CWA/IBT letter to Doug

[tadjr]

Going on 2 weeks. This came back to Bite Kirby in the A$$!

How? He's not the one (in a nonhub city) with 1 agent working First Class/Preferred (we are supposed to have a separate line right?) and 1 agent at ticketing. The front line folks are the ones getting yelled at. I've been back from vacation for 2 days now and I've been yelled at both days for the lines not moving. I've been standing there for my 8 hours a day doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and I'm the one getting yelled at for not having help. :blink: Now that everyone with a paper ticket HAS to see a checkin agent, everyone who wants to moveup HAS to see an agent, with no extra help in the ticketing line (heaven help us when we have a deal 2 hours on hold yesterday for 1 deal, another agent today on hold for 1 1/2 hours) who do you think works the line? Umm, noone? The line didnt move for 30 mins yesterday at one point because both of us were in deals. We have bodies (newbies who arent scheduled for training until next week), but they dont do squat for us. Our local reps had asked our manager to upgrade/extend the hours of some part timers for a month or so until things could get under control. Nope, no can do. Instead we'll just work the overtime list. Who does he really think is going to volunteer to come in to this c&*p everyday when things are this bad? Then his comment is, "I cant get anyone to sign up to come in, sorry". If they had just allocated extra help for a month or so until everyone got things working right a little more it wouldnt be as bad as it is now. In the long run, we are not only short from where we were pre bankruptcy, many of the "bodies" we do have are newbies who dont have a clue on many issues so at times its like -1 in the help department.

 

[philly rocks]

Looks like Philly took another hit today. Understaffing issues are destroying customer service. The Philadelphia Inquirer states Kirby doesn't see the need for additional lines. Lets take a survey.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Looks like Philly took another hit today. Understaffing issues are destroying customer service. The Philadelphia Inquirer states Kirby doesn't see the need for additional lines. Lets take a survey.

With the weather the way it is, and is Shares still aggrivating?

Also say a person was flying to Milan from Tampa tonight, and the PHL-MXP got cancelled as to the TPA-PHL leg too. How can you reroute the passenger on other carriers?

My guess is that you'd get the passenger to fly to FRA/MUC thru CLT and connect them there to MXP. Is shares working with LH or what has to be done?

 

[crusher]

If our biggest competitor had wanted to really hurt our operation they could not have done a better job than we have done to ourselves with qik/shares. We just took a shot gun and blew off our whole foot and then some. Please explain to me how this is saving us money.

 

[4merresrat]

Letter to Doug Parker from Larry Cohen and James P.Hoffa
March 12, 2007
CWA
March 12, 2007

Mr. Douglas Parker, Chariman & CEO

US Airways Group Inc.

111 West Rio Salada Parkway

Tempe, Arizona 85281



Dear Chairman Parker:

We are writing to express the serious concerns and frustrations coming from customer service agents – members of the Customer Service Employee Associationa/CWA-IBT -- across the US Airways system and to urge you to take action by restoring needed staff positions and allowing our members to do what they do best: providing quality service to US Airways customers.

The effects of continued short staffing across the system – that preceded the merger with America West and US Airways have been wearing enough on US Airways agents, but the recent computer reservations system switchover has made this situation intolerable, for customers and agents.

It appears that this new reservations system was put into effect without providing agents the adequate training necessary to use the system efficiently. Reports from Association members indicate that agents were trained in the theory of the new reservation system, training that wasn't very useful in practical application.

As you are well aware, this switchover – along with the malfunctioning kiosks -- caused an enormous amount of turmoil at airports across the system and particularly along the East Coast. This resulted in agents, who take pride in their professionalism and their ability to serve US Airways customers, being unable to do so, and in many cases, being blamed by local managers for the meltdown.

You may not be aware, however, that understaffing and mandatory overtime are routine in too many airport locations. In Charlotte, for example, on a daily basis, there are 38-40 vacancies in airport customer service, with similar short staffing at Philadelphia, Boston and other locations systemwide. Union representatives have provided documentation and raised this issue with management for more than a year, with no results.

We are also concerned about reports that US Airways wants to hire temporary workers to staff the help center and for other customer service duties. As you know, there are many experienced agents on furlough or on-the-job injury status who can be called on for this work

US Airways agents are professionals who are committed to providing quality service and want the opportunity to do so. We would like to have the opportunity to further discuss ways we can work together to achieve this goal, and alleviate both current and long term problems for customer service.

Sincerely,

Larry Cohen/President, CWA ~ James P. Hoffa/General President, IBT

* And that my friends is exactly why I took vacation this past week (cant believe the manager actually had lines open this week). Enjoyed a nice cruise around Hawaii with fill in accounts of the horror stories between fruity drinks and beach days. Sorry that so many had to put up with so much, but I would have been in a rubber room right now if I hadnt had last week off. Next task will be trying to help train the newhires that started last week (and stayed thru the migration). Hey at least we have help bodies right? h34r:

With all due respect working at a ticket counter is not a profession. . . People continue to complain about the wage. If they do not like the hourly rate they can find another job.

 

[OldGuyinPA]

Why don't you try the abuse...or better yet DoUgIe or Scott.

This industry is one step above working at McDonald's. I think MickeyD's pays better.

 

[john john]

With all due respect working at a ticket counter is not a profession. . . People continue to complain about the wage. If they do not like the hourly rate they can find another job.

Boy oh boy I'll love to have you in front of me on a canceled flight

If they do not like the hourly rate

You negotiate/bargain/vote/strike QUITE, DON’T THINK SO!!!!!!!!!

 

[4merresrat]

Boy oh boy I'll love to have you in front of me on a canceled flight
You negotiate/bargain/vote/strike QUITE, DON’T THINK SO!!!!!!!!!

My point exactly, that comment is sooooo unprofessional.

 

[Bear96]

Bob, I'm always in favor of increased pay for workers, don't get me wrong, but it's high time the senior workforce got a raise. You may recall that the starting pay was already raised a while back for the purpose of attracting better help.

So why are you saying the senior people should get a raise? Has there been an unusual number of senior people quitting recently?

If so, I agree with you.

If not, and if there is a problem attracting new hires, then the correct management response is to raise the new hire wages but leave the senior wages alone, as obviously the market rate is correct for the senior folks.

 

[apofurlough]

Bob, I'm always in favor of increased pay for workers, don't get me wrong, but it's high time the senior workforce got a raise. You may recall that the starting pay was already raised a while back for the purpose of attracting better help.

Correct me if I am wrong but senior people just got a 1.00 raise when the pay freeze was lifted last year. We down at the bottom of the pay scale got nothing except for the westies and mainline express to bring them to our starting level. I have seven years with this company and between furlough after 9/11, the pay freezes and step back one pay level, when I receive my pay raise in 2 months I will be back to what I was hired at 7 years ago. What is wrong with this picture?

 

[crusher]

East staffing with Sabre was 1 agent per gate/flight with maybe an additional agent for assist on hub flights. Not that we liked the staffing levels , sabre made it tolerable. Shares continues to show to the world just how pathetic a system it is. A flight can not be worked alone with shares. We are getting exactly what we paid for . We pay nothing for shares and it is giving us nothing but headaches. We had to take 2 ato agts to the hospital today in DCA for stress /anxiety attacks. Had mangement truly done their job they could have foreseen that this meltdown was a distinct probability given the limits of shares and not done the migration until shares was updated to match the ability of Sabre.

 

[crusher]

Things are so bad in DCA the the airport authority has people queing our line since we don't have enough to do it ourselves. Everyone is getting mandatoried nearly daily.We are 40-50 CSA's short and 60+ short on the ramp. Add it all up with the shares debacle you get what we have an absolute operational disaster orchestrated from Tempe. How can Scott Kirby think that any east station is adequately staffed?

 

[luvthe9]

EVERYONE SHOULD GO TO KIRBY WITH THE UNDERSTAFFING IN HUB CITIES. HE IS THE ONE WHO MADE THIS MESS, HE IS THE ONE WHO SHOULD CORRECT IT!!!!

KIRBY IS AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!

 

[philly rocks]

Philly at the worst I have ever seen it !

You have about 1500 in the domestic ticket counter waiting for hours to be served by a staff of 15-20 agents. Gates, not even one agent per gate. Yes, the employees are stressed out and quitting in droves. Management from what my union leaders state, refuse to hire any more employees. We just cannot do this stressful job anymore. Heard DCA had injured employees.

Management, has posted an employee assistance number for us and quess what? No one answers!

Do you think we are are purposely being put into BK again? We do !!!

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

Maybe from the Eastern Playbook. Sell off the pieces and walk away.

Or maybe the executives get nice jobs from their new Sith masters after they manage to reduce capacity by removing competition.

Either way, sounds like there is some sort of collusion afoot.