Time to ask questions to answers?
It's now been over a month and a half since the IMPACT committee claimed they were in the midst of creating a webpage for their members.
Since then, nothing has transpired. This silence is not acceptable to anyone, especially Aer Lingus cabin crew at a time when even more attacks on working conditions have been instigated and communications more important than ever.
So what should you do?
An information meeting has been scheduled for Monday 10th Janurary 2011. We want as many people to attend those meetings as possible and for everyone to start demanding answers as to why the website has not been brought into action.
Of course it can be difficult when talking in a meeting to have all the facts in front of you, so we thought we'd give you hand...
Download the document below which will pick apart all the arguements that the Impact Cabin Crew Committee may try and use against the opertaion of your site.
Print it out.
Bring it with you to the meeting.
Don't accept any poor excuses
We can get this site up and running inside a week if the will is there.
Impact to make their OWN webpage
In a remarkable coincidence, the latest IMPACT email/newsletter contained the following statement:
The IMPACT cabin crew web page is currently under construction. The page will be available as a private and secure, password protected web page. In order for you to access the page, and to subscribe to the IMPACT ebulletin and Work & Life magazine, you need to register (it's free!) to use the site.
Once the page is launched it will be possible for us to send you updates which will be hosted on the cabin crew page of the IMPACT website.
This has solely come about because of the pressure, you, as cabin crew have placed on your committee. Congratulations, this is a great first step! However it falls well SHORT of what you all DESERVE.
You don't need an announcement only web*page*, you deserve your own webSITE. Somewhere you can reply/talk/disuss issues directly with yourselves and the Cabin crew committee. So don't stop now! DEMAND A PROPER SITE!
What is this site?
ImpactCabinCrew.org is a website that was created over a year ago for all Aer Lingus cabin crew members who are current members of IMPACT.
What is the purpose of the site?
The site was designed to allow all of the cabin crew to have a secure official meeting place on the internet where accurate, up-to-date information of current issues (like work-to-rule, meetings, directives, outstanding issues) could all be discussed in a forum like environment with EVERYONE being able to participate.
Naturally with all cabin crew doing shift work, getting to Impact meetings is very difficult and rumour and hearsay on the lines create confusion, mistakes and uncertainty.
With a website, everyone can keep up-to-date or get the information they need if it's 3am or 7pm. There is constant access 24/7. No Impact committee member can give (or should be expected to give) that level of commitment.
Sites like Facebook and others do not provide either the security required to keep conversations private between you all, or indeed the facility to discuss items properly (eg. a comment after someone's status update is not very effective communication for over 1000 people.) This website provides access only to registered cabin crew members via a username/password system. If you're not on our list, you're not getting in....
The site was NOT created by an IMPACT official, but was setup by a partner of an impact cabin crew member who felt that the lack of a formal meeting place on the internet for crew members to get information was causing great difficulties and confusion for all crew.
The site was presented to IMPACT committee members in August 2009 and offered to be handed over to IMPACT in FULL.
For comparison, IALPA (the Aer Lingus Pilots union) have had their own website and forum facility since 2001. Why should the cabin crew not have a facility that the pilots have been using successfully for years?
What should you do?
Well if you like the thought of having this facility at your fingertips - you need to make your voice heard.
- Support the facebook page by clicking the LIKE icon over on the right hand side of this page. It only takes a few seconds.
- Ring your Impact committee member and ask them why they haven't availed of this service.
- TELL YOUR COLLEAGUES WHEN YOU'RE AT WORK ABOUT THIS SITE!
- Forward this website link to any cabin crew member.
The articles below are here to inform you of the sequence of events that occurred over the past year.
First Demo of Website to Impact
Today the impactcabincrew.org website was shown to Impact committee members in a closed session, for them to evaluate the usefulness of the project. The demo lasted over 2 hours.
Feedback on the day was very positive.
Response to first offer
Over a month later an Impact committee member finally gave the outcome of their deliberation on the website proposal. The text of their email was as follows:
Project Greenfield Looming
With project Greenfield in full flight, disputes with the company and a work to rule being implemented, communication needed to be stepped up a gear to ensure all cabin crew were "singing off the same hymn-sheet".
The website was once again offered to Impact to help address these massive issues.
In a telephone conversation with a committee member - the offer was point blank rejected.
Image Gallery - Take a look at what has been setup already:
(picture controls are at the bottom of each image after you click it)
