NOVEMBER 20, 2011
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FOR A COMBINED CONTRACT
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RETRO? CWA-afa Backpedals According to CWA-afa, Retroactive “Retro” Pay, is on the negotiating table. However, there is NO contract language for Retro Pay in the Agreement. The contracts that have been negotiated for United flight attendants in the last twenty-five years (including the 1996 – 2006 agreement) didn’t even bother with retro pay – rather we were told lump sum payments distributed annually over the first five years of the ten year agreement would take the place of retro pay and the hourly wage rate increases. CWA-afa stated that retro pay will be included in "future pay raises". Both LECP's in LAX and JFK (in the minutes and notes from both local council meetings held in October and November, respectively), has confirmed CWA-afa's retro pay information. Transport Workers Union (TWU), the union representing Southwest Airlines, understands the importance of retroactive pay so well, it is in Southwest's Contract.
Southwest TWU SEC.21
“All
Flight Attendants employed by the Company as of the Date of
Ratification of this Agreement shall receive 100% retro pay at the
foregoing pay rates for all credited TFP from June 1, 2002, through the
Date of Ratification based on all applicable years of Service and rates
of pay.”Perhaps CWA-afa and their LEC's need to be educated on the definition of retroactive pay. Retro is back pay. Pay raises are future pay. Mixing the two up is "fuzzy" math. The IAD LECP, in Council 21's newsletter, dated November 16th, responded to the "retro pay in future raises" controversy. There was vague reassurance that the Union knows about the importance of retroactive pay. With no clarification, there was suggestion that the information at the JFK LEC meeting was misunderstood by the membership. He went on to state that "if something really sounds like crap, it probably is". We agree. CWA-afa's backpedaling and attempt to redefine retroactive pay sounds like crap. The CWA-afa longevity schedule.....DID YOU KNOW that it is a CWA-afa Proposed 20 year pay scale?  Final Thoughts
20 years to Reach Top Pay Scale?
One of the 12 Expedited Mediation Items on the table is the Hourly Rates of Pay (Section 5.A.1 Increase pay effective January 07, 2010, with single pay scale and additional longevity step increases). UA and CAL flight attendants should take particular heed to the language "additional longevity step increases". It is 20 years!!!! If your heart skipped a beat, it should. Some of us could be dead before we reach the top of the pay scale. A union "worth their dues" would NEVER lengthen longevity steps, rather, would try to shorten them. You get your raises quicker, which means more money sooner. TWU and IAM, unions successful at negotiating contracts with industry leading wages and benefits, do not have 20 year pay scales. Say "NO" to a 20 year pay scale! Election Wins at CLE, EWR, and IAH! A huge victory for the United EX-CONS and the Continental flight attendants! The IAH LEC victory on November 17th followed EWR's EX CON wins on November 15th. The wins were a mighty one-two punch against CWA-afa's effort to select their own slate of candidates to pursue agendas regressive to the current IAM contract enjoyed by the CO flight attendants. These contractual provisions include NO CAPS, WORK FLEXIBILITY, PAY AND BENEFITS! http://unitedexcon.com We are not just 15,000 United flight attendants or 9,500 Continental flight attendants anymore; we are 24,500 strong members! Demand a..............
COMBINED CONTRACT NOW! JOIN THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT COALITION FOR CHANGE AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
http://flightattendantcoalition.blogspot.com/ |
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