sinoflyer

Are you saying that, just because they are res agents, that they can't weigh the pros and cons of the contract as it pertains to their own well-being? Believe me when I say that the rank-and-file res agents do exercise intelligent thought when they voted and ratified their contract.

{Don't} equate work-from-home with the sweatshop, when in reality many res agents welcome the opportunity to work from home, for whatever reasons that suit their circumstances, lifestyle choices, etc. Wage is not the only determinant.

kettle1

If I remember correctly, did not Sen. Daniel Inouye from Hawaii (now passed) put pressure on UA to keep the call center open? UA, threatened to close that call center several years ago and UA caved under pressure.

Perhaps I am wrong. How many UA employees want to move the "the windy city" or "h town" from the great state of Hawaii. I would guess not many. The pay cut to work in your home is garbage. This is simply a way for UA management to get rid of those over payed senior employees. They are the best agents UA has. Shame, shame, shame.

Just outsource everything to India or the Philippines if you are trying to save money UA.

Another major FAIL by UA management. I get it. Close the call center, but why cut the pay? They are doing the same job that they have done for many years. They were team players and worked hard for travelers that flew UA.

Now UA management found a way to cut their pay and they must buy their own computer. Where is the Union on this? I am sure many of these dedicated UA employees paid dues to the Union for what?

Close the call center, I get that - it is 2015. But, cutting pay? That I have a huge problem with.

Aloha.

COGal

As an agent that was affected by the closing of SLC, I can give you my perspective. I tried very hard to view this as a transition, not a negative thing. The pay cut is 15%, hopefully in a new union contract will reflect that we will have more remote agents than those working in centers and more pay will be negotiated.

The pay cut and having to purchase my own equipment isn't the issue for me. It's the isolation, it's not having the office buzz around me. All those things that used to annoy me about some of my co-workers, are now things that I miss. I have always taken a lot pride in my work, so I study the industry, study the tools that I work with. I would imagine that if you were to ever to speak to me on the reservations line, you wouldn't know which side I came from, although my tag name and location give it away. To combat the issues that I have with the program, I have reduced to Part Time at UA and taken a full time job outside my home. I have to say, I loved working for Continental, and I love working for United. I just don't love working from home. I'm sending all the good energy that I can to my fellow co-workers in Detroit and Honolulu.

I'm not a company shill by any means, but when the concept of working remotely was introduced, there was a list a mile long of agents willing to take a pay cut to work from home. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it's just the way it is. As far as my own equipment, I doubt the company would have sprung for my 26 inch monitor. I was happy to do that, I don't have to use my reading glasses as much.

I wish nothing but happy travels, and wonderful contact experiences for all our customers.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Sadly confirmed.

sbm12

From what I read in the contract last night, no.
Where did you get that date. A UA spokesman gave me early 2017 for the HNL center.

Probably very few. Of course, that's not the only option.

It agreed to the terms under which this would happen some years ago.

This is the most significant bit IMO. And I say that having similarly taken a pay cut (much larger than 15%) and shifted my working lifestyle some years ago.

kettle1

You are a trooper. Thanks to people like you UA is a great carrier. I wonder one thing? What did the Union dues you and the others paid for all those years do to help you? I would be upset with the union.

COGal

Coming from the CO side, I wasn't a part of the union until 2013 when our contract ratified. Everything that UA has done has been allowed by the contract, so it's been with the agreement of our union.

halls120

And people wonder why union membership is at or near historic lows.

While I'm not a fan of outmoded work rules in the standard union-management contract, I can see the utility of a union and management agreeing to things like being able to close bricks and mortar units. I don't understand at all why a union would ever allow management to cut the pay of experienced workers.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Out of total respect will not disclose but that is the date I was given without asking for specifics. I had sent my regrets. Thank you.

sinoflyer

Thank you COGal for sharing with us your perspective. Best wishes to everyone, and I hope that you have found a good balance between working at home and other pursuits.

DWFI

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...oreUserAgent=1

Employees will be permitted to work from home.

zoegksf

I too have had nothing but good experiences with the sCO SLC agents. I found them to be the best from the sCO side. I seem to remember they also had the *A desk, that I used many times to upgrade on CM. They were the only ones that new how to do it.

lensman

Thank you for sharing, COGal! This kind of personal experience is great insight. I hope it helps your colleagues in HNL and DTW who are facing the same situation you did.

I remember having some great interactions with work-from-home SLC agents - maybe you were one of them!

Keep up your spirits! Maybe you folks can create a work-related instant messaging group to create some virtual "office buzz"?

tom911

http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/n...-reps-are.html

$3.3 million seems like such a small dent in the $2 billion UA is looking for. Does make you wonder what jobs are on the line in the next go-round.

sbm12

I believe the $4/hour number is incorrect per the union contract; I posted the comparison numbers above. It is a 15% pay scale cut to the employees but that's not $4/hour even at the top of the scale.

Also, a significant portion of the savings will come from not leasing the real estate and not paying the associated costs which come with that.