• MERGED CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
• MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
• SIDE LETTER L20 
• Accessing The Hub
• AFA Local Numbers

MERGED CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

The AFA Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and the Company committee continued negotiations toward a merged contract last week in PHX. During the three day session the committees reached a tentative agreement on one section and engaged in a lengthy debate on side letter, L20, of the US Airways Flight Attendant Agreement. 

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS

Section 23 of the US Airways Agreement, "MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS" was blended with America West Section 18, "PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS".

Both sections deal primarily with the ability of the Company to require a Flight Attendant to submit to a medical examination if the Company determines that, "reasonable grounds exist to establish that a Flight Attendant's physical or mental health condition may impair the performance of her/his duties as a Flight Attendant".

The mechanics and appeal process for such examinations are similar and remain unchanged. The committee secured improvements in the areas of records confidentiality, pay while being held out of service and transportation expenses for travel to a required medical examination. The Company will be required to maintain any medical information it receives in separate medical files. Such files shall be treated as confidential medical records consistent with the record keeping requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or FMLA. In practical terms this means there will be very limited access to the information contained in a Flight Attendant's medical records file. In short, your supervisor will not know what condition you are being treated for but only that you are not available for medical reasons. If a Flight Attendant's removal from flying status is deemed unwarranted as a result of a medical examination lost pay will be calculated based on a six month average of the Flight Attendants earnings. This calculation will include ETB time and will not be capped at the Company max hours. The Company will conduct any medical examination in the metropolitan area in which the Flight Attendant resides unless unable to locate a suitable health care provider. If required the Flight Attendant will be provided round trip Positive Space travel on the US Airways system from the station closest to her/his residence to the location of the medical examination. Transportation and lodging will be provided if required and reimbursement for meals if a Flight Attendant has to fly in for a medical examination. If a Flight Attendant drives more than 25 miles to the site of the examination the Company will reimburse the Flight Attendant for mileage at the IRS minimum rates as well as reasonable meals and lodging if required.

SIDE LETTER L20 

Side Letter L20 in the US Airways Agreement, entitled Missing, Internment, Hostage, Prisoner of War and Hijacking, was written pre 9/11. The Company and the JNC agreed the letter needs to be updated and put into a contract section rather than remain as side letter. 

The world is a far different place since this letter was agreed to and we want added protections for our members and their families. With the tremendous amount of International Flying and potential CRAF operations we fly we need to secure better pay protection for members who may become interred by a foreign government, held hostage or prisoner by insurgents or terrorists or are kidnapped as a result of some of the political demonstrations and unrest taking place throughout the world. Quite obviously neither the Company nor the JNC hopes this section is ever invoked but we are negotiating as if it would. We are seeking increased pay protections for a Flight Attendant so affected and more formal Company involvement with the families of the affected Flight Attendant. With regard to the latter, the JNC created a "check off" form that will be kept on file by the Company. Flight Attendants will be able to formally allocate designee/s to receive their pay check/s, formalize their deduction choices or keep current direct deposit procedures and deductions in place. The Company will also be required to provide any and all information available to the family in order to facilitate the Social Security and Retirement Plan benefits in the event the death or reasonable presumption of death is established. With regard to pay the Company and the JNC are in disagreement. While this is all very sobering to assume, we are working under the presumption that an event of this nature could happen and therefore are trying to secure the highest pay possible for a Flight Attendant involved in one of these situations. What should really be a "no-brainer" has led to an extraordinary and time consuming discussion with the Company over pay. 

We will continue negotiations on this side letter/section at our next scheduled session April 11-13. The agenda for that meeting will also include discussions on US Airways Section 27 "SAFETY AND HEALTH.

To date we have reached Tentative Agreements on: Period of Probation, Dues Check Off, Collective Bargaining Service Charge and Medical Examinations. Four down only 28 to go and further updates will be provided as the process continues.

Thank You,

Mike Flores, President 
The US Airways Master Executive Council
JNC Member

Carol Austin
MEC Scheduling Chair
JNC Member 

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AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
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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