• NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

• RECIPROCAL CABIN SEAT/JUMPSEAT AGREEMENTS

• PASSING OF FORMER MEC PRESIDENT PERRY HAYES' MOTHER

• Accessing The Hub

• AFA Local Numbers

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

The AFA Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will meet with the Company on April 11-13 in CLT. As you know negotiations have been ongoing for over a year and continue at a slow pace. The JNC's focus is to negotiate a contract that fully addresses the needs of all of our members. Two major items are driving the single agreement negotiations; 1) significant differences exist between the East and West contracts and those differences must be synched to meet the needs of both work groups and, 2) this negotiation affords us the opportunity to fight back and recapture as much as we can lost in three previous concessionary agreements.

Here is an example that illustrates how the two facets of the single agreement negotiations interrelate. There are significant differences in the pay scales in the East and West agreements. The West pay rates are far lower than those on the East. Here is the comparison:

Taken at face value the rates differences are significant but if you consider the top rates of pay at other carriers you will see the battle we face. Top rates of pay other carriers are:

As you can see the carriers with the lowest rates of pay are those that were either in bankruptcy or are currently in bankruptcy. The argument does not end there. United Airlines posted a $35 million dollar profit for 2006 while US Airways posted profits of over $500 million. Southwest, the king of low cost carriers leads the industry in profits and Flight Attendant rates of pay. How do they do it? They do it because they are efficient, because they don't try to be all things to all people and because they run a good operation.

Yesterday US Airways announced a fare sale in many Northeast markets with fares as low as $39.00 in some markets. US Airways Vice President of Revenue Management said, "This fare sale is yet another way to pair consumer-friendly pricing with the scope and amenities of a coast to coast airline. "The fare reductions US Airways set in place last year continue to receive overwhelmingly positive customer response, all while generating positive revenue stream for the airline."

The JNC is not going to allow our Flight Attendant group to subsidize the carriers pledge to offer full service at a low cost if the low cost is derived from labor. Our committee will do whatever it takes to deliver a contract that we can all live and prosper under.

Our current agreement is made up of 32 Sections and 45 Side Letters of Agreement. The JNC is trying to get as many of the applicable side letters into the body of the agreement as possible. To date, we have reached Tentative Agreements on the following Sections:

PERIOD OF PROBATION
FILLING OF VACANCIES
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
DUES CHECK-OFF
EAP
FLIGHT PAC

All of the Tentative Agreements contain improvements to our existing agreement.

We have had extensive sessions with the Company and have tabled the following Sections:

MOVING EXPENSES
LOD/O
GRIEVANCE, INVESTIGATION, AND DISCIPLINE
SYSTEM BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
SAFETY AND HEALTH
MISSING INTERNMENT (SIDE LETTER)

Generally the Sections have been table for one of two reasons- the Company and the Union are in almost complete disagreement or the Sections contain references to Scheduling and/or Compensation which have not been negotiated. With the exception of the Grievance and System Board Sections we have reached "agreed to" provisions that are improvements to our existing agreements in each of the Sections that are currently tabled.

The following Sections are currently open (meaning we are still trading proposals with the Company):

UNIFORM
REDUCTION IN PERSONNEL
LEAVES OF ABSENCE
TRAINING
TDY
CRAF

We have agreed in principal to provision in Training that raises training pay from $60 per day to 3+hours pay/credit. We have also "agreed to" a provision that eliminates the long days for Flight Attending from outside the CLT domicile. The day will be limited to 16 hours (including report for the DH, Training and check-out after the DH. Any day exceeding 16 hours would require, at the Flight Attendants option, overnight lodging and pay for the day of travel.

The Uniform Section is nearing completion with the only open items being a formula for replacement of uniform items in excess of the standard compliment and the return of the $20.00 monthly cleaning allowance (hey, we don't want Stan Herman's new uniform to look ratty because we can't afford to have it dry cleaned)

TDY, Reduction in Personnel and CRAF are nearing completion and we will either reach Tentative Agreements or table the Sections shortly.

At our last session we passed a very fair and comprehensive Leaves of Absence Section to the Company that addresses the reductions to accrual for longevity for pay and vacation, medical coverage and travel that were lost during the concessionary agreements. The proposal also contains lower hour requirements for FMLA. It is ludicrous to have a standard that almost none of our Reserves or low time flyers can meet. There is something wrong when a part-time grocery store clerk who averages 25 hours per week of work can qualify for FMLA but a full time Reserve Flight Attendant does not. We expect the Company's counter to our proposal this week.

In summary we have a long way to go but we will get there. The JNC is acutely aware that our Reserve system needs to change. The committee is also aware of the shortcomings in our agreement with respect to compensation, scheduling and vacation. Don't even get me started on split trip language, 70% sick and 50% pay/no credit for DH.

A lot of members have asked me the following two questions. Here they are and their answers:

Q - Are we going to conduct a survey?

A- I think it is safe to say that if we put out a survey we would get hundreds of different responses but in the end the needs would be the same. We know you want more pay, more flexibility, a better Reserve system, more vacation, 100% pay and credit for sick and deadhead, better split trip language and a scheduling system that works fairly for all. Instead of s survey we will be putting an Electronic Feedback Form on our website for you to be able to communicate your ideas to us.


Q- Why don't you publish more of the items that have been agreed to or the JNC proposals?

A- Negotiations are a work in progress. Items that may have been agreed to may not make sense as we move further down the process. It would be unfair to post every single agreed to item and then at a latter date, for good reason, modify, eliminate or improve those items. I try to only publish items we believe are solid and will not change. As to proposals being published-the Company reads the Eline's as well so proposals will not be published.

RECIPROCAL CABIN SEAT AND/OR JUMPSEAT AGREEMENTS

At the AFA Board of Directors meeting last November the following resolution was passed:

WHEREAS, economical transportation alternatives that match the benefits currently enjoyed by some of our members as well as our colleagues in ALPA and our Flight Attendant colleagues at American, Southwest, American Eagle and Jet Blue would substantially enhance our worklives, increase onboard safety and security, and reduce company costs associated with missed assignments.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that all twenty AFA-CWA represented carriers in our Union join together to begin an AFA-wide campaign of Membership Mobilization with the goal of obtaining reciprocal cabin seat and/or jumpseat benefits for the 45,000 Members in our Union.

Moved by the UAL MEC
Adopted Unanimously by the 2006 AFA-CWA Board of Directors
November 14, 2006

The MEC believes strongly in pursuing these types of agreements and if we weren't in contract negotiations would have already done so. Earlier in this letter I alluded to some significant differences between the East and West agreements. One notable difference germane to the pursuit of reciprocal agreements is the jumpseat language in the two agreements. The East agreement provides for exclusivity to the jumpseat to Flight Attendants on the US Airways System Seniority List and language that (at least in theory) prohibits a Flight Attendant from being removed from the jumpseat for weight and balance restrictions. The West agreement does not contain those provisions. The West procedures allow for pilots, mechanics and company personnel to ride the cabin jumpseats and, in some cases, at a higher priority than Flight Attendants. The West procedure allows the Company to remove Flight Attendants for weight and balance reasons.

During the Transition Agreement negotiations we proposed reciprocal jumpseat between East and West Flight Attendants on East and West aircraft. The Company countered with an ok, but with the caveat being we would have to agree to West language and procedures. There was no way the East was going to give up the exclusivity or the weight and balance protection. In the end the Company agreed to our terms. Our proposal for the jumpseat in single agreement remains the same. We will also propose separately to enter into reciprocal cabin seat/jumpseat arrangements-the two will not be tied together in any sort of quid pro quo arrangement that would water down our existing jumpseat language.

It seems like I am breaking the rule about not posting proposals, but this exception is necessary to let the membership know the Union is going to pursue reciprocal agreements and we will present this proposal to the Company this week. I am sure they will not be surprised.

PASSING OF FORMER MEC PRESIDENT PERRY HAYES' MOTHER

It is with regret and sadness to report the passing of the mother of former MEC President and current CLT Flight Attendant, Perry Hayes. Louise Hayes, 86, passed away on April 9, 2007 after a brief illness. Please hold in your prayers Perry and his sister Dale as we mourn the loss of their mother.

Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
The USA Airways MEC
AFA-CWA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Accessing The Hub:

http://thehub.usairways.com 
Logging in the first time your user name is u0(zero) and your five digit employee number. Your initial password is the first five digits of your social security number. Questions about the Hub? Please contact the EDS Help Desk at 336-744-6000 for assistance. More information can also be found HERE.

AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

New Hotline Number Toll Free: 866-USA-AFA2
US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780

Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com

Got Questions? Get Answers

The *E-Line* is now in a new and improved format. By updating your profile at unionvoice.org you will be able to enjoy improved services in the near future! Visit your subscription management page at: http://www.unionvoice.org/

Got questions about This *E-Line* from AFA - US Airways or any other Union matter? Do NOT REPLY to the *E-Line*. PLEASE contact your local AFA officers or committee chairs directly: http://www.afausairways.org/emailaddresses2.htm

Your MEC Officers
Association of Flight Attendants
Hotline & *E-Line* - US Airways