Well, now you see the arguments for and against a union.
We can say all we want that performance based raises/promotions would be good for a company but you would probably not be correct considering that the company suck a**es would get the raises/promotions and not necessarily the best candidate for the raise/promotion. Seniority based raises/promotions don't necessarily mean the best people are getting the raise/promotion, it just ensures that nobody who actually is doing their job well is looked over. I believe it is the fairest way to do it.
Don't feel too bad about you and your friend not getting the position. You either didn't kiss enough a** or didn't kiss the right a**. What level is that idiot Everett,25? I had the great displeasure of making his acquaintance in JFK last month. Talk about promoting someone who shouldn't have been.
AA management is a very high school clicky type of thing. You play their smiley game and fraternize with the right people and you are in. The problem is that the fake attitude, and it is an attitude, won't get you far while dealing with real people who see through their phony ways.
Here's an example:
This royal Btch FA who was playing at being a flight service supervisor when I got hired made everyone's life miserable and took great pleasure in torturing new hire flight attendants for every made up thing imaginable.
Polyanna is back on the line. Know what she did? She told a passenger on a caribbean flight that she should put some clothes on because she was dressed inappropriately. It didn't go over too well and she couldn't understand why the girl and her boyfriend were so upset. :down:
Back to your seniority question regarding unions: FA's don't necessarily get everything based on their seniority.
Seniority rules in terms of regular positions on the plane. Purser and speaker seniority is separate and usually more junior than the regular positions(as you are aware).
When FA's apply for the purser position they do not base it on seniority. The company has a process set up where they interview you. Many a good FA has not made the purser cut and it is all up to the company's discretion. I have noticed that the people who seem to be getting the purser position lately are in fact junior. Strangely, those getting the job are people who are on reserve and qualified on all the planes. (gee, I wonder why?!)
I say out of anger at the scheduling department that you say yes to all the requests you get by desperate FA's calling in from now to January 2nd!!!!
