Us Airways F/a Reductions

[ACrazy8]

ex,

First and foremost....thank you for taking the time to crunch the numbers. I didn't know where to begin. Thank you. It's not a pretty picture to say the least. However, this too shall pass. I would imagine many fa/s already on a voluntary furlough, (enjoying the time off), will stay away until a mainline recall happens anyway. Why start up flying again, making less money and move to PIT??? (no offense, pitbull). Anyone's guess...right? I happen to love the city! I thought the cuts would hit most, if not all of 98. I wish the best for everyone especially those fa's who were furloughed 2 years ago and are still waiting to be called back. Everyone please know....your in my thoughts.....

 

[exusairways]

ACrazy8,

You're welcome. Quite frankly, I don't think that many realize how far back this furlough will go.

 

[F/AinDay]

Ex... You're right about not realizing how far this next round will go. I'm from the 5/97 class...I assumed it would more than likely affect all of the "98 classes. But with so many out on voluntary (myself included) it may very welll knock on my door.

I just want to know one way or the other. The waiting is the worse part of it all.

 

[xoxo]

F/AinDay,

I have only been involuntary furloughed since may 1,03...but, it was a long year and a half wait until it did happen...finally!!!Not that I wanted to go and I miss it sooo much!!!! But, because the wait was terrible. i never knew when it was gonna happen. Every month the flying got worse and in january it came to a stand still. I sat around on quick call everyday...and still only flew once a month..I was always number 20 on quick call most of the time..so there was no chance of getting a trip. So, I got a second job waiting tables. I was informed I would be furloughed June 4th. So, i prepared myself for that..but only for a short time..because only a few days later the company decided to involuntary furlough 265 f/a on may 1st., without offering a "voluntary" furlough. I guess the union is greiving that whole situation..but still havnt heard much about it. They were trying to atleast get us our guarentee for May back....Hope they let us know something....Then because I left the part-time job...because I don't live in my base and I went home which is a 2 hour drive from my base...unemployment cut me off...I have been fighting to get my unemployment back for nearly 4 months...It is rough....Still can not find a job..and money is almost gone....So...F/ADAY.....If I were you, I would take heed to my situation and start saving your money now....Because anything could happen at this point....ANYTHING!!! Be safe...and god bless.......

 

[PITbull]

xoxo,

AFA did not file a grievance for those reductions as the company offered VF5, and then immediately turned around and offered VF6, because AFA threatened to file the grievance for not offering a furlough for every reduction in force.

We are now up to VF7. Managment only recently has taken the position that there will be NO MORE VF offered because in their "minds eye", they have meant their obligation and that these future INVOLs are not further reduction, but rather replacing the returnees.

How does that make any sense, when the PURPOSE of the Voluntary Furloughing was to take the place of INVOLUNTARY Furloughing.....

There is no reason why you aren't collecting unemployment, unless they are perceiving that you quit your other employment as THE employment. If you were part time that should be easy. If it were full time employement you may have a tougher time explaining why you quit that job. But, just tell them the sequence of events. You should be in the appeal process and be up for an appeal hearing. Let them know that you had taken temporary employment until flying had improved at USAirways for you to meet your time. Subsequently, your job was completely eliminated. Let them know your average 4 day trip was worth only approx. 20 hours and the flying had been on a spiral decline. You had no choice but to look for supplemental income to hold you over. Tell them how difficult it was to hold both jobs as one required you to be ready and available when on duty, whether you flew or not. Therefore, having the second job was a jungling act at best, and you wouldn't have been able to manage that type of schedule for too much longer anyway. As you imply above, you had quit that job, and then subsequently got INVOLUNTARILY furloughed from USAirways not very long afterward. I think that is how I'm perceiving this from your explanation above.

You do NOT have to accept any employment that offers you substandard wages or employment that is not suitable and still be eligible to collect your benefit. You should be able to receive your unemployement benefit if you explain the sequence of events in your appeal hearing that otherwise could not be properly explained over a phone to a Rep.

 

[xoxo]

PB,

If it were only that easy. I just went to my hearing yesterday..and the manager of the restaraunt I was emplyed was there to basically go against me. It was awful. They owe me ALOT of money PB. I called the union for help..I called old supervisors ..I called anyone who knows anything about unemployment..and noone knew what to do or why unemployment was doing this. It was a dinky partime job...and I quit because I was furloughed and no longer based at my base. I had a lawyer with me yesterday..and she even said that I may not win. At this point I really do not know what to do. They said they will reveiw my case and let me know in two weeks.

The reason I thought AFA had a greivance with the May 1st involuntary's was because the PHL union office told me..to my face they did. They even told me they won the greivance. That is why a was assuming there was one. I was only relaying what was told to me. But, thank you very much for the information. Because I can never seem to get anything out of them when I call. Thanks again PB.

 

[PITbull]

xoxo,

I think you will win this, really. If you explained the sequence.

In regard to PHL Local, there WAS a grievance that was to be filed. Not that that would save you any headache. All it would have done if won, would have forced the company to offer another voluntary furlolugh. Which they did without the filing of a grievance. Some on the May list was saved and June list had their own Voluntary furlough offer. What I am saying is that I don't believe there were enough folks to take either furlough to save you. For that, I am truly sorry.

We have lost over 5,500 f/a since 9/11. 55% of our ranks. For what? This management has sqwandered the savings with no hope of bringing these f/as back to mainline. As you can attest if you have been keeping up with U....U runs from any competition. This mangement thinks they are "correcting the over capacity, and in the mean time, as we are decreasing capacity, the other carriers are running in and taking our slots and passengers.

I beleive their "business plan" is flawed. Management is afraid to "wake up" and admit the blunder so soon after taking control of our airline. The only way to "safe face" is to sell the airline IMO. Notice how this labor friendly..NOT management is quiet with labor and their is no communication on any forward planning except their mass exodus from mainline stations at great speed and the continued brutal violations of our contracts and stealing extra cost savings from them that was never agreed to, and heavy handedness from mangement just to make up the loss in revenue. With this kind of labor unrest, there is no way for our survival, unless by some miracle of God, this mangagement exits our property.

 

[ACrazy8]

I agree that many have no idea how far this furlough will go back with regard to seniority. I am on VF1 for 3yrs. (it's been nice...... B) ). I just spoke with a classmate(98)/friend of mine. I told him what was coming in DEC. He said, "yeah right, we're A scale, we're safe." Wow! I think many f/a's on the line have no idea what's about to go down........ :wacko:


Why do I get the funny feeling there will be hundreds of "Crazy8's" overflying their option in OCT and NOV???

 

[USAirBoyA330]

No one better overfly anything. The company is already handing down suspensions in CLT and other bases. You overfly and you WILL be disciplined period. What makes other peoples bills so much more important than every other F/A's? Remember we have over 3000 fellow F/A's out on furlough and if anyone overflys....you are keeping them from getting recalled. It just like going into your fellow crew members bags and taking money from them. It's stealing. If I had my way, their names would be sent out on E-lines and posted in crew rooms along with suspensions. I would also make AFA fine them $50 for every day they overflew. It would only take a few to step over the line and I bet it would not happen very often after that.

 

[ACrazy8]

I agree. I feel the company or AFA should have sent out a warning letter/notice. These people have no idea what's about to hit them.

 

[USAirBoyA330]

In defense of AFA, they have warned numerous times in E-lines and such about overflying. They have passed MEC resolutions stating not to overfly. The reason F/A's still do it is because there are never any consequences to their actions. It's a rule with no teeth. From my point of view and from talking to fellow F/A that do overfly, they have already been fair warned. Most know it's wrong but in their minds justify it because of the paycut they took or they are about to be furloughed. Plus, they know they won't get I trouble for it.
Well, that stops right now. The punishment should be fast and immediate. Just look at August 31st reserve screen and the times are OUTRAGEOUS. Who gave any of them permission to fly all those hours?

 

[ACrazy8]

My statement about the company and AFA with giving little notice.......was with regard to the furloughs in DEC. AFA does an excellent job of passing on information through e-lines. I would just like more time to plan my future....that's all. (MDA...........moving to PIT.................not moving to PIT....................looking for f/a work elsewhere.....giving up my recall rights.......etc....etc.)

The vibe I'm getting from my friends/classmates(98), is that they think they won't be furloughed in DEC. Maybe it's easier not to think about it, until it happens. I don't know. How do you tell a large group of people, "wake up and prepare for what's about to happen"?

 

[USAirBoyA330]

I don't think 98 will be effected as much as you might think. I think all of 99 will be gone and part of NOV-DEC 98. Remember normal attrition is 350 per year and I think people are in for a rude awakening in NOV with the new reserve system. You never know how things will play out. Trust me your only a little SR to me and we are in the same boat. If AFA had the answers we need to MAA...they would tell us. Management doesn't even know themselves.

 

[PITbull]

USAirboy,

Exactly. I think management is not moving forward from this point with MAA until that have more assurance from PA that they will receive what they demand. If you think about it, if they proceed with MAA in Pittsburgh, it will give PA the indication that U has already settled in. This would make U's negotiations weak.

They are smarter than that. Don't forget too, that they are "scoundrels" according to our honorable Senator Specter, and most public opinion in the state of PA.

 

[exusairways]

Any word on the final number of voluntary furlough extensions?