Check out my reserve flight attendant blog...

[FlightChic]

Hi everyone! I have been pretty busy lately but I have finally added new posts to my blog and I am getting ready to add more. I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!

 

[Fontainebleau]

Hi everyone! I have been pretty busy lately but I have finally added new posts to my blog and I am getting ready to add more. I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!

Although I am not on reserve I am very sympathetic toward those who must deal with the reserve system. My perspective is that the reserve system and rules were always designed for a temporary lifestyle - a year or two at the most and then you would move on to hold a line. I believe that the contract rules for reserves should reflect the outlook of five or more years considering the need to bring back furloughs, the return to reserve of long-time employees and a slowdown in hiring.

If the contract's reserve sections are designed for reserve to be a viewed as a long-term placement then it could be modified to promote more reasonable rules and a better quality of life for those who deal with it. Has anyone ever requested that the MECs and the company start viewing reserve in this way?

 

[USCREW]

Although I am not on reserve I am very sympathetic toward those who must deal with the reserve system. My perspective is that the reserve system and rules were always designed for a temporary lifestyle - a year or two at the most and then you would move on to hold a line. I believe that the contract rules for reserves should reflect the outlook of five or more years considering the need to bring back furloughs, the return to reserve of long-time employees and a slowdown in hiring.

If the contract's reserve sections are designed for reserve to be a viewed as a long-term placement then it could be modified to promote more reasonable rules and a better quality of life for those who deal with it. Has anyone ever requested that the MECs and the company start viewing reserve in this way?

Are you a flight attendant at all?

 

[FlightChic]

Although I am not on reserve I am very sympathetic toward those who must deal with the reserve system. My perspective is that the reserve system and rules were always designed for a temporary lifestyle - a year or two at the most and then you would move on to hold a line. I believe that the contract rules for reserves should reflect the outlook of five or more years considering the need to bring back furloughs, the return to reserve of long-time employees and a slowdown in hiring.

If the contract's reserve sections are designed for reserve to be a viewed as a long-term placement then it could be modified to promote more reasonable rules and a better quality of life for those who deal with it. Has anyone ever requested that the MECs and the company start viewing reserve in this way?

Most of the flight attendants here at US Airways are here because it is their career. We stopped hiring in 2001. We have very little turnover. We still have thousands of flight attendants who are furloughed. We have a lot of senior people with 30 and 40 years and they still can't get them to retire. Back East it IS a career choice, not just a job like working at Wally World. Our most junior f/a has been here for 8 years! Back in 2000, we knew that if we could tough out the low pay for the first five years, then after six years we would be making a lot more money and many of us, depending on our base, would be holding blocks. In 2001, I was making good money since I was working transatlantic flights. Actually I was making way more then than I do now. I had it great and yet I still had a lot to look forward to. I never felt disrespected or unappreciated. Our trips were so much better. We were all happy and enjoyed our overnights. Our old contract was good and I never once felt like it was designed to "run us off" after a year. We stayed because we had something to look forward to and we were working under much better conditions with great trips.

Now it is 2007. Our airline is falling apart. The reserve system is out of control horrible. More people are unhappy because they can't do their jobs correctly because of lack of tools or pay their bills from lack of flying or whatever else is going on. Ever since DP came into the picture we have really gone down hill in terms of everything - service, airplanes, employees, contracts, etc.

I'm sure it is DP's goal to get rid of us and turn this into a high turnover operation in order to keep labor costs low but this hasn't always been the case with us at the original US Airways.

As far as the reserve system, it was created to benefit the top blockholders because that is who is running the AFA. Even the more junior lineholders have been shafted. I talked to a f/a who was at recurrent and MF was in the same class. There were a lot of reserves at that class, many of whom would not leave him alone and went off on him because of how bad our reserve system is and they demanded that there be a change. It was so bad for him that he cancelled his merger training on the following day since those same people would be at that too and he went at a later date. Many of us have called and written to our union officers and we get attitude or a stupid form letter that doesn't even let us know that they are listening and that they care.

It's like, here at US Airways, we're all out to look after ourselves and nobody else which is wrong. We should be working together as a team, not against each other. I don't ever remember people openly talking about being a f/a at US Airways as only a temporary job like working at McDonald's when you're sixteen until I came back from furlough. I don't remember getting that impression from our former management. I don't remember walking into a transatlantic briefing room or on an airplane before only to hear grunts because they don't want to fly with a reserve. Trust me, it does happen, and I am sure there are reserves who balk at having to fly with blockholders. Things shouldn't be this way. DP probably does want this to be a high turnover position but I still partly blame the union for our contract since they only wanted it to benefit themselves and nobody else. I only wish I had been around back then so I could have voted NO. :down: :down: :down:

 

[songbirdstew]

Now it is 2007. Our airline is falling apart. The reserve system is out of control horrible. More people are unhappy because they can't do their jobs correctly because of lack of tools or pay their bills from lack of flying or whatever else is going on.

As far as the reserve system, it was created to benefit the top blockholders because that is who is running the AFA. Even the more junior lineholders have been shafted. I talked to a f/a who was at recurrent and MF was in the same class. There were a lot of reserves at that class, many of whom would not leave him alone and went off on him because of how bad our reserve system is and they demanded that there be a change. It was so bad for him that he cancelled his merger training on the following day since those same people would be at that too and he went at a later date.

Many of us have called and written to our union officers and we get attitude or a stupid form letter that doesn't even let us know that they are listening and that they care.

Of course they do not care as they do not have to live this horrid system....the MEC and MF are so busy doing little things like protecting the trainers with their name on the seniority list and sending out e-lines about the Swami convention in JAX that they don't have the time to deal with the big issues.

I say that every LEC president should have to sit RSV for 3 months. They should be awarded the bottom RSV line, not the top w/ weekends off. Let's see how they like it then.

It took them 17 months to negotiate the small issues of the contract...it will take them 17 years to negotiate the large ticket items like SCK, VAC and RSV.

In my opinion, this crappy system needs to be dealt with NOW.

 

[Fontainebleau]

Why is it that when a lineholder makes an effort to understand the reserve system as it is today reserves are so quick to attack them? I am only trying to understand why the sytem is the way it is. From what I hear on the line it is a horrible system and I try to make the effort to understand what could be done to change it. Since our industry is so seniority driven the difficulty that I see is in creating a system that makes reserve liveable but also provides the incentives (scheduling and flexibility) that encourage flight attendants to become lineholders and keep working thier way up the seniority list. After all, isn't that what you are getting at here?

 

[UAL_TECH]

Most of the flight attendants here at US Airways are here because it is their career. We stopped hiring in 2001. We have very little turnover. We still have thousands of flight attendants who are furloughed. We have a lot of senior people with 30 and 40 years and they still can't get them to retire. Back East it IS a career choice, not just a job like working at Wally World. Our most junior f/a has been here for 8 years! Back in 2000, we knew that if we could tough out the low pay for the first five years, then after six years we would be making a lot more money and many of us, depending on our base, would be holding blocks. In 2001, I was making good money since I was working transatlantic flights. Actually I was making way more then than I do now. I had it great and yet I still had a lot to look forward to. I never felt disrespected or unappreciated. Our trips were so much better. We were all happy and enjoyed our overnights. Our old contract was good and I never once felt like it was designed to "run us off" after a year. We stayed because we had something to look forward to and we were working under much better conditions with great trips.

Now it is 2007. Our airline is falling apart. The reserve system is out of control horrible. More people are unhappy because they can't do their jobs correctly because of lack of tools or pay their bills from lack of flying or whatever else is going on. Ever since DP came into the picture we have really gone down hill in terms of everything - service, airplanes, employees, contracts, etc.

I'm sure it is DP's goal to get rid of us and turn this into a high turnover operation in order to keep labor costs low but this hasn't always been the case with us at the original US Airways.

As far as the reserve system, it was created to benefit the top blockholders because that is who is running the AFA. Even the more junior lineholders have been shafted. I talked to a f/a who was at recurrent and MF was in the same class. There were a lot of reserves at that class, many of whom would not leave him alone and went off on him because of how bad our reserve system is and they demanded that there be a change. It was so bad for him that he cancelled his merger training on the following day since those same people would be at that too and he went at a later date. Many of us have called and written to our union officers and we get attitude or a stupid form letter that doesn't even let us know that they are listening and that they care.

It's like, here at US Airways, we're all out to look after ourselves and nobody else which is wrong. We should be working together as a team, not against each other. I don't ever remember people openly talking about being a f/a at US Airways as only a temporary job like working at McDonald's when you're sixteen until I came back from furlough. I don't remember getting that impression from our former management. I don't remember walking into a transatlantic briefing room or on an airplane before only to hear grunts because they don't want to fly with a reserve. Trust me, it does happen, and I am sure there are reserves who balk at having to fly with blockholders. Things shouldn't be this way. DP probably does want this to be a high turnover position but I still partly blame the union for our contract since they only wanted it to benefit themselves and nobody else. I only wish I had been around back then so I could have voted NO. :down: :down: :down:

Your hopes of a 'career' in the airline industry is an illusion unless your career expectations are to make less than you do today all the while working longer and harder while the customer beats you up for your lack of service compared to the Singapore Girls.

JMHO,
B) UT

Edited by Me.
----------------
Singapore Girl, Asia's Barbie
----------------
B) UT

 

[FlightChic]

Your hopes of a 'career' in the airline industry is an illusion unless your career expectations are to make less than you do today all the while working longer and harder while the customer beats you up for your lack of service compared to the Singapore Girls.

JMHO,
B) UT

Edited by Me.
----------------
Singapore Girl, Asia's Barbie
----------------
B) UT

Sadly enough, I think you are right. I honestly cannot see myself doing this for too much longer. Things just aren't how they used to be and they are only getting worse. :down:

Why is it that when a lineholder makes an effort to understand the reserve system as it is today reserves are so quick to attack them? I am only trying to understand why the sytem is the way it is. From what I hear on the line it is a horrible system and I try to make the effort to understand what could be done to change it. Since our industry is so seniority driven the difficulty that I see is in creating a system that makes reserve liveable but also provides the incentives (scheduling and flexibility) that encourage flight attendants to become lineholders and keep working thier way up the seniority list. After all, isn't that what you are getting at here?

To Fontainebleau: Please do not take all this personally. I hope you don't feel as if you have been personally attacked by me because that was not my intention. If I did offend you I do apologize. I'm not mad at the blockholders. You are all doing your job just like we are doing ours. As a reserve, we just feel we get absolutely no respect and we are beaten up and pushed around and treated like sh!t by the company and the union because we are just a "stupid reserve." I don't have time for a longer response but I will write more later tonight to help you understand why we are so angry. I'm off to the airport right now.

 

[LongTimeF/A]

I don't get why so many feel that if you have 30 or 40 years in this company, you need to retire... Not all the senior FA's are anywhere near retirement age, tough to eat and pay your bills until your 60+ and can start collecting social security... Some of them actually have to stay.. Just to put it out there, I don't have 30 or 40 years.. but with two in college, I don't want to think about how long I'll have to stay..

 

[Fontainebleau]

FlightChic, that comment was directed toward USCREW and not toward you. I applaud your efforts to change a system that doesn't work by using your blog, your common sense and anything else at your disposal. Those who actually make an attempt to change things have my utmost respect over those that simply complain, get pissy toward anyone's suggestions and then start name calling because things don't go their way.

So, you have my respect and my ear - I'm just interested in knowing what you think could be done to rememdy the problems of reserve, that's all.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Everybody wants to be a block holder.

 

[Travelpro72]

They need to address the needs of the reserves NOW! ! ! ! I don't wanna hear that it's an item yet to be negotiated. We cannot wait until a ratified contract happens before we see some relief. We will colonize Mars before we get a livable system. In the past it was better to sit high reserves sometimes than low blockholder. Now this system just beats you to death. Some say they make this reserve system "work for them". They have little to NO life and have a half a$$ed reason for how they "work" it. So again, we need change NOW. It's only gonna get worse for the company if they don't change things. You'll continue to see more N/A's on option 18 until you fix it.

 

[USCREW]

FlightChic, that comment was directed toward USCREW and not toward you. I applaud your efforts to change a system that doesn't work by using your blog, your common sense and anything else at your disposal. Those who actually make an attempt to change things have my utmost respect over those that simply complain, get pissy toward anyone's suggestions and then start name calling because things don't go their way.

So, you have my respect and my ear - I'm just interested in knowing what you think could be done to rememdy the problems of reserve, that's all.

You're talking to me?

I am a primary block holder and emphatize with all of our F/As, especially the reserves. Just because I ask you whether you are a flight attendant or not makes a me pissy, name-calling, complainer? Get a grip.

 

[GroundedBoricua]

Everybody wants to be a block holder.

Put your self in their shoes. The resevre system was not so bad pre-9/11 before I got furloughed. What you are saying is true but they should be whipped to death while makeing their way to blockholder.

You're talking to me?

I am a primary block holder and emphatize with all of our F/As, especially the reserves. Just because I ask you whether you are a flight attendant or not makes a me pissy, name-calling, complainer? Get a grip.

Why don't you get a grip. Bid reserve for a couple of months and you will see what she is talking about. I jumped ship when I was getting the boot at MDA. And where i'm at now, les than two year and I hold a line. Plus my salary is more than what I would be making there after 7 years. Don't you think something is wrong with that picture?? I sat reserve here and its not great, but its not as horrible as the reseves are sitting over there.

 

[USCREW]

Why don't you get a grip. Bid reserve for a couple of months and you will see what she is talking about. I jumped ship when I was getting the boot at MDA. And where i'm at now, les than two year and I hold a line. Plus my salary is more than what I would be making there after 7 years. Don't you think something is wrong with that picture?? I sat reserve here and its not great, but its not as horrible as the reseves are sitting over there.

You don't think that I understand because I am not reserve? You are misdirecting your hostility.