Effective at 0001 Tuesday, April 29 there will be a change to the time that a Reserve will be required to be available for contact by Crew Scheduling. Previous to this change, Reserves were required to be available for contact immediately after the 8:30 hours of “uninterrupted” rest provided for in the Flight Attendant Agreement had expired.

During the course of single agreement negotiations, the negotiating committee discovered the previous past practice of requiring Reserves to be available for contact upon the expiration of the contractual 8:30 hours of uninterrupted rest. This was in violation of the FAR governing minimum rest requirements for Flight Attendants.

The FAR requires Flight Attendants receive a minimum of 9:00 hours of “Standard Rest” or 10:00 hours of “Compensatory Rest”. “Compensatory Rest” is required if the previous RON rest period was reduced.

It is important to note that when the FAA uses the term “rest”, such “rest” is defined as “pure rest”-meaning a period free from all duty. In short, pure rest is the time after check out until check in.

The FAA does allow the Company to make one phone call to a Flight Attendant anytime during the Standard or Compensatory Rest Period, but a Flight Attendant is not required to answer the phone during either the Standard or Compensatory Rest Periods.

By contract, the 8:30 hours of uninterrupted rest prevented the Company from calling Reserves until the 8:30 hours had expired. The Company had previously taken the position that Reserves were required to be available upon the expiration of the 8:30 hours of contractual uninterrupted rest. This change now requires the Company to comply with the FAR rest requirements and therefore Reserves do not have to be available until the expiration of the Standard Rest Period (9:00 pure rest/10:15 block-to-block) or the Compensatory Rest Period (10:00 pure rest/11:15 block-to-block) if needed.

Our contract also contains Flight Time Limitations that set crew rest requirements based on the amount of flight time scheduled in a twenty-four (24) hour period. Contract Section 10.E.6 on pages 10-5 through 10-7 contain the rest requirements and a chart outlining those rest requirements.  While these requirements are based on the governing Pilot FARs, they are only contractual requirements for Flight Attendants. Although the contract refers to Compensatory Rest Periods of 11:15, 12:15 or 13:15 (block-to-block) these times, known as C1, C2 and C3, are contractual and mean that a Flight Attendant can’t be assigned or awarded a trip that departs prior to the completion of either the C1, C2 or C3 rest period, whichever is applicable.

Reserves are required to be available for contact after the Flight Attendant FAR Compensatory Rest Period of 10 hours. Question number 7 in the Q and A refers to how the Company must satisfy the FAR and the contractual rest requirements and when a Reserve must be available for contact.

Additionally, Reserves have the contractual right to have an off duty period of sixteen (16) hours of rest (block-to-block), preceding and following an on-duty period which contains a transoceanic flight segment.  Question number 8 in the Q and A details an example of how the Company must satisfy the FAR and the contractual 16 hour rest provision and when a Reserve must be available for contact.

Reserve Flight Attendants will be able to view CATCREW Option 1 to verify the time that the uninterrupted rest expires as well as the time a Reserve Flight Attendant will be required to be available for contact.

The effective date of 0001 April 29, 2008 means that trips that terminate on April 28, 2008 with a rest requirement spanning that time will be the first trips affected by this change.

Please remember that Crew Scheduling still has the right to make a call after the 8:30 rest period has expired but you are not required to answer the call until the FAR Standard Rest Period (9:00) or Compensatory Rest Period (10:00) has been satisfied.

The following explanation and Q and A details the change and hopefully answers any other questions regarding this change.

Thank you,

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

The Company has changed its procedure with regard to FAR rest period requirements as it relates to the flight attendant’s responsibility to be available for contact during such rest period.  The flight attendant maintains his/her current 8:30 of uninterrupted rest as provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Past practice required the flight attendant to be available for contact at the completion of the 8:30 of uninterrupted rest; however this practice will change effective 0001 Tuesday, April 29, 2008 to conform to the FAR Rest Requirements as shown below:

Change: The new change affects the time after the uninterrupted period (8:31) and the Standard Rest (9:00) or Compensatory Rest (10:00) periods.  The period between 8:31-9:00 for Standard FAR Rest and 8:31-10:00 for Compensatory FAR Rest will not require the flight attendant to be available for phone contact; however, Scheduling may attempt to contact the flight attendant one time during such period.  After the Standard FAR Rest or Compensatory FAR Rest has ended, the flight attendant is required to be available for phone contact.

1.   How will I be able to determine the amount of FAR  rest needed before I’m required to be available for contact from Crew Scheduling?

• Your rest will be determined by the previous night/RON rest. This required rest will  be displayed in CATCREW option 1. Two rest periods will be displayed at the completion of your trip. The first rest will reflect the end of the 8:30 uninterrupted rest, the second rest displayed is the time you are required to be available for contact, i.e., the end of your FAR Rest

2. Does Crew Scheduling still have the ability to contact me after my 8:30 uninterrupted rest?

• Yes, Scheduling may call you one time after the 8:30 period has expired and before the end of your Standard FAR Rest period of 9:00 or Compensatory FAR Rest of 10:00 whichever applies.
   
• Note: You will not be required to answer your phone/beeper until you have received your required FAR rest.

3. If contacted by Crew Scheduling after my contractual  uninterrupted rest of 8:30, but prior to my required FAR rest, can I be assigned a trip if I answer the call?

• Yes, Crew Scheduling may assign you a trip during this period of time.

4.  When Crew Scheduling attempts to contact a F/A after her/his contractual   uninterrupted rest of 8:30 but prior to her/his Standard FAR rest or Compensatory FAR Rest,  will Crew Scheduling wait 15 minutes for the F/A to call back?

• Crew Scheduling may make one attempt to contact the F/A during this time.  Since the F/A is not required to be available during this period, Crew Scheduling will continue to process trips and the flight attendant will not be provided with the 15 minute call back period.

5.  When can Crew Scheduling issue a no contact (NCT) to a RSV?

• Scheduling will not issue a NCT to a RSV until an attempt has been made to contact the F/A after the completion of her/his Standard FAR rest or Compensatory FAR rest, whichever applies.

6. Can I still leave a list of trips with Crew Scheduling during my Standard FAR Rest  of 9:00 or my Compensatory Rest of 10:00?

• Yes, however this list will only remain valid until completion of your applicable Standard FAR Rest of 9:00 or Compensatory FAR Rest of 10:00.  Note:  Previously the list became invalid after the 8:30 uninterrupted rest period.

7. My pairing has “reduced rest (R3)” on the last RON before the end of the trip; therefore, when I return to domicile I have a contractual C3 rest break (13:15 block to block) beginning at 06:45 when my domestic trip blocks-in.   How does receiving 10:00 of Compensatory FAR Rest, as stated above, interface with my desire to ensure that I get contractual C3 rest?

1) Scheduling will not call during the first 8:30 of contractual uninterrupted rest, which will be from 0700- 15:30.

2) From 15:31 to 17:00 the 10:00 of Compensatory  FAR Rest applies. Although Scheduling can call you one time during such period, you will not be required to be available for phone contact.

3) From 17:01 and thereafter, you will be required to be available for phone contact..

4) Your awarded/assigned domestic trip can not check-in before 19:00 and depart before 20:00 to give you your contractual C3 rest of 13:15. 

5) Your awarded/assigned TI or NTI trip can not check-in before 18:30 and depart before 20:00 to give you your contractual C3 rest of 13:15.

8. I am a reserve, my Transoceanic flight from DUB to PHL does not have reduced rest on the RON before my return to domicile.  I return to domicile and block in at 18:00; therefore, I receive a Standard FAR rest requirement of 9:00 starting after my check out of 18:30. How does receiving 9:00 of Standard FAR Rest, as stated above, interface with my desire to ensure that I receive 16:00 hours of rest after a Transoceanic pairing, if requested per the Contract?

1) Scheduling will not call during the first 8:30 of Contractual uninterrupted rest which will be from 18:30 to 03:00. 

2) The period  from 03:01 to 03:30 will fulfill the remainder of the Standard FAR Rest.  Scheduling will not call until after 0500 because you have requested the 16:00 rest following a Transoceanic flight; therefore, your next flight assignment could not possibly be preventing a flight delay as stated on page 9-20 line 6 of the Contract

3) Starting a 05:00 you will be required to be available for phone contact..

4) Your awarded/assigned domestic trip can not check-in before 09:00 for a domestic trip and depart before 10:00 to give you your contractual rest of 16:00 block to block.

5) Your awarded/assigned TI or NTI trip can not check-in before 08:30 and depart before 10:00 to give you your contractual rest of 16:00 block to block.

9.  I had an OPR shift from 06:00 to 10:00 but did not receive a trip. The night before the OPR shift, following a trip, I did not have reduced rest: therefore, I received the Standard FAR Rest of 9:00 following my OPR shift.  How does this FAR Rest change affect me?

1) Scheduling will not call during the first 8:30 of contractual uninterrupted rest which would be from 10:01 to 18:30.

2) The period from 18:31 to 19:00 fulfills the Standard FAR Rest. Although Scheduling can call one time during such period, you not will be required to be available for phone contact.

3) Starting a 19:01 you will be required to be available for phone contact.

10. I had an OPR shift from 06:00 to 10:00 but did not receive a trip  and the night before the OPR shift, following a trip, I had reduced rest: therefore, I received the Compensatory FAR Rest of 10:00 following my OPR shift  how does this FAR Rest change affect me?

1) Scheduling will not call during the first 8:30 of contractual uninterrupted rest which will be from 10:01 to 18:30.

2) The period from 18:31 to 20:00 fulfills the Compensatory FAR Rest.  Although Scheduling can call you one time during such period, you not will be required to be available for phone contact.

3) Starting a 20:01 you will be required to be available for phone contact.