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Cleaning Stations
Required FA Cleaning Stations Are:
ABE - ALB - BNA - BUT - CHS - CLE - DFW - DTW - IAD - IAH - ILM - MCT - MHT - MKE - MSP - MSY - MYR - PNS - PWM - ROC - RSW - SAV - SRQ - SYR.
Please note that RIC, RDU, MCI & BWI are NOT on the list.
As a reminder, FA's are NOT required to empty trash from the seat back pockets, pick up food dropped on the floor or clean lavatories. Please remember that you are also NOT required to clean AIRCRAFT that RON.
It will also help expedite the pick-up process if you remember to make an announcement prior to landing stating the FA's will be by to pick up all unwanted reading material including newspapers and magazines.
VF-6?
Several flight attendants have contacted the Local AFA office asking if there will be a Voluntary Furlough 6? Since the company increased the number of furloughs from what was initially used to determine awards for the VF-5, this should have triggered the offering of a VF-6. Our July contract revision states:
In the event the Company institutes a reduction in force that results in the furlough of employees covered by this Agreement, the Company will offer employees who would not have been involuntarily furloughed the opportunity to accept a Voluntary Furlough. The commencement of such Voluntary Furloughs will coincide with the date(s) established for involuntary furloughs.
AFA has vehemently addressed this issue with the company. As of this writing, the company has again been unresponsive to our needs or to the spirit and intent of our contract. For the sake of our furloughed FA's, I for one, would have preferred to see us work this out with the company now rather than file a grievance that will not be heard until later.
A grievance has been filed.
OPR (On-Premise Reserve) Duties:
OPR's duties are outlined in the 2000 Agreement Section 11-10.I. Before taking OPR, please read what your specified duties are. Please note that they do NOT include answering phones, running errands or tracking down crew-members.
For whatever reason the company saw fit to furlough the fine folks in Crew Tracking, who by the way did an awesome job, it is NOT our responsibility to now fill in the gap.
We have a contractual provision that protects OUR jobs from being outsourced to other employee groups. We would not stand for someone from another group stepping in to do the job of a furloughed FA, thereby taking away the need to bring that FA back. I know that there are a lot of us here in PHL/PHW who would like to see the return of the crew trackers.
We Will Work 'With' Your Union and 'Tweak' Where Needed Later
Yes, that was the tune Upper Management was singing in our Crew Room when they came daily to 'talk' about the Winter TA.. Siegel himself indicated that they (management) would
work closely with AFA to rectify/tweak any problems. Well, there is definitely some 'tweaking' going on but not in the direction many were led to believe would happen.
There is a lesson to be learned here. Can you guess what it is? If not, just read what happened to the new sick policy.
New Sick Policy
Some call it the 'April Fools Sick Policy' because it was implemented, retroactively to the First of April. Others call it the
'Forced To Go To Work Sick Policy' because that may be what ends up happening for many of our FA's. But I tend to think of it more as the company's
'Make it up as you go, Then Fake It Until You Make It Work Policy.' A little long I know, but then again I had a front row seat.
During our meetings with the company, their interpretation changed constantly to the point I am not even sure management fully understands it. They certainly could not answer most of our questions or for that matter, many of their own. Which is exactly why I will not be able to tell you what the company's new sick policy is. I only wish you could have also been there to see the show. As they say, 'seeing is believing.'
There are many disputes between AFA and the Company regarding interpretation of what was actually negotiated. How did one little paragraph change so drastically from then to now? AFA and the Company have been unable to reach agreement on this issue. However, the Company insisted on implementing their version of the new sick policy even though AFA asked them to hold off until we could let an arbitrator resolve our differences. I would not call that 'Working With AFA.'
Both AFA & ALPA have filed MEC grievances.
Have Questions About Management's New Sick Policy?
You will need to call your supervisor for the answers. It may be wise to have them put their answers to your questions in writing. Some FA's are already reporting back that what they were told on one day, was totally changed the next.
Be prepared with all your questions and as always take good notes. Protect yourself before you need a sick call, by documenting Q's & A's, date, time and whom you spoke with. It may be wise to also call your supervisor during and again after a sick call. No, I am not being extreme and yes, the company's new plan
IS that convoluted.
From what we can tell, the company's new sick policy will impact FA's differently depending on status, option, division, time of the month the sick call takes place and what phase of the moon we happen to be in at the time of the sick call (just kidding about that last one, or maybe not, who knows?) Lastly, protect your health. For instance, think about getting some antiseptic wipes to use for the PA handset. I believe many FA's will have no other choice but to fly sick.
Please send me a copy of your notes, as we may use them to help win our case in arbitration.
Sick Claim Discrepancies
Flight attendants have notified us that PRIOR to the April Fools Sick
Policy, they were already finding discrepancies in their sick claims and their sick banks. It seems some only received pay for a portion of their sick claim hours, yet the full amount of hours claimed was removed from their sick bank. In some cases as much as 10 hours of sick bank was docked but not paid. Please check your records closely for similar discrepancies. For a resolution to this problem, please call claims at 412-747-5925.
FYI; Some of the discrepancies reported, go all the way back to last Fall!
5% War Deferral
Went into effect April 1, 2003. We will see the devastation first hand on our April 30th paychecks.
I must take a moment of your time here as I have heard, via the grapevine, that the company intends to keep the 5% 'WAR deferral' for almost the entire 18-months.
The 5% WAR deferral was LENT to this management to offset, in this particular case, a possible sustained conflict with Iraq that caused a material adverse impact to Commercial Aviation. It should also be noted that the 5% WAR deferral was NEVER meant to offset SARS, buy RJ's, or anything else.
The employees have done all management has asked of them to the point many are now paupers or worse. Management now needs to do right by their employees and stop the 5% WAR deferral now! United Airlines had what is called a War Effect pay cut that their management has since rescinded. Please join me in sending an e-mail to management asking them to do the right thing. You can write Mr. Siegel at
dave_siegel@usairways.com, or write the man with all the answers
jglass@usairways.com.
STAFFING
"Houston, we have a problem." I know, honestly I DO know…that what the company is doing makes absolutely
NO sense for our passengers or for us. And we are NOT alone in our thinking. Believe it or not many inside management are also scratching their heads at this latest folly. Problem is, Section 9 page 24 of the 2000 agreement states
"Additional staffing to meet the needs of the service as determined by the
Company."
FYI: AFA has approached the company on all staffing related issues pointing out all the pitfalls if they continue with their unrealistic staffing reductions. We are again waiting for someone with an answer to get back to us.
The language does not state Reduced Staffing it states
Additional Staffing to meet the needs of the service. I wonder if the powers to be, took into account that many of our LODO's are fairly junior? Did they do their homework before reaching their decision? Did they even take the time to check and see how many of our LODO FA's will be in this next round of furloughs? I shiver at the thought of what our service will be like. It would be great if the guys who actually think these things up had to physically do what they find so dazzling on paper. But I digress.
Our contract also states:
"The 767 will normally be staffed with three (3) additional FA's for transoceanic-international to meet the needs of the service as determined by the Company. The A330 will normally be staffed with four (4) additional FA's on transoceanic international flights to meet the needs of the service as determined by the Company."
Does that mean our Normal Service will be reduced accordingly?
I am anxiously waiting to see how the company plans to reduce the service to fit the reduction of FA's. How do they plan to handle International flights on the 767 with only 5 FA's? For instance, they could NOT possibly be thinking of having only ONE FA work a beverage cart by themselves, could they? No, because that would be a HUGE safety issue. That can only mean that they expect ONE lone FA to cook, serve and pickup all three sections of First Class while also running up and down both isles to refresh drinks, serve the cockpit, take care of the individual needs of the passengers and handle unforeseen problems.
Will our First Class passengers now have to wait for their meals? Will the meals be hot, or dried up hockey pucks? How long will our first class passengers have to sit with trays of left over, half-eaten meals in front of them? Will we win the coveted First In Service Award again next year?
The impact from the excessive reductions to staffing will DEFINITELY have an adverse impact on both the passengers and the employees.
Please continue to put the safety of our passengers and yourselves first. No one should try to handle one of those large beverage carts by themselves. As your rep, I see every day how FA's who are hurt on our aircraft are treated. I am also just now seeing how ineffective our new medical is. Until management faces their folly, all we can do is offer our passengers an apology and a comment card.
Please review the parameters for Understaffing Pay-Protection, Look for a copy of the company's latest parameters on the AFA PHL/PHW Bulletin Board. Remember, you
DO have a contractual right to use expedited service procedures when understaffed.
How Do You Bid ITD Positions, When No Can Tell Us Who Does What?
This whole staffing snafu reminds me of the old Abbott and Costello bit 'Who's On First?' Due to the company's decision to decrease ITD staffing, the roles of the ITD FA's will most likely need to change. To date, the company has not provided AFA with any information about whom will be responsible for what or how the service will be conducted. For example, which position will now be responsible for Duty Free? Who Knows?
Flight attendants have reported back to us that when they call their supervisors for answers, the only answer they are getting is to call AFA. Pure and simple, this is called 'Passing the Buck' and is something we are seeing more and more of especially when it comes to In-flight.
We find it a little odd that management came up with the idea to drastically reduce staffing levels but have yet to reveal how their grand plan takes into account the service procedures or FA responsibilities. Yes, we do find it odd, but not terribly surprising, given the stellar manner in which they have unilaterally instituted the mysterious April Fools sick policy.
Beth Slagle in Inflight Services is responsible for ITD; you can reach her at: 703-872-6472
Denied Parking Claims
See Section 4 page 4 of the FA 2000 Agreement
Many FA commuters are finding they are no longer being reimbursed for employee parking at alternate stations. The company will not reimburse a FA for airport parking unless their hometown airport is serviced by Mainline. What I find interesting is the company seems pretty set on this even though parking fees at smaller airports are often much less than what is charged at the employee's assigned domicile. FYI, even though you may no longer be receiving reimbursement for your hometown airport parking, you still have the contractual right to free employee parking at your assigned domicile.
We just heard from a FA who's hometown parking was only $149.00 per year. Recently all Mainline flying was replaced by Express at his hometown airport and he will no longer be reimbursed for employee parking for that facility. However, he is still allowed a parking permit at his assigned domicile, in this case PHL, where the fee is approximately $530.00 a year. Now that the company has drastically reduced Mainline flying throughout our system, it makes little sense to me that they would prefer to pay the higher cost in PHL rather than look at the whole situation logically.
Lost Vacation Days
Briefly, here is the issue: Vacation Days previously awarded to a FA who for whatever reason will not be able to utilize his/her vacation, should be returned to the vacation matrix or fall into the monthly 'Filler Day Pool.' Here is what our contract provides in the way of protection;
[Section 7-4.D.4.] "Vacation periods vacated by a flight attendant due to termination, leaves of absence, or vacation periods which were not bid will be posted for re-bid for a minimum of ten (10) days and shall be awarded no later than the 10th of each month on the basis of domicile seniority among the flight attendants bidding such periods. Such known vacation periods, which apply to the remainder of the calendar year, will be posted for re-bid each month.'
[Section: 7-6.F.3.c.] "If vacation slots(s) for the following month remains open after the monthly rebidding process, such slots(s) will be added to the minimum five percent (5%) filler day pool."
EX: Vacation Re-bids for last December closed on October 10. As you may recall, the VF 2 awards closed October 29. During the annual vacation bid, FA Sue bid and was awarded vacation for December 24 through December 30, 2002. Sue applied for and was awarded the VFII. Because the vacation re-bids for December took place before the award of the VF2, Sue's December vacation contractually should have been added to the 5% December 'Filler Day Pool' it was not.
ALERT
It has come to my attention that the company be going a step further in ignoring our contractual rights.
EX: During the annual vacation bids, FA Sally bids and is awarded vacation for the year 2003. One of Sally's original bid awards gives her 7-days of vacation covering the period over December 15-21 2003.
In January of 2003, Sally, a very senior FA, notices that December 22-28, 2003, is open for re-bid. Sally re-bids for and is awarded December 22-28, in exchange for her original bid of December 15-21. So far, so good.
But what happens to Sally's original vacation days of December 15-21? They are supposed to fall back into the vacation matrix to be available for another FA to bid. I have heard that the company does NOT intend to put Sally's original vacation back into the pool of available vacation days to re-bid. Problem is, as your union rep, I will not know if this is happening unless you help me.
If you do a vacation re-bid, I ask that you take the time to go back and check to see if your 'original vacation days' that were given in exchange for your new award were returned to the pool of days so they can then be re-bid by your fellow flight attendants. Too often we receive what we wanted and move on with life. Unfortunately, we need to now double check everything and share information that could benefit all FA's.
The 55-Hour Option Is Open To Those On The Standing Bid.
The Company and AFA have agreed to award the 55 Hour Option beyond the 10% contractual cap for June 2003 - December 2003 ONLY. This is only being extended
to flight attendants with a standing bid currently on file who have a 1st Training Date senior to June 1, 1998.
You can check the option at the top of the #2 screen for the month of June in CATMENU, to see if you have been awarded the option.
FYI: If you are awarded the 55 Hour Option and are no longer interested, please
contact Thelma Summers at 1-800-327-0117, prompts 1, 5, 4, 4 - NO LATER THAN April 30.
Protect yourselves.
Never take a company container off the aircraft or anything else (including a water bottle) that could be considered theft. Remember that the company can access your travel log and has been known to follow FA's movements. We are seeing more and more terminations every day.
'On their side the workers had only the Contract. The other side had bayonets'. - Mother Jones -
Although somewhat poignant, I have some reservations with above quote, although it may appear that the workers only weapon is their Contract, in reality they have something much more powerful…they have each other. Please note that I am NOT speaking about a handful of union reps, but of the Union itself, which is in fact ALL of the members/workers together.
OUR only true power and salvation will come when WE learn that this is OUR Union. It will take OUR 'Collective Spirit' to make a difference.
One last thing, I have been having some trouble with my e-mail and have had to delete the molliemac@aol
address. I can still be reached at mmccarthy@afausairways.org. I do apologize to those who have written but did not receive a response from me. I was unsure as to what was happening or if I had some type of Trojan Horse Virus, therefore I did not want to infect anyone else until I got the problem resolved. We are still working on it and hopefully I will be up and running in no time.
Well that is all for now.
Take Care And Fly Safe,
Mollie McCarthy
LEC President
Council 70 - PHL/PHL
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