• ACARS
• FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRIP TRADES THROUGH CREW SCHEDULING
• ETB PROCESSING
• Accessing The Hub
• AFA Local Numbers

Dear Members,

ACARS

As a reminder, ACARS is programmed to start the clock when all aircraft doors are closed and the aircraft parking brake is released.

ACARS is programmed to stop the clock when the parking brake is set and the first door-either cargo or cabin- is opened.

This is a return to the former ACARS logic and has replaced aircraft movement as the component for starting the clock. The pilot in command is not supposed to release the parking brake until pushback is imminent.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRIP TRADES THROUGH CREW SCHEDULING

Recently a situation was brought to the Union's attention involving trip trades between Flight Attendants conducted through Crew Scheduling. The trade involved a Flight Attendant awarded from Daily Scheduling and a Flight Attendant who had an ETB trip. When two Flight Attendants trade trips through Crew Scheduling, the trade does not change the original status (Company or ETB time) of each Flight Attendant's trip. In other words, the Flight Attendant who had the ETB trip does not receive credit for the difference of either trip toward her/his Company time by taking the trip from the Flight Attendant awarded a trip from Scheduling (either Future or Daily).

This is different than a Flight Attendant who takes their ETB trip to the AIL and trip improves off of the ETB trip. In that case, the ETB trip goes back into Company open time and the trip awarded from the AIL comes from Company open time and is therefore credited to the Flight Attendant as Company time.

ETB PROCESSING

This week the Company issued two CBS messages regarding a change to the way ETB drops are processed. The messages seemed to indicate that somehow the Union had agreed to a change in the way ETB is processed. That is not the case. When the ETB was negotiated, Lineholders were allowed to drop down to a floor of fifty hours of time. The intent of both the Union and the Company was to use a Flight Attendant's Obligation as the basis for the fifty hour floor and that is what was implemented.

Subsequent to the implementation of the ETB the Union did negotiate a change from a fifty hour floor down to a forty hour floor.

At some point in late 2006, the Company began using a Flight Attendants Projection as the basis for the floor. The Union was never informed of this change. Using Projection instead of Obligation as the basis creates drops below the forty hour floor- in some cases down to zero. That was not the intent of either party.

Effective with December ETB processing the Company will process ETB transactions using a Flight Attendant's Obligation as the basis for determining the forty hour floor. That is the way it should be from a contractual standpoint.

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
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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