• NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
• CREW REST ARBITRATION
• TRAVEL AUDITS
• NEGOTIATIONS SCHEDULE
• CONTRACT SECTION STATUS
• Accessing The Hub
• AFA Local Numbers

Dear Members,

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

Rumor: The Company has proposed that Flight Attendants fly separate trips than pilots.
Fact: True- the Company has made that proposal.

Rumor: The JNC has agreed to the proposal.
Fact: The JNC has not agreed to the proposal.

For more information please read on.

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has met with the Company on the following dates:

• June 15-18

• June 29-July 1

• July 14-16

• July 28-30

The Scheduling and Hours of Service sections of the two contracts have been the focus of the above sessions.

The Company has passed several partial Scheduling proposals to the JNC and the JNC has countered the Company's Scheduling proposals. The initial Company proposal and JNC counter proposals contained provisions that would co-pair Flight Attendants and pilots on the same pairings.

During the June 29-July 1 session, the Company passed an Hours of Service proposal based on not flying with the pilots. The Company negotiating committee met with the JNC to discuss their reasons for their proposal.

As you know, the pilots are mired in a legal battle over their seniority integration. This battle could take years to resolve and, as a result, significantly delay a joint pilot contract. Until there is a joint pilot contract, East and West pilots are restricted to flying East and West metal respectively. The Company approached the JNC and expressed their belief they have no idea when the pilots will reach a joint contract. As a result of the Company's belief, Company negotiators have stated that in order for the Flight Attendants to reach a single agreement, it may be necessary to separate our flying from the pilots.

The East members of the committee are fully aware of the long history of flying trips with our pilots. We know this is a practical and emotional issue for East Flight Attendants and no doubt a change would be different than what we are accustomed to. The JNC also knows that it is becoming more and more difficult to negotiate improvements in our contract that will have any effect while the pilots continue to make no progress toward a single pilot agreement.

We also know ANY consideration of changing that history will never occur unless all of the protections flying with the pilots provide remain in a single Flight Attendant contract.

Those protections include, but are not limited to:

• Duty rigs, trip rigs and minimum day

• Duty time limitations

• Minimum overnight rest requirements

• Hotel accommodations and hotel transportation

• Domicile protection of block hours in relation to pilot block hours

The Company has proposed better Duty Rigs, Trip Rigs and Minimum Day values than are currently provided for in either the East or West agreements. The Company has proposed shorter duty periods and greater minimum rest requirements than we currently have. The Company has already agreed that hotel accommodations and transportation will be the same as the pilots.

In addition to these protections, this committee will not consider a change without some very large economic gains in our current contracts. Putting together a joint Flight Attendant operation will be very efficient for the Company and thus save money. We will not consider anything that does not significantly improve the economic areas of our contract such as compensation, pay, vacation and sick pay.

Furthermore, other sections of our contract such as Reserve, Health and Benefits-to name just two-must contain some drastic changes for the better.

It is impossible to list all of the pros and cons the JNC is weighing with respect to the Company proposal. That does mean we aren't doing that. We are- in a very measured and methodical way. We have a fiduciary duty to consider all options in order to bring our members a contract that measures up to the members expectations. US Airways East Flight Attendants have been working under concessionary terms since mid 2002. US Airways West Flight Attendants have been working under their first contract since 2000. If breaking away from the pilots is in any way concessionary it will not happen.

The East MEC was briefed on the Company's proposal and their direction to the East members of the JNC was to look at every option- and that is what we are doing.

If it is decided that the best course of action is to separate from the pilots, it will be one part of a contract that contains many other important provisions. To speculate now would be doing so in a vacuum.

This negotiation has been ongoing for three years- in part because the pilots have not moved close to an agreement. While some may say a decision to break away from the pilots is simply to speed things along- no decision will be reached with speed as the deciding factor. We will negotiate as long as it takes to obtain the improvements our members need.

Ultimately any final decision is for you, the members, to make. If a contract makes your life better, you will vote for it. If a contract does not make your life better, you won't vote for it. The JNC has every intention to reach a Tentative Agreement that contains improvements in every section of the contract compared to the agreement we currently work under.

CREW REST ARBITRATION

In accordance with our contract, AFA filed for arbitration regarding crew rest facilities on the A330-200 as it pertains to flights over 12 hours. The arbitration is still ongoing. The initial testimony was heard on June 4 and 5 in Washington, D.C. The Company requested that testimony continue in late June due to the unavailability of one of their witnesses. The witness, an expert in human rest behavior, gave his testimony, via affidavit, on June 29 and was cross examined by the AFA outside counsel on July 24.

The arbitration began before the inauguration of the PHL-TLV service. Since the service began, we have received numerous concerns and complaints from Flight Attendants who have flown the trip regarding the inadequacy of the existing crew rest seats for a flight that has a scheduled block time of 12+55.

Therefore, at the request of our counsel, the arbitrator granted AFA the ability to present further testimony. The arbitrator informed the parties of her availability to hear this testimony. All five dates in September, October and November the arbitrator is available are in conflict with the Company's counsel. No surprise. At this time, the parties are trying to agree on a date in December to conclude the arbitration.

While discussion of the testimony presented is not prudent at this time, I want to talk about the Crew News session in CLT on July, 29 presided over by US Airways President, Scott Kirby. Mr. Kirby was a witness during the arbitration on June 5.

Mr. Kirby was asked two questions regarding the crew rest issue and went into lengthy dissertations about the costs, which he quoted to the penny, of providing better crew rest facilities on the A330-200. He went into detail about the profitability of operating one flight, in one direction, that exceeded 12 hours -the federally mandated time necessary for pilots to be provided crew bunks- and how it would not be profitable if the Company were forced to provide Flight Attendants better crew rest facilities. Mr. Kirby said, "there are no good alternatives."

In other words, because of cost, the Flight Attendants working this trip are subjected to dangerous and substandard working conditions. The Company decided to use an airplane to fly a segment that requires pilot crew bunks and so equipped the airplane because they had to comply with federal rules. While no such rule exists for Flight Attendants, the Company knew they were going to be sending their Flight Attendants on a near 13 hour flight, in the middle of the night, and is hoping for the best.

As if that is not bad enough, the really incredible part of his answer was when he asked other Company managers in the room if the arbitration decision had been reached. Here is the President of the Company, after just reciting the tremendous costs involved in providing adequate crew rest areas for his Flight Attendants, asking if a decision had been reached.

You can bet when a decision is reached, Mr. Kirby won't have to ask anyone.

Why do we even go to Crew News sessions?

TRAVEL AUDITS

The Company does have the ability to scrutinize any employee's travel records on US Airways mainline or US Airways Express flights. Please be aware the Company can also request travel records for any employee traveling on any carrier the Company has reciprocal non-revenue and/or reciprocal cabin seat agreements. They have recently requested travel records from Southwest Airlines and the records have been provided. Please keep this in mind when commuting.

Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
The US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA

The following chart shows negotiations dates for the remainder of 2009.

Below is a set of charts. The first chart shows the sections of joint negotiations that are “closed”. This means that these sections have been agreed to by both AFA and the Company.

The second chart shows the sections of negotiations that are “Open”.  Open sections have either not been addressed to date or have been addressed and “Tabled”.  This means that the section was negotiated with the Company and “tabled” either due to lack of consensus or the inability to complete for various reasons such as compensation or issues related to other sections.  If the section has been tabled, the date it was tabled appears in the chart.

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AFA US Airways Website

www.afausairways.org

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AFA Local Numbers
 
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

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