In This Edition
- Changes to 2020 Recurrent Training
- Violation of Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book Grievance Sustained
- FINAL REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
Changes to 2020 Recurrent Training
Master Executive Council (MEC)
On Wednesday, November 20, management announced changes to how Recurrent Training (RT) will be conducted in 2020. For many years, RT has been conducted in a single day and was supplemented by home-based study in the form of a workbook and, more recently, a computer-based training (CBT). Based on new FAA guidance, management has determined that they are unable to contain all of the required elements of RT in a single day and will begin conducting RT as two full, 8-hour days of training in 2020.
Though this change is a shift in practice, it is intended to allow more time to address the necessary regulatory and safety components required by the FAA. Management has also stated that they will be including some additional service-related content in RT including a follow-up module to the company’s latest Flight Path training held in 2018.
PBS Bidding Credit
Since the inception of PBS in 2007, Recurrent Training has always carried a credit of zero (0) toward PBS line awards. This means in a bid month containing RT, PBS views RT as having a value of 0 TFP and builds your line accordingly. Under the language in the collective bargaining agreement, RT carries a value of zero without mention as to the number of days the class itself covers.
We are happy to announce that your Master Executive Council (MEC) was able to reach an agreement with management to provide partial credit for RT for the purposes of line construction. For RT 2020, the first day of RT will continue to credit toward your line in PBS at 0 TFP, but the second day will credit at the full value of 6 TFP. During a month that you have RT, PBS will read the 6 TFP value for RT and credit that toward your line award accordingly.
Hotels
The MEC is calling on inflight management to “own safety” and “do the right thing” by providing each Flight Attendant with a hotel room during RT in 2020.
During Transition Training (TT) in 2018, many of us experienced having to attend two full days of training and then deal with the associated logistics of braving multiple rush hour commutes in some of the worst cities for traffic in the nation. Those who commute were left to fend for themselves and find a place to stay for the evening as TT did not allow for any possibility of same-day commuting. Your AFA leaders received reports of exhaustion, fatigue, and stress from numerous Flight Attendants in relation to these and other factors from TT.
These issues fresh in mind, your MEC is extremely disappointed and outraged to hear that management has refused to provide hotels for Flight Attendants between the two days of RT. Even when not contractually required to do so, the Company has previously provided Flight Attendants with hotels during multi-day training activities such as Beyond Service in 2015. Just as we are constantly told to use the “service framework” to assess each situation when dealing with passengers and make a decision accordingly, management has the opportunity to live up to their own expectations and do the same in this case.
The MEC is calling on inflight management to “own safety” and “do the right thing” by providing each Flight Attendant with a hotel room during RT in 2020. Just like when we are out flying, we need a training environment that sets us up for success by allowing us to get proper rest and focus on safety. The responsibility for providing this environment falls on the shoulders of management and it’s time for them to step up and act on the same values they expect us to live by every day that we come to work.
Questions?
If you have questions about the changes to Recurrent Training in 2020, please contact your LEC Officers.
Violation of Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book Grievance Sustained
Grievance Committee
On October 31, 2019, your MEC Grievance Committee filed grievance number 36-99-2-163-19, for the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 12.F.9.a [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial], past practice, its sustained response to grievance 36-99-2-35-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on July 7, 2017, it sustained grievance number 36-99-2-35-17 (Violation of §12.F.9.a Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book); however it has continually failed to provide sufficient Information Technology (IT) resources for reverting to the Open Time System in place in the 2006-2010 Flight Attendant Agreement as modified by the arbitration award (AFA No. 36-99-2-18-11) [“Withholding Open Time” award]).
In summary, the Company sustained (admitted to the violation) the original grievance (number 36-99-2-35-17) and should have prioritized with IT to program the back to book language, but it did not. Management has admitted that the current system stayed in place rather than prioritizing resources within IT to make the necessary programming changes to revert to the language outlined in Section 12 as back to book. Since it failed to prioritize the IT resources, AFA filed the present grievance, which the Company also sustained.
As a result of your MEC Grievance Committee filing the grievance, the Company is now making immediate efforts to program the back to book trading rules with IT. The project kicked off on November 4, 2019, and IT is currently developing the technical requirements for the system to provide to Jeppesen by early January 2020. Jeppesen will then be providing a timeline for implementation by mid to late January 2020.
As of right now, your MEC is presuming that we will have more information regarding Open Time back to book programming to pass along to you by late January 2020.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact your LEC President with any questions that you might have about this grievance or Open Time back to book programming.
FINAL REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
Master Executive Council (MEC)
As a reminder, the term for those currently serving in MEC Committee Chairperson roles and other appointed positions will end on December 31, 2019. Your MEC, of which the six directly elected Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents are voting members, will be conducting interviews for these positions during the December MEC meeting. The October 4, 2019 AFA Update contained the initial announcement of these upcoming interviews including a list of positions, information about qualifications and duties, and a link to the online expression of interest form. The deadline to submit an expression of interest is Monday, November 25, 2019 at 5 PM Pacific time.
If you have questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed positions or the interview process, please contact MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.
