US AFA topic title edited by moderator

[Travelpro72]

What you describe Fly is legal and perfectly within your right. Yes picking up from the ETB and keeping your company time within the limit is the right thing to do. However there are plenty and I do mean PLENTY that fly WAY, WAY, WAY over 90 hours company time. They are NOT penalized for doing so which I find absolutely wrong. Also, as for picking up on the ETB, it is so restricted for a reserve that many times it's next to impossible to find a trip that fits into your peramiters. As for negotiating something better, I know it's very hard work exchanging proposals that will work for everyone. That said, I think we could use some outside influence to help the AFA negotiators think outside the box. I have a feeling the next contract brought to the members to vote on in 2025 will be a hodge podge mix of pieces from contracts past. The contract we work under now is mess to say the very least. It's like patched potholes on a cobblestone road.

 

[VAflyGal]

What you describe Fly is legal and perfectly within your right. Yes picking up from the ETB and keeping your company time within the limit is the right thing to do. However there are plenty and I do mean PLENTY that fly WAY, WAY, WAY over 90 hours company time. They are NOT penalized for doing so which I find absolutely wrong. Also, as for picking up on the ETB, it is so restricted for a reserve that many times it's next to impossible to find a trip that fits into your peramiters. As for negotiating something better, I know it's very hard work exchanging proposals that will work for everyone. That said, I think we could use some outside influence to help the AFA negotiators think outside the box. I have a feeling the next contract brought to the members to vote on in 2025 will be a hodge podge mix of pieces from contracts past. The contract we work under now is mess to say the very least. It's like patched potholes on a cobblestone road.

Thank you, Travel. Scheduling won't even allow us to pick up anything from ETB until reserve lines are awarded which is usually around the 23-24th of each month. By then much of what was posted by BH's has been picked up by other BH's and the restrictions do prevent us from getting a lot of things we want.
Happy flying, all (or sitting around in the 35.01 bucket, rsvs).

 

[davo77]

Here's a thought. Why not staff this airline properly so we won't have the "haves" and the "have nots". We have some people who fly 150 hours a month every month then we have reserves who are only flying 40 hours. How hard could it possibly be for the company to deny all those extra trips to flight attendants once they reach their maximum hours? Can they not put an asterick by their name or some sort of notification in the computer to scheduling once they reach their maximum number of hours? Financially speaking, it would make more sense because the people who are flying all of those extra hours are typically senior blockholders who are at the top of the pay scale. What sense does it make to pay them all that money when you could be paying less money to more junior flight attendants flying a normal amount of hours. It's also not very fun when you work a trip with one of those flight attendants who flies a gazillion hours because they are always tired and grumpy from all the flying. I'm sure that will never change though because scheduling doesn't care who flies those trips they are just happy to have it filled and the union would never let the company enforce the overflying rules. I don't care whether ETB trips are considered company time or not. Either way, they should not be allowed to fly all those extra hours per month, period.

I couldnt have said this better...God knows I just worked with one that had worked 13 out of 15days somehow....Girl was a mess....note to all of you who work every day of the month..... Get a prescription to whatever you need so you can act like you have some sense... I dont really care how many days youve worked or how tired you are...DONT make my 4 day trip hell..!!!!!

 

[FlightChic]

I couldnt have said this better...God knows I just worked with one that had worked 13 out of 15days somehow....Girl was a mess....note to all of you who work every day of the month..... Get a prescription to whatever you need so you can act like you have some sense... I dont really care how many days youve worked or how tired you are...DONT make my 4 day trip hell..!!!!!

 

[NoMoreKoolAid]

It's time the FAA stepped in about flying 15 days in a row and all this commuting. I fly with people all the time that can't remember there name and will flat out tell you they are exhausted as it's trip # 6 or day 17 for them.

 

[ExPit]

It's time the FAA stepped in about flying 15 days in a row and all this commuting. I fly with people all the time that can't remember there name and will flat out tell you they are exhausted as it's trip # 6 or day 17 for them.

Good luck with that, especially with the "commuting."

 

[dexter]

Watch those prescriptions!!! You know they have the Company rep waiting outside the A/C door with the "white envelope" for drug testing.
Isn't working 15 days in a row against your contract? Why hasn't anyone filed this with the FAA or the AFA?
I would be long gone with a schedule like that, not to mention what the cabin air does to you all!! Very stressful working conditions. You should at least know what your name is on the last day of your trip. Sounds pretty illegal to me.

 

[flybynite]

You would think.

The FAR is you have to have a 24:00 hr break in 7 days.

 

[davo77]

You would think.

The FAR is you have to have a 24:00 hr break in 7 days.

ALl you have to do is get a red eye with 24+ break and you can keep flying....

 

[Travelpro72]

Does anyone have any information about the crew rest issue? Is the arbitrator expected to rule soon?

 

[beachboy]

It's a very straight forward case. A good arbitrator should not take long to rule but there is no time table. I think he/she has until January to make a ruling but I would look for one before August. They are most likely asking the company and AFA if there is any settlement before he or she rules. Mike should know better. Take it to the mat because I am sick of them getting away with acting like a third world airline. Scott wants to fly the route and play with the big boys well then you act like the big boys do.

 

[Travelpro72]

I know there is more involved than just making a decision but c'mon. He/she should see what other airlines offer their flight attendants on similar equipment and similar distance compared to what US management wants to give. It's pretty simple in my eyes. I understand that it would be extremely costly to modify the a/c now with crew bunks down below. With that being said they could give us Envoy seats behind the mid galley on the 330-200 where row 6 and 7 was on the old 330-300 layout. Put a bulkhead behind the row or two with a solid curtain. POOF crew rest.

 

[beachboy]

Oh you propose letting them off way too easy. They had until the first week of December 2008 to make the a/c fully capable of the POD insert. Put the access port at mid cabin 3L/3R. They made the calculated move to dismiss a legitimate issue and go cheap. Well, now they must learn the high cost of cheap. Moving water lines and floor mods will be $$$. AFA at least has to try. I am sure at this point they want to settle for business class seats but I want it on record that we at least fought the fight for the POD to the end. This arbitration will be referenced by others in the future.
If we win according to Scott TLV won't operate. Fine with me! Take your ball and go home. Already look like silly fools to the entire industry. Why not foreign governments too.

 

[Travelpro72]

Wait....I totally agree. What I was proposing is an interim crew rest until the mods can be done once more A330-200's are on property to rotate. I don't think the arbitrator will make US take the plane out of service to do it. It's just not gonna happen.

 

[flybynite]

The East has exceeded the number needed for the VLOA's. Great.