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Update on Open Time Survey Suspension

In light of recent technical issues with the Open Time Survey over the weekend, the MEC has made the decision to suspend the survey and take this opportunity to address membership feedback we have received.

MEC President and Negotiating Committee Chairperson Jeffrey Peterson is on pre-planned vacation this week.  Jeff’s feedback and expertise is important to addressing the feedback that has been received.  As a result, the survey will stay down for the time being until the entire Negotiating Committee can come together to address this feedback.

Additional communication on the survey will be provided next week.  We appreciate your patience and understanding.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Open Time Negotiations Survey Suspended Due to a Technical Problem

The Open Time negotiations survey is currently inaccessible due to a technical problem. The Master Executive Council (MEC) believes the problem is most likely due to the survey being inadvertently set to close at an incorrect date and time.

Unfortunately, it appears there may be only one person at AFA International who effectively can assist in troubleshooting the issue and that person is on vacation through the weekend.

Consequently, we are officially suspending the survey until further notice. Stay tuned for developments on this issue by early next week if not before.

AFA sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Fees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

New Open Time User Guide

Some big changes are coming with our new Open Time system. To help with the transition we’d like to point out some highlights and give helpful hints.

 

Open Time Video

 

For a full review of the new Open Time, check out the video that was produced during the TA-2 Roadshows:

Correction: Trading for any newly established domicile(s) would begin at 9am, not 3pm as stated in the video.

 

Fundamentals

 

  • Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant and the new Open Time trading will begin simultaneously on the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the flying will occur. Trading remains unlimited. Access to trading will begin as follows: SAN at 9:00am PT, PDX at 10:00am PT, ANC at 11:00am PT, LAX at 12:00pm PT and SEA at 2:00pm PT.

 

  • Flight Attendants may post trips at 8:00pm PT on the 14th of the month.

 

  • Every sequence in the new Open Time is coded with a reason code: e.g., TO (trades with Open Time), CP (Coupon Drops), SL (Sick Leave), UB (Union Business) and CB (Company Business). There could be other reason codes, but these are the most common. The CP code will likely be very rare since drop coupons haven’t been issued in years.

 

  • The “Threshold Sequence Number” is based on domicile population (see Section 12.F.3 [Open Time Trial]) and is currently calculated as 10 in Seattle and 3 in Anchorage, Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego. This means that when the total number of sequences coded as TO/CP in Open Time on that day meets or exceeds the Threshold Sequence Number, the day will be “limited.” Remember, only the first day of TO/CP sequences counts towards the Threshold Sequence Number and therefore the limiting of Open Time. The Threshold Sequence Number can change based on the number of Flight Attendants in a base; however, there will always be a minimum of 3. Any other type of sequence: SL, UB, CB, etc., does not count toward the Threshold Sequence Number.

 

  • A Flight Attendant is able to reduce his/her schedule by a net 40 TFP as a result of dropping to or trading with Open Time each bid month. There is no cap on how much TFP can be dropped as a result of dropping to or trading with another Flight Attendant.

 

Open Days

 

  • On any calendar day that is “open” and not “limited” (closed under the old contract), all sequences with that day of report may be picked up, traded or dropped into Open Time without respect to the number of flights, the number of days and/or duty periods, TFP credit or any other parameters.

 

  • If you wish to trade a sequence with a sequence on a different calendar day, the only day that needs to be open is the day in which you report for your sequence. For example, you have a 3-day trip beginning on October 4th and you want to trade for a 2-day trip beginning on October 17th, as long as October 4th is open, regardless of the reason code, you can make this trade.

 

Limited Days

 

  • Once a day is limited because the Threshold Sequence Number has been met, all trips coded other than TO/CP will be converted to a reason code of TX.

 

  • If a day is limited it can be reopened if a Flight Attendant picks up a TO/CP sequence from that day.

 

  • Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is limited and is coded other than TO/CP may only be traded for a sequence (with the same date of report) of the same or greater number of days. For example, if a sequence is coded TX, SL, UB, CB, etc., and you wish to trade with that sequence and the day of report is limited, you could only trade your 2-day trip reporting on October 4th for a 2, 3 or 4 day trip reporting October 4th, and you could not trade for a turn.

 

  • Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is limited and is coded TO/CP then that sequence may be traded for another sequence with the same day of report regardless of the length of trip. For example, if you wish to trade your 4-day trip reporting on October 4th with 1-day trip reporting on October 4th, it would be approved provided the Open Time trip is coded TO/CP.

 

Miscellaneous

 

  • All things being equal, it is to your fellow co-workers’ benefit if you are going to pick up a trip you do so out of the Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant trade box, or if you pick up out of Open Time, that you pick up a trip that is coded TO or CP. This will open the day if it is limited, allowing another flight attendants to drop a trip into Open Time.

 

  • All of this information can be found in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in Section 12.F. [Open Time Trial].

 

* * *

 

Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers or your local Scheduling Committee members.

 

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Committee chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl and MEC Grievance Committee member Stephanie Adams

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

AFA Alaska

May 1st Implementation Update

 

May 1st is the next major implementation date of our new contract. On that day the following will occur:

8.D. – 15 minute domicile debrief in effect

 

Domicile debrief is reduced from thirty minutes (:30) to fifteen minutes (:15). Flight Attendants may contact Crew Scheduling to adjust the debrief period for the sequence if the debrief exceeds the scheduled debrief. The adjustment will affect all Flight Attendants on the sequence. The adjusted debrief period will end when the last passenger has left the aircraft. This adjustment will not extend a Flight Attendant’s duty period for purposes of pre-boarding or JA assignments.

8.I. – Night Rule

 

Any flight attendant now on duty at 4:29 am local time is not required to remain on duty beyond 8:30 am initial departure station time of that duty period. The old “Night Rule” was measured from 4am so this is a half hour improvement in favor of the flight attendant. An exception continues to apply for single-duty period sequences with one return to domicile (all-nighter turns). There is also still an exception for Reserves on Airport Standby (APSB) at that time if s/he did not have a flying assignment prior to APSB in the duty period.

 

8.K. – Improved reduced RON Rest from 9 hours to 9 ½ hours

 

Insufficient rest on a Remain Over Night (RON) (aka a layover) has changed from less than nine hours to less than 9 ½ hours from release to report. That is a half hour improvement for the flight attendant. In addition, AFA and management have clarified and agreed that if a flight attendant does not receive such rest then s/he is eligible for 2.5x premium pay for the entire pairing if s/he is not removed at the Sequence Interruption Point (SIP) following the short layover—assuming there is a such a SIP.

 

9.E. – Premium Open Time replaces Voluntary Junior Available (VJA)

 

Flight Attendants will be allowed to pick up trips posted in Open Time at a premium rate (e.g. 1.5x, 2.0x, 2.5x). Flight Attendants may not trade a trip into OT in order to pick up a trip designated as premium OT. That is, it must be a straight pick up from OT in order to retain the premium. Trips will be designated with dollar signs to indicate the premium level: $ – 1.5x, $$ – 2.0x, $$$ – 2.5x, etc. Going forward, Premium Open Time replaces Voluntary Junior Available (VJA).

 

10.M. – New PBS line options and preferences effective in April bidding for May 2015

 

“Minimum Bid” has been eliminated. A flight attendant will no longer be assigned two (2) sequences on the same calendar day unless s/he waives the rule. Flight Attendants may waive 48/7 down to 24/7 for bidding in order to fly six days in a row. “4k” and “4k red eye” preferences are now active; if a flight attendant does not utilize these waivers then s/he will not be awarded a 4k or 4k red eye.

10.DD. – Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) sequences

 

Flight Attendants begin flying Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) sequences. A Reserve may be required to fly 4k if a vacancy exists on a 4k sequence within three hours of departure—otherwise the assignment is voluntary. A Reserve may also preference 4k and be assigned 4k with no additional premium. Reserves who have not preferenced 4k will be paid a 1.5x premium (1.0x towards guarantee and 0.5x above guarantee) for the entire pairing if forced to fly 4k.

 

21.D. – Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs)

 

All Minimum Pay Rules (Section 21.D. [Minimum Pay Rules]) go into effect

 

  • The 4 TFP “four trip minimum” is now the Duty Period Minimum (DPM) – no change
  • The 4 TFP “midnight to midnight rule” is now the Extended Overnight Rule (EOR) – Any period of time on a remain over night (RON) free of duty from 1 am to 11 pm local time
  • Sit Pay at 1 TFP for any sit over two hours is now automated (so no more need to submit Activity Claim Forms!)
  • Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM) guaranteed at 4 TFP times the number of calendar days in the sequence (minimum of three calendar days and two duty periods to qualify for the MSM, so the MSM does not apply to turns spanning two calendar days)
  • Average Duty Period Guarantee (ADPG) guaranteed at 5 TFP times the number of duty periods in the sequence (e.g. four duty period sequence is guaranteed at no less than 20 TFP)

 

All Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) are paid the greater of scheduled or actual, whichever is the more favorable application. However, an automated scheduling adjustment by Winds Aloft (which is a program that calculates projected flying time due to winds at altitude) is not considered “scheduled” for the purposes of calculating eligibility for an MPR.

 

* * *

 

The next major implementation milestone is mid-July for the August 2015 schedule at which point the new Open Time process will go into effect.

 

AFA is also working as quickly as possible with management to finalize the contract in preparation for publication. We have made a lot of progress and are very close to moving to the next steps in the process. The Master Executive Council (MEC) asked AFA International how long it typically takes to publish a contract following ratification and were informed that we’re well within the ballpark: ranging between three months to over a year. We’re doing our absolute best to make it closer to the former than the latter.

 

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

 

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

 

January 2015 Contract Implementation Update

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 5th from Q1 ($500), August 5th from Q2 ($500), November 5th from Q3 ($1000) and February 5th 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.

 

~ ~ ~

 

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

 

 

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