Concerns for RSV's and Blockholders

[ganesha]

I've been on RSV and been a blockholder for about equal amount of my flying career. Yes, it was years and years on RSV. Now with PIT closing, I am borderline RSV again. My choice; if I go back on RSV and can't handle it, I will resign. I love my job but I am here for the schedule, NOT for the GLAMOUR and PAY! So it's a choice, resign, or stick out RSV and hate my schedule. If you are a RSV, you have your choice too. We all know we are not here for the money. Flying 80 hours domestic will bring you in about 39,000 a year. And that is top dollar! That's it. That is beginner teacher pay with having 9 weeks off in the summer. WE are NOT getting any big raise, ever. So ask yourself, can you live on 39,000, or 45,000 if you fly 90 or more? What about inflation. Have you thought about this? The same 39,000 won't be worth what it is today in 5 years or 10 years. That same 39,000 in 5 years will be worth 30,000, and in ten years will be worth even less. Has anyone thought about this?? WE as flight attendants are easily replaced. Doug Parker said it on of the town hall meetings, that West get's over 2000 applications a month to do your job. Read between the lines; if you don't want your job, as a flight attendant, someone else will, for less money.

F/A's have this grand idea that we are safety professionals and deserve to be paid 60,000 a year. Yes, we are and I think we should. But we NEVER will be paid that much ever again. The good days of this job are over. Why? Because there are 2000 applicants a MONTH to take your job. WE ARE JUST LABOR!!! There is NO difference between a flight attendant, a caterer, or a rampy or an agent, or, even a pilot for that matter. WE ARE ALL JUST LABOR to management. We are all just a cost. Silly little flight attendants we are. WE think we are SO important. Little do we know we are just labor.

What we do need to do, and I hope we can, is get the government involved. Railway operators have max duty days of 12 hours on 12 hours off. Go to the DOT website and compare truck drives, marine operators and airlines. We have the absolute shittiest work rules/f.a.r's. Why? Were is our union on that? Marianne Moore, this is what we need. Better F.A.R's for rest period for reserve's who are on duty 24 hours a day. What we need for RESERVE's are duty time limitations, with maximum duty times off. Pilots who are on RSV, and don't get called, for example, at 5 am. and sit all day, go off duty at 7 pm. And have a minimum rest period. Nil for reserve f/a's. Why? Why carol austin? Carol, you were do adamant about the "me to" clause. Why do reserves not have a 'me to' when sitting reserve?? Northwest has morning and afternoon reserve. WE are human, not robot's. We cannot be on RSV 24 hours a day! It is inhumane. We are not a computer! How can the company get away with this? This is clearly wrong and RSV's need to bond together to get legislation passed for min duty days same as being on a trip. Omar, you in?

All this coming from a 9 year blockholder, who has compassion for any person on RSV because I was a RSV for 9 years myself...

 

[Gloria Holtz]

We all need to support each other! I am ready to do whatever the RSVs need us to do to get better Flight Attendant Rules!! The only Flight Attendant Rule I do not support is the one that does not allow us to be in the aisle during taxi-out to take calzone preferences.

Just stating opinions and ready to walk with the RSV gals

Gloria Cummins-Holtz
PIT 1970-2007
PHL here I come!

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> Doug Parker said it on of the town hall meetings, that West get's over 2000 applications a month to do your job.

I keep hearing about a large turnover in FAs out west.

Anybody have some numbers?

 

[flybynite]

I've been on RSV and been a blockholder for about equal amount of my flying career. Yes, it was years and years on RSV. Now with PIT closing, I am borderline RSV again. My choice; if I go back on RSV and can't handle it, I will resign. I love my job but I am here for the schedule, NOT for the GLAMOUR and PAY! So it's a choice, resign, or stick out RSV and hate my schedule. If you are a RSV, you have your choice too. We all know we are not here for the money. Flying 80 hours domestic will bring you in about 39,000 a year. And that is top dollar! That's it. That is beginner teacher pay with having 9 weeks off in the summer. WE are NOT getting any big raise, ever. So ask yourself, can you live on 39,000, or 45,000 if you fly 90 or more? What about inflation. Have you thought about this? The same 39,000 won't be worth what it is today in 5 years or 10 years. That same 39,000 in 5 years will be worth 30,000, and in ten years will be worth even less. Has anyone thought about this?? WE as flight attendants are easily replaced. Doug Parker said it on of the town hall meetings, that West get's over 2000 applications a month to do your job. Read between the lines; if you don't want your job, as a flight attendant, someone else will, for less money.

F/A's have this grand idea that we are safety professionals and deserve to be paid 60,000 a year. Yes, we are and I think we should. But we NEVER will be paid that much ever again. The good days of this job are over. Why? Because there are 2000 applicants a MONTH to take your job. WE ARE JUST LABOR!!! There is NO difference between a flight attendant, a caterer, or a rampy or an agent, or, even a pilot for that matter. WE ARE ALL JUST LABOR to management. We are all just a cost. Silly little flight attendants we are. WE think we are SO important. Little do we know we are just labor.

What we do need to do, and I hope we can, is get the government involved. Railway operators have max duty days of 12 hours on 12 hours off. Go to the DOT website and compare truck drives, marine operators and airlines. We have the absolute shittiest work rules/f.a.r's. Why? Were is our union on that? Marianne Moore, this is what we need. Better F.A.R's for rest period for reserve's who are on duty 24 hours a day. What we need for RESERVE's are duty time limitations, with maximum duty times off. Pilots who are on RSV, and don't get called, for example, at 5 am. and sit all day, go off duty at 7 pm. And have a minimum rest period. Nil for reserve f/a's. Why? Why carol austin? Carol, you were do adamant about the "me to" clause. Why do reserves not have a 'me to' when sitting reserve?? Northwest has morning and afternoon reserve. WE are human, not robot's. We cannot be on RSV 24 hours a day! It is inhumane. We are not a computer! How can the company get away with this? This is clearly wrong and RSV's need to bond together to get legislation passed for min duty days same as being on a trip. Omar, you in?

All this coming from a 9 year blockholder, who has compassion for any person on RSV because I was a RSV for 9 years myself...

I find it intersesting that you are finally getting the picture after all we have been through. But I have issue with a few items.

First, don't you ever call me or any of your fellow f/a's silly little flight attendants. That insults me and us. We are grown men and women. And yes we are very important. Otherwise, our carrier would be hauling boxes.

Yes, we are safety/first responders and you bet your ass we are important. And don't you forget it!!

Next, write your Congressman and see what you can do to help revamp the FAR's for flight attendants. That's how it's done.
Pissing and moaning on this forum will do you no good. I'm writing someone every week. (they probably hate me) But I don't care.

Next, realize you are dealing with a contract that is not up for renegotiation until 2011. I don't know where you've been but welcome to our pain. <_<

 

[flybynite]

We all need to support each other! I am ready to do whatever the RSVs need us to do to get better Flight Attendant Rules!! The only Flight Attendant Rule I do not support is the one that does not allow us to be in the aisle during taxi-out to take calzone preferences.

Just stating opinions and ready to walk with the RSV gals

Gloria Cummins-Holtz
PIT 1970-2007
PHL here I come!

That was a joke??? :blink:

 

[US1YFARE]

That was a joke??? :blink:

No it isn't. You see, gloria understands that customers are important and she caters to them. We figured out that Gloria was the A on my 76 trips to LA in the early 90's. Her service levels made the piedmont gals jealous. Don't cross her tho. It isn't pretty.

Space is getting tight for Carol's retirement. Hurry if you are interested. Give Gloria or me your aol and we will give it to angela.

 

[ganesha]

I keep hearing about a large turnover in FAs out west.

Anybody have some numbers?

Parker say's on one of the town meetings that West has 12 resign each month while East has only 3. So the rumor about big turnover at the west side isn't correct. Unless you call losing 12 each month a big turnover.

Watch the town hall meetings, you will get all the statistics.

 

[valuesrok]

Northwest has morning and afternoon reserve. WE are human, not robot's. We cannot be on RSV 24 hours a day! It is inhumane. We are not a computer! How can the company get away with this?

On the west, we have 3 shifts for reserve. 0100-1300, 0700-1900, 1500-0300. If I don't get called by 1pm, then I am done for today and will look at 4pm to see what my assignment is for tomorrow.

I cannot imagine having to be standby for 24 hour shifts . I'm sorry, I feel your frustration.

 

[ganesha]

I find it intersesting that you are finally getting the picture after all we have been through. But I have issue with a few items.

First, don't you ever call me or any of your fellow f/a's silly little flight attendants. That insults me and us. We are grown men and women. And yes we are very important. Otherwise, our carrier would be hauling boxes.

Yes, we are safety/first responders and you bet your ass we are important. And don't you forget it!!

Next, write your Congressman and see what you can do to help revamp the FAR's for flight attendants. That's how it's done.
Pissing and moaning on this forum will do you no good. I'm writing someone every week. (they probably hate me) But I don't care.

Next, realize you are dealing with a contract that is not up for renegotiation until 2011. I don't know where you've been but welcome to our pain. <_<

Why are you so defensive, flybynight? The whole point of my blog was to make flight attendants understand that unless we get government regulations to change, the company will fly us 24 hours straight 7 days a week with no minimum rest periods. Your comment, "welcome to our pain", did you not hear that I was on rsv for 9 years? Do you know that I have not gotten a pay raise in over 5 years? What I'm trying to say is what good is being a blockholder or RSV if the pay and conditions are $hitty? Do you understand I've been making 39,000 a year for 5 years? And while this may seem to be a lot to someone making 20,000, do you realize that this is top pay? Do you realize this same 39,000 is not the same amount 5 years ago? 5 years ago gas was 1.50 a gallon. And 5 years from now it will probably be 4.50 a gallon. And top pay for f/a isn't going to change. Do you understand, the entire working rules have to be changed, not just the rsv system, because you see, when you become a blockholder and don't get a raise year after year, and inflation goes up, then YOU will be the SAME ones bitching about the pay. So I cover it all when I say we need better F.A.R.'s so that the company will have to give us a better contract. And yes, I have been in contact person to person with my local government official about this issue. I just don't complain and wine on this blog, or, on line for that matter. But more than likely I will be gone before I see us getting better reg's you see, because as a result of the shitty pay, shitty hours, and shitty rsv system, I went back to school and got an mba. And what I learned in MBA school is, guess what? Guess what they teach? Outsource, outsource, and outsource, and, put as much money in the Upper managements pockets while scrapping pennies off the laborer's backs. And yes, I also learned that managment thinks we are "silly little flight attendants" and think of us safety professionals only as "labor", and a "cost". How can mgmt take us seriously, how can they when only 11 people show up at a union meeting?

 

[N965VJ]

Parker say's on one of the town meetings that West has 12 resign each month while East has only 3. So the rumor about big turnover at the west side isn't correct. Unless you call losing 12 each month a big turnover.

Watch the town hall meetings, you will get all the statistics.

Actually, that’s a bit lower from the historical attrition rate that I recall.

I don’t have access to videos on theHub, but someone really needs to get them put up on YouTube for our enjoyment.

 

[JS]

If you hate your job so much, then resign! Don't whine to the government like a bunch of crybabies. Oooh we're so important, we need protective legislation as if we're pilots... pu-leeze.

I once had a job much like RSV -- it started off with plenty of work (lots of overtime available as well), and then we entered the slow season and my hours dropped like a rock. Management expected me to sit at home and wait for the phone to ring. I said "bu-bye" to that job and moved on. I didn't make a federal case out of it.

 

[Twicebaked]

Parker say's on one of the town meetings that West has 12 resign each month while East has only 3. So the rumor about big turnover at the west side isn't correct. Unless you call losing 12 each month a big turnover.

Watch the town hall meetings, you will get all the statistics.

Parker doesn't know what he is talking about. My number on the East goes down 13-20 a month. Looking at the SAP screen today, my number goes down 20 from Dec to Jan.....and that is usually higher than that.

 

[Twicebaked]

If you hate your job so much, then resign! Don't whine to the government like a bunch of crybabies. Oooh we're so important, we need protective legislation as if we're pilots... pu-leeze.

I once had a job much like RSV -- it started off with plenty of work (lots of overtime available as well), and then we entered the slow season and my hours dropped like a rock. Management expected me to sit at home and wait for the phone to ring. I said "bu-bye" to that job and moved on. I didn't make a federal case out of it.

The difference is, we ARE governed to a point by that same government. All TRAVEL industry (planes, trains, trucks) emps are governed by the government. The Railroad Act protects us.......we need to speak up and protect ourselves when need be. It is not crying. It also PROTECTS THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.

I have to say the your avitar says alot about you and is a bit distrubing!!!!

 

[N109UW]

If you hate your job so much, then resign! Don't whine to the government like a bunch of crybabies. Oooh we're so important, we need protective legislation as if we're pilots... pu-leeze.

I once had a job much like RSV -- it started off with plenty of work (lots of overtime available as well), and then we entered the slow season and my hours dropped like a rock. Management expected me to sit at home and wait for the phone to ring. I said "bu-bye" to that job and moved on. I didn't make a federal case out of it.

Not sure what you meant by "as if we were pilots"? They are just another spoke in he same wheel as everyone else. They may not like it, but if for damn sure. Maybe your other job didn't have federal limeits, ours does. And we should use that to our advantage.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> It is not crying. It also PROTECTS THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.

I have to say the your avitar says alot about you and is a bit distrubing!!!!

Yeah, really! You might doze off on the jumpseat and not hear a call bell when a customer wants another drink. Talking about rotating reserve all the time can really wear a person out.

And what’s wrong with an avatar picture of a Glock? It’s a fun weapon to shoot and the ambidextrous safety in the trigger is an excellent design.