PHL News-Line 70
      "... You are truly brave!"

70

In This Issue - "PHL NewsLine for October 13, 2003"

Issue #10_03

IMPORTANT READ: This is the PHL News-Line 70 from Mollie McCarthy LECP. If you would like to respond to Mollie, please use this email address mmccarthy@afausairways.org. This newsletter is also available on the PHL page of AFA US Airways. Subscribe to News-Line 70 from here. 

October 13, 2003

Dear Council 70 Flying Partners,

Okay, let’s get started!

· FA Question

· Chart of AVL FA’s from the Bottom Up

· IF the Rumor of 1,000 Had Been True

· We DO Have a Contract

· If We Did Not Have a Union

· Another Crazy Rumor

· Two Important Reminders

Among the e-mails I received was one asking for some additional information on the numbers I put out in the last PHL News Line, here is an excerpt from that e-mail:

FA E-mail Question: “….Everyone in the crew room comes up to me (they think I'm computer savvy! Ha!) and asks me the question on everyone's mind, "So, how many people am I away from the door?" I tell them, "Whatever you do, DON'T use the system seniority numbers in the calculations. You have to physically calculate each and every ACTIVE person from that person inquiring down to the bottom last ACTIVE person."

My complaint is: that I think it should be clarified. My suggestion/question is: can you shed some more light on this one subject in your next E-LINE Newsletter and then suggest where a f/a can obtain this if there is a place to obtain it? I've been using the system seniority list in the PHL In-flight Crew Room (under B6).”

Mollie’s Answer: Thanks for the question; Your wish is my command! Below are the numbers requested.

DISCLAIMER: When putting this chart together for you, I used the September 1, 2003 System Seniority list which is the most recent information we have from the Company. Please note that these numbers are approximates only. The numbers can change or fluctuate slightly almost every day due to changes in status.

** For emphasis, AVL totals are underlined and in Red.

Example: If management puts out a CBS stating they intend to reduce staffing, what they are really looking at is reducing/furloughing the number of AVL FA’s. Because they must furlough in inverse seniority they will also capture or furlough anyone junior who is NOT on an AVL status. Using the chart above, if management wanted to reduce the FA force by 32 jobs they would most likely have to furlough everyone from 9/29/1999 & 8/29/1999. To reduce the force (jobs) by 32 they would in fact be furloughing approximately 115 FA’s just to obtain the 32 they desired. Once again, please remember that these numbers are not exact. There may have been resignations, retirements, terminations or status changes that have taken place since September 1, 2003.

Now Let’s Get Back to the Numbers.

Because we did not hire that many FA’s between 1990 & 1995 I decided, for the sake of space, not to divide them up by class and hire date but instead combined all classes within each year group.

1989 was a big year for hiring FA’s so I once again divided the year by class/hire date.

In the last PHL News Line, we had a question from one of our fellow flight attendants. The FA asked if the rumor that there were going to be 1,000 furloughs was true or not. My answer was that at this time, we do not know how many furloughs there may be in our immediate future. I also pointed out that because of all the VF extensions, I doubted the number of furloughs would go anywhere near the 1,000 rumored. However, just for curiosity sake what year group(s) would be in danger of furlough ‘IF’ this management were to furlough 1,000 FA’s? If management were looking to reduce the staffing/jobs by 1,000, the chart below shows you that all of the FA’s hired in 1999 up through 1994 would be in jeopardy. Again, I do not believe this or anything close to this will happen as I believe we are already ‘cut to the bone.’ This is just an EXAMPLE of what could have happened had the rumor been true. There are presently only 990 AVL FA’s between 1999 & 1994.

Hopefully this helps you get a better perspective of the furlough situation.

Before we leave this topic, I would like to say once again, that ANY loss among our ranks is a travesty and will be a loss felt one way or another by every one of us.

I am hearing over and over again statements like “We do not even have a Contract!” This is INCORRECT. We most certainly DO have a contract. It may be pretty beat up and broken into 3 pieces but it DOES exist.

The guts of our contract, is still the May 2000 CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) which is the contract we ratified under regular "Section Six" negotiations. It is often referred to as "Current Book" or "The Contract"

Under the guise of being ‘Labor Friendly’ a new management came to town and asked us to ‘save’ our Company by giving up essential liberties that have been in our CBA/contract for decades. We were forced to modify our most prized possession not once but twice in less than a year! It is my opinion that this new management would be thrilled beyond belief if they thought we did not think our contract still existed. It is also my opinion that this new management will not be satisfied until they have taken or destroyed every page. But I digress.

The first modification to our CBA/Contract was done under the threat of Bankruptcy and the second was done under the threat of Liquidation. These two ‘cram down’ concessionary agreements are known as “Restructuring Agreements” or are more commonly referred to as ‘RA's’.

Summer 2002: The first RA (restructuring Agreement) was ratified in the Summer of 2002 (Bankruptcy threat), this agreement is often referred to as the "Summer RA." Some of the big modifications/concessions from the Summer RA were in reductions to pay, vacation, medical and the loss of our most valuable language, our furlough protection.

Winter: The second RA was ratified by the FA's in January of 03 and is often referred to as the "Winter Agreement" (Liquidation threat). The big changes that were made in the Winter RA were in the areas of sick, duty rigs, a new Time Balancing Reserve System and a Pref Bid System.

It is contractually the responsibility of the Company to print our contract. However, it is your responsibility to pick one up. If you never picked up your 2000 CBA (contract) please get one from PHL In-flight. Both the Summer and Winter RA’s were either sent to you or put in your mail files.

As stated above, it is the Management’s responsibility to pay for and print new contracts. However, because there are so many discrepancies between what was negotiated in the Winter RA and what this new management has been arbitrarily “Implementing,” ALL of the Labor unions have either had to return to the table for discussions, file grievances, go to arbitration or take management to court (Just recently the IAM took US Airways to court to get a TRO to stop the outsourcing of their jobs.) Until those processes are completed, this new management does not want to spend dollars to print contracts.

Another reason this new management is in no hurry to have the Labor contracts printed is because it is to their advantage not to. I am finding that in some cases, management is using the lack of a central contract as a means to take even more from the employees than they already have. We are hearing that some FA’s are being told something changed when it did not. Protect yourselves and your contract by carrying your CBA and the two RA’s with you at all times while on a trip. If a supervisor or a scheduler tells you something has changed, ask them to give you the RA, the page and the paragraph of the change. If you do not see or understand the change, call your local office ASAP.

Why were the Union Busters brought here? What do they want? The answer to both questions is the same. The prize they seek is OUR CONTRACT and you can bet they are being paid a fine price for what they are presently doing to it. If we do not believe it even exists, if we do not use it, if we do not protect it, then the ‘Busters’ will happily take from us what little we have left.

OUR contract is our most VALUED possession. Please do NOT say it does not exist!

If we did NOT have a Union, we would not have a CONTRACT. If we did not have a contract protecting us, Management would be free to make new work rules, develop new wage scales and change benefit packages or eliminate them altogether. Management would be free to arbitrarily lay off employees in any order or number that suited them.

If we did not have a Union, we would not have a CONTRACT to protect us in case we made even one little mistake. We could be fired and there would be no grievance or arbitration process in which we would have the opportunity to present our side of the case. There would be no contract or advocate available to help us.

Without a contract, management may even try to outsource our jobs like they are presently trying to do to the mechanics. They may go overseas to find employees who are willing to work for minimum wage and no benefits.

Do not give up on your Union (yourselves). Remember that the leadership can accomplish nothing unless YOU stand behind it. As long as the Company believes we are divided they will continue their efforts to strip us of everything we have. Wear your green ribbon and vote for the Battle Fund (Permanent Defense/Strike Fund). It is a ONCE a year $10 fee. I'm no mathematician but I believe that comes to less than three cents a day or one less trip to Mickey Dee’s over four months.

Please vote FOR the PDF (Permanent Defense Fund/Strike Fund/Battle Fund).

Another Crazy Rumor:

I am not sure I can even answer this rumor with a straight face, but here goes:

The rumor that the next AFA meeting is going to be held in Aruba or some other exotic tropical island is a ‘pipe dream’ and absolutely false.The next union meeting I will be attending will be the annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) and will take place in Boston from October 25 through October 31st.As much as I might like a little trip to the islands, going there to attend a union meeting would be a complete waste. As your representative, I promise you that while attending MEC or BOD meetings, my days are spent sitting from morning until often very late at night in a room void of windows or facilities. It’s NOT what one could even begin to call a ‘fun’ time. Believe me, all that sitting plays havoc with your body for at least a week after you return from one of these meetings. Please feel free to come join me in Boston the end of this month and see for yourself. Due to budget constraints almost all of the US Airways MEC meetings are either held in PIT or by phone conference. Occasionally, there are some meetings held in DCA but that is usually only when either the Negotiating Committee (NC) or the MEC are meeting with the Company.

Because AFA is made up of numerous airlines (USA, UAL, America West, Alaska, etc.), the yearly AFA BOD meetings are rotated from one coast to another. This year the AFA BOD meeting will take place on the East Coast (Boston) and next year it will most likely be held on the West Coast.

Thanks to whoever started this rumor, I have had my first real laugh since Siegel and his minions came to US Airways ;-)

Two Important Reminders:

1. Don’t forget, we have a local union meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2003. The meeting is being held at the Airport Marriott and will begin on time at 12:00 (noon). Because the AFA international President, Pat Friend, was unable to attend the last meeting due to a funeral, I have again asked her to come and personally answer any questions you may have for her ;-)

2. Also, please remember that the vote for the PDF - Permanent Defense Fund (strike/battle fund/war chest) ends on October 17, 2003. If you need information on casting your vote by computer or phone, call the AFA International Office at 1-800-424-2401 ext(s). 744, 843, 833, or 834. Please vote. I thank you and your contract thanks you.

Q: Recently a flight attendant wrote and asked if union officers will get any money from the PDF (Permanent Defense Fund)?
A: The only way a union rep will get their hands on even one dime of our Battle Fund is if, in the event that we are released to do a legal work action, one of them volunteers to strike a flight. Then just like any other member, they would be afforded a hotel (if needed), a ticket home (if needed) and any flight pay loss directly related to legally striking that flight.

This is YOUR fund, it is SEPARATE from the AFA general fund. This fund CANNOT be used by anyone except a US Airways FA and will only be used in the event the US Airways FA’s are doing a ‘legal work action’. Please vote FOR a Permanent Defense Fund.
Well, that’s all for now, I leave you with this interesting quote to ponder;

"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:

The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."
- unknown

Take Care and Fly Safe,
In Solidarity and “Wearing the Green”
Mollie McCarthy LEC President
Council 70 - PHL/PHW