Flight Attendant Staffing Shortages

[Twicebaked]

Speculation or Fact?

Nothing is fact until we see it.

I have been told by those "in the know" that the company WILL NOT agree to any type of system that the East is currently using as it is too costly and it reschedules the airline every day.

I guess we will just have to see won't we.

Me thinks some seniors are just getting scared that their cushy existance my be in jeapordy.

And for the poster that thinks this would be concessionary............ just cause it is doesn't mean it won't go away.

Get ready to work girls!!!!!

 

[IMisstheAladdinTrays]

Nothing is fact until we see it.

I have been told by those "in the know" that the company WILL NOT agree to any type of system that the East is currently using as it is too costly and it reschedules the airline every day.

I guess we will just have to see won't we.

Me thinks some seniors are just getting scared that their cushy existance my be in jeapordy.

And for the poster that thinks this would be concessionary............ just cause it is doesn't mean it won't go away.

Get ready to work girls!!!!!

The company and the JNC have not started trading proposals on scheduling yet. This person "in the know" may be speaking out of turn.

 

[HP_JACK]

Funny the comment about the senior ones not knowing anything about computers. Most of our top tier here in phoenix don't know how to use the system either. Can't trade amongst eachother, vacation and whatever. These ladies with bonus boobs are getting a little old to playing the I dumb and cute card!

 

[aredeeyou22]

Nothing is fact until we see it.

Exactly. And they have not even started negotiating this section of the contract yet. How is your friend "in the know" so sure it's gone? I believe that as much as I believe all the BH's that "promise" they would vote for a rotating reserve....

And for the poster that thinks this would be concessionary............ just cause it is doesn't mean it won't go away.

I don't "think" giving up the bid sheet would be concessionary, I know it would be. It is probably one of the costliest pieces of our contract, and simply giving that away to the company with nothing in return would be nothing short of foolish.

Look, we all realize how horrible this reserve system is; we live it every day. Let's just wait and see what system the JNC comes up with for scheduling RSV and BH before we start throwing pieces of what we have down the toilet.

 

[HP_JACK]

Ok. I see how it is concesionary now. SO LET'S CASH IT IN!. This bid sheet is crazy. Its time we replace these schedulers with computers!

 

[aredeeyou22]

Ok. I see how it is concesionary now. SO LET'S CASH IT IN!. This bid sheet is crazy. Its time we replace these schedulers with computers!

Yup, the bid sheet, in its current form, with the current reserve LTO system, is crazy. Costly. Inefficient. That's not to say we could not have some form of a "bid sheet" further down the road: Computerized, FCFS, whatever, I don't know, we'll have to wait and see the outcome of the negotiations. Point is, don't be so quick to negotiate away one of the few "benefits" we still have in our contract because it sux with the current LTO system.

 

[Twicebaked]

The company and the JNC have not started trading proposals on scheduling yet. This person "in the know" may be speaking out of turn.

This was something that was stated from the get go. And you are correct. They have not negotiated that yet. Doesn't mean it is not true.

Hello, denial party???

 

[Travelpro72]

While I agree that this all speculation I think this cost conscious management team isn't going to agree to keep the AIL without the group giving something for it. It most certainly IS the most expensive item in the contract we have hands down. We need a completely new scheduling system drawn up. Start from scratch, think outside the box and for Gods sake PLEASE have the foresight to see the big picture.

 

[Coffee_Tea_Or_Me]

I don't get why people consider ditching the bidsheet to be concessionary. It is concessionary only to the block holder who bids a block they have no intention what-so-ever of flying. Getting rid of the bid sheet and creating more lines of flying is a huge benefit to those struggling on reserve, forced to fly on days off to make ends meet. It sounds like a huge gain to me. Bid a block, fly it, trade and drop like all the other airlines.

 

[IMisstheAladdinTrays]

This was something that was stated from the get go. And you are correct. They have not negotiated that yet. Doesn't mean it is not true.

Hello, denial party???

Denial? I am a reserve. Who stated it?

 

[aredeeyou22]

I don't get why people consider ditching the bidsheet to be concessionary. It is concessionary only to the block holder who bids a block they have no intention what-so-ever of flying. Getting rid of the bid sheet and creating more lines of flying is a huge benefit to those struggling on reserve, forced to fly on days off to make ends meet. It sounds like a huge gain to me. Bid a block, fly it, trade and drop like all the other airlines.

It's a benefit to the BH, which make up the majority of our membership. Put dollar amounts on aspects of our contract, and I bet that the most expensive item would be... the bid sheet. Don't kid yourself....

You are speaking out of pure emotion. USAir is stagnant, which is where all this emotion and grief begins.... Reserves are miserable, and want the bid sheet gone so BH's can't rearrange their schedule 30 times a month. I get that, and I agree that BH flexibility is over the top as compared to other airlines. That said, the bid sheet is most certainly a high cost item, and if we were to just "give it up" as opposed to negotiating a new system where everyone is able to prosper financially, we would be nothing short of foolish. Keep it or get rid of it, the bid sheet is an expensive bargaining tool, and it is good that we at least still have that in our contract, after all the concessions.

Don't be so quick to negotiate away FA benefits just because our reserve life is miserable. If it goes, we best make sure we get many work rule improvements, and are able to keep a high level of lineholder flexibility. To me, work rules are almost more important than our base pay, and once you negotiate work rules away, you never see them again. You may not believe it, but we too will be BH's someday, and I am not interested in not being able to enjoy a good amount of lineholder flexibility. I just don't want it to be at the expense of our future reserves, which is where a new, negotiated scheduling/ bidding system comes in. Let's see what the JNC comes up with.

 

[Chicken or Beef??]

How about getting rid of the bid sheet AND implementing rotating reserve? Then yinz can be “like all the other airlinesâ€￾.

Rotating reserve? Not in my lifetime.
Look at the obvious clauses in our contract that create all this open time at the beginning of each month and it has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AIL LIST.

Blockholders on transition trips are obligated to remain on their trip from the previous month. For instance I have a 3 day trip that works March 30/31 April 1.
My April block has a four day trip originating April 1. I am obligated to remain on my trip going out March 30. Scheduling will not take me off my April trip until the day before the March 30 trip originates. That April trip should have been release when the March blocks closed thereby releasing it to open time. That's not the way the system works. That is why there are so many open trips at the beginning of each month.
Further; I am obligate do stay on this March trip because... IT is my last trip of the month and it operates on a weekend.
"Just my opinion." :blink:

 

[cactusflyer]

Keep in mind folks the director of crew scheduling is Mike Finn, from the west. He is, was and always will be about cost containment. Those of us here on the west know what he is about and I venture to say that if the bid sheet is anywhere near as costly to keep as you all say it is, then he will certainly push to dump it....bet on it. On that note, Finn is notoriously against pilot pairings for FA's as well. He likes to keep the FA's on their own pairings because it allows for better utilization of us since we aren't as limited as the pilots on the number of hours we can fly a day. That is why the company spilt the FA pairings from the pilot pairings on the west when we were negotiating what is now our current contract. It's not uncommon to get new pilots for every leg of your trip.


Change is coming, just not sure exactly when or how good/bad it will be. Guess it depends on where your seniority puts you. The reserves on the east should also keep in mind that the west management has never figured out how to properly utilize reserves on the west either, not sure they'll ever really figure it out.

 

[Chicken or Beef??]

Do you want to put money on that????

IT IS GONE!!!!!!!!!

Nothing changes until we vote for or against it. I haven't used the bid sheet in years. But, if it's concessionary I will automatically vote no, as would the majority (those who care enough to vote) of blockholders. I'm already leaning no because they are messing with our trans-atlantic rest seats. I am not going down the concessionary route. No way. Been there, done that and have the tee shirt to prove it. :down: :down: :down:

 

[aredeeyou22]

I venture to say that if the bid sheet is anywhere near as costly to keep as you all say it is, then he will certainly push to dump it....bet on it.

Fine, but remember, the union will have a dollar amount on the bid sheet, probably pretty high, and if Mr. Finn wants the bid sheet gone, he is going to have to give a lot in pay/ work rules to get it. From my communications with them, I believe the JNC is not interested in concessions whatsoever, and will not give up a cent if we are not receiving something in return.

If the JNC fails us, we still have a 'NO' vote.

IMO, "if" the company wants the bid sheet, they will pay. Dearly.