I'm not sure it is the new people so much as the veterans being upset about their contract or some other thing. I fly ORD/RSW regularly. In the last 10 flights, there were PDBs offered only once. On a flight out of ORD to RSW last month, we were held at the gate to allow over a dozen connecting pax to catch the flight after being delayed due to storms just to the east of ORD. We boarded and sat at the gate for 30 minutes with the door open, so plenty of time for PDBs. The captain even went off the plane to get his Starbucks beverage refilled. But the kicker was an FA who seemed to be new asked the purser if she should start the PDB service since we were boarded and just sitting there. The purser said "Absolutely not. I never do that anymore". I was in1B so could hear everything going on up front where the four FAs had gathered to chat. So perhaps the newbies are being trained correctly by UA but the OJT they get on the planes is another matter.
I always ask for a PDB if there is a delay and such. However, I’m sometimes afraid to do so since we’re in an environment that most of the FAs have a power trip and give a mean attitude….. so where does that leave us?