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SCHEDULING AND RESERVE SECTIONS

Since the publication of the January 9, 2008, Scheduling section Eline, numerous communications from Reserves asking why the Scheduling section counter proposal seemed heavily weighted towards Lineholders have surfaced. Here is why.

In the East Flight Attendant Agreement, the Scheduling and the Reserve sections are two different sections for a reason. Section 9 - Scheduling, encompasses the overall scheduling and rescheduling of Flight Attendants. In the current agreement, the Scheduling section details the construction of Primary and Secondary lines, SAP, the ETB (for both Lineholders and Reserves), TWOP, overprojection adjustments and the AIL. The Scheduling Section also contains very important rescheduling language affecting both Lineholders and Reserves.

The Scheduling section contains the following two references with regard to the scheduling of Reserves:

1- Section 9.E.3. (Page 9-19) Future Scheduling For Reserves

Future Scheduling for reserve flight attendants shall commence at 1500 or after the conclusion of the awarding of pairings from the AIL, whichever is later, and shall be in accordance with Section 11 (Reserve Duty)

2- Section 9.E.4 (page 9-19) Daily Scheduling For Reserves

Daily Scheduling for reserves shall commence after the conclusion of the award of Daily Scheduling pairings to lineholders, if any, and shall be in accordance with Section 11 (Reserve Duty) unless a reserve is needed to cover a quick call as provided in Section 11.C. Crew Scheduling shall not contact reserve flight attendants between the hours of 2400 and 0500 unless required to prevent a flight delay.

All Reserves should please note each of the above contract provisions of Section 9- Scheduling; refer the scheduling of Reserves to Section 11 - Reserve - where it should be.

Because the Reserve sections of both the East and West agreements are so bad, the Joint Negotiating Committee began negotiating the Reserve section last year, well in advance of the Scheduling section. Some progress has been made, but as I have said before, not enough to reach an agreement with the Company. The Reserve section, like many other sections, has been "tabled" (set aside) not because they are not important, but rather, because they are. We are not going to "rubber stamp" substandard Company proposals in order to reach an overall agreement.

The JNC published several Elines early 2008 regarding the Reserve section proposals. Rather than provide links to those Elines I have summarized the Elines below for your review.
 

Negotiations and Our Reserve Systems (February 2008)

Over the last several weeks, the AFA Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has been negotiating the Reserve section with management. 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 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 a positive note, as explained below, management did agree to certain improvements to the East system, such as the elimination of twenty four hours on call-by creating a 12 hour Reserve Availability Period (RAP) 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 pairing assignment to be within the RAP and better On-Premise Reserve (OPR) provisions.

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. The Company provisions rejected by your JNC include:

• Days of availability buckets (matching trips a Reserve could fly to days of availability)

• Moveable days scheduled only before Golden (INV) days.

• Force Reserves to work until 0330 on Golden (INV) Day with no restoration of a day off.

• Continued use of time balancing (LTO).

• Eliminate ability to select among multiple available trips on day of assignment.

• Allow Crew Scheduling to assign Reserve additional segments when they return to domicile after a trip. (Tagging.)

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

1. Reserve 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 is a major step toward solving the East Reserve situation of being on call all day and being called out to fly to Europe in the middle of the night. This also represents an improvement to the current West Reserve system, in which Reserves can be assigned pairings that report 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 of "within a 90 minute by surface transportation report to the airport".
   

• 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 pairing assignment when they return to domicile after completing their original pairing.
   

• The JNC proposal uses seniority as the mechanism for pairing assignment rather than a time balancing (LTO) system. The Company has countered with seniority the day prior but has added a "bucket and pool" system. Under the Company proposal, a Reserve would bid for future trips the 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 JNC believes this is nothing more than one big LTO grouping and will remain committed to a seniority system.
  
  The "bucket and pool" system proposed by the Company forces Reserves to pick up trips based on their days of availability. This type of system has consistently been rejected by AFA in previous negotiations as it limits flexibility.
   

• The JNC proposal cleaned up OPR pay. West Reserves receive one for two for a five hour OPR (known as Airport Ready Reserve on the West) shift and the shift may be extended an additional five hours. 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 (rather than calculated at a 1-2.25) 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 an OPR shift to 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 measurable growth means prolonged time on Reserve. The JNC believes the Reserve proposal should take that fact into account. Gone are the days of being on Reserve for six months, therefore a system must be negotiated that allows Reserves to earn a living without having to work their days off to do so.
   

• The JNC believes a Seniority based system for selecting pairings is the only fair way to provide someone the necessary reward for their years of service.
   

• We have not addressed the Reserve Guarantee at this time, but we do believe that the guarantee needs to be increased, and will address an increase in Reserve Guarantee in the Compensation Section.
   

• 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 assigned on days off.

Overall the Company believes otherwise. The Company believes it is in their best interest for every Reserve to come as close to their Reserve Guarantee as possible without exceeding it. While that may make some financial sense to 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.

This negotiation is taking a very long time. Perhaps it could have be closer to the end had the JNC decided to not hold our ground during the Reserve Section negotiations. The JNC will continue to hold our ground on every section we negotiate. Just reaching an agreement is not enough.

Thank you,

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

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AFA Local Numbers
 
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
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Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

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