Q. Can you please explain accelerated vesting to me under Sec 29 C. #3?  Aren’t you 100% vested after 5 years service as a fa? If so, why is there a need for #3?  Unless correct me if I am wrong an example -an FA is in the job for 2 years but worked for the company in a different position for 10 years and at 61 1/2 they would get full vesting but if less than 60 years, or less than 10 years, would only be vested at 40% for her 2 years as a FA. Am I understanding correctly?

A. Section 29 of the L-AS CBA: Profit Sharing and Retirement specifies in  29.C. what is the vesting schedule for a Flight Attendant’s 401(k) company matching contributions.  This schedule is based on years of service as a Flight Attendant (often referred to as Occupational Seniority). A Flight Attendant is fully vested (100%) at five (5) or more years of service as a Flight Attendant (of Occupational Seniority).

The language in Section 29.D. references when a Flight Attendant may receive accelerated vesting in their 401(k) company matching contributions.  Specifically number three (29.D.3.) states that when a Flight Attendant has prior company service with Alaska Airlines and is either 60 or 611/2 years of age, then s/he would have accelerated vesting and her/his Company Seniority of either (12 or 10 years respectively) would allow her/him to be 100% vested.  

1.  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:

• The employee becomes medically disabled; or

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

• 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 (611⁄2) and a minimum of ten (10) years of service with the Company Seniority.”

In your scenario above  if a Flight Attendant had worked for 2 years (2 years of Occupational Seniority) and had prior company service but was either younger than 60/61 or did not have 12/10 years of Company Seniority then s/he  would only be 40% vested in tthe 401k company matching contributions.

Note:  A Flight Attendant is always 100% vested in her/his personal 401(k) contributions.

Q:  Please clarify the ppp payment for the block of 8 months,,,,do we have to meet the criteria every month to be paid the total $1100 payout for the 8 month block period. If we miss one of those 8 month do we forfeit the entire $1100 payout. Also if we get a vacation payout do we still need to pick up during the assigned month of vacation to make-up that tfp

A:  The additional 5 TFP allotment each month (for a total of 40 TFP for the 8-month block) can be credited in any month(s) of the block.  A Flight Attendant does not have to be credited the additional 5 TFP in each month.  If a Flight Attendant cashes out her/his vacation, the value of the vacation in the assigned month will be included in the PBS award and does not have to me made up (unlike the current QPP), even if it is unpaid.  

Q:     The specific language “Pre-Merger Legacy AS FA” and “Pre-Merger Legacy VX FA” concerns me because it leads me to believe there could be room for yet another pay scale for those hired “post merger,” which we all know will create a divide in our group for the next negotiations.

A:     The terms pre-merger/Legacy AS FA and pre-merger/Legacy VX FA are used throughout the Merger TA in order to provide clarity with respect to which Flight Attendant group (Airbus vs. Boeing) is being being referenced. “pmAS”/”L-AS” and “pmVX”/”L-VX” are simply ‘shorthand’ references to the respective Flight Attendant groups. Any Flight Attendant hired prior to, during or after ratification would be covered under all the provisions of the JCBA–including compensation. There is no possibility for a separate post-merger pay scale.

Q:     If the JCBA does not pass, then will both L-AS and L-VX FAs start getting cross trained this summer and will Full Implementation occur in March 2019 as shown on the timeline that MEC President Peterson explained in the Implementation segment of the Merger TA roadshow webinar?

A:     If the Merger TA does not ratify, Flight Attendant cross training will continue as scheduled. Additionally, training for both aircraft types will be incorporated into 2019 Recurrent Training, so L-AS and L-VX Flight Attendants will remain current on both aircraft types. However, Full Implementation will not happen if the Merger TA does not ratify.  Management cannot integrate both groups without an Integrated Seniority List, and AFA will not release the ISL to management without a ratified JCBA.

Q:     Hey is there any way to maybe get a bar graph or something showing how many people have voted through the voting period? This would be cool and might motivate more people to vote. Thanks.

A:     Thank you for the suggestion. The voting progress tracker has been added to the Merger TA Voting Information page.

[See also Transition of ITL to “A” [VX]]

Q:     Can someone explain the “A” position bidding to me? And does that apply to the L-AS FA?

A:     L-AS Flight Attendants bid the A position, which is awarded on a “pairing-by-pairing” basis. The ITL to “A” position transition for the L-VX Flight Attendants is described in the L-VX ITL to L-VX A Position roadshow webinar video.

Q:     I tried to find the language in the contract but unable to find. Is date of hire the mandate for the agreement? If an Alaska Airlines FA was hired previous to all Virgin America’s FAs, the only people who are senior to the Alaska FA are other Alaska FAs, right?

A:     The contract specifics that Flight Attendant Date of Hire (DOH) inclusive of time spent in Initial Training as provided for in the ISL will define Occupational Seniority/System Seniority.  This can be found in the JCBA LOA Changes to the 2014-2019 CBA TA, Section 6 [Seniority].

A.  Seniority Applications

2. Occupational Seniority/System Seniority

a. Hired as a Flight Attendant prior to Date of Ratification: Seniority that accrues from the date an employee is placed on the Company payroll as a Flight Attendant, which will be retroactive to include credit for time spent in Initial Training as provided for in the Integration Seniority List (ISL) certified by the Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC).

b.  Hired as a Flight Attendant after Date of Ratification: Seniority that accrues from the date an employee is placed on the Company payroll as a Flight Attendant, which will be retroactive to the first day of Initial Training.

c.  Occupational Seniority/System Seniority will be used for all vacation selection, eligibility for Longevity Paid Time Off, leaves of absence other than medical leaves, emergency leaves and additional personal leaves as defined in Section 15 [Leaves of Absence], reduction in force, return to active status after release due to reduction in force and bidding rights for line of time, reserve, extra sections, charter, Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) and other flying applications as provided for elsewhere in this Agreement.

In addition Section X [Merger Policy…] of the AFA Constitution and Bylaws spells out the full provisions of how the ISL is achieved.

In answer to the example provided, then you are correct: a L-AS FA hired prior to all other L-VX FAs is senior to them. Only other L-AS FAs who are already senior to the example L-AS FA prior to the merger will be senior to that person following certification of the Integrated Seniority List (ISL).