Q:     Addendum to section 15 #5 crossed out personal leaves, parental leaves, maternity but left medical leaves. To me that reads: if a FA accepts a Company-offered personal leave they will not accrue seniority. Is my understanding of this correct?

A:     The short answer: No. A FA will continue to accrue seniority on any approved leave of absence regardless of type. The language you are referencing is a misprint in that particular document (2018-2021 JCBA TA).

The long answer: Excellent catch! The language in Addendum to Section 15 Leaves of Absence, #5 was corrected to clarify that a Flight Attendant will continue to accrue seniority for the duration of any leave of absence.

However, there is an error in the comprehensive document that the JNC will address and correct as soon as possible. Although the JNC has made every effort to ensure the comprehensive document matches the signed TAs, it is not surprising that we missed something. Here is the incorrect language in the 2018-2021 JCBA TA:

5.  Do I accrue seniority while on a leave of absence?

Yes, you continue to accrue seniority during an approved medical leave. [Remainder in strikeout.]

The signed TAs match the language in the Addendum to Section 15, #5 found in the Changes to the 2014-2019 CBA LOA:

5.    Do I accrue seniority while on a leave of absence?

Yes, you continue to accrue seniority during an approved leave of absence. [Remainder in strikeout.]

A small but significant difference!

In summary, a Flight Attendant will continue to accrue seniority while on any approved LOA. AFA will coordinate a correction to the 2018-2021 JCBA TA document as soon as possible this coming week. We sincerely apologize for the error and for the confusion!

Q:     At Virgin America we have a 100% vested retirement account regardless of age and retirement status. I’m unclear about how the 401k section effects those of us who are not close to retirement age. Will our retirement accounts be moved to another financial institution? Will we keep our current fidelity account as is and start a new one with Alaska’s 401k plan provider?

A:     All L-VX FAs are 100% vested in the current VX 401(k) plan. Alaska continues to contribute company match of 125% of up to 6% of a Flight Attendant’s contribution.  If theTA is ratified, all L-VX Flight Attendants will transition to the Alaska 401(k) plan managed by Vanguard at DOR (Date of Ratification) plus three months. The transition process will actually close out the current Fidelity accounts and transfer the balance to the Vanguard 401(k) plan.  Because the Fidelity 401(k) had immediate vesting per VX Company policy, all L-VX Flight Attendants will be fully vested in the transferred amount.

At DOR pull (3) months all L-VX Flight Attendants will then begin contributing to the Vanguard 401(K) plan per Section 29.B-C of the 2018-2021 JCBA:

SECTION 29 PROFIT SHARING AND RETIREMENT

B.     401(K) COMPANY MATCH The Company will match any Flight Attendant’s pre-tax contribution to the 401(k) plan maintained by the Company, at the rate of one dollar ($1.00) for each one dollar ($1.00) contributed by the Flight Attendant, up to a maximum company contribution of seven and one-half percent (7.5%).

C.      VESTING SCHEDULE FOR 401(K) COMPANY MATCH A Member will have a vested and non-forfeitable interest in that vested percentage portion of the balance credited to the Member’s Matching Contributions Account at any time determined by reference to her/his completed years of Vesting Service in accordance with the following schedule:

Completed Years of Vesting Service            Vested Percentage

Less than 1 year                                               0%

1 year                                                                 20%

2 years                                                               40%

3 years                                                               60%

4 years                                                               80%

5 or more years                                          100%

D.     ACCELERATED VESTING

A Member will be fully vested and have a non-forfeitable interest in the balance credited to her/his Matching Contributions Account if:

1. The employee becomes medically disabled; or

2. The employee retires at or after age sixty-five (65); or

3. The employee retires at or after age sixty (60) with a minimum twelve (12) years of service with the Company Seniority, or at or after age sixty-one and one-half (61½) and a minimum of ten (10) years of service with the Company Seniority.

L-VX Flight Attendants will vest under the above schedule based on their original VX Company date of hire for all “new” company matching funds.  Note: You are always 100% vested in your employee contributions.

Q:     Is the $75 parking stipend going to be automatic if you don’t hold a parking permit?

A:     Yes, once the initial registration and verification has been completed. The details of the registration and verification process are still being worked out, but management has confirmed it will be automated and paid on the 20th paycheck. You must decline Company-provided parking in order to be eligible.

 

Q:     Is it going to be retroactive to 1/1/18? Is it ongoing or just one time?

A:     No, it is not retroactive to 1/1/2018. Yes, it will be ongoing once the program has been implemented following ratification. (It is not a one-time payment.)

 

Q:     If I am a registered air commuter, can I take the monthly parking stipend?

A:      Yes, as long as you decline Company-provided parking.

 

Q:     As someone who commutes to and from work via light rail in Seattle, and who was very disappointed when the company ceased the commuter trip reduction program, will I be able to use the $75 stipend any way I choose—which, for me, would mean putting that money onto an ORCA card to use on Seattle area public transportation?

A:     Yes, it will be paid monthly directly onto your 20th paycheck and you can use it any way you choose.

 

For ANCFAs:

[See [L-AS ANCFAs:] Monthly Parking Stipend – $75 [JCBA] for the latest info.]

 

[Note: This JNC Blog post is a revised version of “What happens if the TA is voted down?” The original post (in strikeout text) will continue to be available for reference.]

Q:     Without this extension, VX stays at their current pay and awful work rules until when? When we get a whole new contract is that right? And then our new brothers and sisters from VX will be voting for things on that contract they have not experienced or worked under, including, work rules and company ethics, such as broken promises. Also correct? I’m trying to see the whole picture- short term and long term. And then decide where we (all) make the best strategic decision to be strongest and most united.

A:     You are correct on all points regarding the VX situation and what would happen if the VX FAs do not come over to the AS CBA (which would become the JCBA) as a result of a ratified TA.

Q:     If we say No to this “first offer,” you will be sent right back to the table, and we will get more because they [management] never give us their “best offer” first, correct? Some people think that if they vote no, we will go back into negotiations and get a larger [pay] increase and the 480 improvements.

A:      Contract negotiations is not like buying a car or a home. The “you never accept the first offer no matter what’s in the deal” approach is very troubling. Just remember that the parties passed multiple proposals prior to reaching an agreement, and the JNC rejected many of management’s offers. Therefore, the TA is not management’s first offer. Although it is possible that there might be improvements in another pass, there are no guarantees either. Additionally, it takes time to go through the process again.

 

Q:     If this is voted down, would we go right back to the table or is this a one time merger TA offer? Would we then hold off until openers for the full contract negotiations coming up at the end of the year?

A:     If the TA is voted down, management has repeated told us in no uncertain terms that they will wait until October when the earlier re-opener for our Section 6 negotiations is slated to begin under our existing CBA. If that occurs, we will go into full Section 6 negotiations and our entire CBA will be potentially open for re-negotiation. Those talks have historically taken a significant amount of time. There are no guarantees regarding any provision to stay the same or to improve (e.g. pay raises, 480, etc.). Unless the parties were able to achieve a “Merger Agreement TA2” prior to October*, we would be back at the bargaining table potentially negotiating a full contract, yet with pmAS and pmVX on extremely disparate pay and work rules.

* The MEC and the JNC are disclosing this information to you in full transparency. However, we also feel a responsibility to inform the membership we are united in the belief that achieving a “Merger Agreement TA2” prior to full Section 6 negotiations is extremely unlikely. This conclusion is based on our ample collective experience in dealing with management during these negotiations. Please keep this information in mind as you consider the tentative Merger Agreement.

Q:     Does ground commuting cover everywhere?  If I commute via air but there is a wreck or blown tire on my way to my registered commuter city airport and it causes me to miss my commute flight to work, am I covered?

A:     Yes, generally speaking. However, it is important to note the details.

The Ground Commuter Policy covers registered air commuters who are travelling by ground transportation to an AAG flight in her/his in her/his registered commuter city. However, a Flight Attendant does not necessarily have to be a registered air commuter in order to benefit from the Ground Commuting Policy.

The Ground Commuting Policy applies to all Flight Attendants travelling by ground transportation to domicile/co-terminal (including out of domicile pick-ups). Any method of ground transportation (e.g. train, bike, automobile, taxi, ferry, etc.) is covered as long as there is a significant delay that is unanticipated.  Normal rush-hour traffic and running out of gas due to poor planning are not covered because those are conditions that should be anticipated.

Covered examples include:

1. Flat tire on your way to the airport in your commuter city if you are a registered air commuter.
2. Car crash that shuts down the freeway on your way to your domicile/co-terminal (or another domicile/co-terminal if on an out of base pick-up) to report for a check-in.
3. Light rail shut down while you are on the train going to your domicile-co-terminal to check-in.

 

Q:     What if the flight I miss due to wreck or blown tire is not an AAG flight?

A:     You are not covered by the Ground Commuting Policy. Please note that you must be a registered air commuter travelling to the airport for an AAG flight in your registered commuter city. Any other combinations (e.g. not a registered air commuter “commuting” on an AAG flight or registered air commuter “commuting” on a non-AAG flight) are not covered.

 

Q:     Under the new Ground Commuting Policy it reads that Crew Scheduling (not the FA) gets to choose whether you get a trip, airport standby, or meet at the sip. Am I reading that correctly?  Under the same section airport standby reads that if you sit airport standby for 4 hours, you will still have to work a trip from base the next day?  Please help me understand if I’m reading this language correctly.

A:     Correct on both counts. It is the discretion of Crew Scheduling which of the options to use. However, the FA will be granted a personal leave pursuant to §28.G.3.a.v (for Lineholders) or §28.G.3.b.iv (for Reserves) if none of the options are used. If the FA is put on APSB in the commuter city, then s/he needs to work a trip from domicile/co-terminal the next day. CSKD usually works with the FA to help facilitate the commute.

Q:     If a FA uses the ground commuter policy and is removed from a sequence, is the FA required to recover the missed flying?

A:     It depends on what you mean by recovering missed flying. Yes, s/he is required to pick up additional time within 30 days if s/he was given a personal leave under §28.G.3. Otherwise, no–as long as s/he receives an alternate assignment under §28.G.3.

Refer to the Changes to the 2014-2019 CBA TA, Section 28.G [Commuter Policy] for additional info.

Q:    How many pmVX are registered to vote?

A:     Approximately 900 L-VX FAs currently have membership applications on file and are eligible to vote. Any L-VX FAs who would like to verify their status can email Council 35 at vx@afaalaska.org to confirm eligibility.  The membership application can be turned into to the AFA lock boxes located in the bases or given to Council 35 officers.

The application must be on file with and processed by AFA Membership Services prior to April 3, 2018, in order to be eligible for voting. We recommend that any membership applications filed close to the count date should be handled directly by AFA Membership Services.

The voting schedule is found on the Merger TAs & Info page and additional voting information on the TA Voting Info page.

Q:     Is there an estimate of when this will be put to vote?

A:     The voting schedule is below:

• Ballot mail date:   March 13
• Voting opens:   March 16
• Vote Count Date: April 3

The voting schedule is found on the Merger TAs & Info page and additional voting information on the TA Voting Info page.

 

Q:     I’m a pmAS SEAFA and commute from the Bay Area. Can I go to a SFO roadshow or will that be more geared towards pmVX FAs’ needs and issues?

A:     All Flight Attendants are welcome to attend any of the road shows.  The JNC anticipates that the SFO and LAX roadshows will have additional focus on the pmVX transition issues, but we will be presenting the same basic information. It’s likely the question and answer section will encompass a lot of pmVX questions. The corollary is true for any pmVX FA who wishes to attend a roadshow in ANC, SEA, PDX or SAN: the same basic information will be presented, but the Q&A will likely have a lot of pmAS questions.

The roadshow schedule can be found on the Merger TAs & Info page.

[Note: This JNC Blog post was revised in “[REVISED] What Happens if the TA is Voted Down?” The following strikeout text will remain for reference.]

Q:     Without this extension, VX stays at their current pay and awful work rules until when? When we get a whole new contract is that right? And then our new brothers and sisters from VX will be voting for things on that contract they have not experienced or worked under, including, work rules and company ethics, such as broken promises. Also correct? I’m trying to see the whole picture- short term and long term. And then decide where we (all) make the best strategic decision to be strongest and most united.

A:     You are correct on all points regarding the VX situation and what would happen if the VX FAs do not come over to the AS CBA (which would become the JCBA) as a result of a ratified TA.

 

Q:     If we say No to this “first offer,” you will be sent right back to the table, and we will get more because they [management] never give us their “best offer” first, correct? Some people think that if they vote no, we will go back into negotiations and get a larger [pay] increase and the 480 improvements.

A:      Contract negotiations is not like buying a car or a home. The “you never accept the first offer no matter what’s in the deal” approach is very troubling. Just remember that the parties passed multiple proposals prior to reaching an agreement, and the JNC rejected many of management’s offers. Therefore, the TA is not management’s first offer. Although it is possible that there might be improvements in another pass, there are no guarantees either. Additionally, it takes time to go through the process again.

 

Q:      If this is voted down, would we go right back to the table or is this a one time merger TA offer? Would we then hold off until openers for the full contract negotiations coming up at the end of the year?

A:     If the TA is voted down, management has told us that they will wait until October when the earlier re-opener for our Section 6 negotiations is slated to begin under our existing CBA. If that occurs, we will go into full Section 6 negotiations and our entire CBA will be potentially open for re-negotiation. Those talks have historically taken a significant amount of time. There are no guarantees regarding any provision to stay the same or to improve (e.g. pay raises, 480, etc.). Unless the parties were able to achieve a Merger Agreement TA2 prior to October, we would be back at the bargaining table potentially negotiating a full contract, yet with pmAS and pmVX on extremely disparate pay and work rules.