Saturday, July 08, 2006
Don't let the terrorist win,..! 911 victims need protection.
My point is this,...
By the APFA (American Airlines Flight Attendant Union) not extending unlimited recall rights to the furloughed flight attendants after the 9/11 attacks,... They are effectively giving the terrorist another victory from those very attacks,... It's shameful.
The furloughed pilots were given these unlimited recall rights under a "Special Situation" as I understand it.
9/11 was indeed a "Special Situation"
And giving the terrorist any victory is a horrible situation. Why would any major company or union want to be tied to that?
My story is,...
My name is John Linneman, most of my friends know me as "Scuba". This is an old nic name from my childhood. I reside in St. Louis Missouri.
I flew for TWA and American Airlines as a flight attendant for a total of 18 years. 16 with TWA and 2 with A/A. I was laid off a few years after the 9/11 attacks that devastated our country.
My beliefs are,...
Many lives were lost and many were destroyed by those horrible events that took place that day.
I believe it is everyone of our duties to fight terrorism in any and every way. Any victory the terrorist get from an attack fuels their want and need to attack again. Loss of life, injury, lost revenue, businesses closing, jobs lost, and basically any hurt they can put on the societies they attack is the goal of terrorist. If they get none of these or if we can minimize these effects we have in a sense minimized their attack on us. Our leaders said it best after the Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks,..."lets pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back to living and working and show them they had little effect on us,..."
To do this I feel it is very important for us to show them that we are all right,... we lost life, but not at all what they intended upon us losing thanks to the heroic efforts of the New York and Washington D.C. Police and Firemen, and of course those on flight #93. We need to be able to say,... "we stood up to your attacks and we are still standing,..."
We lost some businesses and some revenue and some jobs but not at all the number of which they would have wanted us to loose from these attacks. I'm sure they have a score board for these attacks, lets not let them fill in any more spaces.
In a few short years my 5 year recall rights will run out. At that point my name goes off the list of potential employee's to be recalled to American Airlines and on a list of permanent victims of the 9/11 attacks. If anyone doesn't think losing ones career of 18 years does not make me a victim, well then you haven't talked to this group, we do feel victimized.
The worst part is it can all be changed by the APFA with a change in their policy and wording that has already been done for one group in this same situation, our pilots. Their union recognizes them as valued employee's and victims of a "Special Situation". Having extended their recall rights to unlimited means they will all have a chance to return to their jobs held before 9/11. Take that victory away from the terrorist, they didn't cause major job loss there.
The APFA can take another victory away from the terrorist. Why wouldn't anyone or group want a chance at that.
This is not a TWA vs A/A thing. There are many flight attendants both in front of and behind the TWAer's who were hired by A/A, their numbers count too. I pray for us all to get back to out jobs someday and we can say to the terrorist,... "yeah, we were hurt, we worked other jobs, we budgeted, but we're back, you didn't take my career away from me,..."
Our needs are,...
Are their any "Victims of 9/11" groups out there,...?
Any government agencies that look into this kind of thing,...?
Any idea's on ways we can put pressure on those in charge at both American Airlines and the APFA to help this cause,...?
Speak up,... America needs you,...
Thank you,...
John Linneman
(scuba)
Comments:
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Scuba,
Very well put. Keep spreading the word. My guess is that you will need to gain popular public opinion to affect any changes at AA or the APFA... but you blog is a great start.
Cheers! MLB
Very well put. Keep spreading the word. My guess is that you will need to gain popular public opinion to affect any changes at AA or the APFA... but you blog is a great start.
Cheers! MLB
# posted by 
: 1:58 PM
: 1:58 PM
Hey, Scuba,
Check the settings like I suggested and you can modify any or all of your control over the blog.
Cheers,
Steve K
Check the settings like I suggested and you can modify any or all of your control over the blog.
Cheers,
Steve K
I know this kind of thing happens every day, but it doesn't make it right. Whatever happened to integrity? Maybe it expired just like Ken Lay.
# posted by : 11:47 PM
: 11:47 PM
This is truely a shame. What kind of union would let this happen? Don't you have any legal recourse against the APFA?
# posted by : 10:28 AM
: 10:28 AM
When I think about companies out there that are holding jobs for our soldiers serving in Iraq I have such regard for their integrity. Sears as you may know is one of those companies. I shop at Sears.
It seems that in the industry that was hurt the most by 911 there would be some provisions made for all airline employees in regard to job security.
And yet there is a company, American Airlines that picks and chooses who it will favor and protect, and who it will turn it's back on. AA pretends that what it's flight attendant union is doing to the TWA furloughed flight attendants is none of their business. It sanctioned merging seniority lists for the ramp guys, and the ticket agents. And it's pilots union, that is notorious for being self serving, gave our TWA pilots some seniority, and unlimited recall rights.
Now take a look at their flight attendant union. They said "Ya'll are going to the bottom of the list", and we did.
I worked for TWA for 31 years. American took away my flights in New York and gave them to their flight attendants. I had to commute to St. Louis if I wanted to continue working for them, and I did with the hope that I would someday get to fly again out of New York.
Then after two years, AA transfered into St. Louis their own flight attendants to work our flights. And they furloughed us. Of course they kept our planes, our routes, our gates, a large portion of our ground crew, pilots and agents.
APFA is the most un-union like union you will ever meet. I guess that is why they call themselves an association.
They have had secret meetings with company management to amend their work agreement so that TWA flight attendants would not be called back.
They are working flights with minimum staff and working higher hours every month, so that the company will not recall us.
They make posts on their union website about how they have to get rid of the TWA flight attendant.
The unions lets a portion of its membership continue to believe that if TWA F/A get called back we will get special pensions that would bankrupt the company (not so), or we will have so much control (because we stick together) that we will take over the union.
At the end of October TWA F/A's start falling off the recall list, forever loosing the career they had for so many years. More will loose their rights to recall Jan 2007 and July 2,2008 ALL TWA F/A's will no longer have the right to be recalled to the flight attendant job at AA.
Hey you out there, the flying public, What do you think of this travesty? Are you still going to patronize a company that treats it's employees this way?
And you the congress, do you no longer care that a promise was made that now is broken?
We are victims of an abusive company and union. We are victims of 911. And we are paying a dear price possibly never to recover.
It seems that in the industry that was hurt the most by 911 there would be some provisions made for all airline employees in regard to job security.
And yet there is a company, American Airlines that picks and chooses who it will favor and protect, and who it will turn it's back on. AA pretends that what it's flight attendant union is doing to the TWA furloughed flight attendants is none of their business. It sanctioned merging seniority lists for the ramp guys, and the ticket agents. And it's pilots union, that is notorious for being self serving, gave our TWA pilots some seniority, and unlimited recall rights.
Now take a look at their flight attendant union. They said "Ya'll are going to the bottom of the list", and we did.
I worked for TWA for 31 years. American took away my flights in New York and gave them to their flight attendants. I had to commute to St. Louis if I wanted to continue working for them, and I did with the hope that I would someday get to fly again out of New York.
Then after two years, AA transfered into St. Louis their own flight attendants to work our flights. And they furloughed us. Of course they kept our planes, our routes, our gates, a large portion of our ground crew, pilots and agents.
APFA is the most un-union like union you will ever meet. I guess that is why they call themselves an association.
They have had secret meetings with company management to amend their work agreement so that TWA flight attendants would not be called back.
They are working flights with minimum staff and working higher hours every month, so that the company will not recall us.
They make posts on their union website about how they have to get rid of the TWA flight attendant.
The unions lets a portion of its membership continue to believe that if TWA F/A get called back we will get special pensions that would bankrupt the company (not so), or we will have so much control (because we stick together) that we will take over the union.
At the end of October TWA F/A's start falling off the recall list, forever loosing the career they had for so many years. More will loose their rights to recall Jan 2007 and July 2,2008 ALL TWA F/A's will no longer have the right to be recalled to the flight attendant job at AA.
Hey you out there, the flying public, What do you think of this travesty? Are you still going to patronize a company that treats it's employees this way?
And you the congress, do you no longer care that a promise was made that now is broken?
We are victims of an abusive company and union. We are victims of 911. And we are paying a dear price possibly never to recover.
# posted by : 9:35 PM
: 9:35 PM
Very well said,...
These brilliant words need to be heard,...
We need suggestions and idea's about how to get the attentionof the new's, the public the judges,...
Please comment,..
These brilliant words need to be heard,...
We need suggestions and idea's about how to get the attentionof the new's, the public the judges,...
Please comment,..
APFA has single handidly made sure that the TWA flight attendants are the ONLY TWA work group not represented on AA property.
Their motto seems to be--Out of sight, out of mind and can't wait until you're left behind.
Wholly unexcusable behavior from a union. Your top priority should be getting recall rights extended. After all we've been through, it's the very least you could do.
Their motto seems to be--Out of sight, out of mind and can't wait until you're left behind.
Wholly unexcusable behavior from a union. Your top priority should be getting recall rights extended. After all we've been through, it's the very least you could do.
# posted by : 11:17 PM
: 11:17 PM
Send this blog to a Congressman. Send the blog to a TV station, post it on any organizal website, like your town, or local government.
Send it to the IAM website( oh forgive me. I forgot. That won't work)
Send it to every other airline union
Send it to the IAM website( oh forgive me. I forgot. That won't work)
Send it to every other airline union
# posted by : 2:53 PM
: 2:53 PM
Scuba,
This is a great blog and thanks for trying to do something for all of the furlough F/A's and bring attention to the fact that APFA is not doing their part to bring us back or get us extended recall rights.
This is a great blog and thanks for trying to do something for all of the furlough F/A's and bring attention to the fact that APFA is not doing their part to bring us back or get us extended recall rights.
# posted by : 9:18 PM
: 9:18 PM
If this is truly a 911 event, all the furloughed Flight Attendants should be protected by the "Association" and AMR!
These furloughed Flight Attendants were valued employees who brought a tremendous amount of professionalism, experience and dedication to the profession they have have undertaken.
I would much rather fly with this group of highly trained, highly tenured and experienced Flight Attendants, then the new ones they would hire. Their experience in the skies is invaluable in the times we are in, when things can change in an instant. The new Flight Attendants AMR would eventually hire could not hold a candle to the years of experience the furloughees would come to work with daily.
The public should take notice, the Flight Attendants back in the 60's-70's were a show piece and somewhat a "fluff puff"! Going forward, are you willing to sacrifice your safety for the younger inexperienced "little ones"??
Who would you rather have assist you in a crisis, a heart attack, an agitated passenger or someone who would do you harm, a new hire with one year experience, at age 20 something or a 50 something with years of experience? You cannot negate and toss away these professional employees that YOU chose to bring onboard by saying "Two great airlines, one great future"!
Shame on you, AMR, for not living up to the promises you made in bankruptcy court. Your board of directors should know sometimes the bottom line is not always the way to go when it comes to doing the right thing!
These furloughed Flight Attendants were valued employees who brought a tremendous amount of professionalism, experience and dedication to the profession they have have undertaken.
I would much rather fly with this group of highly trained, highly tenured and experienced Flight Attendants, then the new ones they would hire. Their experience in the skies is invaluable in the times we are in, when things can change in an instant. The new Flight Attendants AMR would eventually hire could not hold a candle to the years of experience the furloughees would come to work with daily.
The public should take notice, the Flight Attendants back in the 60's-70's were a show piece and somewhat a "fluff puff"! Going forward, are you willing to sacrifice your safety for the younger inexperienced "little ones"??
Who would you rather have assist you in a crisis, a heart attack, an agitated passenger or someone who would do you harm, a new hire with one year experience, at age 20 something or a 50 something with years of experience? You cannot negate and toss away these professional employees that YOU chose to bring onboard by saying "Two great airlines, one great future"!
Shame on you, AMR, for not living up to the promises you made in bankruptcy court. Your board of directors should know sometimes the bottom line is not always the way to go when it comes to doing the right thing!
# posted by : 8:34 AM
: 8:34 AM
Try to get this blog out to the media & other airline unions, etc--EXCELLENT ideas & comments. AA & APFA should be ashamed of themselves!
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# posted by : 10:30 AM
: 10:30 AM << Home
