APFA Q&A regarding 40-hour minimum schedule

[jimntx]

Oh, the new hires are always looking to pick up extra flying in order to get the bills paid regardless of what base they are in.  The fact that I have outside income is the only reason I would consider being a f/a.  I'm not interested in working 6 out of every 7 days.  I had that period in my life where every day was a financial struggle.  Don't have to do it.  Ain't gonna do it.
 
As far as the industry-leading contract, that applies to rate of pay.  I would have preferred that the union work on plugging some of the work rule gaping holes in the existing contract.  For instance, in a previous contract we got "compensatory rest" following a duty day over a certain number of hours.  So, no more 13 hour duty days with 9.5 hours of rest to follow.  Problem, the union didn't bother put any scheduling restraints on that; so, the company simply moved the extra long day to the 3rd day of a 3-day trip.  Our compensatory time is at home on our own time.
 
This contract like all the others since I've been with AA is directed toward fulfilling the wishes of the senior f/as.  It seems we are going back to the concept that one never has to show up to work, but can still accrue vacation, sick leave, and paid benefits.  Where I was raised, never working but drawing benefits was called retirement.

 

[737823]

Well when you have negotiators that are disproportionately senior that's what you get. They can do all the membership surveys and roadshows but at the end of the day the negotiators will do what is best for them. Anne Loew was the chief negotiator for much of the unsuccessful talks 05/2008-11/2011 and she partook in the VEO and ran away but my understanding is she is still involved with and connected to the process. Many of your IDF (intl DFW-not the real IDF) colleagues like working a few NRT or now HKG turns a month and enjoying company provided medical and travel privileges while working as realtors among other things in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. This comes at cost and is at the expense of people actually willing and interested in working.

As you've said before many of your colleagues drive BMWs and purchase $700 designer shoes on their layovers so clearly are either getting by okay or not making good choices.

Josh

 

[usfliboi]

The quote function didn't work like it's supposed to.  I just wanted the email text to be in a box; so, I could comment below.  So, here's the comment.
 
I do not see how bid leaves, voluntary leaves, sick time, etc. can eliminate 40 hours a month of your schedule, and you not fall into the attendance disciplinary system.  Even if splitting your vacation 9 ways allowed you to avoid flying 9 months of the year (which I don't think it will for most people--the max is 35 days/year), you still have the 40 hour minimum on the other 3 months.  AFAIK, bid leaves have never been offered every single month in every single base.
 
One thing that surprised me though was that statement about continuing to accrue benefits as long as you are "active"--which if you are senior enough and bid leaves are offered and you held a full-month bid leave for several months, you are still considered "active."????  I thought we had gotten rid of that business of people never working but drawing benefits anyway.  Where i come from drawing benefits, but not working for them, is called retirement.

Since you're not a apfa/afa member I can u drstand how you would t understand. Not all cases above allow you or me to have company subsidized insurance. Federal law allows any employee to take fmla and yet still pay yours and the companies cost of insurance or cobra. Regardless....you must accrue 40 hours per month to remain active which is the current USAirways policy for flight attendants.

 

[usfliboi]

I might add...not far different than that of LAA s current practice of maintaining a minimum of 420 hours per year .the difference..AA was a look back policy ....US is mo th to month

 

[737823]

Jimntx is an active l-AA F/A and APFA member.

Josh

 

[700UW]

Hey boi Jim is an AA FA, you are wrong once again.

 

[737823]

Hey boi Jim is an AA FA, you are wrong once again.

I already stated that, do you have anything new or constructive to add to the topic?

Josh

 

[700UW]

What's wrong did they kick you out from under your bridge?

 

[737823]

What's wrong did they kick you out from under your bridge?

Don't you know the Longfellow bride is undergoing refurbishment for the next two years?

Josh

 

[jimntx]

Since you're not a apfa/afa member I can u drstand how you would t understand. Not all cases above allow you or me to have company subsidized insurance. Federal law allows any employee to take fmla and yet still pay yours and the companies cost of insurance or cobra. Regardless....you must accrue 40 hours per month to remain active which is the current USAirways policy for flight attendants.

I am a dues paying active member of APFA and have been since Sept., 2000 (with the exception of the 17 months I was on furlough).  And, what you stated about having to accrue 40 hr/month to remain active is not what the APFA Q&A says.  And, you seem to misunderstand what I wrote.  What I said was that there are a LOT of senior f/as who never fly; yet, they still insist on their "right" to accrue and use all the benefits of being a f/a.  Even with vacation, bid leaves, etc. I still say I don't see any f/a covering 480 hours/year (40x12) with these and still remaining outside the attendance disciplinary system.  Even if you have 500 hours of accrued sick leave, and you have one of those unethical doctors who will write anything on an FMLA form that you want written, using 40 hours of sick leave every month is going to look suspicious, don't you think?  And, don't even start with "I earned that sick leave.  I can use it for anything I want to."  The courts have ruled otherwise.
 
People who call in sick when they are not sick can be terminated.  Sick leave, like non-rev travel benefits, is a granted benefit, not an earned one.  Therefore, the grantor (the company) gets to define the conditions under which the benefit may be used.  Also, in about a year, you would be out of sick leave, then what?  What if all of a sudden you actually get sick?  Oh, and the 420 hour maintenance requirement at AA has to do with company-paid benefits and accrual of vacation and sick leave.  Do you suppose all these f/as are going to be able to afford to pay the entire premium for their health insurance if they ain't workin'?  Yes, there are some who have outside jobs or that have married well, but not everybody.
 
The only Federal law regarding illness and job protection is the FMLA law.  What it states is that covered companies--AA is one--must give up to 12 weeks unpaid leave before terminating you for absenteeism relating to personal or family illness  That's right at 3 months. And, it's expected to be continuous.  There is intermittent FMLA for chronic illnesses, but I really don't think that applies here. There is no law that says you have to be paid during that time off--once you run out of sick leave and vacation you are on your own.
 
At AA if you are receiving a paycheck while you are out on FMLA, you are burning your sick leave/vacation.  I was at Texaco when the FMLA law passed.  Their interpretation of the law was that AFTER you had used all sick leave, vacation, and compensatory time, THEN your 12 weeks of FMLA started.  At AA their implementation of the FMLA (and evidently, it's perfectly legal) is that your sick leave pays your salary while you are out on FMLA.  It's just that if you are on FMLA, it's not a "chargeable" offense in the attendance disciplinary system.  You only get so many chargeable absences in a 12 month period and you start to progress--and these can be not only illness, but missed trips due to a traffic jam, late reports, etc.  AA's way of doing things burns your 12 weeks FMLA and your sick leave at the same time.
 
If some f/a figures a way to weasel out of 480 hours a year of flying and keep his/her job, more power to them.  I just can't get the math to work.  I suppose they could join the Blessed Order of the Perpetually-Trip Removed, and work at the union office all the time, but jeez, that means going to an office every day!  To avoid that is one of the reasons I became a flight attendant in the first place.  Eww!

 

[FWAAA]

Regardless....you must accrue 40 hours per month to remain active which is the current USAirways policy for flight attendants.

I don't believe that you are correct - did you even read the OP? The TA no loner requires any minimum hours to accrue vacation or insurance. The system won't let you drop or trade trips that would give you less than 40 hours in a month, but there are other ways to reduce your flying.

 

[Duke787]

Finally a FA contract negotiated for FA's that actually work as FA's, instead of contracts negotiated for FAs to spend the least possible time at AA while collecting full benefits. All the while making trip trade services wealthy while acrueing seniority without flying.

 

[jimntx]

Finally a FA contract negotiated for FA's that actually work as FA's, instead of contracts negotiated for FAs to spend the least possible time at AA while collecting full benefits. All the while making trip trade services wealthy while acrueing seniority without flying.

Duke that's just it.  This TA does allow them to accrue seniority AND vacation AND sick leave whether they fly or not--if they are senior enough to hold bid leaves, and take voluntary personal leaves, etc.  Of course, these things require that bid leaves and VPLs be offered every month which they have never been in my vast history of 12.5 years with AA.  And, even when they are offered in one base, they are not necessarily offered in all bases every month.
First question in the Q&A
Q: Is the 40-hour monthly minimum a threshold to maintain employment?

A: No, we do not have a threshold for employment with the T/A. The current AA threshold for accruing sick and vacation and maintaining company-subsidized medical will no longer exist.

 

[Mach85ER]

 Besides, marriage shouldn't really be seen as a budget management option.  

 
No, but the Divorce option definitely is viewed as a budget management option by anyone over 30. 
 
(ps. happily married for nearly 25)

 

[silverbird007]

40 to 50 hours is perfect! I like to fly 50 hours per month so won't affect me too much! I like my job mostly because of this! Quality of life! Worth way more than the $$! Only speak for AA dont know or care if Delta has this option (I hope that they do but not sure and really don't care) still in Europe week 3! Bid leaves are wonderful!! Life is good!