Ok, I understand your frustration, but mainline has nothing to do with it. PSA and Piedmont have thier own AFAs that can negotiate agreements. Just as US Airways AFA can not negotiate things for Alaska F/As, they can't for PS/PD. Alot of the regionals have negotiated reciprocal jumpseat agreements in the last few years, but mostly with other regionals.
Delta F/As will not be able to jumpseat on PSA or Piedmont or any US Express carrier, only mainline (so they aren't gaining much- you're more likely to see a unicorn than a mainline US Airways plane these days). They did not choose to exclude Piedmont and PSA F/As, just as we did not choose to exclude thier wholly owned Comair. The agreement was made between Delta mainline and US Airways mainline. Neither has any jurisdiction over the jumpseat agreements of thier owned carriers.
I'm glad you brought this up though, because like everything, I have an opinion on "WOS" F/As, as our mainline contract refers to them. I've always wondered why the wholly owned's AFA reps have not asserted themselves and thier positions more. As US Airways Group F/As, WOS F/As should reap some benefits and have more of a connection with mainline.
It surprises me that the AFA at the other two subsidiaries have not sat down with the AFA at the large subsidiary to discuss mutually beneficial contracts. Some stuff they should have had long ago:
* Jumpseat priveleges. WOS F/As should be able to occupy an actual jumpseat, after a ML F/A, but not assist in service. Thier training and commands are very similar, and they can be briefed on exit operation or have a short voluntary class they could take. Reciprocal jumpseat agreements would apply to all USGroup F/As. No reason this couldn't be done.
* Flow-through. An agreement was made but lost with MidAtlantic. It was agreed that after the mainline furlough list had been exhausted, WOS F/As could flow through to the MidAtlantic division, joining the mainline seniority list, eventually absorbing into the non-division mainline. This was basically an afterthought as the pilots had this with the CEL (Combined Eligibility List of the wholly owneds). The mainline list was never exhausted, the division was shut down, and the agreement only applied as long as there was an MDA division. We will have Alegheny-Piedmont pilots flying Airbuses soon but sadly no WOS F/A was ever able to flow through.
Any new hire positions, and that includes America West, should be offered to our wholly-owned flight attendants. They should also get top seniority within thier class. Stuff like this is no-cost to the company or any of the three unions.
* On the other side- flow-down. With all of the majors hiring gangbusters except for sh*tty old US, it's easy to forget that only a few years ago there was not a flight attendant job to be had in the industry. Thousands were furloughed from all the airlines and competition was fierce even for regionals. Beefore the launch of MidAtlantic many US F/As went to or tried to go to one of the express carriers. Some were hired, but alot were met with a chilly recpetion... 'we don't like to hire mainline people'... well, we don't like to give our flying over to you but we did. Pilots had jets-for-jobs agreements with the w/os and affiliates. At the very least the two (three then) carriers should have offered mainline furloughees new hire positions- it would have been the basic courtesy to fellow US Group F/As during a dismal time in the company and industry.
* General Support. They should all support each other (and each other's best interest) in times of negotiation, viewing themselves as one bargaining group.
* Scope. US Airways F/As do not have thier own scope clause like some of the other airlines, they are just me-too'd with the pilots, who'd apparently happily allow Republic to fly 757s but god forbid Piedmont fly Q400s. US Airways F/As should do all in thier power to make sure as much flying as possible stays within the group. In fact, this should be and always have been the number one priority, but I've been banging my pots and pans about that forever and no one seems to see the importance.
Ask a mainline F/A that wasn't MDA which three airlines (four technically with HP) US Airways group owns and they would be clueless. Many think Express is one big airline, or that we own them all or none of them. You would think there would be a closer relationship between the flight attendants at three subsidiaries of the same company. WOS F/As are absolutely different than affiliate Express F/As- they are our REAL Express F/As. Piedmont and PSA F/As don't do United or Delta or Northwest flying, they only do US Airways flying. Thier fortunes lie solely with US Airways as ours do. When US was bankrupt, they went too. When a F/A job is outsourced, it's an injury to all US Group F/As. They should stand together as a group. Again, it really amazes me that the three companies unions seem completely oblivious of each other.
