Afa Walk's Out On Us Airways Management

[Bear96]

We all make errors and typos, including me. It's just when the same one is made over and over ... every time ... with no end in sight ... that I had to say something.

You're right, it's petty. I tried to say it nicely. Yes in hindsight a PM would have been better.

Is that the only opinion I derived out of that post? No. I also saw what I usually see in your posts: someone who is trying their best to do the right thing for all F/As in very difficult circumstances, and stay above the fray by taking the high road, which I respect very much. I also think it is a bad thing for U F/As to be losing you in twenty days. I can't even imagine who could have done a better job for U F/As in navigating the minefield of the past couple of years.

But to be honest, a repeated mistake like the one in question is at least distracting, and (fairly or not) can take away from the overall message. That's the only reason I pointed it out.

 

[usairfa05]

I am curremtly furloughed from US East and have heard the rumor of a call back for US flight attendants to the US West side in PHX. I have been working and commuting to and from PHX for a year with another airline. While I am greatful to be called back to US Airways in any form; I am not willing to settle for a postion that rolls back my pay for my time at US AIrways. I went through training without any pay in PIT. I have sat in CLT and LGA working and saving to provide a life for me and my family. When I was displaced out of CLT to go to LGA for three months and then furloughed I did so knowing that I would come back sometime with my longevity intacted. I am not asking for anything than what is fair. The US West F/A's should recieve pay equal to US East. If called back and I have to go to PHX then I have no problem going to the bottom of the seniority list for that base. I do have a problem with not being paid for what I consider a recurrent training. When my class and those jr to me went back to LGA or Bos this year they were paid for training and recieved their longevity pay at the contract level. I want nothing more than what is in our contract. While we would be flying under Hp we are one company. I would also like to touch briefly on the matter of transfering to PHX. After furlough from US I only know of three people including myself that went out to PHX for a job. Of the three only one remains in PHX currently attending school. I have no desire to move out to PHX and will want to transfer back to the east ASAP. Every F/A attendant that I have spoken with who may be sent to PHX either has a house or family in CLT, PIT or PHL. We are not looking to move into or take anyones position out in PHX. I have spent the better part of my year in PHX trying to transfer back to the east coast. Believe me communting for 4 hours to get to work in PHX and flying all day is not appealing to any of us. The bottom line is we furloughed F/A's who want to work again with US Airways. We are not out to take a job from anyone nor do we want any special treatment. What we do want is our time of service with the company and pay that reflects it. We are not new hires we are professional Flight Attendants waiting for our return to work.

 

[firstamendment]

Boys and Girls,
Now is NOT the time to implode. Nothing would make management happier.
Bottom line? Dougie, get off your ass and negotiate a fair interim contract that puts us all at equal pay. People are human and there WILL be those that show their butts when they find out the person they are flying with is making more at the same senority.

Now fences. Folks, we are one company. It is not in the best interest...again because we are human...to pick and choose who has fences. It should be ALL or NONE..period. Fences limit the company's ability to adequately staff a base.

There is no example more fitting then the one someone brought up with regards to the transatlantic fence. Let me say I for one was completely AGAINST that and hated what it created...a little clicky utopian (or they thought) work group who snubbed their noses down to anyone that flew "domestic". If I heard one more fatass grandma say.."Oh I could never go to domestic." Meanwhile I promise you 75% of those regular ta f/a's have sleep and eatting disorders and the amt of f/a's touting around anti-anxiety and sleeping pills would make Judy Garland look like Betty White. They have become fatTER and crankiER. That kind of schedule will kill ya and has a few.

Having ranted about it, there is no room for this kind of stuff. What was suppose to save money and create a consistant service actually created a scheduling MESS that still leaves my head shaking. Because TA was FENCED off, if you ran out of f/a's, tough..you couldn't pull them off of domestic..even if it meant cancelling a flight to Europe when you had plenty available that were FENCED off on the domestic side. Then came the US Airways SHUFFLE of trying to see if you had any available f/a's from the other FENCED TA bases and getting them TO the base that needs them. A FREAKIN MESS!! Now, there may be some issues with consistancy and the regular TA f/a's still wear their Purser and CSD name tags like we all really give a hoot, but those flights are now staffed and generally get top priority to KEEP staffed.

Can you imagine that on a larger level? When you guys are understaffed out west, who do you think their gonna call? The most junior in inverse senority from YOUR "FENCED OFF" base. They won't be waking my butt up for the first flight to PHX. I have seen this happen where 20 year f'/as were called out on their days off..drafted. Don't think it can happen? You might want to think about what you are asking. The company has already stated that long fences are not in their best interest. It ties THEIR hands and eventually YOURS. I just would like to see folks do some homework as opposed to running half cocked.

The kind of pickering between each other must stop...and that goes for both coastlines.

 

[SpinDoc]

The IAM has filed a change of control grievance.

Whoo Hoo!!!

Non-event. Move on.

 

[PITbull]

We all make errors and typos, including me. It's just when the same one is made over and over ... every time ... with no end in sight ... that I had to say something.

You're right, it's petty. I tried to say it nicely. Yes in hindsight a PM would have been better.

Is that the only opinion I derived out of that post? No. I also saw what I usually see in your posts: someone who is trying their best to do the right thing for all F/As in very difficult circumstances, and stay above the fray by taking the high road, which I respect very much. I also think it is a bad thing for U F/As to be losing you in twenty days. I can't even imagine who could have done a better job for U F/As in navigating the minefield of the past couple of years.

But to be honest, a repeated mistake like the one in question is at least distracting, and (fairly or not) can take away from the overall message. That's the only reason I pointed it out.

God Bear, now you make me feel bad I even started out sacastically. If you note, I went back and changed it. And you are right, I am the worse speller. Usually, when I write I have someone check my spelling besides spell check, and they sometimes miss it....except on these boards...I just write and write and write...LOL....

Thanks. I'll never spell it wrong in my life time again. 😉

 

[Twicebaked]

Twicebake,

I'm not going to argue with you since it's not worth it. But basically by the sound of your posting, you are agreeing with the company to not give us any type of protection or adjust our payscale to match yours.

To add insult, the company wants the furloughed US F/As at higher pay rates and pay them during training at 3-5 AWA rates and no fence protections for any AWA F/As.

I have been here 14 years and never got paid training. You know what we got? $20 a day during our flight attendant training. We've already lost the seniority issue and now you want us to lose our pay and fence issue too. This is like a slap in the face to all AWA F/As.

This is not about fence protection anymore, this is about our payscale, our flexibility and everything else.

You are absolutely wrong. I don't agree with the company. I never mentioned pay scales or any other protections. We need to be on the same scale/contract etc. What I am saying for the last time is that a fence is FOR EVERYONE not just to protect PHX.

Let me explain what is going on in Phoenix to those that don't understand. America West, operating under it's own certificate, needs to hire approximately 270 FA's beginning to in 2006 to support attrition and some eq changes. Someone suggested hiring furloughed US East FA's (to get them back to work). In my opinion this is viewed as a call back, because technically it's one company, two different carriers.

It can't be a call back since the East is way overstaffed. Displacements of transfers should take place before any call backs.

 

[IpourNotCan]

You are absolutely wrong. I don't agree with the company. I never mentioned pay scales or any other protections. We need to be on the same scale/contract etc. What I am saying for the last time is that a fence is FOR EVERYONE not just to protect PHX.
It can't be a call back since the East is way overstaffed. Displacements of transfers should take place before any call backs.

There will be fences and agreement has to be reached. We are still operating with two different certificates. If you are overstaffed, then offer leave of absence. Allowing US Seniors to transfer to Phoenix without a fence, pay parity and integrated contract would be like throwing yourself in a Lions' Den! Can you picture a senior US F/A working side by side with our most senior F/As with the same years of service and making less pay? Not only will our f/as get bumped in seniority, but also making less? Not a pretty picture. We have different work rules and this has to be integrated first.

That is why the Union has halted the integrated list. It is a benefit to us to drag it out and arbitrate everything unless they agree to what we feel is fair.

 

[azfyer]

I SURE WISH WE COULD CANCEL THIS MERGER!!!!

 

[calibrator]

I SURE WISH WE COULD CANCEL THIS MERGER!!!!

It would be a lot easier to do what many did....LEAVE ASAP

I do understand your position, and good luck to you in that insane industry with unions thinking this is still the 60's and corporate America thinking employees are for exploitation.

 

[PITbull]

Ipour,

Whoa there big guy.

Why wouldn't your leadership attempt to force the company to bring the West f/as on the East pay scales? Why would anyone think to drag wages down? THat's what would happen if you demand the company to bring the INOVLS back at new hire wages. No way!

What I just found out and didn't quite get in the Councill AWA 66 E-line is that your leadership over there on the West side wants our INOVLS not only to graciously go to the very bottom of the list in your base, but take their longevity and stick them as brand new hires.

YOu must be intelligent enough to know and understand that seniority for bid purposes and longevity for pay purposes are two DIFFRENT and distinct protections.

AFA Article X speaks to DOH, and we on U-East side are giving you what you insisted on pre-integration to accept our INOVLS and recall them back to the company to PHX at the very bottom of the list, HOWEVER......

If you over there think for one stupid second that their years of service to USAirways means absolutely NOTHING...you need to have an epiphany.

Here it is:

Does your MEC-West know that you set a precedent with the company when you drag wages down? No training pay? Your people are demanding that our INOVLS go to new hire pay rates???? HEY, THEY'RE NOT NEW HIREES!!!

Hell, if we didn't have enough VFs we would have had 16-20 year folks furloughed...WOULD YOU HAVE CALLED THEM NEW HIREES???? As if their years of service before furlough meant nothing???

Your leadership should NOT be focused on bringing wages down, BUT RATHER BRINGING YOUR FOLKS UP TO USA-East contract AT THE VERY LEAST. And, your leadership should be informational picketing all over the damn place to get the company to the table for your sec. 6 negotiations. I am sure the East would help with this issue.

Is your leadership trying to use the longevity issue to hammer in a longer fence??? Are you hoping that our INVOLS don't take the job???What? you think we are stupid here on the East????

Yea, Gary forgot to give full disclosure in his 66 E-line. He should be promoting increases for his people to match USAirways East; NOT saying NO to managment and bringing the INVOLS down to new hire wages.

If you want an arbitrator...bring it on!!!!

In my previous posts, I was out of the loop. But, I now get it.

Every single f/a from all bases should be striving to make improvements. Allow the inovls to be recalled back to work at their longevity, however at the bottom of the list pre integration, and lets get to the next subject..which is your sec. 6 negotiations, and separate from the integration of the two contracts...which should be "BEST-NATION".

Many of your provisions are so much better than U-East. What needs to be on hold is the integration of the contract provisions, and work on your sec. 6 for improvements. That's something to be fighting together.

 

[IpourNotCan]

I SURE WISH WE COULD CANCEL THIS MERGER!!!!

Exactly! I sure wish we had merged with ATA instead and just let US Airways liquidate. Obviously no support from anyone! Doug sold us out!

 

[firstamendment]

Exactly! I sure wish we had merged with ATA instead and just let US Airways liquidate. Obviously no support from anyone! Doug sold us out!

Than you and azflyer can quit or go to ATA.

Funny how you have no support when you aren't getting your way. Well, boo hoo.

Wanna know why some of us are hostile these days or "hateful"?

Listen to your whining...constant ear piercing whining. SOME of you guys have been out in the desert sun too long.

 

[hulagirl]

Lock this bunch in a room with no doors and charge admission.

LOL!!!!! 😀

 

[hulagirl]

You guys, we need to get on the same page here and support each other!

I am in the 10+ seniority level at West, and although I would be on reserve, I would LOVE to transfer out of PHX and fly international from another base. Therefore, I do not support a fence. At all. Sorry.
This is not an intentionally selfish position. There is that fear factor again here in PHX. The West flight attendants are afraid of the ex-PSAer's coming into PHX and bumping people down and out. It doesn't help that some of the East flight attendants have run into the West flight attendants and bragged that "they are all coming to PHX". Whatever! Come, fly the dirty planes to Wichita with domestic pay and deal with the rude pax. Be my guest. You'll hate it, and want out. I will pretty much guarantee it.

To the "others" here in this thread, we are one airline, like it not. We are all employees, and somewhere down the line, we will be supporting each other in labor situations, or whatever comes up with our industry. Let's try to be civil to one another, have a little faith that everything will work out the way it is supposed to, and stop worrying about things that will probably never happen.

 

[proudf/a]

You guys, we need to get on the same page here and support each other!

I am in the 10+ seniority level at West, and although I would be on reserve, I would LOVE to transfer out of PHX and fly international from another base. Therefore, I do not support a fence. At all. Sorry.
This is not an intentionally selfish position. There is that fear factor again here in PHX. The West flight attendants are afraid of the ex-PSAer's coming into PHX and bumping people down and out. It doesn't help that some of the East flight attendants have run into the West flight attendants and bragged that "they are all coming to PHX". Whatever! Come, fly the dirty planes to Wichita with domestic pay and deal with the rude pax. Be my guest. You'll hate it, and want out. I will pretty much guarantee it.

To the "others" here in this thread, we are one airline, like it not. We are all employees, and somewhere down the line, we will be supporting each other in labor situations, or whatever comes up with our industry. Let's try to be civil to one another, have a little faith that everything will work out the way it is supposed to, and stop worrying about things that will probably never happen.

You would be welcomed into PHL. I am not based there but have alot of friends based there, and they really like it. You should hold a line with you seniority too. I doubt you could hold an int'l line, but you certainly should be able to pick up those trips. There is always an int'l trip or two that goes to reserves. People need to realize even if PHX opens up for transfers and some very senior f/a's transfer they will NOT bump anyone out. Yes they will move down the seniority list, but certainly will not get knocked out of the base. That fear should be put to bed! Good Luck in PHL!