Latest Recall Information E-Line

[flyguy121]

E-Line just went out....(finally):

JUNE RECALL-LETTERS AND FORMS

The Company has formally announced a recall of involuntary furloughed US Airways Flight Attendants effective June 1, 2006. Previously, via a CBS message and a press release, the Company had announced a recall of 400 Flight Attendants to occur in June and August. At this time the Company has told AFA they will be recalling 200 Flight Attendants for June and an additional 80 Flight Attendants effective August 1, 2006. According to Mike Finn, Director of Crew Resources, the reason for the change was driven by marketing. Due to block hour projections he has told AFA the Company is planning to recall 230 Flight Attendants in December. Increased aircraft utilization and the introduction of the first two of twenty five Embraer 190 mainline jets scheduled to begin revenue service in January 2007 would seem to account for the Company projection.

I believe it is necessary for you to know what the Company is planning however, please understand any recall planned beyond August is subject to change due to variety of factors.

Originally the June and August recalls were planned as a simultaneous event. The Company has now chosen to offer two separate recalls. Prior to the August recall another transfer bid will be issued and a clearer picture of where the need to recall will emerge.

The June recall will have 160 positions available in PHL, 20 positions available in BOS and 20 positions available in LGA. Recall letters have been sent to the 200 most senior Flight Attendants on the involuntary furlough list informing them they are being recalled. Recall letters have been sent out to the remainder of involuntary Flight Attendants notifying them of a possible recall based on the more senior Flight Attendants electing to pass. Here are some important points to remember:

Please review Section 19, Reduction in Personnel, of the Flight Attendant Agreement. A link to Section 19 has been provided in this Eline.
An involuntary furloughed Flight Attendant has the option to pass the recall as long as there are more junior Flight Attendants on the involuntary furlough list.
As the Recall Form indicates there are three base choices available as well as the option to pass. Please be aware that if you only want to accept a recall to a particular base and by virtue of your seniority could have held a recall to another base that will be considered a pass.
If you accept recall and you were not previously domiciled in the base awarded and you have not passed a previous mainline recall, you will be eligible for reasonable moving and relocation expenses pursuant to Section 5.A.3 of the Agreement.
If you were displaced from a base prior to your involuntary furlough, you are no longer eligible for priority return to that base.
Recall Forms must be received by Inflight Administration by Noon (EDT), May 3, 2006.
The recall notice and form has been mailed to the most recent address on record with the Company. If you are not sure the Company's has your current address you may call Thelma Summers, Inflight Administration, 8:30 -1700 Monday through Friday at 800 327-0117, prompts 1,5,4,4.
It is critical EVERYONE return the form to Inflight Administration by Noon (EDT) May 3, 2006. Failure to return the form will result in your resignation and your name will be removed from the Flight Attendant Seniority List.

A complete list of involuntary furloughed Flight Attendants has been provided to the Local Councils. Please feel free to call your local representatives or the MEC Office with any questions.

For those involuntary furloughed US Airways Flight Attendants who have accepted a Flight Attendant Position at America West you will not be receiving a recall letter or form. If your seniority entitles you to a recall (affecting your seniority in PHX upon operational integration) that will be noted and you will be so advised by the Company.

Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
US Airways Master Executive Council

 

[PITbull]

Congrats to the Invol. furloughees on this announcment.

Keep in mind, much has changed at U since your furlough. You need to get as much information and up-to-apeed on the contract changes which are immense. Trust, that the company will expect you to know your obligations as a reserve, and they will not allow for any excuses. Educate yourself on the "Least Time Order Reserve System (LTO). This sytem exists for East and West. LTO system is much less flexible for reserves as the previous "passing" system. The Guarantee has increased to 73 hours as of Jan. 2006, however, the pay has declined substantially. Educate yourself on the new Dependability Discipline Program. It is much more restrictive than ever, and the supervisors may elevate you up to termination with each infraction.

A few of the restrictions:

1. Sick on contact
2. Out of Base
3. No contact
4. Excessive sick (it has changed to 5 sick calls in a rolling year)5 will elevate on to DCP.
5. Unable to commute
6. Late Check-in
7. No sign-in
8. No show

 

[Zarah]

Let's say I want to bid for PHL only. During the process I do not recieve PHL. Does my recall bid stay active until my seniority can hold PHL or will there be another bid in Aug. and Dec.

Any ideas on how this works?

Thanks

 

[USAirBoyA330]

From the bid form:

Indicate whether you would like to bid for recall OR to pass recall. Please indicate in order of preference the base to which you would like to be recalled using 1 for your first choice, 2 for your second choice, etc. You do not have to bid all 4 of the choices below, however if you do not bid all of the bases and you could have held a base at your seniority , you will be considered a “pass”. (e.g., FA Smith only bids PHL and BOS. FA Smith’s seniority could not hold PHL or BOS, but she could have held LGA. FA Smith will be marked as a pass.)


There is nothing in section 19 that speaks to being able to choose a specific base or pass, so I assume they are extending this courtiesy to the invols. Just means they will reach the bottom of the list quicker. Anyway, I'm glad too see you guys coming back.

 

[Zarah]

"As the Recall Form indicates there are three base choices available as well as the option to pass. Please be aware that if you only want to accept a recall to a particular base and by virtue of your seniority could have held a recall to another base that will be considered a pass."


Just trying to understand how long the pass would be for and if there will be seperate bids for Aug. and Dec. or if this bid will be the standing bid and if so for how long.

That is all.

 

[PITbull]

According to sec. 19, you get one pass, the company will continue to go down the list as the need increases, and once they reach the bottom of the INVOL list, they will go back up the list one more time. You will have just one other apportunity when they start back UP the list to come back. After the company ulilizes this "list" and goes back up once, then the company will go to the Voluntary furlough list and VFLR. After that, its "off the street". There is no "standing bid" language in section 19 for involuntary furloughed f/as.

The list is not a perpetual list for the company to keep refering to until all invols have taken a base at some point.
You get basically 2 opportunities. That's it.

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

According to sec. 19, you get one pass, the company will continue to go down the list as the need increases, and once they reach the bottom of the INVOL list, they will go back up the list one more time. You will have just one other apportunity when they start back UP the list to come back. After the company ulilizes this "list" and goes back up once, then the company will go to the Voluntary furlough list and VFLR. After that, its "off the street". There is no "standing bid" language in section 19 for involuntary furloughed f/as.

The list is not a perpetual list for the company to keep refering to until all invols have taken a base at some point. You get basically 2 opportunities. That's it.

so, they will cycle through the invol. list twice before offering vol. furloughees the opportunity to return?
any speculations on how far down (or back up; or into the vflr list) these recalls will go?

 

[PITbull]

All I know is that there was approximately 1700 f/as that were INVOLuntarily furloughed back in 2001. Out of that INVOL list approximately 47 were recalled to LGA back in 2005. This is the first recall from the invol. list back to mainline. MAA doesn't count.

There were approx. 1400 fa/s who were, or on VOL furlough. Many of them have extended indefinitely, which means, they have one opportunity for recall AFTER the invols list is exhausted. AFter that, the VFLR (approx 1,000) that also have recall rights AFTER all Invols and VF have had their recall according to the contract and side letters of agreements.

After all f/as on "recall status" have been called according to their contract, the company will be free to hire off the street. The company is under no obligation to keep contacting f/as who have exhuasted their "pass" according to sec. 19, VFLR contract language and VF side letters.

 

[Zarah]

Thanks Pitbull!

As always you Rock!

 

[USAirBoyA330]

PITBull:

Technically, someone can pass 4,5....or 10 times until there are no more people JR too them. So if they need 200 and they go through 500 to get that number, they must start at the top of the list again when another batch of people are needed. MAA was done differently with only two bites at the apple. I called Tempe In-flight to confirm this is the way the recall will be handled. The minute the last person on the list of 1,693 is contacted for recall, they will go into assignment mode in inverse order. Then you must come back or be resign your #.

 

[PITbull]

I think you better confirm with Cindi Simone. Tempe is not real familiar with our contract. No where does it say that the company is obligated to keep starting from the top of the list every time there is recall. They are to continue down the list once and then back up once.
The company is obligated to proceed down the list.

However, if the MEC has negotiated something else post Dec. 2005, I wouldn't know. If they did, nothing was ever sent out on an MEC E-line, and I am in contact with the PIT pres weekly.

I would check with the MEC or your local PRes.

 

[USAirBoyA330]

The person I spoke with in Tempe came from USAirways and has been in this position for some time. All I know is, everyone needs to get on the same page. This confusion serves no one and just frustrates the invols even more.

 

[PITbull]

The person I spoke with in Tempe came from USAirways and has been in this position for some time. All I know is, everyone needs to get on the same page. This confusion serves no one and just frustrates the invols even more.

If the company would go to the top of the list for every recall, than that would give the invols even more opportunities to pass and wait for their choice base opening. However, I do not believe that is the intent of the language. I could be wrong. Last previous furlough was 1981 ATC strike.

If the company does keep going to the top of the list with every recall, that information should be sent out via MEC E-line asap.

 

[xoxo]

This is just stupid. Why would the company be that dumb to only send out offical recall to the first 200? I bet they get no more than 30(if not less) out of the 200 letters. They only got 43 out of the 200 last MaY! What is wrong with these people? Now when May 3rd comes they gotta send out more letters and start at the top again to the same 200 that just passed? Come on this is just dumb!!! They should have sent out atleast 600 letter or even more. I am so sick of this!!! Such a disappointment.

 

[Zarah]

They sent out two letters. One was a recall notice to the first 200 FAs on the invol. list. The second was a "possible recall" letter.


April 17, 2006


Re: Possible Recall from Involuntary Furlough

Dear US Airways Furloughed Flight Attendant:

The Company is in the process of recalling 200 flight attendants (160 to PHL, 20 to BOS and 20 to LGA), effective June 1, 2006. Although you are not one of the 200 most senior flight attendants on the involuntary furlough list, it is possible that you will be recalled depending on whether the most senior flight attendants entitled to recall elect to pass instead of accepting recall. This recall covers 200 flight attendants and is for an indefinite period of time.

A flight attendant eligible for this recall has a choice of either accepting recall or passing recall pursuant to Section 19 of the Agreement. Furthermore, a flight attendant who accepts recall to a domicile other than the domicile he/she was furloughed from and has not passed a previous mainline recall will be eligible for reasonable moving and relocation expenses pursuant to Section 5.A.3 of the Agreement.

In order to expedite the recall process, you are required to fill out the attached RECALL FROM INVOLUNTARY FURLOUGH form and advise us of your intention to accept or pass recall should you in fact be eligible for recall. It must be returned to Inflight Administration no later than Noon (ET), May 3, 2006. You may either fax the form in or mail it in. The fax number and address are on the form. If you fail to return the form at all, you will be considered resigned and it will result in your removal from the Flight Attendant System Seniority list. Once we have processed all returned forms after May 3, 2006, we will contact you to advise you whether you are indeed eligible for recall.

Please note that if you were displaced from a base prior to your involuntary furlough, you are no longer eligible for priority return to that base.

This letter is being sent to the most recent address on record that US Airways has for you. If you have any questions, you may contact xxxxxx xxxxxxx 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday at xxxxxxxxx, prompts x, x, x, xor you can contact me at xxx xxx xxxx 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,
xxxx xxxxxx
Sr. Manager, InFlight Planning and Administration

Cc: Administration