MAA flight attendant press release

[USstew23]

I'm certainly no expert on either the emb-170 pilot's or F/A's lawsuit, but would you say the same for the pilots and F/A's being recalled if they were told they were going to be working for a separate airline called "Recalled Air" and working under an "AE type contract" even though they were really going to be working for US Airways which had an existing contract?

It's my understanding that this is the gist of the lawsuit - what these folks were told was untrue, and known to be untrue by those doing the telling.

Jim

We were told that we would be under the AE contract and that the time would not count for longevity purposes. It was not a secret. I was there in the beginning before we even had airplanes, we knew what we were getting into including not having insurance for 6 months. Although I think that it should've been handled differently I do not agree with suing for 1.2B.

 

[N109UW]

Currently, mainline has no hard copy of a complete contract. You will only find it on the MEC Web and Hub.

The f/as of mainline have not had a hardback copy of a final agreement in all 3 concessions. And it will be at the very least another year minimum.

Bull, isn't that what we just got about a month ago.We have hard copies of the contract now.

 

[PITbull]

N109UW,

I didn't know a hardcopy was finally sent out to the East f/as. I will ask the new PIT Local 40 Pres. to send me one. I didn't even see an MEC e-line that the company had them ready in hard copy.

Thanks for the info.

 

[LCC_#1]

It's also a choice to stand up and fight for your profession and your co-workers, even the ignorant ones, or to sit back and put other people down. I applaud the "choice" these US Airways F/As have made and wish them all the best.

And I made a choice to help preserve as many jobs as possible at at time when we we're on the brink of going the way of EAL and PAA.

So far it appears Wall Street and every business analyst agree with my choice.

And FOW, just because I feel you guys made a wrong decision doesn't mean mean I am putting you down. If any of you think that, I apologize.

I know this sounds harsh and I am sure you guys will have a field day chopping this one up, but I am selfish and proud of it. I do not need US Airways, AFA, or any other segment of work to dictate my life and happiness. This isn't a brother/sisterhood or any kind of club. It is a job...one I enjoy and one frankly I am good at. It's called boundaries and I draw the line to how much fight and stand up power I have for people I do not really know, have no interest in me, and wouldn't be there more than likely if I DID need them.

I use to think I had to save the world and imparticularly US Airway s and specifically the flight attendants. The same jr/sr issues were around 19 years ago that are basically around now. I have no more fight where that is concerned. The only power I have here is to vote yes or no on a contract. I will probably be the only one to admit I vote on what is in my best interest...not the other f/a's. I would hope you would do the same.I fight for #1 and that IS me. And that is my choice. My fighting everyone's battle days are over because the only person I have to make happy is me. I may get angry and passionate here and go on my rants ( like none of you do) but not caring what others think or worrying about others is freeing. And that makes me a better person and a better coworker...believe it or not.

If you or anyone else feels to need to fight for your profession or coworkers, fine..but don't bash me because I choose to not do so myself. And with that, I will lay down the sword.

 

[BoeingBoy]

We were told that we would be under the AE contract and that the time would not count for longevity purposes. It was not a secret.

Ah, but were you told all that and that you'd be working for the same company as the mainline F/A's who weren't working under the AE contract and whose time counted for longevity purposes. Because that's the rub - not what you were told but what you weren't told.



Jim

 

[USstew23]

Ah, but were you told all that and that you'd be working for the same company as the mainline F/A's who weren't working under the AE contract and whose time counted for longevity purposes. Because that's the rub - not what you were told but what you weren't told.
Jim

Really cannot remember the whole thing but I do see your point, I thought something was weird about it but I just put my faith in the company and the union and hoped that somehow it would all work out. Some of these people are a little over the top. I guess that's what my point is.

 

[PITbull]

And I made a choice to help preserve as many jobs as possible at at time when we we're on the brink of going the way of EAL and PAA.

So far it appears Wall Street and every business analyst agree with my choice.

And FOW, just because I feel you guys made a wrong decision doesn't mean mean I am putting you down. If any of you think that, I apologize.

I know this sounds harsh and I am sure you guys will have a field day chopping this one up, but I am selfish and proud of it. I do not need US Airways, AFA, or any other segment of work to dictate my life and happiness. This isn't a brother/sisterhood or any kind of club. It is a job...one I enjoy and one frankly I am good at. It's called boundaries and I draw the line to how much fight and stand up power I have for people I do not really know, have no interest in me, and wouldn't be there more than likely if I DID need them.

I use to think I had to save the world and imparticularly US Airway s and specifically the flight attendants. The same jr/sr issues were around 19 years ago that are basically around now. I have no more fight where that is concerned. I fight for #1 and that IS me. And that is my choice. My fighting everyone's battle days are over because the only person I have to make happy is me. And that makes me a better person and a better coworker...believe it or not.

If you or anyone else feels to need to fight for your profession or coworkers, fine..but don't bash me because I choose to not do so myself.

I'd bet my bottom buck that if someone would write you up co-workers or pax something so god awful that wasn't true, I think you would be asking for some assitance from someone. Afterall, this is a company, and if you are the one getting written up, its hard to defend oneself to managment no matter how much you tell them you love your job. I've heard the story 1 billion times.

 

[PITbull]

Jim,

I'm not sure what good some kind of secretcy would prove or who it would protect or not. the company could and would have very easily hired off the street. Period.

Every single involuntary furloughee who took a job with MAA new emphatically, via E-lines and mailings that the MAA job had much lower wages, benefit, and different workrules than mainline and they knew there was NO longevity for their time spent at MAA. If they got a job at Mesa, Chatagua, Airtran, LUV, Walmart, K-Mart, or taught school, they were still considered FURLOUGHED f/as.

The lawsuit is the first I'm seeing in detail what some f/as thought. And frankly, I am personally amazed.

I am all for righteousness, and fairness. Nothing in any conessionary bargaining while in bankruptcy is fair and equitable, but to say that this group had no clue who they were working for, or thought they should have been mainline with mainline wages and longevity, is just no where written in any Am. Eagle agreement or the mainline ratified agreements. These were max. 5 year involuntrily furloughed f/as from back post 9/11 that were making approximately $4 less on MAA per hour. And the Medical benefits mirrored Am. Eagle contribution structure with a 6 month wait. Workrules were ALL Am. Eagle. In fact, their reserve system was completely different than the LTO system with different scheduling dept. different payroll department and system totally, and different supervising managemment.

I just can't get where they thought this was an incognito mainline operation. It just wasn't.

Now, I don't know what the ALPA view was or what was negotiated, but I do know that the concept of MAA for ALPAwas "jets for jobs". Its in their sideletter. Other than that, I have no clue.

 

[LCC_#1]

I'd bet my bottom buck that if someone would write you up co-workers or pax something so god awful that wasn't true, I think you would be asking for some assitance from someone. Afterall, this is a company, and if you are the one getting written up, its hard to defend oneself to managment no matter how much you tell them you love your job. I've heard the story 1 billion times.

I'd ask you, Pitbull, but you up and left us. And I DO believe I stated I did not need AFA to dictate my LIFE or HAPPINESS...but yes professionally is a given...Big difference there. Honestly, you are the only one I would actually trust to ask for assistance, but you are gone.

 

[PITbull]

I'd ask you, Pitbull, but you up and left us. And I DO believe I stated I did not need AFA to dictate my LIFE or HAPPINESS...but yes professionally is a given...Big difference there. Honestly, you are the only one I would actually trust to ask for assistance, but you are gone.

Why thank you LCC. And I'd be there in a ny second. I still remian closer than you know...

 

[xoxo]

I just want to know why the "mainline" f/a's had to be current on the a/c? Why did we have to be current on theirs? Why do we have the same exact manual? We are different right? Than why were we not told this from day 1? I do remember on the first day that we were told we were seperate and we were sapposed to wear the express wings(we got in trouble if we had our mainline wings on) we had to say express in our announcements. Most of us did not..I for one never did and never had express wings on either. We were told this because we were "seperate" on a seperate certificate...then we all found out within weeks of being there that there was no seperate certificate..it was all mainline.

 

[767jetz]

but I am selfish and proud of it.

We know who you really are.

 

[LCC_#1]

We know who you really are.

Really, 767jetz, you don't, but you know I think I'm enjoying all the speculation. I will send you a pm on who I really am.

 

[BoeingBoy]

PITbull,

Frankly, I don't know enough (any?) of the details of the F/A end so I'm relying on it being similiar to the pilot end. Given that, the agreements reached concerning MDA were fine and dandy when they were negotiated - actually negotiated and renegotiated several times for ALPA). They covered a separate airline that was to be created to fly the 170's (or everything over 50 seats originally). If that had actually happened, there wouldn't be any lawsuits or room for complaints.

Unfortunately, from my viewpoint, the company either was very shrewd and played the unions like a fiddle or just changed its mind and took advantage of the situation. Irregardless of whether by design or accident, the separate airline that the unions agreed to never materialized. Thus, in my view, the negotiated agreements concerning MDA became null and void - or should have - since MDA never really existed except as a fiction to take advantage of the agreements.

After all, if the company had proposed putting the 737's in a "make believe" airline, furloughing the requisite number of F/A's and pilots, then hiring them back under separate contracts and rules, what would the AFA and ALPA have said? What transpired with MDA, after the agreements were in place for it's creation, was really little different.

One needs only to look back at MetroJet to see how it should have been handled once it became clear that MDA would not be a separate airline. The pilots gave pay and work rule relief to lower the costs of that operation, but those concessions were made a part of the same contract that every mainline pilot worked under.

Jim

 

[Paul]

The last time I checked this was about “MAA flight attendant press release “ and not about an individual poster. Let's keep things on track.

Thank you.

Reference post #72