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Dear PHL Flight Attendants,
The issue of seniority can bring us all together, and there has never been a moment like this one. In the Philadelphia crew room, the bulletin boards speak with a unified voice - the voice of each and every one of you - and the bulletin boards deliver an urgent SOS - Save Our Seniority. Nothing could be more alarming than to be sold down the river by our Union AFA.
As USAirways flight attendants, we are the key points of contact when it comes to customer service. With the passing of Summer 2005, the overbooked flights, belligerent passengers, low-paying trips, increasing reserves to the tune of 17 years, and other hardships, we have survived the current crisis and we will continue to do so. There is a lot of fight in us, and we have an indomitable
spirit.
It doesn't matter what our individual positions are at USAirways; we all know that our Hire-In-Date is vitally important, and now, as we approach the merger of America West and USAirways, our Hire-In-Date is being challenged. If I were the MEC President of America West, my hand would be forced to defend my membership. However, as fellow brothers and sisters at USAirways, we all signed on to AFA knowing that the only things that we could truly count on were fair play and our Hire-In Date.
At America West, they feel as though they are saving a bankrupt airline. My personal feeling is this: Without the merger of America West and USAirways, America West would be out in the cold in both the short and long term. For a long time, America West has been one big happy family, as well they should be. After all, their CEO and Presidents are not hidden in ivory towers as USAirways executives often are. The leaders of America West actually venture into the crew room and listen to their employees without regard for the employees' status. For that reason, I believe we can band together with our new colleagues and form the best carrier ever. If not for the strong backbones of every single one of you, USAirways could not have made it. Despite all of the pay cuts, insurance increases, LTD OJI, layoffs, and increased discipline, you never received a thank-you when you needed it the most.
There are many aspects of our current contract that need to be changed. In the present agreement, no one was a winner. Let's face it: The lives of reserves and blockholders have gotten harder, and by the end of the year, the reserve system will probably reach into 19-20 year employees.
How do we move forward? Many of you have expressed the sentiment to me, and it comes down to this: Where do we go to get our lives back? I can answer this in a very straightforward manner: We will all have to cleanse ourselves of the disappointments, anger, and hurt if we really want to move forward. The opportunity exists for us to do exactly that, but it won't be easy. The answers and solutions are out there, but we need to open our eyes and find our way back to where we started: the feeling that we wanted this job because it was fulfilling, because our efforts would be acknowledged, and because we would be recognized for our hard work.
In the end, it goes beyond the fact that we have no choice but to give America West a chance. There are strong indications that this merger will work out well for us. And so, once again, I say to all of you:
KEEP THE FAITH. YOU ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE BEST IN THE
INDUSTRY.
Terry Graf
LEC Vice President
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