PASSENGER SERVICE - Bargaining Discussion Thread

usa1

Veteran
Oct 6, 2008
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January 22, 2015 Bargaining Update

Your CWA/IBT Association Negotiating Committee met this month in Dallas, during the period of January 20, 21 and 22.

On Tuesday, January 20th, we began the session by receiving a counter proposal from the Company for Article 16- Medical Examinations. The Union passed the Company proposals for Article 23-Uniforms, and the Seniority Fence Agreement. The Company passed a response to the Union’s proposal on Article 23-Uniforms. The Committee worked to review proposals from the company and put together counter proposals for the following day.

On Wednesday, January 21st we met with the Company and gave them a counter proposal for Article 16-Medical Examinations. We reached a tentative agreement on Article 16-Medical Examinations. The rest of the day the committee worked on counter proposals and new proposals.
On Thursday, January 22nd, we met with the Company and gave them our counter proposal on Article 17-Leaves of Absence and Interim Grievance Procedure and Preferential Hiring Agreement. The company came back in the afternoon and agreed to our proposal on Article 17-Leaves of Absence and reached a Tentative Agreement.

We have a total of 9 tentative agreements. Our next scheduled bargaining session is in Washington, D.C. February 9th thru 12th.
 
 
http://american-agents.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2014/02/CWAContractAllAgreements.pdf
 
 
In the event that a mainline location becomes an Express location as described above, such employees in seniority order may elect the Express positions. Any employee not electing an Express position or any employee not awarded an Express position due to the need for fewer employees and due to lack of seniority will be displaced under Mainline rules as described in Article 12 of this Agreement.
 
I'm hearing most ATO agents will fall under CARS in the new contract. Top out $15 an hour.
 
I guess the remaining CSA jobs will be awarded by seniority. Right now CSS's bypass agent seniority rosters and are placed ahead of senior CSA's. I wonder if Club positions will be available by seniority? 
 
hp-csr-phx said:
I doubt if that contract would pass. Most of are expecting $26 top out.
 
I hear the remaining CSA/CSS's might. But all the ticket counters would go 90% CARS, system wide, unless the union says no.
 
Heres what our current contract says about CARS. A lot of good jobs hang in the balance on this one?   
 
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/12538608 
 
Customer Assistance Representatives work performed at CAR Airport
16 locations:
 
17 1. Work performed exclusively by CAR’s and/or Customer Service
18 Agents includes: boarding and deplaning non-ambulatory special
19 assist passengers between the passenger’s seat and the aircraft
20 threshold; assisting, boarding, deplaning unaccompanied minors;
21 queuing passenger lines in front of the ticket counter and assisting
22 passengers with check-in and baggage processing associated with
23 kiosks at those stations with two hundred thirty one (231) or more
24 scheduled mainline jet departures weekly.
25 a. At stations, as of September 16, 2005, with flight schedules
26 below the two hundred thirty one (231) scheduled mainline jet
27 departures threshold (where CARs are currently performing
28 queue and kiosk duties) the Company will not fill new CAR
29 vacancies or replace any attrition in the CAR group (in that
30 station) until such time that CARs are no longer performing
31 queue and kiosks duties at that station. As this attrition occurs as
32 described in item 1 above, that CAR work associated with queue
33 and kiosks will be assigned to the agent classification.
34 b. After the initial establishment of stations described in item 1
35 above, any future change to the Company’s rights to utilize
36 CARs to perform queue/kiosks work will be accomplished as
37 follows:
 
1) 1 should a station’s scheduled mainline weekly jet departures
2 (in a station utilizing CARs to perform queue and kiosk
3 assignments) decrease to a level below one hundred sixty
4 one (161), such station will phase out CAR queue/kiosk
5 assignments in the manner described in paragraph 1 above.
6 2) should a station’s scheduled mainline weekly jet departures
7 (in a station not utilizing CARs to perform queue and kiosk
8 assignments) increase to a level above three hundred one
9 (301) mainline weekly jet departures, the 1/15/2003 CAR
10 agreement will apply.
11 3) this calculation of flight schedules will be based on the
12 same timeframe as for classification of stations as outlined
13 in Article 3.B.8.
14 2. Work that may be performed by a Passenger Service employee or by
15 a contractor includes: assisting customers needing special assistance
16 or in-station transportation except as currently performed by
17 Passenger Service employees; CAR work associated with handling
18 Express and charter/ground handling agreements or contracts;
19 3. Work that may be performed by Passenger Service employees, a
20 contractor, or other US Airways employees includes: passenger
21 assistance not listed in paragraph B.1.; any other station work.
 
Sounds like the CARs are glorified skycap in that they only assist those using the kiosk.

Anyone needing ticket reissues would still have to see a real agent, although I can see how that would only be about 10% of the overall counter staffing.
 
Critical time for the CWA and scope. Lots of good jobs on the line.  

I'm hearing AA's BMAS (baggage call center) is moving to RDU and AACOM is being outsource to Manila. Agents will have 2 weeks to decided what to do. Wonder what happens to CBRO.