• RESERVE LOD/O INTERNATIONAL PAY DISPUTE RESOLVED
• NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
• CROSS FLYING AND EQUIPMENT SUBSTITUTION
• AIRCRAFT CLEANING
• MEC MEETING
• Accessing The Hub
• AFA Local Numbers

RESERVE LOD/O INTERNATIONAL PAY DISPUTE RESOLVED

It was brought to our attention that some Reserve LOD/O Flight Attendants in PHL and CLT were not receiving the International Pay Premium for any reserve guarantee pay. All reserve PHL and German CLT LOD/O Flight Attendants are entitled to the $3.00 per hour International Premium for any Transoceanic International (TI) trips flown. In addition those reserve LOD/O Flight Attendants are entitled to the premium for any hours that are paid to reach the minimum guarantee of 73 hours. 

A payroll coding error occurred last May when the ITD was eliminated. Some LOD/O Flight Attendants were incorrectly coded and as a result were not paid the International Premium for their under guarantee pay. The problem has been identified and will be fixed in the following manner:

1) EDS is running a report to show all flight attendants coded to receive international reserve guarantee. 

2) The list will be compared to those flight attendants currently in the LOD/O program and the appropriate (07/09) will be updated in CATs to ensure the premium is paid correctly from this point forward. Effective with the May 05 (June 15th paycheck) those flight attendants entitled to the premium will be paid correctly. This would include all LOD/Os in Philadelphia and in Charlotte, excluding CLT Spanish LOD/Os - since they are not flying transoceanic.

3) Additionally, an audit is being performed to see who was a LODO for the period including May 05 through and including April 06. Those flight attendants who didn't receive the premium for that period will receive the retro pay on their July 15th paycheck. 

4) Inflight Administration will revise their LOD/O process for LOD/Os entering and existing the program to ensure that PeopleSoft is updated with the appropriate code (job code) to ensure accuracy in the premium payment.

As a reminder the LODO premium of $2.00 per hour is, per contract, only paid for each block hour flown on a flight containing a LOD/O trip segment.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

Last week's negotiation session in PHX accomplished very little. The Joint Negotiating Committee and the Company committee are working on two sections; 24, Grievance and 25, System Board of Adjustment. Although some items have been agreed to both sides are still far apart on several key items. The two committees are scheduled to meet next on May 31-June 2 in CLT. The JNC remains committed to our goal of improving both agreements. We have refused to take a step backward in either agreement and will continue both strategies. The Company's position that a merged agreement must remain cost neutral is in our view not realistic.

CROSS FLYING AND EQUIPMENT SUBSTITUTION

The two carriers will continue to operate separately until a single operating certificate is obtained; merged labor contracts are ratified and seniority lists are combined. During this period of separate operation the Company believes they have the right to substitute one carrier's aircraft and crew to fly the other carrier's flight in the event of a mechanical or other operational delay. For example, last Friday US Airways Flt. 146 PHX-CLT was delayed due to a mechanical and the departure time was delayed four hours. After it was determined the aircraft would be in the hanger past the estimated departure time the Company decided to substitute an America West aircraft and crew on the leg. The US Airways crew was deadheaded to CLT and per our agreement paid at 100% pay/credit.

US Airways Flt. 146/America West Flt. #### was eventually cancelled as a result of dispatch issues. We have heard various reports that this type of equipment substitution has occurred before and the Union is investigating this practice. The Union position at this time is the Company can't create a "virtual" merger or "Cross Flying" (my term) in order to satisfy their operational needs without our consent. The Union and the Company need to work out whether this practice is allowable under the terms of the Transition Agreement, and if so agree to pay protections for our members. Our contract currently would not allow for pay protection if an America West aircraft and crew flew segments previously assigned to a US Airways aircraft and crew. The Company position is that the US Airways flight/s would be cancelled and pay protection would not fall under the equipment substitution language in our contract. We disagree.

Please inform your local Union representatives if you have in the past been rescheduled to fly an America West segment or an America West crew has flown a segment you were scheduled to fly. Until we discuss this further with the Company the Union is NOT taking the position that you are to refuse an assignment that may fall under this practice only to inform of us the circumstances involving any such assignment or rescheduled operation. 

The Company does have the right to route aircraft and crews from each carrier on a scheduled basis. We will begin to see more long-haul US Airways East Flying out of both PHX and LAS in the coming months as aircraft and crews are utilized more efficiently. That is completely different than substituting aircraft and crews from one carrier to the other on previously scheduled flying. 

AIRCRAFT CLEANING

Last week an incident occurred in PHL that never should have happened. Okay, that happens every day but this particular incident was quite disturbing. An A330 that had been left overnight with a door or doors open became home to a flock of birds, Starlings to be exact. As they are known to do the birds answered their call from nature inside the aircraft. The aircraft was scheduled to fly a SJU turn the next morning and when the crew arrived the mess was discovered. One cleaner was sent to the aircraft and apparently some or part of the crew assisted in the clean up. I have no idea why the crew assisted although Cabin Safety Reports indicate the Captain told the crew they needed to help in order to keep the trip from going illegal. What I do know is this; the next time this happens the crew should leave the aircraft and not return until utility cleans the aircraft. What also should have happened is the aircraft should have been grounded until it was thoroughly cleaned and inspected. Do not under any circumstance allow yourself to be subjected to an unsafe situation. This type of cleaning is way beyond the scope of our agreement and we are investigating why Company procedures in place to clean an aircraft in unusual situations were not followed. 

Another issue concerning cabin cleaning continues to surface. Our contract clearly states when and where we perform cabin cleaning duties and what those duties are. The contract also states, 'A Flight Attendant will not be required to perform such cabin cleaning duties after the conclusion of his/her duty day." Technically that language means that 15 minutes after block in on your last flight of the day you are at the conclusion of your duty day. In theory at that point one can stop cleaning the cabin. In practice that means handing the aircraft over to a new crew and asking the new crew to finish the job. I would remind everyone that while no one likes or wants to clean the cabin I believe the best practice would be to not to hand over the cleaning to the new crew. Clearly the choice is yours to make. 

MEC MEETING

The MEC will hold a regularly scheduled meeting June 6-8 at the MEC office in PIT. The meeting is open to any member in good standing. At various times the meeting may be closed to the membership by the MEC. A Member Forum is scheduled on June 7 from 4:00 pm until 5:30 pm. The MEC will take questions and listen to member concerns about matters that pertain to the entire membership. 

The complete agenda is posted on our web site at: www.afausairways.org

Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
US Airways MEC AFA-CWA

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Accessing The Hub:

http://thehub.usairways.com 
Logging in the first time your user name is u0(zero) and your five digit employee number. Your initial password is the first five digits of your social security number. Questions about the Hub? Please contact the EDS Help Desk at 336-744-6000 for assistance. More information can also be found HERE.

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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