What are your future plans?

[WCT]

Too add. If we have more block holders on the West. Something has to give? Either it be CLT or PHL? Some other base then PHX will have more blockholders. Hopefully it will be PHX base. There is more to give or less, but believe PHX base will have majority of continued block flying, and more line holders in my opinion. Some of the increased PHL INT flights will help too. If they continue with the model, and include PHX with some INT flights also, will benefit all, I hope!? The staff model on the East doens't work with PHX base, so I see more flying oppurtunites domestic wise. I hope so. The sandcastle is working at least for that reason now in PHX. WN is always knocking at our door, so who knows??

 

[FlightChic]

That depends on what is negotiated for the PHX/PHL/CLT etc bases? Why should us westies be on a stangnant rsv system like the East? There is no reason, or benefit?! We will no vote for such nonsense. I know a lot of our flexibility will be compromised, but going back on RSV is for the birds, as far as I am concerned!

Not trying to turn this into another BH vs. RSV thread but you need to know that our East AFA has made it very clear that they are protecting the top BHs and that our BHs have always had a seniority-based system and all the privileges that go with it and they aren't about to make them give anything up. This came from Mike Flores' mouth! With that being said, we need to be very careful and think long and hard before we vote. We all know history repeats itself and if our new contract is as senior-friendly as this one and as ones in the past, then you better watch out because you may be a reserve once again. When I started here in 2000, we had a great contract but we still had 20 year reserves. I hope you don't vote for such nonsense and please spread the word to everyone out West because having a stagnant reserve system out West is a very possible and probable reality. We've tried to tell him our ideas on how to have more BHs and much fewer reserves and for a shorter amount of time over and over again but he wouldn't listen. He just isn't interested in anybody but the very senior folks.

 

[WCT]

Not trying to turn this into another BH vs. RSV thread but you need to know that our East AFA has made it very clear that they are protecting the top BHs and that our BHs have always had a seniority-based system and all the privileges that go with it and they aren't about to make them give anything up. This came from Mike Flores' mouth! With that being said, we need to be very careful and think long and hard before we vote. We all know history repeats itself and if our new contract is as senior-friendly as this one and as ones in the past, then you better watch out because you may be a reserve once again. When I started here in 2000, we had a great contract but we still had 20 year reserves. I hope you don't vote for such nonsense and please spread the word to everyone out West because having a stagnant reserve system out West is a very possible and probable reality. We've tried to tell him our ideas on how to have more BHs and much fewer reserves and for a shorter amount of time over and over again but he wouldn't listen. He just isn't interested in anybody but the very senior folks.

Mike Flores, listen up. That crap ain't going to work out West Cowboy!! No way hosay!! You better think again! PHX HP fa's will not stand for ALL SENORITY based system. Not fair to all fa's, period!! WE have lost enough when it comes to hire date, if you think you are going to ruin our flexibility and protect your precious BH's, not going to work!!! We actually fly for a living! Yes, we work ANC turns, JFK turns, IAD turns, etc in a given day. Turn days, and high credit 2, 3 and 4 day trips. No pilot's are in our way of flying either. Maybe, you need to go out to pasture, just like our current council.?? Time for change, and a better way of living for all US fa's!!!!!!!!! Vacation needs to be raised to all Easties asap, and our pay out West needs to be the same at all levels as is on the East. No excuses!! You are either with US or against US, you can make the difference?!!!:angry:

 

[FlightChic]

Mike Flores, listen up. That crap ain't going to work out West Cowboy!! No way hosay!! You better think again! PHX HP fa's will not stand for ALL SENORITY based system. Not fair to all fa's, period!! WE have lost enough when it comes to hire date, if you think you are going to ruin our flexibility and protect your precious BH's, not going to work!!! We actually fly for a living! Yes, we work ANC turns, JFK turns, IAD turns, etc in a given day. Turn days, and high credit 2, 3 and 4 day trips. No pilot's are in our way of flying either. Maybe, you need to go out to pasture, just like our current council.?? Time for change, and a better way of living for all US fa's!!!!!!!!! Vacation needs to be raised to all Easties asap, and our pay out West needs to be the same at all levels as is on the East. No excuses!! You are either with US or against US, you can make the difference?!!!:angry:

I would love for you and other West f/as to attend an East union meeting with Mike! He acts like our senior people are in the majority and that anything that will benefit the rest of us will never pass because in his own words "membership will never go for." By membership he is referring to the senior folks. I am not even kidding! He loves to say that phrase over and over and over to the point to where he sounds like a broken record. I want to see you and the others let him know that those senior mamas are NOT in the majority and that the West will not go for such crap! In fact, what he is doing is misrepresentation if you ask me. We try to tell him but he won't listen. As for vacation, I'm not sure whether they have completed negotiations for that but I know the company doesn't want to give us the amount of vacation that you all have. I don't see why it matters, especially for reserves. We don't fly anyway. I've been here eight years and I only got 7 days of vacation! Woo hoo! I was furloughed for a while. Otherwise I would have gotten a few more days added on but still not enough to amount to anything. That is so pathetic! :down: We're supposed to be having a meeting in March with MF and Carol Austin who is also on the negotiating committee is supposed to be there. It should be interesting considering many of us have never even seen her, ever! I'll post the date as soon as I find out when it is. I think you should come to the meeting! We do need a change for ALL flight attendants!

 

[EMBFA]

Good thoughts WCT. If every current east reserve, and every west F/A voted, we could have whatever we want. The old lady patrol is uniformed and rarely votes outside of the same few tired union people.

 

[CLT BULL]

I guess it looks like we will be reserves forever and forget about breaking guarantee. I can't wait until I'm outta here! If they implement tagging, then I will have to be fired for not cooperating. I refuse to do more flights after the end of a trip, especially a 3 or 4 day. You can forget it! I'll walk right out of the airport with my phone off until my rest is up. Don't even get me started with the whole assigning us into our days off and not giving it back. If that happens, adiós amigos. Oh, and for those f/as at the bottom of the seniority list, it looks like they won't be flying very much. Remember when a lot of junior reserves didn't even fly in December until the 16th?

Negotiations and Our Reserve Systems

Over the last several weeks, the AFA Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has been negotiating with US Airways management over the Reserve Section. The JNC has used some key concepts of the West Reserve System but largely modeled our Reserve proposal off the East Reserve section with two sweeping changes: a Seniority based Reserve System and a move away from the current East procedure of being on call for 24 hours in a row.

While the Company agreed to fix some problems with the Reserve system, they proceeded to make other parts worse. Your JNC made it clear to management that this is not a zero sum game. We are not looking to patch some holes in one part of the Reserve system while creating leaks in another. We are looking for a Reserve system that improves the quality of life and earning potential for Reserves.

On the positive note, as explained below, management did agree to certain improvements on the East system, such as the elimination of twenty four hour call and the limited use of seniority the day prior to a day of availability. Improvements for West Reserves already agreed to by management include a requirement for the report time of the assignment to be within the RAP and better On-Premise Reserve (OPR) pay, among other improvements.

However, what management gave with one hand, they took away with the other. The following are a list of unacceptable provisions management wants to incorporate into a Reserve system. These provisions have been rejected by your JNC.

Days of availability buckets (limiting trips a Reserve could fly to days of availability)
Moveable days scheduled only before Golden days.
Force Reserves to work until 0330 on Golden Day with no restoration of day off.
Continued used of time balancing.
Eliminate ability to select among multiple available trips on day of assignment.
Allow Crew Scheduling to assign Reserve another segment when they return to domicile after a trip. (Tagging.)
Through Union meetings, the Wilson Survey, the online survey, emails and conversations with individual Reserves and discussions with our MEC and LEC Reserve chairs, the JNC developed a proposal which focuses on two core principles:

1. Quality Of Life
2. The Ability To Earn A Living

Quality Of Life

The JNC proposed a system based on Reserve Availability Periods (RAPS). The Company has agreed to create twelve (12) hour RAP periods in which Reserves will only be contactable within the RAP and only awarded or assigned a pairing that reports within the RAP. This represents an improvement to the current West Reserve system, where Reserves may be assigned trips that report well after the Reserve's RAP has ended.

The JNC has proposed an additional INV or Golden day to match the current West Contract for a total of nine (9) INV or Golden days along with the three (3) OFF or Moveable days.

The JNC proposed a two-hour call out time to report to the airport and no requirement to reside within a two-hour drive time to the airport. The Company has countered with a two-hour call out time to "check-in" at the airport with no residence language.

The JNC has proposed the elimination of Reserve tagging. Tagging under the current West Contract allows the Company to add additional segment(s) to a Reserve trip assignment when they return to domicile after completing the trip.

The JNC proposal would use seniority as the mechanism for trip assignment rather than a time balancing or LTO system. The Company has countered with seniority the day prior but has added a bucket and pool system.

The Company proposal would allow Reserves to bid for trips that day prior in seniority order until they reached a sixty-five (65) hour threshold at which point the Reserve would revert back to LTO until all other Reserves reached sixty-five (65) hours. The Company proposal would assign trips in LTO on the day of assignment. The Company proposal seeks to match trip awards with days of availability.

The JNC proposal cleaned up OPR pay. West Reserves receive one for two for OPR (known as Airport Ready Reserve on the West) and the shift may be extended. AFA proposed and the Company agreed to the East formula of 3:30 for a four hour OPR shift which cannot be extended. Pay for an OPR awarded/assigned a trip during the OPR shift would be pro-rated up until the check in time of the awarded/assigned trip. We are still in dispute about whether an OPR may be required to remain after the end of the OPR shift of complete boarding duties.
The Ability to Earn a Living

The JNC understands Reserve is not what it used to be. Reserve at an airline with no growth can go on for a long time. The JNC believes that any Reserve proposal should take that fact into account. Gone are the days of being on Reserve for six months and therefore a system must be negotiated that allows Reserves to earn a living without having to work all of their days off to do so.

The JNC believes a Seniority based system for selecting trips is the only fair way to provide someone the necessary reward for their years of service and has proposed just that.

We have not addressed the Reserve Guarantee at this time but we do believe that the guarantee needs to be increased.

The JNC does not believe that Reserves should have to work their days off to earn a living, but we have proposed a pay above guarantee for both trips flown off the ETB and Company time flown on days off be paid above guarantee.
The Company believes otherwise. The Company believes it is in their best interest for every Reserve to come as close to the guarantee as possible without exceeding it. While that may make financial sense for the Company, it makes no sense to the JNC. Our Reserves deserve a system that balances the needs of the Company without putting Reserves into bankruptcy or driving them to the brink of exhaustion.

This is going to be a difficult fight but we are certainly prepared to take it on.

In Solidarity,

- The Joint Negotiations Committee -

Mike Flores - MEC President US Airways
Gary Richardson - MEC President America West Airlines
Carol Austin - AFA US Airways Negotiations Representative
Nicki Kirkeby - AFA America West Negotiations Representative

 

[YVINTERN]

Not to be off topic but whats up w/ PIT/PHL/CLT BULL? Couldn't you be more original?

 

[EMBFA]

Is this the assigned flight attendant post of the week or whatever...? I'm not sure where to post my opinion of that crap reserve system proposal.

2 hour call-out? THAT'S what the JNC proposed? Wow, thanks for the extra half hour to negotiate 95, the Beltway, the Big Dig, or the Queens Midtown Tunnel! Listen, how about getting some actual reserves on the negotiating committee. This is no Greensboro in 1972 you morons, it takes more than two hours to get from ANYWHERE, through security in these cities. You must be joking.

3 hours pay to sit at the airport for anything more than 3 hours you can p!ss off with too.

And tagging? I don't think so. No tag, no Duck Duck Goose, no Golden Hot Potato or whatever the hell nonsense they put up with ut there.

They better do MUCH better than this. Know your audience.

 

[beachboy]

I made the mistake of posting the eline this afternoon and was scolded by Lord and Lady Moderator for posting something "union" without permission. It was rather degrading but hey, it is what it is a? If it were not for the USAirways group, this Board would be Hasta mañana. Mucho Siesta Comprende.

 

[Travelpro72]

I'll agree with that beachboy. If they sent everyone to the freakin cornfield here there would BE no usaviation. you can count on your two hands how many are on any other airline forum TOTAL. Please. You can post here....you can't post there. whatever.

 

[FlightChic]

Every survey we have answered, every meeting we have attended, every email we have to sent to MF, and every phone call we have made has fallen on deaf ears! Our negotiating committee has absolutely no clue what we go through nor do they care. :down: :down: :down: I predict a big fat NO coming from me!

 

[galley princess]

I must say, I like MF, I think he does a great big thankless job, but this is a big ole egg bomb as far as I can see.

You gotta REINVENT the damn wheel MF, not just patch it up. The damn thing is BROKEN, and you know it's a cause for discord that we do not need in the face of these nightmare accountants.

It's an intractable situation, but this is not good enough folks. Not acceptable.

The company needs to understand that it has to PAY people for their time. On or off the airplane. When the blazes did it become acceptable for me to work for free?

This is going to go to 2011, no doubt.