do much good in this case. But the person that controls PHL hold the majority of the cards.

How I wish it were true and PHL held the majority. The summer help was voted in by the other base presidents and John Mccorkle was outvoted on his own base. he put in again recently for phl f/a based here to have first shot at blocks when summer comes around again and guess what? he lost again... the other presidents feel that their b/h should hold a block here regardless where they are based nice huh?

 

[FlightChic]

How I wish it were true and PHL held the majority. The summer help was voted in by the other base presidents and John Mccorkle was outvoted on his own base. he put in again recently for phl f/a based here to have first shot at blocks when summer comes around again and guess what? he lost again... the other presidents feel that their b/h should hold a block here regardless where they are based nice huh?

This is absolutely absurd! So, what happened? They voted to let them come in during the summer months so they could fly international blocks and then when summer season was over they returned to their original bases, kinda like how the separate transatlantic division was? I had never heard of this until you brought it up. Nothing was ever mention to us. How many people came to PHL and how were they so secretive about it? How did people bid for this? Why did the company allow this? This is unreal!

 

[Travelpro72]

This is absolutely absurd. I would LOVE to hear the explanation regarding this latest issue among many. You see people? This is YOUR union. Unbelievable! No believable.

 

[flightattend21]

You would be surprised on how many f/a did not know about this. On every flight i would mention it and everyone's response was "how come no one knew?" first of all it was not advertised by the union. One f/a that went to the meeting (i was not allowed to go because i was on a medical) anyway she went with all the info, contract in hand, questioned the legality and the response was "the other presidents from other bases wanted it" we wrote to all the bases and one president (carmello) clt) would not even take our calls. got mad at John Mccorckle because he stated in his letter to email the other bases if we did not like what they did. Bottom line we here at PHL have no rights either as reserves and or being based here. by the way when one of the f/a stated she wanted to do summer help in clt on their island trips she was told no. hmm

 

[theFLYonthewall]

You would be surprised on how many f/a did not know about this. On every flight i would mention it and everyone's response was "how come no one knew?" first of all it was not advertised by the union. One f/a that went to the meeting (i was not allowed to go because i was on a medical) anyway she went with all the info, contract in hand, questioned the legality and the response was "the other presidents from other bases wanted it" we wrote to all the bases and one president (carmello) clt) would not even take our calls. got mad at John Mccorckle because he stated in his letter to email the other bases if we did not like what they did. Bottom line we here at PHL have no rights either as reserves and or being based here. by the way when one of the f/a stated she wanted to do summer help in clt on their island trips she was told no. hmm

These were LODO positions that went up for a system wide bid for the season only, and those flight attendants that came to PHL to be a LODO have since gone back to their original base. They had a transfer bid for June prior to the displacments from PIT but those were permanent base transfers.

 

[flightattend21]

These were LODO positions that went up for a system wide bid for the season only, and those flight attendants that came to PHL to be a LODO have since gone back to their original base. They had a transfer bid for June prior to the displacments from PIT but those were permanent base transfers.

No not just lodo. i am a lodo however i worked with very senior people who came in just for the "summer" but i wil tell you that one PHL f/a lost her lodo position because of the summer help. and Paul Kinsey wanted to keep 2 german lodo's from CLT 2 extra months. John Mccorkle had to fight with him to send them back. they violate our contract (scheduling) every which way.

 

[theFLYonthewall]

No not just lodo. i am a lodo however i worked with very senior people who came in just for the "summer" but i wil tell you that one PHL f/a lost her lodo position because of the summer help. and Paul Kinsey wanted to keep 2 german lodo's from CLT 2 extra months. John Mccorkle had to fight with him to send them back. they violate our contract (scheduling) every which way.

Anytime PHL has transfer openings anyone from any base can transfer in. If someone transfers in to PHL in June when the transfer opens, then transfers back to their base in January they are perfectly with in their right of our contract to do that. We have a lot of people that transfer to PHL in the summer when PHL has vacancies from LGA and DCA. Yes they are very sr and they come to PHL to fly T/A. They then turn around and transfer back when there is a transfer opening back to their base. They just happen to be lucky enough to be able to do that. No one from PIT or CLT would of ever been able to do that because they would never get back to their base.

 

[flightattend21]

First and foremost let me say if someone's seniority holds a tranfer then that is the end of the issues. I have no problem with that. However, people did transfer from CLT and are now back in their bases. "an executive decision was made by mr.kingsley to extend the temporary transfers of convenience for a couple german lodos past the end of "the summer transatlantic season". supposedly that attempt to violate the supplemental bid(which is in itself a violation of our current contract language) was thwarted." these LODO"S were from CLT. The supplemental bid was not in the contract but was allowed because the other base presidents voted on it. They made this "closed door decision" because there was a shortage or thought there would be a shortage in PHL. As a reserve f/a in PHL, I never ever made my time this summer, so tell me where was this shortage? OH yeah it went to the b/h who like to overfly. Now let me say this Filling of vacancy 18-1 A the company needs to post and provide a deadline. If the reason was for LODO then 18-2 states if not enough lodo's then they are to be GIVEN IN DOMICILE involuntarily with least seniority... was that done? NOPE. YOU see contract was violated left and right,you seem to be ok with it from your post. In all fairness John MCCORKLE was not in aggrement and MIke Flores did state in his letter that the company was in VIOLATION but hey the other bases got to vote for our base so... here we stand

 

[flybynite]

Are you saying you didn't make your time because you are a German LOD/O and weren't allowed to fly?

LOD/O positions and vacancies only go to LOD/O's as I understand it. :unsure:

 

[flightattend21]

Are you saying you didn't make your time because you are a German LOD/O and weren't allowed to fly?

LOD/O positions and vacancies only go to LOD/O's as I understand it. :unsure:

No I am not. I am stating that as a reserve I have not made my time and as a LODO I have never made my time. not a german lodo by the way, i was stating to the previous person that said "people from clt and pit would not come here because they would not be able to get back to their base" gave him/her one example of people who in fact were from clt and went back. And again it was not just for LODO it was for anyone who wanted to come on a temporary basis NOT JUST LODO wanted to clarify that again

 

[theFLYonthewall]

First and foremost let me say if someone's seniority holds a tranfer then that is the end of the issues. I have no problem with that. However, people did transfer from CLT and are now back in their bases. "an executive decision was made by mr.kingsley to extend the temporary transfers of convenience for a couple german lodos past the end of "the summer transatlantic season". supposedly that attempt to violate the supplemental bid(which is in itself a violation of our current contract language) was thwarted." these LODO"S were from CLT. The supplemental bid was not in the contract but was allowed because the other base presidents voted on it. They made this "closed door decision" because there was a shortage or thought there would be a shortage in PHL. As a reserve f/a in PHL, I never ever made my time this summer, so tell me where was this shortage? OH yeah it went to the b/h who like to overfly. Now let me say this Filling of vacancy 18-1 A the company needs to post and provide a deadline. If the reason was for LODO then 18-2 states if not enough lodo's then they are to be GIVEN IN DOMICILE involuntarily with least seniority... was that done? NOPE. YOU see contract was violated left and right,you seem to be ok with it from your post. In all fairness John MCCORKLE was not in aggrement and MIke Flores did state in his letter that the company was in VIOLATION but hey the other bases got to vote for our base so... here we stand

I am not agreeing with anything. Your posts on this subject made it seem as though you were talking about just any flight attendent being able to bid into PHL for the season. That isn't the case the temporary bid was for LODO positions only and they were allowed to bid into PHL for a start date and an end date. YES, those couple of flight attendants went to P. Kinsey and asked to remain in PHL he approved that. YES, as soon as the LEC in PHL found out they brought it to Mr Kinsey's attention that they had to go. They left. I DO NOT nor DID NOT agree with the decision to allow the LODO vacancies to open for a system bid. I think the PHL LODO's should bid it first then if there is still a shortage then you offer a seasonal system bid or better yet hire more LODO's but then again no hiring can be done until all the furloughs are brought back. So a seasonal supplemental is the only option. PHL flight attendants should absolutely be given priority. The language you need to reference is the LODO section of the contract for this situation is section 13-5.1 Which says you when filling a vacancy you have to follow the filling of the vacancies section of the contract, which the other LEC presidents said means the bid goes open system wide. FYI from my understanding M. Flores felt the same as your Mr. McMorkle but he doesn't get to vote.

 

[theFLYonthewall]

No I am not. I am stating that as a reserve I have not made my time and as a LODO I have never made my time. not a german lodo by the way, i was stating to the previous person that said "people from clt and pit would not come here because they would not be able to get back to their base" gave him/her one example of people who in fact were from clt and went back. And again it was not just for LODO it was for anyone who wanted to come on a temporary basis NOT JUST LODO wanted to clarify that again

You are misinformed. There was no supplemental bid for any position except LODO's this past year. ONLY LODO's were allowed to transfer to PHL to fill the seasonal LODO positions. Call your LEC President and get your facts straight. There was a transfer offered prior to the displacements from PIT in June, but other then that the only seasonal bid was for LODO's.