• ELIMINATION OF JUMPSEAT WEIGHT RESTRICTION ON WEST METAL
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ELIMINATION OF JUMPSEAT WEIGHT RESTRICTION ON WEST METAL

This afternoon the Company announced, via CBS, a change to the jumpseat policy. The change will benefit both East and West Flight Attendants and Pilots.

Beginning on March 1, 2008 the Company will eliminate the policy of weight restricting the jumpseat on West metal- thus bringing the West metal policy in synch with the East metal policy. The Company will no longer remove a jumpseat rider if a flight on either East or West metal is weight restricted.

Copied below is the CBS message

I was recently made aware of an issue affecting pilot and flight attendant jumpseat riders on flights operated by West. After the cutover to FOS, the ability to make certain weight adjustments was restricted; and therefore we have heard from crewmembers that jumpseat riders are being removed from West flights in greater numbers than before the West cutover to FOS. In addition, we have heard concerns from East pilots and flight attendants about flights that were previously East metal that are now West flights and their inability to utilize the West jumpseats as a result of the weight restriction. We have heard these concerns throughout the system and evaluated the situation to see how we could help.

I understand how important the ability to jumpseat is to all of our commuting crewmembers, and the cutover to FOS was not intended to limit that ability. Therefore, the Company will implement a change to the procedures on flights operated by West to remove a revenue passenger prior to removing a mainline crewmember from the jumpseat. This new procedure will take effect on March 1, 2008. I am pleased to make this announcement and hopeful that this procedural change will benefit both our East and West mainline crewmembers when commuting by adding greater predictability.

Captain Ed Bular
Senior Vice President - Flight Operations/Inflight

As the "virtual merger" progressed, we have seen more flights, formerly operated on East metal, transferred to West metal and that has had a negative impact on East Flight Attendants trying to use the jumpseat to commute to work or travel for pleasure. We have also seen our fellow West crew members benefit from the East policy while continuing to be disadvantaged by the West policy

While I am pleased the Company is now revising their policy, this was not a problem the Company was "recently made aware of". The AFA informed the Company of the problem last year.

Last year, via the following letter, the Union requested the Company address the problem created by the "virtual merger".

Cindi Simone
Director Labor Relations Inflight
US Airways, Inc
111 Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe, AZ 85281

July 6, 2007


RE: JUMPSEAT DENIALS

Dear Cindi,

I am writing this letter to express two concerns regarding the ability for East Flight Attendants to access the cabin jumpseat.

The first concern is the sporadic, yet continuing; problem of East Flight Attendants denied the jumpseat on East metal due to weight restrictions. As you know, we both have had numerous conversations and correspondence regarding instances where East Flight Attendants have been denied the jumpseat on East metal. Memos have been sent to station personnel and various other departments alerting all concerned that East Flight Attendants are never to be denied the jumpseat because the flight is weight restricted.

The Union has also communicated, via Elines, the procedure, specific contract language and the memo the Company sent to all station personnel in an effort to provide our members with some form of back up documentation to relay to the agents who continue to deny the jumpseat.

Despite the efforts of both parties, the problem continues to occur. It must stop.

The second issue of concern is the fact that the since the merger, the Company has been using East metal to fly former West routes and vice versa. The Union does acknowledge there was no "route protection" negotiated in the Transition Agreement between the parties. The fact there is no such restriction, allows the Company to better utilize aircraft on existing routes throughout the system. Because of increased aircraft utilization, the Company also has the ability to enter new markets without buying or leasing additional aircraft (for example, PHL-PDX). This type of synergy increases flexibility and, more importantly, revenue for the Company.

Although not addressed in the West AFA Collective Bargaining Agreement, the West jumpseat policy on West metal denies access to the cabin jumpseat if the flight is weight restricted.

While the Company certainly gains from the ability to utilize East and West aircraft on routes during the period of separate operation, East Flight Attendants are therefore disadvantaged as a result of the "virtual merger".

One specific example of this is PHL-SAN-PHL. The 0800 and 1600 PHL-SAN departures, formerly operated on East metal, now operate on West metal. The 0645 and 1120 SAN-PHL
departures, formerly operated on East metal, now operate on West metal. In this market, two out of the three daily non-stops formerly operated by East metal are now operating on West metal.

There are numerous other examples-but you get the idea. Additionally, this information is only available on the US Airways website, as it still notes which airline is operating a particular flight.

The Transition Agreement negotiations resulted in a reciprocal policy based on the jumpseat policies in effect at the time of the agreement. Those negotiations did not contemplate the "virtual merger" currently unfolding. Furthermore the Company has agreed in single agreement negotiations to the following language:

"A Flight Attendant will be awarded the jumpseat regardless of potential weight restrictions and will not be removed for weight restricted flights. Other jumpseat riders will be removed for these reasons". AGREED

(In the context of the jumpseat language, "other" jumpseat riders refer to flight attendants from other carriers, if reciprocal jumpseat agreements are reached with other carriers.)

Under the current reciprocal jumpseat policy, the West Flight Attendants enjoy the current East language on East metal but the East Flight Attendants are disadvantaged. Whether we like it or not, this is a commuter airline-in large part because of base closures.

Although the effect of the "virtual merger" and the two policies are not limited to our west coast commuters, it is impossible to ignore the fact many of those commuters, in many instances, depend on the jumpseat as their sole means to get to work. By virtue of aircraft utilization and the "virtual merger", the ability to jumpseat has been seriously compromised for all East Flight Attendants.

In addition, the mixing of agents, (who are working under a single agreement), aircraft, routes, and policies exacerbates the continuing problem of jumpseat denials to East Flight Attendants on East metal.

In my opinion, the way to fix the disparate treatment with regard to weight restrictions and fix, once and for all, the jumpseat denials on East metal, for both East and West Flight Attendants, is to immediately synch both jumpseat policies with the weight restriction language that has been agreed to in single agreement negotiations.

I look forward to your response,

Sincerely,

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

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

All other reciprocal jumpseat policy requirements and rules remain in effect until Operational Integration. East Flight Attendants still have priority above West Flight Attendants on flights operated by East metal and conversely, West Flight Attendants have priority above East Flight Attendants on flights operated on West metal.

Please review the Reciprocal Jumpseat Agreement on the US Airways AFA website by visiting: http://www.afausairways.org/Eline/feb28_06.htm

Thank you,

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

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AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 412-245-1214
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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