"Whether PSA workers like it or not, they are the wholly-owned Mesa of the US Air Group."
Whatever. This is akin to a few mainline people calling WO people "scabs" as US converts more flying to express. If this thread is a real indication of the animosity between the wholly owned carriers then I doubt there will be any kind of integration. Why would US Airways Group want to combine us into a larger, more formidable workforce? Why would they want to ruin their apparent success of pitting us all against one another?
As a furloughed mainline flight attendant now flying for PSA, I will say that the PSA people are just as professional as any group out here. Maybe they're lower paid but since we all are part of the same union, who is to blame? Why does ALPA and AFA at one carrier strike a better deal than at another? Perhaps someone can provide a clear answer to that on this thread.
Having been on the receiving end of a "staple-job-wish" when US was being acquired by UA, I would never want to put anyone else in that position, AFA carrier or not. As far as I know the talks have only been regarding the flight attendant group. I know many PSA flight attendants say they've been treated like "step children" by the other two wholly owneds. (I find this odd since Jetstream was an early commuter for the original Piedmont.) They are scared of losing their blocks, thier vacations, etc. It's a valid concern. Myself, I'm for what works for the largest amount of people.
I would ask the PSA flight attendants to turn the tables and see how you would feel if we were being downsized out of existence. Remember that the "good" things happening at PSA now could have just as easily been happening at one of the other WOs.
I would ask the Piedmont and Allegheny flight attendants to do the same. How would you feel if PSA were being dissolved by US Airways Group and we were now coming over to your place with our seniority. I think it's the only fair way but everyone should recognize and respect that this is going to be a painful process for some, should it happen.
I hope all the groups remember that we are in a union and we owe it to ourselves and each other to try and preserve as many jobs as possible, even if it means we lose out personally. Unfortunately but understandably, this philosophy will not likely be embraced. We are living in more of a "me" time than the eighties could ever have hoped to be. It's definitely hard to look beyond your own life, your own mortgage, your own car payment... especially when none of us are making that much money to begin with and there is so much uncertainty in our industry and our world.
I thought combining the WOs would and should happen before I ever dreamed I would land here. Make one, big US Airways Express and ditch the contract carriers. Those folks will still find work as their execs strike deals with other airlines looking to undercut their own people. US Airways group will keep all the control and the revenue and we can feed it back into the company. Force Siegel to make good on his claim that by expanding with small jets, we can foster future expansion of the mainline. I'm suprised that talk of this "consolidation" is coming as such a shock to so many.
BTW, off the subject, you mainline jets for jobs pilots that are starting at PSA- You're already getting a reputation of having a "I can't believe I'm at this ****ing place" attitude. Well, get over it...none of us can...even some of the ones who have been here several years. Some of us had to go through the whole interview process to get here and many have been turned down. It's different here and yes, it can suck...very, very hard! But we're here for the time being so don't make it any worse than it has to be...and welcome to the madness!
Good luck everyone!