Last Day of a Former TWA FA Who's Being Furloughed

[Skymess]

From the tone of the board people would all assume that the relations between the TWA and AA groups was miserable. In my limited dealings with all the former TWA attendants, I've enjoyed their personalities, work ethic, and professionalism and we all got along. I've pretty much determined that much of the hoopla has been stirred up by those people who've lost their call back rights and have never worked a day on AA metal as AAFAs.

Today was a bad day. One of the good guys on his last trip. He was doing a remarkable job of maintaining his composure and trying to remain upbeat. Every once in awhile you looked at him and saw the glimmer of a tear in his eye and a melancholy look on his face.

We did a turn. He was great to work with. I was trying to devise some small way I could show my appreciation for him and make his last flight a good one. I thought, at the very least, I'd make an announcement at the end of the day and let everyone know it's his last flight and at least offer him some nice words. Of course, AA took that away too.

Our plane went out of service and his last flight, possibly his last ever, was spent dead heading home. Kind of par for AA's course that they'd do such a quick furlough and that he worked his last flight without even knowing it was the last one.

I really hope things pick up and we wind up calling people back as opposed to sending more out.

 

[FurloughedByAPFA]

You're right. It is a sad day when a "union" can't even save 200 jobs. APFA is pathetic.

 

[nbmcg01]

Thank you Chris. Those who returned last year truly love the job, warts and all. There are many just as eager waiting to return. Like you, I hope it will be soon. I don't see any hope of the seasonal "help" changing as long as furlough pay is off the table. Be safe.

And people need to understand that just because we don't always agree over certain issues, that doesn't affect one's professional behavior on the job. I don't alwasy agree with my family and close friends either. Doesn't mean I don't love them.

 

[Barfbag]

Sadly, everyone will experience their ' last flight' someday.

Luckilly, if only briefly, your co-worker was able to wear his wings, once proudly again.

Take a moment to reflect on those former TWAers ( winged or not ) who were never able to.

 

[STAAPLED]

There was no reason why any Flight Attendant should have been furloughed. I really don't blame AA, but rather APFA for not doing their job properly. A real union, for example, like the AFA, has been able to save virtually all their membership's jobs, by negotiating volunteer furloughs.

When Skymess writes about one of the furloughee's last day with insincere compassion, Skymess exposes a rather shallow understanding of one of the major consequences of APFA's inability to act like a real union.

It was the APFA who decided to staple a group of older working americans to the bottom of a seniority list. And by doing so, they committed the ultimate act of age discrimination.

 

[Maark767]

You're right. It is a sad day when a "union" can't even save 200 jobs. APFA is pathetic.

Just look around, it's not just airlines that are losing jobs....... Every sector around the world is feeling the heat. I think APFA saved more than 200 jobs. How many people are on leaves??? Something like 1500 F/As. Thats alot of saved jobs in my opinon.
If we only had the former TWA F/A union , The IAM.... I'm sure that union would have saved all jobs, got our work rules back and restored everything we lost. According to the TWA F/As, they had it made with the IAM.... no that sounded like a real union....

 

[Maark767]

There was no reason why any Flight Attendant should have been furloughed. I really don't blame AA, but rather APFA for not doing their job properly. A real union, for example, like the AFA, has been able to save virtually all their membership's jobs, by negotiating volunteer furloughs.

When Skymess writes about one of the furloughee's last day with insincere compassion, Skymess exposes a rather shallow understanding of one of the major consequences of APFA's inability to act like a real union.

It was the APFA who decided to staple a group of older working americans to the bottom of a seniority list. And by doing so, they committed the ultimate act of age discrimination.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the former TWA union, The IAM sell you guys down the river when they agreed to waive the senority clause in your TWA contract. What kind of union was that !!!!!!! If I remember correctly, AA was going to call off the deal if they didnt get the clause waived. So take it for what it's worth but I believe AA had a say in where they wanted to slot the TWA f/As in....
Big brother is always watching... You can count on that...

 

[nbmcg01]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the former TWA union, The IAM sell you guys down the river when they agreed to waive the senority clause in your TWA contract. What kind of union was that !!!!!!! If I remember correctly, AA was going to call off the deal if they didnt get the clause waived. So take it for what it's worth but I believe AA had a say in where they wanted to slot the TWA f/As in....
Big brother is always watching... You can count on that...

The IAM is not the issue (now) and I don't think there is anyone of Gods green earth that doesn't know my feelings about that satin jacketed, all about the dues, poor excuse for a union.
However, when a union GIVES $340,000,000 a year in concessions, the very least you should expect is a furlough clause..

To casually pass this off by saying, "Oh well, at least you had one more flight" is like telling someone with a child who has had a miscarriage, "Oh well, at least you have another child". I've been in both positions and I can honestly say BOTH losses are equally as hard and stressful. I think this furlough is worse than the last because you have people with 30+ years experience, who gave up new careers to come back to the job they loved, have done a very good job, and now have to start over again. Having been furloughed 5 times in my "youth" I can assure you that it is much more difficult in your 50s and 60s.

By the way, I believe Chris was being very honest. Do not disrespect her post.

 

[czerny]

I hope someday you can find it in your heart to let things go. I came from Eagle to AA in 2001. I got company seniority for vacation and credit for a year of company service. I'm not bitter, I'm not angry, and I'm grateful for everday that I have a job doing what I love. I've been furloughed twice and have lost in total a year of company seniority through 2 furloughs. My pay was frozen during a four year furlough. I'm wearing gold wings with my uniform and getting paid at 4th year pay scale. Am I bitter? No. It's not worth it. I chose to come back to AA from furlough.

Am I dissapointed with APFA? Yes, but I do the best that I can. I vote, I call the union with questions, and I carry my contract with me. Yes, I feel that APFA doesn't care much about anyone with less than 40 years bidding seniority. But, APFA is my union and if I want to work here as a flight attendant, this is what I have to work with. I'm sorry for anyone who is getting furloughed. I've been there and I'm in the next round if rumors in LGA are to be believed. And at age 37, I'm not young either. I have a plan if and when I get furloughed again for the third time if things don't improve.

You keep saying that APFA wronged the former TWA flight attendants. You left out the graduates of AA classess 2001-08 and everyone after that were still going on until training was suspended after 9/11. They never got a second chance. Their recall rights were never extended by either Tommie Hutto Blake nor Laura Glading. I know one of these flight attendants.

I have had to put 2 very sick dogs to sleep this past week and I watched my own mother die from cancer when I was 25 years old. There are other things in life that are more pressing. Please do something and say something positive, and find peace. What is done is done.
Good luck.

 

[Maark767]

The IAM is not the issue (now) and I don't think there is anyone of Gods green earth that doesn't know my feelings about that satin jacketed, all about the dues, poor excuse for a union.
However, when a union GIVES $340,000,000 a year in concessions, the very least you should expect is a furlough clause..

To casually pass this off by saying, "Oh well, at least you had one more flight" is like telling someone with a child who has had a miscarriage, "Oh well, at least you have another child". I've been in both positions and I can honestly say BOTH losses are equally as hard and stressful. I think this furlough is worse than the last because you have people with 30+ years experience, who gave up new careers to come back to the job they loved, have done a very good job, and now have to start over again. Having been furloughed 5 times in my "youth" I can assure you that it is much more difficult in your 50s and 60s.

By the way, I believe Chris was being very honest. Do not disrespect her post.

I also feel the same way Chris does about my co-workers... No disrespect here.... Tell the same to Staapled and the other one...

 

[FA Mikey]

There was no reason why any Flight Attendant should have been furloughed. I really don't blame AA, but rather APFA for not doing their job properly. A real union, for example, like the AFA, has been able to save virtually all their membership's jobs, by negotiating volunteer furloughs.

Guess what, APFA has that too. Guess what also, not enough people wanted to or could do it. Take a look out there, the economy sucks, there is not the same opportunity's for people to do other things has there was for many of us in the past.

 

[Skymess]

When Skymess writes about one of the furloughee's last day with insincere compassion, Skymess exposes a rather shallow understanding of one of the major consequences of APFA's inability to act like a real union.

Here we go again, huh? Normally I really enjoy arguing with you. It's kind of fun to be bad Chris. Not when I wrote it though. My post was sincere. You're just such a bitter hag you can't see it.

Like a real union, APFA retained their MEMBER'S seniority. My compassion is not insincere. You should think about therapy. It isn't good to walk around so angry and bitter all the time.

It was the APFA who decided to staple a group of older working americans to the bottom of a seniority list. And by doing so, they committed the ultimate act of age discrimination.

Nice try for another lawsuit, but you're going to have to let that one go too. There were people below you guys who were younger and are never coming back.

I understand your sadness about not being able to do the job you love. I won't apologize for it because I did nothing wrong.

 

[AAStew]

They have a point about keeping the jobs and negotiating volunteer options as opposed to furlough. I took the partnership option, I would have taken leave if I could have kept my health insurance at our current rates and not the Cobra rates. AA/APFA chose not to offer that. Some years I use the insurance quite a bit other years zilch. It could have saved someones job but hey, we are only numbers without a soul to both the company and the union.

 

[eolesen]

I posed this question on another thread but will ask it again -- are APFA and AFA in place to keep as many people working as possible, or to preserve wages and benefits for the membership as a whole?

Both can't be the top priority, so sooner or later, something has to give and someone's gonna be unhappy.


Sorry to hear this FA had their last flight cut short. It's almost as sucky as a down-to-the-birthday Captain arranging to have his spouse onboard his last flight, then the plane takes a mechanical, crew goes illegal, and they all wind up deadheading home, which happened on a flight I worked a bazillion years ago.

Perhaps your union can address furlough rights, and your colleague will have a chance (regardless how small) of returning for a real last flight. Stranger things have happened in this industry.

 

[AAStew]

I posed this question on another thread but will ask it again -- are APFA and AFA in place to keep as many people working as possible, or to preserve wages and benefits for the membership as a whole?

Both can't be the top priority, so sooner or later, something has to give and someone's gonna be unhappy.


Sorry to hear this FA had their last flight cut short. It's almost as sucky as a down-to-the-birthday Captain arranging to have his spouse onboard his last flight, then the plane takes a mechanical, crew goes illegal, and they all wind up deadheading home, which happened on a flight I worked a bazillion years ago.

Perhaps your union can address furlough rights, and your colleague will have a chance (regardless how small) of returning for a real last flight. Stranger things have happened in this industry.

Honestly, it is there for both. Keeping as many jobs as possible at a quality that is more than bearable. The two are not mutually exclusive. There are many of us who would have taken leave but it was not plausible because of the benefits. There could have been a compromise where those who could not afford the furlough and those who could. The union chose not to pursue that path. I personally think it is time for a new union.