What Is APFA Going To Do About This?

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galleyguy4u2

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Aug 9, 2003
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I just read the following HI6 message:

"MAILBOX MESSAGES FOR:
CUD QFL 024AC1¶
11AUG09/1845¶
TO: ALL FLIGHT ATTENDANT¶
RE: MIA CABIN ASSIST TEST PROGRAM¶
..¶
AS OF MONDAY, AUGUST 10, IN AN EFFORT TO EXPEDITE THE BOARDING ¥
PROCESS, MIA AIRPORT SVC WILL HAVE A CABIN ASSIST AGENT,¶
ONBOARD TO ASSIST WITH PROPER AND SPEEDY STOWAGE OF CARRY ON¶
ITEMS. THE AGENT WILL ALSO HELP FAMILIARIZE THE PASSENGERS¶
WITH THE LOCATION OF THEIR SEAT ASSIGNMENT.¶
DURING THE DEPARTURE DEPENDABILITY BRIEFING, THE GATE AGENT¶
WILL ADVISE THE FA1/PURSER IF A CABIN ASSIST AGENT WILL BE¶
AVAILABLE DURING BOARDING. THESE AGENTS MAYBE AVAILABLE ON¶
CERTAIN CRITICAL DEPARTURES AND 737/757 MOGT TURNS ONLY.¶
..¶
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TEST IS DESIGNED TO HELP IMPROVE OUR¶
BOARDING PROCESS AND DEPARTURE DEPENDABILITY FOR MIA¶
DEPARTURES. F/AS WILL CONTINUE TO VERIFY THAT ALL CARRY ON¶
ITEMS ARE PROPERLY STOWED AND OVERHEAD BINS AND CLOSETS ARE¶
CLOSED AND LATCHED BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT DOOR CLOSES.¶
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION DURING THIS TEST.¶
YOLANDA VELEZ FLTSVC PROCEDURES-HDQ ICS 963-2871 11AUG09¶"

-------------------
 
The flight attendants are not doing the job. They hide in the galleys watching people struggle to find space, leave oversize bags hanging half way out of an overhead. or my fav was the stash and go. Stuff it in to a FC or very FWD coach bin and then walk all the way to the rear.

Flight attendants think of themselves as prima-donnas and a lot of this work so beneath them. rather than make yourself, and what you do invaluable and more difficult to replace. Flight attendants prefer the I am not being paid for this hour line and the infamous "we are primarily here for your safety"line. Then wonder why they can be so easily replaced.

Wouldn't it make sense to be doing as much as possible in the unpaid hour and then demand pay VS doing nothing and wanting to be paid?
 
Hi galleyguy,

Actually, the cabin assist agents referred to in the hi6 message are not American Airlines agents at all. They are out-sourced contract employees (same company that provides wheelchair service at MIA) that will be paid during the boarding process while you continue to work during that time for free. With much respect to FA Mikey, I have found the majority of F/A's that I work with to be pleasant, helpful, and have seen, many times, extra effort being made (by myself and my co-workers) to ensure a passenger bag is accomodated on-board rather than be checked at the last minute and I can't even recall a flight i've worked where a delay has been due to the stowing of bags (catering yes, but not bags. maybe I'm just lucky) In any case, the apfa is aware of the situation and the union if filing a grievance as this is a direct violation of our contract.
 
Which came first?

The FA's not doing anything to assist passengers with bags or the company punitively attacking the FA's for IOD's from handling carryons?

As for the MIA "assist agents", are these going to be the same little "Abuelas" who routinely forced invalids and people that can barely walk, to hump themselves the entire length of the jetbridge before letting them ride the wheelchairs because they don't want to push them up the incline? :angry:
 
If I see that someone genuinely needs help with an average carry-on, I do my best to help them. If someone needs help because they tried to stuff their grandmother in a bag, I will refer them to the front of the airplane.
Mike, rule number one in business, no one will ever pay you for something you have been doing for free. That is why people should be careful what they are giving up in concessions as they will most likely never recover it.
On another note Mach85 is right, if we get injured, we are SOL, we do not get paid for any lost time, so why place ourselves in jeapordy?
 
I agree with AAStew, I will assist an elderly pax or a UNC. Assist is the keyword.

Outsourced or not, I think a NOD should be filed.
 
AA has been doing this for years with select flight/s. I picked up a few SAL trips out of LAX on MU, and AA sent 2 to 3 of LAX's version of Prospect onto the plane to help stow luggage. Problem is that most locals from SAL are just a little on the small size and it is difficult for them to stow their stuff in the overheads. AA agents in SAL did the reverse on the way home. I don't see the big deal if it helps make our job easier. People in and out of MIA seem to tend to travel with way too much stuff. Maybe this will help that problem as well. I guess that I am neutral to the idea.
 
IORFA said:
AA has been doing this for years with select flight/s. I picked up a few SAL trips out of LAX on MU, and AA sent 2 to 3 of LAX's version of Prospect onto the plane to help stow luggage. Problem is that most locals from SAL are just a little on the small size and it is difficult for them to stow their stuff in the overheads. AA agents in SAL did the reverse on the way home. I don't see the big deal if it helps make our job easier. People in and out of MIA seem to tend to travel with way too much stuff. Maybe this will help that problem as well. I guess that I am neutral to the idea.
Click to expand...

I can certainly appreciate you opinion, however, my concern is that these outsourced employees are being paid for out of the same pockets we'll be reaching into while negotiating our new contract.
 
Very rarely do we pluck in ORD anymore. When AA gets desperate, they have Prospect send over a person to do the plucking for us. Where is/was the outrage over that? Most F/A's liked it as they hate to pluck. I don't see how this is materially different. Our duties can include plucking as well.
 
hi iorfa,

I was merely stating my opinion, not outrage. I can certainly appreciate that not all will share the same opinion.

fly safe.
 
I'm not mad. I don't understand why only certain things get people riled up on here. It is very inconsistant, that's all. Things usually get started by the furloughed, retired or VERY disgruntled. Some people need more hobbies in my opinion.
 
It's about Union jobs. If you dare pick up a cup when the cleaners are coming on board you will either be yelled at or written up. Lifting a certain amount of weight is in your job description as well as customer service within reason of course. Assisting pax'and and closing overheads is part of the job. Not being on your cell or texting.
 
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