JAMAKE1
Veteran
Hello Everyone:
I just wanted to share my story. I am a former USAir employee from many years ago and most recently I was working as a flight attendant for United. Last September I opted to take a voluntary furlough for four years so that I could continue my education. Unfortunately, my unemployment benefits in California ran out after the federal government denied the state funds for continued benefits. When I took my leave from United, I think I sort of romanticized about how effortless it would be to find another job. When the semester ended, I embarked on finding full time work over the summer. I was applying mostly for restaurant jobs hoping to make fast cash and thought that my 12 years experience of being a flight attendant would qualify me to be a waiter in a fine-dining restaurant. I have to tell you, it hasn't been easy finding work. I even expanded my options to being a food runner or a busser and it has still been difficult finding employment. I am competing along side former dot-comer's all vying for ONE position. I have worked for four airlines in my career and the difference between then and now is that at the time, the airlines were hiring hundreds, if not thousands of people. Hence, hundreds or thousands of positions. In this economy, everyone is vying for the same ONE position. While I do not regret my choices of having left United, I have become very humbled by the marketplace realities. I have exhausted my savings and have come perilously close to having to dip into my 401K.
Having said that, I just want you all to consider the consequences of USAirways going into Chapter 7 liquidation. For you flight attendants, is it less painful to have to take a 23% pay cut, while maintaining the ability to have up to 15 days off per month and some schedule flexibility or is it better to risk it all and then hope that you can land an equivelant paying job, with only 8 days off per month? In this economy, there are very highly educated people working in restaurants or Starbucks to get by. I am not trying to preach and tell you how you should think. I fully undertand wanting to stand by one's principles and convictions in order to put a stop to the further erosion of this profession. I just want to point, that there will be consequences either way. By sharing my experience over the past year, hopefully it can assist you in making fully informed and conscious decision as to whether to suck it up and take the bad dose of medicine or to exercise your right to self help.
As an employee of a legacy carrier also in bankruptcy, I can understand your collective rage at the way this industry has transformed. I can also empathize with your collective betrayal toward senior management. It sucks for everybody who had grown accustomed to a certain standard of living and lifestyle. As bad as it will get, which will be the lesser of two evils. Food for thought...
I just wanted to share my story. I am a former USAir employee from many years ago and most recently I was working as a flight attendant for United. Last September I opted to take a voluntary furlough for four years so that I could continue my education. Unfortunately, my unemployment benefits in California ran out after the federal government denied the state funds for continued benefits. When I took my leave from United, I think I sort of romanticized about how effortless it would be to find another job. When the semester ended, I embarked on finding full time work over the summer. I was applying mostly for restaurant jobs hoping to make fast cash and thought that my 12 years experience of being a flight attendant would qualify me to be a waiter in a fine-dining restaurant. I have to tell you, it hasn't been easy finding work. I even expanded my options to being a food runner or a busser and it has still been difficult finding employment. I am competing along side former dot-comer's all vying for ONE position. I have worked for four airlines in my career and the difference between then and now is that at the time, the airlines were hiring hundreds, if not thousands of people. Hence, hundreds or thousands of positions. In this economy, everyone is vying for the same ONE position. While I do not regret my choices of having left United, I have become very humbled by the marketplace realities. I have exhausted my savings and have come perilously close to having to dip into my 401K.
Having said that, I just want you all to consider the consequences of USAirways going into Chapter 7 liquidation. For you flight attendants, is it less painful to have to take a 23% pay cut, while maintaining the ability to have up to 15 days off per month and some schedule flexibility or is it better to risk it all and then hope that you can land an equivelant paying job, with only 8 days off per month? In this economy, there are very highly educated people working in restaurants or Starbucks to get by. I am not trying to preach and tell you how you should think. I fully undertand wanting to stand by one's principles and convictions in order to put a stop to the further erosion of this profession. I just want to point, that there will be consequences either way. By sharing my experience over the past year, hopefully it can assist you in making fully informed and conscious decision as to whether to suck it up and take the bad dose of medicine or to exercise your right to self help.
As an employee of a legacy carrier also in bankruptcy, I can understand your collective rage at the way this industry has transformed. I can also empathize with your collective betrayal toward senior management. It sucks for everybody who had grown accustomed to a certain standard of living and lifestyle. As bad as it will get, which will be the lesser of two evils. Food for thought...
