Question For Res Agents

[ResRepGirl]

I won't speak about the airport part of the contract, because I don't know enough about their work rules. However, here are my thoughts... Since outsourcing seems like the company's plan anyway, I would be receptive to the following:

Allow outsourcing the call center work under the following conditions:

1. No furloughs would result, the company could only use outsourcers to cover overtime and backfill as employees retire or quit.

2. Offer preferential shifts to US Airways employees. For example, US reps would receive weekends and holidays off and the company could back fill weekends, overtime and holiday with the outsourcer.

Before you blow up at me, take a minute to think about it. This has got to be worth $10-$20 million a year, since the company will not be paying 1.5 or 2.0 times in overtime hours, and every time someone retires or quits, they can send another 100 calls a day to the outsourcer.

Also, since we will agree to the outsourcing language (and the eventual demise of our department), the company should put our top of scale back up to around $18-$20 an hour range. This would protect the W2's of the employees still on the property, give us better shifts, and most importantly, time to move to different careers at our own pace or get to retirement (such as it is).

I realize that the CWA will probably never agree to something like this, because it does nothing to increase their dues base, but it would be the best option for members still on the property, which in my opinion is who they should be fighting to protect.

I understand the die-hard unionist will probably flame me, but I'm very interested in what other RES employees think. I'm just trying to figure out a way to make the best of a bad situation, because I don't think it will get any better...

Your thoughts?

 

[repeet]

I like it.

Now, if we can only talk the company into letting us do this for the other employee groups. The Ultimate "B" scale.

 

[flyin2low]

Sounds like entitlement to me. The company may bite on the back filling by outsourcing, but that's about it. They will not pay 19-20/hr when they can pay 13/hr or less. How does holding out preferential shifts save the company money? If anything it makes it more difficult to schedule and cover day to day operations. Face it, the Res side is going to be in half soon and eventually will not be in house at all. The res agents of the future will make 7-10/hr and work all shifts and holidays.

 

[reznc]

I like it. It would be a good way to hold some of the specialty departments that are the revenue earners for them. This specialty expertise unfortunately for them does not all come in a handbook or powerpoint presentation.

 

[Res]

I tend to agree let them ousource a small percentage, which would result in no furloughs for current employees. I thik the problem might be we have soo many agents on furlough from Atos and we are all classified together..? Might be why the unions won't agree to any outsourcig at all.

 

[ResRepGirl]

Sounds like entitlement to me. The company may bite on the back filling by outsourcing, but that's about it. They will not pay 19-20/hr when they can pay 13/hr or less. How does holding out preferential shifts save the company money? If anything it makes it more difficult to schedule and cover day to day operations. Face it, the Res side is going to be in half soon and eventually will not be in house at all. The res agents of the future will make 7-10/hr and work all shifts and holidays.

[post="195430"][/post]​

neh.. not entitlement.. It’s an incentive to get a ratified TA. The last "giveback" passed by 5 votes and was not near as bad as the current "ask". It won't voluntarily pass this time. We literally have nothing to lose, why would we voluntarily go to less then $14 an hour?.

Having said that, I absolutely believe the CWA will not ratify any TA. Of course the company will as the court to set aside our contract and probably impose the horrible contract, but it can't get MUCH worse then it already is.

However, I do not think the "we can outsource your work if we find it cheaper somewhere else" will survive in whatever is imposed. After all, the judge did not allow the company to backfill attrition with outsourcing this time. (I think the continued Airbus outsourcing will be temporary unless the IAM agrees to it in a TA).

With my plan, the company gets a ratified TA and does not have to go through the courts, gets to voluntarily outsource res, which is definitely their plan anyway. If "real" res employees staffed the phones Monday through Friday 5am to midnight and the company outsourced the overnights, weekends and all of the overtime needs (around 100 agents a day), that could off set some of our W2 cuts.. heck, even if voluntarily allowing the outsourcing brought us to $17.00 an hour, that would be better than what we're going to get.

This plan would have a much better chance of being voted in, since agents would get something back... i.e. better working conditions through better shifts and TIME to move to a new career (or retire) as the company slowly outsources res function as we retire or quit.

Keep in mind there are ZERO savings attributed to outsourcing, just the language to do it in the future. The CWA needs to at least considering presenting this as an option.

 

[WestCoastGuy]

If the company had any concern for the employees, your suggestion would be a valid one. However, the goal of Messers Glass, Crelin and Lakefield, is to rid the company of as many current employees as possible. They have no concern of any of our wants, needs, or desires. We are a big liability to current management.

 

[ResRepGirl]

If the company had any concern for the employees, your suggestion would be a valid one. However, the goal of Messers Glass, Crelin and Lakefield, is to rid the company of as many current employees as possible. They have no concern of any of our wants, needs, or desires. We are a big liability to current management.

[post="195559"][/post]​

Fine... implement what I suggested... give us a modest pay cut, don't lay anyone off, back fill all of our attrition and overtime with outsourcers and let us all attrit away.. wouldn't take that long.. I think res is 10% a year and will probably jump with the new retiree cuts.

But we would have a bit of control (and time) to plan our departure, while still granting huge immediate cost savings.

If me and only 3 other res agents think this is a good idea, I'll let it die... but if not, lets here from some more res agents!

 

[EightySix]

The company aims to throw out the contract and outsource as many calls as they can offshore.
They are already preparing to do so. Like it or not, they don't have to give res anything like not cutting wages or benefits to do so. Everyone in res now has to sit back, eveluate their finances and decided for themselves if they want to stay in the job or not. There isn't going to be overtime to make up the pay cut, the calls are going offshore. There isn't going to be unemployment because they are hoping the majority quit. They might be some layoffs of the junior folks in PIT when they abandon building 8 and put everyone in building 7, maybe 300 or so agents aren't going to fit. Or they will close Pit altogether and just keep the INt special sales desks.

 

[LMG]

I agree EightySix!! If the company cared at all the new proposal they sent out wouldn't even have happened..The company has shown they don't have to do anything to help the employees nor do they want to..I work in RES but was an airport person most of my career at US and I have decided to find work elsewhere becuase I can't handle this crazy job anymore!! I would rather make less and work at a job I enjoy and don't hate going into everyday..I loved working at the airport but when I was forced to go to RES it was all together a different situation..Res agents are watched every minute of the day it is the worst working enviroment I have ever seen..The only thing that kept me going was the pay and now that is gone, so for me it is time to move on!!!! This company has taken from me all it will it is time I take control over my life and not let US rule it..I don't see US doing a thing to help its employees it seems their main agenda is to get everyone to quit..It is a very depressing situation becase this used to be a great company to work for and you could hold you head up but not anymore..I was just looking for a voluntary furlough so I could collect unemployment but that doesn't look like an option either..You would think they would throw us a bone and give relief to people who want to leave...NOT THE CASE...I wish everyone goodluck and I know for each employee they are in a different situation and some want to stay and work..I just say to those who don't have a choice and they have to stay don't expect too much from the company..