Skycaps sue US Airways over tips lost to curbside fee

[700UW]

A. Customer Service Agent work performed at airport terminals:
11 1. Work performed exclusively by Customer Service Agents includes:
12 issuing, reissuing, and refunding of passenger tickets; booking and
13 confirming flight reservations; accepting and checking passengers’
14 baggage at ticket counters and gates; queuing lines at ticket counters
15 (except where performed by CARS) and gates; passenger check-in,
16 passenger seat assignment and passenger boarding announcements;
17 handling of oversold flights; providing connecting passengers with
18 gate information; processing and tracing mishandled or damaged
19 baggage; along with CAR’s - boarding and deplaning non20
ambulatory special assist passengers between the passenger’s seat
21 and the aircraft threshold; assisting, boarding and deplaning
22 unaccompanied minors; issuing, reissuing, and refunding of non23
revenue tickets; passenger boarding including ticket lift and/or
24 boarding pass lift/verification (except where performed by US
25 Airways flight attendants), and associated duties; issuing vouchers
26 for passenger accommodations, meals and transportation; issuing
27 upgrades; operation of jetways (except where performed by US
28 Airways Fleet Service employees); making local arrival
29 announcements; delivery of flight documents; passenger service
30 flight close-out procedures; accepting and processing PDQ
31 shipments; assisting passengers with kiosk check-in and kiosk
32 baggage processing (except where performed by CARS).
33 2. Work that may be performed by a Passenger Service employee or by
34 a contractor includes: accepting and checking passengers’ baggage at
35 non-ticket counter airport locations or other non-airport locations
36 except as currently performed by Passenger Service employees;
37 customer service work associated with handling Express and
38 charter/ground handling agreements or contracts.
39 Skycaps will be permitted to perform the following tasks to check-in
40 customers and issue boarding passes at curbside: issuing boarding
41 passes for customers with electronic tickets; adding passenger
assistance edits for wheelchair, meet and assist, blind or deaf
2 passengers, selecting from a drop-down menu on the application;
3 reprinting boarding passes if necessary. Skycaps will be unable to
4 issue boarding passes for customers whose boarding passes are
5 inhibited, collect funds due for any reason (change fee, excess
6 baggage, UMNR fee, etc.), select specific seats for customers,
7 request generic aisle or window seats for customers or place/clear
8 customers on the priority list.
9 3. Work that may be performed by Passenger Service employees, a
10 contractor, or other US Airways employees includes: accepting,
11 processing and delivering cargo and material; paging; instructing and
12 training employees; operating air-stair vehicles; US Airways Club
13 and Frequent Traveler enrollment; passenger assistance not listed in
14 paragraph A.1.; and any other station work.

Dont see where collecting money is exclusive to CWA CSAs.

 

[john john]

Dont see where collecting money is exclusive to CWA CSAs.

Skycaps will be unable to
4 issue boarding passes for customers whose boarding passes are
5 inhibited, collect funds due for any reason (change fee, excess
6 baggage, UMNR fee, etc.), select specific seats for customers,

 

[tadjr]

Skycaps will be unable to
4 issue boarding passes for customers whose boarding passes are
5 inhibited, collect funds due for any reason (change fee, excess
6 baggage, UMNR fee, etc.), select specific seats for customers,

Skycaps cant collect money that is going directly to US. Technically, the money they collect for the $2 bag charge doesnt go (directly) to US so they can do it. They have to keep track of the bags they check during the day and turn in the money to their company every day who then does whatever it does in regards to their arrangement with US (either paying % of bags checked or whatever their contract states) so US doesnt "technically" get that money until the "bill" is paid at the end of the month. If they dont collect any money for checking bags, their company is still on the hook if there are any fees involved with US for them being allowed to collect money. I'm not sure if US gets a kickback or reduced payment for skycap services due to the amount they collect or what specific arrangements they've made with the skycap contractors, but the $2 does not go directly to a US account each day for deposit.

 

[john john]

Skycaps cant collect money that is going directly to US. Technically, the money they collect for the $2 bag charge doesnt go (directly) to US so they can do it. They have to keep track of the bags they check during the day and turn in the money to their company every day who then does whatever it does in regards to their arrangement with US (either paying % of bags checked or whatever their contract states) so US doesnt "technically" get that money until the "bill" is paid at the end of the month. If they dont collect any money for checking bags, their company is still on the hook if there are any fees involved with US for them being allowed to collect money. I'm not sure if US gets a kickback or reduced payment for skycap services due to the amount they collect or what specific arrangements they've made with the skycap contractors, but the $2 does not go directly to a US account each day for deposit.

Technically, the money they collect for the $2 bag charge is a Fee for checking a bag. Were dose the fee end up? I know it’s not a gift. It is a fund due if you check a bag on USAirways at the curb that is the point directly or indirectly.Your way of thing skycaps could set up shop on the curb and collect all fees charges moneys due and it is going directly to skycaps so it’s OK.I’m sure management is trying to offset the cost of the skycaps and oil and landing fees and facility fess and labor cost etc. Just the general cost of doing business

 

[tadjr]

From speaking to the skycaps my understanding is that instead of US paying for a service (skycaps) and not getting any of the money taken in by the service (tips), US said, we'll set something up so we "charge" for bags and you lower your fee that you charge us for your services. ie If US were being charged $10000 a month for skycap services, that money was coming directly out of US pocket since we werent collecting money to provide the service. With the new arrangement, US says we'll set up a $2/bag charge and you'll charge us only $1000 month for skycap services and anything over $15000 a month you make we get x% back or something along those lines. Since I havent been privy to the contract and the skycaps were told what their boss wanted to tell them about it, its all speculation, but sounds plausible to me to have some arrangement like this. US is now not "spending" money on a free service to the customers and the skycap vendor is actually making more money (possibly) in the long run if they are checking lots of bags. If the arrangement is like I've been told, US could even possibly now be making money off a service that was a money loser for them before as well. The only ones here who lose out are the skycaps whose tips are now service fees and are given to their company. So while US may in the end get some of the bag check money, its not going to the bank to be deposited with the change fees and other charges US agents collected on a daily basis.

 

[dexter]

You cannot pay your $2 by credit card. It is strictly a CASH business. Has the DOL or IRS questioned the Airlines where this money is pocketed?

 

[tadjr]

I dont know how the other cities keep track of it, but the skycaps here have to peel off one of the little sticky ends of the bag tag and keep it on a master list of bags checked. They scan all the bags checked and it adds up the amount of money they have to deposit to their manager at the end of the day. They get to keep whatever they have left over.