My Prediction

[jersey777]

I am going to go out on a limb and predict that the company is going to have a small recall of Flight Attendants..maybe 100-150..by the upcoming summer. The reason I hope this happens is that there continues to be an attrition rate of about 50 people per month leaving. We are already having understaffing problems this weekend and it is just the beginning of the month. I know that the union is compiling data in order to perhaps file a grievance against the company for creating hardships on the working flight attendants by not having enough manpower on hand. These hardships not only include being understaffed but also flight attendants being reassigned and being called on their days off. This was an extreme problem in December with many flights going out with minimum crew including transcons on the 767-200 with only 4 f/a's for 3 classes of service. Many flight attendant were reassigned..some into Christmas. The summer is going to be an extreme problem. Many people decide to not fly as much in the summer and not go on make-up and not to mention sick calls. I hope that American is prepared for this and has the sense to bring back some people. I know that they are short in LGA, BOS and DCA. They opened up DCA and BOS for regular transfers after the mutual transfers were processed. Many people who took the last JFK came from these bases.

This is just my humble opinion and I have no inside information. I am just speaking out load from someone who is on the line and already being understaffed.

 

[operaations]

I agree with you that the flight attendant work force is understaffed. But how can you file a grievance about aircraft being understaffed. AA is only obligated to staff the plane at FAA minimums. The reason for being so short staffed is a combination of one it being Easter Holiday weekend (sick calls are through the roof) and the need of recalls. The reason for your december explination is also the Christmas flu and sick calls from after thanksgiving till Jan 5. And the need for more.

I only want to state the facts that we are also short this weekend and in December due to an enormous amount of sick calls due to the holiday

 

[jersey777]

I agree with you that the flight attendant work force is understaffed. But how can you file a grievance about aircraft being understaffed. AA is only obligated to staff the plane at FAA minimums. The reason for being so short staffed is a combination of one it being Easter Holiday weekend (sick calls are through the roof) and the need of recalls. The reason for your december explination is also the Christmas flu and sick calls from after thanksgiving till Jan 5. And the need for more.

I only want to state the facts that we are also short this weekend and in December due to an enormous amount of sick calls due to the holiday

We lost control over staffing in 93 but the arbitrator also gave the union the right to grieve staffing issues so there would not be abuse by the company. One of the items brought up at the APFA convention was exorbinant understaffing. One flight attendant had over 100 hrs of overstaffing pay on their schedule. These items are being tracked and will be used in a grievence that contents that the company knows they cannot run a full operation at times and is doing so with reassignments etc...

I do agree with you about sick calls. There will always be an increase in sick calls around holidays and sadly it is a fact of life when you run a 24 hr,365 days a year operation. The difference now is that there is no cushion to pad the operation when there are high sick calls or if there are repeated occurances of bad weather.

 

[operaations]

I agree with you 100% I just do not want the general uninformed public to think it is 100% the companies fault that there are lesser flight attendants on holiday weekends.

I wish there was an easy fix. but in your opinion if we do recall how much of that will really help the cause.

 

[Bob Owens]

I agree with you 100% I just do not want the general uninformed public to think it is 100% the companies fault that there are lesser flight attendants on holiday weekends.

I wish there was an easy fix. but in your opinion if we do recall how much of that will really help the cause.

There is an easy fix but the company refuses to do it. Pay more for holidays and weekends and you will have fewer sick calls.

Back when the company had Holiday pay few mechanics would call in sick on holidays, however since they stripped away holiday pay sick calls ahave gone through the roof on holidays. Why come in and work eight hours for four hours pay when you can stay home, call in sick, enjoy the holiday with friends and family, work no hours and get paid? Sure management threatens workers that have called in sick on the holidays but they dont care, they will do it again next year too. Management tries to spin it as if by calling in sick they are screwing their coworkers but nobody buys it, hey just because there is more work to do it doesnt mean that anybody has to work any harder than they normally do, if it doesnt get done it not their problem, thats what they have OT for.

You get what you pay for, AA just doesnt want to accept that. If you want skilled dedicated people who are going to sacrifice for your operation you have to be willing to compensate people for that. If you want to pay as little as the other guy who doesnt demand those types of sacrifices then you shouldnt be suprised when the workers dont show up.

 

[Garfield1966]

Geez, here we go again. I don’t know about mechanics since I do not deal with them. As far as FA’s are concerned, they were calling in sick for holidays when profit sharing checks were handed out. They were calling in sick when holiday pay was offered. They call in sick because there are no consequences for their actions. No one gets fired for calling in sick 4 or 5 years in a row with FMLA/SK/US or pick another code.

Not screwing your co workers? Try telling that to the person who has a 2 day seq turned into 4 or 5 days and let me know how that works for you.

But lets back up a second here. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around why someone should be paid extra to do their basic job. I always thought if you got ‘overtime’ or extra pay that was for doing work above and beyond what you normally do. How exactly does flying ones schedule fall into that category?

If you don’t want to work on the holidays and want to have weekends and evenings off, why get a job that is operational? As I recall when I was hired I was asked (as I am sure everyone else) if I was willing to work weekends, holidays, birthdays, evenings and any day ending with the letter "Y" . I agreed to that as a condition of my employment. How about you?

What sacrifice are you speaking of? Are they required to sacrifice a off spring?

 

[nbmcg01]

Geez, here we go again. I don’t know about mechanics since I do not deal with them. As far as FA’s are concerned, they were calling in sick for holidays when profit sharing checks were handed out. They were calling in sick when holiday pay was offered. They call in sick because there are no consequences for their actions. No one gets fired for calling in sick 4 or 5 years in a row with FMLA/SK/US or pick another code.

Not screwing your co workers? Try telling that to the person who has a 2 day seq turned into 4 or 5 days and let me know how that works for you.

But lets back up a second here. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around why someone should be paid extra to do their basic job. I always thought if you got ‘overtime’ or extra pay that was for doing work above and beyond what you normally do. How exactly does flying ones schedule fall into that category?

If you don’t want to work on the holidays and want to have weekends and evenings off, why get a job that is operational? As I recall when I was hired I was asked (as I am sure everyone else) if I was willing to work weekends, holidays, birthdays, evenings and any day ending with the letter "Y" . I agreed to that as a condition of my employment. How about you?

What sacrifice are you speaking of? Are they required to sacrifice a off spring?

Garfield asks, why should someone be paid extra for doing their basic job? I don't know, ask the executives who are sharing $200,000,000 for "doing their basic jobs". I guess we could call it the woking person's bonus.

 

[flyhigh]

...for the same reason EVERY employee was given shares to increase their pay with.

 

[nbmcg01]

...for the same reason EVERY employee was given shares to increase their pay with.

Fine, then "they" should have the same 198 shares I "enjoyed", minus my "shared sacrifice" of $200,000 since 7-2-2003. I gave 100% to help AA's financial recovery.

 

[flyhigh]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that not everyone is equal? You received shares representing a portion of what you lost...as did they. You can't say that mgmt wouldn't have made more money had 9/11 not happened and the subsequent economic downturn. Just like everyon else, even people in mgmt have had to do more with less. Take Arpey for example. Before Carty left, he was Cheif Operating Officer. There is no COO to this date. Think it's easy to wear both the CEO & COO hats? Think he works a straight 8 and heads home to see his family? Think he doesn't work weekends pretty routinely?

 

[nbmcg01]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that not everyone is equal? You received shares representing a portion of what you lost...as did they. You can't say that mgmt wouldn't have made more money had 9/11 not happened and the subsequent economic downturn. Just like everyon else, even people in mgmt have had to do more with less. Take Arpey for example. Before Carty left, he was Cheif Operating Officer. There is no COO to this date. Think it's easy to wear both the CEO & COO hats? Think he works a straight 8 and heads home to see his family? Think he doesn't work weekends pretty routinely?

All for which he and others are already well compensated. The stock deal was not made known before the concessions were implemented after the illegal vote. How do you place a stock value on a 100% "shared sacrifice"?

 

[Flyboy4u]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that not everyone is equal? You received shares representing a portion of what you lost...as did they. You can't say that mgmt wouldn't have made more money had 9/11 not happened and the subsequent economic downturn. Just like everyon else, even people in mgmt have had to do more with less. Take Arpey for example. Before Carty left, he was Cheif Operating Officer. There is no COO to this date. Think it's easy to wear both the CEO & COO hats? Think he works a straight 8 and heads home to see his family? Think he doesn't work weekends pretty routinely?

So what percentage should those of us who lost our jobs, our furlough pay, and our current pay recieve?...There is no reason for ANYONE to recieve a bonus of any kind until all is Returned back to those who have Really sacrificed.

What Unity?

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

Garfield asks, why should someone be paid extra for doing their basic job? I don't know, ask the executives who are sharing $200,000,000 for "doing their basic jobs". I guess we could call it the woking person's bonus.

The garfield rant about sick time and the holidays.



When I hired on this job holidays were 10 a year at 2.5 times your pay.
Back then I came in every holiday
Back then it was well worth it

Its not worth it any more.

When I said yes that I was willing to work holidays the terms were different.

These days my terms are different.

 

[AMFAMAN]

Before Carty left, he was Cheif Operating Officer. There is no COO to this date. Think it's easy to wear both the CEO & COO hats?

We used to have 45 mechanics are my crew, now there are 28 with an increased workload, so am I suppose to feel bad for Mr. Ourpay?

 

[jersey777]

Could we stay on the topic of the original post.