Show Me The Money

[diogenes]

On this thread let's leave the rhetoric behind, and deal with some facts.

Management, and its cheerleaders, say we need more productivity. There have been posts, ad naseum, that 'work rules' are what stands in the way of U success. This is also common knowledge in the press.

Being the contrarian that I am, I call male bovine excretions,and am backing it up with cash.

With regards to the IAM fleet and CWA contracts, productivity was built into the initial 1999 contracts, pre-concessions. The language stated, and continues to state, the company, at its discretion, may cross-utilize EVERY fleet and c/s agent in class II stations, up to 25% of their scheduled work time. That is to say, a fleet agent may be assigned to work the gates or the counter. A c/s agent may be assigned the cargo bins or freight. In other words, the IAM and CWA agreed to have non-members perform its work ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1999. NO flexibility? Malarkey!

I am unaware of the company ever routinely excercising that option. I have seen overtime paid in fleet, rather than utilize an available c/s agent. Remember, the contract language reads "....the COMPANY determines when overtime shall be offered...", and "....the COMPANY shall direct its work force...". No union rules in the way of cross-utilization.

Perhaps I'm wrong, or poorly informed, so here's the money shot. If anyone can name me a station that cross-utilizes agents on a weekly basis as described above, I've got $50 for you. You name the station. I verify it. I mail you the $$$.

I'll go further. I've got $50 for each of the first 5 stations named.

Contest ends 1/15/04.

 

[diogenes]

Ahhhh, c'mon. I'm good for the loot. I just cashed a check on one of my 'investments'!!!

 

[Seatacus]

Savannah, GA

 

[johnnyfleet]

Wrong, the ramp in SAV is contracted out.

 

[robbedagain]

ABE did it once and that was done one night only just before Sept. 15th.

 

[Mike W]

Diogenes,
In an overtime situation, I'm not even sure a CSA would be eligible.If they were,any Fleet Service Agent signed up would be awarded the overtime first because the CSA would be out of classification.I worked in a Class II station until last June and currently work in a Class II station. My previous manager told me the reason why he didn't do it was because it was a logistical nightmare to keep track of who is supposed to be where and exactly where they would be in realation to the 25% limit. At this point,in most Class II stations the staffing is such that there a barely enough CSA's to cover their shifts,much less do Fleet Service work.

 

[28yearsnojob]

:down: that a lot of bull in most small cities agents sit around and do nothing
for hours at a time . on rons you should help unload and then go to the counter
and take baggage claims

 

[28yearsnojob]

Iworked for 12 different managers before the IAM had me layed off and maybe 1 of them actully cared about ther overtime the rest would care on after the regional got on them and then it only lasted a week or so and right back to business al usuall.

 

[diogenes]

Mike,

Correct me if I'm wrong.

If a known shortage is going to occur in fleet a week from now (known sickness, personnel shortage due to vacation overlap, training, etc.) the manager, if he has excess c/s agents during that period, can schedule said c/s agents the fleet work. No contract violation, right?

Regarding the logistical nightmare; in a class II station you're generally talking 50 agents or less, frequently much less. How hard is that, and more to the point, if the company didn't want to do this, why did they insist on this language in the contract?

Seatacus, I'll check it out.

 

[Mike W]

Diogenes,
I personally don't know the logistics of the clause because as far as I know it's never been used. After you posted,I tried to call an Assistant General Chairman to get an answer but was unable to make contact. You can be sure if the company thought they could benefit from it,they'd do it. When I get an answer,I'll let you know.

 

[repeet]

Awww, come on Folks, the answer has already been posted:

Mike W
Posted on Jan 12 2004, 02:45 PM

My previous manager told me the reason why he didn't do it was because it was a logistical nightmare to keep track of who is supposed to be where and exactly where they would be in relation to the 25% limit.

Mikes' previous manager said that he "didn't do it because" it was too hard for him "to keep track of".

And we, Labor, are then accused of being obstructive and insubordinate when we make the accusation that "management can't or won't manage" what they already have.

Well they're going to have to start because:

 

[700UW]

Iworked for 12 different managers before the IAM had me layed off and maybe 1 of them actully cared about ther overtime the rest would care on after the regional got on them and then it only lasted a week or so and right back to business al usuall.

The last time I looked the IAM does not layoff people it is US Airways.

Second, you had the chance to move to keep your job.

Third, lets ask all the employees from UCA, SAN, INT, GSO, TPA, and tens of other stations that US Airways HAS CLOSED over the years.

I myself has had to move in order to keep employment.

You need to look in the mirror and accept the choice YOU made and stop blaming others. You are not the first person in the airline industry who would have had to move to keep their job and you won't be the last.

And if you did not have a contract, the company would have massacred your group once again like they did in the early 90s.

 

[28yearsnojob]

:down: KEEP ON MOVEN

 

[diogenes]

OK, folks the contest has ended and there were

NO WINNERS! (Sorry Seatacus, I called SAV, and their ramp is outsourced to Signature)

You'd think, for the pleasure of separating me from my money, and shutting me up, at LEAST some Palace type would have dished (God knows, there are enough of them on this board).

There are some morals to this story.

1. The company could have cross utlilized agents pre-contract.

2. The IAM and CWA did NOT hardline this issue in 1999; they conceeded this flexibility to the company. Tellingly, this language did not get revisted during concessions. Thus, the company had a free hand to cross-utilize post-contract.

3. Here's the biggie. This flexibility, SOLELY AT MANAGEMENT'S DISCRETION, was NEVER utilized.

Here's what it means.

The company, on it's own intitiative, could have cross-utilized agents, which would have reduced headcount and overtime, saving them MILLIONS.

I am going to take up the broader implications in a new post.

See you soon!

 

[diogenes]

deleted by author, who moved it back to new topic.

please adv if there was a problem