AFA and Alaska Airlines management have essentially re-written Stranded Pay
AFA and Alaska Airlines management have essentially re-written Section 21.N Stranded Pay in addition to the Addendum to Section 21 #3 “What is Stranded Pay?”. Why?
Background on why Stranded Pay needed to be revised
Stranded Pay was one of the last bargaining objectives AFA wished to address in Section 21 Compensation. Unfortunately, the parties basically ran out of time at what ended up being the final mediation session in Chicago back in October last year. The National Mediation Board (NMB) had put significant pressure on both parties to reach an agreement in that session “or else.” AFA believes it is accurate to say that both the AFA and management negotiating committees were under the distinct impression that future mediation dates were in jeopardy if a tentative agreement was not achieved. We did ultimately reach an agreement but Stranded Pay went completely untouched.
With the addition of all the new Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) and Sit Pay, the existing Stranded Pay language was inadequate to explain how flight attendants would be compensated in many different situations involving the aforementioned new provisions. Rather than ending up in multiple disputes, AFA and management agreed to address Stranded Pay prior to publishing the final version of the contract. Additionally, Stranded Pay has accumulated fairly significant grievance history in the past two decades. Therefore it was in the best interest of all concerned to clarify and memorialize that history while also taking into account the new provisions.
Revised Stranded Pay language
The following language will be in the final printed version of your contract:
SECTION 21 COMPENSATION
N. STRANDED PAY
In the event a Flight Attendant is stranded, i.e. unable to fly her/his sequence (the sequence that is on her/his line following check-in) as scheduled for more than two hours (2:00), due to weather, mechanical problems, or to suit Company convenience, s/he will receive pay for such stranding (i.e. the act of being stranded) as described below.
1. When a Flight Attendant is stranded, s/he will be compensated on a day-for-day basis except as provided for under 1.e. (stranded pay in a sequence with a Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM)) and 1.f. (stranded pay in a sequence with an Average Duty Period Guarantee (ADPG)), below, as follows:
a. The TFP value of flights flown including surface deadhead in addition to any TFP added to achieve the Duty Period Minimum; and
b. Sit Pay; and
c. Any applications of the Extended Overnight Rule (EOR) not related to the stranding(s); and
d. If the sequence in which the stranding occurs does not contain a Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM), the greater of:
1. (Stranded pay:) The TFP value of all instances of stranded pay in the day pursuant to N.2., below; or
2. (Pay protection:) The scheduled TFP value of scheduling obligations not flown or made up that day as a result of the stranding(s) plus the TFP value of any scheduling consequence(s) resulting from the applicable stranding(s) that directly affects any duty or rest period in the same or subsequent sequence(s) (e.g. when related to the stranding: any Extended Overnight Rule application(s), adjustments due to compensatory “double-out” rest or other contractual legalities, etc.); or
e. If the sequence in which the stranding occurs contains a Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM), the greater of:
1. (Stranded pay in the entire sequence:) The TFP value of all instances of stranded pay in the sequence pursuant to N.2., below; or
2. (All pay protection:) The scheduled TFP value of all scheduling obligations not flown or made up in the entire sequence plus the TFP value of any MSM over the life of the sequence plus the TFP value of any scheduling consequence(s) resulting from the applicable stranding(s) that directly affects any duty or rest period in the same or subsequent sequence(s) (e.g. when related to the stranding: any Extended Overnight Rule application(s), adjustments due to compensatory “double-out” rest or other contractual legalities, etc.); and
f. TFP added to the sequence to achieve the Average Duty Period Guarantee (ADPG).
g. If a duty period crosses midnight such duty period will be credited in the day in which the duty period starts for the purposes of calculating pay protection or stranded pay pursuant to this provision.
2. Stranded Pay
a. Commencing with the time the aircraft blocks in at the gate or is scheduled to depart from the gate, whichever is appropriate, at the station at which it is stranded and terminating with the time the aircraft blocks out of the station at which it is stranded, each Flight Attendant will be paid one (1.0) TFP for each four hours (4:00) of such period (over two hours (2:01 or more) will count as a full four hours (4:00), two hours (2:00) or less will not count).
b. Each stranding will be considered separately whenever possible and calculated accordingly for pay purposes; however if the sequence in which a stranding occurs contains a Multiday Sequence Minimum, all instances of stranded pay are considered across the entire sequence pursuant to 1.e., above. If multiple strandings occur in a sequence such that it is not possible to isolate which scheduling consequence(s) is directly related to a particular stranding for the purposes of determining the greater of stranded pay or pay protection pursuant to N.1.b.2, above, the TFP value of such scheduling consequence(s) will be considered against each applicable stranding separately.
c. Each occurrence of stranded pay between flights in the same duty period will reduced by one (1.0) TFP for Sit Pay already compensated for ground time in excess of two hours (2:00) during the same period pursuant to 21.T. [Sit Pay], below.
d. Unless otherwise provided elsewhere in this Agreement, receiving Stranded Pay will not negate a Flight Attendant’s right to receive other pay provisions.
3. If a Flight Attendant has been given an alternate assignment (such as under Section 10.R. [Reassignments], Section 10.S. [Pre-cancellations] and/or Section 16.L. [Calling in Well], etc.) and s/he is stranded during the alternate assignment, the baseline for the pay protection comparison pursuant to 1.d.2. and 1.e.2., above, is the greater of the following on a day-for-day comparison:
a. The TFP value of the sequence on the Flight Attendant’s line prior to any scheduling adjustment(s); or
b. The TFP value of the alternate assignment flown.
4. If a Flight Attendant is stranded and such stranding leads to a RON that results in flying during a duty period commencing on a scheduled day off, stranded pay under 21.N. will be calculated separately from compensation under Section 9.D.1.d [Company’s Right to Assign JA]. The period used to calculate stranded pay under this Section will continue up to the time the duty period preceding the unscheduled RON was scheduled to end (i.e. the time the final duty period of the sequence that was on the Flight Attendant’s line following check-in was scheduled to end). The compensation under Section 9.D.1.d [Company’s Right to Assign JA] of one (1.0) TFP for every four hours (4:00) until release at domicile will begin thereafter.
Addendum to Section 21 Compensation
3. What is stranded pay?
Stranded pay: If you are on a sequence that does not contain a Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM) and you are stranded in excess of two hours (2:01 or more) due to weather, mechanical problems or to suit Company convenience, you will generally be paid the greater of (see Section 21.N. [Stranded Pay] for exact details):
The scheduled // TFP value of cancelled flights not flown or made up that same day; or
Commencing with the time the aircraft blocks in at the gate or is scheduled to depart from the gate, whichever is appropriate, at the station at which it is stranded and terminating with the time the aircraft blocks out of the station at which it is stranded, you will be paid one (1.0) TFP for each four hours (4:00) of such period (over two hours (2:01 or greater) will count as a full four hours (4:00); two hours (2:00) or less will not count) //.
The time period for calculation of stranded pay commences at the time the aircraft blocks in at the gate, or is scheduled to depart from the gate, whichever is appropriate, and terminates at the time the aircraft actually departs.
Example: Stranded Pay
Scheduled Sequence
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TOTALS 16.9 hard-time TFP // + 4.0 TFP Duty Period Minimum (DPM) of 0.1 TFP = 17.0 total TFP.
Assume you fly Flight 725 PHX-PDX on Day Three, and that Flight 725 PDX-SEA cancels due to a mechanical. You deadhead to domicile on Flight 723, departing PDX at 1655. You have been stranded in Portland for over eight hours (8:00). You will be paid the greater of one (1.0) TFP Stranded Pay (two (2.0) TFP Stranded Pay for a stranding over eight hours (8:00) but reduced by one (1.0) TFP already paid as Sit Pay over two hours (2:01+)) or the scheduled TFP value of cancelled flights not flown or made up the same day.
Revised Sequence
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TOTALS 16.9 hard-time TFP // + 4.0 TFP Duty Period Minimum (DPM) of 0.1 TFP + Stranded Pay of 1.0 TFP + Sit Pay of 1.0 TFP = 19.0 total TFP.
TFP paid for Stranded Pay can be identified on your Flight Attendant Pay Detail by the absence code “SR”. Section 21.N. [Stranded Pay].
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What does all this new language mean?
AFA knows the revised Stranded Pay language in Section 21.N is more complex than before. Stranded Pay was already complicated enough to begin with and now it’s even more complicated with all the Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) and Sit Pay. However, we believe the language provides a more step-by-step walkthrough of how to determine compensation pursuant to this provision. AFA is planning several contract education pieces and Stranded Pay is definitely on the list.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about Stranded Pay you can contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers, the Scheduling Committee or your Contract Committee (contract@afaalaska.org). If one of your immediate AFA resources also needs clarification in order to accurately answer your questions, please be patient, as they may need to connect with their own resources until getting comfortable with the provision.
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In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl; and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput
Your Contract Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
