03.14.2018
If the March 2019 date to implement is met when can trading and swapping bases start?
Trading and swapping of all bases between the combined Flight Attendant group will start the month following Full Implementation. So, if Full Implementation happens in March 2019, then awarding and swapping of bases will begin in April. There will be no base re-bid. No one Flight Attendant will be able to “bump” another out of her/his base.
Why aren’t the L-VX Flight Attendants on the Alaska pay scale now?
As soon as AFA won representation rights for the L-VX Flight Attendants in April of 2017, AFA went in immediately and demanded the AS payrates for the L-VX Flight Attendants. Management said no, but AFA was able to negotiate an interim pay increase of about 20%, but not full parity.
This same question was asked of Alaska CEO, Brad Tilden, and his response in an employee meeting was that management made a calculated bargaining decision and decided NOT to allow the L-VX Flight Attendants to have the AS rates in order to put pressure on AFA in merger negotiations. They wanted full pay parity to wait and be part of the merger negotiations.
If the JCBA is ratified, the L-VX Flight Attendants will have the L-AS JCBA rates retroactive to 1.1.18.
If the TA ratifies when will they receive our pay rates?
L-VX Flight Attendants will receive the L-AS JCBA pay rates retroactive to 1.1.18.
What about the work rules such as duty day?
The L-AS work rules will apply to the L-VX Flight Attendants at Full Implementation (target date, March 2019). The current L-VX crew-tracking system (Sabre) cannot be reprogrammed with different work rules – Sabre no longer supports this software program. The L-VX Flight Attendants cannot go onto the L-AS JCTE program because “visops” which tracks the aircraft movement and feeds into JCTE only recognizes one aircraft type. Until Full Implementation, both groups are partitioned into their separate crew tracking systems.
What if it doesn’t ratify?
Upper management is insistent that if the Tentative Agreement is not ratified, they will NOT go back and negotiate TA2. They insist that they will wait for “Section 6” full contract negotiations to start in October.
If that happens, then we will go into full contract negotiations with two Flight Attendant groups that are flying under different contract/work rule provisions and at different rates of pay. The company cannot combine the two groups without a ratified JCBA that stipulates AFA giving the company the Integrated Seniority List.
There is no way to tell with certainty how determined the company is to not go back and agree to a “TA2”. That is the $64,000 question and there is no way to realistically answer that question with any degree of certainty.
Duty days and could L-VX do a SEA-PHL turn on an Airbus?
The Negotiations Protocol Agreement restricts the company from opening a Flight Attendant domicile where there already is a Flight Attendant domicile (e.g. No L-VX FA domicile in SEA). Until Full Implementation, no L-AS Flight Attendant can work on an Airbus. So there could be no SEA-PHL “turn” on an Airbus. However, a SEA-PHL-SEA segment could be part of an Airbus (L-VX) multi-day pairing. In that situation, the L-VX crew would be forced to layover in SEA.
How many will be affected by the Red Circle Letter of Agreement?
Approximately 100 L-VX Flight Attendants would be affected by this.
FA’s that were fired from Alaska that now work for Virgin will they still be on the seniority list?
If a Flight Attendant is on the seniority list at L-VX and in good standing, they will have a place on the Integrated Seniority List.
When you retire and want to bridge insurance?
If a Flight Attendant retires from Alaska Airlines and is at least 62 years of age and not yet 65 years of age, then s/he can opt to continue the Alaska Airlines medical insurance until age 65 using 20 TFP a month of accrued sick leave in her/his bank. The level of coverage (e.g. employee-only, employee-spouse, family, etc.) in place at the time of retirement will continue.
