East and west, we can all get along

[lildutchgrl]

I was on a layover tonight, and as I sat in the hotel lounge I met a wonderful crew from the west. We sat there and hung out and talked as if we actually worked for the same company.

WHAT A CONCEPT!

It was then I realized, all the things the east is told is a practicing item in the west, the west is told it is a practicing item in the east. Now let me bring up the topic of patterns of sick time. What is that? Well supposedly I am not allowed by this combined company to be sick at the same time 2 out of 3 years in a row. The EAST is told that this comes directly from the WEST, however, the WEST is seeing this for the first time. Are we actually being played for fools? Brother against sister... Mom against dad......In all, very interesting.

I have decided that the best way to get through this is to work together. I had a great time hanging out with a crew that was based in PHX, while I, the lone PHL flight attendant was welcomed with open arms. It just goes to show, this may actually be a good thing. As long as we are at each others throats, it benefits everyone but ourselves. There is a lot the East doesn't know about the west. Did you know they do 10 hour one days coast to coast????? There is a lot the west doesn't know about the east.

Either way, the more we talk and learn about the other side, whether it be the worse side or the infectious side, (just stating nicknames) the sooner we will come together and stand up together.

Once again, Thank you, the nice crew from the west that I hung out with. You are great. Let's work together.

lildutchgrl

 

[N903AW]

You can hang out and swap stories with me anytime lildutchgrl! First round is on me!

I have actually had numerous opportunities working the 757 trip between PHX and CLT to meet my coworkers from both CLT and PHL domiciles. I have enjoyed the conversations we have had and have found that we all have more in common with each other than differences!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[PHL]

I have decided that the best way to get through this is to work together.

Wow. What a concept.

 

[orioleman]

lildutchgrl,
nice post. Yes you are soooo right . we can work together. It's just sad that the culture management brings to this

company is one reason we are separate, I think they feel they can divide and conquer and for most of the employee groups

thats pretty much what they have done. It all started with the WEST metal Vs the EAST metal . having going thru this before

with the NORTH vs SOUTH in the US/PI merger . I can tell you it doesn't work . it took a good 10 yrs after the merger before

we were 1 airline.

 

[Travelpro72]

I honestly believe that as time goes on east and west are starting to see that we MUST get along. I'm speaking as a flight attendant and our group. We all must realize that WE the employee are NOT the problem. WE are all great employees that are separated by a JUNK management team trying hardball tactics in negotiations. We have a lot of good and bad from both ends and our histories are rich. The casting of dirty looks in passing and east vs. west threads are diminishing. We are slowly seeing ourselves grouping together. Don't let the fact that we are 4 hours apart keep us from uniting. Contract or NOT.

 

[EMBFA]

Well, we may work differently, have entirely different cultures and expectations, and have some obvious (to everyone but mgmt) market differences, but the number one thing is, hellllloooooooooooooo....

DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.

There has been no merger as far as we are concerned, just a completely different breed of airline trying to make ours like their own in a non-stop series of appalling blunders and huge failures. Other than that, we are working with the same people, airplanes, and contracts, albeit all of the above in the worst condition they've ever been.

Why would we feel like we work together? We don't. We know and interact with them as little as we do with F/As from the multitude of Express carriers.

 

[WCT]

Well, we may work differently, have entirely different cultures and expectations, and have some obvious (to everyone but mgmt) market differences, but the number one thing is, hellllloooooooooooooo....

DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.

There has been no merger as far as we are concerned, just a completely different breed of airline trying to make ours like their own in a non-stop series of appalling blunders and huge failures. Other than that, we are working with the same people, airplanes, and contracts, albeit all of the above in the worst condition they've ever been.

Why would we feel like we work together? We don't. We know and interact with them as little as we do with F/As from the multitude of Express carriers.

Regadless of our contract differences, doesn't mean you can't be friendly and go out of you way to get to know the West crews. I always try to talk with any East crews I come in contact with, whether it is a geniune "good morning", or 5 minute coversation.
When we are all in the new uniforms, I can just see it now. The first thing to come out of anyones mouth will be: "Are you East or West?!" What a shame.

 

[DesertFA66]

I think the biggest problem west has with east is this: West thinks that East hates everything different. :angry: When we talk to each other the ony thing we really think is that "east hates change", the West FA's are used to it and just "go with it" most of the time.

But all in all, west fa's have great things to say about east fa's that they have met, we just wish you guys would adjust better, this is not intended to be a mean post

 

[WCT]

I think the biggest problem west has with east is this: West thinks that East hates everything different. :angry: When we talk to each other the ony thing we really think is that "east hates change", the West FA's are used to it and just "go with it" most of the time.

But all in all, west fa's have great things to say about east fa's that they have met, we just wish you guys would adjust better, this is not intended to be a mean post

Astro, Travelpro, Embra, please feel free to respond!!! I am done. hates change??? everything different??? adjust? Oh gosh! I am WesTCoast fa and totally disagree. sorry Desert. ^_^

 

[InternationalShannon]

Regadless of our contract differences, doesn't mean you can't be friendly and go out of you way to get to know the West crews. I always try to talk with any East crews I come in contact with, whether it is a geniune "good morning", or 5 minute coversation.
When we are all in the new uniforms, I can just see it now. The first thing to come out of anyones mouth will be: "Are you East or West?!" What a shame.

That's really sad that you guys have that working against you. I can tell you, when the West( PHX) came over to help us with Qik/SHARES, we were pissed about the system but it was party time after work.

Then, when I went to help them with decs/fos cutover in September in LAS, it was party time all over again with a different group. Everyone was nice.

It does seem that across the board, West has been bullied by management all along and kind of turns the cheek .....

They dont EVER give comp upgrades in Vegas. EVER. But in the East, in a hub, it's easy because if you had a good reason, and the seats were there, no one will ever bother you.

 

[Travelpro72]

I think the biggest problem west has with east is this: West thinks that East hates everything different. :angry: When we talk to each other the ony thing we really think is that "east hates change", the West FA's are used to it and just "go with it" most of the time.

But all in all, west fa's have great things to say about east fa's that they have met, we just wish you guys would adjust better, this is not intended to be a mean post

Ok WCT....I'll go first. East hates change? No we hate that EVERY change west management has made has been one bad blunder after the other. Hates change? Yeah so much that the original US was made up of merger after merger. We went through 2 count them 2 bankruptcies and we deal with a lot of change. What kind of change is it that you think we don't like? I'll tell you the CHANGE that YOU will start to see whenever/if this contract gets done! You'll find that the east group is not much different than the west only for the fact that we're more seasoned when it COMES to change and we don't take management crap and say "Yes sir" just because.

 

[hulagirl]

Amen to this post! We are ALL flight attendants, and we ALL want the same things.
I think it will all work itself out once we are truly integrated. And, once the fear factor is gone.
I have met many East flight attendants and some mechanics and pilots. All are so nice, fun and engaging.
We need to get ourselves together and be a strong unit to fight for the change that we want and need.
Starting with a FAIR CONTRACT that benefits the flight attendant GROUP!

 

[Travelpro72]

Right on....start working together. When I see east and west acting like jerks to each other it makes me think why. Why when management doesn't favor one side to the other. They don't care if we like each other or not. A merger has happened and neither of us had ANY say in deal. It's DONE as far as the two companies coming together. It is the SAME at Macy's where my friend works. They took over the May co. stores but kept the Macy's name. He said all he hears is "Well back at Kaufmans" and "Well back at Lazarus/Macy's". It's not unique to airlines. GET OVER IT.

 

[Planemx]

lildutchgrl,
nice post. Yes you are soooo right . we can work together. It's just sad that the culture management brings to this

company is one reason we are separate, I think they feel they can divide and conquer and for most of the employee groups

thats pretty much what they have done. It all started with the WEST metal Vs the EAST metal . having going thru this before

with the NORTH vs SOUTH in the US/PI merger . I can tell you it doesn't work . it took a good 10 yrs after the merger before

we were 1 airline.

They still separate the work pkgs for East/West metal....East A/C gets worked in East stations and same for the West - the techs work fine together, it really is management that needs to pull their head out.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Imagine when the new uniforms take effect-no one will be able to tell the difference between crews.

We'll end up treating each other equally good/bad, just like we do now.

I've J/S on West metal and have always offered to help out(informally)-most crews politely decline but on one occasion the A took me up on my offer. We worked, joked, talked as two people would normally do when working together.

Sitting on the J/S the conversations were the same as on all J/S's .

I agree with the above poster that management is trying to keep us apart by working both sides of the street and keeping things to their advantage.

Hopefully the AFA can find a way to prod this management into some forward movement.