COEX Preferential Interviews for furloughees

[brownbat]

Are there any other furloughed Continental flight attendants on this message board? If so, did you receive an application for a preferential interview as a flight attendant with Continental Express? Any insights on pay or bases? Any tips on interviewing?

Before I proceed I want to be sure that, if I am offered a training opportunity and if for whatever reason I choose to reject that offer, I will not lose my callback status with the company...or my unemployment compensation.

Thanks

[EarBlock]

Hi BrownBat...I'm out on sick leave, not COLA nor was I furloughed. But what I would suggest is contacting our union...believe me, I am by no means a big fan of IAM. (My mom always said if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all, so I best end my IAM discussion right here and now! Ha ha)

Seriously, though, I would call the inflight office in IAH...not the crew room, not the duty desk....call inflight itself and find out. You'll get the straight answer (hopefully). Though there are many fine people that work at the duty desks in our crew rooms, I'm sure you will agree that there are an equal number there who don't know the difference between a DC9 and an IUD....so I'd go straight to the horse's mouth and call Inflight at Headquarters and document who you spoke to...good luck to you!

[brownbat]

Thanks for the reply. I understand your mom's lesson and I will try to follow it here. Um, I just spoke with a union rep and, um, I think I need a second opinion.

'Have been awaiting return calls from the COEX Inflight HR contact for a few days. (Insert sound effect of fingers drumming impatiently)

You're quite right about going to the Inflight office instead of some others, though. By following advice from the wrong sources, I missed out on the COLA opportunity and am now sitting here stewing in my own furloughed juice.

I know this isn't a nice "working together" thing to say, but sometimes I wonder about the professionalism and knowledge of some of our colleagues.
Maybe it's just our makeup. As flight attendants we are, by nature, helpful people. Our jobs empower us to make decisions and act independently. In this case, it seems, that some people try to provide answers whether or not they really know all the facts. sigh.

Live and learn. Well, thanks for the advice. Well put and well taken.

[EarBlock]

Brownbat, sorry to hear that your experience with IAM was less than helpful, but........ooops, remembering what Mom said so I'll shut up on this subject...again!

It's a shame. You sound like such an articulate, well versed person who actually sees the whole picture. I know we are supposedly the greatest place to work (blah, blah, blah), but there are so many F/A's on furlough/COLA who feel totally and completely disillusioned by the way CO handled all of this. I know in CLE many of my friends who ultimately took COLA did so only because they were told "You're going to be on reserve in EWR, you won't be able to be back in CLE, it's going to downsize to 300 F/A's, etc., etc". So, out of sheer desperation and fear, they took the COLA, only to find out that CLE was reduced to 600 and lo and behold, they could have stayed in CLE. Yeah, they would have been on reserve, but they all live there, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

Nevertheless, I do wish you the best. If this airline were run by people like the good people we fly with daily, it would be such a happier place to be.

[Airtraveller]

I hear coex is hiring people off the street right now.I think they should use the ex-cal FAs, they use the ex-cal pilots

[FA_Coex]

COEX just started a new class of approx 70 FAs. I'm not sure how many were new-hire's (non-CAL) but our Sr. Director's v-mail stated that we were looking to replace the former "CA-furloughed-to-CALEX-and now being recalled" FAs.

As far as pay, ect....We have a link on coair.com under coex crews....inflight. Just click on "contract". Everything else always seems to be under construction. However, as a former CAL FA, you will keep your hire date as far as pay and benefits. (at least we do when we go to CAL)

We are still growing, and I am sure more class dates will follow. Feel free to e-mail me. I hope this helps.

[CO757]

I wonder if you will retain "flow" back rights after the Express IPO...Does anyone know?

[RFR]

CoEx is still actively hiring. Our current new hire class totalled 65 - goal was 70 and is split into two classes.

HR did call many furloughed CAL FAs and had a variety of responses from those who were happy to have a job and still be flying to those who either harangued the reps for daring to suggest they work for "Express" - it's not a dirty word, folks! - to those who simply hung up.

The former CoEx and the former CAL FAs who did come over have already been recalled to CAL for March and so worked for Express for only a month. If you are still furloughed and want to work for CoEx please contact Angela Barron or Sonja Smith at HQS - sorry I don't have their numbers handy but you can reach them throught the main number - 713 324 5000 ask for either Angela Barron or Sonja Smith at Continental Express.

You will go through CoEx training and will go to the bottom of the seniority list and will be on CoEx pay scale, although you will keep your seniority for vacation and pay year.

Re. the IPO, if and when it happens, nothing has been divulged about recall rights for former CAL employees.

And, at the risk of flaming, for all of you who are "not fond of IAM", how often do you attend a union meeting, or actually take the time to educate yourselves on the issues?

[CO757]

[QUOTE]<font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana ">quote:<hr>Originally posted by RFR:
And, at the risk of flaming, for all of you who are "not fond of IAM", how often do you attend a union meeting, or actually take the time to educate yourselves on the issues?<hr></blockquote>

Why do you want to know? What "educational" issues do you consider relevant? images/icons/smile.gif

[brownbat]

I'd love to get the COEX f/a training so I could get in line for work when CAL pushes us out the door again in the fall! I submitted an application to be a COEX f/a when the invitations were extended to furloughed CAL f/a's. But I was told that the interview slots were all filled. I wonder how many others were turned away. (?)

I also applied for the COEX agent/ramp jobs and finally got a call--last week, after I'd been called back to CAL. (Frankly, I'm not sure I have the back strength to be a ramper anyway.)

The more opportunities we have to "walk in each others' shoes" the more valuable we will be as employees and the better we can work together.

As for union meetings, I'd be delighted to attend. My telephone and email one-on-one interactions with certain union reps have been, to put it delicately, less than helpful. I suspect/hope I could get valid information at the meetings. When your home is a few hours away from your base, though, attending monthly meetings can be a challenge. I have to depend on the internet's IAM2339 Weekly Updates for info.

Is there more info exchanged at meetings that does not make it onto the electronic newsletter?

[Kitten_of_the_Sky]

has anyone ever read the "minutes" of the IAM meeting. I just did recently. It's up on the IAM board in IAH. I remember after I read it thinking that there wasn't one flight attendant issue on it. The items discussed were "Office space" and various IAM related things.

I will probally go to meetings around contract negotiation time.

[Kitten_of_the_Sky]

All I know is - I am on reserve - today is the 11th of Feb - and they just assigned me a 3 day which puts my hours for Feb at 60.
***** IT IS FEB 11 ....60 HOURS ... FEB 11 ******
Please bring back the furloughs!!!!!!!

60 HOURS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: Kitten of the Sky ]</p>

[brownbat]

We're heading your way and we're ready to hit the ground (or, in this case, the jetways) running!! Hang in there, Kitten!

(Maybe I should hope to be sent to IAH. I hear things have been slow at CLE.) graemlins/pilot2_smilie.gif

[RFR]

Hi CO757, Brownbat, Kitten,

Sorry I've taken so long to reply - been very busy!

I do know how hard it is to get to Union meetings if you commute and, God knows, we all need to work to earn a living! But whenever you get the chance - even occasionally - try to attend one. You really can learn a lot.

CO757,

I consider ANYTHING that affects our careers, to a greater or lesser degree, to be something to get educated on. I truly did not realize how the actions of the US government directly affect my working conditions, until I attended Union meetings more regularly. And, at first, I was skeptical that the Union spent so much time on this. After asking questions, and checking things out, I ended up writing to congressmen and senators! I also know from talking with my fellow crewmembers, pilots and FA's alike, the greater majority are not interested in or don't realize how a lot of these things can impact the airline business, and, of course, us.

Our Union officers and reps. are elected by US - the membership, yet many of us don't know who these people are, what their function is within the union or how to utilize them, and the considerable resources of the union, to help us.
These reps and officers are supposed to act in our best interests but if we don't make our interests known to the right people, or don't act - i.e. vote - on the issues, we may not be truly represented (majority vote), and to vote on the issues, day to day, you have to be at the meeting when the vote is conducted.

I don't know what kind of response you get from the people you talk to. If they are Union reps. or Advocates they should know the answers to your questions OR HOW TO GET THE CORRECT ANSWER FOR YOU. And they should be able to say, "I don't know but I'll find out." And then get back to you within a reasonable time frame. If you are not getting this, then take it to a higher level - your Base Chair, President, District Chair - whatever it takes!

And remember it's Election time!!!!

Brownbat and Kitten,

Yes, you do get more info. at the union meetings - from general discussion and questions raised. Of course, you also have the opportunity to raise any questions of your own.

The "Minutes" that are published and really highlights and I'd be willing to explain that more fully if you want to email me privately.

So, sorry it's so long but I hope I answered the questions.

Fly safe everyone!