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All That GLITTERS is Not GOLD
 The opportunity to move forward was offered in April 2010 by UA and again in May 2011, when the cross over staffing proposal for 1800 fa's was presented along with the CAL like contract. UA fa's were not allowed to vote on it! In June 2011, another opportunity to commence single contract negotiations was passed up by Afa!
Instead, Roadshows Will Sell FA's the Afa Negotiated Industry "Trailing" Tentative!
The January 25th Afa E-Lines boasted: "Attendance was overwhelming and Flight Attendant participation resulted in hotel being required to bring in row after row of additional chairs to accommodate the large crowd, until finally there was no more room for chairs and it was standing room only", referring to the Afa Roadshow in Chicago on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. While Afa proudly boasts the SIZE of the audience at the Afa "Stacked" Pep Rallies, UA Fa's Are ENRAGED BY AFA's FAILED PROMISES!
Afa's "Dog and Pony" Show!
 The January 16, 2012 letter from AfaUA MEC President Davidowich states -
"A Signing bonus is not a new concept, and while it may be unpopular, it is the standard in many negotiations, unless of course a work group is willing to settle for small incremental pay raise so as to claim the false victory of achieving a retro. For example, it's easy to achieve retro with a 2.5 wage increase, however that course of action is self-defeating, and we demanded that his Agreement include significant compensation improvements up front and immediately".
"Insignificant" Compensation Improvements
The highest international book rate (March 1, 2004) was $49.85. The highest international book rate WITH THE RAISE in 2012 is $47.45!!!
The domestic hourly rate was $45.92 in 2004.
It will be $43.73 WITH THE RAISE in 2012 at the top of the pay scale!
If the Tentative is ratified, it is a 6 year contract (2010-2016 with 4 years remaining) with less income than before the bankruptcy on the "Date of Signing". 14 years ago, Afa shoved the 1996-2010 tentative "down our throats" and informed us that it was the "best they could do"!!
Once again, with the same Afa "cronies" in place (appointed, not elected, with NO term limits)
NO RETRO, SHAMELESS SELF-CONGRATULATIONS, AND FEAR MONGERING!!!
Afa Blames UA FA's!
 The self-congratulatory false bravado aside, what should not be overlooked is the reference that EVERYTHING in this tentative agreement is "per (flight attendant) mandate".
The mandate from flight attendants came in the form of a skewed AFA survey question asked in 2011 on the Afa website where only 2,000 flight attendants were polled. The leading question was:
"I am willing to give up my current work rules, benefits, and legality protections for Continental hourly rates of pay"
As many astute UA FA's have since observed, ONE misleading question was written to produce only one answer, "NO"! Afa manipulated their membership to pursue their "corporate" agenda and created an entire platform on which to negotiate a contract for 15,000 flight attendants based on a blatantly skewed poll!
Are you tired of being pandered to and fear mongered with skewed surveys, twisted facts and graphs, epic failures spun to make you believe they’re epic achievements?? “Take it now or its back to Sec. 6 again for years!”
Can the Afa ever just present the facts and let a TA stand or fail on its own validity? Can they just give us the “black and white” and let us make our own decision?
Apparently the answers are also "NO"!
Afa Hires Consultant to Help Sell Tentative? WILL We Believe Dan Atkins?
"This deal is not only good for UNITED flight attendants but also sets the standards for other labor groups in the airline industry"
- Dan Atkins, Afa hired consultant and President of Atkins & Associates, who obviously knows little about flight attendants but is well paid by Afa. Can someone please inform Dan Atkins that the Continental Flight Attendants earn $52.53 an hour at top of pay scale with incentive pay of $5.00 an hour after 75 hours. This brings CO's pay after 75 hours to $57.53. There is also an override of $1.00 per hour for International. The International pay after 75 hours is $58.53.
Atkins and Davidowitch must be taking the same pills. Davidowitch also states -
"it is also commonly recognized that our Flight Attendant benefits and work rules are superior to those of other similarly situated workers".
In fact, American, Delta, Southwest, and Continental all come to mind as "similarly situated workers", none of whom are clamoring for the same restrictions, impediments, and wage rates that we have at United!
BEWARE THE FINE PRINT!
- EARLY OUT
- RESERVE
- CROSSOVER
- SINGLE CONTRACT
- UNION DUES
Early Out Agreement - (TA - pg. 61, paragraph 1) “The Company in its sole discretion shall determine the number of Early Out Packages to award.” However, the Afa FANN Newsletter published in their Q & A on January 20, 2012:Q: How many eligible Flight Attendants will be awarded the Early Out?
A: There will be a minimum award of 1,000 eligible Flight Attendants awarded the Early Out. Early Out packages shall be awarded to the senior eligible bidders, based on system seniority.Nowhere in the TA is there a specific number given. The Company has the sole discretion so where does the 1,000 come from? And if it doesn't meet 1,000, what happens? Is it Null and Void? Reserve Preferencing Letter of Agreement (TA -pg. 67) Development and Implementation: “In the event that programming cannot be accomplished to meet the above requirements...If an alternate solution is not agreed upon, this Letter of Agreement shall be NULL and VOID”. One year from "Date of Signing" to develop the software to implement reserve preferenceing but if for whatever reason they are not successful, we are out of luck until 2016! Again, the Company is in the driver’s seat.Crossover Side Letter of Agreement (TA - pg. 73) “…the total number of cross over transfers pursuant to this Agreement shall not be greater than, in the Companies’ sole judgment, they deem advisable to adjust the Flight Attendants staffing at the Companies.” Again, Afa failed to nail down a number. So how many will it be? 100? 1000? Or ZERO?? Afa left it strictly up to the Company. Section 35 Duration, Single Contract Negotiations (TA - pg. 57) “…..shall provide written notice of intended change no earlier than thirty days and no later than 60 days…..” “Negotiations for a Single Collective Bargaining Agreement shall commence no later than one hundred twenty days from written notice.” So, six months (60 days plus 120) from date of signing, they will START negotiations. Ask yourself, why is it a 4 year contract? (6 years from the amendable date). And once single contract negotiations start, will the Afa allow CAL f/a’s to negotiate a new agreement for themselves in Sept 2012? Can UA negotiate another separate agreement for CAL flight attendants?
AND
“Who is Eligible to Vote on the Tentative Agreement?” (TA Q & A No. 4,5,6 pg 95, 96)
You must “…..meet Afa dues obligation of not only the first 90 days following the leave of absence or voluntary furlough, but all dues through and including the month in which the ballot is counted-February 2012.”
Been on voluntary furlough for awhile? Where will you get the money to pay all your back dues to the Afa so you can vote? Oh, that’s right; we’re getting a signing bonus!
Not "Straight Up and to the Point" is the fact that if you are a flight attendant on inactive status (and in good standing), you may have to pay up hundreds or thousands of dollars in union dues to Afa before being allowed to VOTE!AND…the Proposed AFA-CWA Annual 2012-2013 Budget includes a Monthly Dues Increase from $43 a Month to $50 a Month for giving us the
"first bite of the apple" over and over again!
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GO TO YOUR LOCAL ROADSHOWS!
JOIN THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT COALITION FOR CHANGE AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN 2012!
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