Flight Attendants Balk At Airline's Proposal

[BoeingBoy]

"Our problem is the LCC’s and their labor contracts, which provide pay and benefits below our current contracts."

Not completely accurate, I think. In addition, I did some calculations of our "employee expense" vs WN's and came up with a difference of less than half of what the company is asking this time, IIRC. It's in an old thread around here somewhere.

Jim

 

[ktflyhome]

kt,

I have no comment for you, because I don't have any appreciation for folks who make excuses why they didn't care to vote. If folks were n't sure how to vote, you think they would vote NO, like the two LEC presidents wrote out in the winter.

Have you seen the sick fix, or do you have some ungrateful comment about that too?

Have a nice night.

I frigging voted. And yes, I have seen the sick fix. Reserves were an afterthought according to my emails from the Union. You seem to get constantly hung up on the votes from last time, which should NOT be any issue this time around. This time WILL be different.

My comments are NOT ungrateful. I pay for my opinion and my vote. Remember that.!!! I also Voted on the LEC and encouraged others to do so. I even started a thread on USAviation to encourage others to vote for Teddy Xidas.

You too, have a good night.

BTW: Many reserves know that this whole issue with Penions and sick/vacation in regards to reserves is nothing more than a smoke screen. Just wanted to let you know. We reserves are history anyway, right??? I believe I was told that from a reliable source.

 

[USA320Pilot]

BoeingBoy:

Southwest is only part of the LCC problem. JetBlue's contract, work rules, and new EMB-190 pay rates are a big problem. Throw in AirTran, Frontier, ATA, Spirit, Independence Air, etc. and we have a whole group of companies who pay their employees pay and benefits less than US Airways employees.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[BoeingBoy]

Duplicate post - deleted by me

Jim

 

[PITbull]

I frigging voted. And yes, I have seen the sick fix. Reserves were an afterthought according to my emails from the Union. You seem to get constantly hung up on the votes from last time, which should NOT be any issue this time around. This time WILL be different.

My comments are NOT ungrateful. I pay for my opinion and my vote. Remember that.!!! I also Voted on the LEC and encouraged others to do so. I even started a thread on USAviation to encourage others to vote for Teddy Xidas.

You too, have a good night.

BTW: Many reserves know that this whole issue with Penions and sick/vacation in regards to reserves is nothing more than a smoke screen. Just wanted to let you know. We reserves are history anyway, right??? I believe I was told that from a reliable source.

:angry:

I think you should run for office...from the sounds of your posts on these boards, I am confident that you have a much better understanding of all seniority ranks and the needs of all groups, and would do a much better job representing ALL GROUPS OF SENIORITY... much better than Teddy.

This way, you will be able to address your issues.

PS: I don't pay anything on these boards to share my opinion....however, I do pay union dues to AFA to have my vote, too. Just in case you think its "all about you".

 

[USA320Pilot]

BoeingBoy:

USA320Pilot said: "Our problem is the LCC’s and their labor contracts"

BoeingBoy said: "Somehow I don't think that is the only problem we have."

USA320Pilot comments: I agree, but my comments were related to labor contracts. US Airways has a whole slew of other problems, but that's another story.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[WestCoastGuy]

Our problem is the LCC’s and their labor contracts, which provide pay and benefits below our current contracts.

Do you think it's just possible that our problem might just be BAD MANAGEMENT? The kind that has their head so far in the sand they can't see the forest because of all the trees? Maybe clean up the company and make it more of an airline than a 7-11 store? Just maybe stop giving away every dime we take in the front door at PHL, only to give away at the back door when the planes arrive without baggage, late with internation misconnects that we have to purchase new tickets on other carriers, give money away by the truckload for international oversales, and thousands of free tickets domestically everyday, paying pilots and F/A's to deadhead all over the country because scheduling is such a mess, nobody can figure it out, layers of local, regional and director level managers who's jobs overlap and nobody knows what the other does, have so many cancelled express flights that we have to pay the customer for not flying on us, give every exec that leaves, millions even when he did nothing but cost the company more than he left with? Is it possible that labor is the ONLY problem this company has? But you seem to know everything and be wise to all the company's problems, so Im sure you see things from a totally different perspective than 99% of us uneducated ramp rat, mechanics, ato agents and res folks. We just not see the whole picture as you can see it. Please, oh knowledgeable one, stop trying to enlighten us. We all have an understanding of what turns this company, and it's not YOU.

 

[USA320Pilot]

WestCoastGuy:

Since you seem to have such a good understanding of all the problems and solutions, have you provided them to management? The company has an employee suggestion program on the hub.

Moreover, have you applied for a senior officer position?

Our problem as an employee group is that the competition is willing to work for less, work harder, have less benefits, and no retirement. Unfortunately, that's what we are being compared to, but since you seem to have many of the answers that can prevent us from taking pay and benefit cuts, would you please tell management so we can all be saved?

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[BostonTerrier]

Kt!

Now stop being so ungrateful!!!! Or else you won't get any comments from PitBull. You must show appropriate respect at all times to union leaders! And did you send a thank you note to the MEC office for the "sick fix"? I did! It said, "Thanks for accepting the olive branch from the company, even though it is only temporary and subject to revocation at any time. Hope I get sick soon."

Too bad I got that pesky flu vaccine

Hey, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, and then it's still funny except someone can't see. (wait? is that how it goes???)

I sense your frustration. Hang in there.

BT

PS. If you know who's "Deep Throat" with the Tribune, please let me know. I think I'm gonna cancel my union dues and just get a subscription. Seems to be the default newsletter of the AFA.

 

[BoeingBoy]

"Throw in AirTran, Frontier, ATA, Spirit, Independence Air, etc. and we have a whole group of companies who pay their employees pay and benefits less than US Airways employees."

Ok, then enlighten us on what the averace LCC's employee cost is vs ours, and what the total difference would be for our whole workforce if our cost per employee was that average.

Somehow, I don't think you'll get to $800 million.....

Jim

 

[BostonTerrier]

WestCoastGuy:

Since you seem to have such a good understanding of all the problems and solutions, have you provided them to management? The company has an employee suggestion program on the hub.

Moreover, have you applied for a senior officer position?

A320-

Go find another sandbox to stir up **** in. <looking above at title of thread, pointing to A320 to read title of thread> This appears to be a discussion regarding the flight attendants.

Go throw sand elsewhere.

Shhesshh.

 

[PITbull]

Kt!

Now stop being so ungrateful!!!! Or else you won't get any comments from PitBull. You must show appropriate respect at all times to union leaders! And did you send a thank you note to the MEC office for the "sick fix"? I did! It said, "Thanks for accepting the olive branch from the company, even though it is only temporary and subject to revocation at any time. Hope I get sick soon."

Too bad I got that pesky flu vaccine

Hey, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, and then it's still funny except someone can't see. (wait? is that how it goes???)

I sense your frustration. Hang in there.

BT

PS. If you know who's "Deep Throat" with the Tribune, please let me know. I think I'm gonna cancel my union dues and just get a subscription. Seems to be the default newsletter of the AFA.

BT,

If you treat the new reserve fix the way you treat the sick fix...

You will lose both in the end.

Then who will you blame....let me guess???

 

[bookmdano]

My last "give-back, concession, save the company" contract is due to expire in 2008. For 4 more years I have to live on the salary I was making 4 years ago, I'm paying a "h___" of a lot more for medical and dental, gas, food and rent. For some strange reason the public believes that the airlines should operate for free and be grateful that people are willing to get on a plane. My retirement is pretty much what I've stashed away in a coffee can. Talk to the hand, cuz the face ain't listening until 2008. My contract is as low as it can go. I followed this company for 18 years, I've moved numerous times, I've moved far away from beloved family members. But I'm sure the company is banking on the fact that they can bring in anyone that is thrilled to make $7.00 an hour or outsource all jobs to people that are thrilled to make $200 a month. I will never say that I work for any company. I work for myself, so that I may have a home in America, built by Americans. I work for myself, so that I can insure that my child lives in a safe neighborhood and goes to a good school and has decent child care while I have to work. I do not work to make sure that every greedy ceo can send his or her child to private academies, I do not work to make sure that every greedy director can have 2 or more homes in the finest neighborhoods. I do not work to feather the nest of the vultures above me, I work to feather the nest of those under my wing.

 

[BostonTerrier]

BT,

If you treat the new reserve fix the way you treat the sick fix...

You will lose both in the end.

Then who will you blame....let me guess???

Thanks for responding Bull:

In all seriousness, right now there is no fix, just a feel-good temporary band-aid regarding the sick policy. Am I pleased with it? Yes. Do I feel that it will be lost or modified in the near future? Potentially, and most definitely the moment any upcoming T/A is voted down.

I'm pro-AFA: I do believe that the union got hammered by a dishonest and cunning administration as to the the revised contract. From the sick policy nonsense to the reserve WIPE-OUT, the company has been ruthless to our employee group. Why would they behave any differently with this new revision?

I don't blame AFA for everything. In fact, I'm pretty pleased with the outcome of the VF situation. And I think that AFA has been working double time in the area of unjust terminations and discipline.

But let's not call the sick policy a fix right now, because right now it's not contractual. The company can change it's mind at any time. Right now all it is is an olive branch.

Best,
BT

 

[PITbull]

BT,

You are correct...the sick fix is not permanent and it was presented as an "interim" fix.

But, we control that as flight attendants. If we prove the sick calls will be down, managment will back off. Some in management do not believe the sick calls will go down. They believe that f/as are burning sick becasue they don't want to come to work.

AFA believes this is totally false and believes that the f/as if sick, know they will be penalized with a "pay cap" therefore do not come back to work and don't foster their wellness because when your off more days, you have less of a penalty.

A PIT and PHL e-line went out yesterday regarding this issue.

Please get it and pass the word. We want a more rational sick policy and one that does not pay penalize our folks.

AFA makes no mistake about these proposals....the Reserve fix and sick fix will come with a huge price tag taking other provisions in our contract.

AFA is spending every single day trying to work out plausible proposals that that has the least impact on our members and gives the co. some cost reduction.

Will the proposals be worth $116 m? NOT EVEN CLOSE.

But AFA will try to endeavor to give the company meaningful productivity enhancements.

Furloughs will be coming, but, there maybe an idea presented by AFA that will have yet the least impact on the junior workforce which managmet would like to perserve.