What goes into effect today?

New Year’s Day holiday pay

Any flight(s) touching January 1 are now paid at 2x the trip rate. Deadhead and surface deadhead are also included, as well as Airport Standby credit. [Section 21.H. Holiday Pay]

Longevity Premium

Flight Attendants who have completed sixteen (16) years of service as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant are paid Longevity Premium on all Worked TFP (all TFP exclusive of Sick Leave and Vacation pay). [Section 21.C. Longevity Premium]

Longevity Premium replaces the Profitability Bonus (aka the “COLA”) starting in 2015. Flight Attendants eligible for the COLA in 2014 will receive their payout as scheduled on April 20, 2015. [2010 CBA Section 21.P.]

Performance Based Pay (PBP) remains unaffected. [Section 29.A. Performance Based Pay]

Bidding for out of domicile Recurrent Training

Flight Attendants may start bidding for out of domicile Recurrent Training in January for the March bid month. Out of domicile preferences are processed in seniority order after in domicile Flight Attendant preferences. [Section 30.A.1.b.-c. Recurrent Training and Other Company-Required (Non-Computer Based) Training]

All of Section 32 Attendance Policy except bank points

Contract 2014 Section 32 Attendance Policy goes into effect except bank points. Bank points are still accrued pursuant to the old contract [CBA 2010 Section 32.G.3.] through the first quarter (January, February and March) of 2015. [Section 32 all except 32.G.3.]

Quarterly Productivity Premium

A Flight Attendant will receive a Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) if Worked TFP (exclusive of sick leave and vacation) during a calendar quarter exceeds the TFP equivalent of the Flight Attendant’s combined monthly PBS bid award in that calendar quarter. The QPP will be paid on May 5^th from Q1 ($500), August 5^th from Q2 ($500), November 5^th from Q3 ($1000) and February 5^th the following year from Q4 ($500). Taxes will be withheld at the Flight Attendant’s personal tax rate, the same as regular wages. [Section 21.R. Quarterly Productivity Premium]

480 TFP applications

All accruals tied to achieving 480 TFP in a calendar year (or 960 TFP for Longevity Paid Time Off) are now administered under the new contract.*

Section 13 Uniforms for uniform credits – Worked TFP + sick leave + vacation/PTO (no change from previous contract) = 480 TFP

Section 14 Vacation for vacation accrual – Worked TFP only = 480 TFP

Section 14 Vacation for seven (7) days Longevity Paid Time Off (Longevity PTO) – Worked TFP + vacation/PTO = 960 TFP (for Flight Attendants who have completed twenty-five (25) years of service as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant)

Section 23 Insurance Benefits – Worked TFP + sick leave + maximum vacation/PTO (based on years of service, no pay or flying requirement) = 480 TFP [Section 27.B Eligibility for Insurance]

Section 32 Attendance Policy for annual record improvement – Worked TFP + vacation/PTO = 480 TFP [Section 32.G.4. Record Improvement]

* All of these applications have favorable accommodations when on an unpaid leave or on a medical-related leave and coordinating sick leave in order to maintain benefits. See the individual provisions for the details.

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Questions? Check out the Contract 2014 Implementation Schedule or email the Negotiating Committee at negotiations@afaalaska.org.

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

The Contract Implementation Schedule has been updated to reflect the latest clarifications as well as to capture some of the items missed in the TA2 print version. Please use this version going forward.

The Negotiating Committee will be meeting next week with management to begin the preparations for publication of the finalized document.

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

Junior Available And Voluntary Junior Available

Junior Available (JA) and Voluntary Junior Available (VJA) are covered under the provisions of the former contract through January 2015. The only exceptions are the increased premiums—at 2.5x pay for JA—and the ability to trade or jet bridge trade a JA to another Flight Attendant. The premium follows the trade and JA trades must be processed manually until automated.

Sick Leave Make Up

Sick Leave Make Up is now up and running. Sick Leave Make Up (SLMU) reserve days have already been placed into OT in at least one domicile (Seattle) and should be expanded soon. The SLMU reserve days are listed in Open Time coded as “AU” for AM and “PU” for PM. They are listed as individual one-day blocks that may be picked up on consecutive days and merged into a single mutl-day block. Keep in mind that Sick Leave Make Up reserve days are just like being on regular reserve days—and the new options for the Low Time First Assigned LTFA) lists are not yet in effect.

Section 32 Attendance Policy – General

Most provisions of the new Section 32 Attendance Policy are effective on January 1, 2015.

[Note: The original post incorrectly reported that “Most provisions of the new Section 32 Attendance Policy are now in effect.” AFA regrets the error.]

Section 32 Attendance Policy – Quarterly and Annual Record Improvement, Bank Points

Quarterly and annual record improvement as well as bank points adjustments will be based on the former agreement through the end of 2014.

480 TFP Thresholds and Benefits Qualifications

All 480 TFP thresholds in 2014 for the purposes of benefits qualifications in 2015 will be calculated under the provisions of the former agreement. That is, achieving a “soft” 480 TFP credit in 2014 inclusive of sick leave and vacation pay will satisfy eligibility for all benefits (e.g. uniform allotment, vacation accrual and Company-subsidized healthcare). Those benefits may be reduced based on other existing provisions in the former contract—such as the 1/12 reduction to vacation entitlement for each month in which the Flight Attendant is not on the active payroll.

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That’s all for this latest update—stand by for more in the coming days and weeks.

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo