IAM Fleet Service topic

[wings396]

Yes, only at the hubs. These very jobs are the ones that were kept in exchange for the 20+ stations that were outsourced in 2005. I have been told that the people in catering at that time could have still retained jobs within their stations had catering gone away.

 

[700UW]

Yep, it was the PHL delegation for the Fleet NC that screwed you all over about catering jobs.

 

[T5towbar]

I don't think so.....
Other than SWA, I think that US is the only other carrier that still does their own.

PMCO still does it's own catering with Chelsea. Gate Gourmet does PMUA aircraft.
But from what I'm hearing, UA wants to sell Chelsea to Gate Gourmet, and those employees at the Chelsea locations will be folded into Gate. They will sell it (probably) to reduce employee benefit costs. Plus Chelsea employees can fly like regular PMCO employees.


BTW: M/L airline cargo employees may be a thing of the past, cause they are all under assualt. Too much money (more bonuses for the execs) to pay out benefited M/L employees, where it all could be farmed out to the lowest bidder.

It's good to be an airline employee these days.............yeah right.

 

[wings396]

Yep, it was the PHL delegation for the Fleet NC that screwed you all over about catering jobs.

Can I assume that you are being serious here?
I say this only because I have been told this be several credible sources. They were given a target cost cutting amount, and several options to achieve it. Stations could have been saved, and most of those in catering could have had ramp jobs in their current stations.

 

[700UW]

I am dead serious, I was there for M&R remember?

Armedio and the boys, wanted to save PHL Catering, so the small stations got screwed.

 

[ChockJockey]

Yes, only at the hubs.

Only at the East hubs. SkyChefs caters PHX.

 

[wings396]

Thanks 700, as I said others have said the same....

 

[ograc]

I am dead serious, I was there for M&R remember?

Armedio and the boys, wanted to save PHL Catering, so the small stations got screwed.

700UW,
At the time wasn't US after catering jobs inclusive of PHL, CLT & PIT? I'm not sure how many catering positions this would have affected but the combined total I'm sure was huge. Any insight?
ograc

 

[700UW]

The company wanted to outsource all catering and absorb the jobs on the ramp, the PHL delegation wanted no part of it. I dont know how many jobs it entailed, but it would have saved the smaller stations.

I believe it was CLT, PHL, PIT, DCA and LGA at the time.

Edit: US wanted to outsource "catering" in exchange to absorb the jobs on the ramp.

 

[robbedagain]

bwi and dca have own catering lsg skychef prepares the food for US in baltimore

 

[ograc]

Can I assume that you are being serious here?
I say this only because I have been told this be several credible sources. They were given a target cost cutting amount, and several options to achieve it. Stations could have been saved, and most of those in catering could have had ramp jobs in their current stations.

wings396,
It is true each union was given a target cost cutting amount and options to achieve it. This is the exact situation the labor unions at AA find themselves in now. The sad reality of the bankruptcty process is it puts unions in a bad position to make tough choices. To any labor organization none of the options are good when you're in bankruptcy negotiations. If you want to call it negotiations... IMO it's more like negotiating with a gun to your head.

 

[wings396]

700UW,
At the time wasn't US after catering jobs inclusive of PHL, CLT & PIT? I'm not sure how many catering positions this would have affected but the combined total I'm sure was huge. Any insight?
ograc

I know that the total jobs lost in the outsourced stations was in the area of 600. It is sad to think that those in the outstations were sacrificed in order to prevent the catering people in the hubs from moving to the ramp. I'm sure catering is a nice job, but had they been more focused on the overall good of the membership, nobody would have had to commute or relocate.
PIT catering will be gone soon, and who knows if the others will be around for the long term. With US being one of the few that have their own catering, I would think that the company will look to eliminate them at some point.

 

[niblet]

I know that the total jobs lost in the outsourced stations was in the area of 600. It is sad to think that those in the outstations were sacrificed in order to prevent the catering people in the hubs from moving to the ramp. I'm sure catering is a nice job, but had they been more focused on the overall good of the membership, nobody would have had to commute or relocate.
PIT catering will be gone soon, and who knows if the others will be around for the long term. With US being one of the few that have their own catering, I would think that the company will look to eliminate them at some point.

FLL had catering, air frieght and mail until 2006. Catering went to sky chef and mail/ frieght went to Jet Stream. Now its Cargo Services. We here on the ramp are required to take ice up the jetways so save th 75 dollar service fee from catering. First they contract it out then to save money they filter the work back in without it being called catering. This ice deal just started about a year ago.

 

[ograc]

I know that the total jobs lost in the outsourced stations was in the area of 600. It is sad to think that those in the outstations were sacrificed in order to prevent the catering people in the hubs from moving to the ramp. I'm sure catering is a nice job, but had they been more focused on the overall good of the membership, nobody would have had to commute or relocate.
PIT catering will be gone soon, and who knows if the others will be around for the long term. With US being one of the few that have their own catering, I would think that the company will look to eliminate them at some point.

wings396,
I did my first 19 years in PIT. For the past 13 I have been in an outline station that thankfully has survived. I have seen this issue from both sides. Mind sets of employees working in the hubs vs. outline stations. Job loss is devestating regardless of where an employee works when it occurs. IMO... it is important to remember that had catering jobs been given up, even though those affected in catering could have bumped back to the ramp with their seniority, in the end the junior employees on the ramp would have suffered the job loss. With both senarios, outline stations vs. catering in the hubs, the end result was going to be job loss in order to reach the targeted cost savings. IMO... sparing the job loss in the hubs secured the eventual ratification of the "Final Offer" of the company. That's not to say I personally agree with the strategy. In the end we were faced with the same choice the labor organizations at AA are currently facing. Ratify the terms of the final offer or subject your members to the consequences of contract abrogation by the bankruptcy judge. Additionally, I agree PIT catering along with PHL and CLT will be the target of the company again in future contract negotiations. Both sides are running out of outline stations to sacrifice.
ograc

 

[wings396]

I understand where you are coming from, and realize that there would have been jobs lost either way. As you know, most of the employees in the outstations have/had high seniority. The way that this deal went down, they lost their jobs while some very junior people in the hubs kept theirs. It is my feeling that the bottom people should have been the ones furloughed instead of those with much more time. I do believe that some of the IAM leadership at that time preferred to shed those in the outstations with high seniority, and created the infamous 60 day rule to ensure so. I have heard this referred to as "Seniority Cleansing".....
Get rid of these guys, and make sure they don't start showing up in "our" station......