Crews will be turned starting tomorrow out of an abundance of caution
Due to civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Alaska Airlines management and AFA Alaska agree that out of an abundance of caution it is appropriate to turn crews out of Puerto Vallarta starting tomorrow, Saturday, May 2, 2015. Management may extend the application at its discretion until normal operations resume in PVR.
Clarified 8.S language with improved pay premium will be used
The parties have agreed to utilize the language of Section 8 Hours of Service provision S “Natural Disasters and Acts of War” in order to accomplish the removal and re-start of crews. During language clean-up, the parties agreed to clarify and improve 8.S. You will notice an improved pay premium of double time (2x) in this application!
8.S language
The revised language that will be in the final print version is as follows:
S. NATURAL DISASTERS AND ACTS OF WAR
- In the face of natural disasters or acts of war, the primary focus of the Association and the Company will be the safety of the crew when scheduling or reassigning Flight Attendants to fly into or out of areas affected by imminent or present natural disasters or acts of war.
- When a natural disaster and/or act of war is imminent or present, and a need for rescheduling or reassigning crews becomes apparent, the Manager of Crew Scheduling or her/his designee will contact the MEC President or her/his designee //. Contact with the AFA appointed representative will be maintained until such time as all crewmembers have been returned to domicile and normal operations have resumed.
- If the flight deck crewmembers are offered release from flying into or out of a city, or laying over in a city affected by such natural disaster and/or act of war, the Flight Attendant crewmembers will be released as well. Every effort will be made to keep Flight Attendant crews together when reassigning them to be removed from a city affected by imminent or present natural disasters or acts of war.
- It may be necessary to exceed duty limitations in accordance with S.5., below, in order to remove Flight Attendants from danger, in order to bring customers out of a city impacted by natural disaster and/or acts of war or to resume normal operations to a city impacted by such events.
- On a case-by-case basis, with the mutual agreement of the parties, the scheduling limitation of ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) of duty outlined in // 8.E. [Duty Period], above, may be exceeded to remove crews from or to avoid danger and/or to facilitate bringing customers out of a disaster area, or to resume normal operations to an affected city impacted by such events. The compensatory rest outlined in // 8.H. [Compensatory (Double-Out) Rest], above, and any other applicable Sections will apply, and will be provided upon the Flight Attendant’s first return to domicile. Additionally, the two times (2.0x) (three times (3.0x) as applicable) rate of pay will apply to any TFP flown in a duty period scheduled to exceed or that actually exceeds ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) of duty due to irregular operations directly resulting from 8.S.. //
a. Crews that exceed such duty limitations to perform such work will be deadheaded one way (in either direction) in passenger seats.
b. An uncovered sequence constructed under 8.S. (“8.S. sequence”) will be built with appropriate compensatory “double-out” rest added to the end of the sequence that cannot be reduced. However, such rest and the pay provisions of H.2. [Compensatory (Double-Out) Rest], above, may be waived by the Flight Attendant in order to pick up or trade into another sequence.
c. An uncovered “8.S. sequence” will first be offered to a Flight Attendant who has flights cancelled from her/his line of time as a result of an 8.S. event and is eligible for an alternate assignment under the provisions of Section 10.S. [Pre- Cancellations], if applicable. The Flight Attendant may accept the “8.S. sequence” or may decline with pay protection for the original sequence at straight time. If the Flight Attendant accepts and works the “8.S. sequence”, any conflicting scheduling obligations will be resolved in accordance with 8.H. [Compensatory (Double-Out) Rest].
d. An “8.S. sequence” may be placed into OT for pick-up and trading. The associated compensatory “double-out” rest cannot be reduced as a result of trading. However, such rest and the pay provisions of H.2. [Compensatory (Double-Out Rest], above, may be waived by the Flight Attendant in order to pick up or trade into another sequence. Until automated, the Flight Attendant must contact Crew Scheduling to complete a pick-up, drop, trade or give-away of an “8.S. sequence”
e. A Reserve may be assigned an “8.S. sequence”. If the Reserve works the sequence, s/he will be credited one times (1.0x) the trip rate toward the Reserve’s guarantee and any additional premium TFP(s) will be paid above guarantee.
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Once again, this is being done only out of an abundance of caution. We will continue to update you if necessary but otherwise this will be the only communication in regards to civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta.
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Scheduling chairperson Jake Jones
