Tempe changes it's mind again.......

[iwantout]

And whatever happened to PITBull. TZ has not posted on here in ages. You would think she would have some opinion on the PIT closing. She had an opinion on everything else.

 

[Travelpro72]

Our opinions are just that....opinions. I may have come across a tad bit bitter. I let my being on reserve and sick of the whining get to my head. I respect the opinion of others but DO NOT agree with that of a few on here AND in the workplace about getting set to bump people down. It makes compassion run a little dry, sorry. Being a Pittsburgh native I have my feelings about PIT and never wished this on anyone including myself the past 4.5 years (wow it's been that long). I am ready to welcome our PIT f/a's to Philly but still don't like the tone of the E-line. Hopefully the PIT folks get the scoop on the Unemployment info. If I recall I didn't have to accept the displacement in 2003. Being the fact that the relocation was over so many miles as stated. Receiving the $20,000.00 I'm sure would play into your weekly amount awarded. It's worth looking into.

 

[jimntx]

As I understand it, here at AA when a base is closed, the f/as at that base can go anywhere in the system they want. That base and the company have to just deal with the overage until attrition takes care of it.

If there was a need for furloughs, it would be systemwide in reverse seniority order. F/As could then, in reverse seniority order, be involuntarily transferred to cover shortages at the most impacted base(s), but not to eliminate an overage. The involuntarily transferred f/as would have first dibs on any future openings in the base(s) from which they were transferred

With the bumping that is allowed per your contract, is there a possibility that somewhere along the line the most junior person(s) bumped would be involuntarily furloughed?

 

[EMBFA]

That doesn't apply in this case because there is no reduction of flying or positions. The time is simply being moved from one base to two others (CLT and DCA). A buyout equal to the number of F/As that were in the closing base is being offered, so there will still be a vacancy of 300 or so F/As that will be filled by furloughees. Now, even if a furloughee senior to me came back, they cannot bump me, they can only go where there are openings. Funny how they are not afforded a choice of any old base they feel like, openings or not. Losing your job is clearly not as special or earth shattering as having to be based a half hour flight away on the other side of the state.

 

[Travelpro72]

EMBFA didn't you KNOW that the union must protect SENIORITY? What you stated is case in point of how the union quite often works for one group and not the other. THEY create as much division as the company. To THINK what kind of ideas those negotiating have cooked up for us in the next contract. Good grief.

 

[songbirdstew]

No, I did not forget. Guess it just depends on what side of PIT you view the chain of events from. Here is how I see things from my side:

The company announces it will be closing PIT and gives a dates for displacements. Okay, it equally sucks for the entire FA group.

The union and the company meet again and reach an agreement to delay displacements, which is a win for the majority of FAs; possible TDY assignments for PIT FAs to other bases, which is a win for PIT; Leaves offered in PIT, which is a win for PIT.

Union then says - wait, we cannot have PIT FAs that have not been on reserve in 30 years on reserve in PIT! Why that is just unthinkable how will they pay their bills - and hash out a deal with no regard to other FAs. This is a win for PIT and a loss for the majority.

It does not matter who wrote the e-line or who the intended audience is suppose to be, what matters is that the e-line should be written in such a way as not to offend the entire FA group. In this case the union failed.

Remember, it is not that the PIT FAs are being offered the opportunity to volunteer to displace early that I have an issue with, my issue is with the reasons the union went back to the company to renegotiate the displacements that gave them that opportunity.

Just an FYI, the company did not even tell the union that they had pushed displacements back until February. The company figured out after announcing they would start displacing in JAN that most of the PIT F/As need 330 training and ALL need 190 training. If they displaced 200 in JAN as they planned, all those going would want training in NOV/DEC during peak holiday travel time.

AFA did NOT negotiate to have displacements pushed back. As a matter of fact, Mark Gentile started getting phone calls when the packets arrived to PIT F/As asking why they said to pick either a February of March displacement when we were supposed to be starting to downsize the base 01/01/08.

The company did this behind AFA's back, the same way they announced the base closing behind their back. AFA DID NOT NEGOTIATE MOVING THE DISPLACEMENT MONTH...in this instance, your anger needs to be directed towards the company-----yet again.

 

[EMBFA]

Um, how did they "close the base behind AFA's back?"

COMPANY: Hey, we are closing this base on this date.

AFA: Oh.

Behind the union's back would be more along the lines of signing into Catcrew and seeng your base had been changed, or going to the crew room and finding a sign that says "Please catch next flt to PHL, PIT base closed- Mgmt."

 

[songbirdstew]

Um, how did they "close the base behind AFA's back?"

COMPANY: Hey, we are closing this base on this date.

AFA: Oh.

Behind the union's back would be more along the lines of signing into Catcrew and seeng your base had been changed, or going to the crew room and finding a sign that says "Please catch next flt to PHL, PIT base closed- Mgmt."

The company is supposed to notify the union more than 45 minutes before announcing a base closure. ALPA is grieving the way it was handled due to language in their contract. I think their grievance will be heard at the beginning of December. I think there's something in our contract too but I'm sure it's in a side letter buried deep in Carol Austins....ummm....desk.