To whom it concerns, 

 

Over the last few days, our workgroup has been informed that our job descriptions are changing with very short notice.  The result of this notice has not only upset the Reservations Department, but Crew Members feel unheard.  Several months ago, we were sent over a survey asking how code reds could be implemented in a way that everyone felt their days off were valued.  We took the short survey and sent it to our fellow leadership team hoping and thinking we would be heard.  We have not been heard. 

Recently, the leadership team released a new way we will be accepting IROP disruptions.   As if it was not bad enough on our days off if we did not meet certain standards, we were still required to pick up IROP code reds by 2:00 am MST time. Sometimes code reds are issued later in the day; so much later in the day that when we are spending time with our families, putting our children to bed and spending time with our significant others we are required to have our work email downloaded and expected to assist within a moment’s notice.

We have gone over the fine print to your incentives, the bonuses you are offering are unattainable.  To qualify for incentives, we must maintain certain compliances and stats. While we are expected to maintain this time frame, customer complaints are most of our calls.  Most of our customers start each conversation with a complaint that can lead into several minutes of our time.  While we want to hear each and every single one of them, to obtain these stats we would have to start rushing customers off the phone in order to receive the next.Interline calls are minimum 30 minutes. How can we qualify?  To add insult to injury, Working overtime may not “count” if there are issues with technology; instead we are demoralized with disciplinary “flags.” This is tyrannical. 

  Crew Members are regularly  expressing not only how exhausted they are, but also that their mental health is being impacted from  long hours, no days off. We are unable to use PTO for sick days, mental health days or personal time off.  

The new reserve system that has replaced the current code red system is not only inhumane but requires full and part-time employees to stay at home during their “reserve week” Not only does this impact their personal rights but it also requires Crew Members to be segregated from their families and friends. 

This new system requires Crew Members to stay within a 30 minute radius of their homes.  Crew Members were not asked what weeks would work best with them, leadership assigned communities to certain weeks of the month.  This is unacceptable.  Crew Members are not being compensated for  time they are required to sit at home and wait. 

While not on reserve,  Crew Members are required to prove that they are 4 hours from home. This is an invasion of privacy. On a regular basis,  Crew Members in Reservations are being taken advantage of, harassed and overworked.  We have children.  We have lives.  We took part time employment for a reason; to work PART of the time!  Currently, it is near impossible to take breaks which are legally required in every state. We are being exploited.

The fact that we are not “free “on our days off is inhumane.  It's a violation of our basic rights. It is unconstitutional. We currently must get permission to leave the call area on our days off. Pre-planned surgeries are non-excusals. How is this legal?

We believe that the current new policies should be reevaluated.  There should be a time frame where call code red cannot be called in certain areas. There should be restrictions.  We should have days off that belong to us.  We should be able to bid for reserve weeks based on seniority. 

 We implore you to implement changes that give us back our lives and our dignity.  We are an important part of the travel thread and bookings begin with us. Customers are on hold for over 30 minutes. It is near impossible to provide the service that JetBlue prides itself on while we are being worked to the bone and fear losing our jobs.  We are trying to function in a toxic and demeaning work environment. The expectation is that we should deliver customer satisfaction despite the inhumane expectations and rules that change without adequate notice to adjust our lives. We are human and should be valued as employees, but as people first.  Worker’s rights are human rights.

Attached herein is a petition signed by our brothers and sisters in Airport Operations, who face similar injustices and by the Customer Service group. We look forward to a swift remedy to our concerns.  

 

 

Sincerely, 

    Fellow Crew Members