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        You are here: Home / Archives for Negotiations / Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog

        Next negotiation session October 6th – 9th

        September 21, 2014 07:45

        How many Sections are closed?

        28 of 35 Sections are TA’d.

        What Sections are open and what are major topics in each?

        Section 3 – Scope (Management Flying)

        Section 11 – Reserve (ER days, Reserve reposition calendar)

        Section 12 – Exchange of Sequences (Open Time trial period)

        Section 14 – Vacation (480 provisions, accrual, 960 tfp for extra week)

        Section 16 – Sick Leave/On the job injury (Two sick leave banks, 480 provisions, 12 mo look back)

        Section 21 – Compensation (Step Rates/Scale, Signing Bonus, Retro pay)

        Section 29 – Retirement (401K matching increase)

        Where is the next negotiation meeting being held?

        Chicago, IL

        If I have questions or comments for the negotiating committee where else am I able to post besides Facebook and Twitter?

        The negotiating committee is looking to engage Flight Attendants by using our new website www.afaalaska.org and on the negotiations blog.  If you have questions or concerns there is also the ability to visit the website and send in a feedback form or email the committee directly.

        Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog

        Sick Leave Make-up

        September 19, 2014 14:48

        How does Sick Leave Make-up work?

        A Flight Attendant who calls in sick, whether line holder or reserve, who accessed their sick leave bank will have the ability to restore the sick leave by picking up Sick Leave Reserve Days.

        Who will designate Sick Leave Make-up Days and the number of days?

        Crew Scheduling will designate the number of days available which will be 1, 2, 3, or 4 days AM/PM blocks.

        How many times will there be an opportunity to make up sick leave?

        There will be no fewer than four (4) days designated per month.  These four (4) days will be designated with at least 24hrs notice.  Additional days, if designated, may be declared at any time.

        May I choose to sit fewer days of reserve than what I called in for sick ?

        Yes.  There is a formula and calculation to determine that maximum number of days allowed and you will be able to sit less days to make up your sick leave.

        May I pick up Sick Leave Reserve Days on the same day(s) as the trip/reserve day(s) for which I called in sick ?

        No, you may not.  A Flight Attendant may not pick up available Sick Leave Reserve Day(s) within 24 hrs of reporting sick. If you call in sick and subsequently are able to fly, you will call in well and the provisions of calling in well will apply. For any sick leave used prior to calling in well you will have the opportunity if you choose to utilize the sick leave make-up provisions.

        How much time do I have to make up the sick leave?

        A Flight Attendant will have the current bid month and up to the next two (2) bid periods to restore sick leave.

        What if I am given an assignment which is in excess of my sick leave make-up?

        A Flight Attendant who makes up sick leave shall have their sick leave restored to their sick leave bank on a TFP for TFP basis.  You shall receive pay and credit for any time flown as sick leave make-up in excess of sick leave restored.

        If I pick up Sick Leave Make-up Reserve day am I considered a lineholder or reserve?

        Any Flight Attendant who sits Sick Leave Reserve Day(s) shall be considered a Reserve Flight Attendant on that day.

        How does this program benefit my sick leave accrual?

        In the contract you accrue sick leave based on tfp which is 1tfp sick leave for 10 tfp flown or credited during the month, sick leave will not be accrued on TFP credited for sick leave.  If you were to call in sick for a trip that required use of 20 tfp, it would take you 200 tfp to restore it.  This rapid accrual allows you to sit 4 days of reserve (in this example) to make up sick leave in a few days what could potentially require months of flying or credit.

        Which Section of TA2 will I find provisions regarding Sick Leave Make-up?

        Section 16, Sick Leave/On The Job Injury

        Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog

        Section 32 – Attendance Policy

        September 19, 2014 11:42

        What are some of the changes in Section 32 during the last session?  I am hearing different things on the line…..

        Do we still have to fly a leg prior to calling in sick online at domicile for check-in?

        In the last negotiating session the committee told management that many changes were required to meet our Flight Attendants expectations.  The committee brought forward concerns regarding the requirement to fly the first leg of a sequence to call out “sick online”.  We were able to remove the requirement, however there is a .5 point associated with calling out sick online at domicile prior to flying the first leg of a sequence.  An example is if you had a 4 day trip, it would be 2 points total for the sick call plus the .5 point for calling out sick at domicile prior to flying a leg for a total of 2.5 points.  Points for the sick online could be mitigated by calling in well.  If you have a FMLA on file or you are injured in the workplace (workers compensation) you will be exempt from the additional .5 point.

         

        Do we still have black out dates attached with our quarterly doctors note?

        No, the committee was able to remove all black out dates!

         

        Is there a quarterly or year-end (annual)  flying requirement to receive record improvement?

        For quarterly improvement there is no flying requirement.  In TA1 there was a 120 tfp requirement which is now eliminated.

        Year-end record improvement does require on December 31st that you meet your 480 tfp (including vacation, excluding sick leave) for the calendar year.  You must avoid any occurrences in the months of Nov/Dec as described in TA1 and if you have 4 points or under will have your points reduced back to zero.

        How many bank points will I be able to accrue?

        The committee was able to maintain the improvement of 6 bank points from TA1.

        Under the current contract I am penalized when I call in sick using my doctors note because I have bank points, is anything being done about this?

        Yes, under TA2 you will not be penalized.  You will have the ability to choose whether you use your bank points for the occurrence or the quarterly note which will remove the points and continue to maintain your banked points.

        With the provisions of TA2, what are the changes regarding a Single Continuous Occurrence?

        A Single Continuous Occurrence will be valid for ten (10) consecutive days beginning from the day of the sick call.  If you are going to be out for any length of time and qualify you should consider taking a medical leave.  The medical leave handbook is currently being revised to reflect the current practice.  If you have questions or concerns regarding medical leaves please contact your AFA Benefits Representatives by visiting us online at http://afaalaska.org/benefits.

        Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Tagged With: §32 - Attendance, negotiations

        Section 23 – Insurance Benefits

        September 19, 2014 10:45

        Did the negotiating committee review Section 23 and achieve a cap on our insurance?

         

        Yes, we achieved a 15% year on year cap on health care contribution and maintained the annual cost share caps from TA1.

        Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Tagged With: §23 - Insurance Benefits, negotiations

        Negotiations FAQ – July 24, 2014

        July 24, 2014 10:56

        SECTION 9 – JUNIOR AVAILABLE

        Q Can we have “limited immunity for trips traded off of FA’s original line” from the opener specified more thoroughly?

        Sure.  We are proposing that if a Flight Attendant trades away – with Open Time or another Flight Attendant – a trip and does not replace flying on those days, then any days on which s/he does not replace flying (i.e. pick up new flying) would be immune from JA.  Today, a Flight Attendant could trade around her/his entire line and be immune from JA for the entire month (extreme case) even though s/he was flying a full schedule.  This happens today and it sometimes forces JA very senior.

        In the survey, members were very adamant that immunity from JA should still remain for days on which a trip was dropped for a special event or to extend vacation/ holiday time off. 

        SECTION 11 – RESERVE

        Q Being on reserve for two years I feel like I can speak for the majority of reserves that ER days are not wanted. The last tentative agreement that was proposed had a lot of great changes for reserves, most importantly getting rid of awarding reserve days on lines, but still being able to convert. The biggest thing I didn’t like about the reserve portion of the contract was getting rid of the reserve premium.

        Based on feedback, we are reviewing ER days vs conversions in the overall context of the TA.  We have already added discussion of ER days/ conversions back onto the agenda for the next meeting.  Additionally, we have secured the reinstatement of the Reserve Premium from management. 

        Q Another issue for reserves is not having transparency in open time for trading reserve days.  My previous airline used a system for trading and reserve coverage which gave a lot of information.  Each day showed the reserve coverage if it was open for drops was listed in green.  The number of reserves available each day was shown as well as the threshold. Is this possible?

        That is pretty much exactly what was negotiated in TA1.  The OT system was completely transparent with all open/closed days, reserve thresholds, reserve usage, etc. listed.  For reserves, if the reserve trade board listed the day open, you would be allowed to trade – through automation.  No more submitting a request and waiting for a response.  We have proposed retaining that system from TA1 and so far, management is on the same page. 

        SECTION 12 – EXCHANGE OF SEQUENCES (and Open Time)

        Q Why would we be going back to current practice instead of what was negotiated in Sec 12 of TA1?

        In the survey, Flight Attendants overwhelmingly conveyed that reverting to the current OT system would be preferential to changing to another system that they did not know.  However, it is important to remember that if either party cancels the OT ‘Test’ system, AFA and management would immediately sit down to negotiate a new system – using all the information from the ‘Test.’  During that time, the OT system would revert to the current practice.  Once a new system is negotiated, that new procedure would be submitted for membership vote and put in place once ratified.  So the “going back to current practice” part would only last as long as negotiations for new system- which FAs would vote on. 

        NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE RAILWAY LABOR ACT (RLA) (including policy/procedures, solidarity activities, the National Mediation Board, etc.)

        Q Why are the full survey results not being published?

        The actual results of negotiations surveys done by AFA are never published to the membership.  In 2011, before the opening proposals were written, the Negotiating Committee sent out the negotiations survey to all members.  Those results were used by the Committee to learn your bargaining objectives and priorities.  If AFA had published those results, then management would know which provision was more important than another and that would be detrimental to our bargaining strategy.

        The Hart Survey was basically another negotiations survey, one scientifically done with a much lower margin of error by a very highly regarded professional polling company.  Because we do not want management to know your exact priorities in negotiations, we will not be publishing those results either.

        Q How was the opener for this second round of negotiations derived?

        The opener was created using the priorities in the Hart Survey.  When a tentative agreement fails to ratify, the subsequent negotiations for a new agreement focus on ‘fixing’ the provisions which were not acceptable.  It is not about going back to the beginning and starting all over.

        MEC 5BSS Logo

         

        Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Tagged With: FAQ, JA, Open Time, Reserve

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