03.08.2018 (AM)
If the TA does not ratify, why can’t the L-VX Flight Attendants just get on our work rules?
First of all, management would never just “give” the L-VX Flight Attendants the L-AS work rules. They would use it as a bargaining chip in merger negotiations with AFA. Aside from that, there are other reasons that the L-AS work rules cannot immediately apply to the L-VX Flight Attendants. Sabre (the crew tracking program for the L-VX Flight Attendants) no longer supports the software program and no changes can be made to it to accommodate the L-AS scheduling rules. So the L-AS work rules cannot be programmed into the Sabre system. As far as using the L-AS programs, they cannot be quickly migrated to JCTE because one of the programs that tracks airplane movement only tracks one aircraft type. It must be reprogrammed to accommodate the Airbus. All this will take some time.
If we vote this down will they (company) come back to the table?
There is no way to provide a definite answer to this question because we can start Section 6 negotiations in October 2018 on a successor CBA. L-VX will be sitting out there with no pay increases and working under their current work rules. Management has stated adamantly that they aren’t coming back to the table.
Why did they (VX) stop moving forward on their own contract with TWU?
The L-VX Flight Attendants voted down their TA1 reached under TWU. TWU was deciding whether or not to put out the TA again for a vote, but decided against it. A few months later, AFA gained representation rights for the Flight Attendants, and AFA was able to secure an immediate pay raise and other improvements.
How would the “Vacation Coordination Bank” help me bridge to LTD after 6 months of a medical leave?
If a Flight Attendant did not have paid vacation accrual due to not achieving the 480 TFP threshold the year prior, a “vacation coordination bank” would be created to essentially place “no-credit” vacation days in each month of a Flight Attendant’s medical leave so she or he could maintain medical insurance at the active employee rate until reaching Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage. At that point, the Flight Attendant would be eligible to continue medical insurance at the active employee rate until the earlier of 25 months or reaching Medicare eligibility.
When can I use sick leave TFP for healthcare for 62 years of age?
If a Flight Attendant retires with ten years of service, and is between 62 and 65 years of age, she or he may continue medical insurance by using accrued sick leave. 20 TFP of sick leave would substitute for the insurance premium and the Flight Attendant would be able to continue the insurance at the same coverage level (employee-only, employee-spouse, family, etc) at the time of retirement until age 65.
Can the company get the Integrated Seniority List (ISL) without a ratified agreement?
AFA controls when the ISL is released to management. AFA’s position is that the ISL will not be released without a ratified JCBA.
Why doesn’t Alaska want to be the #1 paying airline?
Alaska management’s position is that they provide good pay and benefits. They absolutely do not wish to be number 1 in pay. They are fine behind Delta, American, and Southwest. In the pilots’ arbitration, Alaska management’s position was that the pilots should be number 5 in the industry, which is where the arbitration award placed them in industry pay.
Seniority and a CSA: Why isn’t AS part of this red circle?
It’s just pay not seniority for L-VX FAs that are affected by the Red Circle LOA. Management rejected the JNC’s other proposals to honor pay based on AAG seniority for transfers to Inflight.
Why did we negotiate versus just putting VX on our current contract?
Any tentative agreement reached would have to be ratified by the L-AS and L-VX Flight Attendants. The MEC and the JNC made the strategic decision that the L-AS Flight Attendants would not support an agreement which provided no improvements for them – especially since the current CBA in place passed by a slim margin.
The results of the Negotiations Survey identified several areas that both groups identified as bargaining priorities.
What is the most senior at VX? Would that change our date of hire?
The date of hire of the most senior L-VX Flight Attendant is September 2006.
Where is the ISL posted?
The Integrated Seniority List (ISL) is not posted. The list is not given to management or made public until there is a ratified JCBA.
If TA is ratified and FA’s hired after it is where do they fall in?
Flight Attendants hired going forward will have their seniority dates determined by the first date of their initial training class.
How is seniority established on the L-VX side?
Flight Attendants at L-VX accrue seniority from the first date of initial training. That will continue to be the practice for Flight Attendants hired into the L-VX partition, also known as the Alaska “Airbus” partition. In the past, seniority was determined in each class by randomly-generated employee numbers. Starting with the current class, it will be determined by the last four numbers of the Peoplesoft number.
The L-AS “seniority synch-up” provision provides for L-AS Flight Attendants’ occupational seniority to be adjusted back to their first date of initial training. This is the new occupational seniority date on the Integrated Seniority List (ISL).
Is anyone going to get bumped out of his or her base?
No. There will be no “system rebid” as a result of the Full Implementation.
When will the occupational seniority sync up new dates be in effect?
The adjusted seniority occupational date will become effective at Date of Ratification if the TA is ratified. Any adjustment to a Flight Attendant’s pay step (increase to next step) will be retroactive to 1.1.18.
Work Rules – When would VX get our work rules?
The full L-AS Flight Attendant work rules will apply to the L-VX Flight Attendants at Full Implementation, which is targeted to happen March 2019. If the company misses that target date, then all L-VX pairings must be built using the L-AS work rules such as the 10.5 hr duty day and augmented layover rest.
Who is it that administered the work rules for VX?
L-VX Flight Attendants are governed by the L-VX Inflight Workrules, v.5 and Val Jenkins, Managing Director, Inflight, is the individual who manages the VX side right now.
