Reserve Flight Attendants need to quit your #*^@$ing!

[theFLYonthewall]

As far as I can tell, we are still stuck with our contract until Dec. 31, 2011. Have you noticed the snail pace of the negotiations? Also, what do you see our current union leaders doing to provide us some relief? They are able to pull lots of strings for our senior flight attendants, yet I have yet to see them help us out. Oh yeah, they did present a list of things to the company to help us reserves but guess what? Management supposedly turned them all down except the one proposal that allows BHs to drop down to 40 hours on the ETB. Yeah, sure! They're really looking after us reserves! How about implementing shifts so we aren't on call for 24 hours. There's a start! How many times have you been woken up in the middle of the night for a transatlantic flight? I don't even know when to sleep half the time. Scheduling could call me at midnight, scheduling could call me at 5am, they could call me anytime and expect me to be at the airport at any time day or night within 90 minutes. I'm not a number and I am not a robot I am a person and I expect to be treated as such.

Maybe the negotiations are going so slow because every proposal the company offers Mr. Flores tells them its not good enough, passes it back. (Only speculating). Would much prefer the union to take their time, get it right this time, bring us a contract that provides better work rules, a better reserve system, better vacation, better compensation, better sick pay/credit, etc etc etc. It takes both parties to negotiate, the company is in NO hurry to reach a single agreement. They can turn a much bigger profit running two seperate contracts.

I have been called to fly T/A in the middle of the night, twice. As far as I am concerned that was two too many. It sucked. Any way you look at it even if they were to go to some type of shift, someone is going to have to be AVL to do it. Would you prefer the fence go back up? You talk as if I don't know what its like. I have been on reserve my entire career with the exception of like 8 months. I know I am several years senior to you. Please don't speak to me as if I haven't walked the walk. The problem is I am not angry like most other reserves on this board, I do not scream and yell to make a point. I know what it means to be bound by a contract that was ratified by the membership. Doesn't mean I like it, but I am not going to wage a war with the blockholders in this company because they have a block and they have the ability to drop their trips on the AIL and the ETB. I have many friends that are lineholders and most are fully aware of how badly this LTO needs revamped. Whether you like it or not Safety Stud was correct there is NO growth. Until there are retirements/seperations and the top gets lighter we are stagnet.

 

[Zarah]

You might want to go back and check your math. Blockholders out number the reserves in every base. Reserves alone cannot swing a vote. Here we are again, trying to pit one group against another. Pathetic.

If we are going to break any vote down into "blockholder" or "reserve" then the vote will swing with the group that has the most people turn out to vote. Matters not how many there are in either group. It will only matters who bothers to vote.

My hope is that when, if ever, a combined contract comes to the FA group that we have a strong turn out. If I am going to work under a contract for any period of time, good or bad, then I want to see that at least the majority took the time to vote.

 

[Zarah]

I am so sick and tired of the same old biatching from the reserves. I am soooooo over it. Let me say this first and formost. I know it's a bad system, but it's the one you have, so deal with it, or leave. Simple....

Another post indicates that you are a union rep. If this is really how you feel then you should have left or been removed from any union position long ago. Once you stop caring and become "soooo over it" it is time to move on to something else.

Hopefully, when you go to your new base you will get a break from all the stress I am sure any union rep. endures.

=)

 

[RSVSUCKS]

I was talking to another flight attendant on a d/h today and they said America West crews don't stay together - the flight attendants go to one hotel and the pilots go to another NICER hotel - I guess one thing US contract has that's good is the "me too" clause with the pilots - I hope the East doesn't let this go say for more vacation time - under that clause we can call out fatigued like the pilots but on the West side they can't do this. Just some things to think about keeping - I vote don't lose the "me too" clause we have - it's a mess on the west side :down:

 

[N903AW]

I was talking to another flight attendant on a d/h today and they said America West crews don't stay together - the flight attendants go to one hotel and the pilots go to another NICER hotel - I guess one thing US contract has that's good is the "me too" clause with the pilots - I hope the East doesn't let this go say for more vacation time - under that clause we can call out fatigued like the pilots but on the West side they can't do this. Just some things to think about keeping - I vote don't lose the "me too" clause we have - it's a mess on the west side :down:

WRONG. Usually we do stay together and go to the same hotel as a crew. If the FAs have a shorter layover than the pilots (which happens from time to time) then the cabin crew might go to the short layover hotel and pilots to the long layover hotel (or vice-versa). We are not segregated based upon work groups like your post implies.

 

[RSVSUCKS]

thats good to know - but can you call out fatigued and not get in trouble? I like being on the same schedule as the pilots that means we are all in the loop..

 

[N903AW]

thats good to know - but can you call out fatigued and not get in trouble? I like being on the same schedule as the pilots that means we are all in the loop..

That, unfortunately, is a very gray area for us on the West and always subject for interpretation from those who have no idea what it is like working God-awful long duty days with minimum rest layovers.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

thats good to know - but can you call out fatigued and not get in trouble? I like being on the same schedule as the pilots that means we are all in the loop..

You can call out "fatigued" if SKED tries to short reassign on a layover or if they try to snag people coming off a trip.

There are plenty on this board who can define the circumstances but "fatigued" is the magic word.

Staying with the front end may not be all it is cracked up to be.

Some of us could do without the pleasure-as long as we have a strong contract-it depends on your priorities.

 

[N109UW]

Which is more than I can say for half the people on this board...

Sorry about the earlier assault. That being said, most of us are too worried about our mortgages, truck payments, and grocery money. Flying 40 hours per month, getting paid 73 hours per month, low per diem for the last 50 months has taken its toll on my volunteering time. Also, next time you are in the office, ask your folks where pref bid is. Remember that. It's what our neg. committee sold every rsv on the property on, along with this new rsv system. Yes, yes, we voted this contract in, but that was to include pref bid, which we were led to believe were tied together.

 

[Twicebaked]

Glad to see there is still life in everyone. Being passionate about a cause is well worth the energy it takes to get the job done. While most won't agree with what I have said, the truth still looms over the fundamental problem. Without growth the reserve system is stagnent. The movement within the reserve system will take place when and only when the company grows and expands.

Well, it is time to get a system that compliments the TIMES!!!!!!

EVERYONE does one month a year reserve........PERIOD!!!!

 

[etops1]

who is this safety stud guy. someone pm me. i am flying lgw phl today i will read the response when i get in this afternoon. thank you.


kev

 

[LCC_#1]

To be fair, some of you do go on and on biatching. Hey, that's your life so have at it. As a VERY junior blockholder in CLT, I may have a life, but I am in constant negotiating motion to have the life I want and am thankful it isn't compromised anymore by our horrible rsv system. BELIEVE ME when I say I am thankful as hell that I was hired when I was or I guess I would be a regular blockholder hater like all the rsv's here come across as being. But please, what the hell do you guys think bashing blockholders is going to accomplish? If I could wave a wand tomorrow and change it, I would. I don't have to bid rsv to understand the perils. I here all of you, but you all constantly trash on blockholders as if none of us understand your plight and that is just as inflammatory as safety stud's remarks.

Flame me all you want, but part of the problem IS growth. Listen, people complained about rsv when it was at it's best. You really have no life when on rsv. It was never meant to be a long term career move, but as we all know, US Airways fell on very hard times. Am I to be punished because the chopping off from the bottom didn't place me on rsv? I left the comfort of wonderful senority in LGA because I was ready to have more for my money. I made that choice. I knew my senority would suck in CLT. Yes, I hate that I get the left overs. I would love after 21 years to not have to here the word junior. But it is what it is and until a huge group retires or we experience the growth of the late 80's it ain't gonna happen. Now I just don't bid, sap the days off I want and bid a secondary to get Christmas off. I do what I can for ME. The problem is that the rsv system USE to be more flexible and no longer is.

Where do we go from here? To be honest, I am FOR a rotating rsv system. Nothing says humble like a short stint on rsv to remind one what it's like. I think all of us in masses should put the heat on for real change with regards to this issue.

In the meantime, I fly with many reserves that make it work. Some have chosen to stick it out in CLT. Many commute to LGA, BOS, and DCA. And YES, many are saying ENOUGH and quitting. Hey, that IS an option. We all have the right to make choices.

I hate to say this, but as long as this company bemoans longevity, there will always be a fight to make rsv tolerable. Did any of you stop and think that the company wants anyone with 15 years or more OUT?? You think they desire a late 80's type of rsv system to keep you around? They are hoping you get fed up and leave.

While safety stud may not be very tactful with his approach, anyone would get blasted for stepping on the rsv egg shells and I suspect i will get blasted as well. So have at it!

 

[songbirdstew]

Stud,
Normally I agree with a lot of your posts but this one is way off. Being in PIT the last three years while they have been displacing and reducing the base, we have not been living in reality. PIT has been extremely overstaffed so the B/H AND RSVs have had a lot of luxuries. RSVs have not flown a lot because trips are hard to come by and B/H very rarely have the bid sheet retricted. When you get to big bases, it's totally another story. The bid sheet is ALWAYS restricted and TWOP is never allowed as it is on a pretty regular basis in PIT. PIT has had the luxury of NOT having the bid sheet restricted on the weekends and TWOP allowed so even with being a secondary B/H you've been able to manipulate your schedule. As far as RSVs go, we live in base and everyone here moves their days around so they are not on for a 4 day stretch because they don't want to fly....those in PHL especially sit in their crash pads waiting to fly so they can put their time in, be done and go home. It's a whole other world. Wait until you get to PHL and you cannot have the freedom of changing your schedule as much as you are used to. Even as a B/H, you might be singing a different tune. This RSV system is HORRIFIC and unless you have done it---in a base like PHL--- you cannot comprehend what these folks go through so perhaps you should not be commenting on something unless you have personally lived it. Believe me, i know you and if you had to live it and commute, you'd be biotching too.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> who is this safety stud guy.

From the public AFA website LINK :

AFA/CWA SASH committee representative's
<SNIP>
PIT Scott A. Parks

 

[galley princess]

The misery imposed by LTO is manifested by the amount of discord on this board. It's sort of like taking away food, water and appropriate sanitation on an airplane, even for just two hours, everything goes haywire and people start freaking out. We're in what? The sixth year of LTO? People are coming to critical mass and it's starting to spill. Even the normally reasonable and cogent EMBFA is lashing out. Because I am a blockholder I am suddenly of inferior intelligence? That was beneath you.

It is valid and encouraging that the reserves are organizing to further their interests. That's the way it works. A friend told me years ago, if you're not involved you have no right to say anything. The year that all of the protections were put in the contract (now gone) for pregnant flight attendants, apparently more than half the committe was pregnant. That's how it works. You have to be noisy to get what you want.

That said, we are allowed to disagree with some of your wish list. As I have said before reserve rotation could have been sold to me even just a few years ago, but now it's too late, it has been over half my career and I am not voting myself back on it. And yes, I have toiled under LTO, it was almost the end of me, so I do sympathize and I do marvel at your fortitude.

I do take issue with your attack on union reps. It's a thankless job and it's shameful how much flight attendants eat their own. If you really feel that you could do better, run for the silly position next time it's open.

There are solutions to our collective misery, but they won't be achieved with discord. We are now about three years out from the end of the East contract. It is time for a discussion to take place about whether it is better to wait, given that certain rights present themselves, or, as I suspect accept whatever is hammered out, no doubt late 2010. Three years is a long time, but imagine if you do get a contract in 2010, and probably for 5 years, that means that any leverage we have as a group has been nullified for about 13-14 years. At this point I am mad enough to wait. Three years is a long time more on LTO, so this question is especially difficult, but three years is enough time to make oneself more marketable and develop a "fallback" for any labor action. The more diversified a group we are, the stronger we will be when the time comes.

There are things that you can change and things you can't. The only thing you can change is how you react to outside events. Allowing US to make you miserable is a bad choice.