New Open Replacement (AVBL) 2000-2999

[Nor'Easta]

This is ************** with an APFA Hotline Update for Wednesday, April 26th, 2006.



A few months ago, we were informed by AA that they intended to eliminate Open Replacement and place those jobs on Reserve. Their position was that Open Replacement was not covering the flying it was designed to cover. APFA took this issue very seriously and immediately engaged AA in talks to resolve the problem to the satisfaction of both parties. Since then, we have continued to keep you updated on the talks and are pleased to announce a resolution.



Beginning with the June bid month and continuing through August of ’06, the following provisions for Open Replacement (OR) will be in effect. Please remember that this change will affect a little over 1% of our membership (approximately 200 F/As), and prevents approximately 200 Flight Attendants from being thrown onto Reserve throughout the summer.



These jobs are considered by the Company as “buffers.â€￾ The buffer can be defined as the maximum number of jobs over and above what’s necessary to cover the Operation in a specific month(s) AND that the Company is willing to pay for. The buffer drives flexibility for Trip Trading with Open time and allows for some PVDs to be granted. The buffer ranges anywhere from approximately 400 jobs system-wide, depending on the month.



Cutting to the chase, Open Replacement will now contain two series of selections. Open Replacement (the buffer jobs) series 3000-4000 will remain as is. This encompasses about ½ of all the available Open Replacement jobs (app. 200 jobs). In June, July and August, the other half of those holding Open Replacement will be assigned an Open Replacement series 2000-2999 and will be able to self-plot the day prior to an AVBL day, but will be unable to pre-plot prior to day-before coverage. Per Article 9. K.2.b (page 117) of the CBA, the Company retains the right to prohibit pre-plotting for operational necessity. APFA is hopeful that Flight Attendants will experience fewer reassignments and understaffed flights and the potential for trip cancellations.



These 2000 series Open Replacement lines will be nearly identical to 3000/4000 RP, with the exception of access to pre-plot. AVBL days will not be released and converted to a DO until after 14:00 the day before. Additionally, the duty free periods and DO’s will be published on the bidsheet, like the Planned Duty Free Open Replacement lines.



This is a three month test. APFA and AA will thoroughly review the effects of the test and whether it should be applied to future holiday months. Please keep in mind that the language governing Open Replacement is contractual; however, the number of Open Replacement jobs is not. This language can be found in Article 9.C.2.b. of the CBA (page 104). APFA worked very hard to find a creative solution to this challenge, while balancing Flight Attendant seniority without punishing juniority too much.



APFA requests that those of you who hold Series 2000 during the summer months provide feedback to *******. For further details, please go to the APFA Web site and click on the link entitled Open Replacement Series 2000 to review the letter that will be posted shortly.

 

[jimntx]

So, the perpetually trip-removed crowd on Useless Blvd has actually DONE something--not much mind you, but something. They must be exhausted. No doubt, there will have to be an APFA headquarters staff retreat in Hawaii for a couple of weeks--at our expense, of course.

For those who didn't know, they originally planned to take no action at all on the elimination of availability. (After all, it only affected junior flight attendants and a few 777-only qualified domestic f/as.) But, when the firestorms from DFW and ORD struck headquarters over the fact that reserve would go above 20 years at those bases without availability lines, the lack of availability lines suddenly became an issue for them.

And, this solution is just about perfect. It inconveniences only the junior f/as who will get stuck with the 2000 series lines because they won't be able to fly a lot and max out early to have some time off. In addition with the day-before-only pre-plotting, there probably won't be much except minimum time turns in open time; so, we will have to sit at base as if we were on reserve. Those senior f/as who have dropped all their quals except 767/777 can bid up all the 3000 series lines, sit home, be paid for 70 hours, and never have to fly at all.

 

[czerny]

So, Jim, any guess how many of these "junior" fas who are being punished are going to throw in the towel? I see commuters based in LGA on my flights all the time and the stress of commuting between Bos-LGA/DCA-LGA is starting to wear on them. I guess we'll see when Kirkpatrick posts the next attrition rate.

 

[jimntx]

The junior attrition is already happening. Maybe not the most junior, but when the average seniority for those who left in March is 21 years, but the average seniority of the retirees for March is 36 years, then there are some fairly junior people leaving to pull down the overall average.

 

[AAStew]

I suspect that the sicklist is just going to grow for these f/a's. Just look at when senior f/a's get thrown back on reserve. Why not just bring back straight reserve? Might as well....

 

[Nor'Easta]

So, the perpetually trip-removed crowd on Useless Blvd has actually DONE something--not much mind you, but something. They must be exhausted. No doubt, there will have to be an APFA headquarters staff retreat in Hawaii for a couple of weeks--at our expense, of course.

Snipped...

Why are you so bitter in the majority of your posts? Give them a break, at least they worked something out to help. Why not suggest things instead of complaining?

I wish you the best.

 

[jimntx]

junior[/i] flight attendants have to say or think. Our union participation should consist of paying our dues and keeping our mouths shut.

But then, you sound just like most of the senior flight attendants around AA. B*tching about how bad things are is reserved to the SENIOR flight attendants who have EARNED the right to do nothing on the job if they decide to actually show up to work, and then complain about how bad things are compared to the way they used to be.

 

[Flyboy4u]

Don't give me that cr*p. For your information, I'm known as Little Mary Sunshine around STL. I'm not bitter. I'm just realistic about what a useless bunch of nothing the APFA is. When I was based at DFW, I used to go to the base meeting just about every month unless I was flying. The APFA base meeting for our largest base most months consisted of the base chair, the base vice-chair, me, and one of my classmates--both of us with less than 3 years seniority.

Since I have been back, I've written to THB and some of the other members of the Blessed Order of the Perpetually Trip-Removed and it has been made clear to me that they are not interested in anything that junior flight attendants have to say or think. Our union participation should consist of paying our dues and keeping our mouths shut.

But then, you sound just like most of the senior flight attendants around AA. B*tching about how bad things are is reserved to the SENIOR flight attendants who have EARNED the right to do nothing on the job if they decide to actually show up to work, and then complain about how bad things are compared to the way they used to be.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

What Unity?

 

[MiAAmi]

So, the perpetually trip-removed crowd on Useless Blvd has actually DONE something--not much mind you, but something. They must be exhausted. No doubt, there will have to be an APFA headquarters staff retreat in Hawaii for a couple of weeks--at our expense, of course.

For those who didn't know, they originally planned to take no action at all on the elimination of availability. (After all, it only affected junior flight attendants and a few 777-only qualified domestic f/as.) But, when the firestorms from DFW and ORD struck headquarters over the fact that reserve would go above 20 years at those bases without availability lines, the lack of availability lines suddenly became an issue for them.

And, this solution is just about perfect. It inconveniences only the junior f/as who will get stuck with the 2000 series lines because they won't be able to fly a lot and max out early to have some time off. In addition with the day-before-only pre-plotting, there probably won't be much except minimum time turns in open time; so, we will have to sit at base as if we were on reserve. Those senior f/as who have dropped all their quals except 767/777 can bid up all the 3000 series lines, sit home, be paid for 70 hours, and never have to fly at all.

There can't be any 777 only qualified f/as and very very few if any senior f/as that are only 777/767 qualified. I cant remember AA ever letting anyone drop their S80 quals.

 

[IORFA]

HUH? AA never let anyone drop S-80 quals. Um, YES they do. I can't remember if they had one since 9-11, but they used to do it atleast once a year. By seniority of course.

 

[fliboi78]

Jim, you are a god amongst men!!! YOU ROCK! I can't hold avbl anymore at jfk some months. All these senior people caught wind that you can max out by the 15th and all bid it. The APFA does seem like it only has the interest of senior fa's in mind. I mean look at what they've done with the 737 understaffing agreement. They gave crew meals to nrt and delhi. how many of those people flying those trips have ever even seen the inside of a 737. We junior people flew that crap around the carrib all day long understaffed and the senior fa's reap the rewards. Yeah, we got an hour or so added to our short layovers but i'd rather have gotten crew meals on flights where we have no opportunity to get food while on our 15 hour duty days or something.

And actually Miaami, there are quite a few 767/757 only senior mamas at kennedy who ONLY come in from connecticut and long island to do their sxm, aua and sju turns. i am not sure about 777 only but i am sure some got 777 to fly narita.

 

[MiAAmi]

And actually Miaami, there are quite a few 767/757 only senior mamas at kennedy who ONLY come in from connecticut and long island to do their sxm, aua and sju turns. i am not sure about 777 only but i am sure some got 777 to fly narita.

I said there were very few 777/767 qual f/as. not 767/757 as you mention. I'd be curious to see how many senior f/a's jump on avail when they usually can hold anything they want and drop. Why not know in advance what your schedule will be rather than wait until the day before on AVBL. Being qualified on just a few a/c does not mean the company wont create a sequence that might DH you to another base to work the a/c that your qualified on. IDF A300 qualified f/as get sent to JFK and MIA all the time.

 

[jimntx]

I said there were very few 777/767 qual f/as. not 767/757 as you mention. I'd be curious to see how many senior f/a's jump on avail when they usually can hold anything they want and drop. Why not know in advance what your schedule will be rather than wait until the day before on AVBL. Being qualified on just a few a/c does not mean the company wont create a sequence that might DH you to another base to work the a/c that your qualified on. IDF A300 qualified f/as get sent to JFK and MIA all the time.

Because, you see, they are the ones who used to drop all their trips and never fly. They got p*ssed because they now have to fly a whole 35 hours a month in order to have company-paid benefits. So, they bid AVBL because there are NEVER 777/767 trips in open time. If one drops into open time one of the people who's qualified on 777 but can't hold it will grab it. Trust me, I would if we had the 777 in STL.

There is so little 777 domestic flying that the chance of being deadheaded out of base to work a trip is next to zero. There are a lot of us around who are 777-qualified who are still subject to reserve. There's no need for crew scheduling to go outside the MU list or the reserve list to find someone to fly a 777 trip.

And, the added bonus of them bidding the AVBL lines is that they get paid for 70 hours whether they fly or not. Another one of those f/a "entitlements" that means that the younger f/as at AA probably will not have a pension down the road. The company is having to pay senior f/as not to fly. Out in the real world, getting paid and receiving benefits without working has another name--it's called retirement.

 

[Nor'Easta]

But then, you sound just like most of the senior flight attendants around AA.

Just for your information...

I am junior just like you. I don't B*ITCH about everything like the senior mamas. I will agree with you THB, is worthless! She looks like my worst nightmare with that hair!

At least AVBL isn't gone. They did work something out and it wasn't taken away.

 

[AAStew]

Because, you see, they are the ones who used to drop all their trips and never fly. They got p*ssed because they now have to fly a whole 35 hours a month in order to have company-paid benefits. So, they bid AVBL because there are NEVER 777/767 trips in open time. If one drops into open time one of the people who's qualified on 777 but can't hold it will grab it. Trust me, I would if we had the 777 in STL.

There is so little 777 domestic flying that the chance of being deadheaded out of base to work a trip is next to zero. There are a lot of us around who are 777-qualified who are still subject to reserve. There's no need for crew scheduling to go outside the MU list or the reserve list to find someone to fly a 777 trip.

And, the added bonus of them bidding the AVBL lines is that they get paid for 70 hours whether they fly or not. Another one of those f/a "entitlements" that means that the younger f/as at AA probably will not have a pension down the road. The company is having to pay senior f/as not to fly. Out in the real world, getting paid and receiving benefits without working has another name--it's called retirement.

I don't know how old you are and whether you will ever get to the point where you can bid a decent line and then drop the trips, but that is one of the few good things left about this job. I have had a situation at home where I NEED to be here and not at work,thank goodness I have the opportunity to do so.
I understand some bitterness at Senior Mama's taking advantage of their situation, but please remember someday it may be you. You will have paid your dues and hopefully be able to reap some rewards.