| |
Secondly, the rumors have really gotten out of hand. Too often we waste valuable resources on what can only be called 'crap' while at the same time this new management goes after either our contract or our members.
Example # 1: Days in the local office were spent trying to hunt down and get information on the rumor that hundreds of pilots would be furloughed in September.
The latest pilot bid just came out and it looks as if the pilots will only lose 13 positions and possible no furloughs at all. At the same time we were busy with that rumor, the company went after our parking! Read more about the parking debacle below.
Example # 2: More time and energy was spent trying to track down the rumor that there would NOT be a 'Global Bid.'
Well, the 'Global Bid' opened right on time and as you know, all bids are due the end of this month. More information can also be found here:
http://www.afausairways.org/EForms/globalform.htm
However, while tracking down this, along with several other rumors, our 'labor friendly' management hired two new Medical Personnel, locating them in Crystal City. The Medical duo immediately started checking FA requests for PCL (Personal Care Leave which is to 'mirror' the Federal FMLA). We are now receiving one denial after another for PCL. We also received information from a FA on LTD, and under Doctor's orders, who was threatened with termination if they did not agree to drive several hours a day to do 'Light Duty'.
FYI: The FA mentioned above is 'Grand fathered' under the old LTD. 'Light Duty' went away with the 2000 CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement).
Another FA was denied PCL because the dynamic duo deemed the FA's problem to be 'Manageable'. That FA is flying with a knee swollen to the size of a small grapefruit, causing a possible safety concern. While yet another FA had their previously approved PCL denied because these 'Angels of Mercy' did not think the FA's HCP (Health Care Provider) had supplied sufficient information about the treatment for HIV.
Read more about the New Nurse Ratchet Program below.
While some rumors are interesting or even entertaining, at this time, they are extremely hurtful to our group.
Please, if you hear something strange, call us! If we do not know the answer, we will hunt it down. The faster we can stop a bad rumor, the better it will be for all of us. Thanks.
Presently there are rumors flying around that there will be a large number of FA furloughs in September. If anyone in management knows, they are not telling.
Please note that the 'four-month' Voluntary Furlough will end in October. Remember this is the VF that cannot extend so we expect almost all of them to come back. In addition, the VF-1, the largest VF and the one with the 2-year medical, will see the end of medical benefits in December so we are also expecting to see numerous returnees at that time. On top of that, much of the ITD flying will also be reduced due to the yearly seasonal change in the schedule. This is all I know at this time, NOT good news, I am truly sorry. Please prepare accordingly.
There is also NO truth to the rumor that the ITD Fence is coming down.
----------
Lastly, we have watched while this new management has tried to pit one employee group against another. They have failed to earn our trust by going back on their word over and over again. Please know that everyone is feeling the pain of this new management, not just FA's. The pilots have had their pensions stolen, gate agents parking habits are being monitored to check their comings and goings, mechanics are under the constant threat of having their jobs outsourced, and this is just the 'tip of the iceberg'.
Remember, this is OUR Company. CEO's and their Management teams come and go. Like those who preceded them, they are just visitors. My father had many sayings but one of the one's I remember most is:
"Visitors are like fish, after three days, they start to stink."
Union Leaders need to stand up for the rights of their members and if they do not, then they should be gone. We have neither the money nor the resources that this 'Corporate Machine' does (mainly because they took everything). What we do have is each other. There is a ground swell brewing. Everyday, more and more are coming to the realization that this management team has overstayed their welcome. Like three-day old fish, something 'stinks.' Do you smell it?
On that note, let's get started.
Inside this issue
-- LEC & MEC Meeting Notice
-- 5% War Deferral
-- Commuter Parking
-- Understaffing Pay
-- Sick Meeting Update
-- Medical Meeting Update
-- Medical Review
-- Disciplinary Program (DCP)
-- Inflight Café
-- Is your seniority eroding?
-- Sick on Assignment
*****************************
MEETING NOTICES:
*****************************
Are you concerned about the loss of your sick?
Are you worried more FA's will be furloughed?
Are you shocked to hear that you have lost your parking stipend?
Are you fearful that you may remain on Reserve for the remainder of your career?
Are you tired of watching your livelihood erode on a daily basis?
If you answered YES to any of the above, do something about it. There will be a Council 70 meeting for the PHL/PHW FA's on July 17, 2003. Be there, listen to what is going on and be prepared to speak your mind and your concerns. But also come with:
-- Ideas on how to overcome problems,
-- The names of congressmen, news media people and anyone else you personally KNOW who can help us get our concerns to the general public or the proper organizations and authorities.
The fact that you pay dues does not bother management. The fact that you take time from your busy schedule to stand and meet with your follow FA's does. The first step in getting management to deal fairly with us is our upcoming meeting. I encourage each and everyone of you to be there if you can.
AFA Local Council 70 Meeting
Date: Thursday, July 17
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Airport Marriott
AFA US Airways Regular Scheduled MEC Meeting
Date: July 21 - 23
Location: Pittsburgh Sleep Inn
5% WAR DEFERRAL
We are not alone. ALPA, IAM, TWU and CWA are also upset with how management is immorally keeping the deferral (our hard earned dollars). I have been contacted by CWA and asked to join them in wearing 'green ribbons' behind our union pins in protest of the 5% War Deferral. This is not a decision that I can make alone. Therefore, I have written an agenda item that will change our pins to include the 'green ribbon.' In solidarity, we will, if the agenda item passes, be joining our brothers and sisters at CWA. Dig out your AFA pin and get ready for the 'Wearing of the green'
*****************************
COMMUTER PARKING
*****************************
Section 4.D of our 2000 CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) states:
"Upon FA request, the Company will make employee parking available to a FA, in lieu of providing parking at the employee's assigned domicile under the following conditions:"
"d. FA will pay difference, if any, between cost of parking at his/her domicile and the cost of the alternate location requested."
The company pays a fee for each employee to park in the PHL employee parking lot. If you elect not to use the PHL lot, then whatever your fee is at an alternate location will be offset by what the company would pay if you parked in PHL and you pay any overage.
Here in PHL, I have been told that the fees charged to the airlines for employee parking are done on an individual basis and are prorated according to the total number of parking permits. The more employees an airline has pulling parking permits, the less the company is charged per individual employee.
From what I can gather, this is what has happened: The company just had an audit. At first blush, it looked as if the company wasn't paying ANYTHING for their employees to use the PHL employee parking lot. Therefore, any fee charged at a commuter lot would fall to upon the FA. Thus the CBS message you recently received.
Now given the fact that we have lost thousands of employees through furloughs and lay-offs, one would think that the cost to US Airways for us to use the PHL employee parking lot would have gone UP rather than totally disappeared.
When challenged, Management so much as admitted that the parking fees do exist but are hidden in the landing fees. Pretty sneaky, huh? Does that mean our contractual rights just go away? Obviously someone in PHL In-Flight thinks so. AFA however, does not.
AFA has asked the company to correct the situation and we now await their response.
*****************************
UNDERSTAFFING PAY
*****************************
By now you should have read the recent CBS message sent to you from Sherry Hendry, VP of Inflight. As you can see, she is of the opinion that the Company no longer has to pay understaffing since they elected to reduced staffing to FAA minimums and due to the fact that the only food on domestic flights is the buy-on-board product (BOB). Which is similar to the bag snack offered for which understaffing was paid. AFA and past practice disagrees with The VP's position. We have filed an MEC grievance as this is yet another violation of our contract language.
Please continue to file for understaffing. Send copies of your denied claims along with the following information of the understaffed flight to the local office; Flight number, Pairing number, Date, Passenger Loads and any other pertinent information. We will need your documentation to help us win the grievance and then get you paid. Please put all of your documentation into an envelope marked "Understaffing Pay" to help us keep our paperwork in order. Thank you. (AFA Council 70 Office - 3751 Island Ave. - Philadelphia, PA 19153) or use the AFA mailbox in the crewroom.
*****************************
SICK POLICY
*****************************
AFA filed an MEC Grievance regarding the Company's implementation of the sick policy. ALPA has also filed a grievance and we will be awaiting the outcome of their grievance since their language is the same as ours. Both AFA & ALPA agree that what was negotiated in December was a simple five hour penalty, not the abusive interpretation the Company has implemented.
On July 1, 2003, the MEC President, Perry Hayes and the MEC Vice President, Pam Hook, met with Jerry Glass, Sr. VP of Labor Relations. The original purpose of the meeting was to address issues concerning the sick policy. As I had feared, nothing positive for our side was accomplished. I cannot relay what little I do know because discussions took place under the 'Shroud of Confidentiality'. I can tell you this, Mr. Glass let us know that if we continue with our legal right, under the RLA (Railway Labor Act) to picket that the company will not meet in any future discussions.
Bullying tactics and threats do not sit well with me and have an opposite effect from what was intended. We are seldom on the receiving end during discussions anyway.
*****************************
MEDICAL PLAN
*****************************
The Summary Plan Document (SPD) of the new medical plan has been reviewed and analyzed by AFA's benefit attorney. Her comments regarding the plan have been submitted to the Company and she continues to work on this issue. AFA is the only employee group on the property that the Company is required to supply a copy of the SPD for review/suggestions/changes.
On July 2, 2003, a committee made up of the PIT LEC President, Teddy Xidas, and the MEC Benefits Chairperson, Julie Tierney, met with management. The outcome of this meeting, right down to the threats, was similar to the meeting on sick.
Responses to AFA Questions on the Rx Program
*****************************
MEDICAL REVIEW
*****************************
WARNING! As I mentioned in my opening remarks, Management has recently hired two (2) medical personnel. From what I can tell so far, their main job seems to be focused on scaring us back to health.
As if that news were not bad enough, a 'birdie' told me that this new program is being 'tested' on PHL/PHW flight attendants, as we speak. Protect Yourselves!
We are already seeing the most shameful and shocking results. Do every flight attendant a HUGE favor, if you fall prey to this duo, WRITE DOWN EVERY WORD, and include dates, times and names. Then PLEASE, PLEASE get that information to us ASAP! We will protect your privacy but the worst thing we can do is to let what is happening stay hidden. We already have several mind-boggling stories from your fellow flight attendants that we are holding in reserve. We have also contacted the Labor Board. They seem interested in what is going on over here but cannot do anything unless they hear from the individual employee.
*****************************
DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM (DCP)
*****************************
WARNING! Management has stated that they are in the process of 'Tightening Up' their DCP (Disciplinary Program). This is typical, someone gets a new position or title and they immediately start trying to prove their worth by flexing their muscles. How many more badly developed and outrageous 'bright ideas' are we going to be subject to just so some less than qualified person can climb the next wrung of the Corporate Ladder? We are already seeing FA's moved through the discipline process at lightening speed. Every perceived infraction has another FA being called into a 'Mandatory' meeting by their Supervisor, some even on days off or while out sick. Unfortunately, I am finding that some Supervisors 'perception' of what they 'perceive' as an infraction comes from a total lack of research and knowledge of our contract.
I have come to the conclusion that this management will not be happy until they have made us all into 'Stepford Stews' and have us all shaking in our boots. If this continues, we are going to need a 'safe-house' for abused US Airways FA's.
Don't be a victim. Protect yourselves by reading Chapter # 2, "Work & Conduct Rules" in your Emergency Manual. In addition, do not contribute to this abuse; before writing up a fellow employee for some minor offense, first try to work it out between you or contact Professional Standards.
*****************************
INFLIGHT CAFÉ
*****************************
By now, many of you have seen the Company's press release announcing expansion of the Inflight Café - Buy on Board program (BOB). AFA has repeatedly insisted that the Company implement some sort of incentive program, much like the duty-free commission program. The Company has advised us that they are 'working on it.'
As an aside, we have received several responses to managements 'Crew of the Day' program that was sent to you in a recent CBS message.
"Insulting," is the most common word being used by the members who have contacted us. There are now 'choices' to deal with.
*****************************
ALERT
*****************************
Is your seniority eroding?
Are you back on Reserve or soon will be? Do you know that the erosion of YOUR seniority is a direct result of Management furloughing our fellow flight attendants?
Here are some of the ways in which Management justifies such drastic reductions in our numbers/head count.
-- Cutting corners with minimum staffing.
-- Offering Vacation Fly Back while at the same time furloughing flight attendants.
-- Turning a blind eye to F/A's who Over flying their option.
-- Counting on FA's to make them available when understaffed or during irregular operations.
-- Management knows that flight attendants are service oriented and that we will follow our natural instincts to help each other out by jumping up and assisting in the service while we are deadheading or riding jump seat.
-- Last but certainly not least, when a fight attendant calls off a trip down line (sick, legalities, etc.) Management is now calling an off duty FA who lives in the area where the trip went short (San Diego, Tampa, etc.) asking them to 'fill in'. Sadly, some of our members are actually doing this.
PLEASE STOP! This breaks our contract and our seniority rights. Let me know if you hear of this happening, we will go after a claim for some deserving FA who should have been deadheaded to pick up that trip.
Saving flight attendant jobs is a TOP PRIORITY. YOU can make a difference. In the long run it is all up to YOU!
Offering Vacation Fly Back while at the same time furloughing our members is an insult. Management is obviously under the misconception that we will sell them our souls while at the same time eating our young.
Most folks deadheading or pass-riding feel guilty if they do not offer assistance. If that happens on your flight, you can graciously tell them "Thanks, but No thanks." Remember, you always have the contractual option to 'Expedite the service' if need be.
We are constantly monitoring the over fly situation here in PHL/PHW. Please know that the Catcrew screens are often inaccurate. For example, because I am PPO'd for AFA, sometimes a less than diligent scheduler will put me down for AFA every day of the month and then attach 5-hours to each day. I promise you, even though it may appear differently on Catcrew 18, that NO ONE in your local office, including myself, is over flying.
I will once again be submitting an Over Fly Agenda Item to the MEC for their approval. If passed, it will ask for the development and implementation of a program to discourage individual members from illegally exceeding monthly flying obligations including, at a minimum, monthly publication via e-line of the names and seniority dates of any member who illegally exceeds his/her flying obligation, and not excluding a system of fines to be levied against those members who habitually exceed their flying options.
As the LEC President of Council 70, I would like the membership to know that your local office does NOT support nor will we tolerate over flying for any reason. As far as I am concerned, over flying is akin to opening up someone's tote bag without their permission, taking out their wallet and helping yourself to their cash and credit cards. I am well aware that our paychecks have been severely impacted by all the cuts. When the PHL/PHW membership voted in favor of both the Summer and the Winter Concessionary Restructuring Agreements, they in essence were saying 'we can live within these pay cuts'. If you need additional income, the solution is NOT to take someone else's flying, therefore their job from them. I want to personally thank those of you who do NOT over fly your option.
*****************************
SICK ON ASSIGNMENT
*****************************
ALERT FOR RESERVES: Sick on Assignment (SOA) may be a new term for you. Management is using this term to designate when a Reserve calls off sick during a trip 'Assignment' from scheduling. The FA is then told that they must go to the Hospital or see a Dr. in the next 24-hours. On top of that the Reserve is then required to come to a Supervisory 'Mandatory Meeting.'
Management can call it whatever they want but our contract is VERY CLEAR, see Section 8.H.2in the 2000 Agreement.
The Company may require a FA who has 5 or less sick calls to provide a Physician's written confirmation of an illness but ONLY WHEN they can DEMONSTRATE REASONABLE CAUSE that the FA's use of sick leave was for other than legitimate reasons.
When a Supervisor gives you're a 'Direct Work Order' to go to the hospital, he/she is misusing that directive unless he/she can DEMONSTRATE REASONABLE CAUSE.
The COST of the Physician's confirmation shall be BORNE BY THE COMPANY.
Keep all receipts and turn them in for reimbursement. Let me know if you have any problems.
Well, that's all for now.
This one is for Management. Just remember: "After the game, the king and the pawn go back into the same box."
Italian Proverb
Take Care and Fly Safe,
Mollie McCarthy
LEC President
Council 70 - PHL/PHW
|
