• AUGUST BLOCK TIME
• CONTRACT ONLINE
• MOCK-UP DOOR GRIEVANCE
• B767 NEW MEAL CARTS
• DOWNSIZING GRIEVANCE
• LOCAL COUNCIL CONTACT NUMBERS

AUGUST BLOCK TIME

For August, there are:
1400 PRI positions
173 SEC positions/lines
2 LOD/O SEC positions/lines
This a total of 1575 positions and represents a decrease of 18 positions from July.  There was a decrease in the available head count in PHL by 18 positions as well.

CONTRACT ONLINE

After the last E-Line went out, one member wrote and asked if they could download the Flight Attendant Contract online, thereby keeping a “soft copy” of the contract on their computer instead of carrying around the actual contract.  The contract has been available to view and download online for years on our AFA web site.  Go to:
http://www.afausairways.org/contract/index1.html

MOCK-UP DOOR GRIEVANCE

AFA has filed an MEC grievance against the company regarding broken mock-up doors at the training center.

PHL Council 70 received some calls and emails last month from flight attendants who had attended training and, while there, were told they would have to come back to the Training Center at a later date to open a door that was broken on the day they attended their training.

Simply put, for your time to go back to the Training Center to open the door, the company wants to pay you $60.  AFA believes that you should be paid five (5) hours for having to go back because this will take up most of your day, if not all of it for some of you.  We will keep you advised as to the outcome of this grievance.

Additionally, if any of you received a Low Block letter during a month in which you had to go back to the Training Center to open a door, please let us know.

B767 MEAL CARTS

If you have worked on the B767 recently, you have noticed that there are new meal carts onboard.  Some of the cart brakes may be a little stiff at first, however, please pay close attention to the cables that connect to the carts to heat the meals.  If you notice any problems with the cables, please notify the captain so that this is written up in the log book and maintenance can replace them.  The company sent out a CBS message regarding this issue on June 29 and we have received calls from members regarding the new carts.  If the cart brake is so stiff that you are unable to set it, write this up as well and maintenance can adjust that.

INCIDENT REPORTS

Each week, I read at least a dozen incident reports involving everything from an aircraft returning to the gate because of a sick passenger, a flight diverting due to smoke in the cockpit, a passenger death inflight - and everything in between.  There are a number of issues that drive these incident reports, as you can imagine.  I would like to recognize the PHL-based flight attendants working flight 1241 on June 27th.  They experienced a hard landing in which both nose gear tires were blown out (and the shredded tires were ingested in the engines) and there was strut damage as well.  The aircraft could not be moved from the runway, so passengers had to deplane from the rear of the aircraft.  This is a reminder that we are always safety professionals first and foremost. 

DOWNSIZING GRIEVANCE

I would like to give you a familiar scenario and explain why AFA will be filing a grievance.

You are scheduled to fly to Europe on the A330.  Prior to check in, you discover that the aircraft will now be a B767 but the company plans on having the A330 back on the route for your return. 

For years, when this situation has occurred, the company has always scheduled the three A330 pilots and the three most senior flight attendants to deadhead.

Last month, we had two of these situations occur, one on a MAD trip and the other, MAN. 

Keep in mind that if the company knows that the downsizing will be for your return segment as well, then the three most senior are released, with pay.

The company’s position has suddenly changed regarding the one-way downsizing:  if there are seats available, they will book the three most senior flight attendants as deadheading.  If seats are not available, only one of the nine flight attendants will deadhead, since there are only eight jumpseats on the B767, and the other two most senior will have to take a jumpseat.  This is absolutely against the company’s own past practice and it is due to nothing more than company convenience - not wanting to pull two more paying passengers.  Keep in mind, there is an extra jumpseat in the cockpit, but they are not making one of the three deadheading pilots take that seat.  Therefore, AFA will file a grievance this week over this new practice.

In Regards,