Piedmont workers nearing open rebellion ....

[freedom]

Recently i became aware of some interesting rumors concerning our subsidiary here in PHX , Piedmont airlines .. it turns out that their workers are extremely unhappy with their pay and working conditions ... This was news to me because i really don't talk to any of them , i don't think many of us do , we're worlds apart and their still refered to as MESA by many of our people ...

I guess sometime last week they were going to attempt a work slowdown here in PHX , but their upper managment got drift of this and brought some serious managment oversight to their ramp ...

As i was being transported to the parking lot one day i happened to sit next to two of their employee's and overhear them complaning about their jobs , and how they hoped the union would get them that two dollar raise ( they top out at ten dollars ) there were also complaints about being treated poorly .. i once saw what their locker room looked like when i was on their side of the ramp , and it was disgusting ....

I'm not sure if they got a holiday meal this year for christmas , or if they've gotten meals in the past ... i suppose it's something you just don't ask " hey did they feed you ? , oh they didn't , sucks to be you bro! "

They've been missing alot of bags lately , and i heard one of our employee's was sent over to their ramp on a flex night ( increased operations ) to make sure all the bags were where they were suppose to be , and if there were serious errors to log the flight numbers off of misplaced bags ..he was accused of being a "spy " by some of the Piedmont workers to his face ... i've even seen offensive graffiti with my own eyes in their smoking area ... i'm telling you they are getting rowdy ...

it's funny , but when this topic first came up with fellow rampers i remember someone saying "but we OWN them , how dare they ! " I think that our culture towards them here in PHX has gone from outright hostility ( from the days of mesa ) to complete oblivion ...

I just thought i would share these observations on what's going on with piedmont with all of you ... while i no longer hate them , i don't much care what happens over there either ...

 

[BoeingBoy]

while i no longer hate them , i don't much care what happens over there either ...

Human nature at it's "finest"...

Wonder how many mainline personnel at outstations felt the same until their job was outsourced and their choice was to move/commute or accept a job with the new company? Just remember that you could be one contract away from being in their shoes...

Jim

 

[SparrowHawk]

Human nature at it's "finest"...

Wonder how many mainline personnel at outstations felt the same until their job was outsourced and their choice was to move/commute or accept a job with the new company? Just remember that you could be one contract away from being in their shoes...

Jim

BINGO. It's like my old boss used to say, "Be nice, the toes you step on climbing the ladder may be attached to the arse you have to kiss on the way down."

Now before the "Don't like it, LEAVE" folks chime in let's look at this from a strictly business approach. What are the costs associated on a per bag basis with the PDT employees versus US employees. If their is a higher cost on the PDT side maybe it's time to give a raise? People are a lot more like dogs then most will admit. Beat a dog continuously and it either cowers in fear of all humans or it bites every human it gets near. Judging from Freedom's observations the PDT "dog" has decided to bite back.

 

[freedom]

Human nature at it's "finest"...

Wonder how many mainline personnel at outstations felt the same until their job was outsourced and their choice was to move/commute or accept a job with the new company? Just remember that you could be one contract away from being in their shoes...

Jim

i don't think you have any idea how bad relations were between , AWA/MESA ... the very fact that i no longer hate them shows that i've grown as a human being

 

[john john]

Human nature at it's "finest"...

Wonder how many mainline personnel at outstations felt the same until their job was outsourced and their choice was to move/commute or accept a job with the new company? Just remember that you could be one contract away from being in their shoes...

Jim

This is the plan whipsaw express against mainline

http://piedmontagent.org/index.cfm?action=cat&categoryID=c3f2755e-3391-4bf8-b025-56343a050e12
Mediator Appointed for Piedmont Negotiations
National Mediation Board Appoints Federal Mediator for Piedmont Negotiations:
Michael Kelliher was appointed by the NMB to mediate the negotiations between Piedmont and CWA. Here is his biography from the NMB web-site:
http://piedmontagent.org/index.cfm?action=cat&categoryID=92a118ac-0f70-4b29-a748-999b51107e1c
Charlotte Agents Stage Silent Walk
Over 40 CLT agents staged a silent walk in E Concourse on Friday afternoon September 14.
The agents marched from Gate 1 to Gate 18 to Gate 35. The walk lasted 10 minutes.
Piedmont management was upset. They brought it up at negotiations on Monday and told us that USAirways wanted to know what the heck was going on. We said that it would be in everybody's interest (the workers and management) to get these negotiations resolved as soon as possible.

 

[ebwgs]

Human nature at it's "finest"...

Wonder how many mainline personnel at outstations felt the same until their job was outsourced and their choice was to move/commute or accept a job with the new company? Just remember that you could be one contract away from being in their shoes...

Jim

Amen.

 

[cynic]

This is the plan whipsaw express against mainline

http://piedmontagent.org/index.cfm?action=cat&categoryID=c3f2755e-3391-4bf8-b025-56343a050e12
Mediator Appointed for Piedmont Negotiations
National Mediation Board Appoints Federal Mediator for Piedmont Negotiations:
Michael Kelliher was appointed by the NMB to mediate the negotiations between Piedmont and CWA. Here is his biography from the NMB web-site:
http://piedmontagent.org/index.cfm?action=cat&categoryID=92a118ac-0f70-4b29-a748-999b51107e1c
Charlotte Agents Stage Silent Walk
Over 40 CLT agents staged a silent walk in E Concourse on Friday afternoon September 14.
The agents marched from Gate 1 to Gate 18 to Gate 35. The walk lasted 10 minutes.
Piedmont management was upset. They brought it up at negotiations on Monday and told us that USAirways wanted to know what the heck was going on. We said that it would be in everybody's interest (the workers and management) to get these negotiations resolved as soon as possible.

From what I've heard, I don't think you're that far from seeing the pilot and FAs start staging their own job actions. It shouldn't be long until the negotiations are parked according to some of my friends there.

 

[A320 Driver]

From what I've heard, I don't think you're that far from seeing the pilot and FAs start staging their own job actions. It shouldn't be long until the negotiations are parked according to some of my friends there.

Well Piedmont management just needs to march on down to federal court and get themselves an injunction. It's reasonably fast and relatively painless. And some of the other employees around here will dance and sing and BBQ out!

At least SOME will be happy.


Driver... <_<

 

[Jester]

For awhile, I have wondered how I would feel as an employee to a wholly owned subsidiary, which has different groups doing the same work, but being offered substantially different pay and benefits. A part of me did see that for the time when US and AW were "merged" but we were working under two very different contracts. It annoyed me to think that somewhere on the East side a new hire was making more than I was making after five years, especially as I was working the same planes, handling the same bags, and doing the same duties (and more).

So now the Piedmont guys know they are working for a wholly owned subsidiary of US, doing essentially the same work, but different planes with remarkably a similar paint scheme, and yet, they are topped-out at a rate of less than half of the US mainline FSAs? I have no doubt there would be a morale problem, especially as they are working nearly next to one another, much the same one I had when I was working under a West contract and being treated as the step-child of the operation.

If we were authorized to strike during that long transition, I would have been first in the picket line.

So Affirms Jester.

 

[4merresrat]

Recently i became aware of some interesting rumors concerning our subsidiary here in PHX , Piedmont airlines .. it turns out that their workers are extremely unhappy with their pay and working conditions ... This was news to me because i really don't talk to any of them , i don't think many of us do , we're worlds apart and their still refered to as MESA by many of our people ...

I guess sometime last week they were going to attempt a work slowdown here in PHX , but their upper managment got drift of this and brought some serious managment oversight to their ramp ...

As i was being transported to the parking lot one day i happened to sit next to two of their employee's and overhear them complaning about their jobs , and how they hoped the union would get them that two dollar raise ( they top out at ten dollars ) there were also complaints about being treated poorly .. i once saw what their locker room looked like when i was on their side of the ramp , and it was disgusting ....

I'm not sure if they got a holiday meal this year for christmas , or if they've gotten meals in the past ... i suppose it's something you just don't ask " hey did they feed you ? , oh they didn't , sucks to be you bro! "

They've been missing alot of bags lately , and i heard one of our employee's was sent over to their ramp on a flex night ( increased operations ) to make sure all the bags were where they were suppose to be , and if there were serious errors to log the flight numbers off of misplaced bags ..he was accused of being a "spy " by some of the Piedmont workers to his face ... i've even seen offensive graffiti with my own eyes in their smoking area ... i'm telling you they are getting rowdy ...

it's funny , but when this topic first came up with fellow rampers i remember someone saying "but we OWN them , how dare they ! " I think that our culture towards them here in PHX has gone from outright hostility ( from the days of mesa ) to complete oblivion ...

I just thought i would share these observations on what's going on with piedmont with all of you ... while i no longer hate them , i don't much care what happens over there either ...

My you sound like an astute and empathtic employee. While you no longer hat them you don't much care what happens. . . ver nice. I guess you care about yourself and your plight. Uh, good look with that

 

[SparrowHawk]

My you sound like an astute and empathtic employee. While you no longer hat them you don't much care what happens. . . ver nice. I guess you care about yourself and your plight. Uh, good look with that

At the risk of appearing insensitive I agree with Freedom's basic premise.

I don't go to work to make friends. I go to work to earn the best living I can and that's it. There may not be an "I" in TEAM, however there is a "ME" and that's the only person I'm interested in at work.

The above is one reason I don't "work union". Not wired that way and many aren't. I get and even agree with certain aspects of trade unionism but it doesn't work for me as an individual.

I'm very empathetic to others plight, I'm just not crawling out to the thin end of the limb for them.

 

[leprechaun]

That's because your a coward, and Freedumb is an idiot.

I don't blame the Piedmont folks at all, and I would walk the line with them.

 

[SparrowHawk]

That's because your a coward, and Freedumb is an idiot.

I don't blame the Piedmont folks at all, and I would walk the line with them.

I don't blame the PDT folks either. they have to act in their best interests just as any of us have to act in our best interest.

See it's like this, The mortgage company or landlord doesn't call the IAM looking for them to pay the money I owe, they call me. I'm responsible and accountable to me, NOT the IAM.

In the end my vertically challenged Irish legend the only person who has my best interests at heart 100% of the time is me and given some of the decisions I've made even that's questionable. While you sir may have a pot of Gold at rainbows end, I do not and must act accordingly.

 

[Express Ramp]

The folks at PHX Express knew in advance of being hired about the Piedmont pay scale. I don't see they have an issue about the pay, they could have easily said "No Thanks. I'll won't work for that pay." What were they making for MESA? Also as far as the Union and the $2 per hour raise for Piedmont employees, if you beleive that a Union can get you that kind of raise on any contract, let alone the first contract you are seriously in dreamland. The CWA is/has said they will get Mainline wages for the Express group. If that were to happen, pigs fly and H&*L freeze over, why would USAirways Group need Express Customer Service/Ramp employees? Just leave Mainline folks in place, wait, wait, that helped get USAirways to point they are today.

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

You can't complain,you applied for the job.You knew what it paid, you knew what it entailed.

Sage words imparted to me many many years ago by a senior head working with a very junior crew on a cold January morning.