Contract Negotiations - Are Reserves in Trouble?

[SKY HIGH]

We can't just sit here and let life happen to us while hoping for the best! Hope is not a life strategy for getting what you want and making a change! [/color]


Who's in?

sky high states: That's exactly what we do each time we have a tentative agreement pending. Both sides bargain, threaten, then each give alittle. After the initial rumors fly about contract items, we all worry, then feel relief after the tentative comes out. We talk ourselves into thinking, well, its not that bad.
Well, NOW IT IS. We've been thrown to the bottom of the industry in pay and benefits.

Interesting scenario: Will the WEST F/A's drop their submissive attitude and realize you get what you "negotiate". Will the EAST F/A's start caring again? Apathy is deep enough to get us into trouble (again).

Follow both sites:

http://afausairways.org/

http://www.afa66.org/


........EVERYONE SHOULD BE............IN.

ONLY stating opinions.

 

[N109UW]

We need to start at the LECP level. Change those positions, let them come out and live our lives for awhile. Then, once we get the LEC's changed, then we move up to the MECP position. Move Flores out of there. It needs to start at our lower level, to put the pressure on the MEC level.

 

[diamondcutter]

I keep saying it but the reserves need to get together and make sure every one of them is voting and taking action. Why is Carol Austin still around? Does she get voted in or is she life appointed or something? I'm sick of this corpse of an airline. I'm actually feeling more love for the company these days than our union. More of the abuse we've suffered is from the AFA than anyone else. I pay $40 a month to a union that has told my collegues and I several times how unimportant we are. They are biased against reserves, the West and MidAtlantic. I almost think we need to organize within ourselves, a sort of union against the union to represent our interests and put pressure on our real union. And contact the West side of things which shares many of our interests and concerns. This is not going to be Grandmas airline anymore folks, time to reclaim.

just putting this out there....for quick calls...how bout lto most junior gets the quick call. most junior in the bucket so to speak. this way its not always the 5 most junior in the base getting the quick calls

You should pose that question to the MECP who is paid 105 International pay obviously lacking in negotiation skills inspite of the fact that U is out of BK and reported a $500 million profit this past year. Throw in Carol Austin who makes the same, and that payroll is huge dues $$.

The Committee is a joke and the MEC should hold the MECP responsible along with his side kick, Carol for their lack of strategy to negotiate an agreement much more timely and fairly. Protests should be weekly and should be hammered in the media at every turn and opportunity.

pitbull Im RSV how do go about getting on the JNC?

 

[JMM]

Rotating reserve except for the top 25% works for me!!!

 

[FlightChic]

Rotating reserve except for the top 25% works for me!!!

As much as I love the idea of having a rotating reserve system, this is precisely why we will never get it. Blockholders simply will not support it. The majority of our union reps are in the top 25% if not higher and so are their friends. This suggestion would be dismissed immediately. Our union would never do anything to inconvenience a blockholder. It's like the rest of us are subhuman or something. It is only fair that we all rotate or no one rotates. I would not support something that still allowed those "privileged" few at the top to continue getting their way while the rest of us get screwed. I don't care if they have been here 30-40 years! We have reserves in the company who have spent many years here as well between 7-20 and we all lost our seniority with the LTO system and we get no say so in anything.

 

[N109UW]

just putting this out there....for quick calls...how bout lto most junior gets the quick call. most junior in the bucket so to speak. this way its not always the 5 most junior in the base getting the quick calls

We need to get our senoirity back as rsv's. If we are going to do a bid sheet by senoirity, then we should do the rsv system the same way. Senoir bh's have earned their position, just as senoir rsv's have. I would go along with a rotating rsv system. Maybe once AC is out of CLT, the new LECP can push that forward.

 

[lildutchgrl]

Six Months.... Its more like three/four years. Its more than he said/she said... LOL Six Months! Only in some of our RESERVES Dreams !!! Good ONE!!! God This board cracked me up sometimes.

Thanks for clearing that up! My apologies. Like I said, I'm on furlough right now and just have to go by what I'm told. The grass is alsways greener on the other side. I do think we need some junior FAs (meaning less than 10 years seniority) on the JNC. Does anyone know who is negotiating for the west? Is anyone on the committee fighting for reserves or looking out for their blockholder seniority only? I don't care east or west, as long as someone is looking out for reserves. It is beginning to sound like passing up recall might be a good decision for now, but I want a say in our future contract! This is what I am told by my friends who are still flying. 9 years seniority. Still on reserve. Can't touch TA. Gets quick called. Close to getting a secondary block which means flying weekends, or bidding reserve with weekends off (forced the fly ETB trips on some days off to make a living). In the end, I think my decision is going to be to come back, hopefully not fly a lot, and keep my current job on a part time basis. Just a question, do you ever get released by scheduling anymore?

 

[SKY HIGH]

It is only fair that we all rotate or no one rotates. I would not support something that still allowed those "privileged" few at the top to continue getting their way while the rest of us get screwed. I don't care if they have been here 30-40 years!

sky high states: Privileged? To some, seniority is the only thing left. Anyone remember the 1 for 3 1/2? 30 hour 4 days? Vacation awarded by trips missed in your block. 45 vacation days? You're almost saying that the most senior group went unscaved by all the changes to our contract. EVERYONE got screwed. Some more then others.

I support rotating reserve going up to a certain point, then you no longer do it. Just like reserve, one day you want to be off of it, for good. =)

anyone know the ratio of Reserves to Blockholders?


only stating opinions

 

[EMBFA]

....finally, EMBFA. I like your thinking. <handshake>
only stating opinion

I knew I'd win you over. Mwah!

 

[Sthrnboy]

Does anyone know who is negotiating for the west? Is anyone on the committee fighting for reserves or looking out for their block holder seniority only?

Our two members of the JNC :
Council 66 MEC AFA President
Council 66 MEC Government Affairs Chairperson
http://www.afa66.org/contactafa66.htm
These are our two JNC - for the West

I feel that they will look out for us (WEST/EAST - Reserves)

I hope that all the members of the JNC EAST/WEST are looking out for all members not just a few select at the top. It must be fair and combined effort.

I personally would like a Rotating Reserve scheduling system or something a little bit more fair. I understand that I am going to be on reserve for over 25 years and if we fail to change the reserve scheduling to make it more attractive to the (new reserves – old reserves) then we will be forever loosing people and hiring new flight attendants and all of our combined seniority will be stagnant like the east has been for years now. That is my worry. Every Reserve is looking for that white light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[N109UW]

I personally would like a Rotating Reserve scheduling system or something a little bit more fair. I understand that I am going to be on reserve for over 25 years and if we fail to change the reserve scheduling to make it more attractive to the (new reserves – old reserves) then we will be forever loosing people and hiring new flight attendants and all of our combined seniority will be stagnant like the east has been for years now. That is my worry. Every Reserve is looking for that white light at the end of the tunnel.

The reason we are stagnant is due to the fact US East old management underfunded our retirement paln and then wiped it out in BK. That left alot of people, who ahd planned on retiring, having to work more years to catch up to all they lost. But don't feel bad, CEO's took home millions in performance bonuses. We lost money out the ying, yang and they got performance bonses. How low was the statndard set, so they could get these bonuses.

I am for a rotating RSV system, however, I think senoirity should be a factor. Just because I take a trip, doesn't mean I should go to the bottom of the list. If that was the case, we should do that with BH's also. Again, I do not believe our LECP's would support this idea. I think they would be voted out of office for even thinking it. I could se my LECP her in CLT going to a BH and saying, " Hey, I really think a rotating rsv system would be great. Sure, you'll go back on RSV, but don't worry, I's not that bad". Not that she has ever experienced our new RSV system. Maybe if she loses this next election, I couls help her bis rsv for 6-8 months, let alone the 3.5 years they have ledt us on it. Just put RSVB in the bid block area.

 

[FlyGuyBWI]

The LEC is really the member's representative. If you want a more action, get a new representative (agree or not, look what it's done for Congress). CLT has an election going on -- JUST VOTE!!

 

[wmjb2002]

As much as I love the idea of having a rotating reserve system, this is precisely why we will never get it. Blockholders simply will not support it. The majority of our union reps are in the top 25% if not higher and so are their friends. This suggestion would be dismissed immediately. Our union would never do anything to inconvenience a blockholder.

This is the very thinking that needs to be changed. Junior Flight Attendants and Reserves are part of the membership. We pay the same dues that senior f/a's pay. During negotiations, your AFA leaders' jobs are to bring forth the issues of the membership...THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP!!

After meeting with management, AFA leaders report back to the membership what has been counteroffered, then the membership votes. If you don't vote, then I guess you put your life into the hands of those that do vote.
If junior membership is only 20% and the senior membership truly is throwing us under the bus, then we better wake up and run before the bus comes. Why would we continue to pay $400 a year for nothing? If we are not represented, maybe we need to rethink, reorganize and get ourselves a VOICE!
Let's forward our top 3 issues to our AFA and respectfully request they work for us too during negotiations. If no part of reserve life changes for the better in the new contract, then we will know where we stand. It will be blantantly apparant if we are not considered in our contract and then the next set of decisions should be made. People can change things! and it looks like we need a change.

So...Junior Flight Attendants, Reserves...what do you want?

1.) ****Increase Pay**** as qualifying for food stamps should not be acceptable to anyone.
2.) Increase Call-Out Time to 3-4 hours and/or have a long call and short call as the pilots do and rotate these options fairly that way you might get a month or 2 where commuting might be doable.
3.) Rotating Reserve

There are my 3 wishes! What are yours?

 

[flyguy121]

So...Junior Flight Attendants, Reserves...what do you want?

1.) ****Increase Pay**** as qualifying for food stamps should not be acceptable to anyone.
2.) Increase Call-Out Time to 3-4 hours and/or have a long call and short call as the pilots do and rotate these options fairly that way you might get a month or 2 where commuting might be doable.
3.) Rotating Reserve

There are my 3 wishes! What are yours?

Three excellent points for making a Junior F/A not comfortable but NECESSARY to making it work with this horrible reserve system currently in place. The most important point may actually be # 2, which would make it possible for those who are most Junior and making nearly nothing...to be able to live further away from those high cost cities such as: LGA, DCA and BOS...thereby keeping those bases staffed and not fearing displacements every year disrupting lives around the entire system!

 

[ganesha]

Speaking of Carol Austin, if you want her out, vote to MF, all of you. She has no idea of what is going on the frontline....heck, I bet she doesn't even know we clean airplanes now. Write to your locals, write to MF, GET HER OUT! Time to retire already!!!!!!!