Contents:

• Voluntary Furloughees Retain Seniority When Returning from Furlough 
• INS "Crew lane" Closes in PIT
• NEW Hotline Message from the US Airways President and CEO
• FAA Rescinds More Relaxed List of Carry-Ons
• ATA is Hiring

Voluntary Furloughees Retain Seniority When Returning from Furlough

There has been a misconception expressed by many people that Voluntary Furloughees will somehow lose all their system seniority and be forcefully displaced from their bases into other bases where there are openings.

Please re-read the Voluntary Furlough Sideletter and the Working Agreement; you will see that this rumor should never have gathered any strength.

While it is true that Voluntary Furloughees are NOT GUARANTEED a position in their original base - they RETAIN their system seniority. Remember also that the over-riding basis for displacements is that they are always determined by system seniority only.

Pay particular attention to Item # 13 of the Voluntary Furlough Sideletter:

"If, as a result of a flight attendant returning from Voluntary Furlough, a junior flight attendant no longer has the seniority to hold a position, such junior flight attendant may be placed on furlough"...

You will notice that this provision does NOT say that a Voluntary Furloughee is GUARANTEED their position in their base.  This provision also does NOT say that Voluntary Furloughees will be forced to go wherever in the system the base openings happen to be.  Again, clearly, seniority prevails if there is going to be a displacement.

Please refer below to the excerpts from the Voluntary Furlough Sideletter, The Working Agreement, SECTION 18 - FILLING OF VACANCIES, and 2002 Flight Attendant Displacements Q&A's and the links to the website.

Please help stop this jumpseat rumor the next time you hear it come around.

If you hear any rumors please send them to your LEC Officers instead of passing them along. Stop the rumors. Get the facts.

Thank you.

Reference information:

LETTER OF AGREEMENT between US AIRWAYS, INC.and the FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

13.  If, as a result of a flight attendant returning from Voluntary Furlough, a junior flight attendant no longer has the seniority to hold a position, such junior flight attendant may be placed on furlough in accordance with Section 19 of the basic agreement until a vacancy becomes available.

19.  Nothing in this Letter shall permit a flight attendant to remain on Voluntary Furlough if a more senior flight attendant is on an involuntary furlough status.

http://www.afausairways.org/Furlough/volfurlsideletter1.html

D.  When a flight attendant is displaced at his/her domicile for any reason, he/she shall be permitted to displace the most junior flight attendant at the domicile of his/her choice, provided he/she has greater system seniority than such flight attendant.

http://www.afausairways.org/contract/Sec18.html
 

From: 2002 Flight Attendant Displacements Q&A's

Q: Can a flight attendant that is out on a leave, a voluntary furlough, or an involuntary furlough be displaced?  
A: Yes.
 

Q: What are my rights if I am displaced, and where in the contract can I find them? 
A: The Flight Attendant Agreement provides certain rights for flight attendants that are displaced.  Please review Section 5 (Moving Expenses) and Section 18 (Filling of Vacancies)
 

Q: To what base can I transfer if I am displaced?  
A: You will be able to transfer to any base where there is a flight attendant that is junior to you.  [Section 18.D] As of June 2002, flight attendant domiciles are BOS, CLT, CLW, DCA, LGA, PHL, PHW, PIT and PIW.

http://www.afausairways.org/Displacement_QA.htm

Attention all PHW and PIW F/As.

The Port Director for U.S.  Immigration, PIT has notified US Airways that beginning Sunday, March 17, INS will no longer be able to offer a "crew lane" for our arriving Transatlantic crewmembers.  This is a result of a shortage of workable INS officers to cover their seven-day a week operation.

The decision was also based on the fact that our 3 transatlantic flights arrive within 10 minutes of each other.  This equates to approximately 721 passengers and 48 crewmembers clearing through INS at the same time, resulting in a delay.

Please be advised that as a working crewmember you will need to queue with the U.S.  Citizens.  These lines do move quicker that the Non-U.S.  Citizen line.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time.  Should you have additional questions, please contact your Inflight Supervisor.

 Beth Slagle
 Analyst - Inflight International, US Airways

President and CEO Dave Siegel has created a new way to communicate directly with employees on a weekly basis through US Airways' toll-free hotline. 

You can hear him in his own words by dialing 1-800-USDAILY (1-800-873-2459) and selecting prompt four.  Mr. Siegel intends to update his message every Friday, so make it a part of your weekly routine to check in with the CEO at 1-800-USDAILY.

FAA Rescinds More Relaxed List of Carry-Ons Safety: OKd last month were baseball bats, syringes and
other items banned after Sept.11. By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and JACK NELSON, TIMES STAFF WRITERS

WASHINGTON -- In a move they now say was a mistake, federal aviation security officials issued confidential instructions last month permitting passengers to carry baseball bats and other items that could be wielded as weapons aboard jetliners.

The instructions to security screeners--effective when the government assumed control of airport checkpoints on Feb.  17--expanded the list of "permitted items" to include baseball and cricket bats, hockey sticks, ski poles, pool cues and golf clubs.

A copy of the revised list of carry-on items was made available to The LA Times by a security source who disagreed with the new policy. Baseball bats and many of the other items were forbidden when security was tightened immediately after the Sept.  11 terrorist attacks. After inquiries by The Times on Friday, Transportation Department officials said the new policy was a mistake

Read the LA Times article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000019317mar16.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dnation

American Trans Air has scheduled flight attendant classes for April 2nd, May 7th, June 11th and July 9th, 2002.

To contact ATA recruiting, call 1-888-ATA-Team.

Thank you,
Jacki Pritchett
AFA-ATA MEC President