AFA Negotiations

[beachboy]

Can someone cue Tina Turner? "Big Wheel Keep On Turnin, Proud Mary Keeps on Burning"
I mean if they are this stupid just hand your card over the table. Here is my office, home, cell and email. When your serious about this crap Tempe let us know. Until then f off you're insulting our members intelligence.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Accessing The Hub
AFA Local Numbers

Dear Member,

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and the Company met in session December 18-20 in Phoenix. The Company and the JNC traded proposals in the following sections:

Sick
Vacation
OJI
No agreements were reached in the above sections. At this point in negotiations, the Company is still unwilling to return Sick pay to 100% pay/credit and continues to propose the inferior East vacation accrual chart. The JNC is continuing to insist that a single agreement that does include 100% pay/credit for Sick leave is unacceptable. The JNC is also not interested in the Company's proposal to erode the higher West vacation day award per year of service by replacing it with the concessionary East agreement vacation language.

The JNC also began discussions with the Company regarding the Reserve section. The committee made it very clear to the Company that the Reserve systems currently in place, both East and West, are woefully inadequate.

Both systems force Reserves to work under onerous conditions, making it impossible to earn a living or enjoy a decent quality of life. A Reserve system that meets these two criteria will be the only way for the JNC to address the concerns expressed by so many Reserves.

The current LTO system treats everyone the same-badly. Although not illegal, being on call 24 hours a day can push Reserves to the brink of exhaustion. Forced to work on their days off in order to earn a living, Reserves are either on call or flying almost every day of the month.

Currently, East Flight Attendants have two choices- work their days off to earn a living or take their days off to be with their families (and then not be able to pay their bills). That "choice" must be eliminated and a system put in place that recognizes the dedication of our Reserve members to their careers and this Company.

The list of Reserve concerns is almost endless and the JNC intends to make the Company aware of the problems associated with being on Reserve and negotiate meaningful solutions. To date, the Company has been very reluctant and not obligated to address the Reserve system in its totality outside of single agreement negotiations. The time has now come for the Company to get serious and address the Reserve system and its effect on our Reserve members.

The Company and the JNC will meet next on January 15-17 in Phoenix.


Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA

 

[jbragg476]

the reserves should figure out how to send a clear message to tempe. Dont know how, but we should. This system is BS. I dont care if being on duty 24/7 is legal... time to be fatigued!
This past week probably should have been worse, but who stepped up as al;ways---RESERVES
Anyone see any BH give up a day off to come in and help? I'll give the props to the supervisors who where FORCED to suit up. But hey.. they did what they were supposed to do.

Tell Tempe we're not gonna take a #### contract.

 

[FlightChic]

the reserves should figure out how to send a clear message to tempe. Dont know how, but we should. This system is BS. I dont care if being on duty 24/7 is legal... time to be fatigued!
This past week probably should have been worse, but who stepped up as al;ways---RESERVES
Anyone see any BH give up a day off to come in and help? I'll give the props to the supervisors who where FORCED to suit up. But hey.. they did what they were supposed to do.

Tell Tempe we're not gonna take a #### contract.

That's precisely why we all need to go to Tempe to visit Doug! I'll walk into his office I don't care. We need to all attend the next Town Hall meeting in CLT and get our voices heard! Also, flooding mgmt with emails and phone calls wouldn't hurt either. Maybe we could create a form letter to send to all the reserves just to make it easy and they can just fill in their name and anything else they would like to add. This is total BS!

 

[dexter]

What about FMLA ?

 

[FlyGuyBWI]

WOW - Now that we have 30 year reserves in PIT ( if only for a month) all thier friends on the MEC and JNC are taking note of reserve issues! What a shocker!

What if the East members of the JNC committed to learn about our reserve system by bidding and working a month of RSV, at their own seniority, in their own base -- with no AFA flight pay loss? It won't happen, they'd never do it, but it would be nice "walk in my shoes" gesture.

 

[ganesha]

Can someone cue Tina Turner? "Big Wheel Keep On Turnin, Proud Mary Keeps on Burning"
I mean if they are this stupid just hand your card over the table. Here is my office, home, cell and email. When your serious about this crap Tempe let us know. Until then f off you're insulting our members intelligence.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Accessing The Hub
AFA Local Numbers

Dear Member,

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and the Company met in session December 18-20 in Phoenix. The Company and the JNC traded proposals in the following sections:

Sick
Vacation
OJI
No agreements were reached in the above sections. At this point in negotiations, the Company is still unwilling to return Sick pay to 100% pay/credit and continues to propose the inferior East vacation accrual chart. The JNC is continuing to insist that a single agreement that does include 100% pay/credit for Sick leave is unacceptable. The JNC is also not interested in the Company's proposal to erode the higher West vacation day award per year of service by replacing it with the concessionary East agreement vacation language.

The JNC also began discussions with the Company regarding the Reserve section. The committee made it very clear to the Company that the Reserve systems currently in place, both East and West, are woefully inadequate.

Both systems force Reserves to work under onerous conditions, making it impossible to earn a living or enjoy a decent quality of life. A Reserve system that meets these two criteria will be the only way for the JNC to address the concerns expressed by so many Reserves.

The current LTO system treats everyone the same-badly. Although not illegal, being on call 24 hours a day can push Reserves to the brink of exhaustion. Forced to work on their days off in order to earn a living, Reserves are either on call or flying almost every day of the month.

Currently, East Flight Attendants have two choices- work their days off to earn a living or take their days off to be with their families (and then not be able to pay their bills). That "choice" must be eliminated and a system put in place that recognizes the dedication of our Reserve members to their careers and this Company.

The list of Reserve concerns is almost endless and the JNC intends to make the Company aware of the problems associated with being on Reserve and negotiate meaningful solutions. To date, the Company has been very reluctant and not obligated to address the Reserve system in its totality outside of single agreement negotiations. The time has now come for the Company to get serious and address the Reserve system and its effect on our Reserve members.

The Company and the JNC will meet next on January 15-17 in Phoenix.


Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA

Don't you realize, Tempe is waiting for USA to NOT show a profit, with the fuel prices being so high, this may be the year that we start LOSING money. This is exactly what they want. Why would they settle a contract with record breaking profit!!? They are waiting til we lose money then they will cry, "we don't have the money".

The ONLY way we are going to get better rules is to change the FAA regulations, duty time limit, minimum overnights and RSV on call 24/7. I am ready to start to fight for this, and all flight attendants, RSV and Blockholders should jump on the band wagon and rally to change the FAA regulations. This is the only way the company won't treat us like #### and they won't be able too.

 

[flightattend21]

Don't you realize, Tempe is waiting for USA to NOT show a profit, with the fuel prices being so high, this may be the year that we start LOSING money. This is exactly what they want. Why would they settle a contract with record breaking profit!!? They are waiting til we lose money then they will cry, "we don't have the money".

The ONLY way we are going to get better rules is to change the FAA regulations, duty time limit, minimum overnights and RSV on call 24/7. I am ready to start to fight for this, and all flight attendants, RSV and Blockholders should jump on the band wagon and rally to change the FAA regulations. This is the only way the company won't treat us like #### and they won't be able too.

the problem is not FAA it is our own union. FAA will go along with what the union agrees on. It was not the FAA who changed the ETB, it was the union who forced the company. Senior people thought why should reserves have any OT? (etb) the other MAJOR airlines have different rules such as 12 hours on duty, (pilots) have that. other MAJOR airlines have pay credit etb. other MAJOR airlines have rotating reserve so people can acutally have some kind of life. so you see it is not FAA it's our union who does not fight for us. Trust this if the senior heavy contract want something it is changed. example the 10 am to 9:45 so people could drop their island flights, 100 % deadheading only helps b/h. for us it was above guarantee so we lost money on that. but you can look at the contract and see who benefits - yet we get to pay union dues same as the overflyers nice huh?

 

[FlightChic]

the problem is not FAA it is our own union. FAA will go along with what the union agrees on. It was not the FAA who changed the ETB, it was the union who forced the company. Senior people thought why should reserves have any OT? (etb) the other MAJOR airlines have different rules such as 12 hours on duty, (pilots) have that. other MAJOR airlines have pay credit etb. other MAJOR airlines have rotating reserve so people can acutally have some kind of life. so you see it is not FAA it's our union who does not fight for us. Trust this if the senior heavy contract want something it is changed. example the 10 am to 9:45 so people could drop their island flights, 100 % deadheading only helps b/h. for us it was above guarantee so we lost money on that. but you can look at the contract and see who benefits - yet we get to pay union dues same as the overflyers nice huh?

You hit the nail on the head. This is precisely why we should SUE the union! I think I will write a letter to Pat Friend letting her know how unhappy I am with our union. We all should. They take our money and don't do a damm thing but misrepresent us junior f/as and protect the senior workforce.

 

[hack73]

Its easy , a one day sickout or vote to strike , have some guts !

 

[PHL]

Speaking of FA contracts....there is a rumor running around on the flyertalk board that the reason East aircraft don't have glassware is because the FAs(East) are contractually allowed to not use them. Any one care to elaborate(or put the rumor to rest)?

 

[rsv4ever]

Speaking of FA contracts....there is a rumor running around on the flyertalk board that the reason East aircraft don't have glassware is because the FAs(East) are contractually allowed to not use them. Any one care to elaborate(or put the rumor to rest)?

im on the east... and have NEVER, EVER heard this. i heard that it's because it's too expensive for our cheap airline. ... but i did hear the west was getting rid of glassware

 

[BobbyBuckInAtlanta]

Speaking of FA contracts....there is a rumor running around on the flyertalk board that the reason East aircraft don't have glassware is because the FAs(East) are contractually allowed to not use them. Any one care to elaborate(or put the rumor to rest)?

Are you kidding me??? Trust me when i tell you that there is nothing in the EAST Consessionary conrtact stating that. There are two very valid reasons why we do'nt have the glass ware. 1st and foremost, would be cost. The cheap a$$es in tempe have'nt allocated the money for it. 2nd The idiot pencil pusher in Tempe who decided he could squeeze a nickle out of a penney by reconfiguring our aircraft and removing not only valuable closey space, but GD Galley's for Christ sake! There's no F IN room to put a bag of chips yet alone glass ware. Prior to these nuckle heads in Tempe tyring to get creative, we had ample space to not only store pax coats and valet's in closets where they belong, not on some cheap a$$ bracket that may be there or not be there. But we had plenty of galley space for us to do our jobs right and catering had a place to put our supplies. I carry my contract with me, and there's nothing pertaining to that in the contract.

 

[AlleghenyVista]

It is so emabarrasing to serve wine in first class in that god awful plastic cup. I feel like im serving at a college frat party.

 

[galley princess]

UsAirways is a low cost carrier. Worry less about glassware and more about your lack of a contract. You work for AWA in US drag. It would have been easier if they had changed the name. They didn't. Tempe isn't worried about glassware, you shouldn't either.

 

[flightattend21]

WOW - Now that we have 30 year reserves in PIT ( if only for a month) all thier friends on the MEC and JNC are taking note of reserve issues! What a shocker!

What if the East members of the JNC committed to learn about our reserve system by bidding and working a month of RSV, at their own seniority, in their own base -- with no AFA flight pay loss? It won't happen, they'd never do it, but it would be nice "walk in my shoes" gesture.

Maybe now they will understand. MF stated they (pit) cannot live on 73 hours guarantee (so P.O. when he said that) funny how long have we told them that? I hope they put him on reserve for 3 months so he can understand