AFA labor discussion (Work related)

[SKY HIGH]

:

who's now?????????

In the years since the Alaska Airlines CHAOS strike, flight attendants at numerous other AFA carriers have used CHAOS or the threat of CHAOS to increase their bargaining leverage and win favorable contracts. America West,[7] AirTran and US Airways[8] all settled with AFA on the eve of, or a few minutes after, the end of a 30-day cooling-off period in the 1990s. The pressure created by the threat of CHAOS forced management at each of those airlines to settle on terms favorable to the flight attendants, without a single flight ever being struck. AFA flight attendants at Midwest Express (now Midwest Airlines), completed a cooling-off period without reaching agreement on a first contract in 2002. After three weeks of a CHAOS campaign, and on the eve of CHAOS strikes,[9] management again relented on the remaining issues and agreed to terms that were ratified by the flight attendants. United Airlines flight attendants used the threat of CHAOS to leverage their negotiations during the airline's bankruptcy,[10] succeeding in doubling the value of the replacement retirement plan management had proposed.

 

[Zarah]

Look at what is happening now with flight attendants getting letters as to WHY they didn't answer their phones on their overnight rest to be reassigned. REASSIGNED??????

Holding somebody on a leash to a hotel phone or cell phone once they start their trip is just unrealistic. Once you begin your trip; scheduling has tools available to them to reschedule you if they need too. Otherwise; they are S.O.L.

 

[Iheartflying]

Holding somebody on a leash to a hotel phone or cell phone once they start their trip is just unrealistic. Once you begin your trip; scheduling has tools available to them to reschedule you if they need too. Otherwise; they are S.O.L.

Is that a west thing? I've never heard of that happening on the EAST side. Also can we talk about the 200% increase of sick calls in CLT during the holidays??

 

[nick]

Is that a west thing? I've never heard of that happening on the EAST side. Also can we talk about the 200% increase of sick calls in CLT during the holidays??

YOU can talk about the increase in sick calls all you want. We have reserves who cannot make a livable wage while suffering with a pathetic quality of life. And everyone knows reserves here are not new hires nor are they in their 20''s. Many have children or grandchildren that they would like to spend an occasional Christmas with. After 11 years, I have had one holiday-Halloween off. Others have parents who may not be here next Christmas. You think they should give up their holiday to work for a company who has nothing but disdain for them.

And blockholders have sacrificed a great deal to keep this company solvent! I heard ridiculous amounts regarding the new contract bandied about from some blockholders who thought maybe finally the company would appreciate the sacrifices they have made. HA! I laughed out loud that management would release that proposed pay scale prior to the holidays. I am continually amazed at their stupidity. I knew that once again f/a's would sick out.

Having said that, I will tell you that I worked all of November and December. My children are grown and I can work around the holidays to see them. My parents are already deceased. BUT when I decide I have a more important priority than this company, I too will call in.

 

[Travelpro72]

Is this a west thing? Think about that question for a minute. Seriously, isn't EVERYTHING around here a "west thing"? This apparently is coming from some woman under Hector who apparently doesn't know the contract or cares to read it before sending out memo's. We are run by monkeys I'm tellin' ya.....bafoons. The mistakes, intimidation, scare tactics etc are through the roof. Keep pissing off your front line workers. Great job. 🙄

 

[usfliboi]

Unmitigated gall is an appropriate reaction to the most recent incredible re-interpretation of US' ever present inability to attract a merger partner.

It isn't the fact that AWA merged two struggling carriers and basically flushed the reputation of the newly formed company down the toilet and continues to do so.

No, it's those pesky F/As and their scope! That's what is preventing US from an attractive merger partner!

It couldn't be all of the customer unfriendly initiatives or the fact that they basically kissed off the frequent flyers and corporate contracts!

Sheesh.

I have started to come to the conclusion that no, we will never get a new contract from this management.

Guess what? I don't get what I want and neither do they.

I'll just sit on this and watch time run toward Section six. With its ridiculous compensation proposal there is no way that can be interpreted as negotiatng in good faith.



BTW, why is the AFA proposal unrealistic? It's basically industry standard with a minor raise. Just because US has tried to make you believe that F/As shouldn't be properly compensated doesn't mean that you should fall for it.

SWA makes $60/ hour.

United/Continental turned down $57, obviously they know what they're worth.

Take your Stockholm syndrome somewhere else. They're making billions, they can pay us.

You really should look at the facts.... No one including US or the rank and file are non profit.... If you want more profit sharing then you should be pushing for it in the new contract....

Better yet go out into the real world and see how you are treated in this job market and economy. Im all for a better contract....but not to the point of putting both the company and our jobs at risk two years down the road...

 

[ebwgs]

You really should look at the facts.... No one including US or the rank and file are non profit.... If you want more profit sharing then you should be pushing for it in the new contract....

Better yet go out into the real world and see how you are treated in this job market and economy. Im all for a better contract....but not to the point of putting both the company and our jobs at risk two years down the road...

If you're willing to allow the company to compromise our merger protections among others you will be putting our jobs at risk a few years down the road. JMHO

 

[Zarah]

Better yet go out into the real world and see how you are treated in this job market and economy. Im all for a better contract....but not to the point of putting both the company and our jobs at risk two years down the road...

You do not compare US Airways with McDonald's,Eaton Corp., or WaWa. You compare US Airways with Southwest, American, United, etc. The Scope in the FA contract is not going to break the company or cause it to go out of business, but giving up the Scope will certainly lead to the loss of jobs that will extend beyond the FA group. When we compare Apples to Apples we deserve a better contract then the garbage we are operating under now East and West. One group should not have to pay for this merger over the other. East, West, Blockholder, Reserve, we all deserve better.

It is my belief that the Union agreed to so many things that many feel were concessionary during the negotiations because they really thought they would be able to get a substantial wage increase for the FA group. They forgot who they were dealing with.

A balance needs to be struck between a livable wage and quality of life for the FA group. When the Company and Union stop messing around and create something that creates this balance the reward will be a group of FAs that are productive, happy, and in turn make the passengers happy and the company profitable. As long as they continue down this concessionary road they will continue to breed FAs who push customers away and are unproductive, and keep profits down.

 

[john john]

You really should look at the facts....

HP was a bottom feeder with wages and benefits and work rules and employee relations

 

[Onestep2flt]

It would seem that now is the time to start off on the right foot in the New Year. Seems you have a new Sheriff in town.

http://www.thestreet...=FREE&cm_ite=NA

After reading the article of her many "accomplishments" I wondered what her retirement package looked like. Wonder if she will be retiring under the terms of her airlines contract? I hardly think so, but would be nice to see publicly her retirement plan. Sure it is not as big as Mr. Parkers but I am also sure it is not what you will retire under by any means. Wonder if she ever considered flying one last trip?

Anyway, with a new person taking the helm it seems a fitting time to start an offensive on the issues we have discussed here a time or two. Do not let them have an opportunity to dig in and call for reinforcements. If it were me I would be starting a public offensive on the issue of your negotiating committee recall. All seems quiet at the moment. Guess everyone was celebrating too hard at the retirement party and of course the holidays.

 

[Travelpro72]

All seems very quiet indeed. Change is not always swift but change is coming with the Local 70 election in PHL along with the debacle in CLT. We are dealing with a management team who already thinks f/a's make more than they should so don't expect them to hand anything over without a fight. What we need now is a JNC who DEMANDS the industry average and BETTER. This management team has repeatedly drawn their line in the sand yet expects more and more from their f/a's. Dream on. 😉

 

[galley princess]

You really should look at the facts.... No one including US or the rank and file are non profit.... If you want more profit sharing then you should be pushing for it in the new contract....

Better yet go out into the real world and see how you are treated in this job market and economy. Im all for a better contract....but not to the point of putting both the company and our jobs at risk two years down the road...

I wish that employees would realize that negotiating IS business. US can certainly look out for its own interests, they don't need us doing it for them. We need to look out for OUR interests. Even if we did get that $62/ hour it still wouldn't make up for all of the concessions we took to keep this mess together.

US is profitable. We are chugging down to Section 6 and an eventual right to demonstrate in our interests. The two ARE GOING to COLLIDE, it is just a matter of time and how much pain they want to sustain. EVERY employee group will act according to their own leverage. Some have more than others.

The only one I am concerned with is F/A leverage.

I will not accept anything less than what I am due. If that means I wait for better leverage, then so be it, but no one is dumb enough to buy the company line. They pay themselves VERY WELL, so they can pay us.

Don't worry about US, it has demonstrated an uncanny ability to survive. Worry about your own bottom line, because they certainly aren't.

 

[crazylikefox]

You really should look at the facts.... No one including US or the rank and file are non profit.... If you want more profit sharing then you should be pushing for it in the new contract....

Better yet go out into the real world and see how you are treated in this job market and economy. Im all for a better contract....but not to the point of putting both the company and our jobs at risk two years down the road...

Newsflash, we did negotiate a profit sharing plan under (dare I say it) a bankruptcy contract. If I remember however, half of it was GIVEN away in a show of good faith. Well, my dear, I want it ALL back! My pay, vacation, profit sharing...ALL of it. And please don't tell me how to negotiate. Every business professional knows the key to the art of negotiation...compromise. If you think for one nanosecond that the company has remotely attempted to compromise or attempt to be anything other than a slumlord of sorts in their archaic approach to negotiation, you are sadly mistaken.
I might suggest some evening readings for you if you happen to pass a bookstore:
The Art of Negotiation
Robber baron's and the Rise of the Labor Movement in the 19th and 20th Centuries
How to Win Friends and Influence People...
And the beat goes on, da da da da da B)

 

[usfliboi]

I wish that employees would realize that negotiating IS business. US can certainly look out for its own interests, they don't need us doing it for them. We need to look out for OUR interests. Even if we did get that $62/ hour it still wouldn't make up for all of the concessions we took to keep this mess together.

US is profitable. We are chugging down to Section 6 and an eventual right to demonstrate in our interests. The two ARE GOING to COLLIDE, it is just a matter of time and how much pain they want to sustain. EVERY employee group will act according to their own leverage. Some have more than others.

The only one I am concerned with is F/A leverage.

I will not accept anything less than what I am due. If that means I wait for better leverage, then so be it, but no one is dumb enough to buy the company line. They pay themselves VERY WELL, so they can pay us.

Don't worry about US, it has demonstrated an uncanny ability to survive. Worry about your own bottom line, because they certainly aren't.

Wow.....I have heard this same scorn for 25 years.... US is only profitable for one reason.. Concessions in the last contract...Fast forward and lets get the old verbage and pay from the old contract and then some...add that up? See where we would be today? I am NOT saying we shouldnt get the best contract possible... Im saying CHILL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lets see what the terms are before we run our mouths.... You will never see what we had before..NEVER!!!!!!! I can see minor adjustments to our contract and maybe a significant per hour pay increase but thats it..... Get use to it my friend..You do have the option of looking elsewhere for employment...Trust me....It gets NO better.....

BTW No union group has leverage..If you believe that ...then we are all in trouble!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

BTW No union group has leverage..If you believe that ...then we are all in trouble!!!!!!!!!!

I believe when the time to CHAOS comes we will have lots of leverage, especially if someone wants a merger.

No acceptable contract means no merger and means no $$$cash out for management.

BTW, I think that management will be in trouble then.

Let's wait whatever time it takes to get an equitable contract.

Time is on our side when management wants a merger.

No contract no merger.