Negotiations News Archives

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.

 

~ ~ ~

 

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.

 

* * *

 

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

 

Local		Voted Count	Voted %	Particpated	Eligible Voters	Base Participation %
19 SEA	FOR	885	55.56	1593	1756	90.71
	AGAINST	708	44.44
30 ANC	FOR	160	64.52	248	287	86.41
	AGAINST	88	35.48
39 PDX	FOR	214	55.73	385	418	92.1
	AGAINST	167	43.49
15 SAN	FOR	141	66.51	213	233	91.41
	AGAINST	70	33.02
18 LAX	FOR	168	42.11	399	430	92.79
	AGAINST	231	57.89
2832	2838	3124

Now that TA2 has been ratified as our new Collective Bargaining Agreement, what do you need to know or to expect over the next two weeks?

 

Effective today 12/17

• New Step rate effective midnight this morning.
• Per diem of $2.50 for all sequences touching today and credited back to the beginning of the sequence.
• Sit pay of 1 TFP for any scheduled sit over 2 hours (this will be paid automatically!!!); any unscheduled sit over 2 hours should be submitted manually via an Activity Claim Form until automated.
• Trade jail has been negated.
• Management flying to prevent cancellations is allowed.

 

Effective tomorrow 12/18

• Section 8 Hours of Service
  • G.1 CSKD may ask a FA at domicile or co-terminal to depart on a flight scheduled to land more than 14 hours. FA not required to take the flight.
  • H.2 F/A can waive double out rest. CSKD can call FA asking if F/A wants to waive but not required to call and F/A not required to waive. Pay is 1.5x for the sequence if the FA waives the rest.
  • L.2.b If F/A has a 48/7 issue they must call CSKD at least 2 hours prior to check-in for the subsequent sequence for CSKD to adjust.
  • T.1 Base Turn min time between sequences is 1:45. Trades will be manual if time between sequences is 1:45 to 1:59 until automated.
  • Double out rest is now the same for APSB’s.
• Section 9 Junior Available and Premium Open Time
  • D.1.f JA pay is now 2.5x
  • D.2.g F/A can trade JA assignment and premium follows the trade; must be done manually until automated.
• Section 10 Scheduling
  • S.1.c If a sequence cancels between 8pm and midnight the FA will be pay protected.
  • T Non-rev F/A use – can only help once per bid month.
  • X Deadhead changes
    • 4 or more hours must have a M/C seat.
    • DH on last day of sequence F/A can request to be released from DH no earlier than the completion of the last live flight preceding the DH.
    • A Scheduled DH, CSKD may require a F/A to work in lieu of a scheduled DH but 1.5x premium must be paid.
    • Non Scheduled DH can be changed at anytime but must be paid 1.5x premium if working.
    • With CSKD’s approval a F/A may decline a DH and meet up with a sequence on the first working leg.
    • If DH’ing a F/A home due to Sick On Line, CSKD can DH them to domicile or commuter city.
  • Any company employee may accompany F/A to hospital. Employee does not need to be another F/A.
  • Z Personal Drops List posted noon daily on webpage if PD’s were awarded.
  • CC New process for handling a No Show sequence if F/A would like to recover flying.
• Section 11 Reserve
  • C.5 Last day of block Reserve may request release. Last flight out (actual) will be posted on FA web page. For now, CSKD process requests manually. Working with IT on this, so hopefully a link on the webpage just like the LTFA will be available soon.
  • Double out rest is now the same for APSB’s.
• Section 12 Exchanges of Sequence
  • C Jet Bridge Trades: Lineholders & Reserves
    • Flight Attendants from the same domicile may trade or give-away a sequence or portion of a sequence at any station no earlier than three (3) hours prior to departure for domestic and international flights.
    • A Flight Attendant accepting the trade must be physically present in the city where the flight is departing from and must accept responsibility for covering the flight.
    • The Jet Bridge Trade will apply to any (or all) leg(s) of a sequence and must encompass the remainder of the sequence involved.
    • The trade or give- away will be granted unless doing so would cause an illegality (CFR) or delay in boarding.
    • Within one (1) hour of departure, trades will be processed only if CSKD has the capacity to handle the request.
    • If the Jet Bridge Trade request is made less than one (1) hour to departure, trades will be processed only if Crew Scheduling has the capacity to handle the request.
    • If the duty encompassing the Jet Bridge trade contains ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) or less, all language in this agreement regarding such duty limitations will apply. Pay will apply pursuant to Section 8.F. [Over-Duty Pay].
    • If such duty is scheduled for more than ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) then the Flight Attendant(s) will be considered to have waived over-duty pay and rest.
  • Section 22 Expenses
    • Crew snacks start going away.
    • Ability to purchase one item per duty period at 50% of retail price (option being updated into the Point of Sale devices currently); no change to current practice of consuming perishable items at the conclusion of the service.

 

December 22, 2014

• Signing Bonus paid

 

By next week

• Section 16 Sick Leave Make Up begins (see 16.N.)

 

December 25, 2014

• APSB holiday pay begins

 

December 31, 2014

• Section 32 Attendance Policy Quarterly and Annual points adjustments will be made in accordance with current contract, not the new one.
• New Year’s Day holiday pay at 2x

Jan 1, 2015

 

More information will be forthcoming as we get deeper into the implementation process. In the meantime, you may refer to the Implementation LOA at the back of the TA2 document.

 

In solidarity,

 

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