West F/A's wants a seperate contract ?

[TheNewLowFare]

I've been reading the AFA66 boards lately and been seeing alot of dissatisfaction from the west f/as about where the contract is going.

Seems the US East wants everything good that the west contract has like more vacation, full dead head pay etc. , but yet when it comes to the high time/drop pick up, schedules, profit sharing etc. they want everything done their way and not share anything. Seems the east have this mentality that everything is about them and the West should not be included in the "perks" that they seem so entitled, then why, WHY are we negotiating a single contract??


In addition, keeping our contracts separate would probably provide the west the "Fence" that we have been wanting all along if a provision is made that East members CANNOT jump from one contract to the other.

I'd say, the east should keep their archaic contract until 2012 and the west negotiate their own contract.


Doug Parker said he doesn't have a problem with seperate contracts, so the west f/a's are planning on collecting signatures and presenting it to the union.

 

[PITbull]

Yea, that should go over really big with management. Profit sharing from the East...the West did get. Must have slipped AFA66 E-line.

Why would the poster starter address the East MEC? Is the East expected to pay for the West increases?

Why isn't YOUR CEO negotiating in good faith a decent intergrated agreement???? Meaning an increase across the board for everyone.

Here you guys go again...factioning off the West and East. Neither has any leverage without the other.

Good luck if you think you can go it separate and get an increase. Your CEO will buy out your time...by using...yup...time.

 

[Zarah]

Ahhhh, the West FAs think they have the way to create a fence that they couldn't before.

Well, if the EAST contract stays the way it is then the West contract would have to pretty much stay the way it is to remain cost neutral.

Just because Parker is willing to run the airline with seperate contracts that doesn't really translate into he will be willing to put any money into the West contract.

*shrug*

 

[TheNewLowFare]

Well it would be a paycut for most US West F/A's because the east schedule is more restrictive.

US West F/As are allowed to work as much as we can. We have no caps, US East does. Paycut for us in the west!

US West pick up schedules first come, first serve and from what I've heard US East is done by seniority. Another paycut for us if they do this!

US West gets more vacation time and paid at 4.5 per day. US East get 4.0 per day and with my seniority, I would get 17 days off over there and I get 5 weeks now! I've been hearing that the Union wants to move the vacation pay around and give the east more and take it out of the west f/a. Another pay cut again!



The MEC needs to take in consideration that the west has alot to loose and the east has alot to gain. If this is the case, it's better to have seperate contracts.

 

[Career Reserve]

I think the East's language for jumpseating is better too.
Why are they trying to negotiating that?

Another section that is worth a look is the Hotels for long/short overnights; esp. long. If the West saw where we stayed prior to the company ignoring East language they would rather stay there too.

Actually I want the best of both sides, doesn't every flight attendant?


you might get paid 4.5 for vacation but what about your sick calls?
I understand if you call sick for a 4 day trip that's considered 4 sick calls. Is that correct?

If I call in sick for a 4 day trip and am still sick when my next trip comes about (and) call off that trip too it's still only one sick call.

 

[700UW]

Just remember if you have seperate contracts you won't be flying any East trips or metal.

 

[N903AW]

Many of us don't want to fly East trips or East metal. With a separate contract that will not be a problem. We just have to make sure that we keep our own flying secure. I am content with my Hawaii trips each month and we can make sure that we have protections that our flying remains just that...ours.

Doug Parker has stated in public forums that he would not have an issue with keeping contracts separate.

The Flight Attendants in the West operation are finally realizing that we will be hosed in a single contract as the numbers from the East will swing the vote in their favor even with a 100% vote turnout on the West. We will lose vacation, we will lose flexibility, we will lose DH pay and credit, etc., etc.

The East contract should remain status quo as you voted until it is up for renegotiation in 2012. Our contract is the only one up for negotiation right now and why should we allow for everything we bargained for before to be hijacked by a larger work group and radically changed? We can bargain ourselves for better pay and better sick time.

Separate contracts would definitely work in our favor, and just like you, we have to look out for our best interests...ourselves.

 

[700UW]

Unless you have a crystal ball or believe in Ms Cleo, you have no idea of what an intergrated contract will contain or will not.

Great move you are doing all the company's divide and conquer work and making your group easy for the picking.

 

[N903AW]

Great move you are doing all the company's divide and conquer work and making your group easy for the picking.

ROFL! The Company has done nothing to divide and conquer. Go back and read posts from your colleagues on the East...they have done a fine job of that themselves and we would rather remain divided than meld with that sort of mentality.

 

[700UW]

Go back and reread my post, I said YOU ARE DOING THE COMPANY's WORK of dividing and conquering.

 

[N903AW]

Go back and reread my post, I said YOU ARE DOING THE COMPANY's WORK of dividing and conquering.

Gotcha. I should put in a "Pay Exception" form for my work.

 

[PITbull]

Ahhhh, the West FAs think they have the way to create a fence that they couldn't before.

Well, if the EAST contract stays the way it is then the West contract would have to pretty much stay the way it is to remain cost neutral.

Just because Parker is willing to run the airline with seperate contracts that doesn't really translate into he will be willing to put any money into the West contract.

*shrug*

You are right. Parker won't be willing to put any money anywhere unless he is forced to...demanded to.

Having a fence really doesn't effect East. Trust, with or without a fence, 90% of the f/as have NO interest in transfering to PHX. When I was still with U in 2005, there were approx. 250 f/as living on the West coast. Any many of them retired in 2005 and this year.

And no one can transfer anywhere unless there are openings.

Well it would be a paycut for most US West F/A's because the east schedule is more restrictive.

US West F/As are allowed to work as much as we can. We have no caps, US East does. Paycut for us in the west!

US West pick up schedules first come, first serve and from what I've heard US East is done by seniority. Another paycut for us if they do this!

US West gets more vacation time and paid at 4.5 per day. US East get 4.0 per day and with my seniority, I would get 17 days off over there and I get 5 weeks now! I've been hearing that the Union wants to move the vacation pay around and give the east more and take it out of the west f/a. Another pay cut again!
The MEC needs to take in consideration that the west has alot to loose and the east has alot to gain. If this is the case, it's better to have seperate contracts.

If its a matter of swapping back and forth keeping the same money on the table...then you are correct. I would push for separate if I were on the West.

The East agreement is one of the worst in the industry. Two BK in 3 years would pretty much wipe out any group anywhere...

If the company is not willing to put new money in a single agreement to enhance both agreements....I say fu*$'um. Let the company opeerate separately too. There will be no synergy savings by operating the company completely merged. So, let the company squirm.

They are bluffing if they think they can operate the company completely separate for the next 6 years.

 

[N903AW]

Having a fence really doesn't effect East. Trust, with or without a fence, 90% of the f/as have NO interest in transfering to PHX. When I was still with U in 2005, there were approx. 250 f/as living on the West coast. Any many of them retired in 2005 and this year.

And no one can transfer anywhere unless there are openings.

With separate contracts, we can also keep the other 10% locked out. With our smaller numbers over here, 10% could impact our schedules dramatically with transfers into our domicile.

There are always openings in Phoenix with attrition from our junior ranks. With separate contracts we can hire from off the street or intra-company and keep those who are added to the roster at the bottom to work their way up.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Just a little advice from someone who's been around a long time.....

If you start playing the "Screw the other side" game, management will most assuredly screw both sides.

On the other hand, and this applies to the pilots also since the HP pilots can start Section 6 negotiations any time they please, you collectively can view this as another weapon in your arsenal to secure a better combined contract for both groups.

While Section 6 negotiations can drag out a long time, the threat that they could result in higher cost than a "cost plus" combined contract could provide some leverage at the negotiating table. Not to mention the spectre of a job action down the road if Section 6 negotiations weren't successfully concluded (with the other side honoring that job action, of course).

Just some food for thought.....

Jim

 

[proudf/a]

I've been reading the AFA66 boards lately and been seeing alot of dissatisfaction from the west f/as about where the contract is going.

Seems the US East wants everything good that the west contract has like more vacation, full dead head pay etc. , but yet when it comes to the high time/drop pick up, schedules, profit sharing etc. they want everything done their way and not share anything. Seems the east have this mentality that everything is about them and the West should not be included in the "perks" that they seem so entitled, then why, WHY are we negotiating a single contract??


In addition, keeping our contracts separate would probably provide the west the "Fence" that we have been wanting all along if a provision is made that East members CANNOT jump from one contract to the other.

I'd say, the east should keep their archaic contract until 2012 and the west negotiate their own contract.
Doug Parker said he doesn't have a problem with seperate contracts, so the west f/a's are planning on collecting signatures and presenting it to the union.

Negotiate your own contract. Good Luck. Just remember AWA is no longer that small fish in a big pond, there are strength in numbers. You now have somewhere in the ball park of 7000 f/a's, you have the ability to back mgmt into the wall if everyone would get off their high horse and work together. You also have the ability to turn this airline into a great airline. As long as everyone has the East vs. West attitude, that will never happen.