Union Action in DTW July 6 Flt 1443 DTW-ATL...Anybody know Anything?
Jul 11, 2009, 1:19 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,806
DL and their anti-union squad are doing everything in their power to make the unions look bad. If that means pulling the public into it, they will.
Jul 11, 2009, 4:49 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
well over the years you've come to know me as anti-union (which I am...but I've come to respect your and MarcoPolo's position too) but this just sounds like a case of misinformation (perhaps more?).....sounds to me like it was all DL operated/ground staffed....would be like blaming NWA unions for the delays in JFK or ATL (or PHF for that matter where NWA doesnt even fly)
Jul 11, 2009, 12:28 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 439
Here's an account of the flight by a pass-riding pre-merger NW FA:
Okay, I non-reved on that flight and I had no idea whether or not if there was any kind of union activity going around on the ramp that caused that delay...I was not able to see anything outside from where I was seated. I did not know the possibility of this until reading about this in AJ. I thought the delay was all part of normal operation, as Ive experienced them before, but usually not as long as 30-40 minutes, as we experienced for loading bags.
I can however, tell you guys my experience on that particular flight. First of all, I got on because I used a higher priority because there was at least 40+ nrevs (if Im not mistaken, due to rollovers from previous flights), and I had to be in ATL for an important engagement. A lot of the nrevs out of DTW, were pilots in uniform; other employess; and some were offline and regional employees...the list was long. Anyways, from what I gather from my observations and assumption, two pilots were to occupy the FA jumpseat, and there were three DL FAs working.
Anyways, I get on, and took my seat. The two pilots were in the aft galley of the MD80, congregating with the two male FAs. The A position of the crew was female and was in front. The door closes on time, and there was an open middle seat. One pilot says to the other, theres an open seat...so one of em slides in and takes it. In the mean time...Im thinking, theres all these NREVS left behind who could have taken that last seat. If that one pilot was truly assigned that seat, he would have been in that seat at the very beginning, not after the boarding door had closed.
So heres my first and second question How many FA jumpseats are there on the MD80? And are the gate agents that work the DL flights out of DTW premerger NWA gate agents? I ask these questions because how could the agent let the flight go with one empty seat, if the pilots took the jumpseats, and there were all these NREVS trying to get on.
Heres my third question. Are we allowed, whether on DL or NW, to make a mockery and joke, while doing the safety demo? For example..."My name is Charlie, and joining me in the back are my angels.... This was said by the A female FA. During the demo, one of the male flight attendants in the back, who I believe is the OP of that thread in nowayafa, said stuff like....."Should our flight become a cruise, there are life vests...";"should oxygen masks fall during flight, stop screaming...";"If you dont know how to read the safety card, thats okay, its all pictures...; etc.
While there was some laughter by the passengers, I could tell that majority of the passengers were not amused. I wasnt. It was VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. I wondered if FAA was on board, how could they get away with it. Was this Southwest Airlines that I was on?
What was also not professional by my observation, was the fact that this flight attendant in the back was talking wayyyyy too loud to the pilot in the jumpseat, about how anti-union he was, and that he always hated flying into DTW, that passengers, including myself could hear him. He went on and on after push back, during taxi, during take-off, up to the 4 dings, that I wondered...did he silent review? I dont think so. He also said out loud, while taxiing in ATL after landing, and a little girl got out of her seat, Go back to your seat...argh...I cant believe parents nowadays... Now, is that being professional? like he claims to be in nowayafa?
This, however, was emphasized about three times during the flight. We are sooooooo embarassed about the delay, and what you experienced in DTW, we encourage you to please go to delta.com to voice your concerns; prior to push-back in DTW, this was said, we apologized about how slow our ground workers in DTW are working. I can tell you guys, the word union was not mentioned once over the PA.
Now, get this guys, we sat for at least 30 minutes in ATL, after door closing, on my way back to DTW....because of a malfunction of a new high tech bag loader. Now, was this a union activity too?
I feel sorry for all the commuters between DTW and ATL, since its all DL operated now...it must be a tough commute for them, dealing with this kind of anti-union attitude, especially when jumpseating. When the ATL satelite base downsizes, and they come back to DTW its gonna be worse. These flights are full.
Okay, I non-reved on that flight and I had no idea whether or not if there was any kind of union activity going around on the ramp that caused that delay...I was not able to see anything outside from where I was seated. I did not know the possibility of this until reading about this in AJ. I thought the delay was all part of normal operation, as Ive experienced them before, but usually not as long as 30-40 minutes, as we experienced for loading bags.
I can however, tell you guys my experience on that particular flight. First of all, I got on because I used a higher priority because there was at least 40+ nrevs (if Im not mistaken, due to rollovers from previous flights), and I had to be in ATL for an important engagement. A lot of the nrevs out of DTW, were pilots in uniform; other employess; and some were offline and regional employees...the list was long. Anyways, from what I gather from my observations and assumption, two pilots were to occupy the FA jumpseat, and there were three DL FAs working.
Anyways, I get on, and took my seat. The two pilots were in the aft galley of the MD80, congregating with the two male FAs. The A position of the crew was female and was in front. The door closes on time, and there was an open middle seat. One pilot says to the other, theres an open seat...so one of em slides in and takes it. In the mean time...Im thinking, theres all these NREVS left behind who could have taken that last seat. If that one pilot was truly assigned that seat, he would have been in that seat at the very beginning, not after the boarding door had closed.
So heres my first and second question How many FA jumpseats are there on the MD80? And are the gate agents that work the DL flights out of DTW premerger NWA gate agents? I ask these questions because how could the agent let the flight go with one empty seat, if the pilots took the jumpseats, and there were all these NREVS trying to get on.
Heres my third question. Are we allowed, whether on DL or NW, to make a mockery and joke, while doing the safety demo? For example..."My name is Charlie, and joining me in the back are my angels.... This was said by the A female FA. During the demo, one of the male flight attendants in the back, who I believe is the OP of that thread in nowayafa, said stuff like....."Should our flight become a cruise, there are life vests...";"should oxygen masks fall during flight, stop screaming...";"If you dont know how to read the safety card, thats okay, its all pictures...; etc.
While there was some laughter by the passengers, I could tell that majority of the passengers were not amused. I wasnt. It was VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. I wondered if FAA was on board, how could they get away with it. Was this Southwest Airlines that I was on?
What was also not professional by my observation, was the fact that this flight attendant in the back was talking wayyyyy too loud to the pilot in the jumpseat, about how anti-union he was, and that he always hated flying into DTW, that passengers, including myself could hear him. He went on and on after push back, during taxi, during take-off, up to the 4 dings, that I wondered...did he silent review? I dont think so. He also said out loud, while taxiing in ATL after landing, and a little girl got out of her seat, Go back to your seat...argh...I cant believe parents nowadays... Now, is that being professional? like he claims to be in nowayafa?
This, however, was emphasized about three times during the flight. We are sooooooo embarassed about the delay, and what you experienced in DTW, we encourage you to please go to delta.com to voice your concerns; prior to push-back in DTW, this was said, we apologized about how slow our ground workers in DTW are working. I can tell you guys, the word union was not mentioned once over the PA.
Now, get this guys, we sat for at least 30 minutes in ATL, after door closing, on my way back to DTW....because of a malfunction of a new high tech bag loader. Now, was this a union activity too?
I feel sorry for all the commuters between DTW and ATL, since its all DL operated now...it must be a tough commute for them, dealing with this kind of anti-union attitude, especially when jumpseating. When the ATL satelite base downsizes, and they come back to DTW its gonna be worse. These flights are full.
Jul 13, 2009, 4:10 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
I feel sorry for all the commuters between DTW and ATL, since its all DL operated now...it must be a tough commute for them, dealing with this kind of anti-union attitude, especially when jumpseating. When the ATL satelite base downsizes, and they come back to DTW its gonna be worse. These flights are full. [/I]
