THE NEW USAIRWAYS & AFA66

[TheNewLowFare]

I think the last couple of posts must be jokes.........lets be real.....

I think you're a joke. I sometimes volunteer my time at the Union office "UNPAID" and on my own time. For you to call anyone that works at the Union office unprofessional is a total insult.
...and if you think AFA66 has alot of unqualified people working there, why don't you get your crazy ass over there and volunteer instead of bitching about it.

 

[USWestF/A]

<_< PowerPuff or whoever you are, you need to get a life! You have nothing to back up your idiotic, and false statements about AFA66. Our Mec works damned hard, and against a management team that views the flight attendants as liabilities, instead of assets. And as far as our contract goes...least its not a concessionary one, and we on the west have alot more scheduling flexibility, more vacation time than East does. Just a few things for you to ponder, before you blast something you know nothing about. And, if your intent is to pit West against East, get over it. We're in this together wether you like it or not. 🙄

 

[PowerUpPowerDown]

<_< PowerPuff or whoever you are, you need to get a life! You have nothing to back up your idiotic, and false statements about AFA66. Our Mec works damned hard, and against a management team that views the flight attendants as liabilities, instead of assets. And as far as our contract goes...least its not a concessionary one, and we on the west have alot more scheduling flexibility, more vacation time than East does. Just a few things for you to ponder, before you blast something you know nothing about. And, if your intent is to pit West against East, get over it. We're in this together wether you like it or not. 🙄

First of all, I am not pitting West vs East, far from it. I jsut started this post because of MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMPANY AND AFA66. In my opion and several hundreds of my friends, we all feel the same way about both. I dont care about what either side has in their contract personally, as far as my posting is concerned,what does bother me is that AFA66, who collects dues monthly, will not return calls to its members, follow up on important issues, and allows the company to walk all over the current contract and will not go up against the company, they just , in my experience, go with whatever the company says is the truth, and never bucks the system. It is getting really old and exhausting trying to deal with numerous issues.....

 

[MAAMARCH04]

Who the hell are you? The 2nd shift janitor on the PHL D concourse?

You do not know what you are talking about!

Well, that was very mature. As if the "2nd shift janitor on the PHL D concourse" is somehow inferior and not worth hearing from.

Not sure who PowerupPowerdown is, but they are right to a point.

I've been with USAirways since February 2000. In May of 2003, I was furloughed for 10 months until I accepted a position with our MidAtlantic Division. In March of 2006, I left MidAtlantic to accept a position out here in PHX. I am a seasoned F/A with a lot of experience. All that experience meant nothing as I had to endure 6 weeks of new-hire training/IOE in PHX. I'm not bitter about this, as it was my decision to accept the offer under those conditions. I have since had the pleasure of working with some of the best F/As here in PHX. Everyone, with a few exceptions, have been great people to work with and get to know. What I am angry about is that I came out here with high hopes, excitement and an open mind. The F/As here in PHX have not let me down, but Management and the Union here have. I've been here for 4 months and I've had to fight for everything.
(1)Benefits that were promised from day one of training took me at least 5 weeks to get. From lost paperwork, to slow to sometimes no response from this Benefits Dept., I finally got my Health Insurance in place. Others from the East, who still do not have Health Benefits, have been told that they can finally get them if the back pay all of their premiums from March of this year! Can you imagine the INSANITY of asking someone to pay for 3 months of benefits that they did not have. When they called the Union here, of course they HAD TO LEAVE A MESSAGE. Sidebar: Does anyone out here in Management and Union answer their phones. Every time that I call anyone out here its, "We'll get back to you in 24 - 48 hours". This brand of taking care of the "Internal Customers" is lazy, disrespectful and above all, incompetent.Back to point - The Union here in PHX did not return their call. When they called back and did actually speak to someone at the Union, they were told that "The Company was right". No fight from the Union.
(2)I have been trying from Day 1 to get the paperwork so that I can set up my beneficiary disbursement for my Life Insurance and AD&D, should this ever be an issue. To date, no response from the Company's Benefits Department. My last e-mail was a week ago and I did get a response to that - in the form of a cc from one Benefits person passing this off to another Benefits person. So far - that's it.
(3) From Day 1, I have been trying to get my mother and domestic partner on my travel pass. Both have been on my travel pass back east for 6&1/2 and 5 years. I have had to order 2 birth certificates from my state of birth and have attempted to support my claim of Domestic Partnership with Durable Power of Attorney paperwork prepared 5 years ago. To date, neither is still on my travel pass out here. 4 months out here and the people that are closest to me cannot visit me. I guess they were right, when interviewing for this job 6&1/2 years ago, when I was advised to never answer the interview question "Why do you want to become a flight attendant?" with "For the travel benefits." The Union's answer to all of this is, "Well, that is the way it is out here". No fight, no negotiating on my behalf. Here's another interesting point: It's been suggested by management out here that we 50 or so from the East that are out here may actually loose our established East Travel Benefits when we integrate because we're here now and not back East. Had I stayed back East, this would not be the case. But, because I answered the "call-to-service" out here (even though my seniority would have held the June '06 recall back east) I may lose my established domestic partner travel benefits.

There are other issues, but I have gone on long enough. I guess that I'm just trying to defend PowerupPowerdown's assertion that incompetence, mean spiritedness, lazyness and a genuine lack of Internal Customer Service skills seems to be rampant out here. I feel beaten up and unhappy.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Mrs. Doubtflier]

Oh MAAMARCH Dearie

It is easier to have some sympathy for your plight as you did write some specifics, Popitup was just was just on a generalized rant, and so we must ask.....exactly what are the problems that he/she and the hundreds of friends are really having?

The West is experiencing a tremendous increase in workload so I don't believe that mean-spiritedness or lazyness is the problem. I once worked for a very nice man in the office for an airline and the one thing that I did the most was answer the phone as the volume of calls was tremendous and returning all of the calls practically impossible!!! And I was initially hired because of my stellar IQ and superb architecture!! I imagine there are many additional projects that have to do with the operational merger as well as the day to day tasks in most departments.

Perhaps it would help if you went to Benefits for an in person visit. A live body is a little harder to put on tomorrow's ToDo list.......and take candy.

I would be very surprised if your term pass priviledge issues continue past the operational merger. I would think that you will be able to "Grandfather Clause" under the merged company to the paperwork that the company accepted when you were an orginal hire if your circumstances have not changed.

This is all just merger mania...it does get better Dearie.......

 

[USstew23]

Oh MAAMARCH Dearie

It is easier to have some sympathy for your plight as you did write some specifics, Popitup was just was just on a generalized rant, and so we must ask.....exactly what are the problems that he/she and the hundreds of friends are really having?

The West is experiencing a tremendous increase in workload so I don't believe that mean-spiritedness or lazyness is the problem. I once worked for a very nice man in the office for an airline and the one thing that I did the most was answer the phone as the volume of calls was tremendous and returning all of the calls practically impossible!!! And I was initially hired because of my stellar IQ and superb architecture!! I imagine there are many additional projects that have to do with the operational merger as well as the day to day tasks in most departments.

Perhaps it would help if you went to Benefits for an in person visit. A live body is a little harder to put on tomorrow's ToDo list.......and take candy.

I would be very surprised if your term pass priviledge issues continue past the operational merger. I would think that you will be able to "Grandfather Clause" under the merged company to the paperwork that the company accepted when you were an orginal hire if your circumstances have not changed.

This is all just merger mania...it does get better Dearie.......

Are you High??????? Funny how a company with 60,000 employees managed to answer their phones and call back in a timely manner. I've had to experience that Pass Bureau out there and what a joke. I might have had to sit on hold when I called the travel office at the Crystal Palace but at least they answered and were able to give me an accurate answer (which is nothing close to what I get when I deal with that outfit in Tempe)I feel sorry for the West folks, you seem to be really good people and the impression I get from the corporate folk is that their PooPoo doesn't stink because they were the mighty America West and that they view their PROFESSIONAL front line employees as a joke and liability. I think the big difference between East and West is that East employees (even through 3 rounds of concessions and 2 retarded CEO's not including Lakefield who seemed to really care) were hired to be professionals and adults and therefore treated as such and for the most part with respect, for the most part I have yet to see how the management out West treat ANYONE (West) like the professionals that they are. As far as the contract goes at West, it is all a matter of perception and what you are used to, and for the most part the contract seems to work for Block (Line) Holders and hardly ever works for the reserves. Maybe if some of the more senior lineholders had to go back on reserve for a while maybe there would be more of an understanding and bigger move from the workforce for change.

 

[700UW]

So what have any of you done to make AFA66 better instead of sitting on an Internet bulletin board bashing them?

Have any of you attended a meeting?

Volunteered any of your time?

Joined a committee?

Ran for office?

It takes involvement to make things better,not sideline QBs.

 

[USCREW]

I think the big difference between East and West is that East employees (even through 3 rounds of concessions and 2 retarded CEO's not including Lakefield who seemed to really care) were hired to be professionals and adults and therefore treated as such and for the most part with respect, for the most part I have yet to see how the management out West treat ANYONE (West) like the professionals that they are.

True words. MAAMARCH04, welcome back and it's too bad that you're having some administrative problems. Although you are technically HP right now, why not call an east coast union rep; it couln't hurt and maybe they can lead you in the right direction.

 

[PITbull]

Well, that was very mature. As if the "2nd shift janitor on the PHL D concourse" is somehow inferior and not worth hearing from.

Not sure who PowerupPowerdown is, but they are right to a point.

I've been with USAirways since February 2000. In May of 2003, I was furloughed for 10 months until I accepted a position with our MidAtlantic Division. In March of 2006, I left MidAtlantic to accept a position out here in PHX. I am a seasoned F/A with a lot of experience. All that experience meant nothing as I had to endure 6 weeks of new-hire training/IOE in PHX. I'm not bitter about this, as it was my decision to accept the offer under those conditions. I have since had the pleasure of working with some of the best F/As here in PHX. Everyone, with a few exceptions, have been great people to work with and get to know. What I am angry about is that I came out here with high hopes, excitement and an open mind. The F/As here in PHX have not let me down, but Management and the Union here have. I've been here for 4 months and I've had to fight for everything.
(1)Benefits that were promised from day one of training took me at least 5 weeks to get. From lost paperwork, to slow to sometimes no response from this Benefits Dept., I finally got my Health Insurance in place. Others from the East, who still do not have Health Benefits, have been told that they can finally get them if the back pay all of their premiums from March of this year! Can you imagine the INSANITY of asking someone to pay for 3 months of benefits that they did not have. When they called the Union here, of course they HAD TO LEAVE A MESSAGE. Sidebar: Does anyone out here in Management and Union answer their phones. Every time that I call anyone out here its, "We'll get back to you in 24 - 48 hours". This brand of taking care of the "Internal Customers" is lazy, disrespectful and above all, incompetent.Back to point - The Union here in PHX did not return their call. When they called back and did actually speak to someone at the Union, they were told that "The Company was right". No fight from the Union.
(2)I have been trying from Day 1 to get the paperwork so that I can set up my beneficiary disbursement for my Life Insurance and AD&D, should this ever be an issue. To date, no response from the Company's Benefits Department. My last e-mail was a week ago and I did get a response to that - in the form of a cc from one Benefits person passing this off to another Benefits person. So far - that's it.
(3) From Day 1, I have been trying to get my mother and domestic partner on my travel pass. Both have been on my travel pass back east for 6&1/2 and 5 years. I have had to order 2 birth certificates from my state of birth and have attempted to support my claim of Domestic Partnership with Durable Power of Attorney paperwork prepared 5 years ago. To date, neither is still on my travel pass out here. 4 months out here and the people that are closest to me cannot visit me. I guess they were right, when interviewing for this job 6&1/2 years ago, when I was advised to never answer the interview question "Why do you want to become a flight attendant?" with "For the travel benefits." The Union's answer to all of this is, "Well, that is the way it is out here". No fight, no negotiating on my behalf. Here's another interesting point: It's been suggested by management out here that we 50 or so from the East that are out here may actually loose our established East Travel Benefits when we integrate because we're here now and not back East. Had I stayed back East, this would not be the case. But, because I answered the "call-to-service" out here (even though my seniority would have held the June '06 recall back east) I may lose my established domestic partner travel benefits.

There are other issues, but I have gone on long enough. I guess that I'm just trying to defend PowerupPowerdown's assertion that incompetence, mean spiritedness, lazyness and a genuine lack of Internal Customer Service skills seems to be rampant out here. I feel beaten up and unhappy.

Thanks for listening.

I suspect that part or most of the reason for the lack of phone response from the West MEC is that managment disrespects the unions so much that there is NO negotiated flight pay loss as there is on the EAst. The East has approx 800 hours per month to split per month among the MEC, chairs LECs so THE EAST SHOULD BE PICKING UP THE PHONE AND GETTING BACK TO THE MEMBERS IN JACK-FLASH TIME.
With regard to the benefits you should have been receiving when hired, the reason for those delays is because all the EXECS are only focused on the stock price making their $$ now rather than anything later, in case there isn't anything or they have to come back to labor for more concessions.

The company does not have enough personnel to service the employees. BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT EMPLOYEES.

And they have the union leadership running around chasing their tails trying to make improvements.

I say....LET THE MEDIA IN ON EVERY DAMN THING. When the stock price falls, INVESTORS pay attention, which in turn forces those execs who are on payroll to do their jobs.

 

[MAAMARCH04]

Oh MAAMARCH Dearie

It is easier to have some sympathy for your plight as you did write some specifics, Popitup was just was just on a generalized rant, and so we must ask.....exactly what are the problems that he/she and the hundreds of friends are really having?

The West is experiencing a tremendous increase in workload so I don't believe that mean-spiritedness or lazyness is the problem. I once worked for a very nice man in the office for an airline and the one thing that I did the most was answer the phone as the volume of calls was tremendous and returning all of the calls practically impossible!!! And I was initially hired because of my stellar IQ and superb architecture!! I imagine there are many additional projects that have to do with the operational merger as well as the day to day tasks in most departments.

Perhaps it would help if you went to Benefits for an in person visit. A live body is a little harder to put on tomorrow's ToDo list.......and take candy.

I would be very surprised if your term pass priviledge issues continue past the operational merger. I would think that you will be able to "Grandfather Clause" under the merged company to the paperwork that the company accepted when you were an orginal hire if your circumstances have not changed.

This is all just merger mania...it does get better Dearie.......

Mrs. Doubtflier,

Thank you for your response. With all due respect, within your response might lye some of the problem. You seem to making excuses for their bad professional behavior. You're letting them off the hook too easily. It seems as if a lot of the rank-and-file membership out here are as accepting as you of this brand of management. WHO HOLDS THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE! I feel like I'm in the twilight zone!

 

[xoxo]

MAAMARCH04,

If they are still recalling on east in March, I asume you went to west in 1st class, would you come back over here to the east before it is all one? I just came back in June and everything is going very well. So far no problems..got my new unform peices, even received my medical cards, got all the benificiary stuff done too...even started my 401K again...so, so far so good. SMOOTHLY..We may not fly as much as the west reserves do..but, thats ok for now. At least we can pick some extra hours on off days. I do everything i want to on reserve days that I would do on an off day(except drink of course), but, I can use my off days to make some extra money. So, since the east may not even offer recalls again till the end of the year..would you come back? Also, if you would come back, will they give you the time served over there for pay purposes? They should, heck, they gave it to some of the f/a's that were once Usairways and then added their time to their America west for pay purposes. So there are a few f/a's there right now that are junior to you (at east)that are getting 6 year pay...hmm..figure that one out <_<

 

[TheNewLowFare]

First of all, I am not pitting West vs East, far from it. I jsut started this post because of MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMPANY AND AFA66. In my opion and several hundreds of my friends, we all feel the same way about both. I dont care about what either side has in their contract personally, as far as my posting is concerned,what does bother me is that AFA66, who collects dues monthly, will not return calls to its members, follow up on important issues, and allows the company to walk all over the current contract and will not go up against the company, they just , in my experience, go with whatever the company says is the truth, and never bucks the system. It is getting really old and exhausting trying to deal with numerous issues.....

Powerup,

Mary, Gary and anyone that works there are so swammped with grievances etc. I know because I have volunteered over there! Go over and see for yourself.
This is why AFA needs flight attendants to volunteers at least 2 hours of their time a month.
I know we all pay for our dues, but sometimes they can't get anyone to volunteer to answer phones, file mailboxes etc.. If you can't get anyone to return your calls, it's not because they are ignoring you. They are so busy over there and they have to take care of the most important issues first (like our contract)! Try driving over to the Union Office instead . it's very close to the airport and Mary or Carol are usually over there.

 

[azjetdude]

West AFA has a lot to be proud of.
We have a great contract, and it is our FIRST contract.
The West NEVER took a paycut after 9/11, as our union officials took a precautionary stance of "NO WAY".
Our West officers are very involved in lobbying Congress for flight attendant issues, and are regularly on Capital Hill fighting for ALL flight attendants.
We are JUST FINE out here in Phoenix, with AFA 66.
Why do you find the need to say such mean things?

Lets get real. As for no pay cuts after 9/11, the company never came to any work group for a pay cut, AFA did not do anything.

 

[azjetdude]

Are you High??????? Funny how a company with 60,000 employees managed to answer their phones and call back in a timely manner. I've had to experience that Pass Bureau out there and what a joke. I might have had to sit on hold when I called the travel office at the Crystal Palace but at least they answered and were able to give me an accurate answer (which is nothing close to what I get when I deal with that outfit in Tempe)I feel sorry for the West folks, you seem to be really good people and the impression I get from the corporate folk is that their PooPoo doesn't stink because they were the mighty America West and that they view their PROFESSIONAL front line employees as a joke and liability. I think the big difference between East and West is that East employees (even through 3 rounds of concessions and 2 retarded CEO's not including Lakefield who seemed to really care) were hired to be professionals and adults and therefore treated as such and for the most part with respect, for the most part I have yet to see how the management out West treat ANYONE (West) like the professionals that they are. As far as the contract goes at West, it is all a matter of perception and what you are used to, and for the most part the contract seems to work for Block (Line) Holders and hardly ever works for the reserves. Maybe if some of the more senior lineholders had to go back on reserve for a while maybe there would be more of an understanding and bigger move from the workforce for change.

It is time for everyone to get a grip. I am not justifying anything, but here is one fact. They have 4 people working the P.B.

EVERYTHING is in a state of change, or if it isn't changing it probably will. So you can't expect everything to go perfectly, especially during the time of mergers.

Is it right that people haven't called you back or don't know the right answer? No, but usually, no one is going to die over it.

I can easily see the frustration for those transerfering from the East. But you have to remember that not only did you change companies, but were recalled from a furlough. Many of the problems I have seen the East people dealing with are issues that even the US/MDA group did not have figured out correctly.

Again, not to justify any problems that you all have been dealing with, but we are all people. We can either get all stressed out about it, or go with the flow. Is a personal choice.

Man, do I with that everything was cut and dry, it would make my job MUCH easier, but, that isn't the way life always goes!

 

[PITbull]

az,

Inefficient is the correct word. This management HAS NOT EVOLVED FROM A REGIONAL CARRIER; TO A LEGACY!

They don't have enough staffing and they do not have trained personnel.

Getting benefits is a very simple process...the Left talks to the Right. That's the job of the HR department. It's not like U is bringing on thousands of employees all at once.

Let's get real! Folks need to have their medical benefits for prescriptions, dr. visits, illness, etc...They should not have to hunt the company down to get these things.

If the Execs weren't so busy trying to sell stock and watch the market, they would have their eyes on the operation...e.g. website, feefback to customer complaints, bringing back furloughees, training etc.. simple operational tasks.

It is not the unions responsibility to direct company personnel to insitute benefits for employees. Folks coming back from furlough have supervisors and those folks need to know how to do their jobs and how to get these simple tasks done post haste and correctly.

What you have here is the wrong people sitting on the bus in the wrong seats going in wrong directions or rather in NO direction.