CWA MEMBERS PLEASE VOTE HERE

[gso-crew]

November 28, 2006 the CWA/IBT association met in Los Angeles and discussed the flexible scheduling the West currently has and agreed that part-time employees could not work over the 6 hour limit as stated in the CBA. A tentative agreement was put together allowing both full time and part time employees to work a 4 day week under the guidelines of the CBA article of hours of service. Allowing such flexibility, we also thought it best to cap part-time and full time positions at status quo-plus 5 % systemwide to ensure no layoffs as a result of flexible scheduling.

November 29, 2006 CWA/IBT association met with Usairways Labor Relations to discuss the proposed Letters of Agreement changes. The Company was not in agreement to the Letter of Agreement regarding flexible scheduling. Labor advised us that the only way they would" entertain" such would be if we changed our article on hours of service to read that part-time employees may work 3 (8) hour days with 4 days off and full time employees may work 4 (10) hour days with 3 days off.

 

[PhxMama]

When will this be decided and does it look like it will change? Im from the west and we've always had 3-8's as an option, many are upset that due to the IBT/CWA association and the contract the west side didnt have a say. It really works out well for the agents and with gas prices, saves having to commute an extra day or so. We understand the reasoning for it. We will miss it if it is not an option.

 

[deltawatch]

I like the company plan ...... it would save me 300 miles a month and my car would last a lot longer. I could work 3 days a week and get my hours in.

 

[nrthvlle]

And the scheduling protection for a full time agent...where is it? An 8 hour shift is not a pert-time shift. It is full time. How do you feel about 2 part time agents working back to back? This would cover a 16 hour day with only part time.
I vote NO!!! :down:

 

[PhxMama]

Thats where east and west differ. Its what you expect and whether you think of the work as a job or a careet. East has had to try to protect its workforce from the company making more PT positions and taking away fulltime jobs with benefits. Its a different ball of wax on the west side. We want more PT positions so we can use our flight benfits and spend time with our families. West has seen their work as basically small wages with flight benefits. We were never paid as professionals just for a job. Hp never paid a living wage so most of the workforce is retired from other careers. Mostly wives of men who make real money. Extra money and flight bennies. Pays for vacations and extras for the kids. Not real money. Its two different worlds. West agents worked 3 8hr days or 4 5hr days or 5 4hr days. Who wants to drive, spend the time and gas money when you could have 4 days off and trvl? or take care of your children or whatever. If you pick 5 days, you buddied up with someone and worked 3 days one week and 2 the next. It works well for many agents if the hours offered work. We have never worried about managment taking away FT work, the list is miles long for those who wish to work only PT. Two different worlds. Its a matter of perspective.

 

[drifterreno]

Thats where east and west differ. Its what you expect and whether you think of the work as a job or a careet. East has had to try to protect its workforce from the company making more PT positions and taking away fulltime jobs with benefits. Its a different ball of wax on the west side. We want more PT positions so we can use our flight benfits and spend time with our families. West has seen their work as basically small wages with flight benefits. We were never paid as professionals just for a job. Hp never paid a living wage so most of the workforce is retired from other careers. Mostly wives of men who make real money. Extra money and flight bennies. Pays for vacations and extras for the kids. Not real money. Its two different worlds. West agents worked 3 8hr days or 4 5hr days or 5 4hr days. Who wants to drive, spend the time and gas money when you could have 4 days off and trvl? or take care of your children or whatever. If you pick 5 days, you buddied up with someone and worked 3 days one week and 2 the next. It works well for many agents if the hours offered work. We have never worried about managment taking away FT work, the list is miles long for those who wish to work only PT. Two different worlds. Its a matter of perspective.

I agree with Mamma whole heartedly. How many of those on the East side have prayed for 4 10 hour days??? I know we were begging for it a long time ago. As for part time workers--don't you remember how many people we lost at US when they did away with intermediate and part time workers. Those people just went away. Come on guys it's good for all concerned. It also works well for trades by the way.

 

[tadjr]

Does the company proposal also include the cap on Part timers systemwide? Personally, I'd prefer it to be station to station caps otherwise they could make everyone in PHL/CLT/DCA/LGA/BOS/PHX/LAS full time and lots of other stations part time and they'd still meet the ratio. You need to watch the language that is included in the big picture and not just the short work weeks otherwise there could be some major problems when most of the outstations are working 3 8 hour days. h34r:

 

[john john]

stations part time and they'd still meet the ratio. major problems when most of the outstations are working 3 8 hour days. h34r:

tadjr your are exactly right the company is salivating at these proposals

 

[Robc98]

OK lets get some clarification here......this is exact copy verbatim of Vonda's notes that were taken during those meetings....im copying this from a direct email update...read it carefully again so as rumors of what was said do not go rampant....here it is

I want to be sure that all the local President's understand what was discussed in the meeting so they can respond to any questions from the membership. I also am sending out Vonda's notes which she typed during the meeting.

4 DAY WORK WEEK

First, we went over the proposal we gave the company, asking for 4 - 10 hour days for full time and part time. We did advise the company that we wanted the part time shifts to follow the hours of service language in article 5 regarding how many hours they are allowed to work. We did not propose 8 hour days for Part-timers, the company is asking for that. The company also advised that a 10 hour day - 4 days a week may never be offered, it is purely up to the company if it is utilized in any location. We should not assume that all FT employees will be forced into 10 hour days.. We have had the option to have 4 - 10 hour days since 1999, yet the company does not use it anywhere right now.

The company was not receptive to our version of the caps, which was using status quo for class I and class II cities plus 5%. They did say if we would consider using 3-8hour days for part time and ONLY using them on the weekends, they may consider our cap proposal. Both the CWA and the IBT were not receptive to the 3-8 hours for part-time and expressed our fears of FT jobs being sacrificed if we allow this. Ron Harbinson stated that they find that hiring two PT people is more expensive and that it is not their intent to increase the PT ratios. We were very skeptical and I asked the company to make up a mock bid for BOS and PHL to show us how they want to use the 4 - 10 hour days, 4- 4,5,6 hour days for PT and the 3-8;s for part time on the weekends. The said they would put them together for our next meeting. All of the bargaining team was in agreement that before we would agree to any changes, we would need to see these examples and have the PT caps set up to protect the FT jobs.

The Freeze on pe-66 transfers IS NOT being lifted as Barbara described to her members in her letter. The IBT presented us with an LOA for the West cities that I am going to send you. It is a letter that allows the company to implement seamless service in the West cities and grandfather the creative scheduling only until OEI. What this will do is allow our US East employees that are on recall or want to transfer to ONE OF THE SEAMLESS west cities, not ALL West cities, sooner, rather then waiting for OEI. The bargaining team agreed to this, Barb, Chris and Vonda, and also advised the IBT we may consider a similar LOA for the remaining EAST cities that have not gone seamless yet. The main issue is that it will open up job opportunities sooner in seamless service cities only for CWA members based on the language on page 211, section II, E, 6. I will go over this in more detail on the conference call.

I also need to advise you that per legal, we do not require ratification of a scheduling LOA. Nick was clear about this and explained it to all of the bargaining team when we met in the past with the IBT. We have had many LOA's in the past years that did not require ratification. The bargaining reps were elected to make the decisions for the membership. I will have Nick describe this again on our conference call.

SWAPS
We discussed the swaps, that 20 would remain the number, but that drops would be the only thing that counted. We asked that trades, AM to PM swaps and partials not be counted toward the 20 swaps. The company seemed receptive to this idea. They are not giving a yes or no answer right now on this subject.

OVERTIME
The company did not have an issue with equalizing and zeroing out on a quarterly basis rather then a yearly basis.

I will send out thte notes, the call in number for tomorrow and the LOA that the WEST cities are going to use for any city that goes Seamless.

Thanks,
Velvet

 

[deltawatch]

I very much like the company proposal for a part-time shift of 3 (8) hour days with 4 days off!!!

 

[Robc98]

I very much like the company proposal for a part-time shift of 3 (8) hour days with 4 days off!!!

remember though..the 8hr days are for working on the weekends....which means if the weekends get loaded up with p/t then the f/t will get more weekends off....that may persuade many to vote for it...

 

[PhxMama]

Speaking as a PT west agent, we've never had a problem with our scheduling. We like it for many of the reasons I have already stated. I love the way IBT and CWA "fear" for F time jobs when the west has never had a problem with it. It seems the fears are baseless on our side. One of the problems we had getting cards signed for a vote for a union initially was the chance PT agents knew this would be an issue. Its disappointing that our union leadership is not listening to its dues members. How about trying the west way with the ability to "snapback" if you will, to the east side if managment pulls any shenanigans. They have bigger fish to fry rather than screw with us. They need us and need to get rid of outsourcing. If we merge with Delta, our pax will flip having to speak with more agents who have no clue! If this is not possible how about at least an ammendment to leav sched along. If it aint broke... Someone please pass this on to union leadership, it is the prevailing view on the west-by alot-and seems to have some support on the east. We have contacted our union reps but they are NOT listening. We may have to make them listen another way. Any suggestions, we are new at this union thing. Mama

 

[Robc98]

Speaking as a PT west agent, we've never had a problem with our scheduling. We like it for many of the reasons I have already stated. I love the way IBT and CWA "fear" for F time jobs when the west has never had a problem with it. It seems the fears are baseless on our side. One of the problems we had getting cards signed for a vote for a union initially was the chance PT agents knew this would be an issue. Its disappointing that our union leadership is not listening to its dues members. How about trying the west way with the ability to "snapback" if you will, to the east side if managment pulls any shenanigans. They have bigger fish to fry rather than screw with us. They need us and need to get rid of outsourcing. If we merge with Delta, our pax will flip having to speak with more agents who have no clue! If this is not possible how about at least an ammendment to leav sched along. If it aint broke... Someone please pass this on to union leadership, it is the prevailing view on the west-by alot-and seems to have some support on the east. We have contacted our union reps but they are NOT listening. We may have to make them listen another way. Any suggestions, we are new at this union thing. Mama

well for one, a union fights for fulltime jobs with benefits....thats what the backbone of the union history is. Parttime does no one good if thats all thats offered since money is short and benefits are costly. This industry can afford to pay it's workers good wages to make this a career. When millions are made every quarter and the executives make millions themselves, they can afford to make these jobs careers.
Also coming to an agreement with the company is not as simple as just putting in 'a snapback'. The negotiations are long and arduous and patience is the key. If you rush, you lose.

 

[wings396]

I recall the Fleet group having this option a few years back. As great as it sounds, there are drawbacks to the
4-10 workweek. First of all, it reduces your availibilty to work OT due to shifts that overlap by hours. This hits you directly in the wallet if you are a person that works a lot of OT. The other downside is the effect that it has on shift trades, this too has to do with overlapping shifts. We took a preliminary vote, and 3/4 were not in favor of it. Just the thought of 8 hour P/T shifts would scare me.

 

[john john]

OK We did not propose 8 hour days for Part-timers, the company is asking for that.
They did say if we would consider using 3-8hour days for part time and ONLY using them on the weekends, Ron Harbinson stated that they find that hiring two PT people is more expensive and that it is not their intent to increase the PT ratios. and have the PT caps set up to protect the FT jobs.


Thanks,
Velvet

The CWA/IBT and the company agreed to the meeting to negotiate 8 hr shift for part timers because HP/west wants them and the company wants them this is a fact…this will devastate small and medium stations. Velvet is and always was a res girl
Why are we even negotiating this article?