Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian
A: It will mean more money.
Any FA eligible for the 2014 Profitability Bonus (COLA) will receive that bonus in April. For 2015 and beyond, the Profitability Bonus (COLA) will be eliminated. The Bonus is based on the company’s profitability and the number TFP a FA is credited in the year. The Longevity Premium will almost certainly amount to more money, and significantly more money depending on years of service for a FA.
The holidays can be fun, but they also can be a source of great stress. Below are some common holiday stressors and suggestions for managing them.
Being realistic is the first step. Family dynamics typically revert to historic patterns when families come back together. You don’t have to pretend that all is well, but, you can sidestep difficulties by anticipating them and planning on ways to temporarily separate and defuse.
Knowing your spending limit is also a way to relieve holiday stress. People believe that they have to go out and buy gifts because it’s the holidays, even if they can’t afford to do so. Not only is it stressful to feel that you have to buy everyone a gift, but you’ll be stressed for the rest of the year trying to pay off your bills. Perhaps this is the year to make a pact not to exchange gifts but to share time together. This could also help someone who isn’t in a financial position to exchange gifts with you.
Putting routines on pause or totally rearranging schedules because of the holidays are the ingredients for exhaustion and chaos. Prioritize activities that are important and can fit around important replenishing activities like sleep, proper meals and exercise.
If you’re feeling really out of sorts because of a loss or stressor, try to tell those around you what you really need, since they may not know how to help you. Ask for their understanding if you decline an activity or can’t summon up the holiday spirit. Give yourself permission to grieve just as you would any other time of the year.
Parents need to tell their children to be realistic. It is OK to say to your child that a certain toy is too expensive. Even Santa Claus has limited funds and has to choose what most to give because he has a very long list. You can also tell your children that Mom and Dad and Santa Claus will try to choose the suitable present for the child. Children have to learn that their wish is not someone’s command and to curb their desires for instant gratification.
If you are unable to shake what you think are “holiday blues” your feelings may not be just about the holidays, but about other things in your life. If you need help in sorting out or dealing with painful thoughts or feelings, call your AFA EAP for confidential assistance. Call 1-800-424-2406.
Adapted in part from the American Psychological Association at www.apacenter.org
How do the Minimum Pay Rules in TA2 impact my pay and 480 credit?
Duty Period Minimum (DPM):
This is the same provision we have in place today that guarantees you will receive a minimum of 4.0 TFP per for each duty period in a pairing. Today, if the raw or hard value of a sequence is less than 4.0 TFP, it gets paid a minimum of 4.o TFP.
Example: A SEA- GEG turn has a raw/hard TFP value of 2.0 (1.0 TFP per leg), but with the DPM applied, you are paid 4.0 TFP and 4.0 TFP is credited towards your 480 threshold calculation.
Average Duty Period Guarantee (ADPG):
This provision ensures a Flight Attendant will receive a minimum of 5.0 TFP times the number of duty periods. Turns flown today that are worth anywhere from 4.o-4.9 are paid and credited towards 480 as such. However, under the TA, all of these will be paid a minimum of 5.0 TFP if flown. That has a great positive impact on your pay and 480 application.
Example: You are awarded a line of 18 – 4.0tfp turns (18 x 4.0 TFP) = 72 TFP line award, if you fly your turns, 18 turns (duty periods) x 5.0 TFP (ADPG) = 90 TFP. In this example, you will be paid 90 TFP instead of the 72.0 TFP awarded and you will get 90 TFP that month towards your 480 requirement.
Multi-Day Sequence Minimum (MSM):
This provision applies to sequences that are 3 or more calendar days but have fewer duty periods than the number of calendar days. These types of sequences will be paid a minimum of 4.0 TFP per calendar day. These are typically the pairings that span midnight on the last day of the trip. These values are included in the pairings when constructed and are paid if flown, calling in sick, etc…
Example: You are awarded a 3 day trip containing only 2 duty periods (Day 1: PDX- ANC, Day 2: ANC-PDX, releasing in PDX early AM on Day 3) this trip has a raw/hard TFP value of (4.2 + 4.2 = 8.4 TFP), but with the MSM applied, you are paid (4.0 TFP x 3 days = 12.0 TFP. In this example, today, you would be paid and credited for 8.4 TFP but in TA2, you will be paid 12.0 TFP and credited 12.0 TFP towards your 480 requirement.
Extended Overnight Rule:
This provisions applies to sequences that have no duty from 0100 to 2300 which triggers an additional 4.0 TFP to be calculated into the sequence total value.
Example: You are awarded a 3 day sequence (Day 1: PDX-OGG arrives at 22:55, Day 2: departs at 23:55 OGG-PDX releasing in PDX at 07:27 on Day 3. This trip has a raw/hard TFP value of (6.8 + 6.8 = 13.6 TFP), but there is no duty from 22:55 to 23:55 so the EOR would apply. With the EOR applied, you will paid (6.8 + 4.0 (EOR) + 6.8 = 17.6 TFP). In this example, today you would be paid and credited 13.6 TFP, but in TA2, you will be paid 17.6 TFP and 17.6 TFP will be credited towards your 480 requirement.
Sit Pay: This provision applies to any scheduled or actual ground time that exceeds 2 hours between flights. You will be paid 1.0 TFP unless stranded pay applies.
Example: A LAX-SEA turn worth 5.6 TFP is constructed with a 2:35 minute sit time or the same LAX-SEA turn was constructed with a 1:45 minute sit, but you block in 20 minutes early creating an actual sit of 2:05, then Sit Pay would apply and you would receive (5.6 + 1.0 Sit Pay = 6.6 TFP). In this example, today, you will be paid and credited 5.6 TFP, but in TA2, you will be paid 6.6 TFP if flown and 6.6 TFP will be credited towards your 480 requirement.
Minimum Pay Rules help us achieve our 480 worked TFP for the year. Keep in mind the only place the 480 needs to be worked TFP is for vacation accrual. For benefits, 480 includes worked, vacation (even if not earned)/PTO and sick, all other applications it is worked TFP plus vacation/PTO.
Q: How do the TA2 wage rates compare with the proposed AA/US Airways TA rates and the new increased rates Delta FAs will get in 2015?
A: The Alaska TA2 pay rates are higher in every pay step and will continue to be throughout the life of the proposed 5-year deal.
Q: I know the current Alaska rates are pretty low in comparison to the rest of the industry. Where do we rank with TA2?
Q: How come the more junior and middle of the scale rates received greater increases than the top of the scale (TOS) rates?
A: Two things complicate bigger raises at the TOS:
1) As you can see from the Industry Comparison Rates Chart, the TOS rates were already high for the industry. Does that mean you don’t deserve a significant raise: Absolutely Not! However, management’s overriding goals was to have rates to be no higher than #2 or #3 in the industry.
2) Additionally, and more significantly, management insisted that the total increase to our TOS rate not exceed the percentage increase to the pilot’s TOS increase. That was an absolute that management put down from the beginning and stood firm on that requirement. We focused on securing Longevity Premium to the more senior FAs.
Q: The $2.50 per diem rate – How does that compare with the rest of the industry?
A: It is the highest domestic rate in the industry. AA/US Airways new TA puts Domestic Per Diem at $2.10 and International Per Diem at $2.40 if ratified. Southwest has a Domestic Per Diem of $2.15 and International Per Diem at $2.65 (but AirTran flies all of their international routes).
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?
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
Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,
Please remember our Q and A session is tomorrow- We hope that you join your LEC Officers for discussion on the TA Summary and more!
Where: London Room, Sea Tac Conference Center (Mezzanine Level South end of the airport)
When: 9am to 4pm- Open Session
Parking is Free when you park on any level EXCEPT 4
Please bring your TA Summary:
http://afaalaska.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Print-FINAL-ALA-TA2-Summary-v3-11.10.14.pdf
Also, your LEC Benefits Chair, Kathy O’Malley, will be in attendance to answer any questions that you may have about Open Enrollment!
Did you update your address with AFA International?
Tomorrow is the last day to have your mailing address updated with AFA International to ensure your ballot is received! The ballots will be mailed on November 18th and the Vote Closes on December 17th.
AFA International: http://www.afacwa.org/change_of_address
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:
