Q: Page 3 of the Summary of the VX Transition Agreement states “All 480 provisions will NOT affect L-VX FAs until the calendar year 2021. The qualification year will be 2020.” On page 2 under “Ability to Trade Trips Below 70 hours” it states “at full integration (targeted for March 2019) VX FAs may trade down to -0-.” So are the L-VX FAs held to the same 480 rules that L-AS FAs are for the year 2019 and 2020?
A: The 480 provisions will not affect L-VX Flight Attendants until the calendar year 2021 (with flying in 2020 for qualification). L-VX Flight Attendants will not be flying and working under the JCBA until Full Integration (targeted for March 2019), so L-VX FAs will not have a full calendar year under the JCBA provisions until 2020. Keep in mind that until DOR (April 3, 2018), L-VX Flight Attendants are working under current L-VX work rules, which specify that they cannot drop below 70 block hours per month. After DOR and until Full Integration, L-VX FAs can trade down to 50–but only to another Flight Attendant. That means all L-VX FAs are subject a 70 block hour monthly minimum (50 block hour monthly minimum if traded to another FA after DOR), so all L-VX Flight Attendants will fly well over 480 for 2018 and a long ways toward the 480 up to Full Integration in 2019. Once again, L-VX FAs will be subject to the 480 provisions the very first year after they have a full calendar year of activity as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant (i.e. accruing 480 qualifications in 2020 for application in 2021).
Lori Whitebread says
So if I am understanding your reply L-VX F/As will not be held to the same 480 qualifications as L-AS F/As for the years 2019 and 2020.
Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says
L-VX FAs would have no activity in 2018 as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant; however they are all required to fly a minimum of 70 block-hours per month, so they would all make the 480 in 2018 for 2019. L-VX FAs would have only a partial year of activity in 2019 as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant, so the 480 does not apply in 2019 for 2020. L-VX FAs would have a full year of activity in 2020 as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant, so the 480 would apply in 2020 for 2021.
Lori Whitebread says
So if L-VX F/As do not fly 480 in the year 2019 (which is a possibility) how does if affect their benefits such as medical and vacation accrual for the year 2020 since they are not held to the 480 rule until the year 2021.
Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says
L-VX FAs who do not achieve the 480 (soft 480 for healthcare insurance and hard 480 for vacation accrual) in 2019 would be eligible for healthcare insurance coverage at the active employee rates and full vacation accrual in 2020.