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    You are here: Home / Archives for FAQ

    JNC Update – Top FAQ and Voting Reminder

    March 29, 2018 14:30

    Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has put together the following compilation of the more frequently asked questions that have been submitted to the JNC blog in order to help ensure that the most accurate information is available.


    Most Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

    Q.  Is it true there is a pay “difference” or two different pay rates?

    A.  There is no difference in pay, but there are two different pay scales because there are two different systems: One in TFP and one in BLOCK HOURS.

    TFP is a pay rate based on distance while BLOCK HOURS pay rates are based on flight time.  The conversion rate is 1.13 TFP = 1 BLOCK HOUR

    The JNC has developed additional resources that help provide greater explanation into the difference between TFP and Block Hours.  You can find these resources here:

    • JNC Webinar Video – TFP to Block Hour VX Payscale in Block Hour
    • JNC Blog Post – TFP vs. Block Hours

    Q.  Does the Red Circle LOA carry over into Bidding Seniority?

    A.  The additional service credit does not count toward bidding for monthly schedules, Flight Attendant domiciles or vacation.  It determines the initial rate of pay (if the TA is ratified) that a Flight Attendant will be held at until their occupational seniority catches up with them.

    All Bidding is based on occupational (Flight Attendant service) seniority.

    Q.  Why can L-VX Flight Attendants vote without paying dues and L-AS Flight Attendants have to be current?

    A.  AFA International policy is that members at carriers without a first contract do not pay dues. L-VX Flight Attendants do not have a first contract – their Work Rules are not contractual, were not bargained over, are not enforceable, and can be changed by management.

    Article XI.A.10 [Dues & Assessments: Dues-Active Members] of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws state that Flight Attendants at carriers without a first contract (e.g. Virgin America) do not pay dues until there is a ratified first agreement.

    Q.  If we vote this down will it keep Alaska from redeploying the Fleet?

    A.  It is important to remember that no base “owns” particular flying or routes. Crew Planning can move network flying around the system and has consistently done so over the years.  The same is true of the aircraft.  Airbus and Boeing aircraft can be shifted around the network.  Can it be done as efficiently with two separate groups of Flight Attendants as opposed to one combined group?  No.  However, the pilot group will be combined.  Other carriers have combined despite pre-merger Flight Attendant groups remaining separate (United and American Flight Attendant groups are slated to combine this October).

    Q.  In the Summary of the Tentative Agreement (TA) that was sent with the voting information, why are the percentage increases over the life of the TA different for each pay step and the smallest for those at the top of the scale?

    A.  The pay step percentage increases over the life of the TA include increases due to Flight Attendants “moving through the scale” (i.e. advancing from one pay step to the next – Year 10 → Year 11 → Year 12, etc.).   This adds several dollars to a Flight Attendant’s pay rate in addition to the annual percentage increases to the entire pay scale (4.5%, 1.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%).

    Flight Attendants who are at the highest pay rate, or “topped out”, receive the percentage increases to the entire pay scale (4.5%, 1.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%), but do not have additional steps.  The compounded rate of all the percentage increases equals 10.35%.

    Flight Attendants who are at the top pay step do receive the Longevity Premium at the appropriate years of service and that has not been included in the percentage increase calculation.

    Q.  What was the change with PPP and vacation?

    A.  If ratified the current QPP program will change to the PPP program. The new program would be based on five total blocks:

    A single combined block of 8 months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, payout is $1100- worked TFP must be 40.0 TFP more than your combined PBS bid awards (Plus 40.0 TFP can be achieved in any combination of months).

    Four individual blocks: Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec, payout is $350 for each month- worked TFP must be 5.0 TFP more than your PBS bid for each month.

    Unlike the current QPP program, vacation is included towards achieving your totals.

    More information can be found in the JNC Blog post regarding the Productivity Premium Program (PPP).


    Voting Reminders

    As a reminder, voting ends on Tuesday, April 3 at 9 AM Pacific time.

    If you have not received your voting instructions and activation code or are having difficulty voting, please contact the AFA Ballot Helpline.  The reach the Helpline, call (800) 424-2401 and choose option 1, then enter extension 706.

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

    AFA Membership Services Closed on Friday, March 30

    Please note that AFA International Membership Services will be closed on Friday, March 30 for the Good Friday holiday.  Messages left on the Ballot Helpline or Membership Services voicemails will be returned the next business day.

    AFA Membership Services will resume normal operating hours on Monday, April 2.  Normal operating hours are 9:30 AM to 5 PM Eastern time.

    In Solidarity,

    Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

    Filed Under: AS/VX Merger, JNC Blog, Latest News Tagged With: 2018, AS/VX Merger, FAQ, JNC Blog, voting information

    Negotiations FAQ – July 24, 2014

    July 24, 2014 10:56

    SECTION 9 – JUNIOR AVAILABLE

    Q Can we have “limited immunity for trips traded off of FA’s original line” from the opener specified more thoroughly?

    Sure.  We are proposing that if a Flight Attendant trades away – with Open Time or another Flight Attendant – a trip and does not replace flying on those days, then any days on which s/he does not replace flying (i.e. pick up new flying) would be immune from JA.  Today, a Flight Attendant could trade around her/his entire line and be immune from JA for the entire month (extreme case) even though s/he was flying a full schedule.  This happens today and it sometimes forces JA very senior.

    In the survey, members were very adamant that immunity from JA should still remain for days on which a trip was dropped for a special event or to extend vacation/ holiday time off. 

    SECTION 11 – RESERVE

    Q Being on reserve for two years I feel like I can speak for the majority of reserves that ER days are not wanted. The last tentative agreement that was proposed had a lot of great changes for reserves, most importantly getting rid of awarding reserve days on lines, but still being able to convert. The biggest thing I didn’t like about the reserve portion of the contract was getting rid of the reserve premium.

    Based on feedback, we are reviewing ER days vs conversions in the overall context of the TA.  We have already added discussion of ER days/ conversions back onto the agenda for the next meeting.  Additionally, we have secured the reinstatement of the Reserve Premium from management. 

    Q Another issue for reserves is not having transparency in open time for trading reserve days.  My previous airline used a system for trading and reserve coverage which gave a lot of information.  Each day showed the reserve coverage if it was open for drops was listed in green.  The number of reserves available each day was shown as well as the threshold. Is this possible?

    That is pretty much exactly what was negotiated in TA1.  The OT system was completely transparent with all open/closed days, reserve thresholds, reserve usage, etc. listed.  For reserves, if the reserve trade board listed the day open, you would be allowed to trade – through automation.  No more submitting a request and waiting for a response.  We have proposed retaining that system from TA1 and so far, management is on the same page. 

    SECTION 12 – EXCHANGE OF SEQUENCES (and Open Time)

    Q Why would we be going back to current practice instead of what was negotiated in Sec 12 of TA1?

    In the survey, Flight Attendants overwhelmingly conveyed that reverting to the current OT system would be preferential to changing to another system that they did not know.  However, it is important to remember that if either party cancels the OT ‘Test’ system, AFA and management would immediately sit down to negotiate a new system – using all the information from the ‘Test.’  During that time, the OT system would revert to the current practice.  Once a new system is negotiated, that new procedure would be submitted for membership vote and put in place once ratified.  So the “going back to current practice” part would only last as long as negotiations for new system- which FAs would vote on. 

    NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE RAILWAY LABOR ACT (RLA) (including policy/procedures, solidarity activities, the National Mediation Board, etc.)

    Q Why are the full survey results not being published?

    The actual results of negotiations surveys done by AFA are never published to the membership.  In 2011, before the opening proposals were written, the Negotiating Committee sent out the negotiations survey to all members.  Those results were used by the Committee to learn your bargaining objectives and priorities.  If AFA had published those results, then management would know which provision was more important than another and that would be detrimental to our bargaining strategy.

    The Hart Survey was basically another negotiations survey, one scientifically done with a much lower margin of error by a very highly regarded professional polling company.  Because we do not want management to know your exact priorities in negotiations, we will not be publishing those results either.

    Q How was the opener for this second round of negotiations derived?

    The opener was created using the priorities in the Hart Survey.  When a tentative agreement fails to ratify, the subsequent negotiations for a new agreement focus on ‘fixing’ the provisions which were not acceptable.  It is not about going back to the beginning and starting all over.

    MEC 5BSS Logo

     

    Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Tagged With: FAQ, JA, Open Time, Reserve

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    Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Wednesday, September 13 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft. The Inflight Service Committee continues to work with management to continuously improve onboard catering and engage in discussions leading to future improved processes. Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!

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