Good News...More Flight Attendant recalls

[737823]

This is great to see and I'm very glad for the FAs that will once again have the opportunity to fly. Let's hope that they can stay on for the rest of their careers and will not be hit with another furlough. I'm also very glad to see the collaboration between APFA and AA in reaching a mutually beneficial agreement. In this situation everyone gains-the company is more successful, FAs have more opportunities to work, and APFA has more of its members recalled. Hopefully this same dedication and collaboration will be put forth in reaching a tentative agreement.

Josh

 

[eolesen]

Glad to see this. Sad to see that they didn't try to extend a salad olive to those already off the list, but maybe APFA can try to get that as part of a new contract...

 

[Veritas]

Otherwise, everyone on the recall list is a former TW f/a, and AFAIK they all had at least 15 years service. Since they were given company seniority, they are at top of scale in pay. The former TW f/as who had less than 15 years dropped off the recall list some time ago. Remember some of them went on furlough in 2002.

I am sure that Nancy, Kirkpatrick or TWskyliner will correct me if I am wrong.

I believe that the most junior of the former TWA flight attendants still on the recall list were hired in 1996 and furloughed in November 2002. They have six year of company or pay seniority. Those who fell off the list were hired between 1996 and 2001.

Their recall rights were extended twice by two years for a total of nine years. But for the new unlimited recall right agreement, they would have fallen off the recall list this coming November.

 

[upsilon]

Rock Salomon has this to say

 

[nbmcg01]

Rock Salomon has this to say

1. Our seniority broke down pretty much like this: 4200 f/as 1/4 were new hires or very junior (by the way we had 7 years recall) 1/2 made up the middle seniorities and 1/4 were "senior". Combined we were 24000..so much

Rock hits the nail on the head. According to AA, recall was already a done deal way before this agreement. LG had a prime opportunity to get what the membership wanted, a signed contract. She blew this opportunity. Pure and simple. AA needs the Mandarin speakers and the f/as need a contract. hummmmmmm To the best of my knowledge AA has not polled those furloughed to see how many might be available to fill the needed slots. A good percetage of our f/as were multi-lingual. I came to TWA from PanAm and was qualified in several languages. I dropped them when AA acquired TWA because of the AA workrules re: speakers. We also had a base in Hong Kong back in my day..lol I know we have several, possibly even Mark K. I thought I saw him write something on another site. It really is a shame that the APFA missed another opportunity to shine. I'm sure the conspiracy theories will be coming full force. They (the APFA) just gave it away.

 

[Skymess]

There's NO excuse for signing that side letter. None. That was leverage. It was a major mistake. I've lost all faith that she can lead us to anything after that tactical error. She needs to be out. I'm really angry about it.

 

[damajagua]

I just do not get it either. Why APFA did sign this side letter
of agreement. This whole thing is a mess. I dont care what anyone says but we do not need all this flight attendants. Don't get me wrong. Nothing against the former tw but we have an overage of f/a's system wide. Unless AA announces major flying in the next couple of months they will just sit around and do no flying. Also this agreement open a whole new mess. Do not be surprise if the f/a's that remain on furlough choose to suit AA and APFA and rightly so. And for the union to engage in these kind of agreement
when it keeps telling us that the company does not want to
Give us a new contract; it's just plain wrong. I do not know
Who to believe anymore. AA and APFA look to me very much the same. Actions spealk louder then words. It's time
To get rid of Laura Gladding. She no lionger represents the
best interests of the rank and file at APFA.

 

[jersey777]

I just do not get it either. Why APFA did sign this side letter
of agreement. This whole thing is a mess. I dont care what anyone says but we do not need all this flight attendants. Don't get me wrong. Nothing against the former tw but we have an overage of f/a's system wide. Unless AA announces major flying in the next couple of months they will just sit around and do no flying. Also this agreement open a whole new mess. Do not be surprise if the f/a's that remain on furlough choose to suit AA and APFA and rightly so. And for the union to engage in these kind of agreement
when it keeps telling us that the company does not want to
Give us a new contract; it's just plain wrong. I do not know
Who to believe anymore. AA and APFA look to me very much the same. Actions spealk louder then words. It's time
To get rid of Laura Gladding. She no lionger represents the
best interests of the rank and file at APFA.

Just to clarify...this is not just Laura Glading. The board of directors for the APFA voted for this 17 to 1. The only one not to vote in favor was the BOSI chair. Notice that your vice chair Raymond Lewis voted for this resolution.

 

[jersey777]

Does anyone on here REALLY think that American Airlines is going to settle a multi-million contract because they need to hire 30 Mandarin Chinese speakers? Come on folks, you know the company we work for. The ONLY way we are going to get a contract is to go into a 30 day cooling off period and threaten or actually go on strike. It is the way that American Airlines has, and always will, do business. It is who we work for. If in the meantime there are opportunities to actually improve the working conditions of a few flight attendants in LAXI who might have to sit reserve otherwise have some Mandarin speakers, then I...and obviously the Board of Directors...see no reason why to cut off our nose to spite our face. There was no bargaining chip here. Don't delude yourself. The simple fact is that AA just would have not had enough speakers on these flights and contract negotiations would be slogging along as usual.

 

[fltguymk]

1. Our seniority broke down pretty much like this: 4200 f/as 1/4 were new hires or very junior (by the way we had 7 years recall) 1/2 made up the middle seniorities and 1/4 were "senior". Combined we were 24000..so much

Rock hits the nail on the head. According to AA, recall was already a done deal way before this agreement. LG had a prime opportunity to get what the membership wanted, a signed contract. She blew this opportunity. Pure and simple. AA needs the Mandarin speakers and the f/as need a contract. hummmmmmm To the best of my knowledge AA has not polled those furloughed to see how many might be available to fill the needed slots. A good percetage of our f/as were multi-lingual. I came to TWA from PanAm and was qualified in several languages. I dropped them when AA acquired TWA because of the AA workrules re: speakers. We also had a base in Hong Kong back in my day..lol I know we have several, possibly even Mark K. I thought I saw him write something on another site. It really is a shame that the APFA missed another opportunity to shine. I'm sure the conspiracy theories will be coming full force. They (the APFA) just gave it away.

American would have hired CM speakers and put them on the flights anyway without a side letter. Just like they do on the Haiti flights and like they did on some of the flights to Russia. I can't remember their exact title. But, I personally flew with them. They translated and help pax with their forms. That was it. So, let's be clear, the company did not need agreement from the APFA to do so. What the union was able to accomplish was bringing back another 200 FA's right away. I think this is a good thing. We are close to bringing back everyone from furlough!

 

[kirkpatrick]

I am sure that Nancy, Kirkpatrick or TWskyliner will correct me if I am wrong.

I believe that the most junior of the former TWA flight attendants still on the recall list were hired in 1996 and furloughed in November 2002. They have six year of company or pay seniority.

Correct. I have a friend who's about 60 from the bottom who was hired in '96, and I see people around 150 - 200 who were hired in '89 - '90. None of these would be topped out yet.

TWA had people furloughed in '79 who dropped off the recall list in '84. This is what led to our having seven year recall rights. When TWA started hiring again in '85 they offered these people first right of rehire, starting over with pay and seniority, but they were at the bottom anyway and got in ahead of anyone hired who had never flown. I'd like to see a similar arrangement at AA.

MK

 

[Bob Owens]

Does anyone on here REALLY think that American Airlines is going to settle a multi-million contract because they need to hire 30 Mandarin Chinese speakers? Come on folks, you know the company we work for. The ONLY way we are going to get a contract is to go into a 30 day cooling off period and threaten or actually go on strike. It is the way that American Airlines has, and always will, do business. It is who we work for.

I agree, what does AA have to gain by not going into a 30 day cooling off period?

 

[nbmcg01]

I agree, what does AA have to gain by not going into a 30 day cooling off period?

What is even more interesting is that AA had already signed off on recall for all (except those that the APFA allowed to fall off). It has been posted on the aanegotiations site for some time. This is a cluster of large proportions...

 

[Maark767]

What is even more interesting is that AA had already signed off on recall for all (except those that the APFA allowed to fall off). It has been posted on the aanegotiations site for some time. This is a cluster of large proportions...

What a minute.... Dont you think if AA wanted to extend the recall rights FOR ALL F/As the union would go for it ??? I think AA does not want to extend the recall rights. They want to hire fresh blood..... we need some fresh blood at this company..... It's time.

 

[Bob Owens]

What is even more interesting is that AA had already signed off on recall for all (except those that the APFA allowed to fall off). It has been posted on the aanegotiations site for some time. This is a cluster of large proportions...

The TWU has had 10 year recall rights for years, the company is agreable to unlimited recall however with the mechanics they are finding that once they are gone for a while most do not come back. The Maint recall list has been exhausted and they are having trouble finding workers to do the work they have. Several of their maintenance intiatives have been pushed back months, things that were planned to start in January still havent been started because of manpower. They were planning on adding 900 heads this year, good luck. Sending it out really isnt an option because the people they would send the work to are having the same problem. Eoleson seems to feel that there will always be an adequate supply of people who want to work on sophisticated machinery, but what he fails to realize is that for a young kid with those skillsets the airlines just dont have anything to offer. They can find just as challenging work in other industries, industries where the starting wage is higher now than the day they were born.

I'm amazed that so many FAs actually came back. I'm glad they got what they wanted but I dont understand how they didnt find something better after all these years. I realize that because they were stapled many are middle aged but we have middle aged guys quitting and from what I've read the yearly wage for an FA isnt that good. Articulate, and with good people skills, I would think that they could easily find jobs that pay better in other industries.