This Is How We Roll.......

[Whatnow?]

This airline froshizzle isn't over yet just b/c AWA and US merge there are still many other possibilities... secure our future by sticking with the by-laws...

[post="298917"][/post]​

Couldn't have been said any better! If there is another merger down the road for the "New USAirways" which more than likely there will be according to analyst predictions......We are going to wish we had stayed with the current bylaws of DOH. AWA F/A's have not been through this before, US F/A's have several times and have ALWAYS been FAIR about it! They (AWA F/A's) need to be very careful for what they ask for because it will come back and bite them in the arse later! Careful for what you ask for! :unsure:

 

[goodgirl37]

Couldn't have been said any better! If there is another merger down the road for the "New USAirways" which more than likely there will be according to analyst predictions......We are going to wish we had stayed with the current bylaws of DOH. AWA F/A's have not been through this before, US F/A's have several times and have ALWAYS been FAIR about it! They (AWA F/A's) need to be very careful for what they ask for because it will come back and bite them in the arse later! Careful for what you ask for! :unsure:

[post="298937"][/post]​

This is true - folks we are living through a time like no other and there is definitely going to be more consolidation - Delta and NWA are are fading just like we were a year ago. We need to open our eyes and look what could happen ahead in the future. AWA your seniority will be the only thing that saves you in the end. Ask TWA employees how they like their careers shafted!! One thing people need to see is this as well. We have alot of senior people at US but most of those will retire in the next few years just like at all companies and corps. Companies that started before the baby boom are filled with people ready to retire now. Think of it like this.. Hang in for 5-7 years and then most of those people will be gone and you will be higher on the seniority list in their spot and then maybe another merger will occur and guess what.. you will have your seniority and can say - Seniority is the way to go. If you don't you may never work your way up by slotting every now and then when a merger occurs. Seniorty marks your date and it is where you stay. The only way to go!!

 

[luvn737s]

So are you saying it's better for an HP FA to suffer for 5-7 years because of USAirways management incompetence than it is for a US FA to suffer 5-7 more years? Fair integration means that the US FA enjoys the benefits afforded employees managed competently and conservatively like HP employees have been, while the HP FA sits on the sidelines? Please explain this distorted view of fairness.

Better yet, explain it to the 23 year FA who will be spending Christmas in Columbus on a 31 hour overnight when they've had that holiday off for 20 years.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

Better yet, explain it to the 23 year FA who will be spending Christmas in Columbus on a 31 hour overnight when they've had that holiday off for 20 years.

[post="299100"][/post]​

luvn737s,

That is not realistic. I know alot of juniors that hold holidays off like the Cartel during "High Time". Also we don't have 31 hour Columbus overnights.

 

[luvn737s]

luvn737s,

That is not realistic. I know alot of juniors that hold holidays off like the Cartel during "High Time". Also we don't have 31 hour Columbus overnights.

[post="299105"][/post]​

Holidays often have long overnights due to schedule changes

 

[pedro]

Holidays often have long overnights due to schedule changes

[post="299128"][/post]​

Hi everyone. I am new to this forum and am both delighted and dismayed by the views and opinions expressed here. I can only hope that the naysayers represent a minority of the flight attendants involved in this merger. As I've been told by many flight attendants involved in previous mergers, it can get real ugly if everyone doesn't make an honest effort to get along - i.e. cancelling wake up calls, etc. Let's hope we can join together and make this work for all of us. I know, from conversations with U.S. Airways flight attendants, we at America West have a lot of good things to offer. Like picking up trips from eachother. The U.S. Airways flight attendants I spoke with told me that, if they pick up trips from eachother, the company doesn't pay them for them. What's up with that? We get paid for any trips we fly - including the trips we pick up from eachother. We are required to start the month out with at least 70 hours. If we can get someone else to pick up some of our trips - from the trip/trade board - we can drop down to 40 hours a month. The company pays us for any and all trips we fly on our line - no matter where or whom we picked them up from. If we pick up trips from company open time - on days when the company is short staffed (called volunteer flying) they pay us a little extra over what we are normally paid. I think we have a very liberal system here and I think that U.S. Airways flight attendants will enjoy it. That is, if it stays in place. Also, as for non-reving on the first come-first served basis. Very rarely have I been bumped by another employee. Usually, all employees get on the flight. It's usually the people flying with buddy passes that don't get on if things are close. They're at the bottom of the pecking order. By the way, America West is very liberal with the buddy passes (now called flexi-passes) also. I think this is another benefit you'll enjoy. All in all, I hope your company brings some great benefits along with you to our merger. I am certainly looking forward to it!

 

[lax]

All I can say is that it will not take much to push the remaining US F/A's over the edge! Most of us who have decided to stay are looking forward to a brighter more stable future with this company. The one's who have left and are leaving have pretty much moved on to other jobs, mainly because they didn't care for all the changes that have happened around here, And YES there have been some Major changes that have change our lifestyle in this job!

I can't imagine, how the US F/A's are going to react to not having DOH granted in this merger! I mean it REALLY is only fair to ALL involved! There are going to STILL be US F/A's who are going to lose seniority AGAIN because there are some more senior F/A's at AWA. But that's how the cookie crumbles, and we (US F/A's) have been through that scenario already 3 or 4 times. It's not a fantastic thing, but it's a FAIR way to integrate everybody. If DOH isn't granted as we merge both companies, then there will have to be a fence up around PHX and US bases too....because that would be FAIR to the US F/A's...right? Kinda of like who has the better toys....you or me? What is the big deal with PHX? US has better flying and is bringing more to the table here! PHX is HOT with no season changes and not near any beaches like the East Coast US bases are! Plus we love our Transatlantic and Carribbean layovers! Don't worry about US F/A's bombarding PHX, its not going to happen! There will be a few that want to go, I'm sure, but don't any of the AWA F/A's want to try flying to Europe too? And please pray that it does go DOH because US F/A's will be HELL ON WHEELS to deal with if it doesn't happen.....trust me on this one......I've seen it and lived it over the past 17 years! It can be pretty frightening! In that case, the fences may not be a bad idea!

[post="298531"][/post]​

"fair" is like "beauty," it is in the eye of the beholder. the beholders that favor doh are predominately from usair. those that favor a different form of integration are predominately from hp. to say that there is only "one" way to do anything is ludicrous. i know, "rules, pacts, bylaws, covenants, blah blah blah blah," are what you all (us) are counting on, but the fact is that doh is not "always" the fairest way for ALL parties involved (as you want everyone to believe). have you ever thought, just maybe(i know its a bit of a stretch), that AFA and other unions who've adopted doh policy, may have it for other reasons other than "fairness," in the case of a merger. simplicity, cost savings, less headaches, law suits etc could be a few. for that matter all airline employees should just belong to one "big" union, and things like success, freedom of choice, profit, gain, competition should mean nothing because the only component that makes them all different is their application date. ugh!!! that system reminds me of a little country that no longer exists in eastern europe. most people know that shortly after a merger comes consolidation because of overlap, duplication, lack of synergy, and a host of other reasons. the point is that many people will lose their jobs as a result, and not just unionized workers (i know, its "fair" because they were too stupid to get a union). the continuous banter doh doh doh doh doh is due to the aforementioned fact. if doug parker ever sees fit to reduce any of the operations in the east, significantly, all those saying, "we dont want to move to phx," "you act like phx is some kind of holy land (btw, phx is and has been one of america's fastest growing cities for the last 10yrs...someone likes it out there)," "we love the east coast and would never move west," "we just want to be one big happy family," will be in your base so fast your head will spin. i cant blame the hp guys and gals for resisting, whether it will do any good or not, i guess time will tell. personally, i think "career expectations" which some pilot unions have is the "fairest" way to integrate, because it doesn't allow some 'one armed blind man on the doorstep of death to hit a grandslam off nolan ryan in the bottom of the ninth with two strikes.' but it is what it is, so good luck to all involved, especially the hp'ers. sleep with one eye open and build those fences high, because the usariens will be in phx as soon as it comes down. h34r:



lax

 

[hp_fa]

BINGO! We have a Bingo.

 

[Travelpro72]

DOH is what it is. It was agreed upon by all carriers that chose it's "AFA"'s representation. Because HP wound up merging with a more senior carrier, now it's NOT ok. If a f/a at HP did not work for example 6 years, you don't get 6 years. If a f/a at US did work 6 years they keep their 6 years. If ANYONE at HP does not feel that DOH is fair then they should have voted against AFA representation. Whether anyone at either carrier or any carrier represented by AFA for that matter thinks of DOH as unfair then maybe they should have voted for a different union. We at US are not asking for any seniority that we did not acrue. Because of either company's past or whatever blah blah blah the f/a group on either side shall not suffer. We all agreed to DOH with AFA before any of this merger business was announced with HP and US. I find it hard to believe that if HP were merging with a carrier with less seniority and AFA represented, this would be an issue today. If the HP f/a's are not happy with the DOH policy a US f/a should not have to suffer for it. It's a sword that cuts both ways.

 

[Whatnow?]

NOW WE HAVE A BINGO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hulagirl]

First of all, PLEASE, let's stop the finger-pointing to our new co-workers at US Air.
They are flight attendants just like us, and they, like us, had NO SAY about this or any other merger.
If AWA flight attendants are concerned about losing holidays and days off, please voice these concerns to our negotiating committee and merger committee. The US Air flight attendants are not involved, right now, with our contract. It is our contract that we should be concentrating on!!! It is our contract that addresses vacations, days off, etc., not the US Air flight attendants.
Second of all, please remember the fence that will be in place....nothing will change with us for that period. Once the fence comes down, NO ONE WILL INVADE PHX UNLESS THERE IS A VACANCY! This has been said and said, and NO ONE is listening. :angry:
Our new co-workers have been through mergers and know what they are talking about. Please ASK them about these issues rather than ACCUSE them of ridiculous things like "taking your seniority". NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE SENIORITY THAT ISNT ACCRUED. THAT APPLIES TO US AT AWA AS WELL. That is why date of hire is the ONLY fair way to integrate seniority.
Please consider what the AWA "proposed seniority" would pose: what percentage of us to US Air flight attendants (we would be fighting about THAT!).
There is NO formula in existance that would satisfy ALL AWA flight attendants. And, how FAIR would that be to our co-workers at US Air? They have accrued their seniority....they have been at their jobs longer than we have. Those are the facts!
PLEASE, let's stop this and resign ourselves to making a great workforce and airline. That way, we will all have JOBS to go to!

 

[Travelpro72]

Now I would definately have no problem slinging a few back with you hulagirl. I hope you speak to the others at HP and let them know just what the issue at hand is. You obviously get it. This is something we all need to get over. Start building and stop the burning. I look forward to working together with all of you at HP.

 

[Us/boston]

So when a vacancy for 20 F/A's opens up in PHX and 20 furloughees come in, only to find 6 months later that there is a reduction bid with invol furloughs, who do you suppose will be packing their bags, hmmm? That person who was 20% up the seniority list or that recalled furloughee?

BK judges have wide latitude and if US thought that the labor strife caused by integration issues was going to jeopardize the merger, then I'm sure US could get whatever it asked for. This wouldn't affect other AFA airlines, only US.

If the a few US AFA F/A's push this hard enough to jeopardize the merger and the only hope many F/A have of remaining employed, they run the real risk of a decertification vote from those unwilling to be dragged down.

You folks remind me of Titanic victims who want the blue lifeboat or none at all.

[post="297986"][/post]​

In the event that date of hire is not used in this merger I am quite sure that the majority of U flight attendants will vote for decertification and the implementation of an inhouse union like AA.

 

[SKY HIGH]

First of all, PLEASE, let's stop the finger-pointing to our new co-workers at US Air.
They are flight attendants just like us, and they, like us, had NO SAY about this or any other merger.
If AWA flight attendants are concerned about losing holidays and days off, please voice these concerns to our negotiating committee and merger committee. Please ASK them about these issues rather than ACCUSE them of ridiculous things like "taking your seniority". NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE SENIORITY THAT ISNT ACCRUED. THAT APPLIES TO US AT AWA AS WELL. That is why date of hire is the ONLY fair way to integrate seniority.
Please consider what the AWA "proposed seniority" would pose: what percentage of us to US Air flight attendants (we would be fighting about THAT!).
There is NO formula in existance that would satisfy ALL AWA flight attendants.

[post="299202"][/post]​

SKY HIGH states: I can understand that the "senior" F/A's at America West based in PHX have concerns over this merger. Once positions OPEN in PHX, the former PSA F/A's (all have decades of seniority) who still live on the west coast will jump at the opportunity of a less stressful, long commute. Anyone have numbers on the west coast commuters?
Image, being in the top 50 F/A's at AWA, having been at the company since DAY ONE. Seeing these "new" co-workers swaltz in and BUMP AWA-PHX in seniority.
Fences...................have to be put in place.
EVERYONE'S SENIORITY IS IMPORTANT.

 

[hp_fa]

What is really going on is that many of us are realizing that no matter what the scenario, Doug has sold the AWA FA's down the river.

Ponder this:

No matter whether AWA's FA's had been AFA, another union or non-unionized, the merger with U would have automatically damaged all the seniority of AWA's FA's since we did not comprise 35.1% of the workforce (which matters under Alleghany-Mohawk or being fully non-unionized) or under AFA's C&B. No matter what, we were being damaged in favor of folks who have not, to date, done anything to get AWA to where it is.

Next, we are supposedly in contract negotiations. However, Doug has recently told us he now no longer wants to negotiate with us but rather wait. (Perhaps until U's contact become amenible.) So, despite opening early at the company's request, and that there is ATSB money set aside for our raises, he now expects us to wait quietly in the corner.

Doug had made statements tht neither the stockholders or employees would be hurt by a merger. But tell me, how is that true?