Good News...More Flight Attendant recalls

[Imjustsayin]

My guess is this individual is considering the cost of back pay for lost wages over the intervening years since furlough.

I find it very interesting that the union ran to this deal under threat of congressional action - however remote. It suggests to me deep down they know what was done back in 2002-2004 time frame is indefensible.

I thought the attendants at AA would be glad to see people returning to work.

 

[Skymess]

My guess is this individual is considering the cost of back pay for lost wages over the intervening years since furlough.

I find it very interesting that the union ran to this deal under threat of congressional action - however remote. It suggests to me deep down they know what was done back in 2002-2004 time frame is indefensible.

Yes. Your guess is correct about what I was considering. In addition, if the seniority agreement were passed, those who fell off the list since '01 would probably have to be offered their jobs back and trained.

I disagree that the union action suggests any wrongdoing. If the Seniority Integration Agreement back in 2002-2004 was indefensible we would not have won all the lawsuits brought forth, thus far, by the former TWA attendants.

 

[Imjustsayin]

Yes. Your guess is correct about what I was considering. In addition, if the seniority agreement were passed, those who fell off the list since '01 would probably have to be offered their jobs back and trained.

I disagree that the union action suggests any wrongdoing. If the Seniority Integration Agreement back in 2002-2004 was indefensible we would not have won all the lawsuits brought forth, thus far, by the former TWA attendants.

With everything this country "really" needs to deal with, I don't think the government has this on its radar screen - and nor should it. Skymess, wrongdoing and "legal" wrongdoing are two different things. As I watch the back and forth on this topic it appears there needs to be some reconciliation.

 

[boston]

Yes. Your guess is correct about what I was considering. In addition, if the seniority agreement were passed, those who fell off the list since '01 would probably have to be offered their jobs back and trained.

I disagree that the union action suggests any wrongdoing. If the Seniority Integration Agreement back in 2002-2004 was indefensible we would not have won all the lawsuits brought forth, thus far, by the former TWA attendants.

I think there is talk of another lawsuit..(

 

[Imjustsayin]

I think there is talk of another lawsuit..(

Lawsuits are a waste of time and money.

 

[boston]

Lawsuits are a waste of time and money.

I couldn't agree with you more, but It seems that some will throw out a bunch of crap and just see what sticks. Who knows where the funds come from to initiate and fund these lawsuits, I do know my APFA dues go to defend me and our membership.

 

[Imjustsayin]

I couldn't agree with you more, but It seems that some will throw out a bunch of crap and just see what sticks. Who knows where the funds come from to initiate and fund these lawsuits, I do know my APFA dues go to defend me and our membership.

Are you sure about that? Curious about how you "know" where your uinon dues are spent.

 

[boston]

Are you sure about that? Curious about how you "know" where your uinon dues are spent.

I've been an APFA member for 22 years, and have yet to hear of rumor ,conjecture what have you that we have someone else paying our bills. Do you know of donations? Anyway, enough already with the lawsuits.

 

[czerny]

Doesn't AA already have their employment records??? Cant they see who speaks CM?? We're talking 228 F/As remaining on furlough and I would bet alot of cash that none speak CM. That's why AA is needing to hire off the street. This is good, we need fresh blood on this property.

I worked a trip with a recalled fa and asked her if anyone in the remaining group spoke CM and she didnt' know. The former TWA fas have their own forum, "TWA my family" so I'm sure they are debating this issue as well. Like I told her, at TWA's Hong Kong base, Cantonese was the main dialect and language spoken on flights. Take any Cathay Pacific flights. The announcements are made in Cantonese and English. As far as China is concerned, "cantonese" is a dialect, it is not the official language of China. No different than the other dozens of dialect in China. Chinese is not a language you can "wing it" in a week. It's a tonal language with very specific pronunciations. Incorrect pronunciation and you'll sound intelligible. Language speakers were grandfathered in when AA bought TWA. AA would already know who in the remaining group spoke Mandarin.

 

[FWAAA]

Are you sure about that? Curious about how you "know" where your uinon dues are spent.

Don't the LM-2s show hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on attorneys - the same attorneys defending the APFA?

 

[eolesen]

Airlines adhere to the Railway Labor Act. A Collective Bargaining Agreement cannot be interfered with and that is what AA and APFA have done. A side letter of agreement that changes the work rules has to be put out to its members for a vote. By hiring off the street while flight attendants are on furlough, the Company and the Union has just busted the Occupational Seniority that the furloughed flight attendants were furloughed by.

As was already mentioned, management could have just hired FSMs (management position) to do the language stuff like they do on Haiti and Moscow. Probably would have been easier, too.

So, did they bust occupational seniority, or did they just secure 30 more jobs that required hiring a very specific skillset? Quite likely, none of the furloughees possessed the language qualifications, since TWA hadn't served China since sometime before half of the remaining 200 had been born...

 

[fltguymk]

You are correct. AA would have done it anyway. And it is buried in the fine print of our contract that they can do so. These 30 will go to the very bottom of the seniority list. They can never leave LAX. If there are future furloughs, they will be the first to go. If AA stops the route, they are gone.

The side letter was more about bringing back another two hundred as 2 members of the BOD were up to dirty tricks. These 2 members of the APFA BOD (Former TWA) secretly went to Washington and and met with a Missouri Senator. THey were there to try and convinced the congressman to add an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization to give them back their seniority. This effort failed, but 200 extra will be recalled and the others get unlimited recall rights were agreed upon... I hope they are removed from the BOD for their actions.

 

[kirkpatrick]

Language speakers were grandfathered in when AA bought TWA. AA would already know who in the remaining group spoke Mandarin.

Mandarin was never a language one could qualify in at TWA since we hadn't flown to China since 1974, when we dropped the Pacific west of Honolulu in a route swap with Pan Am, losing Hong Kong and Taipei as destinations. Sort of like AA not really knowing how many Hungarian and Finnish speakers might be out there since it had never been required before. I doubt if they'll find more than one or two on the recall list.

MK

 

[kirkpatrick]

As was already mentioned, management could have just hired FSMs (management position) to do the language stuff like they do on Haiti and Moscow. Probably would have been easier, too.

The problem with that as a solution is it blocks seats. With short flights to PAP from MIA, hotels are seldom a necessity. On long flights to China the loss of revenue with seats blocked and the cost of hotels and expenses adds up. Using qualified flight attendants avoids this.

MK

 

[nbmcg01]

The problem with that as a solution is it blocks seats. With short flights to PAP from MIA, hotels are seldom a necessity. On long flights to China the loss of revenue with seats blocked and the cost of hotels and expenses adds up. Using qualified flight attendants avoids this.

MK

Mark, what do you speak? I was "mainstream" with French and Spanish, nothing difficult..lol