Unforeseen kink prohibiting automated JA trades…and a solution
As of this writing there have been twelve Junior Available (JA) assignments in Seattle for “Big Game” Sunday* under the new JA rules that went into effect yesterday. There has been an unforeseen kink in the ability to automatically post and trade JA assignments. The good news is that AFA and management have already developed a workaround until the issue can be resolved through automation.
“P” label prevents automated trades via eMaestro
JA’d flight attendants usually have a “P” label added to their position on the sequence, which indicates premium pay—now at 2.5x premium for JA. New labels are being developed for Premium Open Time. Unfortunately the “P” prevents eMaestro from allowing JA trips from being traded automatically, which would require that any FA wishing to trade a JA to call Crew Scheduling (CSKD) for assistance.
CSKD will remove the “P” label and F/As will use the “Comments” field until the process is automated
Going forward, CSKD will remove the “P” label when a JA is made and CSKD will add the label back in after the trip is flown so that the flight attendant is paid correctly. This will allow flight attendants to trade JAs. However, there will be no visible code to notify other flight attendants that the trip is JA so a flight attendant who posts a JA trip will need to use the free form “Comments” field for now. AFA suggests “JA 2.5x” or something similar.
No need to follow up with CSKD to replace “P” label but submit and Activity Claim Form as back up
There is no need to follow up with Crew Scheduling even if the trip is traded because CSKD has the ability to track the pairing’s history. AFA recommends flight attendants fill out an Activity Claim Form as a back up in order to ensure proper payment. Currently there is no “2.5x” field on the Activity Claim Form, so flight attendants will use the “Other” field for now. AFA will follow up to ensure the Activity Claim Form is updated. Detailed instructions follow.
Activity Claim Form JA instructions
World of Inflight (http://asainflight.alaskaair.com) –> ‘Forms’ –> ‘Pay Forms’ –> ‘Activity Claim Form’. Fill in the “Other: (Trips/Dollars/Explain Below)” field with the appropriate TFP value at straight time and in the ‘Comments:’ field indicate “2.5x JA pay.” You must fill in the other required fields (base / flights / sequence / pay month / activity month / activity day) as appropriate.
***
In solidarity,
Your Contract Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
*AFA Alaska probably would not be violating any copyright laws by directly referring to today’s “Big Game” event by name (see http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/01/the-nfl-wants-you-to-think-these-things-are-illegal/ for one explanation). However in order to avoid a hassle, AFA is refraining from doing so because of popular misconception about such copyright restrictions. We also are avoiding a potential “cease and desist” letter from the National Football League. P.s. Go Hawks!
JA in Seattle: January 31, 2015
Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,
It has come to the attention of your LEC Officers that JA’ing is occurring in our base today. Many of you may not have seen the earlier blast stipulating the new JA language is in effect today, January 31, 2015.
Please read Section 9 for more detailed information, but here are a few important points!
Junior Available (or Junior Assignment) (JA) — When a Flight Attendant is required to work on her/his //scheduled day off, or when Crew Scheduling assigns a Flight Attendant any additional flying after a completed scheduled sequence. Such additional flights or sequences must be legally scheduled. A Flight Attendant may be required to remain on duty after being JA’d at the completion of a sequence up to twelve hours and thirty minutes (12:30) for that duty period [See Arbitration number 48-98 (Knowlton 2/23/99)].
MEANS OF CONTACT FOR JA:
Flight Attendants may be contacted for JA duty by the following methods only:
When contacted in person on Company property or at the airport during scheduled duty on a scheduled day of work.
Telephone contact at the Flight Attendant’s primary contact number on file with Crew Scheduling after scheduled check-in for her/his sequence. Flight Attendants must provide a contact number to Crew Scheduling.
***Crew Scheduling will be placing the JA trip on the JA’d Flight Attendant’s schedule and will send an ACARS message for that Flight Attendant to call Crew Scheduling.
If the JA assignment will cause the Flight Attendant to go below twelve (12) minimum days off, or will not provide forty-eight (48) hours rest within seven (7) days, Crew Scheduling must inform the Flight Attendant and s/he may decline the assignment. If accepted, all pay provisions will apply to the JA assignment.
Remember, you can give away your JA assignment and the JA pay, 2.5x, follows the trip!
Please reach out to your LEC Officers if you have any questions!
What goes into effect today, Saturday, January 31, 2015?
New Junior Assignment provisions
If the operation requires flight attendants to be Junior Assigned, Crew Scheduling will no longer call flight attendants at home in addition to JA’ing F/As on duty. JA will move exclusively to F/As on duty only in inverse seniority order of those legal for the assignment. If your phone rings and you are off duty, no more worrying about whether or not it is CSKD!
Voluntary Junior Available (VJA) is still in effect through the April bid month. Premium Open Time will replace VJA in May.
Management flying as an extra
Management may fly as an extra position. The program is likely to start slowly but Inflight management’s latest goal is for each base supervisor to fly one sequence per month with one overnight sequence per quarter. However, there is no limit to the number of times a supervisor may fly as an extra.
Inflight has pledged a good faith effort to notify crews in advance of the flight that a supervisor will be part of the crew compliment as an extra position. Although there is no contractual requirement, notification is being targeted for the day prior if possible. Members of senior Inflight leadership such as Ron Calvin are determining the supervisors’ assignments.
Discipline may not result from a supervisor working as an extra being a “sole source” of discipline. This means in order for crew to be subject to discipline there would have to me multiple sources of information to corroborate an observation made by a supervisor working as an extra. Safety issues will be eligible for submission under ASAP. If you have less than a positive experience with a supervisor working as an extra, please contact your LEC leadership to provide feedback so AFA can pass this along to upper management.
Section 3 Scope D.1.c.1-4:
3.D1.c. Inflight management may work as a Flight Attendant on a sequence under the following provisions:
(1.) The Inflight management employee may work a scheduled sequence only in an open position as the D FA on a three (3) person crew or an E FA on a four (4) person crew.
(2.) S/he will be considered a working member of the crew and must follow all requirements in the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM) and all limitations in the applicable Sections of the CBA (e.g. duty and rest provisions). S/he will be considered a “crewmember” for the purpose of this provision. Her/his effective seniority will be considered to be the most junior Flight Attendant on that flight.
(3.) The Inflight management employee must work an entire sequence or a portion of a sequence broken at a SIP. The sequence must be legally constructed out of a Flight Attendant domicile.
(4.) No single-source discipline may result from the Inflight management employee’s presence on the sequence. Safety issues will be eligible for submission under the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP).
* * *
In solidarity,
Your Contract Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Second Weekly Implementation meeting this past week
AFA and management are making good progress towards implementation of the new contract. Additionally, the parties continue to resolve various challenges as we continue further into the implementation process. In the past week the Alaska Airlines Information Technology (IT) department has done much work on the various TFP calculators. AFA will work on vetting the usability and accuracy of the calculators but for now we recommend the calculators be used only as a very tentative guide.
Reserve ER “conversion” pay!
Good news for flight attendants sitting reserve in December, January or February! Due to technological constraints, ER days could not be removed from Reserve’s schedules as quickly as the parties originally anticipated during active negotiations. Some of you noticed there was a modification to the Implementation schedule between the published version and the 12/29/2014, which delayed when pre-plotted ER days went away. In consideration of the Reserves, AFA and management agreed Reserves may submit for extra pay essentially as if the pre-plotted ER days were already gone. Pre-plotted ER days will be removed in the March bid schedule.
In the meantime, Reserves may submit additional pay for activity between between December 2014 and February 2015 as follows:
- 1st and 2nd ER day in the month = free
- 3rd ER day in the month = 1.5x the trip rate for activity during an ER duty period or 1 TFP paid above reserve guarantee (!) if not used
- 4th ER day or more in a bid month = 2x the trip rate for activity during an ER duty period or 1 TFP paid above reserve guarantee (!) if not used
Submit via an Activity Claim Form in the World of Inflight (http://asainflight.alaskaair.com) –> ‘Forms’ –> ‘Pay Forms’ –> ‘Activity Claim Form’. Fill in the “1.5 x Standard Trip:” (for 3rd ER) or “2.0 x Standard Trip:” (4th or more ER) for activity flown during the ER duty period at the appropriate premium rate. Otherwise fill out the “Other: (Trips/Dollars/Explain Below)” field with “1.0” and in the “Comments:” field indicate “1.0 TFP ER day not used.” You must fill in the other required fields (base / flights / sequence / pay month / activity month / activity day) as appropriate.
Minor typo in the 12/29/2014 Implementation Schedule
Due to an inadvertent clerical error, there is an error on line 73 of the revised Implementation Schedule dated 12/29/2014. The line reads “New Junior Assignment provisions and Premium Open Time.” However if Premium OT goes into effect on 1/31/2015 that conflicts with line 119 which states Premium OT will be implemented on 5/1/2015: “9.E. – FA’s will be allowed to pick up trips posted in open time (OT) at premium rate. FA’s are not able to trade a trip into OT to pick up a trip designated as premium in OT.”
The Contract Committee has definitively confirmed via our bargaining notes and other records the phrase “and Premium Open Time” should be deleted on line 73 to resolve the conflict and correctly reflect intent between the parties. A link to the corrected version of the Implementation schedule follows this paragraph. Please note the deletion of those four words on line 73 is the only difference between the version published on 12/29/2014 and today. AFA apologizes for any confusion.
Implementation Schedule 12/29/2014 v2
Meeting next week in Portland to focus on finalizing the document for publication
The parties’ Contract Committees and several subject matter experts will meet next week in Portland, OR, to focus on finalizing the TA2 document for publication. It is our goal to publish and distribute the new contract as soon as possible.
* * *
In solidarity,
Your Contract Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Click below to view the full version of Council 19 – Seattle’s January 2015 Newsletter!
A Message from your AFA Government Affairs Committee
Tell Congress: No Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Would you ratify a contract with your employer without knowing, other than broad generalizations, what that contract contains? No? Well that is what Congress is being asked to do with U.S. Industry.
Corporate lobbyists are urging Congress to give the White House Trade Promotion Authority (aka Fast Track) in order to rubber stamp the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Fast Track is when the Congress cedes its Congressional obligation to review, amend and debate trade agreements.
“Fast Track” legislation is expected to come before Congress in March. AFA-CWA, working with a coalition of more than 100 organizations, is fighting back and urging Congress to oppose Fast Track. AFA and CWA have are encouraging members to call Congress starting January 27 and through the remainder of the week to tell Congress that Fast Track must be stopped.
Why Is This Important To Flight Attendants?
Fast Track Authority, if granted by the Congresses, wouldn’t simply apply to only one trade deal – it would apply to as many trade agreements as can be negotiated by this White House or the next one. The next “big’” trade deal in the pipeline is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The European Union will be pushing for access to the U.S. domestic market and an increase to the allowable foreign ownership and control of U.S. airlines. This would be devastating to U.S. aviation, our job security and aviation security.
What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
The TPP is a massive trade deal that has been mostly negotiated in secret by the U.S. and 11 other countries.
This trade deal makes it likely that service industry jobs will be eligible to outsource. TPP is specifically designed to guarantee and protect profits for corporations. If approved, corporations can sue a country if it raises its minimum wage, like Egypt did, or adopts regulations to protect the public health, like Australia.
TPP would make “Buy America” laws illegal. Right now the federal government gives preferential treatment to U.S. businesses when buying goods and services. TPP would make that practice illegal. Historically, corporations have taken advantage of any opportunity to pay foreign workers less and take advantage of local laws to cut costs.
Labor standards and working conditions overseas have a direct impact on air safety as more and more US-based airlines move their Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) work overseas.
Congress is now considering whether to allow the pending TPP trade deal – the largest in history — to be “Fast Tracked” through without the chance for them — our elected representatives to amend it.
What is Fast Track Authority?
Fast Track authority means Congress will have to vote on 2,000+ page trade deals as written with almost no debate and no ability to amend. Fast Track supersedes the typical check and balance process of our democracy. Members of Congress will be voting to give the TPP this expedited approval without having actually read the TPP agreement! They will, in effect, be voting for the trade agreement before reading it.
Who wants Fast Track?
Corporations want TPP because it puts profits over people by allowing Executives to challenge laws that may have an impact on their profits. It would facilitate the export of jobs to low wage countries.
Can Fast Track Be Stopped?
YES! We have stopped it before. In 1998, Fast Track was voted down in a bipartisan vote (171 Democrats and 71 Republicans).
Many Members of this Congress do not support Fast Track either and are standing with us to fight back. Both Democrats and Republicans have announced their opposition to the push for Fast Track authority and more are signing on every day. We can win this.
Our coalition of more than 100 groups – including workers, people of faith and community leaders and more – is working together to Stop Fast Track and the TPP.
Call Your Representatives
Call 888-966-9836
Enter your zip code, to be you will be connected with your U.S. Representative.
Sample scripts:
“As a constituent, I expect you to stand up for America and oppose Fast Track for the TPP”
OR
“As a constituent I am concerned that large scale trade agreements are being negotiated in secret. I wouldn’t vote for my employment contract without seeing the details and Congress shouldn’t either. I urge you to oppose Fast Track for the TPP.”
Do it Today
Urge Congress to oppose outsourcing. Ask for a NO vote on Fast Track.
Use Twitter to Tweet:
#BarackObama Do the math: US jobs created by trade – jobs sent overseas 4 low wages = fewer jobs for US workers. #stopfasttrack #sotu.
On Facebook change your status to encourage your friends and family join the fight:
Tell the White House and Congress to stand up for US jobs!
Large-scale trade agreements are being negotiated in secret. I wouldn’t vote for my employment contract without seeing the details and Congress shouldn’t either. Urge your representatives in Congress to oppose Fast Track for the TPP.
For more information contact your AFA-CWA Government Affairs Committee. You can find contact information at http://afaalaska.org/governmentaffairs.
Due to concerns over the impact of Winter Storm Juno, Alaska Airlines management is cancelling flights into and out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). AFA and management have agreed to enact the provisions of 8.S. Natural Disasters and Acts of War in order to facilitate leaving no crews on the ground as determined to be necessary. Affected crewmembers—some of whom are currently in flight—will be turned back to a Flight Attendant domicile starting as soon as this afternoon.
A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between AFA and Alaska Airlines enacting this provision may be found by clicking here.
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt
21.R. Quarterly Productivity Premium
A Flight Attendant will receive a Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) if Worked TFP during a calendar quarter exceeds the TFP equivalent of the Flight Attendant’s combined monthly PBS bid award in that calendar quarter.
What is Worked TFP?
Worked TFP is all paid TFP excluding vacation/PTO and sick leave. Worked TFP includes (but is not limited to) regular TFP, Sit Pay, 4 trip minimum, ground delay, stranded pay, pre-boarding, pay protection, jury duty, deadhead, surface deadhead, Recurrent Training, Company business, Union business, et cetera.
Do I have to achieve my PBS bid award every month in order to be eligible for the QPP?
No. The QPP is based on exceeding the PBS monthly bid award combined over the three months in the calendar quarter.
Example:
January 2015 – 80 TFP
February 2015 – 80 TFP
March 2015 – 80 TFP
In order to achieve the QPP for Q1 2015, you must fly 240.1 TFP anytime during Q1. You could fly 100 TFP in January, 100 TFP in February and 40.1 TFP in March or any combination thereof. As just a few examples, Sit Pay, Recurrent Training, ground delay pay, boarding pay are all “bonuses” above one’s bid award that will help you achieve the QPP.
How does vacation/PTO affect the QPP?
Vacation/PTO is included in the PBS bid award, so it counts towards “setting the bar” for the QPP. However, Worked TFP does not include vacation/PTO, so vacation/PTO does not count towards “meeting the bar” for QPP.
Example:
January 2015 – 80 TFP (28 TFP vacation, 52 TFP flying)
February 2015 – 80 TFP
March 2015 – 80 TFP
If you just fly your line and have one sit over 2 hours sometime in Q1 (52 TFP + 80 TFP + 80 TFP + 1 TFP = 213 TFP), you will not achieve the QPP. The “bar” is set at 240 TFP but you have only flown 212 TFP plus the 1 TFP Sit Pay = 213 TFP. You must fly at least 240.1 TFP in Q1 to achieve QPP. Although you do not have to fly over your vacation, you do have to fly the equivalent of any vacation/PTO and sick time at some point in the quarter, plus exceed the quarterly bid award by 0.1 TFP.
Quarterly Productivity Premium video
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