20 Active Involuntary Furloughs To Be Recinded

[USAirBoyA330]

Well....isn't this just cozy? The company sent out an email to all F/A's today stating that "Vacation Flyback" will be offered to ALL bases for OCT. For those that don't know what that means it basically says you can fly through your vacation and get paid your vacation and whatever you fly over it.
Excuse me but they are furloughing and displacing people for OCT out of the same bases they are now claiming to be "understaffed" in? Something is not right and the smell is getting stronger.
:down: :angry: :down:

 

[Light Years]

Vacation flyback. What a load of bull****. Call us back.

Well, seeing as this IS an internet message board designed for rumour and speculation, anyone have any specific guesses? Perhaps we should start a new topic called "Whats Up- your guess." I'm sure someone would nail it.

 

[F/AinDay]

Vacation Flyback?? I sure hope our flight attendants don't sign up for it. However, I'm sure many willl.

 

[USAirBoyA330]

AFA needs to step up to the plate and publish ANYONE who applies for Vacation Flyback in an E-line and embarrass them. Any F/A who takes this should be ashamed. I don't know how this could be allowed in the first place but, then again your only as good as what you negotiate.

 

[USA320Pilot]

DCAFlyer said: "I'm sure there are reasons why Siegel hasn't gotten back to PA on their proposal, and I would venture to say that there may be opportunities westward and that U may need PIT even less than it does now. If something in terms of a corporate transaction does occur, whether we are the surviving entity or not, it doesn't look good for PIT."

Chip comments: DCAFlyer, your comments hit the bullseye. PIT is likely being held hostage to other potential opportunities, however, if PIT can lower their passenger operating fees to an acceptable level, which services the airport debt, then you could see PIT survive similar in fashion to CVG. The hub could have a total of 500 US Network flights with about 135 to 150 mainline flights per day. If this occurs, mainline staffing could remain about at present levels.

I believe it's important to note that the US chairman of the board has the money to buy assets, but the airline itself probably does not.

However, I strongly believe something is brewing on the corporate transaction front and we could know in a couple of months so the January 5 schedule can be loaded into Sabre.

Best regards,

Chip

 

[PITbull]

The Pittsburgh AFA President just sent an e-line out to the PIT flight attendants regarding no consideration for vacation fly back for October. Also, she wrote a letter to management for them to consider TDY instead of displacements as many of the f/as who called her are very upset that they had just been displaced to PHL in June only to be displaced again to LGA for September, endure all the expense of trying to move to another base AGAIN, and then OUT the door they go on an INVOLUNTARY furlough in December. If the company offers TDY instead, it will help these f/as who needto be in base and they won't have to shell out the money to move. This will at least insure coverage for the holiday months and give the junior f/as enough monetary incentive on the TDY to fly, while knowing they will lose their jobs in December if management continues to refuse another voluntary furlough.

This management is nothing short of disappointing at this point, so I am hoping they will change their minds and prove me wrong.

 

[F/AinDay]

Pitbull,

How can management not offer another round of voluntary furloughs in December after loosing the grievance filed by AFA? Am I missing something here? If I remember correctly, it was more of a timing issue with the involuntary furlough. But didn't the arbitrator rule that U MUST offer voluntary furloughs to coincide with involuntary?

 

[PITbull]

You stated above "after losing the grievance", I think you meant to say after MANAGEMENT LOST the grieveance and AFA won.

The grievance won was that the company MUST offer VISP before any Involuntary furlough occurs. We didn't file a grievance on the Voluntary furlough as it was not an issue then. IT IS NOW.

 

[F/AinDay]

Ahhhh... Ok!! Thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

[TheWatcher]

However, I strongly believe something is brewing on the corporate transaction front and we could know in a couple of months so the January 5 schedule can be loaded into Sabre.

Best regards,

Chip

Only when hogs become kosher.

 

[LavMan]

Chip when are you gonna give up on the ICT or UCT which ever one you want to call it? You have been saying this over and over for almost a year and nothing has happened, isn't time to give up all ready?

 

[LavMan]

Bob, back to name calling?

Well you know what if George Washington and Paul Revere had your attitude we would still be under British rule, heaven forbid someone stand up against the tyranny that Dave and his band of thieves are wreaking upon US' Employees.

 

[F/A Betty]

Getting back to the issue of flight attendants....

I agree, PITbull. The most junior flight attendants caught up in this latest furlough reversal are really being beat down financially and psychologically. You're furloughed...you're unfurloughed...now move to a new base to sit on reserve at the bottom of the list and make minimum....news flash!....you're furloughed again...nope, sorry, our mistake, you're saved!, but only for a few months...now move again on an empty bank account and sit and wait and until we tell you you are "really" furloughed and broke!

I can only imagine what the bottom reserves are gonna go through in the next few weeks. Terrible.

How exactly did we give up our displacement expense provisions? And how is the company justifying NOT offering another voluntary?

 

[USAirBoyA330]

After 9/11 when the company was commencing the 1st round of furloughs, AFA agreed to give up moving expenses for displaced F/A's in exchange for an "Enhanced Vol. Furlough Program." So VF1 and VF2 had increments of 6 months up to 3 years and had at least 1-2 years of medical. A huge amount of people took these 2 programs.
So that brings up to the situation we are in now. The company is saying it has no intention offering another VF because the people returning in DEC are not really "new" furloughs...they are just returning from a furlough. In other words they are trying to play word games and I can tell you that no arbitrator in their right mind would let them get away with it. The contract language is clear.
Second, AFA filed a grievance for VF3,4,5,6 and 7 stating that they did not offer the "enhanced VF" in accordance with AFA giving up displacement expenses. The company is having their cake and trying to eat it too. I can't wait for the ruling on this and I hope the arbitrator tells the company not only do they have to offer a VF8 before they furlough in DEC but they also must offer medical and better time duration's. You see, the term "enhanced" is a vague word but the company itself set the precedence for "Enhanced VF Program" when they offered VF1 and VF2 with medical. Also the arbitrator told the company in a previous ruling in July that they violated the contract by not offering and VSIP in June and if they did something like that again he would fine them and they might have to pay restitution.
So let them dance and dig themselves a bigger hole but, your right. This whole thing sucks for the JR people and I BEG my flying partners NOT to opt for this Vacating Flyback. It's wrong.
PitBull: I think most of this is correct but let me know if I missed something.

 

[AM49AAA]

It kind of makes you long for the days when Rakesh offered a 33% for everybody and no furloughs post 9/11. It make you wonder how things would be different now?