jimntx
Veteran
I can hear your frustration...
However, you convey on here that you are holding you 8th choice, but yet you were hired 6 years ago. What's the complaint with your union if you are holding your choice? How are your interests not being served?
If you feel that your dues are wasted, either gather up the support from folks who share your view point and make change and/or run for office, instead of complaining.
Pitbull, you are one of the people I most admire in this industry because you do and did fight for change. That is not the practice of the APFA at AA--at least, not in the time I have been here. They pretty much roll over and play dead anytime the company asks.
As far as getting involved and effecting change...
As I posted before, the headquarters group made it clear that my job as a junior f/a was to pay my dues and keep my mouth shut. The base rep at STL is a former TWA f/a who is actually on furlough right now. He was elected because the former TW flight attendants who are all on furlough still have voting rights--and, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with this.
But, he is just one member of the board, and almost everything he says at board meeting is suspect BECAUSE he is former TWA. Most of the other people at my seniority are at LGA. I've never gotten the impression that the LGA reps are anymore concerned with the issues of junior flight attendants than the ones at DFW, ORD, or LAX which are the most senior bases.
The line that I am holding or not is not my issue with the union. As I said before, I am neither stupid nor deluded. I am well aware that seniority rules in this business. My issue is the APFA's willingness--almost eagerness--to throw junior flight attendants under the bus at the slightest provocation.
Examples:
1. During the RPA negotiations with the company in the Spring of 2003, APFA voluntarily gave up furlough pay--1 month base pay for every year of service up to 3 years IIRC--with nothing from the company in return. Now, I don't know for sure, but the general opinion on this is that it was done to "punish" the former TW f/as who were the great majority of the f/as who were later to be furloughed in July, 2003. I was just collateral damage because I happened to be furloughed at the same time.
The APFA never considered the fact that they opened the door for the company to do seasonal furloughs in the future because it won't cost them anything to do so. And, I'm sure you will agree that we will probably NEVER get furlough pay back.
2. See Line 2000 controversy for another example of APFA's disdain for junior f/as.
3. As I posted before, Frontier and SWA f/as regardless of seniority can fly free in coach on AA. AA f/as with less than 5 years have to pay service charges.