Members,

• US AIRWAYS/AMERICA WEST MERGER 

• TRANSOCEANIC DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS 

• ETB IMPLEMENTATION 

• RESERVES COMING ON DUTY AT 0001CABIN 

• CLEANING ISSUES

• US AIRWAYS/AMERICA WEST MERGER 

US AIRWAYS/AMERICA WEST MERGER

The recent announcement of the proposed merger between US Airways and America West has created a great deal of speculation with regard to the transaction. The proposed merger must first be approved by the bankruptcy court as part of the plan of reorganization for US Airways to exit bankruptcy protection. The merger agreement has been filed with the court as part of that plan and the process has begun. As part of the process the debtor (US Airways) and the bankruptcy court are required to entertain potential competing offers and plans. A procedure and a timetable for any such offers have been filed with the court and a motion to approve that procedure will be heard tomorrow at the bankruptcy court in Virginia. The court will also be hearing a motion regarding the timetable for the merger approval process if no other potential offers are brought forth. 

It is the intent of the two carriers to merge flight operation within 24-36 months. As both US Airways and America West Flight Attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) the merger announcement triggered AFA’s merger policy and procedures. It is important to understand the operational merger of the carriers cannot happen until a merged seniority list and merged working agreement are achieved. It is further understood that the company will not be given the right to use a merged seniority list prior to the successful conclusion of the merged working agreement. The two tasks are accomplished by two different groups. A merged seniority list is determined by merger representatives from each carrier’s membership and a merged contract is accomplished by a joint negotiating committee known as the merger committee. The first step in the process will be a joint meeting of the Master Executive Councils (MEC) of each airline in Washington D.C. on June 8, 2005. The purpose of the meeting will be to brief and orient the two MECs on the specific provisions of the AFA merger policy. 

Each MEC will elect two (2) representatives from their respective seniority lists to serve as merger representatives. (Please see the MEC website for further information regarding these positions at: http://www.afausairways.org/ ) The merger representatives will be responsible for the compilation of data that accurately reflects the seniority list from their respective memberships and in the end will produce a combined seniority list. The merger representatives are not able to change the current AFA merger policy of “date of hire”. This merger policy has proved successful in previous mergers and can only be changed by the AFA Board of Directors (LEC Presidents from all AFA represented airline councils). I will do all I can to insure that we follow AFA policy. Please do not let rumor and speculation regarding this merger take hold. 

Merging two contracts typically involves three areas: 1) fence agreements that are in place for a set period of time, 2) transitional issues regarding training and procedures and 3) a merged collective bargaining agreement that the combined membership will work under. The joint merger committee is made up of an equal number of members from each membership and includes the MEC President of each carrier. Once negotiations between the committee and the Company are concluded any tentative agreement will be subject to membership ratification. Until a ratified agreement is reached the carriers cannot operate as a merged entity. 

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water it seems as if the whole process is starting over. It is. Executives from both carriers have issued statements intimating they will intervene if necessary to bring a speedy resolution to seniority and contractual mergers. Currently we have contracts in place that prevent any such intervention by either company. I will continue to update you as the process unfolds. 

TRANSOCEANIC DUTY TIME LIMITATIONS 

The 2004 Transformation Agreement did not change the duty time limitations for current transoceanic international flying. The duty time limit remains at 16 hours. We may be scheduled for 14 hours and may remain on duty for 16 hours. It appears there are different requirements for the pilots and they apparently can be on duty for 18 hours. All of our current transoceanic international flying is scheduled under 14 hours of duty time therefore we can only be kept on duty up to 16 hours. Do not let a pilot or scheduler tell you otherwise. 

ETB IMPLEMENTATION 

The ETB is now going into its second month of operation with mixed results. Some flight attendants are finding it easy to drop trips and some aren’t. The MEC and the implementation committee have been in discussions with the company seeking to find ways to make the ETB more useful as a tool to drop and pick up trips. We have reached an agreement with the company that has removed the drop approval feature for those posting a trip drop. That feature was slowing down the process and defeating the first come-first served nature of the ETB. We have also been in discussions with the company regarding the inability for reserves to pick up trips from the ETB on OFF days prior to being released into such OFF days. I expect an announcement in the next few days from the company allowing such transactions. The ETB is a work in progress and I believe it will ultimately become more useful to us. 

RESERVES COMING ON DUTY AT 0001 

A Reserve scheduled to AVL at 0001 will be processed by Future beginning at 1500. Such Reserves may elect to leave a list of trip choices, may elect to be available for phone contact (courtesy call) for assignment or do neither and be passed to Daily. If there are still open trips for the next day at 0001 Reserves coming on duty at that time will be processed in LTO order. If you have received a trip for the next day from future and are released you do not have to be in base until report time for your trip. If you have not received a trip from future you will be required to be in base at 0001. Daily will begin covering sick calls at the appropriate time and will not be allowed to call before 0500 unless doing so will cause a delay. 

CABIN CLEANING ISSUES 

I would like to remind you we are not required to clean (tidy) the aircraft on NTI (non transoceanic international flights with the exception of NAS. In practical terms this means you do not clean upon arrival into the NTI station or upon arrival back in the U.S. For example, a flight scheduled PHL-CLT-SJU means the flight crew WILL clean the aircraft upon arrival in CLT and WILL NOT clean the aircraft upon arrival in SJU. Conversely, on a flight scheduled SJU-CLT-PHL the flight crew WILL NOT clean the aircraft upon arrival in CLT but WILL clean the aircraft upon arrival in PHL. As an exception to this if you are told to stop cleaning because of a security check then stop cleaning. 

There are still outstanding problems regarding the overall cleanliness or lack thereof of our fleet. Please continue to report these problems to me via the cabin cleanliness form on the website. The link to the form is: http://www.afausairways.org/EForms/cleanac.htm

The transition has proved difficult for the company to manage and the result has been dirty aircraft and ineffective station cleaning when events require it. 

Thank You,

Mike Flores
LEC President CLT
AFA-CWA AFL-CIO
704-527-0325 OFFICE
704-576-3174 CELL

© Copyright 2005. Council 89 CLT AFA -CWA US Airways - Council89@afausairways.org