Us Airways Holding Flight Attendants Prisoners

[Twicebaked]

Does any other junior reserve flight attendant feel like they are a prisoner of US Airways?

I for one have not had ONE trip since the beginning of Sept. and that was only a one day. You are required to stay in base. Most people in Philly and a lot in Pit are commuters. You sit day in and day out not being able to do anything that will take you to far from the airport. If you try to leave base they send out the blood hounds to bring you back in. Imagine being stuck with 9 people in a 2 bedroom crash pad. Yes, it is a party maybe the first week...after that you are ready to kill someone. This reserve system that is in place now IS absolutely horrible for junior flight attendants. The new one may not be what the AFA bargained for, but I say "BRING IT ON". Now even the most senior reserves that think they can take their trips from home and fly in will not be able to do that. All these senior reserves that hog every trip will spend days on end sitting waiting for the call that never comes.

Do I sound bitter?? Well, you would be too it you spent 11 days away from home sleeping on a couch and sharing a 2 bedroom with 9 people. Not to mention your 15th paycheck is only around $600.00

I know some smart*** is going to say, "If you don't like it quit."
So, in response to the comment to come.....THIS IS NOT WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR. We will not give the company an eay out on this one. I'll wait for my severence thank you.

 

[MarkMyWords]

"I for one have not had ONE trip since the beginning of Sept. and that was only a one day."


If this is the case, then how is it the some will claim that we are critically short of F/A's?

Doesn't the new reserve system guarantee more even reserve coverage? Where all of the senior reserves will not time out by the 15th or 20th while the junior reserves only work weekends and end of the month?

Sounds like commuting for reserves will be less of a luxury and more of a hassle 🙁

 

[PITbull]

Mark,

For the sake of clarity...we are SHORT staffed on the airplanes themselves. There is now meals for sale, inventory added, collecting money, and a survey. But still, mangement will not put on reserves who have to sit and could be on these trips to provide better service to our customers on the plane.

Management is still paying out a reserve guarantee, why not use the people?

 

[MarkMyWords]

please......

The only thing I will give you is that the meal service has changed because you have to collect money.

inventory is only on a couple of select flts, and according to you, is not a part of the contract therefore will not be done.

it takes, what, 5-10 minutes to hand out a survey....we've had surveys on airplanes before.

So we should add 2 more f/a's to each airplane? One to take inventory and one to do surveys?

Is the service getting done with the present crew staffing levels?

 

[Colby]

Honey welcome to the Hell I went through last year....Holloween I was on quick call and only got a turn to FLL.... Feb the only way I made my time was because of the BIG SNOW STORM....March all I had was 3hrs or OPR...... When I got Furloughed in May it was a blessing!! I don't have to wait by the phone, I can go where ever I want whenever I want..... Sorry to hear that you are going through the Bullshit A LOT of us went through last year !!!! Here's praying for A LOT of snow storms !!!!! 😉

 

[wrx]

Hey, you guys at US had it great for many years with your old reserve system. Scheduling not calling until 1500, getting to pick your trip, position and aircraft type. Everyone at all the other carriers were jealous that you guys got to pick your trips, positions and pass if you didn't want to fly. It sucks but, it's cheaper for the company to do it this way then the old way. Was this part of your concessions? Welcome to what all the other f/a groups have been dealing with since flying was created. Now you will find out why AA is known as the "Sky Nazis."

 

[PITbull]

Mark,

I am not talking about the inventory you refer to...cause we ain't doing that.

The inventory I am disucssing is in regard to the "vendor" who requires f/as to keep inventory, document if we are short meals, and handle the money for this vendor. Its U that requires the survey, and when you have a plane full of people, to pass them out and then collect them does not take 30 seconds. But the bean counters think so.....does it get accomplished? What do you think?

 

[MarkMyWords]

And this is the attitude that I detest the most.....the "I am not doing one more thing then is minimally required by my contract" attitude. I won't do 5 minutes more work unless I am paid boarding pay. I am not going to do surveys unless they raise the minimum staffing levels. All these things that help the company control theft, adjust meal inventories or receive feedback from the customer are viewed as not my job. :angry:

 

[PITbull]

Mark,

You see...everything begins from the top.....when mangement disrepsects and disregards their employees, those attitudes from the "rank and file" start to fester and maifest. We are only human; not robots or computers that you can program some data and it computes and processes exactly what YOU (management) desire.

It appears, the more and harder employees work, the more jobs are taken away from the company and the more management displays a distance from their employees. In short, The more we give, the more management takes away from us and perceives that we can do without.
IMO, it is to see where our threshold for pain is, then they move the line over just a little more to see if we "break". That IS the perception out there.

I only bring it to the boards as a representation of the "burn out" many employees are experiencing. If you can't accept this as reality, then fine. You will continue to see no improvement in this arena.

You want "team work concept", start at the top Mark. And I suggest, you start to change your thinking on "what must be" or "what should be", and redirect your focus on how to get us there. Expecting it "just to be", won't make it happen.

 

[lindy]

That IS the perception out there.

I only bring it to the boards as a representation of the "burn out" many employees are experiencing. If you can't accept this as reality, then fine. You will continue to see no improvement in this arena.

You want "team work concept", start at the top Mark. And I suggest, you start to change your thinking on what must be, and redirect your focus on how to get there.

Bull,

How would you know what "the perception is out there"?
When was the last time you had to pack and fly a three day trip
with 14 hour duty days? My AFA sources say it has been awhile since you have
felt "their pain"

You sit at your computer lambasting management for their lack of knowledge on what is happening on a daily basis. Yet, instead of being in the trenches with
your fellow co-workers, you choose to adjust your daily schedule to insure
class schedules are met for your post graduate degree.

While exhorting your peers and other Unions to stand-up to Dave and Jerry, I see you as manipulating the system to provide for your life after US Airways.

A true leader, leads. It means being on the front line, not sitting behind a desk. It means getting out and working with minimum staffing on a full flight to SFO.

Lindy 😉

 

[USFlyer]

I thought PITbull was a line F/A, no?

 

[PITbull]

Lindy,

You can't possibly be be directing your comments to me.....I don't know who your sources are but you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about when it comes to me and my life, personal or professional. You no absolutely "0" from your comments above.

Again, you just made quite a few assumptions...and you know what the saying is about that!

Outside your attempting to personally attack me and how you perceive what my day is like, you did reinforce my point on the "burn out" on the staffing levels with your above post.

 

[lindy]

Bull,

Have you not stated on numerous threads that you are pursuing a post graduate degree in nursing?

Did you not respond to a comment I made, several months ago, about having a
seat at the negotiating table in the affirmative.

I will be happy to research the forgoing and and post them to jog your memory.

Lindy

 

[wrx]

The heat is on in the US Airways forum. Will it come to blows?

 

[MarkMyWords]

Mark,

You see...everything begins from the top.....when mangement disrepsects and disregards their employees, those attitudes from the "rank and file" start to fester and maifest. We are only human; not robots or computers that you can program some data and it computes and processes exactly what YOU (management) desire.

It appears, the more and harder employees work, the more jobs are taken away from the company and the more management displays a distance from their employees. In short, The more we give, the more management takes away from us and perceives that we can do without.
IMO, it is to see where our threshold for pain is, then they move the line over just a little more to see if we "break". That IS the perception out there.

I only bring it to the boards as a representation of the "burn out" many employees are experiencing. If you can't accept this as reality, then fine. You will continue to see no improvement in this arena.

You want "team work concept", start at the top Mark. And I suggest, you start to change your thinking on "what must be" or "what should be", and redirect your focus on how to get us there. Expecting it "just to be", won't make it happen.

1 - Get over calling everyone with a different view then yours as management.

2 - The more and harder employees work is called productivity. Sitting on your a## reading a book, or gossiping in the galley is not productive. You are being asked to inventory how many meals you sold and if there were customers that wanted meals that didn't get them, not right a novel on the art of presentation. Your working group has done a lot more work with as many people in the past. I recall the days of 3 F/A's on a 733 serving a pre-departure beverage, a beverage service, a snack, pick up the cabin, prepare for landing - and that was on a PIT-PHL flight! I think you underestimate the abilites of the employees you represent.

3 - I'm so sorry that you feel that being asked to inventory meals and supplies and handing out surveys is pushing your group to it's breaking point. I always gave your employees much more credit for being able to handle additional tasks with a smile, not breaking down into an emotional blob.

4 - You bring nothing to the boards except the agenda of you and your union. What you do bring is an endless rant about what YOU want for the employees you represent. You have an agenda to promote you and your unions views with total disregard to the consequences. You push to recall all employees, return all pay and benefits, re-fluff the featherbedding in your ocntract, but don't address the cost issues. It is all about ME ME ME.

After over 1400 posts in this forum, we get the picture. Please, don't feel like you need to reply to every post on the board. You have made your views perfectly clear.

I will say this.....i am glad that they majority of AFA members don't share your views on everything. That there are people like Dea that go out there and give it 100% and the most you will hear her complain about is the ammenities that we have taken away from the customer. She is more focused on the customer aspect of the flying experinece and making sure that the bread and butter of this operation continue to come back, verses constantly b*tching about every single thing.

Chalk this rant up to a bad day or the "I am not doing one more thing then is minimally required by my contract" attitude, but I am sick of hearing people talk about what the won't do. :angry: