Cwa Members This Is A Very Important Issue

[deltawatch]

CWA members this is a very important issue. It’s a full-time issue as well as part-time. Not only are current part-timers affected but it creates an incentive for the company to turn as many full-time lines into part-time split lines as they can. They can cover a 7-8 hour period with a part-time split and not have to offer FLMA, or pay healthcare for your dependents.

Part-timers are effectively denied FMLA...

By Tina Perry, CWA Local 13301 President

The US Airways delegates to the recent CWA Legislative Conference engaged in three days of intensive lobbying visits to Senators and Members of Congress to articulate a range of concerns on behalf of our passenger service members. One issue we were particularly concerned about is FMLA rules for part-timers.

We at US Airways, along with other workers in the airline industry, are still greatly affected by the events resulting from the terrorist acts of September 11th 2001, not only at our jobs, but our lives at home as well.

Many of our full-time jobs were eliminated, leaving us no choice but to try to continue to run our households on the salary and benefits of a part-time job. Money is a very important issue, but not the issue we need to discuss in this particular instance. The issue is that now we no longer have the ability to qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Most of our part-time shifts are five (5) hours per day, which means that we would have to work fifty (50) full weeks per year in order to meet the current 1250 hour qualifier of the FMLA.

US Airways does require a minimum of 10 vacation days be taken per year, leaving no additional time to be taken as vacation, sick time, jury duty, etc. Every single day would have to be worked in order to obtain the hours required in order to qualify for FMLA. Even if we qualify, any days that are used for FMLA make it even tougher to qualify the following year.

As an important part of the post September 11th workforce, part-time workers should be afforded the benefits of the FMLA, and we believe that the qualifications for FMLA should reflect a standard obtainable by a part-time schedule.

We suggested to the Senators and Members of Congress that, for the part-time workforce, the eligibility requirements be lowered to the equivalent of seven (7) months work, as it is for full time workers. This would enable many of us to balance the needs of our home life with today’s work environment. We intend to continue to press this issue and hope to see legislative action on it soon.

 

[reznc]

Another tool to get people out the door without paying them.

 

[youngblood]

It seems that the company is on a roll with the FMLA issue. Most people at work have been denied the renewal of their FMLA including one person I know who has a child with a very serious condition. It is getting pretty damn disgusting. If there is an issue with abuse then take it up with the abusers. Most people don't abuse. Mine is coming up for renewal in June and I have already been told it will be difficult to get it again for my husband - simply because the company in charge is denying everyone. Where is CWA in this? Yes, there is a class action law suit at this time but how long will that take? My advice to anyone denied is to get the name of the agent who denied you and call whatever government office necessary. Report it to Labor Relations. U deliberately got a company notorious for their denials to stick it to the employee once again. Something needs to be done now not later.

 

[4merresrat]

Questions Questions

I'm trying to figure this one out. In a non union world I know of NO ONE who has EVER taken this "benefit" unless they were NOT the primary breadwinner.

If you are part time why would you need FMLA?

Also if you are "Impoverished" as you claim then how could you even entertain the FMLA option for any length of time?

I hear all of this talk of "Struggle", WHERE? Spoke with a UA G/A who made $70,000 last year. He made me laugh when he told me "Hey I'm overpaid and lovin' it! I know it's coming to an end. But hey My kids are grown and the house is paid and I don't work to hard so I'll stay"

As for the Express folks making $13.05/Hr. do you realize that if you as a couple work full time earning that hourly rate with no OT, you are in the top 25% of gross family incomes Nationwide? According to certain Democrat politicians anyone making over 30K is considered "Rich"

Do you feel rich? I know i don't even earning double that.

Good point Piney Bob. But you are speaking to deaf ears. When I worked in res I would say 85% of the employees had family leave and about 75% abused it. I had co-workers that used it to go to the beach, to wait for the carpet man to lay carpet, and to go to a childs basketball game. Usairways has/had a MAJOR problem with FMLA abuse in res. I am sure millions of dollars was lost this way. I cannot blame them for FINALLY cracking down. And please don't slam me with all the sob stories of people who needed it legitimately. I understand some people need it. I am talking about the abusers. The majority of people who signed up for it did not need it. Let's think about it. FMLA was SUPPOSE to be for a major or catastrophic illness of employee or family member. We had tons of abusers who said they had allergies, back pain, headaches. I knew many agents who went to several different doctors before they could find one who would sign the papers, then they told all their friends who the dr. was and they would run off and get their papers signed.

 

[planejane]

Your beating a dead horse Piney, but thanks for trying! USAirway employees are simply spoiled with the wages of yesterday. It's back to 3rd shift, but it still pays the bills.

 

[deltawatch]

Im not a huge FMLA fan myself, but you’re missing MY point, the company is turning full-time jobs into part-time SPLITS to eliminate FMLA and health care benefits for dependents. This is more of an ATO problem. For those of you that don't know what a split shift is, you work from 430am till 730am then you’re off the clock until 10am then work 10a till 1pm every day. You are at work 9 hours cover a full time line, get paid for 6 and lose your benefits. Hope you're not full time, you won't be for long if this trend continues.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Usairways has/had a MAJOR problem with FMLA abuse in res. I am sure millions of dollars was lost this way. I cannot blame them for FINALLY cracking down. And please don't slam me with all the sob stories of people who needed it legitimately. I understand some people need it.

Your point is legitimate and duly noted. As with so many things in life, the abusers foul it up for everyone else. While "FMLA crackdown" with no doubt catch or discourage some abusers, there will be people with legimate needs who will be denied. I would hate to be the person in corporate making the decisions; I would be certain to make some bad calls either way.


This subject made me think of some OJI/Disability situations that I know about.
I remember one person who was out on OJI. The insurance company conducted surveilance and caught him, on video, water skiiing. I also know of situations where people with seemingly legitimate (then again what do I know, I'm not an MD) OJIs who had to retuen to work.

 

[planejane]

If this is as you say, a campaign for telecommuting - modeled after JetBlue would benefit the res employees. Yes, it would probably mean less pay, but there are perks to working from home, especially if you say, the split shift scenerio. No clothing expense, car wear and tear, gas expense. Has the CWA researched the possibilities? With the overhead not there - other benefits could be exchanged. It will eventully come down to a give and take anyway.

 

[tadjr]

I hear all of this talk of "Struggle", WHERE? Spoke with a UA G/A who made $70,000 last year. He made me laugh when he told me "Hey I'm overpaid and lovin' it!

So because 1 UA G/A said he made $70000 a year last year, everyone else must be too? Is that the jist of what I get ya saying?
I have no doubt that there are SOME agents who MIGHT be making this much, but how many people really want to work (by my calculations depending on time and half or double time overtime) 60-67 hours a week EVERY week to make this much? First of all, they arent covering the OT in every instance to have us all making this much, secondly many of us are only getting 20 hours a week to start with, that means we have to find 40 EXTRA hours (working for someone or OT) to get close to that. Come on Bob, I thought you were smarter than that..... :angry:

 

[4merresrat]

I agree, split shifts are completely un-employee friendly. The only way they should be offered is completely voluntary, and with a big shift-differential as well. I had a friend who worked a split 5:30 am till 8:00 am and then they made then come back in the afternoon from 2-5 (or something like that), but the WORST insult was that between 2-5 they made them take a 1/2 hr lunch. It was ludicrous. But speaking of CWA, why didn't the CWA address this when they went to the table in the first pl ce? It seems more an oversight on the CWA's part than anything else. Of course the company is going to try to get away with anything that saves them money. I thought that is what we had the union for, to protect employees, and to have foresight to cover these issues.

 

[GeezLouis]

FMLA = Forgive My Lying A*$

 

[deltawatch]

For the record we have a lot of 15 & 20 year CWA customer service agents that have been forced to part-time, getting 20-25 hours a week. That’s about $20,000 a year.

I just hate to see more families have to fail financially because the company adopts a policy of turning as many full time jobs into part-time splits as they can.

If the CWA sets down with the company and offers them W2 relief I hope we get some contract language that gives us more job security. We already are going to lose lots of full-time position to technology and PAR’s.

And yes there are some people abusing FMLA, but there are others that plan to take care of their ageing parents and may need it once in a while. You know what some day your kids might want to use some FMLA to take care of your lousy Butt....On second thought with your attitude they will probably just through you in a ole folks home....

 

[bagosh]

I wonder if all those with opinions are aware of what FMLA is?

The Family Medical Leave Act was enacted to protect workers with a serious condition, from the possibility of losing their jobs due to that condition. It covers individuals for abscences for up to 12 weeks.

Are there people who take advantage of something like this,absolutly and shame on them. But for someone that may be recovering from a serious condition or a reoccurring condition it saves them the stress of wondering if they will have a job when they recover.

Someone that has suffered a stroke or heart attack will certainly apreciate the Family leave medical act.

Not all companies are as benevelent as USAIRWAYS in time of need.

 

[BoeingBoy]

bagosh,

Did you mean benevelent or malevalent?

Jim

 

[diogenes]

FWIW, there are US stations that do not qualify for FMLA, due to less than 50 f/t employees within a 75 mile radius.

Nothing like being the red-headed step child :angry: