Station Manager Fills In Cwa Agents Today

[FLYUSAIRWAYS]

Our station Manager met with us today and told us that we are 80 Million over what Jet Blue and Air Tran spend on Customer Service Agents. I guess we finally have our figure. Also told us that there will layoffs in the fall because of the gate boarding pass scanners. He was in DCA this week for the big meeting. He also said the Ramp agents are 90 Million over paid. Looks like a bigger cut for the ramp workers than the inside workers by 10 million. He also said that we will be receiving info in our home mail regarding this. Stay tuned.

 

[Oliver Twist]

Dose anyone know how many CWA and Fleet Service there are remaining so far?

 

[tadjr]

I think there are approx 7000 CWA represented employees. Last figure I could find doing a quick check was 8000 back in 02, which was before MCO closed and several stations closed and others of us downsized again.
If 7000 and 80 million are right, thats $11400 per employee. I want to see how they expect those numbers to come together.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

I think there are approx 7000 CWA represented employees. Last figure I could find doing a quick check was 8000 back in 02, which was before MCO closed and several stations closed and others of us downsized again.
If 7000 and 80 million are right, thats $11400 per employee. I want to see how they expect those numbers to come together.

Lower head count. You need less customer contact with the new business plan.

 

[networking]

Our station Manager met with us today and told us that we are 80 Million over what Jet Blue and Air Tran spend on Customer Service Agents. I guess we finally have our figure. Also told us that there will layoffs in the fall because of the gate boarding pass scanners. He was in DCA this week for the big meeting. He also said the Ramp agents are 90 Million over paid. Looks like a bigger cut for the ramp workers than the inside workers by 10 million. He also said that we will be receiving info in our home mail regarding this. Stay tuned.

It sounds as though you have a good station manager who actually communicates. At this end we only hear what is happening off of the internet and from employees in other cities.

Secondly, I feel like getting rid of more human beings on the front line is a grave mistake. Good customer service is the number one reason for repeat business....and I don't think it can come from a machine.

Does anyone have any dates that actual furlough numbers will be announced, or when the new September flight scedule will be loaded?

 

[diogenes]

There are about 7200 fsa's.

There will be a lot fewer with full 'expression', in the out stations, focus cities and the hubs - you don't think mainline agents are gonna work MDA/express in PHL and CLT, do you?

This can occur WITHOUT a single change to the current contract.

Soft landing, my a$$!

It's all Bravo Sierra!

 

[unit4clt]

diogenes,

The last fsa count i saw was about 4500 ft/pt agents. THe 7200 figure is what we had about 6 years ago. With 90 million coming from 4500 fsa, works out to appx. 20k per year, certianly an insane proposal by any measurement. And you wonder why the Market has no confidence in Usairways management.
Labor should not have to subsidize RJ operators as well as a failing business plan.

 

[700UW]

I seriously doubt a station manager was briefed on detailed plans for concessions and released the information before it was given to each respective union.

 

[tadjr]

Our manager also attended a meeting this week about the new plan, but didnt disclose numbers. Not sure if they were told or he just didnt want to upset the staff. Might as well let the big guys do that.

Also an interesting note from one of our "Comparison" carriers.

Early outs at WN. Imagine that. Whats US going to offer to be competitive now?

Southwest Article

 

[geo1004]

Also an interesting note from one of our "Comparison" carriers.

Early outs at WN. Imagine that. Whats US going to offer to be competitive now?

Southwest Article

This issue was addressed in another thread before it was closed. Bottom line is that LUV can offer early outs and either reduce the payrolls or hire new employees at the bottom of the payscale. If US was to do the same they would not be able able to bring in new, bottom payscale employess but rather furloughed employees at senior pay and benefit levels. There is no advantage for US to swap one senior employee for another.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Our station Manager met with us today and told us that we are 80 Million over what Jet Blue and Air Tran spend on Customer Service Agents. I guess we finally have our figure. Also told us that there will layoffs in the fall because of the gate boarding pass scanners. He was in DCA this week for the big meeting. He also said the Ramp agents are 90 Million over paid. Looks like a bigger cut for the ramp workers than the inside workers by 10 million. He also said that we will be receiving info in our home mail regarding this. Stay tuned.

The ramp has always taken more than Customer service because the CWA has actually negotiated some things. The ramp's last concession was $14 million for 4,800 workers while the CWA was $11 million for about 6,500 workers.
I mean they used to get paid the same until they voted in the IAM, now the CWA has a much better retirement package and is making more wage.

My understanding is that the CWA will further distance themselves from the ramp with an additional 3% pay increase this June along with all other groups, while at the same time, IAM fleet service negotiators decided not to bother with a pay increase this year so it is Tuffa Lucka for the ramp. I would submit to you that it wouldn't be this way if the ramp had more than a couple Local Chairman who advocated something better.


Present ramp numbers are 4,550 and that includes express stations.

regards,

 

[tadjr]

That would depend on if they actually brought people back or not. We have had 6 people leave with no replacements. They cant furlough agents to bring in Cars, but if they left with a buyout, they could replace agents with Cars and the payscale is less. Most of the part time agents left on recall in my station are not topped out and most probably wouldnt come back. About 10 took the vol furlough recently and are happy to still be away. To make a blanket statement about all recalls being senior is incorrect and it would depend on the city and who they would actually pay to replace. How recent did rez hire off the street? Maybe they should send out a proposal to see if X is offered who would leave and then decide if it would be worth it to offer it? In the meantime, they havent made any attempt to get anyone to leave voluntarily recently. How many people have said offer free flights for life and they'd be gone? Even if 1 person left, you'd have the possibility of replacing them with a somewhat junior person. As long as things are status quo, we know the costs wont come down since no one is leaving.

 

[linemech]

I seriously doubt a station manager was briefed on detailed plans for concessions and released the information before it was given to each respective union.

700,

I'm sure that this actually happened, since it happened in PIT in the
maintenance dept.

The information given to the mechanics by the shift manager was, the problem with maint. costs are not with pay, but with scope.

The airline cannot make a profit unless they are allowed to contract out all heavy maint. and what ever else the IAM will let them.

Info also passed on is that the airline plans to operate with approx. half of it's present employees.

Cutbacks in PIT will not affect pax destinations so pax will not feel the impact as much as the airport and U employees now Working in PIT.

Cross utilization - they need to use other employees to do the work of utility personnel.

Breifly discussed in the CCY meeting was U starting it's own third party company for heavy maint checks.

These are just a few of the things said by the manager to mech's in the meeting and I'm sure more will be coming since he also said this will happen by Sept.


linemech.

 

[diogenes]

diogenes,

The last fsa count i saw was about 4500 ft/pt agents. THe 7200 figure is what we had about 6 years ago. With 90 million coming from 4500 fsa, works out to appx. 20k per year, certianly an insane proposal by any measurement. And you wonder why the Market has no confidence in Usairways management.
Labor should not have to subsidize RJ operators as well as a failing business plan.

Your figure confirms what I have suspected - there are a lot fewer fleet agents than mechs.

I'd love to see a mech/fsa ratio from 1999 to 2004.

I'd love to see those ratios compared to other carriers.

I must disclose where I got the 7200 figure from.

The district. This week. Go figure.

 

[700UW]

There are about 4,000 + mechanics, but you can't compare mechs to FSA as you have shops and heavy maintenance as well as line mechanics, GSE and plant mtc.