• CREW SUBSTITUTION PAY
• PROTECTED HOLIDAY
• PAYROLL 800# CONTACT
• MISSING TRAINING MEAL EXPENSE MONEY
• MICROSOFT "WINDOWS MOBILE" TRAY TABLE AD
• Accessing The Hub

• AFA Local Numbers

CREW SUBSTITUTION PAY

Contract Section 9.H.2.c states the following regarding crew substitution situations when an aircraft is downgraded:

When different equipment is substituted to cover scheduled operations, the flight attendant complement will depend on the number of jumpseats available. In the event fewer jumpseats are available than there are flight attendants flying the pairing, the junior flight attendants on the pairing, regardless of bid position, will fly the pairing and receive pay and credit at their hourly rate, and all premiums, if applicable. The most senior flight attendant(s) shall be released for the remainder of the pairing and compensated at his/her hourly rate with all applicable premiums. At Company option, the original crewmember may be required to return to his/her original pairing at any time prior to the termination of such pairing but, for this provision to have effect, such crewmember must be notified of such requirement at the time he/she is notified of the equipment substitution.

This language has been in our Agreement for decades and its intent is to provide pay protection, including all applicable premiums, for Flight Attendants who were originally scheduled to fly a segment(s) on one piece of equipment and that equipment was subsequently downgraded, at the Company's convenience, to a smaller piece of equipment.

Prior to the decision to fly all of our equipment types with minimum crew staffing, if an equipment substitution was necessary and the aircraft was downgraded the most senior Flight Attendant(s) were released from the trip, based on the number of available jumpseats on the replacement aircraft, and pay protected for the value of the trip-including all applicable premiums.

For example if trip, #1234 operated with a B757 with six flight attendants (previous to the minimum crew staffing) was downgraded to an A319, the most senior Flight Attendant would be released and pay protected, including applicable premiums because the A319 only has five jumpseats. The most senior F/A would have been pay protected and if flying in the "A" position paid the senior premium applicable to the B757.

In this example, in today's world of minimum crew staffing, no one is going to be sent home as there are enough available jumpseats to accommodate the entire crew. The Company has taken the position the senior premium should be based on the actual aircraft type flown, not the scheduled aircraft type. The Union's position is the opposite as we believe the senior premium should be paid based on the aircraft type contained in the published pairing. When we bid a block or pick up a trip, we do so based on the premiums and pay for the aircraft type as published. The fact the Company substitutes an aircraft with a lower senior premium is for Company convenience and the Flight Attendants affected by that convenience should not be financially disadvantaged.

The Union has filed a grievance against the Company regarding the reduction in senior premium associated with an equipment downgrade.

If you have flown a trip in the senior position that has been downgraded to equipment that has a lower senior premium and have not been paid the higher premium please contact your local office with the details.

PROTECTED HOLIDAY

Memorial Day, May 28, 2007, is a contractual "Protected Holiday". The only restrictions to "Protected Holidays" pertain to SAP. No more than 15% of trips on a "Protected Holiday" can be in open time after SAP is run.

There is no A/IL restriction with regard to "Protected Holidays". You are not required to "touch" a "Protected Holiday". As Memorial Day is on a Monday here are two examples regarding use of the A/IL:

EXAMPLE #1:

3 DAY PAIRING # 23456

DUTY PERIOD #1 - SATURDAY MAY 26
DUTY PERIOD# 2- SUNDAY MAY 27
DUTY PERIOD# 3- MONDAY MAY 28 (MEMORIAL DAY)

IN THIS EXAMPLE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT HOLDING THIS PAIRING IS NOT REQUIRED TO FLY ON MEMORIAL DAY, BUT IS REQUIRED TO FULFILL THEIR WEEKEND A/IL RESTRICTION. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT COULD TRIP IMPROVE TO A TRIP THAT TOUCHED BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BUT WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO FLY ON MONDAY.

EXAMPLE # 2:

3 DAY PAIRING #34567

DUTY PERIOD #1- MONDAY MAY 28 (MEMORIAL DAY)
DUTY PERIOD #2- TUESDAY MAY 29
DUTY PERIOD #3- WEDNESDAY MAY 30

IN THIS EXAMPLE, IF THE A/IL IS NOT RESTRICTED FOR MONDAY, MAY 28 A FLIGHT ATTENDANT HOLDING THIS PAIRING WOULD BE PERMITTED TO DROP THE TRIP AND TOUCH EITHER MAY 29 OR MAY 30.

PAYROLL 800# CONTACT

Recently the Company made the decision to remove the payroll department contact phone number from the toll free prompt system. At the request of the Union, the Company will reinstate a toll free payroll phone number. The Company has not decided whether to reinstate the toll free option to the prompt system or create a stand-alone toll free number. The decision will be made next week and will be communicated to you by both the Company and the Union.

MISSING TRAINING MEAL EXPENSE MONEY

The Union has received several reports from Flight Attendants who have attended training, particularly Merger Integration Training, who were not paid for the associated meal expense. The Company is conducting an investigation and audit to determine, who was not paid and why. Please review your January-April pay reports to determine if you were not paid the appropriate meal expense. Contact your local AFA office with the appropriate documentation to support any discrepancies that may arise out of the Company's audit.

MICROSOFT "WINDOWS MOBILE" TRAY TABLE AD

There is an ad that appears on the tray tables of our fleet for Microsoft Windows Mobile. In the ad, it says when in Flight Mode it allows you to turn your phone off while keeping your device turned on. "That way, the flight attendant won't scold you and you can still get work done."

This ad is part of the Marketing Department's plan to increase revenue by placing advertisements on aircraft tray tables. Leaving my personal feelings about advertising products on tray tables aside, this ad, although intended as a "joke" was completely inappropriate and insulting to our Flight Attendants who are certified safety professionals. Flight Attendants do not "scold" passengers, but enforce safety related FARs. Our Safety Committee, led by MEC Safety Committee Chair, Barrington Johnson, communicated our concerns to the Company. As a direct result of those concerns, the ads will be removed immediately. Thanks go out to Barrington and his committee members. I have made a further request to the Company to have any further ads reviewed by the Union before any ads are posted.

Thank you,

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

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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

Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com

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