[See “Full Implementation” Guarantees / Penalties [VX] and “Full Implementation” Guarantees / Penalties 2 [VX] for more info.]
Q: When will our L-VX family fall under the full L-AS contractual rules–with or without this TA passing?
A: If the TA passes, the L-VX Flight Attendants will be under the full L-AS (JCBA) work rules at Full Implementation, which is currently targeted for March 2019. If Full Implementation is delayed past March, management must build all of the L-VX pairings using the JCBA work rules. The specifics of implementation for all JCBA contract provisions can be found in the L-VX JCBA Implementation Timetable LOA TA.
If the TA does not pass, L-VX FAs will remain on the current Work Rules v.5 and pay rates as modified by the various AFA VX Letters of Agreement.
Q: What is the reasoning the L-VX FAs not integrating with AS immediately upon a ratification of the TA? If the answer is the Crew Access system (i.e. JCTE), explain how and why anyone in their heart believes that Crew Access can ever combine two groups together in the JCTE system given the track record of all the limitations and software issues that are involved with JCTE?
A: In an airline merger, the groups are never combined right after the transaction. It often takes several years to combine the groups because it is a very complex process. For some background info, United-Continental and American-US Airways are still not combined on the Flight Attendant side. One of the main reasons integration will take some time is because cross-training on the other aircraft type (Boeing <-> Airbus) must occur first. Cross training is currently estimated to take place summer through late fall 2018.
AFA advocated for L-AS work rules to be implemented at L-VX immediately following ratification, but management is insistent that the L-VX partition currently does not have the staffing to make that happen. L-VX is staffing up in order to accomplish aircraft cross training, but management is adamant that is all the Company can handle until cross training is complete. Additionally, JCTE system is not currently programmed to function for both Boeing and Airbus, and once again management says that the various L-VX systems cannot realistically be programmed with the L-AS contractual provisions in the desired timeframe.
The JNC feels your pain about JCTE. We pushed for securing monetary incentives to ensure management meets the implementation time frames, but management would not agree to such incentives. The JNC has insisted on receiving programing status reports on JCTE fixes and developments and all other software systems that will touch the integration. The JNC has also secured a place on the team to address the JCTE fixes. Improving the situation is not going to be easy or fast; however, we must partner with management in order to have influence in making the best of a terrible situation and to continue representing our members’ interests.
The pilots will be integrated in JCTE before FAs because the pilots are a smaller group. Their Full Implementation target date is October 2018. AFA will strongly advocate for moving up our integration timeline to as soon as possible. As stated above, if Full Implementation is delayed past March 2019, management must build all of the L-VX pairings using the JCBA work rules.
