The issue is the make-up of the workforce. Through the bankrupcies and regional jet frenzies, US parked half its fleet and half its crews, more than any other airline. US basically cut its f/a workforce in half- from over 10,000 at one point to a low of just over 5000. This essentially got rid of pretty much anyone with under (now) 8 years of service, leaving only the senior folks, but now with the reserve and lesser quality of life that used to be something everyone went through for thier first few years of being junior again. The F/As who remained all took huge hits in the concessions.
This part is my opinion but I know its a shared one. Like alot of unions end up doing, ALPA ans AFA threw the juniors under the bus. In a seniority based system, the more senior, the more superiority complex, the more out of touch with the industry and co-workers. The brunt of the pay cuts and quality of life concessions are given to the lower end, the idea being protect the top few and what they have at all costs. This works for them in the short run, but is devastating to the rest of the workforce and to the industry who is pressured to follow suit. It's devastating to the profession- a 30 year F/A is only looking out for themselves, and are not concerned about a reserve regardless of seniority, or a seven year employee or a future new hire. They have had thier careers and don't care or even know that whats been left is not a sustainable career but a job, and in many ways an nearly unlivable, short term one. Which is what all airline management want- cheap, no-power, undemanding quick turnover labor. Which they will eventually get when thier current workforce retires or dies off. You have to give Jerry Glass and co credit- they read the unions like a book, focused on thier weaknesses, and achieved what they wanted and more (outsourced 100 seat flying at a mostly narrowbody, mostly domestic airline?- hello! Unions eating thier young at its best).
The attrition rate is fairly low because, again, its a senior workforce and many have little other options at this stage in thier lives. Some lack, or think they lack, any transferable job skills that would make them the same amount of money. Some know its hard to find a gig thats basically unsupervised, doesnt require much effort, and is very flexible if you are in the lucky half. Many will have to work until they physically no longer can because thier pensions etc are gone and there were no other plans.
The reserve system is awful and as more people go back on reserve you would think the fight would be louder- but again, many of the bad things about the reserve system are there to benefit the blockholders, who control the union and are deemed more "important."
US has a very different staffing model and lineholder/reserve system than all of the other airlines. This is because they used to have the best in both, but now have one suffering for he benefit of the other.
The pay issue only affects a small amount of people. When you are furloughed, the clock stops ticking for pay. Those who were not went on to A scale (a significant raise after 5 years) until eventually the whole airline was on A scale. It was at this point that new pay rates were negotiated- no one who was on property to vote would have to suffer those pay rates. Finally, last year US recalled 200 F/As. Even though many of them had worked at US in the MDA division for most of thier furlough, thier pay is still frozen at thier original furlough... and the pay rates are much lower than before. The same will go for this 90 who come back. Most of the airlines F/As do not realize that there will be 300 F/As on the property making sub-commuter airline wages. They just assume they are making 6, 7, or 8 year pay instead of the new 1, 2, or 3 year rates.
It is grim but the current make-up of US (East) F/A group is very unusual. The great thing is that its all about to change. On the east side, you have these 90 more people (and votes) coming back. These are pre 9/11 F/As who have seen the industrys ups and downs first hand. Many of them were part of the MDA program only to be sold out by both thier union and thier company, and basically treated appallingly- they are wise to both of thier tricks. They also remeber this being a decent career, still want it, and have the energy to fight for some quality of life. More significantly you have the West integrating at some point- a much more junior workforce with thier own concerns and perspectives and some that are the the same. And they are not small or insignificant in any way. After the merger US will have large numbers of F/As of all seniority levels, from the 40 year+ level to the new hire off the street. This is good for everyone when preparing a merged contract, the well-being of the whole group current and future should be represented.
Sorry about the usual long winded reply lol
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