Mda Groundschool Shutdown By Faa

[PITbull]

Chip,


Oh boy, I get to rebuttle the "master".

With regard to WN flight attendant's wages per hour....

The SouthWest Flight attendants top out hourly rate after 15 years is $47.77. U's flight attendants top out rate after the 14 years is $40.24. Keep in mind, these are 20 hour work weeks for flight attendants; not 40.

Gee, that felt good!

Dio,

I have been parading this sentiment for well over a year on these boards... "this is true union busting at its finest".

 

[flyin2low]

Keep in mind, these are 20 hour work weeks for flight attendants; not 40.

If that's the case, U has a 33% productivity deficit. The regs allow for 30 flight hours to be scheduled in a 7 day period. If they're not doing it, it's there own loss. There is also a limit to 100 hours in a calendar month. So obviously you couldn't do 30 a week for the whole month ,either.

 

[bigbusdrvr]

Keep in mind, these are 20 hour work weeks for flight attendants; not 40.

If that's the case, U has a 33% productivity deficit. The regs allow for 30 flight hours to be scheduled in a 7 day period. If they're not doing it, it's there own loss. There is also a limit to 100 hours in a calendar month. So obviously you couldn't do 30 a week for the whole month ,either.

Their are no faa reg's limiting fa's time!! It is strictly a contract thing!!

 

[airlineorphan]

Keep in mind, these are 20 hour work weeks for flight attendants; not 40.

If that's the case, U has a 33% productivity deficit. The regs allow for 30 flight hours to be scheduled in a 7 day period. If they're not doing it, it's there own loss. There is also a limit to 100 hours in a calendar month. So obviously you couldn't do 30 a week for the whole month ,either.

Ummmm..... Speaking of low productivity, have you ever heard the phrase "productivity break"? That's what f/a's and pilots call the 3.5 hour sits in EWR or whatever airport they end up at between actually-worked flights.

That 20 hour work week really becomes a lot more than that if you take actually duty time into account.

The limits are on monthly block (door closed to door open) hours + various pay and duty rigs. There are other limitations, such as 35 block (hard time) hours in 7 consecutive 24 hour periods, but the company can keep us twiddling our thumbs at the airport for most of our up to 14 hour duty periods (15 hours if they have ireg ops, which could be just about anything). So before anyone starts spouting off about f/a's (or pilots) just working a few hours a day, remember it's that we only get PAID for a few hours a day. We are at the beck and call of the company for far more than we get paid for. That is the way the pay system is structured.

There is a productivity problem here, for sure. It's that the company wastes employees' time everyday. I assume they underutilize them because if they had a more efficient flying schedule that reduced these "productivity breaks" they'd have more people timing out before the end of the month because peoples duty time would more densely pack their block time. Then they'd have to increase headcount, when all they want to do is reduce it.

But the "Best and Brightest" will think of something. I know they will! That's what they get paid for, right? Just sittin' around in a room and thinking stuff up! What if they only got hard pay for the time that they had actual thoughts in their heads? Hmmmm...

In solidarity,
-Airlineorphan

 

[flyin2low]

"productivity breaks"

I'm a glorified bus driver, I mean pilot, too, so I know about the produtivity breaks. It's a good time to update Jeppesen manuals and Ops manual revisions. You can pay your bills or hang around ops and get some good gossip. All for less than $2.00/hr.........

In my post above, I forgot that F/A's don't actually have a limit to their working week. If they are too tired, they might hand out a Coke instead of a Sprite or something.....

 

[Stick-n-Rudder]

I spoke with a SWA F/A first week of Sept. They are still on segment time and that is one of the biggest bargaining issues!

 

[diogenes]

I never cease to be awed, that even at this juncture, folks, including employees, STILL want to blame labor (overpaid/too many mechs/rampers, overpaid/underworked pilots/fa's).

WTF???

No freakin' wonder dave and gang win handily.

Do y'all think we could make the game interesting, JUST ONCE?

Leaving, before I stroke out. :angry: :angry:

 

[PITbull]

Also, as an FYI..WN flight attendants work approx 10.5 hour duty day. USAirways F/as 13-15 hour duty day......

WN does not provide meal service on flights. USAirways f/as serve meals, conduct surveys, inventory and calculate sales.

Now whose more productive????

So not only do the WN f/as wages higher, but they are "on duty" hours per day are LESS than USAirways fa/s duty day. AND WN MAKES PROFITS YEAR, AFTER
YEAR .AFTER YEAR, AFTER YEAR.

So Chip, you want to run that by me again with WN f/as wages compared to U's?

I like when we compare apples to apples.

 

[Colby]

"productivity breaks"


In my post above, I forgot that F/A's don't actually have a limit to their working week. If they are too tired, they might hand out a Coke instead of a Sprite or something.....

" If they get to tired they might hand out a Coke instead of a Sprite or something...."

Are you kidding me !! I certainly hope you never suffer a Heart Attack or Choke on one of the Pretzels we hand out.... You might just get a F/A that hasn't had Enough Sleep and Forgets how to use the Emergency Equipment on board...OR better yet... If YOU have to make an Emergency Landing I sure hope those Flight Attendants had enough rest... God forbid if there was an actual evacuation. You know that thing we went through 6 weeks of Hell Learning !!!
But, then again you must agree with all those people that think a Flight Attendant is just a "Glorified Waitress".... Hope the next time you want a cup of Coffee/Tea your Flight Attendant had enough rest THUS not DROPPING IT IN YOUR LAP !!!!

 

[retiredman]

Chip's post on why training class was shutdown is right on, for those of you looking to "blame", the direction of MDA manuals has changed numerous times at the request of the FAA, the latest being to incorporate into mainline manuals. This has been accomplished, program is back on track. Question what does shuting down the training class have to do with the overworked and underpaid F/A's ?

 

[airlineorphan]

Question what does shuting down the training class have to do with the overworked and underpaid F/A's ?

Retiredman,

You are correct that this thread is not directly related to the question of underpaid and overworked f/a's and other US Airways employees.

However you have to take into account that the very mention of this sweatshop in the sky called MidAtlantic is going to be a lightning rod for all of our frustration with the brutality of the changes in Siegel's "labor-friendly" restructuring.

Don't expect every thread to stay neat and tidy in the context of the kind of anger that the rank-and-file of this company are seething with. Hot button issues abound on practically any topic you could pose right now. Management might want to take a note of that before they go poking that hornets nest anymore.

I hope that clarifies.

-Airlineorphan

P.S. Before anyone says of Siegels' "labor-friendly" restructuring, "But you all voted for it!" I'll remind you of the fact that many of us (myself included) argued for a "NO" vote and the vote took place in the context of a high-tech stick-up: First- "Agree to this or we'll file Chapter 11." and later-"Agree to this or we'll liquidate."

 

[skygirl]

Flyin2low its easy to slam anyone however it just shows what a small person you are when you do it. I happen to have the greatest respect for a pilot and what they do. Maybe you need a little refresher about what I do as a Flight Attendant. I do my best to make a passenger feel safe, calm and relaxed. I try to make their business day or vacation as enjoyable as possible. I also would be the first to die protecting your locked cockpit door so that you can stay safe and do the job you're meant to do.

 

[flyin2low]

Only a year and a half and I'm out of here. Just trying to vent frustrations while I can.B)

 

[deltawatch]

Chips quote “I fully understand the sacrifices all of the employees are making, whether it's at MDA or the mainline. It has nothing to do with "singing a tune", it's about an industry and company restructuring.â€￾

Chip they are coming to get you. First us mainline folks ask the Express guys to work for peanuts and subsidize our mainline pay checks. Now we are asking the Express and MDA employees to subsidize it. Management is whittling away at mainline, it’s been a loser for over a decade. When you’re fabulous MDA EMB-170 gets up and flying mainline employees will take their place as the new minority. And the new majority just doesn’t love you any longer. That will be the company’s green light to finish you off.

 

[Bluestreak]

Deltawatch,

That was a brilliant post! You summed up the sentiment here at express. I hate to see wages and benifits cut at mainline because someday I hope to have a job at some mainline. However, many express employees and express union leaders have a hatered of mainline employees and the way the unions have misrepressented express. Once Express employees are the majority the zoo will be run by the animals.