JCBA Negotiations and updates for AA Fleet

[Jester]

My station LAS, that I transferred from just 28 months ago is in the midst of being eviscerated! Before I left we had 30 daily flights, now they transferred all the work to the US side with US planes back and forth to DFW. Now LAS AA side is down to 14 a day. folks with 30+ that were hired in LAS might have to move, and all are way too young to retire. Add the change to the CS, and it will be a sad story at that.

Word I am hearing from LAS is that the AA will start cross-utilzation early January with 4 US metal flights daily. In turn, that will protect AA fleet service agents from furloughs during the negotiations regardless of the number of AA flights reduced into LAS.

 

[Albert]

Honestly, AA had 43 stations when I was hired, now we have 17. With the exception of PHX just this past year, how many stations have they reopened. ZERO, that language is meaningless!

No one got 30 from me!
AA scope
5475 / 365 = 15
7300 / 365 = 20
And yes, the wind gets real cold at night up in the towers! lol

Sorry Bob I got you confused with someone else.I thought you said something about UAL settling for 30 + flights so we would be in the ballpark but I was wrong which is par for the course in my world, thank God a broken clock is right two times a day.

 

[Albert]

Word I am hearing from LAS is that the AA will start cross-utilzation early January with 4 US metal flights daily. In turn, that will protect AA fleet service agents from furloughs during the negotiations regardless of the number of AA flights reduced into LAS.

I wonder what the "cross utilization plan" looks like?

 

[bob@las-AA]

Word I am hearing from LAS is that the AA will start cross-utilzation early January with 4 US metal flights daily. In turn, that will protect AA fleet service agents from furloughs during the negotiations regardless of the number of AA flights reduced into LAS.

I hope that's true. It's funny, mx started x utilize in ATL, any word on how that's working out? And dose anyone know the full plan? Looks like the company is doing it on a need to know basis.

 

[bob@las-AA]

Sorry Bob I got you confused with someone else.I thought you said something about UAL settling for 30 + flights so we would be in the ballpark but I was wrong which is par for the course in my world, thank god a broken clock is right two times a day.

UA did settle for 35 daily. It left just the hubs. Goes to show that ya get enough longtimers involved and toss in some money chit happens, it will happen here too.

 

[Jester]

I wonder what the "cross utilization plan" looks like?

I spoke with someone today in LAS and was told that it will start with 3 US metal flights later this month will be worked by LAA ramp, and a 4th US metal flight will be added in January also to be handled by LAA ramp. So far, no scheduled AA metal will be handled by LUS in LAS. These designated flights will be built into the AA ramp work schedule as part of the regular work assignments. In addition, based upon operational needs LAA ramp agents may be upon called to provide a "helping hand" with the expressed authorization of the AA crew chief upon request from the MOD. Teams/Crews will not be mixed with each other, nor will Leads/Crew Chiefs instruct agents not from their respective airline.

Based upon what I was told it sounds pretty clear cut as to exact flights, no mixing of work groups while keeping the respective chain of command.

 

[bob@las-AA]

I spoke with someone today in LAS and was told that it will start with 3 US metal flights later this month will be worked by LAA ramp, and a 4th US metal flight will be added in January also to be handled by LAA ramp. So far, no scheduled AA metal will be handled by LUS in LAS. These designated flights will be built into the AA ramp work schedule as part of the regular work assignments. In addition, based upon operational needs LAA ramp agents may be upon called to provide a "helping hand" with the expressed authorization of the AA crew chief upon request from the MOD. Teams/Crews will not be mixed with each other, nor will Leads/Crew Chiefs instruct agents not from their respective airline.

Based upon what I was told it sounds pretty clear cut as to exact flights, no mixing of work groups while keeping the respective chain of command.

Before August 5th the AA side had 14 LAS-DFW flights a day, they shifted all the 737s somewhere else and are using all US metal going to the US side. In my opinion, however you look at it, the AA side is over staffed.

 

[Albert]

Before August 5th the AA side had 14 LAS-DFW flights a day, they shifted all the 737s somewhere else and are using all US metal going to the US side. In my opinion, however you look at it, the AA side is over staffed.

Before August 5th the AA side had 14 LAS-DFW flights a day, they shifted all the 737s somewhere else and are using all US metal going to the US side. In my opinion, however you look at it, the AA side is over staffed.

When the added flights to LUS did they increase manpower there?

 

[Jester]

When the added flights to LUS did they increase manpower there?

US recalled LAS ramp agents who were furloughed from a few years ago when it was an AW/US hub operation. Some of those US agents brought back originally when AA brought them in as preferential hires, as no AA agents wanted to transfer into LAS as PT, so the alternative was to hire off the streets or use furloughed LAS US agents. The preferential recall list has been exhausted, so a few new hires were brought into AA LAS in the last few months, as I was told. However, there are still some furloughed agents with recall rights into LAS on the US side.

The big push for cross-utilization has been because the US side in LAS has been short-staffed while LAS AA operations have been grossly overstaffed. Before the merger, AA was handling about 30 flights a day with US being around 15 flights a day, and now it has been flipped, but the AA staffing has stayed about the same, or so I have been told by a few people.

 

[Talos]

Saw the new update, and read how the language in LUS is very different from LAA in previous agreements. It really shows how having this association works against us. They should just take the better of the two in all cases, or combine the best of both. It has to be really hard to negotiate when you have to negotiate with yourselves first.

 

[NYer]

Saw the new update, and read how the language in LUS is very different from LAA in previous agreements. It really shows how having this association works against us. They should just take the better of the two in all cases, or combine the best of both. It has to be really hard to negotiate when you have to negotiate with yourselves first.

Who, in your opinion, decides which is the best language?

And once you get past that, you assume the Company will just accept the best language without input?

It is complicated because it is inevitable we end up with a hybrid of each CBA in order to get an agreement.

 

[bob@las-AA]

Saw the new update, and read how the language in LUS is very different from LAA in previous agreements. It really shows how having this association works against us. They should just take the better of the two in all cases, or combine the best of both. It has to be really hard to negotiate when you have to negotiate with yourselves first.

They who? The company or the a$$?

 

[bob@las-AA]

US recalled LAS ramp agents who were furloughed from a few years ago when it was an AW/US hub operation. Some of those US agents brought back originally when AA brought them in as preferential hires, as no AA agents wanted to transfer into LAS as PT, so the alternative was to hire off the streets or use furloughed LAS US agents. The preferential recall list has been exhausted, so a few new hires were brought into AA LAS in the last few months, as I was told. However, there are still some furloughed agents with recall rights into LAS on the US side.

The big push for cross-utilization has been because the US side in LAS has been short-staffed while LAS AA operations have been grossly overstaffed. Before the merger, AA was handling about 30 flights a day with US being around 15 flights a day, and now it has been flipped, but the AA staffing has stayed about the same, or so I have been told by a few people.

I think you have it the other way around Jest. before the merge the AA side 30 flights/day, all with only 70 clerks and not including crew chiefs, "grossly overstaffed" I don't think so! US side had 5 working the ticket lift, AA had 2, 5-6 clerks working a flight on the US side, AA had 3. Drivers on the AA side, 1 per flight with with a average of 90 bags to the local claim and LAS has been scanning in-out for years before the hubs, and that lone driver also scan bags to the local belt alone. And it was the same way back in the day when we still had day-line cleaning. Unload, go up and clean, go back down and load, all with in 45 min for a MD-80, 50 min for a 737 and 55 for a 757. Someone on the US side fed you a of horse pucky, lots of it! They failed to mention all the tower people that managed to keep their jobs and did nothing for years, or having a crew of 6 for each flight, or having the equivalent of a heavy overhaul - heavy checks MX crew that are just plain overworked with those 15 flight for the past 5-10 years. Do not forget that too know some one on the US side at LAS, and this person paints a very different picture. The once cushy LUS work routine, is now what LAA was before August 5. Now, LAA is overstaffed on the ramp, after the company replaced all the 737 AA metal with US 321 ect. and shifted to the US side. But, the company, as you said, has a solution, to through a few token flights to the AA side to keep the numbers up. And let us not for get, they can call on the AA side for support. If a story is to told about LAS, it should be told the way it is, and not the way it is perceived.

 

[Jester]

I think you have it the other way around Jest. before the merge the AA side 30 flights/day, all with only 70 clerks and not including crew chiefs, "grossly overstaffed" I don't think so! US side had 5 working the ticket lift, AA had 2, 5-6 clerks working a flight on the US side, AA had 3. Drivers on the AA side, 1 per flight with with a average of 90 bags to the local claim and LAS has been scanning in-out for years before the hubs, and that lone driver also scan bags to the local belt alone. And it was the same way back in the day when we still had day-line cleaning. Unload, go up and clean, go back down and load, all with in 45 min for a MD-80, 50 min for a 737 and 55 for a 757. Someone on the US side fed you a of horse pucky, lots of it! They failed to mention all the tower people that managed to keep their jobs and did nothing for years, or having a crew of 6 for each flight, or having the equivalent of a heavy overhaul - heavy checks MX crew that are just plain overworked with those 15 flight for the past 5-10 years. Do not forget that too know some one on the US side at LAS, and this person paints a very different picture. The once cushy LUS work routine, is now what LAA was before August 5. Now, LAA is overstaffed on the ramp, after the company replaced all the 737 AA metal with US 321 ect. and shifted to the US side. But, the company, as you said, has a solution, to through a few token flights to the AA side to keep the numbers up. And let us not for get, they can call on the AA side for support. If a story is to told about LAS, it should be told the way it is, and not the way it is perceived.

Bob,

I think you misread what I posted. AA in LAS is grossly overstaffed now, not 2-3 years ago when you were there. As it stands presently, I have been informed there are about equal number of people in terms of FTEs on both AA and US sides in LAS, but US has been handling twice the number of flights. Simple example as I have been told is that part-time AA agents, 4-hour shifts during the day are responsible for 1 turn and 1 terminator and the 4-hour night shift would work just 2 terminators. Does not strike me as much in the way of available work for the number of flights.

 

[john john]

30 flights a day as scope for a day is pretty much a deal-breaker for me. I could understand the company position if there were only a few flights spaced out throughout the day and the staffing required, but around 6-8 flights a day would appear reasonable to me. US contract has, I believe, 56 flights average per week (8 flights a day); however, some stations had a requirement of 90+ flights a week, which I think was unfair to treat stations differently and needless to say, those higher number stations were closed.

CWA/IBT has 35 flights average per week (5 flights a day) language in there CBA NOW. At one time had language that all mainline flights were work by mainline agents that was until concession fuel by bankruptcies and American West bottom on the industry pay/benfits/workrules it was negotiated down to 2 flights a day. CWA/IBT negotiated a concessionary contract for the LUS airport agents The company needed this contract to complete the merger CWA/IBT had major leverage at the barging table with the Passenger System cutover and was the only union on the property to be in section 6 direct negotiations under the RLA unlike the rest of the employees groups in joint contract negotiations .What is sad is the CWA USAirways negotiating team of the past negotiated far better contact language wile under far worst conditions 2 bankruptcies along with classic jerry G trying to cram a airline with the worst pay and work rules and the airline industry down the agents throats . Had to threaten a strike with a strike vote just to keep the American West crappie pay and work rules out of our contact.. A lot was a play during the CWA/IBT LAA/LUS negotiations. Naive LAA .CWA representation at Express Envoy and Piedmont Express (whipsawing). Along with a rush to get a contract in place

Jerry and gang has/have great resources and a playbook of compilation of strategies. Good luck on Scope !!!!!!!