Oct PHX F/A Crew News with Isom and Sheri VP Shame on you

[rjh]

Lesson to East F/A's: never domicile where headquartered. We are under the management microscope constantly. The reserve system stinks here in PHX. Crew Scheduling is on a power trip, and they love to push our contract to their limits (fly it and grieve it). No wonder there are so many in PHX that want to transfer out...
As for our chatting with management about our issues: why waste our time?

First of all, I don't work in scheduling. I see many, many posts on here from people complaining (rightfully so) that management does not give them the tools to do their jobs properly. The same goes for crew scheduling. Their job is to crew the flights with the often VERY limited resources available. Schedulers don't make the decision of how many people to hire. Scheduling did not write the contract, and when they have an interpretation that is different than that of crewmembers--it's usually because that is how MANAGEMENT told them how to interpret it.

The trips that are assigned might seem ridiculous to many crewmembers. But until you work in the SOC or OCC and can see the BIG PICTURE of the daily schedule, dont' assume that scheudling does things because of a "power trip".

 

[galley princess]

Thank you for the welcome EMBFA!

Intellectually you make sense on a lot of points. Actually my first two years flying were done w/ a now defunct largely international carrier, and I did the reserve rotation. It does work and I didn't mind it, because it was a civilized method, however frankly, I don't trust UsAirways to be civilized, therein lies the problem.

You really crystallized something for me in your post. US contracts are odd, and always have been haven't they? When I was on reserve, it used to drive me crazy. That is probably the worst thing about US reserve, it forces you to think about the job more than a reasonable person ever would.

The thing is, I like to be pragmatic, and do you really see this company, this group of flight attendants thinking outside the box? US flight attendants have been operating in crisis mode ever since the second tentative. What I perceive is that they're just bulldozing their way through every month, trying to maximize time and go the hell home. Everyone's hoping for monetary relief in a new contract, the reserves are hoping for some kind of miracle and some people have just moved on but show up periodically.

I will defer to your greater interest and knowledge regarding the state of the airline industry, but I will gently offer for those who care, that waiting for a merger to rescue us is a sad dream. Exhibit A: US and AWA, still incomplete and now has rendered us the official "worst carrier" in the world. Two years later and no contract. Can you imagine how long it would take with a UA and US? Or God forbid a US and NW? You're talking about 5 yrs. That means we all are 25 yr reserves instead of 20.

Actually, I think that the only answer is the one that you all have been giving. Live your life, take your days off, pursue something that will give you freedom and take the whole 90 minutes, make this wretched system as expensive as it can be. And when it is really bad, remember that there is a hell and Jerry Glass will definitely spend time there.

 

[USstew23]

And when it is really bad, remember that there is a hell and Jerry Glass will definitely spend time there.

Amen to that sister!!!! I would like to sign up to light the fire.

 

[JMM]

EMB, you are a very wise person. Your proposal is very sound and well thought out. However, the seniors will NEVER ever go for it. Until, of course, we are bought by another carrier (which is all this management team is trying to do .... packaging us for sale) then they will have to recognize what has become the industry standard. Maybe they will finally quit at that point. Who knows. Thank you for having the balls to say it all.

 

[Zarah]

EMB, you are a very wise person. Your proposal is very sound and well thought out. However, the seniors will NEVER ever go for it. Until, of course, we are bought by another carrier (which is all this management team is trying to do .... packaging us for sale) then they will have to recognize what has become the industry standard. Maybe they will finally quit at that point. Who knows. Thank you for having the balls to say it all.

Dunno about that when you add in the seniors on the West side that would risk losing their block due to attrition in PHX and senior East people moving to PHX bumping them down to reserve. Just might be that a rotating reserve system might be attractive to reserves and those that might not be able to hold a block any longer.

Of course getting people to vote is also a challenge on the East side, I don't know about the West side.

I don't know what the unions are thinking of putting in the contract, but I don't think the opposition to a rotating reserve would be as much as people think when you start counting the number of people that it might appeal to. The question would be, how many for or against it would actually vote.