TA2 allows for FAs to cash out 25% of their available sick leave upon retirement.  However, there is no requirement to leave any certain amount in your sick leave bank until you retire.  If you need to use your sick leave while you are working, you may use 100% of all the sick leave you have available.

Example: A FA has has 500 TFP of sick leave in their sick leave bank.  We will look at two situations:

1.  The FA gets ill and goes out on a medical leave and chooses to coordinate their sick leave.  In this example, they would have 500 TFP of sick leave available to coordinate, and they can use it all for the illness.

2.  The FA does not get ill and is retiring and has the 500TFP in their sick leave bank at retirement.  In this example, they would be entitled to cash of 25% of the 500 TFP in their sick leave bank (500 x 25% = 125 TFP available to cash out at their rate of pay).

Current Book does not allow for a FA to cash out any of their available sick leave upon retirement.

If TA2 is ratified there will be a trial period of 12 months.  Section 12 “Exchange of Sequences” discusses many provisions but most importantly the Open Time Trial.  The 12-month trial period with AFA and management will evaluate whether the new system works and becomes permanent.  If either party determines the new OT system is not working, we will go back to current book as amended by the OT arbitration award and will immediately begin renegotiating a new OT system.

If the OT trial is canceled, Section 12, “Back to Book” will take effect while a new OT system is negotiated.  For your convenience we have included the OT Arbitration Award in the back of TA2 titled AFA Grievance No 36-99-02-18-11, “Withholding Open Time”.

We hope this information is helpful.  In the back of TA2 you will find the implementation side letter of agreement that discusses when the OT system will be available.

Do you have questions about the T/A?  Would you like us to post a specific blog post? Is there language you would like clarified or need more information about?  Email the Negotiating Committee at negotiations@afaalaska.org to get your answers from the source and give us suggestions!

In solidarity,

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

Flight Attendants who do not receive their voting instructions with the 16 digit activation code must call the AFA Ballot Helpline at (800) 424-2401, option 1 then extension 706.

Flight Attendants who have dues or membership issues must call AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401,  option 7.

The office is staffed Monday through Friday 930AM EST to 5PM EST.

Voting Instructions: Flight Attendants will receive a ballot packet containing the voting instructions including a 16-digit activation code and the voting guide. These will be mailed from the mail house in Maryland on 11-18-14. The activation code is specific to each Member therefore new instruction or voting guides will not and cannot be mailed. If a Flight Attendant did not receive their ballot packet they must contact the AFA Ballot Helpline. A new activation code with instructions will be emailed from the voting system directly to the member.

No.  The JA provisions will not take effect until 2015.  We understand that changing the provisions immediately would not allow you the ability to adjust your schedules.  We are looking at an implementation of the new JA rules after January 1st, 2015.  Once we have an exact date of JA implementation we will communicate that for your consideration.

 

It is extremely challenging to beneficially channel social media without allocating significant resources

 

Social media is an extremely powerful communication tool. As such the Negotiating Committee has attempted to acknowledge the importance of social media by interacting on various outlets in order to reach the greatest number of our members. However, it is also extremely challenging for an institution such as AFA Alaska to beneficially channel social media without allocating significant resources. Some may have agreed or disagreed with our approach at times but our intent has always been to use social media simply as a supplementary source of information. Any controversies that have resulted from our presence on social media have been unintentional.

 

Recent changes to secret Facebook groups

 

Earlier today, administrators of one of the private secret Facebook groups called “Voice the Vote” announced a name change to “Voice the Yes Vote.” Obviously the name change is indicative of taking a particular stance on TA2, a position that AFA cannot support. Our understanding is that the name may have been changed back to “Voice the Vote” and with new administrators.

 

Negotiating Committee will no longer be redirecting from private social media outlets

 

Rather than taking sides or continuing to navigate the rapidly shifting sands of social media, the Negotiating Committee will no longer be redirecting to the official channels from “Voice the Yes Vote,” “TA Talk,” “Almost Open,” or any other social media outlet not officially sanctioned by AFA. We are taking this unilateral action on all private social media outlets out of fairness to all their members and administrators. We sincerely regret if this will cause misunderstandings or hurt feelings.

 

Going forward the Negotiating Committee will be posting exclusively on the AFA outlets

 

Going forward, the Negotiating Committee will be posting exclusively on the Negotiations blog or on the AFA Alaska Facebook page or the individual council Facebook pages. You can also contact the Negotiating Committee via email at negotiations@afaalaska.org.

Roadshows

 

The Negotiating Committee will continue to focus on our preparations for the upcoming Roadshows starting December 1^st (see http://afaalaska.org/negotiations/ta for the full Roadshow schedule). We hope to see you soon!

 

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and

 

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

 

Click on this link to access TA2 Calculator

Thank you for your patience while there were enhancements to the TA2 calculator.  It is now available for your use once again.

In solidarity,

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

A:  If you are on a leave of absence and coordinating with sick leave then that month is not counted as part of the calendar year look-back under TA2. The look-back would extend into the previous year to capture additional months of flying to count towards the 480 TFP. This provision is a more favorable application than what is in place today as you are currently credited with only the minimal amount of sick leave (11.3 today, 9.0 or 9.3 under TA2).

Example: FA is on MLOA in May 2015 and chooses to coordinate 9.3 TFP of SL in order to stay on payroll while on their leave.  If this same example happened in May 2014 under the current book, that FA would have received only the 11.3 TFP credit in May 2014 towards their 480 requirement in 2014.  However, under TA2, May 2015 would be excluded and thus would require a one month look back into the last full month on active duty in the previous calendar year (2014) in order to calculate the 480 requirement in 2015.

You are eligible to accrue vacation while on a leave but if you have no paid time in a month, you would receive a 1/12 reduction to your vacation entitlement, same as current book. On any unpaid leave you would receive a 1.333 credit towards the 480 TFP for each day of the leave.

Click here for the Agenda

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 company offered a productivity premium and told us it was a take it or leave it item because they were not asking to negotiate any provision for it. We asked to put the money into the rates and they told us absolutely not. We asked to include vacation and they said no. Your MEC and Negotiating Committee met with Ben Minicucci, COO and lead negotiator for management to advocate for vacation to be included and the answer was still no. The goal was to incentivize flight attendants to work what they are scheduled to work. It is available to everyone and no one is penalized for not achieving it.

Remember in school when some kids would get that neat award for perfect attendance or perfect grades? Was it fair that not everyone got the award? YES it was fair, because everyone had the opportunity to achieve it and no one was excluded from the opportunity.