Help! Got My Mda Recall Letter Today!

[flyguy121]

Wow, after almost a 3 year furlough. Two MidAtlantic Bid Letters arrived today via Regular Mail AND a Certified One. My Class was the second to last (01/04) that was put through Training in May/June 2001. Considering I was only 5 names from the bottom in my class, I've got to imagine that just about everyone (considering there was only 1 class after ours) must now have received a letter from MDA.

I never thought I would consider going back to MDA, and I know it will probably be a LARGE paycut, but I have become so unhappy and stressed out at my job, I think it very negatively affects the quality of my life. I often miss flying.

I'm sorry to say I don't know enough about MDA to make a good decision, and I only have a few days. I was wondering if I could get a concise description of what basically life is like at MDA these days?

1) Is it true that we will start at $17 and change an hour and remain that way for 4 years? What is Topped Out pay and how long would it take to get there?
2) What is the perdiem?
3) What is the Hourly Minimum Guarantee?
4) How many hours are you expected to fly? How many consecutive days can they have you fly?
5) What are the new Work/Cleaning Rules?
6) How long would Training be?
7) How many days off do you have? Can Scheduling take them away?
8) Does MDA have both the 70 and 90 seat Embraers? How many planes are currently there? How often and how many planes will continue to be delivered?
9) Is it likely that improvements will be made to the MDA Contract? Or is it a done deal?

Pitbull and Light Years, I know that you're both very informed about MDA, so responses from you or any other Flight Attendant currently flying at MDA would be greatly appreciated by many of us who are as Junior as I am and have wondered for almost 3 years now if it would ever be possible to fly again...

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[PITbull]

The MIdAtlantic "highlights" (MAA) of the agreement are now found on www.afausairways.org and also on the Pittsburgh webpage, if you click "Pittsburgh".


Answers:

1. You will start at $17.67 until you reach 6 year pay (Counting both mainline and MAA years of service). You will jump to $20.40. Takes 14 years to get to top out.

2. Per dium is presently $1.30 and will jump to $1.35 in Jan. 2005, and then increase again thereafter according to the highlights.

3. 75 hours guarantee

4. The blocks are scheduled to 91 max. however you can keep on flying by picking up trips according to the contract.

5. Cleaning is according to American Eagle. And that is just doing basically what is required on mainline. You do not pull out trash liners from the receptacles or clean lavs.

6. Training is 5 days because you are NOT considered new hires. You will have single room accomodations in training, paid $25 per day in meal expense and 3:30 day for training pay that is above your guarantee.

7. You have OFF days of 10 and scheduling can take up to 2 but must make every effort to return them back in the same month or you can be paid out an extra 3:30 per day if you don't want them back.

8. The seat capacity on the 170 is 72. They are wanting to order the 100 seats but they are not delivered yet. There are presently 21 a/c on MAA. There were suppose to be approx 2-3 deliveries per month and max. 85 by end of 2006.

9. The MAA contract is now a "done deal". The language is currently being written ande the contracts should be assembled by month's end. The negotiations finished and AFA reached agreement with management on July 27.

The pay is not the best, there are NO duty riggs, vacation sucks, sick too, but there is some decent flexibility on MAA that we wish we had on mainline. Medical/dental participation is on DAY 1 for coverage.

There is also 3 new appointed AFA MEC Officers that are being precepted by the PIT President currently. They are great!

Best wishes...

PITbull

 

[PITbull]

flyguy,

Forgot to tell you that there is approx 200 f/as by Sept 1. AND, there will be a new base in PHL starting Sept 1 and possibly a new base in DCA by Nov .1.

Currently, Pittsburgh is THE base for MAA. You can put in a "bid" for where you want to be. More than likely you will be shipped to PHL as they need 126 f/as by Sept 1. From my understanding they only received about 50 bids to PHL, so they need to still fill it according to seniority.

So, you need to put a "standing bid" in once you ARE hired. Keep in mind, even though you receive a letter, doesn't mean you dates will be honored. They send out hundreds of letters to fill just 1 class. Aprrox 24 in each class and 2 classes per month.

 

[flyguy121]

Pitbull, Thanks for the great information, quick response and all you do always.

B)

I have a few more questions regarding Crew Bases:

1) Is it true that Pittsburgh is More Senior and closed?

2) If that is true, is it likely that I would be based in Philadelphia (which I would assume would be a More Junior Base)? Or are there many F/A's currecntly at MDA that are likely to Transfer to Philadelphia?

3) Is there an actual plan in place to make DCA a Crew Base?

Does anyone know what the size of the bases are projected to be? Or approximately how many Flight Attendants are expected to be in each Base?

Can More Senior F/A's come and bump me out of my Base or cause me to be re-furloughed from MDA?


Once again, Thanks!!

 

[flyguy121]

Oops...didn't realize before I posted that you already answered some of my questions...but now I've thought of one more.

What is a Standing Bid? Will that keep me in Philly if I am awarded Philly? Or is that a request for another base Opening (Pittsburgh for instance...)?

Gosh, I can't believe it's been 3 years...and by the way this information is helping MANY of us, so Thanks from many of us More Junior furloughs... My Letter was received today (8/6) and they want my response in hand by Noon 8/15. Not much time to think about it, so, I'm just trying to get the clearest picture of what to expect.

Again...manyThanks Pitbull.

 

[U 737 PILOT]

At MAA all overnights are at the short hotel (ie.... 21 hour RON in PHL is at the DELETED BY MODERATOR). Gotta love it !!!

 

[PITbull]

Pitbull, Thanks for the great information, quick response and all you do always.

B)

I have a few more questions regarding Crew Bases:

1) Is it true that Pittsburgh is More Senior and closed?

2) If that is true, is it likely that I would be based in Philadelphia (which I would assume would be a More Junior Base)? Or are there many F/A's currecntly at MDA that are likely to Transfer to Philadelphia?

3) Is there an actual plan in place to make DCA a Crew Base?

Does anyone know what the size of the bases are projected to be? Or approximately how many Flight Attendants are expected to be in each Base?

Can More Senior F/A's come and bump me out of my Base or cause me to be re-furloughed from MDA?


Once again, Thanks!!

Answers to the above:


1. Pittsburgh is a very mainline senior base. But, for MAA, its a mix as this was the only base opened since March. Only approx 50 f/as in Pittsburgh on MAA bid into PHL for Sept. 1. They needed 126. So the new classes in August have to go there. However, the "standing bid" will allow you to use your seniority to bid out the following month to the base you want, as long as the base is "open".

2. You will be based in PHL for Sept 1. and even though there maybe more senior folks than those in PIT, will go to PHL for now, but be able to "bump" folks out of Pittsburgh if they can hold it.

3. There is an actual plan to have a base in DCA, I just don't know when it will open for transfer.

4. Don't know the size of the bases, it depends on the flying and routes. I do know that PHL and DCA will have much point to point flying along with PIT.

5. As more f/as who are senior get furloughed from mainline including those already furloughed who chose to pass thus far, can bid in as long as they have not passed twice. They can NEVER bump you out of MAA, but they will "slot' in and you may go from block holder to reserve or from one base to another.

With regard to Hotels, the unions ...ALPA and AFA, need to get together and form committees to change hotels. Once the co. is in a hotel contract, it is difficult for them to break, however, there is no reason why they can't use mainline hotels if they are long layover hotels..

YOU NEED TO FORM A HOTEL COMMITTEE AND PUSH THIS ISSUE. The f/a MAA President who was newly appointed will be tackling this deal.

 

[nycbusdriver]

7. You have OFF days of 10 and scheduling can take up to 2 but must make every effort to return them back in the same month or you can be paid out an extra 3:30 per day if you don't want them back.

Or, put simply:

7. You will have 8 days off per month.

(You just have to love the contract language that scheduling "will make every effort" to do anything.)

 

[SKY HIGH]

At MAA all overnights are at the short hotel (ie.... deleted).

FOR "SECURITY REASONS"...........IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO POST WHERE CREWS LAYOVER ONLINE. THANKS!

SAFETY!
SAFETY!
SAFETY!

 

[PITbull]

Well, you are correct to a point, but MAA scheduling is not flying f/as into their days OFF like mainline attempts to.

 

[Light Years]

PITbull covered most of it. As far as PIT goes, theres been indications that the base will have 70-90 F/As, and I believe there are about 70 now. If you're not in PIT now, it may be difficult to get based there after September.

DCA is "in writing" to be a base, but no date or indication of the size as of yet. The company sees DCA as a good spot for MAA growth. There is some E170 flying through CLT, but PSA will be deploying alot of thier 70 seat RJs thre so it remains to be seen whether or not that will be a base for MAA. PHL will have alot of growth, I believe there are 80 or so on the bid sheet and they want to open it with 126.

Right now the company has options for the 170 and 175 but hasnt made any mention of the 175 lately. They would love to get the 190 or 195, but current scope dictates that it would have to be at full-mainline rather than MAA division mainline. If they can talk the pilots into allowing Express 90-100 seaters then they'll be placed there (although I wonder would they still call it Express then? If you've rode on the 170 you'll know its a huge stretch to call it Express even at 72 seats).

PITbull covered training and medical etc, and these are all things that have been improved since the startup. The AFA and the PIT president fought to get medical/dental from day one, at first it was a six month wait.

Reserve is very fast and will continue to be with the deliveries and new classes. Like mainline there are really good blocks and not so good blocks. Reserve is ten days off but again very-short lived. There is some flexibilty that mainline doesn't have. The money and work rules are a joke, but not quite as bad as a true Express carrier. Someone on here described it as a hybrid of mainline and Express.

 

[Furloughd4now]

My Class was the second to last (01/04) that was put through Training in May/June 2001.

We've gotten that far already? last I heard it was Novemember 00??? I'm 01/01 and have NOT received a letter. they have my current address.

I cannot access the Hub for info. Can anyone help out here?

 

[DCAflyer]

We've gotten that far already? last I heard it was Novemember 00??? I'm 01/01 and have NOT received a letter. they have my current address.

I cannot access the Hub for info. Can anyone help out here?

[post="166440"][/post]​

To access the Hub, go to http://thehub.usairways.com, click on divisions at the right of the screen, and you will see a log-in box. Your user name is U0 plus your employee number. (That is the letter U and the number zero and no space before your employee number). Your password is the first five digits of your SSN.

If you have not received your bid packet, it should be posted shortly if not already. Keep in mind that bids must be received by noon on 8/15 (strange that they picked a Sunday). Best of luck to you.

 

[Furloughd4now]

To access the Hub, go to http://thehub.usairways.com, click on divisions at the right of the screen, and you will see a log-in box. Your user name is U0 plus your employee number. (That is the letter U and the number zero and no space before your employee number). Your password is the first five digits of your SSN.

If you have not received your bid packet, it should be posted shortly if not already. Keep in mind that bids must be received by noon on 8/15 (strange that they picked a Sunday). Best of luck to you.

[post="166513"][/post]​

I've tried MANY, MANY times, again three times today and I CANNOT get in!

I got my letter just today and I am 01/01 :down:

 

[RumorS]

How much a year does a newhire MDA F/A make?