Afa Responds

usfliboi

Veteran
Aug 20, 2002
2,070
270
AFA PROPOSAL
September 3, 2004

The following proposal to the Company dated September 3, 2004, covers items of pay, productivity, scope and benefits. Many items remain "to be discussed" at this time. Other than as specifically modified in this proposal, all terms and conditions of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - US Airways Flight Attendant Agreement, effective May 1, 2000, as amended, shall remain in full force and effect. All proposals are subject to valuation and AFA-CWA reserves the right in its sole discretion to withdraw or amend proposals if dissatisfied with the valuation assigned to such proposal.

This proposal would significantly increase productivity through several key changes to the current system:

Compensation

Freeze current rates of pay until 1/1/09
Longevity (step) increases to continue
Raise of 3% 1/1/09, and every January 1 thereafter until there is a new Agreement (status quo raises)
Eliminate night pay @$.35 p/hr
Eliminate scheduled snapback of longevity pay in 2009
Reduce International Senior Pay (CSD) by $2.00
Introduce Language Incentive Program (LIP) to supplement LOD/O program
Eliminate reserve override scheduled to snapback on 1/1/06
Eliminate premiums paid for sick, vacation, bereavement and jury duty
Deadhead paid at 100%, but credited at 50%
Eliminate lump sum payments due in 2007 and 2008
Freeze the pay of flight attendants serving in a management or supervisory position. Promotions and the creation of new positions shall not be utilized to circumvent this provision
If any labor groups, including MSP, receive an across the board pay rate increase during the term of the Agreement, the flight attendants shall receive the same percentage increase
Any flight attendant on the US Airways System Seniority List who serves in a non-flying position in excess of thirty days shall have all such time removed from his/her seniority/longevity as a flight attendant
If the ITD is eliminated, any management/supervisory positions due to having two domiciles in the same location shall be eliminated
Minimum Pay Guarantees

Maintain Lineholder Guarantee at 71 Hours
Reserve Minimum Guarantee: 71 Hours for Future Reserve; 75 Hours for Daily Reserve
End of Month Look-back for Scheduled or Actual for all trips flown in a month; me-too with ALPA; AFA willing to discuss
Rescheduled trip protection: AFA willing to discuss. If a flight attendant at h/h option is willing to remain available (reserve) for the days of the originally scheduled trip, will receive the greater of the original trip or the rescheduled trip. Hotel and per diem provided. Premiums apply. Will not be returned to domicile later than the original tip.
Hours of Service

Pending adequate valuation, AFA willing to discuss replacing high- and low-time options with Drop/Pick Up (DPU) system and Electronic Trade Board (ETB) that would allow flight attendants to drop trips to other flight attendants to a floor of 50 hours; no max on time picked up from other flight attendants
Establish an Electronic Trade Board
Lineholders may pick up trips from the ETB on days off or while on vacation without Company permission
Reserve flight attendants may also pick up trips from the ETB on days off or while on vacation without Company permission
Reserve flight attendants can pick up reserve days of availability from other reserve flight attendants and the guarantee of both flight attendants will be adjusted accordingly
Time picked up from other flight attendants will be pay no credit and not applied to calling out of time or reaching monthly maximum
Discuss buffers for picking up time
Cap of 95 Hours for Company Time (COT), except flight attendants grandfathered to 105 (former 105 and six trip option flight attendants)
A flight attendant cannot be required by the Company to exceed 90:00 hours
A flight attendant who opts to continue flying to the 100.105 range cannot be required to exceed 100 hours in a month or have less than eleven days off
Agree to remain legal with buffers to originate last trip, but last trip means trip awarded in primary, secondary, SAP or AIL. Discuss pay protection only if flight attendant remains available (reserve) over the same days as the original trip
Discuss buffers and valuation
SAP window 70 to 95 hours
AFA proposes 100% pay and 50% credit for deadhead
AFA willing to discuss, pending valuation, Company proposal that pay and credit due a flight attendant be computed on a monthly basis after the completion of the month. The actual of all flights flown during a month, if greater than the scheduled time, will be used as an offset for flights flown in less than the scheduled block time
Will discuss changes to pay for splits. Company has proposed all splits to be paid actual time, including Company initiated splits
Scheduling

Discuss high-value West Coast turns
Eliminate pref bid; Scheduling Committee will create lines of flying if ALPA implements pref bid
Primary and Secondary Lines will be constructed with a target between 78:00 and 95:00 hours
Cannot exceed 95:00 hours in SAP
If a flight attendant reduces line value in SAP, still obligated value of originally awarded line value, or line value achieved in SAP or 78, 80, 85, 90 or 95, whichever is less
SAP floor is 70:00
3% Open Time at beginning of the month (pending valuation)
Discuss Company proposal that in severe irregular operation, Company may keep the flight attendant to assign to another trip to remain with a/c
Discuss Company proposal that a flight attendant may be rescheduled in advance of report time if trip is canceled in whole or in part provided such flight attendant is contacted prior to report. Flight attendant may decline rescheduling prior to report but would forfeit pay for the original trip
Flight attendant who makes themselves available (stands reserve) will be pay protected for the greater of the original scheduled trip or actual. Hotel, per diem and premiums apply. Not required to stand OPR
AFA will agree to Company proposal that if the original leg of a scheduled trip continues to operate, the Company is not obligated to put the Rescheduled Flight Attendant back onto original trip only if flight attendant is returned to base no later than the original time scheduled to return
A Flight Attendant with vacation or training shall not be eligible to bid TDY unless the training or vacation day(s) coincides with days off
A Lineholder who will become a Reserve in the new month will be required to complete the trip he/she was awarded. If such trip flies into scheduled days off, such days off will be restored in the new month
A Reserve flown into a new month who will become a Lineholder in the new month will be required to complete the trip he/she was assigned/awarded
AFA will to discuss buffers and the elimination of blue boxing pending valuation
Assignment of Open Time Priority
Reserve

The following proposal was made in order to obtain an improved Reserve System. AFA retains the right in its sole discretion to withdraw, add or modify these proposals as we explore ramifications of any possible change.

Return to Seniority-Driven System; eliminate LTO
2400 to 2400 Duty Day. DISCUSS IN THE CONTEXT OF AN OVERALL AGREEMENT ON RESERVE IN RETURN FOR SENIORITY.
Guarantee of 71 for Future Reserve; 75 for Daily Reserve
CATCREW screens for seniority, quick calls and screen to monitor passed-down trips
Future and Daily as Separate Bids
Future FA's
Some do not have to be in base until check-in. % to be discussed
Future Reserves may be converted to Daily Reserve in inverse seniority during future processing and are required to be in base by 2400 that evening. DISCUSS
Reserve Future processing to commence at 1200.
Future FA must be available to receive a call from scheduling by 1200 the day before first duty day
Lineholder AIL will commence at 0900. Discuss automated AIL.
Daily FA's
Daily FA duty day 2400 to 2400 (around the clock).
Will be responsible for all daily trips.
Late opening daily trips (3-hours prior to departure) and Quick Calls (2-hours prior top departure) will be assigned in inverse seniority. Senior Reserve F/As may make themselves AVL for either Late Daily or QC same as present contract for QC.
Transition from Daily to Future in seniority order
One pass per month
A reserve FA may also pass when there are more reserves AVL for the same number of days as the passed trip. Some restrictions (monitored by Catcrew screen) will apply, DISCUSS.
3-day flying restriction once a month. DISCUSS
No leveling Claim
A restricted Reserve is released from all duty for the duration of the three day restriction
Restriction cannot be extended or cancelled without mutual consent.
A reserve cannot be restricted a second time until all other reserves in the base have been restricted.
A reserve may reside up to 90-minutes from domicile; information from MapQuest or related service inadmissible as discipline evidence when no late check-in is at issue
Reserves may pick up trips from other flight attendants without Company consent; subject to buffers and legalities
On days off
On vacation
Time is paid above guarantee.
Time picked up from other FA's cannot be used to call Out of Time (OT).
Reserves may trade days of availability and day(s) off with other flight attendants subject to certain buffers and legalities
Reserves may drop days of availability to other flight attendants; guarantee reduced prorated
Reserves cap (80, 90 or 100) indicated by checking the appropriate box at the beginning of the month. Reserve may call OT at 80:01 or 90:01 (100:01 for Grand fathered FA's only)
Training

Training/Home Study Daily Rate $50; $60 1/1/06; $75 1/1/08; per diem applies
Discuss relief for training costs if ITD fence is removed
International

Eliminate ITD and take down the fence (pending satisfactory valuation)
Extend Duty-Free sales to NTI
Add a crew rest seat to NTI when total flight time is over eight hours
Update CRAF letter to include A330 (pending valuation)
New Language Incentive Program to supplement LODO program; LIP flight attendants paid per 13.B.3 when they are on a flight which is a designated LODO flight; LODO flight attendants still hold LODO positions before LIP flight attendants, but if no LODO flight attendant available, LIP flight attendant may hold LODO position
Vacation

Reduce Vacation Accrual by one day for each longevity step
Vacation will not be accrued in a month when flight attendant is inactive (unpaid) for more than 15 days
Vacation Daily Rate
Vacation of 7 or more days:
0-17 yrs
18+ yrs

Low (50:00 - 79:59) 2:30 3:00
Mid (80:00 - 99:59) 3:45 4:30
High (100:00+) 4:30 5:30

Vacation of less than 7 days
Low (50:00 - 79:59) 2:00
Mid (80:00 - 99:59) 2:30
High (100:00+) 3:15

Vacation periods must include one block of Seven or more days
A flight attendant can fly a trip dropped from another flight attendant via the ETB on h/h vacation without Company permission
Sick Leave

Eliminate 12/03 agreement on sick leave, including five hour penalty and reserve cap
Reduce monthly accrual to 4:30
No sick leave accrual in any month in which a flight attendant has a sick call
No sick leave accrual while on unpaid leave of more than 15 days p/month
No premiums for sick pay and credit
Discuss allowing flight attendants to use sick leave bank at retirement to defray cost of retiree medical
Require Company personnel to maintain complete confidentiality of medical information
Miscellaneous

Reduce Jury Duty/Court Subpoenas to 4:00 per day
Reduce Bereavement Leave to a maximum of 3 days at 4:00 per day
Reduce Uniform Cleaning Allowance 1/1/09 $15.00 per month
Eliminate current replacement system, and replace with Uniform Point System $350 per year, not including winter coat and suitcase
Eliminate Ticket Lift Sideletter
Short RON be 16: or less if ALPA agrees and pending valuation
AFA does not agree to Company proposal to extend duration to 12/31/11
No jumpseating on charters
AFA willing to discuss eliminating/modifying accruals for leaves set forth on p.20-8 pending valuation
Discuss resolving grievance on direct deposit dates and medical-related sideletters
Adopt MidAtlantic policy regarding two late check-ins per year not counting for DCP purpose
Adopt MidAtlantic Good Faith Commuter Policy
Adopt MidAtlantic Personal Off and Emergency Day Policy
Flight attendant on voluntary furlough and involuntary furlough be allowed to obtain aviation employment, and if another employer requires a furloughee to resign from US Airways, the Company will not process resignation
Clarify that VSIP with under 20 years of service travel at S-4
Scope, Returns and Other Benefits

Profit Sharing as the Company proposed but no less favorable than other groups
Maintain Change in Control language and no less favorable than other groups
Transformation Agreement will not take effect until the Company has achieved labor cost reductions including MSP. Discuss flight attendant share. AFA does not agree with 14.5% target. Verification with other groups needed
Maintain Fragmentation language and no less favorable than other groups
Equity participation no less favorable than other groups
Minimum aircraft no less favorable than ALPA, but in no event less than two hundred seventy-nine mainline-type aircraft
Company to pay the fees and expenses of AFA outside advisors
AFA reserves the right to exchange contract items on a no cost basis through duration of agreement
Maintain benefits, including retiree medical
Discuss establishment of a DC plan contribution and match if DB plan is either frozen or terminated
In the event the existing DB plan is terminated, AFA will receive credit in these restructuring discussions for all savings
Discuss pending valuation current voluntary furlough program
Equity Participation
Bankruptcy (Section 1113) Protection
Verification
Company to pay fees and expenses
No cost exchange
Voluntary Furlough: 19B.
Duration
Open Furlough with no right of return
Eliminate home purchase provision. Reduce settling days from five to three
 
Nice to see this finally posted. I have read it a few times and there are things I have MAJOR issues with and others that I don't. Overall it seems fair although I am not sure the company would agree.
One thing I can see adjusted a little more is the CSD pay by another $1.00 per hour downward. As RSV I would not mind Deadhead paid 100% but no credit...I am sure blockholders would not like that at all.
If they are requesting a PAY CAP of 90 hours then why would the 105 option be " a well put together proposal.grandfathered" in...I don't follow that section.
How many F/A's does it take to operate the ITD program? That I would like to know....I would guess about 500 at least. I think Flight Attendants doing something for the company other than supervisor should be left alone and allowed to keep seniority.
Huuuuum.....all in all an acceptable proposal.
 
Did I miss it, or was there anything said about Reserve days off. In the previous company proposal, they wanted to take 1 day off from the 11 days given and make all OFF DAYS and no INV.???? :huh:
 
The last item, which is "Eliminate home purchase provison", is misleading.

The company asked for this relief....AFA did not agree.

Also, RSRV days OFF are the same as today, 11 guaranteed in AFA's counter proposal.

Keep in mind, this is just AFA's proposal to the co. There are barely any items, thus far, that the co. has agreed to and vice a versa.
 
I'm kind of surprised the only mention of MDA is to try and get the few good things about that contract onto the mainline.

Considering that if the pilots allow 90-100 seaters, MDA wll be the new mainline for all intensive purposes... with the 170 order alone it will be over a third the size of mainline aircraft wise, with 2000-3000 F/As as opposed to 5000 or less on the mainline. Thats a huge percentage of the seniority list and overall flying... I would think AFA would want stronger language with regards to that division. It will affect alot of the more junior half of those currently still mainline.
 
Unfortunately, AFA does not control or have any influence on which planes the company flies on mainline or MAA; pilots do.

AFA negotiating committee knew from way back in summer 2002 negotiations that MAA had the potential to increase and rob mainline of their routes. Case in point.

AFA negotiating committee knew from way back in summer 2002 that the company had hired union busters on the property and they were out to destroy and dismantle the unions on the property. Case in point.

The reason the MAA language is being presented for the mainline proposal is because this was IMPROVED language that the MAA negotiating committee was able to secure and get in the MAA contract. Therefore, members on that committee made sure that that language (which is no cost to the co.) would also be reflected in the AFA mainline proposal. ;)