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Open Time Negotiations Survey Suspended Due to a Technical Problem

The Open Time negotiations survey is currently inaccessible due to a technical problem. The Master Executive Council (MEC) believes the problem is most likely due to the survey being inadvertently set to close at an incorrect date and time.

Unfortunately, it appears there may be only one person at AFA International who effectively can assist in troubleshooting the issue and that person is on vacation through the weekend.

Consequently, we are officially suspending the survey until further notice. Stay tuned for developments on this issue by early next week if not before.

AFA sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Fees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

New Open Time User Guide

Some big changes are coming with our new Open Time system. To help with the transition we’d like to point out some highlights and give helpful hints.

 

Open Time Video

 

For a full review of the new Open Time, check out the video that was produced during the TA-2 Roadshows:

Correction: Trading for any newly established domicile(s) would begin at 9am, not 3pm as stated in the video.

 

Fundamentals

 

  • Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant and the new Open Time trading will begin simultaneously on the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the flying will occur. Trading remains unlimited. Access to trading will begin as follows: SAN at 9:00am PT, PDX at 10:00am PT, ANC at 11:00am PT, LAX at 12:00pm PT and SEA at 2:00pm PT.

 

  • Flight Attendants may post trips at 8:00pm PT on the 14th of the month.

 

  • Every sequence in the new Open Time is coded with a reason code: e.g., TO (trades with Open Time), CP (Coupon Drops), SL (Sick Leave), UB (Union Business) and CB (Company Business). There could be other reason codes, but these are the most common. The CP code will likely be very rare since drop coupons haven’t been issued in years.

 

  • The “Threshold Sequence Number” is based on domicile population (see Section 12.F.3 [Open Time Trial]) and is currently calculated as 10 in Seattle and 3 in Anchorage, Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego. This means that when the total number of sequences coded as TO/CP in Open Time on that day meets or exceeds the Threshold Sequence Number, the day will be “limited.” Remember, only the first day of TO/CP sequences counts towards the Threshold Sequence Number and therefore the limiting of Open Time. The Threshold Sequence Number can change based on the number of Flight Attendants in a base; however, there will always be a minimum of 3. Any other type of sequence: SL, UB, CB, etc., does not count toward the Threshold Sequence Number.

 

  • A Flight Attendant is able to reduce his/her schedule by a net 40 TFP as a result of dropping to or trading with Open Time each bid month. There is no cap on how much TFP can be dropped as a result of dropping to or trading with another Flight Attendant.

 

Open Days

 

  • On any calendar day that is “open” and not “limited” (closed under the old contract), all sequences with that day of report may be picked up, traded or dropped into Open Time without respect to the number of flights, the number of days and/or duty periods, TFP credit or any other parameters.

 

  • If you wish to trade a sequence with a sequence on a different calendar day, the only day that needs to be open is the day in which you report for your sequence. For example, you have a 3-day trip beginning on October 4th and you want to trade for a 2-day trip beginning on October 17th, as long as October 4th is open, regardless of the reason code, you can make this trade.

 

Limited Days

 

  • Once a day is limited because the Threshold Sequence Number has been met, all trips coded other than TO/CP will be converted to a reason code of TX.

 

  • If a day is limited it can be reopened if a Flight Attendant picks up a TO/CP sequence from that day.

 

  • Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is limited and is coded other than TO/CP may only be traded for a sequence (with the same date of report) of the same or greater number of days. For example, if a sequence is coded TX, SL, UB, CB, etc., and you wish to trade with that sequence and the day of report is limited, you could only trade your 2-day trip reporting on October 4th for a 2, 3 or 4 day trip reporting October 4th, and you could not trade for a turn.

 

  • Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is limited and is coded TO/CP then that sequence may be traded for another sequence with the same day of report regardless of the length of trip. For example, if you wish to trade your 4-day trip reporting on October 4th with 1-day trip reporting on October 4th, it would be approved provided the Open Time trip is coded TO/CP.

 

Miscellaneous

 

  • All things being equal, it is to your fellow co-workers’ benefit if you are going to pick up a trip you do so out of the Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant trade box, or if you pick up out of Open Time, that you pick up a trip that is coded TO or CP. This will open the day if it is limited, allowing another flight attendants to drop a trip into Open Time.

 

  • All of this information can be found in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in Section 12.F. [Open Time Trial].

 

* * *

 

Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers or your local Scheduling Committee members.

 

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Committee chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl and MEC Grievance Committee member Stephanie Adams

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

AFA Alaska

Recycle Your Red Pins and Join Flight Attendants at the New United for a Day of Action July 16th!

The Continental, Continental Micronesia and United Master Executive Councils in conjunction with the United Joint Negotiating Committee have authorized their Flight Attendants to switch from white to red AFA pins in response to the lack of progress in their contract negotiations. You can check out all the details about their negotiations at ourcontract.org.

With around 20,000 Flight Attendants, it is very challenging to come up with that many red pins. The New United (CAL, CAL Micronesia, UAL) is asking for AFA Alaska to help out their efforts by recycling our red pins. If you have any extras, please leave them in one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers’ mail files the very next time you are coming through your base so we can re-gift the red pins as soon as possible.

The New United is also planning a Day of Action on July 16th at airports throughout the combined Continental, Continental Micronesia and United system. Your colleagues at those carriers would be delighted to have any Flight Attendants from AFA Alaska attend an event at a convenient location (e.g. at a domicile or while on a layover) as a show of solidarity. You cannot wear your Flight Attendant uniform but if you still have a red t-shirt from the second round of our negotiations, you are welcome to wear the shirt to the event. You can find more information about the events here.

In Solidarity,

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

AFA Alaska

 

Negotiations Update – MEC Reviewing the T/A

Update:  Your Negotiating Committee and Master Executive Council (MEC) are still hard at work.  The MEC decided to continue the meeting through tomorrow evening before releasing more information.  We realize many are anticipating more information this evening, but we ask that you please stand by for an update tomorrow.

In Solidarity,

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

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

MEC 5BSS Logo (Web)

Section 32 – Attendance Policy

What are some of the changes in Section 32 during the last session?  I am hearing different things on the line…..

Do we still have to fly a leg prior to calling in sick online at domicile for check-in?

In the last negotiating session the committee told management that many changes were required to meet our Flight Attendants expectations.  The committee brought forward concerns regarding the requirement to fly the first leg of a sequence to call out “sick online”.  We were able to remove the requirement, however there is a .5 point associated with calling out sick online at domicile prior to flying the first leg of a sequence.  An example is if you had a 4 day trip, it would be 2 points total for the sick call plus the .5 point for calling out sick at domicile prior to flying a leg for a total of 2.5 points.  Points for the sick online could be mitigated by calling in well.  If you have a FMLA on file or you are injured in the workplace (workers compensation) you will be exempt from the additional .5 point.

 

Do we still have black out dates attached with our quarterly doctors note?

No, the committee was able to remove all black out dates!

 

Is there a quarterly or year-end (annual)  flying requirement to receive record improvement?

For quarterly improvement there is no flying requirement.  In TA1 there was a 120 tfp requirement which is now eliminated.

Year-end record improvement does require on December 31st that you meet your 480 tfp (including vacation, excluding sick leave) for the calendar year.  You must avoid any occurrences in the months of Nov/Dec as described in TA1 and if you have 4 points or under will have your points reduced back to zero.

How many bank points will I be able to accrue?

The committee was able to maintain the improvement of 6 bank points from TA1.

Under the current contract I am penalized when I call in sick using my doctors note because I have bank points, is anything being done about this?

Yes, under TA2 you will not be penalized.  You will have the ability to choose whether you use your bank points for the occurrence or the quarterly note which will remove the points and continue to maintain your banked points.

With the provisions of TA2, what are the changes regarding a Single Continuous Occurrence?

A Single Continuous Occurrence will be valid for ten (10) consecutive days beginning from the day of the sick call.  If you are going to be out for any length of time and qualify you should consider taking a medical leave.  The medical leave handbook is currently being revised to reflect the current practice.  If you have questions or concerns regarding medical leaves please contact your AFA Benefits Representatives by visiting us online at http://afaalaska.org/benefits.

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