Hot off the AFA66 presses...........

[Skyward]

Does this mean that all west f/a's that have domestic partners will lose that benefit? I thought you all didn't have that provision before. This is a mess all around though. The company ASKED for this one.

The west had the benefit for years before the merger. It went by the name of Committed Partner.

 

[EMBFA]

Domestic Partner/Committed Partner is different than Registered Companion. DP is a spousal equivalent, RC is just a person you put on your bennies when you are single.

 

[cactusflyer]

What Kind Of Change Are You Looking For?

For one, an MEC that is actually in touch with their members. The people we have in office haven't flown a trip since before the merger. The president couldn't even bother to stay current and went in to requal status. They have no clue as to what any of us (west or east) are dealing with out on the line. Instead, they sit back take their 105 hours UB every month then pad that with lead pay and when they have vacation they take that ON TOP of the 105 UB and and still take the time off. Our sec/treasurer prefers to spend her time shopping online at the office during business hours and refers to the members as "dumb". Her most notorious online purchase was our fabulous conference room table that was bought from the Merv Griffin estate for a mere $3,000.00. NO, that is not a joke. Our current president was basically thrown into his position by way of a resignation and it shows. Rather than try to do what the members want he panders to his fellow officer and her sidekick. He even appointed said sidekick to the west negotiating committee. They thought nothing of offering the former MEC President over $1,000 of "owed vacation time" as a gift. That was members dues money they felt they could just give him and no one would mind. Hmmm, wonder why they tried to keep it a secret? Because he WASN'T owed the time. Our sec/treasurer thought it was the least they could do since he had done so much for the union. We don't have a VP right now because when our president resigned the VP moved up. He and the sec/treasurer didn't want to hold a special election and opted to have her take over VP duties temporarily. Of course they didn't want to hold an election, they didn't want someone that wasn't part of their group elected. Rather than focus on important things they work on things like the pass travel arbitration and my money says they won't even bother to hold the company's feet to the fire on the decision. Rather than use it to try to negotiate something for the FA's they'll let the company drag the issue out ad infinitum until they are finally forced to take the issue back to the arbitrator.

I could go on and on with specific examples of how they just don't get it and just aren't serving the interests of the members, but this would take all night. I think you get the gist of things from what little I have posted. Tomorrow we will know if there is going to be a changing of the guard. While those running against the incumbents might not be able to do any better, the certainly couldn't do any worse and I, along with many on the west, are willing to give someone new a chance.

 

[2clippedwings]

It looks like there is a changing of the AFA leadership guard out west.


I hope this does not slow down any further the pace of our joint negotiations!!

 

[Travelpro72]

Slow down joint negotiations? YIKES.....any slower and we'd go backward.

 

[USstew23]

Slow down joint negotiations? YIKES.....any slower and we'd go backward.

hahahaha... we're already in reverse.... boop--boop--boop.

 

[cactusflyer]

Yes, indeed, there has been a changing of the guard. Not sure how this change is going to impact negotiations, but could it really get any slower? What's the latest with the elections in PHL?

 

[TheNewLowFare]

It looks like there is a changing of the AFA leadership guard out west.


I hope this does not slow down any further the pace of our joint negotiations!!

I doubt it would slow it down. I'm so glad we have new officers!!!! Congratulations to Lisa LaCarre, Dorenne Fredette and Jeff Albers! We need a change.

They are tough and they are not going to settle for anything less.

 

[FlyGuyBWI]

Congrats West AFA. Now let's get East pay for all, West Vacation for all, 100% pay/credit for sick, with 5 sick calls per year under the East rules ... and a better reserve system all the way around, LTD, and full FMLA rights...

 

[MOC A320]

Just got the latest update via email. In a nutshell, the arbitrator ruled that the company violated the AFA/AWA contract with the changes they made to the employee pass travel program following the merger with US Airways. For remedy, he ordered the company to return to the pass policies that existed for Flight Attendants prior to the changes made in September of 2005.

I, for one, am not exactly jumping up and down over this. I've gotten used to the way we do it now and it's actually nice to know where you are on the list ahead of time.

Entire decision can be read here-
Pass Travel Decision


Now we can all sit back and watch the idiots in Tempe try to fix this mess without violating the east agreement. When will they learn
that they have to negotiate changes to contracts, east or west?

Hey, all you management types that read this, the west FA's would be more than willing to let you keep things status quo, in exchange we'll take pay parity with the east.

So after reading the arbitrators ruling I find the paragraph that says this.

(Having determined the Company violated the Agreement as alleged, the discussion turns to the appropriate remedy. The Union requests a return to first come-first served boarding on West metal, reinstatement of Flexi-passes, and additional passes to compensate for the loss of Flexi-passes over the past two years. But just as administrative convenience is no defense for management's violation of the Agreement, a System Board does not have the authority to determine selectively which provisions of the pre-September 2005 pass policy should be retained. Accordingly, the appropriate remedy is status quo ante and leave for the parties to decide in the crucible of collective bargaining which features of the pre-September 2005 pass policy for Flight Attendants may be changed and to what degree. All other requests for relief are denied.)

So the grievance was won but the company has to do nothing because the grievance had no penalty if the company didn’t change the policy back.

Do you think the company will change the policy for a few West FA flying on West metal? NO

Start another grievance and another 10K down the drain.

 

[hulagirl]

For one, an MEC that is actually in touch with their members. The people we have in office haven't flown a trip since before the merger. The president couldn't even bother to stay current and went in to requal status. They have no clue as to what any of us (west or east) are dealing with out on the line. Instead, they sit back take their 105 hours UB every month then pad that with lead pay and when they have vacation they take that ON TOP of the 105 UB and and still take the time off. Our sec/treasurer prefers to spend her time shopping online at the office during business hours and refers to the members as "dumb". Her most notorious online purchase was our fabulous conference room table that was bought from the Merv Griffin estate for a mere $3,000.00. NO, that is not a joke. Our current president was basically thrown into his position by way of a resignation and it shows. Rather than try to do what the members want he panders to his fellow officer and her sidekick. He even appointed said sidekick to the west negotiating committee. They thought nothing of offering the former MEC President over $1,000 of "owed vacation time" as a gift. That was members dues money they felt they could just give him and no one would mind. Hmmm, wonder why they tried to keep it a secret? Because he WASN'T owed the time. Our sec/treasurer thought it was the least they could do since he had done so much for the union. We don't have a VP right now because when our president resigned the VP moved up. He and the sec/treasurer didn't want to hold a special election and opted to have her take over VP duties temporarily. Of course they didn't want to hold an election, they didn't want someone that wasn't part of their group elected. Rather than focus on important things they work on things like the pass travel arbitration and my money says they won't even bother to hold the company's feet to the fire on the decision. Rather than use it to try to negotiate something for the FA's they'll let the company drag the issue out ad infinitum until they are finally forced to take the issue back to the arbitrator.

I could go on and on with specific examples of how they just don't get it and just aren't serving the interests of the members, but this would take all night. I think you get the gist of things from what little I have posted. Tomorrow we will know if there is going to be a changing of the guard. While those running against the incumbents might not be able to do any better, the certainly couldn't do any worse and I, along with many on the west, are willing to give someone new a chance.

I can't wait for you to re-read this in six months. The new AFA66 officers will have the shock of thier lives when they get trained and figure out that all of the promises made cannot be fufilled. Gary is a stand-up guy, and has always fought for the membership, even when it made him look like an idiot. The arbitration wasn't started by the MEC--the immature flight attendants complained to no end about the non-rev policy post-merger, and the MEC filed the grievance on their behalf. The new president does not have a clue--and you all will be soooooooo enlightened in a few months...if this wasn't so pathetic, it would be laughable...

 

[Travelpro72]

Not to take the fever of this away but with what is about to go down in this industry I think you all will see bigger issues ahead. It's a mess but the company most likely won't change a thing. Mergers are gonna happen and this will all change again. It's gonna be crazy.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

I can't wait for you to re-read this in six months. The new AFA66 officers will have the shock of thier lives when they get trained and figure out that all of the promises made cannot be fufilled. Gary is a stand-up guy, and has always fought for the membership, even when it made him look like an idiot. The arbitration wasn't started by the MEC--the immature flight attendants complained to no end about the non-rev policy post-merger, and the MEC filed the grievance on their behalf. The new president does not have a clue--and you all will be soooooooo enlightened in a few months...if this wasn't so pathetic, it would be laughable...

Actually hula, I don't think so! The Flight Attendant group in the west are tired of our current MEC not being proactive enough! Several flight attendants contacted him years ago about the breach of seniority during high time and he didn't do anything about it. His excuse was, there's too many high-timers. Whatever! It's still a breach of seniority. Relief (Secondary line holders) should get trips first before the junior people! Then he won't do an open forum for west flight attendants to ask us what we want in the merged contract, he said they don't need to do that (What? I'm paying union dues and he can't hold an open forum?) , He also doesn't have a plan for us when we start flying international out of phoenix. I could go on and on and if you were picketing and you found out what's going on behind the scenes, you would throw that picket sign on the ground and go home! I'm sorry, but we don't want leaders who don't have a vision and a plan. I'm glad Lisa and Doreen won, it's time for a change!

 

[cactusflyer]

I can't wait for you to re-read this in six months. The new AFA66 officers will have the shock of thier lives when they get trained and figure out that all of the promises made cannot be fufilled. Gary is a stand-up guy, and has always fought for the membership, even when it made him look like an idiot. The arbitration wasn't started by the MEC--the immature flight attendants complained to no end about the non-rev policy post-merger, and the MEC filed the grievance on their behalf. The new president does not have a clue--and you all will be soooooooo enlightened in a few months...if this wasn't so pathetic, it would be laughable...

Hulagirl,

I won't have a problem in the world re-reading my post in six weeks, six months, or six years. The things that I specifically stated in my post are true. Maybe more would know that if they didn't listen to their class one buddies that don't get it either and you know who I'm talking about. The absolute best thing about the recent election? Is that he didn't get elected to council rep.

And your class one buddy must not have clued you in on the facts surrounding the pass travel grievance. The pass travel grievance was filed because the company arbitrarily CHANGED something that was IN OUR CONTRACT. You can't do that, that is what negotiations are for and everyone on here knows that. It WAS not filed because people whined. In fact, most can live with the seniority based system because you know where you stand. The company didn't want to negotiate, they had a timeline on settling the non-rev issue and they didn't want any one's contract to get in the way....east or west. So, they went with the majority and rolled the dice as far as an arbitration. They lost. You should get your facts straight.

No one is saying that Lisa, Dorene and Jeff are going to have an easier time OR are they saying that they will be able to dramatically change negotiations or the state of the airline. After all, we are just one union, but for the MILLIONTH time the members just wanted people in there that would LISTEN to the members and not automatically assume they know what is best for us. No more no less. They wanted someone in there that would engage them more regarding negotiations. Heck, they may not be able to do anything at all, but at least they're willing to listen and based on that alone people were willing to give them a chance. Will they make mistakes? Probably. I think it would be very naive to think otherwise, but again, it all came down to just wanting an MEC that was more in touch. It seems to me Gary didn't want it that badly. He had plenty of opportunity to make himself visible at the airport on the weekends at the very minimum. He went to the trouble to finally get requalified, he could have made an attempt by flying a trip or two at least. No one dislikes Gary, that is reserved for Mary and her condescending attitudes toward the FA's ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that she hasn't flown one da*m trip since BEFORE the merger.

And Hula, many are aware that you and your class one buddy can't wait to xfer to PHL to fly international. I can't wait for that either, because the east FA's WILL NOT put up with the sense of entitlement that your friend seems to think he has. Remember, you're junior now. And if I'm wrong about that, then my east buddies on here will let me know, won't you guys?

Any int'l flyers from PHL want the "heads up" on who your new flying buddies might be, feel free to PM me.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

Exactly! How would they know what the flight attendants want if they haven't flown a trip in years! Gary and Mary better order their new uniforms soon because they will be bidding in June!