Pittsburgh AFA informational picketing

[PSA1979]

PineyBob,
You wrote "Oh and Just FYI, I am a CUSTOMER not a PAX or passenger! There is a HUGE difference", I mean no disrespect, however, we are in the transportation business. You are a passenger, just as riders of trains are passengers and buses are. That is why when there is an accident the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigates. You are paying for transportation from point A to point B. And you don''t pay my salary, US Airways does, the name on my paycheck does not say PineyBob. The price of your ticket goes to cover some of the expenses at the airline, however, I am not independently contracted out to you. So, when I hear from our PAX say, "I pay your salary" I respectfully explain that that is not true. When I open my Flight Attendant Emergency Manual, it refers to you as a passenger. Once again, no disrepect intended, it''s just the way of the transportation industry.

 

[supercruiser]

flyonthewall says: >>The sick policy is fair for the flight attendants and company>So, the flight attendant is only losing 5 hours of pay in this scenario. The flight attendants are able to pick up extra trips to subsidize any loss income.

 

[PSA1979]

Piney
How about "repeat passenger", "loyal passenger", a passenger is a passenger is a passenger. When it comes to evacuating an airplane, we don''t ask the first time passengers to wait while the frequent fliers go down the slide first. Passengers aren''t the enemy, some just are too full of themselves. The majority of our passengers are kind and undemanding. Do you know why Southwest is doing so well, they subscribe to the old school of we are public transportation. Nothing fancy, just get me from point A to point B. It''s amazing, if I have a different opinion than some, I must be on managements side. I am on my side. And why do you think I am a Sir? I believe in my profession we are mostly women. I pay taxes, so therefore I will call up the President and tell him he must do my bidding, because I pay his salary.

 

[PITbull]

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On 6/6/2003 5:51:35 PM mrplanes wrote:

Fly,

A team must have leadership. I just got done reading an article on Jetblue in the latest Air Transport World. Each employee there is called a crewmember. And their CEO, Dave Neelman, leads. By example. I'm not even sure we have a leader here much less who he is. To be a "team player" as you suggest would assume we have a team. What is going on with AFA and ALPA should make you see we don't have a team. Just employees. If you get a chance, read that article. It summarizes why Jetblue and Southwest are eating everyone's lunches. And it is much more that low costs. So much more.

All the givebacks, work rule changes, ATSB financing, pension terminations, BK exiting and whiz kids who make the above work is not a sign of leadership. It is a sign of economic expertise. Period. One can argue that all of that saved this airline from C7. Quite possibly it did. But the lack of a leader who inspires the "crewmembers" to kick butt is what will eventually save or doom this carrier. There is no Kelleher here. No Neelman. No Bethune. No one that inspires. And if anyone thinks just a paycheck and benefits are what is important, go talk to the employees of Southwest or Jetblue. Our workplace has changed dramatically. When that happens you better have a leader who can inspire. In the beginning I thought Seigel was that man. Now I'm praying he hires someone who knows how important employee morale and loyalty is. Someone who knows that numbers, while certainly essential, are not the whole story.

mr



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mrplanes,

Your words to God's ear....keep this up, and you will leave me no other choice but to fall in love with you.

Bob,

Got to hand it to you...did the "visual" on your thread, and I howled.

You are, indeeed, the best.

 

[PITbull]

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On 6/6/2003 6:08:00 PM MarkMyWords wrote:

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On 6/6/2003 3:12:03 PM golden1 wrote:

SoMMW is MGMT EH?


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Not management here. Everyone that holds a different opinion the PitBull is considered management to her.

As for the press coverage....you are rockin! KDKA and 1 newspaper! Man, sure do hope they didn''t get in the way of the huge picket line! LOL

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Mark,

Try Channels 2, 4, and Fox 53. Guess you missed it!

 

[PITbull]

Flyonthewall,

Welcome back on the boards. How'se the "throne" at Corporate headquarters feel lately?

Guess the leafleting got to you, huh? See all them big bright yellow "post cards" signed by our customers yet? We'll be out again on June 12 bright and early at 6 a.m. All summer long.

Your example above is the best case scenerio for only ONE group of f/a the reg. option block holder who happens to have a line of flying of 80 hours.
What you FAILed to mention is at what time of the month this "best case" scenerio calls in sick? What happens if its at the end of the month? No time to make it up.... Then this reduced 80 hour line of 75 hours becomes a 10 hour pay penalty...translation $400 pay cut, throw in the 5% pay deferral and WHAMY....Approx. $650 of disposable income vanished. AND THAT'S THE BEST CASE SCENERIO PRESENTED. Now take your same scenerio of an 80 hour line and now apply it to a 105 hour option ... 30 hour PAY CUT...translation...$1.000 pay cut, throw in the 5% deferral.WHAMY..$1,250 pay cut...and they HAVE the "banked time" to make themselves whole, but are not permitted to access it with this policy.

Yes, Mr. Wizard, we will be coming to work sick, and letting our customers know for their safety.

If you want leafleting to stop, please contact our MEC President, ASAP.

All Presidents will be picketing...Councils 70 and 40 did it first as a Pennsylavania response...seeing that mangement will be going into negotiations with the PA Delegation to discuss Pittsburgh Airports fate, we figured, th Pennsylvania communities would have more empathy on what the employees are dealing with this particular "type" of management. LGA and BOS will also participate soon.

By the by, your scenerio reflects a 5 hour penalty...the best case scenerio is a 10 hour penalty, and that WAS NOT the "ratified" proposal. That f/a you cite is an 80/85 hour flyer. The sick caps the f/a to 75 hours. That very reason you cite is WHY THERE IS AN MEC GRIEVANCE. You need to touch base with your boys in Labor Relations. It is very obvious from your above thread THAT YOU ARE NOT IN THE KNOW or the "loop".

Just thinking of you as I always do.

 

[Do_it_for_Dave]

On 6/7/2003 8:29:48 PM PITbull wrote:

Yes, Mr. Wizard, we will be coming to work sick, and letting our customers know for their safety.
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Teddy Xidas is driving away customers with her informational picketing. The company cannot afford to lose any passengers because of the actions by a few union officials. We cannot have the flight attendants telling our customers that they will get sick if they fly the airline. This is not true and this false information must stop immediately. It is time for the employees to tell the AFA to stop picketing.

I would recommend that the employees initiate an information picketing telling the customers why they should fly US Airways. This type of information session is a win-win situation for every employee.

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[PITbull]

Bob,

Your response to Fly''s thread.

 

[Dionaea]

Pitbull,
You seem to have things in perspective with a few small exceptions. Let me break this down for both you and Fly...
$400.00=One executive tie
$650.00=One or possibly two handmade executive shirts
$1000.00=One everyday executive suit
$1250.00=One slightly better executive suit.
In other words, chump change as far as fly and his ilk are concerned.
What they don't seem to understand is that $400.00 pays an average employee's car payment. $650.00 pays the college tuition fees. $1000.00 is a mortgage payment, and $1250.00 pays all the other bills. And that is not for anybody that is living LARGE! That's just an average American's monthly bills.
When you are shorted that, due to becoming sick, you face the real possibility of defaulting on loans you have for any of the above. For that reason I am sure that the employees of your company ARE FORCED TO FLY SICK!!! I know that if I faced the same cuts in pay, (on top of the huge cuts that you have already suffered) I too would be FORCED to work sick. Either that, or lose something that I have worked years to attain. But then again, maybe these folks don't believe that your kids ought to go to college. After all, someone has to make those pretty, custom made ties, shirts and suits!

I forgot to mention the 5% war deferral. What war? Are you sure the 5% wasn't for SARS or Corporate stupidity? If you did sign for either of those reasons then you are s**t outta luck! You unfortunately are forced to deal with both....in abundance!

 

[PITbull]

Bob,

I think you invented the phrase "on point"...you were so right on, and flyonthewall is great with pm messages. Don''t worry, he''ll get you and me.

 

[PITbull]

Do-it-for-Dave,

How about doing-it-for-the-employees?

So, how is this untrue?  Do you think the f/as can afford to not go to work?  Do you think they will not come to work ill?  How so?
Your Labor Relations not-so-employee friendly "guru's" violated our agreement by implementing a severe pay penalty and restricting access to our sick banks beyond what the f/as ratified. Great for a company to have cost savings, but you can't help yourself to what was NOT agreed.

You want the AFA members to stop the leafleting, tell Labor Relations to sit with our MEC President and discuss the new sick policy which presently is a violation of our contract.

The 5% deferral needs to be returned to the employees ASAP, and the Medical coverages need to be discussed and improved ASAP.

Then, and only then, will we stop picketing and leafleting....its up to management to do what is right. If management cares about the "bottom line" employees and customers alike, do the right thing.

By the way, this legal action is by the members, for the members...not the local leaders picket. Get it straight.

 

[diogenes]

In the long run, management/labor cooperation is essential for the survival of the company.

That''s why I am so concerned about U''s survival. Management has created such a hostile environment, POST-concessions, that we are saying, enough. I think that is why Labor Relations is gloom and dooming in their meetings with us. They know the ship is still sinking, and are paving the way to blame labor.

In the current environment, management must be confronted with whatever imperfect tools we have to hand.

The latest AFA action reminds me of something I posted twice before - AFA is the only union on the property that has shown any stones.

 

[diogenes]

Bud, I got some bad news for you. Attempting to 'out' someone on this board is a no-no, and not appreciated.

Furthermore, I advocated giving the new management team some room to work back in 2001. In my opinion, management has abused the trust of every employee and retiree of US Airways.

Lastly, did you miss school the day they talked about freedom of assembly? It's in the Bill of Rights.

Somehow, it's ok for corporate hirelings to libel and defame labor at will. Shine the light on them, and listen to the squeals!

 

[tug_slug]

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On 6/7/2003 10:33:52 PM PineyBob wrote:
The time for reasons has passed! It is now time for RESULTS! Exactly when do you plan to begin delivering those RESULTS? A profit so the war deferral cane be returned. A profit so the route structure can be re-invigorated. A profit so the employees will feel like their sacrifices were not in vain. A profit to restore their shattered confidence in this management. They have given through their concessions their contribution to the return to profitability. they put their faith in you and your staff. As did the thousands of loyal Customers, we didn't switch our loyalty based on our confidence in your team

So before you come on here telling people what to do I suggest you deliver on your part of the bargain! A PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT SHOWING A PROFIT

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Damn Bob, your good!

 

[PITbull]

Dear Slam,

Thank you for your words of support. You conveyed precisely what this is all about. All the flight attendants want is to be able to come to work healthy and ready to do the job they were trained to do, provide a safe, comfortable environment for our customers, and ensure the customer will be so satisfied with the service provided, that return business is a "shoe in".

Unfortunately, we are compelled to protest this mangements repeated violations of our contracts and disregard for the employees who have sacrificed so much of themselves to "save" our company. The leafleting is the only legal actions that unions can do, outside of Sec. 6. This is the only venue and pressure we can place on management to STOP violating our conracts and disrespecting, and dehumanizing the "Rank and File"/front line employee who are the backbone of the company and make the "plan" work. This protest is not about Labor Relations or Mangement and Labor, but rather about "human suffering" and injustice.

As you have written above, is actually very true with many of our crew members. When you have families who get ill, then you get ill, there is no choice but to come to work, no matter what to pay the bills with the little income we have left after the two major pay concessions. Medical co-pays and contributions along with prescriptions are too high as well, so when the employee is ill, they do not seek medical treatment in order to keep their out-of-pocket expenses down. THIS IS THE REALITY. On top of the pay concessions of last summer and the 5%, high (20-26%) medical contributions and co-pays, along with a NEW sick pay penalty policy, the truth is we are comng to work ill.

What management wants us to do is "keep it quiet", and be a good sport and don't tell the customer.

Sorry, Management needs to jump in here and fix this problem.

Again, thank you for your empathy, truthfulness.