• ADDITIONAL SICK LEAVE AUTOMATION INFORMATION
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Dear Members,

ADDITIONAL SICK LEAVE AUTOMATION INFORMATION

Here are some additional comments regarding the automatic sick claim implementation:

• The implementation of the automated sick claim procedures on August 31, 2006 (the first day of the September bid month) will affect the sick claim procedures for anyone who called in sick for a trip that carries over from the August bid month into the September bid month. Any sick days occurring prior to August 31, 2006 must be claimed on Catcrew by the individual Flight Attendant. Any sick claim that occurs on or after August 31, 2006 will be automatically claimed per the implementation of the automated sick claim procedure.
    
• There has been some confusion with regard to the 3+30 per day charge. If a lineholder calls in sick on a day they have no flying activity they will be charged 3+30 per day. This would allow someone to meet their obligation who had planned on flying but could not due to an illness or injury. In most cases, a lineholder would go on the A/IL to pick up a trip to call in sick for but there may be instances where no trips would be available. In addition, if you call in sick for two or more trips at the same time you will not be charged 3+30 per day for the days with no scheduled flying activity in between the two trips. For example:

You are scheduled for pairing #1234 on the 1st and 2nd and also 
scheduled for the same pairing on the 8th and 9th. If illness or injury requires that you call in sick for both pairings at the same time (say, you sprained your ankle and know that you have to off for 10 days) you will be automatically charged for the two trips. You will not be charged 3+30 per day for the days in between the two trips unless you  indicate otherwise to the scheduler. 

I have also been asked by several members to explain how the policy of not allowing any flying activity during the period of the sick call makes economic sense. During the 2004 negotiations Sick was a very large cost area in the overall "ask" the company was requiring the Union to meet. The Company's philosophy behind this provision was that some Flight Attendants were using sick calls to adjust their schedules rather than because they were actually sick. Continuing down that line of reasoning the company believed they would dramatically reduce the number of sick calls if people were not able to fly the time back and were forced to remain off for the duration of the trip they had called in sick for. 

Clearly, logic would indicate that forcing someone to claim sick for a four-day trip because they had a minor head cold or a 24 hour stomach virus and could have been back flying on the following day may prove more costly. 

As is typically the case with the company; policy is created to stop someone from abusing the system without any further consideration of the consequences to the entire workforce. 

In any case, the company assigned a large dollar amount to this provision as a credit against the amount the Union needed to concede. Absent that credit we would have had to make up that dollar difference in some other section/s of the contract. 

I don't believe the policy makes sense nor do I believe the company will realize the savings they gave us credit for. I may be wrong and perhaps that is why I am not an airline executive. 

Thank you,

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

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