Why Did They Come Back?

[atlantis]

thanks very much k.t. flyhome!

 

[2clippedwings]

Can someone tell me where to find this b/c I need to read it thanks

Here you go!




AFA US Airways MEC E-Line for December 31, 2003

In this E-Line
MidAtlantic Hiring
Accessing The Hub
AFA Local Numbers

MidAtlantic Hiring

Attn: US Airways Involuntary Furloughed Flight Attendants

First Round MDA Bid Closes 1/12/04. Bid currently open to those being furloughed 1/15/04. (As more hiring is scheduled the bid will open in seniority order to others that are furloughed). This letter and bid form are being mailed to your home. You will not lose seniority for bidding purposes if you pass in the first round.

You should also be aware the Company's position is to offset MDA wages by your furlough pay. In other words, the Company's intention is you won't receive both MDA wages and furlough pay. AFA strongly disagrees with this decision and continues discussion with the Company. Please keep this in mind when bidding for the first several classes of MDA. You may very well want to pass until your furlough pay is paid out.

Please also consider cashing out your mainline vacation. This is your only opportunity to do so and if you do not return to mainline you will never receive your vacation pay. The downside to this would be if you do return to mainline you won't have any vacation time until you have earned more.

The MidAtlantic Division will soon be hiring in the Pittsburgh, PA area for Flight Attendants. Because you are being involuntarily furloughed from US Airways mainline, you have an opportunity for employment with MidAtlantic. (MDA Training Request Form HERE)

The first classes at MidAtlantic are scheduled during the week of February 2, 2004 and will be for 48 new hires. These Flight Attendants will be used for the certification process (mini evacs, proving runs, etc.) prior to service flying. Future classes (dates are not finalized) are planned for 2004 and will be based on our anticipated aircraft delivery schedule. You have three choices at this point and depending on whether you can hold a choice based on your seniority will determine what you will be awarded:

You may elect to bid for the February 2nd classes or other potential classes in March through May (Round 1); (MDA Training Request Form HERE)


You may elect to be passed in Round 1 for a potential opportunity in Round 2 (June-August time period) [Note: If you pass Round 1 and Round 2, you will not be considered for any additional MidAtlantic training classes. Furthermore, failure to bid in Round 1 will result in your first pass.]


You may elect to be permanently passed for potential opportunities at MidAtlantic and remain involuntarily furloughed and available for recall to mainline only.

A bid form is being mailed for your use to indicate your intent. Positions will be offered in seniority order. Failure to bid by the deadline of NOON EST on January 12, 2004 will indicate your intent to pass.

Individuals who bid and are awarded MidAtlantic positions will receive an opportunity to accept a Flight Attendant opening based on their flight attendant seniority. If however, an individual passes on a MidAtlantic opportunity, it will not affect his/her recall rights to mainline. Successful candidates will be contacted by telephone. If your telephone number or address information changes from what Inflight Services has currently, please ensure you update this information immediately. Successful candidates will also receive a MidAtlantic new hire packet after notification.

Those accepting employment at MidAtlantic will:

Be held to a 6 month commitment and 4 month freeze at MidAtlantic.* (This issue is disputed by AFA and still in discussion).


Be pay-protected if held during the freeze period for replacement training purposes at MidAtlantic.


Use their current US Airways travel date for travel purposes.


Have their US Airways sick bank frozen for use upon return to mainline.


Have their US Airways vacation bank frozen, if applicable, for use upon return to mainline.


Begin to accrue both sick and vacation on the first day of class. This will be for use while at MidAtlantic and will not be carried back for use at mainline.


Not be subject to new hire probation at MidAtlantic.


Be entitled to MidAtlantic medical and dental benefits through the MidAtlantic Company Benefit Plan after completing a waiting period of the first six months of employment at MidAtlantic. If an employee has medical and dental benefits available to him/her as a furloughee either through COBRA or as part of his/her furlough benefits at mainline, he/she may elect to continue those benefits for the waiting period. Furthermore, a 100% buy-up (full cost to employee) for medical and dental benefits will be available during the waiting period and US Airways will notify employees of the availability date for the buy-up within four weeks.* (This issue is disputed by AFA and still in discussion).


Bring to MidAtlantic his/her mainline competitive bidding seniority. This seniority relative to other US Airways flight attendants will not be affected.


Receive longevity at MidAtlantic for pay purposes only. See 2004 rates below.

Step
2004

1st 6 Months
$17.67

2nd 6 Months
17.67

2nd Year
17.67

3
17.67

4
17.67

5
19.12

6
20.40

7
21.28

8
23.03

9
23.90

10
24.76

11
25.63

12
26.49

13
28.23


Be covered under the American Eagle working agreement unless negotiated differently by the Company and AFA.

*The Company and AFA continue to have discussions on MidAtlantic issues. Agreements have not yet been reached on the commitment period, the freeze period or benefits. In the interim, the Company will implement the commitment, freeze period and benefit provisions described elsewhere in this document.

We urge you to quickly return the bid form indicating your MidAtlantic preference(s). (MDA Training Request Form HERE)


<><><><><>

 

[PITbull]

Could not find on afa site --is it hidden somewhere in there thanks

Atlantis,

There was posted in January an article for those Jan. 15 furloughees that had opted to go to MAA. Those f/as never ended up going because their furloughs were rescinded from a arbitration ruling that was won by AFA.

What was posted was some of the known benefits on MAA. Was in no way all inclusive because at the time, it was not known by AFA for managment.

The AFA MAA committee is still working out "flow through" and some improvements to the contract that is not completely concluded. Some items can still be negotiated we believe.


At this time, AFA can not put out all the terms as they are still being negotiated. Only what is known is out there. The medical piece on when f/as are covered is being disputed. Uniforms, cleaning a/c, scheduled rest periods are still being discussed along with many other items that are not in the Amer. Eagle contract.

Some of the items that will go into the MAA contract is language of Mainline contract.

The fact is many of the current MAA f/as don't have everything in front of them, so they don't yet know.

 

[ktflyhome]

Pitbull: this is such a joke and I really feel sorry for those people who have opted for this kind of living. No one should ever take on a job that they don't have a clue from management or union as to what the hell is going on. If such a person does, I have no sympathy. This is utter absurdity at best.

 

[ktflyhome]

Someone hires on for a job. "Great, what do I do"? Well, we don't know yet. "Ok, when do I start?" Well, we don't know yet. "Ok, what is my pay'? Well, we don't know yet. "OK, what are my benifits?". Well, we don't know yet. "What are my hours?". Well, we don't know yet.

Sounds like nobody knows anything. I have no sympathy for anyone going into this MAA farce. :angry:

 

[Air conditioned]

My goodness, after reading all of this I don't know what to think.

Up until this point I was seriously considering returning to MAA, but now I am not so sure. I know we have to make our own decisions about what is right for us as individuals. But those of us on the outside right now can ONLY go by what those of you on the inside have to report. I guess I have to ask: is MAA really that big of a mess? And if so, what does the future look like for the employees there?

Everyone that has posted on this topic is very credible, and I trust their opinions. But there seems to be a split right down the middle. Lots of negativity, that's for sure. I really do wonder now what the right thing is for me to do. I don't like feeling this way. I really had my hopes up. :unsure:

 

[PITbull]

Pitbull: this is such a joke and I really feel sorry for those people who have opted for this kind of living. No one should ever take on a job that they don't have a clue from management or union as to what the hell is going on. If such a person does, I have no sympathy. This is utter absurdity at best.

kt,

But yet, mainline flight attendants voted in a "reserve system" with no concrete written language that had yet to be worked out. It states that it was a "frame work". PIT Pres. wrote out in the winter concession correspondence to the PIT f/as that how could anyone vote on language that did not exist.

But, it got ratified as a majority.

There you go.

 

[lindy]

I think you are now catching on to what the PIT Pres is about.

If no improvements are made week of the 19th, then the media will know the facts; not the interviews of f/as.

It will be up to the company to prove the other side; their side. Perhaps you can be interviewed for that piece. :angry:

If I am "catching on" to the intentions of the PIT president, let me take it a few steps forward.

AFA and the Company have been in MAA contract negotiations for some time. The PIT president is getting frustrated at the slow pace. MAA starts operation at the beginning of April. No contract resolution is in sight. The PIT president becomes aware of the frustration of several flight attendants who plan on quitting. The PIT president sees this as a perfect opportunity to embarass the Company into expediting the negotiations. However, the president needs to keep these F/A's onboard so that when the president goes before the media, they can be used as examples of the shameless behavior being exhibited by the Company. Thus, under the guise of being maternalistic and concerned about the potential loss of unemployment should they quit, these F/A's have actually become pawns to be used against the Company.

Jerry Glass must be in awe of what the Pit president is attempting to do to force the Company to capitulate. Don't worry about the human element, just win.

 

[Twicebaked]

The fact is many of the current MAA f/as don't have everything in front of them, so they don't yet know.

Exactly!
Many F/As opted to pass the first round for that very reason. They would not come on until they knew exatly what was going on.

The information that was out there and "settled" was known to the F/As. They took a chance going to MAA not knowing the rest. It WAS their choice.

Things are NOT bad for everyone at MAA.

The unions need to do what they need to do, but not bring all the flight attendants into the "mess".

I am trying to get those who have no problems to come on these boards and give their interpretation of what is going on....we will see.

 

[TheLarkAscending]

Jerry Glass must be in awe of what the Pit president is attempting to do to force the Company to capitulate. Don't worry about the human element, just win.

Actually, after reading your synopsis of how your interpretive fantasy unfolds, Mr. Glass may very well be in awe of you! I believe you may have found a whole new career: political spinmistress!

I have no idea who PITbull is, but it is curious that the majority of your posts focus on this one poster -- is this a personal issue, perhaps?

 

[cavalier]

lindy


It's obvious what side of the fence you are on with your blatant hatred for the afa pit president.

I say take any and all advantage you possibly can when dealing with a management team that has perfected prevarication, just like they do taking total advantage of the employees since coming on board.

I guess you want labor leaders to do their job with their hands tied behind their back so management can eviscerate us alive. It's truly amazing there are people in labor that think like this, unless there is some personal grudge or other reason we don't see here, and I’m sure there is.

 

[ktflyhome]

I will say this. This Pit AFA President has done more to inform and work for the F/A's than any other Local Pres. I can remember. The fligh attendants out on the line know this. There is more communication about things then ever before. At least for a change the F/A's know who the President EVEN is.

All one has to do is walk into the Pit Crew Room and there is information all over the place as to what is going on. When there is information on anything that can be pertinant and informative to the F/A's it can be found in the Crew Room. We are not kept in the dark by Teddy.

 

[PITbull]

Your scenerio is much better than planned...thanx for the ideas and advice, think i'll pass the advice to her....

 

[usairfa05]

I would like to reply to those who are speculating on the return of my friends and classmates to Mid Atalntic. I was furloughed 01 Sept 2003 and went to my new job that same day making more than I was at Mainline. I miss the job of being a Flight Attendant that is why I am seeking jobs at other airlines. I didn't take my current job because I wanted to work at it the rest of my life but because the pay is good and I have to pay bills. I was offered a job at Mid Atlantic but I decided to stay in my current job until it was up and running and they obtained more aircraft. Now for those who went to Mid Atlantic it was their choice to live in a crash pad in PIT. We had done it the entire summer in LGA and made zero money there. We were paying the airline to retain our jobs in LGA. We all came out with great losses in our paychecks having to keep our homes and a crash pad in NYC. With that in mind most of us figured it could not hurt to go to PIT and try out a job that we love to do. For the three months that we were flying in LGA the customers responded very positive to us stating that they had not seen a more energetic group than the displaced F/A's. We are not wroking at US AIrways for the money no of us have broken over 25,000 and we are still on B' scale. We work at US Airways because we love the job and the customers we serve. As of this month I have two airlines offering me a flight attendant job with them. While it's not the airline I want to be with it is a job that I love to do.

 

[Air conditioned]

usair05,
So, you did not go to MAA but you are currently working at another job and have been offered two different f/a positions with two other carriers? With all due respect, I am not sure what you are saying. Are you going to go to MAA when they "are settled" or are you going to accept a position with one of the other two places that is "not the airline" you want to be with?

I certainly can appreciate and understand your pride in what you do and what you love. I feel the same way, as do many others. That would be the only reason I would return to MAA--the love of the job and the adventures it can offer.

For everyone else,
I am just wondering... what sort of issues will be resolved on the 19th of April? Is it just the medical/dental plan or are there many other issues up for discussion?

PIT bull, what are your thoughts especially?