Usair Coming After Sick Callers

[Whatnow?]

What kind of commendation are thinking of? A BIG BRAVO ZULU from Bruce? I showed up for work everyday, worked overtime and my day off as well. It's my job. I dont want or need a hollow commendation from any of the ungrateful group that thinks we're all too senior and overpaid. And they can keep their Positive Space certificates. I look forward to refusing mine when it's presented. It's a joke.

[post="232922"][/post]​

[/quote]


That's pretty funny, but in no way what I meant. I too came to work over the holiday, not for the space positive passes either.....I came because it's my job! Plain and simple, I knew 16 years ago that I would have to work Holidays when I agreed to take this job, regardless of a paycut or whatever point needs to be proven. I know where the door is and I know how to open it, it's my choice and I too know this airline doesn't owe me anything, and for now this is where I choose to be.

 

[B.N.]

How would you ever prove someone wasn't sick? Example, woke up for 8:00 shift, ran to bathroom, sick as a dog (I won't go into more detail), fell terrible, call in sick, bathroom again, start feeling better, go back to bed, bathroom again, feel normal but have already missed shift, go out with friends that night, "seen" by someone, show up for work next day, now you are going to fire me? I am not an employee, and I am sure many weren't sick, but how can you prove it?

 

[Elmo]

Mark my words?? Asking employees to work for free can only mean one thing...Chapter 7! Too sad!!

 

[Hopeful]

Believe it or not folks.....there are actually some employees that feel sorry for all those stranded travellers with ruined Christmas's. If you were at work during this senseless mess over the weekend and saw how this airline ruined the Holiday for all those travellers, I really don't think you could turn a cold shoulder and not help out. These were all people that knew of this airlines financial struggles and decided to still fly the airline and give it a chance. Boy, were they ever wrong! The mentality of some of these people is absloutely mind boggling.

And hopefully the company will pursue legitimizing all those sick calls. I do know that for F/A's calling in sick for the Holidays does require a RX note. Also, if you wait till scheduling calls you for a trip and decide then on the phone with scheduling to call in sick, that's a BIG NO NO! You are supposed to call in sick before they contact you, otherwise that results in disciplinary action all the way up to termination. Amazingly, a lot of those F/A's who called in sick are back to work already! Hmmm, won't be hard to prove that one now will it! :down:

And finally, I think everybody who showed up to work TO DO THEIR JOB, should be commended on doing the best they could given the situation, especially all of those Gate Agents and Ticket Counter Agents!

[post="232918"][/post]​

All airline workers feel the pain of stranded passengers!
But keep in mind, it is these passengers who have shown the industry they are only willing to pay so much for a ticket. They will gladly pay the plumber, the carpenter, the electrician, the auto mechanic WHATEVER they charge for their services. True, there are the low cost carriers joining the party on cost cutting.

Most passengers are only willing to pay that $79 from NY to Mia, but they'll pay that plumber with the crack of his hanging out $100 just to come to the house!

 

[US1YFARE]

What does it matter what US is going to do or if it will "stick" or how the union will react? Why would anyone book a ticket on US now? Even your most loyal customers are going to stay away....at this point almost every carrier will match elite status and since it is the beginning of the new year, there is a lot of revnue to be had by some of US's most frequent fliers.

 

[Elmo]

Mark my words?? Asking employees to work for free can only mean one thing...Chapter 7! Too sad!!

 

[Winglet]

How would you ever prove someone wasn't sick? Example, woke up for 8:00 shift, ran to bathroom, sick as a dog (I won't go into more detail), fell terrible, call in sick, bathroom again, start feeling better, go back to bed, bathroom again, feel normal but have already missed shift, go out with friends that night, "seen" by someone, show up for work next day, now you are going to fire me? I am not an employee, and I am sure many weren't sick, but how can you prove it?

[post="232948"][/post]​

Does the contract REQUIRE a physician's confirmation for a short term illness???

If not, jam it.

 

[US1YFARE]

All airline workers feel the pain of stranded passengers!
But keep in mind, it is these passengers who have shown the industry they are only willing to pay so much for a ticket. They will gladly pay the plumber, the carpenter, the electrician, the auto mechanic WHATEVER they charge for their services. True, there are the low cost carriers joining the party on cost cutting.

Most passengers are only willing to pay that $79 from NY to Mia, but they'll pay that plumber with the crack of his hanging out $100 just to come to the house!

[post="232956"][/post]​

This is exactly why your most loyal FF will stop flying--you blame them for this mess. Look in the mirror. You had a chance to help turn this mismanaged airline around and you blew it.

Under your reasoning, $79 doesn't guarantee the pax that they will get from NY to MIA. It's a crap shoot. That's BS. You don't like the work conditions--move on.

 

[Whatnow?]

How would you ever prove someone wasn't sick? Example, woke up for 8:00 shift, ran to bathroom, sick as a dog (I won't go into more detail), fell terrible, call in sick, bathroom again, start feeling better, go back to bed, bathroom again, feel normal but have already missed shift, go out with friends that night, "seen" by someone, show up for work next day, now you are going to fire me? I am not an employee, and I am sure many weren't sick, but how can you prove it?

[post="232948"][/post]​

Well, if it were only one out of every 50 or so people, it wouldn't look suspicious, but when you have a list of F/A's who are being called by crew scheduling in the order to be called for the day, and in sequential order one after the other they have all suddenly come down with something, then yes it's suspicious! Must be that bad water on the airplanes! 😀

 

[N628AU]

I am disappointed in the amount of sick calls this year, however Teddy Xidas just sent out a letter to PIT 40 saying that there were 340 total sick calls this year vs. 259 last year. Folks that is the difference of ONLY 81 PEOPLE......

[post="232878"][/post]​

That same 81 people is 31% if you do the math. Roughly the equivalent of 4000 calling off sick if 3000 did the year before. All in how you look at the numbers.

 

[PITbull]

I am disappointed in the amount of sick calls this year, however Teddy Xidas just sent out a letter to PIT 40 saying that there were 340 total sick calls this year vs. 259 last year. Folks that is the difference of ONLY 81 PEOPLE......

While everyone's degree of integrity is different, the company should have figured that numbers would be up.

I don't condone abusing our passengers by calling in sick when you are not but it's not like mgmt. doesn't know that there are disgruntled employees out here.....I'm surprised that the difference between last year and this year is SO LOW !!!

The public needs to be aware of the amount of sick calls there really were.....isn't it amazing that operations are so weak that a small difference of 80 IAM employees and 81 F/A's caused the cookie to crumble.......

It's sad....and Lakefield doesn't even see it........if he really wanted to be a leader, he would give up his salary for a year while he tries to make this whole thing work. That is my idea of how to get respect.......

Wishing everyone a happy, blessed New Year !
Remember that there was life before USAirways and there will be life after.

[post="232878"][/post]​

The 340 were for Monday Dec. 27 alone, v.s 259 in 2003 on the same day Dec. 27.

Monday was the worst day for sick calls, however, there were absolutely no cancellations due to crews.

On Xmas eve 2004 the total sick was 238 v.s xmas eve 2003 of 261.
On Xmas day 2004 the total sick was 304 v.s. xmas day 2003 of 298.

Last year there were no cancellations due to crews for xmas 2003 holiday.

The company had downsized Pittsburgh traffic and built up PHL. I do not believe they will admit that they were not prepared for the traffic and bag transfers coming into PHL. THe sick calls for the f/as were beside the point. Weather screwed up U's operation, and they just were not prepared.

So. they blamed and gave labor the "black eye".

Now, they just made the customer think that U is just plain upredictable and they won't book on us.

Good job. :down:

 

[Hopeful]

This is exactly why your most loyal FF will stop flying--you blame them for this mess. Look in the mirror. You had a chance to help turn this mismanaged airline around and you blew it.

Under your reasoning, $79 doesn't guarantee the pax that they will get from NY to MIA. It's a crap shoot. That's BS. You don't like the work conditions--move on.

[post="232961"][/post]​

I tell you what! Go ahead and work for peanuts. These greedy airline executives want to pay you less than the low cost carriers.

But you do realize, that the executives haven't reduced their compensation package to that of the low cost carriers!

Price is king, my boy!

 

[GadgetFreak]

All airline workers feel the pain of stranded passengers!
But keep in mind, it is these passengers who have shown the industry they are only willing to pay so much for a ticket. They will gladly pay the plumber, the carpenter, the electrician, the auto mechanic WHATEVER they charge for their services. True, there are the low cost carriers joining the party on cost cutting.

Most passengers are only willing to pay that $79 from NY to Mia, but they'll pay that plumber with the crack of his hanging out $100 just to come to the house!

[post="232956"][/post]​

This is incredibly flawed logic. Passengers will pay what whatever it costs, to either the plumber or the airline. If it costs too much they might decide to do it themselves in the case of plumbing or drive or stay home in the case of flying. The reason fares are going down isnt because all of the passengers decided to pay less, it is because some of the airlines decided to charge less. And it isnt just a little less and it isnt always an LCC. Prices have become more reasonable of late on US (in fact too cheap) but here is an example for you. In November of 2003 I had to go from NY to LAX without a Saturday night stay. I priced it on US and got LGA-PHL-LAX for slightly over $2200. I never fly LCCs so I checked on UA and AA. On UA it was a bit over $400 and on AA it was a bit over $300. So are you saying it is my fault for not paying the extra $1900 or so dollars? If you are expecting that to happen you are going to have a very sad time ahead of you. And dont forget, that was LGA-PHL-LAX and of course on AA it was JFK-LAX on 3 class AA flagship service and comparable on UA. That is a shorter flight and better onboard service. How loyal do you require that someone be? To top it off I finished early and if I was on US I would have had to pay to go on standby to come back early. On AA it was free to standby for the earlier flight. That $2200 type pricing is the thing needed to support the previous US cost structure and it isnt around anymore and wont ever be again. The reason people are paying less is because that is the prevailing price. There is no way that US can keep the price up to keep the costs up. Isnt going to happen in the real world. Just isnt. Although I just did pay US over $300 for a oneway ticket for a trip that is a 6 hour drive. But didnt have the 6 hours so I had to do it. Was sort of nostalgic.

 

[PITbull]

Believe it or not folks.....there are actually some employees that feel sorry for all those stranded travellers with ruined Christmas's. If you were at work during this senseless mess over the weekend and saw how this airline ruined the Holiday for all those travellers, I really don't think you could turn a cold shoulder and not help out. These were all people that knew of this airlines financial struggles and decided to still fly the airline and give it a chance. Boy, were they ever wrong! The mentality of some of these people is absloutely mind boggling.

And hopefully the company will pursue legitimizing all those sick calls. I do know that for F/A's calling in sick for the Holidays does require a RX note. Also, if you wait till scheduling calls you for a trip and decide then on the phone with scheduling to call in sick, that's a BIG NO NO! You are supposed to call in sick before they contact you, otherwise that results in disciplinary action all the way up to termination. Amazingly, a lot of those F/A's who called in sick are back to work already! Hmmm, won't be hard to prove that one now will it! :down:

And finally, I think everybody who showed up to work TO DO THEIR JOB, should be commended on doing the best they could given the situation, especially all of those Gate Agents and Ticket Counter Agents!

[post="232918"][/post]​

The agents move the passengers. They are The BEST in these types of situations.

Big mistake to outsource their work. Whose going to handle these types of situations, El salvador? Hodoras? India? Yea, I forgot...the KIOSK machines.

 

[US1YFARE]

The agents move the passengers. They are The BEST in these types of situations.

Big mistake to outsource their work. Whose going to handle these types of situations, El salvador? Hodoras? India? Yea, I forgot...the KIOSK machines.

[post="233012"][/post]​

You are right indeed, PB--but, it probably doesn't matter after last week....you guys lost lots and lots of customers.....those who refused to fly WN in the past have nothing to lose now. I used to be very optomistic about U's future because of its employees, but I really don't know how they can pull it off now.