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Negotiations and Our Reserve Systems

Over the last several weeks, the AFA Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has been negotiating with US Airways management over the Reserve Section. The JNC has used some key concepts of the West Reserve System but largely modeled our Reserve proposal off the East Reserve section with two sweeping changes: a Seniority based Reserve System and a move away from the current East procedure of being on call for 24 hours in a row.

While the Company agreed to fix some problems with the Reserve system, they proceeded to make other parts worse. Your JNC made it clear to management that this is not a zero sum game. We are not looking to patch some holes in one part of the Reserve system while creating leaks in another. We are looking for a Reserve system that improves the quality of life and earning potential for Reserves.

On the positive note, as explained below, management did agree to certain improvements on the East system, such as the elimination of twenty four hour call and the limited use of seniority the day prior to a day of availability. Improvements for West Reserves already agreed to by management include a requirement for the report time of the assignment to be within the RAP and better On-Premise Reserve (OPR) pay, among other improvements.

However, what management gave with one hand, they took away with the other. The following are a list of unacceptable provisions management wants to incorporate into a Reserve system. These provisions have been rejected by your JNC.

• Days of availability buckets (limiting trips a Reserve could fly to days of availability)
• Moveable days scheduled only before Golden days.
• Force Reserves to work until 0330 on Golden Day with no restoration of day off.
• Continued used of time balancing.
• Eliminate ability to select among multiple available trips on day of assignment.
• Allow Crew Scheduling to assign Reserve another segment when they return to domicile after a trip. (Tagging.)

Through Union meetings, the Wilson Survey, the online survey, emails and conversations with individual Reserves and discussions with our MEC and LEC Reserve chairs, the JNC developed a proposal which focuses on two core principles:

1. Quality Of Life
2. The Ability To Earn A Living

Quality Of Life

• The JNC proposed a system based on Reserve Availability Periods (RAPS). The Company has agreed to create twelve (12) hour RAP periods in which Reserves will only be contactable within the RAP and only awarded or assigned a pairing that reports within the RAP. This represents an improvement to the current West Reserve system, where Reserves may be assigned trips that report well after the Reserve's RAP has ended.
   
• The JNC has proposed an additional INV or Golden day to match the current West Contract for a total of nine (9) INV or Golden days along with the three (3) OFF or Moveable days.
   
• The JNC proposed a two-hour call out time to report to the airport and no requirement to reside within a two-hour drive time to the airport. The Company has countered with a two-hour call out time to "check-in" at the airport with no residence language.
   
• The JNC has proposed the elimination of Reserve tagging. Tagging under the current West Contract allows the Company to add additional segment(s) to a Reserve trip assignment when they return to domicile after completing the trip.
   
• The JNC proposal would use seniority as the mechanism for trip assignment rather than a time balancing or LTO system. The Company has countered with seniority the day prior but has added a bucket and pool system.
   
• The Company proposal would allow Reserves to bid for trips that day prior in seniority order until they reached a sixty-five (65) hour threshold at which point the Reserve would revert back to LTO until all other Reserves reached sixty-five (65) hours. The Company proposal would assign trips in LTO on the day of assignment. The Company proposal seeks to match trip awards with days of availability.
   
• The JNC proposal cleaned up OPR pay. West Reserves receive one for two for OPR (known as Airport Ready Reserve on the West) and the shift may be extended. AFA proposed and the Company agreed to the East formula of 3:30 for a four hour OPR shift which cannot be extended. Pay for an OPR awarded/assigned a trip during the OPR shift would be pro-rated up until the check in time of the awarded/assigned trip. We are still in dispute about whether an OPR may be required to remain after the end of the OPR shift of complete boarding duties.

The Ability to Earn a Living

• The JNC understands Reserve is not what it used to be. Reserve at an airline with no growth can go on for a long time. The JNC believes that any Reserve proposal should take that fact into account. Gone are the days of being on Reserve for six months and therefore a system must be negotiated that allows Reserves to earn a living without having to work all of their days off to do so.
   
• The JNC believes a Seniority based system for selecting trips is the only fair way to provide someone the necessary reward for their years of service and has proposed just that.
   
• We have not addressed the Reserve Guarantee at this time but we do believe that the guarantee needs to be increased.
   
• The JNC does not believe that Reserves should have to work their days off to earn a living, but we have proposed a pay above guarantee for both trips flown off the ETB and Company time flown on days off be paid above guarantee.

The Company believes otherwise. The Company believes it is in their best interest for every Reserve to come as close to the guarantee as possible without exceeding it. While that may make financial sense for the Company, it makes no sense to the JNC. Our Reserves deserve a system that balances the needs of the Company without putting Reserves into bankruptcy or driving them to the brink of exhaustion.

This is going to be a difficult fight but we are certainly prepared to take it on.

In Solidarity,

- The Joint Negotiations Committee -

Mike Flores - MEC President US Airways
Gary Richardson - MEC President America West Airlines
Carol Austin - AFA US Airways Negotiations Representative
Nicki Kirkeby - AFA America West Negotiations Representative

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

AFA USAirways Website

www.afausairways.org

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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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