A: No. That’s what happens today: the reality is that normally only those on duty get JA’d. With today’s technology (cell phones, caller ID, etc) FAs rarely answer the phone at home/off duty if they suspect that Crew Scheduling is calling to JA.

Remember:   Under the TA provisions, after the 15 minute debrief in Domicile, you cannot be JA’d, even if you are still in the terminal. You are off duty.

The NC accepted that reality and instead focused on improving the provisions governing a FA JA’d.

How So?

• JA Premium increased to 2.5x from today’s 1.5x.
• If JA’d, a FA can immediately post the trip for pick-up and the premium follows the trade.
• A FA can Jet Bridge Trade a JA trip.
• If a FA is assigned a JA trip out of order s/he is paid 3.0x trip value. The FA who was “skipped” is paid 2.5x the trip value.
• FAs are not contactable for JA while on vacation, including the last day.
• If you trade flying off your line and do not replace it, you are immune from JA for those days.
• A FA cannot be JA’s while on a JA assignment.
• A FA cannot be JA’d while non-revving.

A: This provision is an improvement and will help more FAs attain the 480 TFP threshold. Today’s 480 TFP calculation is based on a calendar year. Under TA2,If a FA was on a leave of absence and coordinated sick leave in any month, s/he can “reach back” beyond the calendar year if s/he did not meet the 480 TFP threshold in order to capture months in which s/he was flying full time.

Example:       For the calendar year 2013, FA Susan was credited a total of 420 TFP. Susan was on a medical leave of absence, coordinating with sick leave for July and August and only was credited with a total of 19.6 TFP for both months (9.3 TFP x 2 months). Under TA2, Susan will now “look-back” and capture all the TFP she was credited with in November and December of 2012 in which she was credited with a combined 85 TFP. That brings her total credit toward the 480 TFP Threshold to 505 TFP and Susan qualifies for all her benefits tied to the 480 Threshold. See below:

 

 

Nov 2013	Dec 2013	All of 2013 (Jan – Dec)
40 TFP	45 TFP	420 TFP

 

Total 2013 TFP:                 420 TFP

Nov + Dec (2013) TFP:     85 TFP

 

Total TFP toward the 480 Threshold: 505 TFP

A: Alaska already has the highest vacation pay in the industry for carriers with PBS. Our vacation pay is 4 TFP per day – which translates to 4.52 block hours per day. As a comparison the AA/USA TA put the value of a vacation day at 3.5 block hours for “filler days” and 4.o block hours for days in a full block.

A productivity premium is not a requirement, but in essence a bonus for the quarters Flight Attendants are able to achieve it.  Not every Flight Attendant will achieve a Productivity Premium every quarter.  Some Flight Attendants may earn the bonus every quarter, while some Flight Attendants may never earn it; and some Flight Attendants will achieve it some quarters but not in other quarters.  It is just extra money in the quarter(s) a Flight Attendant flies a minimum of 0.1 TFP more than their awarded line totals added together for the quarter .

What impact does vacation have on the Quarterly Productivity Premium?

Vacation is credited in your monthly awarded line value in PBS, so in the quarter you have vacation awarded, you would have to fly the equivalent of your vacation TFP extra plus 0.1 TFP more.

Example:

JAN – line award = 70 TFP (28 TFP vacation + 42 TFP sequence value), FEB – line award = 70 TFP (all 70 TFP sequence value), MAR- line award = 70 TFP (all 70 TFP sequence value). Take Jan (70) + Feb (70) + Mar (70) = 210 TFP for the quarter. A Flight Attendant will need to fly 210.1 total TFP in the quarter, not including vacation or sick leave.  Flight Attendants have two choices in this quarter:  First, don’t fly through (make up the 28 TFP of vacation) and forego the productivity premium that quarter or second, have worked TFP (which means you will be flying the extra 28 TFP as vacation isn’t credited towards total) and receive the quarterly productivity premium.

These numbers are tracked by looking at the left hand column in PBS where it shows your line value for the month, and to reiterate, vacation is reflected in that number so you will need to fly your vacation TFP plus one tenth (0.1) TFP more than the total PBS line value of the three months added together.

See below for an interactive chart (you will need to scroll at the bottom to view the entire chart) that allows you to plug in your own PBS line award values and your own TFP flown each month to see the impact they have on the Quarterly Productivity Premium.

A: NO. Management expressed a strong interest in having FA managers experience our jobs first hand so they could understand the difficulties of our work environment and hopefully drive improvements.

While management wanted them on as minimum crew, we pushed to have them be an extra. Having them on as a minimum crew would potentially put more stress and work on the other two or three FA crewmembers. If the manager is an extra, you will get the additional help. The manager will have the lowest “seniority” on the crew and if mutually agreeable, you may trade positions.

Remember, the manager flier will be on the aircraft as working crew to fully experience our job and assist – NOT to observe and discipline us. It will be important to point out difficulties, suggest improvements and have them really get to know our job duties and the “extra position.” The following provisions will govern Management Flying:

• The manager must work a scheduled sequence, out of a FA domicile, as the D on a 3-person crew and an E on a 4-person crew.
• The scheduled sequence may only be broken at a SIP.
• Will be considered a working crewmember and must follow all requirements in the FAM and all limitations in the applicable sections of our CBA (e.g. duty and rest provisions).
• No single-source discipline may result from the manager’s presence on the sequence

As promised here is the full TA language for 4K pairings. It is contained in Section 10 [Scheduling] 

Section 10.DD. LONG STAGE LENGTH (“4K”) DUTY PERIOD

1. At the Flight Attendant’s option, s/he may preference and may be awarded a sequence with one (1) or more Long Stage Length Duty Period(s), as defined in Section 5 [Definitions]. 

2. Crew Planning may construct Long Stage Length Duty Periods under the following parameters:

a. Two leg maximum in the duty period.

b. The scheduled sit time will not exceed seventy (:70) minutes.

c. Must depart from and return to the same domicile.

d. The Long Stage Length Duty Period will exceed ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) but cannot exceed four-thousand (4,000) statute miles (i.e. two-thousand (2,000) statute miles per leg or four-thousand (4,000) statute miles roundtrip).

e. Crew Planning must consult with the Association Scheduling Chair on a monthly basis and during pairing construction for specific sequence selection.

f. The Long Stage Length Duty Period provided for in this Section may be built into a multi-day sequence; however, the exceptions to Section 8.E. [Duty Period] will only apply to the duty period that contains the Long Stage Length Duty Period.

g. Sequences containing Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) will be identified and placed into PBS for bid.  In no circumstances will a Flight Attendant be awarded a sequence containing a Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) via PBS unless s/he has indicated a preference for or has specifically bid for those sequences.

3. A maximum of ninety percent (90%) of the total domicile departures of Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) will be built out of any single domicile for each bid month.

4. A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the total domicile departures of Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) will be built and rotated on a month-by-month basis throughout the remaining domiciles for each bid month.

5. Sequences containing a Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) may be offered as Premium OT with a minimum one and one-half times (1.5x) premium.

6. Automated trading of a Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) will be processed through E-maestro or a successor system.

7. Reserve Flight Attendants who self assign into a Long Stage Length Duty Period will be considered to have opted into the sequence.

8. A Flight Attendant who is awarded or accepts a sequence containing a Long Stage Length Duty Period(s) of twelve hours and thirty minutes (12:30) or less will not be deemed to have waived the crew rest provision in Section 8.M. [Domicile Rest]

9. Crew Scheduling may create or adjust sequence(s) that contain a “4k” duty period only if the “4k” duty period was in published pairing originally built by Crew Planning and due to irregular operations (including crew shortage) needs to be staffed.

10. If there is an open position(s) on “4k” sequence(s) and it is more than three (3) hours prior to departure the following will apply:

a. The “4k” sequence must be placed into OT per Section 12.E.1. [Open Time…].

b. Crew Scheduling may reconfigure a “4k” sequence consistent with Section 8.E. [Duty Period] to make all duty periods equal to or less than ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) prior to assignment.  If such reconfiguration occurs, the surviving legal sequence is no longer considered a “4k” sequence.

c. Crew Scheduling may offer a “4k” sequence to a Reserve and must inform the Reserve that the sequence contains a “4k” duty period(s). S/he is not required to accept the sequence. If the Reserve declines the offer, the next Reserve in LTFA order may be offered the “4k” sequence under the same conditions of this provision. The process may be repeated until all available Reserves are exhausted. 

11. If there is an open position(s) on “4k” sequence(s) and it is three (3) hours or less prior to departure the following apply:

a. Crew Scheduling may offer the “4k” sequence to a Lineholder as a reassignment at check-in consistent with 10.R. [Reassignment(s)]. Crew Scheduling must inform the Lineholder that the sequence contains a “4k” duty period.  S/he is not required to accept the assignment.  If a Flight Attendant accepts the “4k” sequence as a reassignment all provisions of 10.R. [Reassignments] will apply. If the Lineholder declines the offer, the next eligible Lineholder in seniority order may be offered the “4k” sequence under the same conditions of this provision. The process may be repeated until all available Lineholders are exhausted consistent with 10.R. [Reassignments].

b. A Reserve may opt into a “4k” sequence by preferencing it on the LTFA.  Crew Scheduling may bypass the order of assignment to assign a “4k” sequence to a Reserve who has preferenced “4k”.  A Reserve who preferences “4k”, then subsequently receives a “4k” assignment, must accept the sequence. If a Reserve preferences a “4k’ sequence the premium in 11.c., below, will not apply for involuntary “4k” assignment will apply.

c. Crew Scheduling may involuntarily assign a “4k” sequence to a Reserve.  The Reserve will be paid one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate for the entire sequence of which one times (1.0x) the trip rate will be credited toward the Reserve’s guarantee and one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above the guarantee.

12. Lineholders will not be required to accept or be reassigned to a “4k” sequence.

13. A sequence containing a Long Stage Length Duty Period may not be assigned as a JA.

Section 5 Definition:

Long Stage Length (“4k”) Duty Period:  A duty period containing a two (2) leg maximum; a scheduled sit time not exceeding seventy (:70) minutes; departs from and returns to the same domicile; and the duty day exceeding ten hours and thirty minutes (10:30) cannot exceed four-thousand (4,000) statute miles.

A 4K pairing operates similar to a charter with the exception that it includes cities that are regularly scheduled routes. NO LINE HOLDER IS EVER FORCED TO FLY ONE THROUGH BIDDING, SECONDARY LINE GENERATION (UNSTACKING), REASSIGNMENT OR JA!

The sequence can contain ONLY 2 legs that combined CAN NOT exceed 4,000 statute miles (2,000 out and 2,000 back – max – and not ground miles). Additionally there is a maximum ground time of seventy minutes (:70). The East Coast, Florida, New Orleans, Atlanta, Hawaii, Puerto Vallarta and many other destinations are not included using SEA as the start point.

How can you figure out the 2,000 mile range from your home domicile? You can go to www.gpsvisualizer.com/calcuators to input your home domicile. Go to Draw Range Rings around a point (It’s about 5 spots down). Input your 3 letter domicile code (e.g. SEA), enter 3218.7km, choose google maps. Once the map comes, use the drop down to choose the top google map option, not the hybrid. This will show you city names on the map. You can then zoom in.

If the vacancy exists before 3 hours from departure, Crew Scheduling must place the sequence in OT for pickup. Reserves will be able to preference 4k’s on the LTFA list. If they have made a preference to fly them they will not be able to pass on the assignment and if the assignment is within 3 hours they will not get the premium. In the event a vacancy exists within 3 hours of departure a reserve who has chosen not to preference 4k pairings may be forced to fly one BUT will be paid 1.5times TFP for the entire trip and will be given the same duty rest as a line holder upon return to base (11:30 compared to 9 today).

In runs done by Crew Planning today, these sequences only represent roughly 5% of all of our total pairings system wide for an example month of January. 10% of those 5% will be spread to other bases within multi-day trips. The same no forcing rules apply. The 10% is a minimum and Crew Planning anticipates more based on aircraft movement through the system. Based on the 4,ooo statute mile limit, a duty day can not be scheduled for more then 11:40 min but most averaged between 10:40-11:00. These pairings will be very high time.

Crew Scheduling will have a huge liability if they put more out for bids then what bidding can sustain because they will be dropped into OT and DO NOT count towards the closing day threshold. They can offer them in Premium OT for line holders or they will be forced to burn their reserve coverage with a premium. AGAIN no line holder will ever be forced to fly one if they don’t choose to. Crew planning is not required to build these pairings and will only build what can be sustained in the bidding process based on how our work group chooses to or not to bid for them.

Section 8 contains our work rules including the 10:30 duty day. Nothing was changed in our work rules. This is a scheduling option just as charters are today. It is in the scheduling section for that very reason. You waive no work rules by flying a 4k pairing. You are accepting a duty day over 10:30 but if it exceeds 12:30 due to delay or some other issue you will be due all of the work rule provisions in regards to pay and rest. If during the bidding process, you preference or bid for a 4k pairing, you WILL NOT be waiving your 10:30 duty day for anything else.

We will be posting all Contract Language for 4k pairings by the end of today! This way you can read the language in its entirety.

Your LEC presidents would like to explain their perspectives and voting record regarding TA2. Rather than attempting to include one statement from each of the five LECPs (which would make for an even longer communication), the four presidents who voted to release the TA for ratification with a “neutral” recommendation have crafted a general statement on their behalf. Council 18 LAX President Sandra Morrow has written a personalized statement explaining why she voted to not release the TA for ratification and why she is on the record with an “against” recommendation.

Letter from the LEC Presidents of Council 30 ANC, 19 SEA, 39 PDX and 15 SAN Regarding TA2

 

“In reviewing the tentative agreement (TA) over the past few weeks the ANC, PDX, SAN and SEA LEC presidents came to the decision that we support sending the TA out to the Membership for consideration. Based on your feedback after the first TA we are taking a “neutral” stance because we believe that each of you must make your own decision and we support your right to vote in your own way. However, if the four of us believed this TA had not addressed and corrected the main concerns from TA 1 we would not have voted “yes” to send it out for your consideration.

 

The Negotiating Committee went back to the table with a daunting task to achieve several changes in JA, Open Time, Attendance, Sick Leave, Insurance and Compensation. We believe that the Negotiating Committee was able to achieve positive changes in each of these sections, and more! It is our desire that you take time to review the information and make an educated decision. Attend a road show, watch the videos, and email your local officers if you need clarification or have any questions. This is your future and we want to ensure that you have the ability to cast a vote based on fact.

 

We fully support and appreciate the hard work that the Negotiating Committee put into this TA and thank them for their efforts. They held firm to achieve our desires and negotiated pay scales that are #2 or #3 in the industry on every pay scale!

 

We hope that you take the time to thank them for their hard work and dedication.”

 

–- Council 30 ANC President Becky Strachan, Council 19 SEA President Laura Masserant, Council 39 PDX President Cathy Gwynn and Council 15 SAN President Stephen Couckuyt

 

Letter from the LEC President of Council 18 LAX Regarding TA2

 

“I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you my decision and the rationale that went into making this decision with regard to the proposed TA.

After reading the TA, speaking with my fellow LAX officers, and with much consideration, I voted “Against” taking the TA out for a ratification vote, requesting the Negotiating Committee return to the table while we resume our mobilization events immediately.

Although this TA has resolved many of the issues that were of concern to you in the last TA, this TA has new concerns for me. As your LEC President, I represent all flight attendants in LA, and it is my opinion that this TA falls short in what I, and your local officers, consider to be a fair and equitable agreement for all seniorities, which could potentially lead to divisiveness within our work group.

Another cause for concern are the proposed changes to the work rules. As a group you have been extremely vocal and clear in your message not to change the current work rules. I find these changes to have no great benefit for all flight attendants at every base and believe this can be corrected by going back to the table.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Negotiating Committee for all of their hard work and presenting us with a clean and concise document. They have worked countless hours to incorporate the language from our current book, TA1 and TA2 to make it reader friendly. I appreciate their dedication and professionalism to this process and hope all of you take a moment to thank them for the job they have done. I have complete confidence in this team to return to the table.

Ultimately, it is your decision to make. Please know that I respect and trust each and every one of you to make your own decision by staying informed, going to the roadshows and utilizing all the tools that AFA will provide you with.”

 

–Council 18 LAX President Sandra Morrow

~ ~ ~

 

The Master Executive Council (MEC) hopes you will find this important background information helpful as you begin the process of evaluating the TA for ratification. If you have lingering questions about your LEC president’s position regarding TA2, the MEC encourages you to contact your LEC president directly for further discussion.

 

In solidarity,

 

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