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Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Friday, July 27, 2007

From MSNBC...Nice Article on the Real Cost of Your Cheap Ticket

As airlines recover, flight attendants still suffer
Crowded planes, cut pay has morale ‘in the toilet’ says veteran worker
Image: Picketers
American Airlines flight attendants picket at San Francisco International Airport in April over bonuses given to senior management. Flight attendants contend they are not sharing in the airlines' recovery.

NEW YORK - Flight attendant Sara Nelson sold her Saturn sedan in 2002 because she couldn't afford to keep it after UAL Corp.'s United Airlines slashed her pay in its struggle to stay afloat.

Now, even though U.S. airlines are enjoying resurgent profits, the 11-year veteran still doesn't have her own car and reckons her income is down about 30 percent. What she does have is longer hours and more broken toilets with which to deal.

"It seems more and more that one or two lavatories are shut down," said Nelson, who is also a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants union.
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With on-board staffing reduced, "There are fewer people to look out for the problems and try to head them off from the get-go," she said.

Like others on U.S. carriers toiling in the crowded skies, Nelson is working under difficult conditions and her growing frustration is symptomatic of the strain on flight attendants as airlines seek to recover financially from years of losses.

Because of heightened security restrictions, packed planes, and tight turnaround times, flight attendants can end up captive on board with little food and little pay.

"You have more people getting off, more people getting on, so the expectation is you basically don't get off the plane," said Carla Rogat, a flight attendant with Mesaba Airlines, a regional unit of Northwest Airlines Corp.

"You can work a 14-hour day and get off the plane for 20 minutes," the five-year veteran said.

In addition to crowded planes, worsening flight delays also create headaches for flight attendants.

The attendants only get paid once the plane leaves the gate. If a plane is stuck at the terminal waiting for air traffic control to clear it, flight attendants are generally off the clock.

"I can work a 14-hour day and get paid for five of it," said Rogat.

Salaries of U.S. flight attendants average between $19,200 and $33,800, according to the Association of Flight Attendants. Despite the low pay, many remain committed to the job because of the flexibility, comraderie, and the travel benefits.

"I still really do love the job," said Alin Boswell, an 18-year veteran of US Airways Group Inc.

Airlines are trying to alleviate the stress, but flight attendants said the promises made during the belt-tightening years remain unkept.

"We have taken a number of steps to improve the quality of life and scheduling flexibility for our flight attendants," said United Airlines spokeswoman Jean Medina.

She said hiring more flight attendants has allowed United to offer transfers, special leaves of absence, and extended breaks. So far this year, roughly 1,400 United flight attendants have taken off a full month.

Also, the carrier's flight attendant contracts provide paid time at the end of every flight for reporting any issues from the flight or with the equipment, she added.

But the changes haven't been enough for some.

"People are very, very upset. They've been stretched to the end," said Nelson. "They were stretched to the end before, but at least there was a promise of something better. Now when that hasn't been returned, it's as if the rubber band was broken."

Many flight attendants made personal sacrifices — such as selling cars, pulling kids from dance classes, and taking on second jobs — in order to help keep their employers flying after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks sent the airline industry into a tailspin.

But they have not shared in the fledgling recovery that began about a year ago.

"Morale is in the toilet," said US Airways' Boswell.

Last year, the U.S. airline industry posted a combined profit of $3 billion after racking up $35 billion of losses between 2001 and 2005, according to the Air Transport Association. The industry is on track for another profitable year in 2007.

"Now we see our airline and every other airline beginning to be successful, and we're not sharing in any of that success," added Boswell, who says he works an additional four to five days a month to make up for the wages lost to pay cuts.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007






These are three pictures from a "Scenic Overlook" pulloff just over the Virginia border near Sugar Grove on rte 250. I thought that the view was amazing and it was as pretty of a day as I've ever seen.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Germany Valley Pictures






Here are four pictures that I took on my weekend trip back from Eric's wedding. Germany Valley is spectacular. I spent the night with my cousin Jay up in Canaan and drove through here on my way to his place. I keep meaning to take a weekend up there and really get out and see some stuff that I haven't seen in several years. Blackwater Falls, Dolly Sods and Spruce Knob all need to be visited again soon. It is one of the most spectacular areas of places I know of. More to come soon!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Cracking Up!



Coming in on final approach into Minneapolis, this windshield simply shattered. I have never seen anything like this before and neither had the pilots. The flight attendants were completely unaware of what was happening until we were at the gate and the first officer came out of the flight deck and said "I think I need to change my shorts". That is when we looked into the cockpit and saw the windshield. I guess it shattered at about 5k feet and it was the outside pane. The windshield is double paned so we still had the inside one.

Thought everyone would be interested in seeing something like this so that the next time your flight is delayed due to mechanical reasons you can think it might be this!

Friday, July 6, 2007

Piling On

A couple of weeks ago the pilots at nwa took a vote of "no confidence" with the management here. I found it ironic that the pilots, the ones who sold out the rest of the groups here on the property, were the first to publicize what the flight attendants, ground workers and now the unemployed mechanics have been saying for years. Basically, we've been saying that the management here doesn't have a clear vision for the company nor does it have considerations for their employees. Today, the flight attendant union issued a "no confidence" statement of its own.

Furthermore the company seems to be in denial at the anger and frustration and resentment that is fomenting right under the surface here. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) which is the union representing us, hired an outside polling firm to come up with some insight into the issues facing flight attendants here at the company. One of the eye opening findings in the survey was that a shocking 89%(!!!!!) had a "mostly negative" or "very negative" view of nwa management. That is even HIGHER than President Bush's disapproval rating. It is incredible that nwa management continues to act as if all is well at the airline when there is so much evidence that it isn't. I don't know of a single person here at the airline that still cares if nwa survives or fades away. Most of us are confident that whatever happens there will be jobs for us (i.e. a merger) but have long lost our loyalty to Northwest. The best that Steenland and company can hope from its pilots and flight attendants seems to be apathy and disinterest. The company claims that it wants to "reach out" and "engage" with its employees in new ways but the opportunity might be gone. We simply don't have any faith in or desire to deal with the current management. It is time for Dougie to take his $26 million bonus and his cronies on the board and head to the next chapter in his life. We're done with him.

Below is the article from The Minneapolis Star-Tribune concerning the AFA "No Confidence" vote.

Leaders of the flight attendants union at Northwest Airlines called Friday for CEO Doug Steenland to resign, saying he has mismanaged the airline.

"Severe staffing shortages, record flight cancellations, low employee morale and outraged customers are the direct result of poor management by Steenland," the Northwest branch of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) said.

Three weeks ago, the Northwest branch of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) blamed top management for creating a pilot staffing shortage and said it had no confidence in the airline's leadership.

Kevin Griffin, president of Northwest AFA, said in a prepared statement Friday: "Northwest flight attendants sacrificed 40 percent in pay, work rules and benefits cuts and are 20 percent more productive, all in an effort to ensure the survival of Northwest Airlines."In return for our investment, Mr. Steenland pocketed a lucrative compensation package and has mismanaged our airline. It's insulting to flight attendants that he remains employed," Griffin said.

The pilots and flight attendants have been outspoken in their criticism of Steenland for choosing to accept a $26.6 million package of stock and stock options over four years.

In late June, Northwest was forced to cancel about 1,200 flights over a seven-day period, partly because it lacked enough pilots.

In a prepared statement, Northwest said that its board "has expressed its confidence in Doug Steenland's leadership by retaining him as president and chief executive." The carrier added that under Steenland, Northwest had a "successful restructuring and emergence from bankruptcy as a much stronger and now profitable airline."

Jerry Glass, an airline consultant and former US Airways executive, said in an interview Friday that it's useful to pinpoint the core issues in this conflict.

Glass asked: "Is it really Doug's leadership or is it frustration with the operation?"

He added, "There is always more flying in the summer. How do you balance that demand with the need to make sure you have the right number of employees all year round?"

The flight attendants have had four union presidents over a 12-month period, and they have had three unions since 2003. Friday was the one-year anniversary of the attendants' decision to replace the independent Professional Flight Attendants Association with the AFA, an AFL-CIO affiliate.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Keith Olbermann Special Comment : Calls Bush to resign

Keith Olbermann Speaks for millions of Americans, including me, that stands disgusted by the refusal of this administration to believe that they are under the law.
A jury convicted a man of OUTING a CIA operative...that is TREASON and is punishable by DEATH yet this Justice Department didn't prosecute the worst parts of this crime but chose to make a case on perjury. The case resulted in a conviction that was "commuted" by this President. Essentially saying that no person in this administration will be held accountable for their actions even after saying that anyone found gilty would be "held accountable".
I am dismayed that we haven't taken to the streets in the US and have no idea what it will take. We certainly have reason now.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Movie Review and Rant




Yesterday I went to see the new Michael Moore movie, "SiCKO". It s a documentary on the current state of healthcare in the US and while there is no doubt that there is "a viewpoint" that Moore wishes to express, the truth is we all have a "viewpoint", right? Most of us aren't gifted in moviemaking like he is though.
Overall, the movie was fantastic. The stories pulled together and a strong case for reform is made. I happen to agree with most of Moore's assessment and it is one of those places where my libertarianism is trumped by liberalism.
I strongly suggest a viewing of this movie so that you can decide for yourself. What kind of society do we want? And now...for the rant...
I'll answer my question on that here.
In my opinion, we come down to one basic question in the world of American politics and that is "What kind of society do we want". On the economic side of that (and that is by far the most important as it allows all other questions a chance to be paid for). The choices are simple really. Do we want "a ceiling and a floor" or do we want "no ceiling and no floor". That is really it. I for one, want a floor so I'm willing to accept a ceiling. While none of the economic disaster theories floating around on the far right have been proven when it comes to this, I'd still be in favor of the "ceiling and floor" philosophy even if they were proven to be true (or even assumed true..like, say "gravity" is assumed true). As a matter of fact there is a lot of evidence out there that suggests that "economic ruination" isn't going to happen. Look at the list of countries with single payer (or "socialized" medicine) and just look at the destroyed economies of Japan, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, England, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and a list too long to complete.
Furthermore, when did "socialization" of certain things become such a terrible thing? I mean look at the things in the US that have already been socialized. I don't think any reasonable person is calling for the de-socialization of libraries, police, firemen, or the education system. All of those are core parts of the American belief system. Free education and protection by police and firemen are basic beliefs in the American system and are seen as "birthright" privileges. Why isn't the basic human right of health care?
Furthermore, why do conservative pundits not rail against free health care for TERRORISTS in Guantanamo Bay and individuals in the US prison system but not for law abiding working citizens. Even more amazingly, American courts have heard cases asking to allow SEX CHANGE OPERATIONS for prisoners in California and Massachusetts. These would be paid for by the government and are part of the rights one has when imprisoned in the US. Maybe we should suggest to those that discover serious illnesses that the best way to get treated in the US is to commit a crime and to go jail. Have cancer? Rob a bank. Heart disease? Build a meth lab. An attorney could ask for continuances on the case and even cop plea deals with the state to get those "criminals" jail time in similar length as the expected treatment. I bet if citizens started using the prison system as a hospital our politicians (and the drug and insurance companies that corrupt them) would get the message.

As someone that has experienced a government run health care system I can speak to its advantages. I was treated better in Japan by the health care system, was seen quicker and had my issues resolved faster than I ever have had in the US. I didn't wait in line, didn't have to go to a specific location and could have chosen my doctor if I wanted to do so. I know from personal experience that it can work.

Another flawed theory is that the tax rates would go through the roof. While there would certainly be an increase in taxes to pay for the care, I can't imagine that it would be much more than what I'm already spending! Currently, in the US at my job I have BlueCross and BlueShield as my provider. I pay $95 a month for a premium, have a $350 deductible and then 80/20 coverage after that. So, I pay nearly $1200 a year NOT TO BE SICK. IF I get sick and go to the hospital once I'm stuck with that $350 deductible. Suddenly, something as minor as the flu can actually cost me $1500 and this doesn't take into account medicine! Also, at any point, the insurance company can simply refuse to pay the bill and leave me stuck with it. I think that this actually costs more to the economy and the company than a higher premium payment by the employer as I defer trips to the hospital or doctor until absolutely necessary. Then, I call in sick which ruins productivity. In other words, I wait til I'm REALLY sick to go. This drives up the cost of my care and also removes the "volume discount" that seems to work so well in every other industry.

Back to the "ceiling and floor" theory. It is kinda my own theory and belief system and it is really basic. I'm willing to accept the consequences of putting a bottom into the economy. I believe that health care is a basic human right, that we as humans have a right not to be turned out on the street to die (which DOES happen..look at Martin Luther King Hospital in LA) if medical treatment is available. Certain things must be outside the realm of economic value. Other nations have done it successfully for decades (Britain since 1948 for example...and something that even Margaret Thatcher said was "in safe hands" with the Tories in power). Even our most adamant conservative allies like Australia and Great Britain have supported nationalized health care in their countries and not suffered ill affects from it. Even if the development of a health care system in the US slows GDP by a full percentage annually (and it would NEVER be that much)it is worth it.

Pharmaceutical companies have long claimed that nationalized health care would dry up research. I simply don't believe that to be the case. Money can still be made in the industry. Furthermore if what the drug companies say is true, then we are subsidizing health care for the entire world, in effect, paying for the socialization of medicine in other countries and receiving no benefit for it. Also, what good is all this research and development of new medicines if we can't get approved for them. I'd rather have a system that will use all of its available resources to make me better than to have all sorts of research going into drugs and treatments that my insurer won't pay for and I don't have access to otherwise.

I won't even launch into the insurance companies and the thousands of people that have died waiting to get approved for treatments that the companies didn't see as "medically necessary" or found them to be "experimental". In some cases, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants are still seen to be "experimental" and therefore not covered. My health care plan, while covering Viagra, doesn't cover PAP SMEARS!

Overall, the system is breaking here in the US and something must be done. I have my beliefs on what they should be and the above is just a scratch on the surface. I hope that this has stimulated some thought on your part and really hope that it makes you become more proactive in your efforts to affect change!

Feel free to rant back! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Just post them to the "REPLY" button on the bottom here. Remember though..all posts are visible to the general public so play nice!