Covenant Employees: Did you get a Christmas bonus this year?

Of course not!

Your Christmas "bonus" came from passing your PSE test on your first attempt.  If you didn't pass on your first attempt you received a big fat zero for your "bonus."

The true colors of Covenant Aviation, LLC. are shining as brightly as ever.  And yet they want a truly motivated workforce.  Employees are following the lead of management: Money is the best motivator of all!

Are you enjoying your quarterly bonus?

Covenant Aviation, the profit before product company, announced last week that our quarterly bonus would be in our paychecks dated 5/29/15.

For screeners, that amounts to 83 cents per day; for supervisors it amounts to $1.66 per day.  Just how much did our stellar management team get?

Are you feeling appreciated? Are you motivated to provide "world class customer service"?  Or are you following the lead of our management team and are only in it for the money?

Once again, we will state the obvious:  "The quality of the only product that you have to offer is determined solely by the example set in place by management!"

Really, Uncle Mike?

Uncle Mike just doesn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation between the workforce and management. Doesn't the evidence speak for itself?  Why is he failing to acknowledge that his style of management just doesn't work?

Does he honestly think that the steps that management has taken will inspire the workforce to increase performance? Just what motivation does he think will be created by withholding the 3rd quarter "Courtesy and Helpfulness" bonus? Quite the contrary!  This step has only inflamed the workforce. It didn't work before, why would you expect it to work now?  

Covenant Aviation Security placing 26th out of 30 in Courtesy and Helpfulness should be a wake up call.  Let's just continue along the same path and see where it leads.  Let's just continue to stick it to the workforce as usual!

Uncle Mike, why don't you try something that might work? How about showing some respect and appreciation? How about treating the workforce in a way that acknowledges the reason that CAS has lasted over 11 years? Do you still think that all the backroom deals and cozy relationships will save this contract?  You even acknowledge this point in your own "Internal Company Confidential" letter, dated November 26, 2013.  To quote: "our expectation is that our TSA contract will run through July 31st, 2015."  The key words here are "our expectation" -- in other words, there is no guarantee!

Uncle Mike, you are right about one thing:  that the expectations of the stakeholders remain as high as ever.  Just what is your plan to create an atmosphere that will produce a service that meets these goals?

The workforce will once again follow the examples displayed by management.  Start showing that you value the contributions made by the workforce!

What do we have?

The TSA has something called, "Workforce Engagement." Its stated purpose is to, "ensure that all employees at all levels are informed, inspired and supported so they can effectively contribute their expertise and enthusiasm to the success and performance of the TSA."  Do we have anything like that at Covenant?  Absolutely not!

What we do have is a management team that does everything it can to keep us uninformed. What we do have is a management team that does nothing to keep us inspired and motivated. This management team has shown its utter contempt for the workforce by sticking it to us as often, and as hard, as they can. 

We have all had a recent sampling of the value that Covenant places on the contributions of the workforce. We have just received a quarterly bonus of 100 dollars which, after taxes, nets out somewhere around 60 dollars.  Or, as we like to look at it, less than a net total of a dollar a day.

This profit-before-product company takes away several thousand of dollars in givebacks and take-away and in return they proudly announce this embarrassing quarterly bonus!  Does any employee not see how little they think of us?

Once again, we are stating, for the record, that there is absolutely and undeniably no cost advantage between a for profit-at-any-cost_private contractor and the TSA.  The budget would be the same, the only difference is that a for profit company, such as Covenant Aviation, is purely motivated by greed versus the TSA which is totally focused on providing the highest level of security possible.

We hope that Covenant is seen for what they are and that their days at SFO will soon come to an end.

To what degree will the managerial shortcomings of CAS become obvious his week?

The combination of the BART strike and the staffing shortages should completely overwhelm the capabilities of our stellar management team. One of these two difficulties is beyond our control. The other is self-induced. With staffing levels being what they are, one can only hope that everyone reports for duty.

CAS has found it fit to block out any and all requests for personal time off in order to maximize their profit. How else can they make this style of management work?

Once again it shows a total disregard for the wants and needs of the workforce. Once again it shows that their only motivation is to generate the maximum amount of profit, at the expense of the workforce and their families.

One can infer that this would result in an inferior level of service, which would once again negatively impact the stakeholders. When will the stakeholders get the type of service that they deserve?

As you were bidding for your new work schedule....

did you feel the love? 

Most of us were not able to get the shifts and terminals that we wanted to work at -- blame our stellar management team and our do-nothing-but-take-our-dues union, SEIU!

Yes, the same management team that wants us to deliver "world class customer service" in order to help them keep this contract.  The same management team that took away our parking allowance, shoe allowance, laundry service, reduced our vacation accural rate, increased our out-of-pocket medical costs, and makes it near impossible to get any time off.  Yes, the same management team that doesn't give a moment's thought to the issues that are important to us and to our families.  The same management team that hopes that we all have "short" memories. 

Isn't it ironic that they now need us!  Isn't it ironic that they want us to feel "team" spirit?  Where was that team spirit when they decided to take all these things away from us?

Management's overwhelming concern is how to "generate" a profit at any cost!  Don't be duped into believing that we are now "one" team.  Don't be duped into believing that we will be better off if CAS keeps this contract. 

The actions of management speak louder than words!  To management, we are just a vehicle to earn them more profit than they already have.

May their end be in sight!

Are You Wondering Like We Are About.....

why February was a record month for promotions?  Are you wondering like we are about when the slots for these were created?  What are the real motives behind all of these promotions?

Did these promotional slots just appear out of nowhere?  Has the need for these promotions been there since last year, and have they been left vacant?

Let's see if we can make some sense out of all this.

What better way to diminish the impact of workforce hostility toward management than to have more than a few promotions?  What better way to attempt to change the focal point away from the give backs and take a ways?  What better way to, at the same time, have more overseers and policy enforcers?  What better way to identify and correct the conditions that prevent "world class customer service"?  What better way to soften the blow of the SEIU union dues increase to 2.3%?

This is a classic case of misdirection.  Let's throw the workforce a few bones! Let's try to increase our very slim chance of keeping this gravy train contract!

Let's show the workforce that we are not all bad.  Let's show them more than we have shown them before!

Well, Stormin Mike, it will not work.  There are still too many members of the workforce who are feeling real pain.  There are still too many members of the workforce who are trying to make ends meet.  There are still too many members of the workforce who have seen their monthly expenses skyrocket. And, most importantly, there are still too many members of the workforce who will not fall for this deception!

The biggest slap in the face, and we do mean the biggest, is that all of these promotions are being funded by our give backs and take a ways!

These promotions are being financed by the workforce, and not by CAS.  Covenant is hoping that we do not connect the dots and follow the money trail.  CAS does not want the workforce to see how these steps mainly benefit management and their pursuit of "Profit before Product."

The first step for a better tomorrow starts with getting SEIU removed.  How are we doing with that?  When do we sign on the dotted line?

Where should we begin?

How about right here?

Seiu, the union of concessions, has decided to give themselves a raise and to stick it to the rank and file even more.

Union dues are going up to a whopping 2.3%.

What's that you say?  Their raise is bigger than yours?

It seems that they contributed way too much during the last election and want to get ready for the next round.

That, plus the misappropriation of funds by union officials, has left them a little short.

Not to worry, part timers will pay a flat rate of 20 dollars per paycheck.


So, as you greet passengers with a smile at the checkpoint make sure that you focus only on the bottom line.

Focus on how much this affects you and your family!

How about removing this union once again?

What say you?

The "Plank" Owners' Reward!- Part Two

These offers are so insulting that they cannot go unanswered.

Incoming CAS president, Mike Bolles, has submitted an offer to the bargaining committee that he hopes to have accepted and in place by the beginning of August.  Of course he does!  His hope is to fast track this quickly enough to prevent it from being taken apart.  Well, it's too late!

One of the "insults" is an offer of 21 days PTO and 4 days of accrued sick time.  We know for a fact that the TSA workforce gets 12 hours of PTO and 8 hours of sick time every month.  We also know that Kin Care call outs are based on the number of accrued sick days.  Bolles' plan will result in an excused Kin Care of only two days per year instead of the 6 days that we should have.  ( half of 96 hours per year.)

"Plank Owners" are being asked to accept a total of 200 hours per year instead of 250.9. 

CAS has placed a 50 dollar per year value for a grand total equaling a 500 dollar one time bonus to the Plank Owners.  Each additional year beyond 10 years results in no bonus at all!

So, let's see.  They want Plank Owners to "give" back 50 hours of the PTO that they have waited 10 years for.  This would result in a roughly 1000 dollar hit to each and every one of them.  Oh, but don't worry, they will give you back half of what you are asked to give up so the hit will only be 500 dollars for year 10.  Each and every year after that will result in the full 1000 dollar give back.

The benefit package as a whole is very insulting and it would take too long to list our objections.  Suffice it to say that, "we are not amused."

One more thing before we end this posting.

Is this what Rep. John Mica means when he touts the cost efficiencies and benefits of a private contractor versus the TSA workforce?  Is this what he means when he says that the workforce has more incentive to perform better?  Just how does he formulate these beliefs?  It is all based on lies!

When a company is only focusing on generating as much profit as possible someone has to suffer. 

We will admit that a private contractor does beat the TSA in one aspect, they have really mastered the art of sticking it to their employees!

The Greedy versus the Needy!

Very shortly, we will know the results of the negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Let's see, if our do nothing union, comes away with something that they can hold their collective heads up high about.

At some point, they should have to prove that they deserve to be kept in place and, that our dues are well spent. Has that day arrived?

There are many things that we would like to see this union walk away with. They know all too well what those things are. It is time for them to represent the dues paying membership adequately.

How about shift differential? What say you?

A Word from One of Our Readers Part 2

As promised, here is part 2 from yesterday's impassioned letter from a co-worker and reader of the blog.

The Growing Divide between The Hard Workers and “The Wall Flowers”

          by IronSublimation

In most other places to work, the trend is often this: the more you do, the better the rewards.  With CAS, that trend is the opposite.  The more you do, the more chances you have of making a mistake, thus, potential termination.  

It has been my constant observation that there are two types of TSOs: the ones that work hard and go beyond their call of duty and the ones that do the bare minimum.  I think that last sentence is pretty self-explanatory.  

You have the ones that walk away when they hear “[gender] assists” and the ones that actively listen for these calls.  You have the ones that hang around the supervisor podium or office, chomping it up with a terminal manager (Shelley Burrell) or other supervisors and the ones that remain on the floor working their posterior off until their next break.  Need I go further? 

Anyway, the real issue is the growing divide between the two groups.  This divide happens at the officer level, the lead level, and supervisor/management level.  At the officer level, the hard working group observes the actions (or lack thereof) of the wallflowers.  We see it as unfair that we are doing all of the work and that they are doing the bare minimum.  But do we complain on the floor?  No, because we have a job to do.

At the lead level, leads are responsible for rotations and delegation of duties.  A good lead will enforce their authority to delegate and be as fair as possible.  A bad lead will take the path of least resistance, which is to delegate the work to a hard working officer who will most likely not resist the request.  The wallflowers will resist or will use their friendship with the lead (if they have one) not to do any work or be called out.  How many times have you seen hard workers tapped out of a position to get an “assist” and see on the other side of the checkpoint several officers of the same gender as you, doing nothing? 

At the supervisor level, when faced with the duty of delegating officer work, the supervisor falls into the same boat as leads: taking the path of least resistance.  But a far more sinister path of least resistance lies within the enforcement of rules and actual supervisory work.  

I’ve lost count how many times I have seen a supervisor critique or chastise an officer that was chewing gum, talking on an x-ray, or missing a step in a procedure.  I applaud that move because at the very least, they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, which is supervising.  Perhaps a little more tact in delivering the critique may be in line for some, however, I am sure they mean well.  

The issue with certain supervisors is when the critiques become selective to those who offer little resistance.  How many times have you been chastised for talking on the x-ray, even if for a tiny period?  And how many times have you seen others, who have the reputation of being a resistor or wallflower, continue to talk and talk without receiving any reprimand?  I bet you’ve lost count… if you’re a hard worker. 

Finally, to complete this divide, we must look to the management level.  After all that I’ve said above, we hard workers, not wall flowers, continually observe the actions of our fellow officers, leads, and supervisors.  We grow progressively frustrated with all that we see around us.  To see this divide promoted by the management, perhaps inadvertently, makes matters even worse.  While we are working hard on the floor, we see certain wallflowers cozy it up with the managers, conversing and laughing.  While I have no problem with conversations and laughter, it’s the timing of it and the people involved.  

It is always the same people who are “hanging out” with the terminal manager;  the same people who talk to no end while running the x-ray without getting reprimanded.  It is the same people who stand along the wall barely doing anything and walking away when an “assist” is called.  We hard working officers are not stupid and we see all of this.  A particular example of a terminal manager that does this, quite openly it seems, is Shelley Burrell; unprofessional and unacceptable.  It is about time that we take action.

Solutions:  Promote officers that value hard work and fairness.  Force management to maintain professionalism and to limit fraternization with subordinates.  Prevent supervisors from having to complete the bureaucratic processes of TSA (read: paperwork) and keep them on the floor, monitoring the checkpoint actively instead of passively.  Educate the leadership on the need for them to maintain a professional and fair attitude, keep personal relationships outside of the work environment, and perform their duties objectively, not subjectively.  A possible problem with the last solution is the fact that the problem persists at the top, who would need to be the ones to enact such solutions.