Giving Up The Seniority Fight!

[Whatnow?]

Do you have a first born? How about an arm or leg?

[post="299064"][/post]​

LOL.....nope those went either the first or second concessionary time....not really sure.....All I've got left is pride.....and that is quickly going away....especially if those AWA F/A's get their way! :down:

 

[pedro]

LOL.....nope those went either the first or second concessionary time....not really sure.....All I've got left is pride.....and that is quickly going away....especially if those AWA F/A's get their way! :down:

[post="299076"][/post]​

From what I've heard, America West flight attendants are scared that, as America West reserves quit - (and they are quitting, as they realize that no one is being hired underneath them to move them up in seniority - When they were hired, they were told to expect to be on reserve for approx. 1 year - which has come and gone) - anyway, as reserves quit, slots open up for senior U.S. Airways flight attendants to move into Phoenix positions, thus, bumping everyone underneath them down. This puts people who have been off reserve BACK ON RESERVE. And everyone knows how terrible it is to go back on reserve after you've enjoyed the taste of holding a line. If you can shoot holes in this theory, I would certainly welcome it! And I will pass it along. But, this is what I'm hearing on line. No bad mouthing of U. S. Airways flight attendants - just this fear of going back on reserve.

 

[Twicebaked]

Well, if that is a concern, the HP flight attendants will have a career of heartache. Like I have posted many times in different threads, you are playing BIG airline now with 7/8 different bases as opposed to one. We go through this "have a block, then not" constantly. Do you think we are happy with it? Not really, but that is the way it is. You won't have ONE lonely base anymore...you have 7 with over 7,000 ACTIVE flight attendants not the mere 2,500 (rough number) that you have now. The rules will completely change. It is not the US f/a's fault. Ask any other large major carrier and they will tell you the same thing. As soon as the HP f/a grasp the fact that they ARE GLOBAL and more than double what they were, they will see the great in this.

 

[Whatnow?]

Well.....funny you mention that, US F/A's are now going back on Reserve with some pretty amazing seniorities.....up to 23 years depending where you are based! So yes, it's not easy to go back on reserve especially after you've held a block most of your career! As far as bumping junior F/A's out of PHX, that's why they want to put a fence up around the bases. Because in all fairness you should not have to be bumped out of your base by somebody more senior to you. The US F/A's are fine with that aspect.....we all have learned by now to just deal with all of the cutbacks that have come our way....amazingly! We are not happy about it but what can we do about it. We have been through soo much already that we are hoping that things will finally get better as this merger progresses, but we all know its going to take some time. The fear of going back on Reserve for US F/A's have hit us all like a brick wall, so unfortunately there won't be much sympathy from this side about that happening at AWA. But you should take solace in knowing that US F/A's will not be able to bump more junior AWA as long as there are fences up!

 

[PITbull]

And even if there wasn't a fence up, U can't bump AWA f/as out of PHX. The U f/as can ONLY transfer when there is an opening in a base, any base that has openings. That takes increasing time in a base and a/c.

 

[pedro]

PITbull - That is my point. As reserves quit - spots open in Phoenix. But like I've been told, we'll just have to get used to playing in the big leagues. We've been very comfortable in our little world and it's certainly scary to think about all the changes we'll have to go through. Everyone handles change differently. Many are scared and, as a result - they point fingers and assess blame on the big guys. We have no idea how this 7 bases thing even works (or at least I don't) and it took me forever to master OUR bidding system. I can't imagine getting a handle on yours! Hopefully, there will be a lot of information sessions and, as we learn, we'll relax a little. Please don't take the harsh words from some of our posters personally. Everyone at America West is so closely-knit and the unknown is frightening! We've been treated so well by Doug, Jeff and Scott and we'd like to think that nothing bad is going to happen to us in this merger.

 

[Twicebaked]

PITbull - That is my point.  As reserves quit - spots open in Phoenix.  But like I've been told, we'll just have to get used to playing in the big leagues.  We've been very comfortable in our little world and it's certainly scary to think about all the changes we'll have to go through.  Everyone handles change differently.  Many are scared and, as a result - they point fingers and assess blame on the big guys.  We have no idea how this 7 bases thing even works (or at least I don't) and it took me forever to master OUR bidding system.  I can't imagine getting a handle on yours!  Hopefully, there will be a lot of information sessions and, as we learn, we'll relax a little.  Please don't take the harsh words from some of our posters personally.  Everyone at America West is so closely-knit and the unknown is frightening!  We've been treated so well by Doug, Jeff and Scott and we'd like to think that nothing bad is going to happen to us in this merger.

[post="299206"][/post]​

Pedro,
I am sure nothing bad is going to happen to you, at least the way we are trying to explain it needs to be done. DOH works. As far as bidding systems, we don't know how it will work. I for one hope we don't take our system!! 🙂 With multiple bases, your base seniority can change from month to month. You are correct that when positions open they are usually filled by transfers. Some will be senior to you some will be junior. Don't forget people transfer OUT as well. As I posted elsewhere, everyone assumes that we have all 30 year flight attendants that want to come to PHX. That is just not true. HP will have people that want to transfer out as well. HP f/as seem to think that their careers are going to tank. I can assure you if DOH is taken out and we merge with another non-afa or even another afa carrier...my career and your career will tank. Please don't fear the unknown. The US flight attendants have done this many many times before. Is there heartache? Yes, but just as some HP f/as get bumped down in seniority, an equal number (if not more) of US f/as do as well.

 

[hp_fa]

am sure nothing bad is going to happen to you, at least the way we are trying to explain it needs to be done.

You have to be kidding....the way you are trying to explain it needs to de done?

HP f/as seem to think that their careers are going to tank.

You're damn right.

Yes, but just as some HP f/as get bumped down in seniority, an equal number (if not more) of US f/as do as well.

Huh? How do you figure that one?

 

[Whatnow?]

hp fa, do us all a favor and educate yourself before you speak! There are others involved in this merger other than just poor little you!

 

[pedro]

Thank you, Twicebaked, for your patient response. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. As for hp_fa....well, like I said before....it's scary to merge and everyone handles it differently. He's actually a decent guy. Just fighting for what he thinks is right....

 

[Travelpro72]

Well I honestly feel so positive about this merger of the two but I can assure all of one thing... I will fight like hell to keep whatever seniority I have. I have stated before that if you (HP) are not satisfied with DOH then maybe something should have been done before this whole merger idea came about. Again, if HP were merging with a more junior AFA represented carrier would this whole idea of throwing out the C&B's that dictate DOH be an issue right now? Could anyone honestly say YES? To keep the DOH policy as is, a few may think it unfair on the HP side. To change it would certainly prove unfair on the US side if taking away seniority occurs. We at ALL AFA REPRESENTED CARRIERS agreed to the C&B's. If AFA opens the C&B's to change shall they do it again and again in the future for other carriers mergers to "Please" their group? I think not.

 

[pedro]

OK, OK Point taken. What happens, happens. I wouldn't be too excited about the whole thing. Do you really think that we have a snowball's chance in Hades of changing the C&B's? Get realistic. Everyone has a right to voice their opinion but some of us are getting a little redundant.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

I'm feeling pretty positive about this merger too. We have some east coast commuters too and I don't think we'll see a big difference in my bidding seniority.
All I can say is the ones that are worried about this are the junior ones.
This is America Wests' first merger and some of us are just afraid of change, but I'm not! I'm looking forward to the change and I know it will be great!

🙂

Let's make this work!

 

[PHX-F/A]

If AFA opens the C&B's to change shall they do it again and again in the future for other carriers mergers to "Please" their group? I think not.

[post="299235"][/post]​

Let's not ignore the fact that if they open the CB's and revise them, they set a potentially dangerous precedent.

 

[hpflygirl]

You can all tell us at HP that no one at US wants to give up the great intl routes and move to PHX....but that's not what I was told by your own f/a's in LAX. As an LAX commuter I havehad US Airways f/a's on the employee bus going to and from the employee parking lot.approach me and initiate converstations with me about the merger. I have always told them I am hopeful it all works out when all is said and done. One woman was soooo very nice to me. She commutes LAX-PHL and hates it, and although she is a single mom and would love an easier commute she is realistic about not moving to the PHX base for a few years at least. Now.....the other f/a's I've spoken with are very senior, commute LAX-PHL, have been doing intl flights but are looking to slow down a bit until they retire. They made it VERY CLEAR to me they are very excited they will only have to commute to PHX in the near future. They also have made snide remarks regarding the age of HP...asking me how long we've been around and then before I can answer spitting out "10 years or so?". One spoke to me with such haughtiness it was like I was pond scum because I was from HP.

I realize these f/a's are only a handful of your total count, and I'm sure most of your f/a's are more like the first woman I mentioned and not the others.....but it's attitudes like this that some of us are running up against and it leaves us with a bad feeling.