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Dear PHL Flight Attendants,
2005 is coming to an end and many of us have just gone through the motions. I challenge myself to set new goals for the coming year and to be kinder and gentler with myself and others. This is a time to reflect on our lives and make changes for the excitement that 2006 will bring.
One question that keeps popping into my head is who really is in charge at USAirways? Because of his zealous spirit, I choose to believe that Doug Parker is set to take charge and rediscover the passion that brought us to this business. Although this will take some time to come to fruition, we all anticipate a smooth and successful venture with the utmost regard for the front line worker.
I believe that certain elements of the work place have been disregarded for far too long. The integrity and respect of all flight attendants has to be preserved if Doug is to achieve his goal. I encourage all of you to call Laura, Michael, or me if you think your rights are being violated or if the pressure of dealing with rumors gets too exasperating. We can all deal with information, but we need to stay calm and separate fact from fiction.
The holidays are here and we would all like to be home with our families. However, the nature of the business is that more junior people will have to work. The workload of transporting our passengers will fall on the shoulders of employees who are in their 17th plus year of service. I am asking for the all of you to put yourself in their shoes, and to be sensitive to the plight of those employees who have given up or postponed family events for many years.
Sherri Shamblin, the Managing Director of In-Flight Services, has sent a letter to all of you. Her intentions put a positive spin on management. The truth is, however, I have no idea what the management process is at America West. It may be more rigid in some circumstances. There isn't a reasonable person in the world who doesn't believe that his or her employer has a right to set standards. The employer does have that right. But we do have a problem with the negative and punitive styles of discipline that all of us have experienced. The employees can not be whipped into positive behavior. It takes time and encouragement to build a work force that puts its own needs aside because it shares a common pride in the company. Commitment and accountability go hand-in-hand. Honest dialogue and a predictable management style are the cornerstones of good morale and effective employee relations. Each USAirways manager needs to be equipped with the necessary tools to manage effectively. On both sides of the fence, there has been frustration with the lack of leadership. The relationship of managers and employees has to be mended if this airline wants to turn the corner. We at the Union Office will stay in tune with the reinvented USAirways to create an organization that recognizes the importance of its employees.
Terry Graf
LEC VP Local 70 PHL
Weight Restricted and Capped Flights
Issue: There are non-compliance issues with cockpit and flight attendant jumpseat procedures in conjunction with contractual agreements.
Situation: The cockpit and flight attendant jumpseat riders are being denied boarding because of the misinterpretation of the verbiage on the Flight Status and Flight Data display.
Solution: The verbiage in both the Flight Status and Flight Data display are very exacting to eliminate confusion. The Flight Data display explains what jumpseat riders are permitted.
The verbiage is very specific about cockpit and Flight Attendant jumpseat categories.
-- INCLUDES ANY X RIDERS (Flight Attendant jumpseat)
-- ONLY P AND A1 W RIDERS (Cockpit jumpseat)
-- All space positive categories (P1 through P7) and space available category A1 are included in the maximum passenger count. They are never to be denied boarding.
-- All Flight Attendant jumpseat riders are included in the maximum passenger count. They are never to be denied boarding.
-- All other cockpit jumpseat categories are on a space available basis.
Gate Arrival and Deplaning
The following was sent out via CBS on December 1st. Supervisors are meeting flights to ensure compliance with this rule. Please mindful especially on flight arriving from Europe.
Under normal operations, all flight attendants (including those over the minimum required crew compliment) scheduled on a flight are required to assist during the deplaning process. Flight attendants over the minimum crew requirement may only deplane to perform a duty related to the operation. Once the general flow of deplaning is complete, the crew compliment may be reduced to minimum requirements, depending on the aircraft type, per the F/A Emergency Manual, Section 3, pp. 10-11.
Flight attendants attempting to deplane ahead of the First or Envoy Class customers', presents and unprofessional image and potentially compromises the safety and customer service we strive to provide. As a reminder, flight attendants remain on duty 30 minutes after the actual arrival time on international flights.
Reference: Policies & Procedures Manual, Flight Attendant Responsibilities
Arrival, Chapter 2, p. 19
FEBRUARY BASE TRANSFERS
BOS + 35 LGA+ 40
CLT+ 0 PHL+ 0
DCA+ 15 PIT+ 0
ALL requests must be submitted electronically through theHub by December 14th 12:00 est.
VPLOA FEBRUARY 2006
The company may be offering Voluntary Personal Leave of Absence for February 2006 for the following bases:
CLT, PHL, PIT
Requests must be submitted to In-flight Administration no later than December 15th, 2005.
Laura Albert
LECP Council 70
LAlbert@afausairways.org
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