Ok, here is what I’ve found out.
John Claims 108 per month in Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per the direction of Cindy Simone in Tempe. Labor Relations has set this amount.
Because PHL is such a large base with over something like 3000 flight attendants, the base has the budget to support this amount. Charlotte would also have about the same amount of FPL for the LECP and smaller bases would have less, it is based on membership count and established by the company.
Our AFA Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) has compensation guidelines for LEC officers, it covers and sets limits on mileage reimbursements, housing, expenses, meals…it’s found at www.afanet.org it however, does not discuss how officers are to use the pay in the local. This is done because different councils at all AFA carriers have different types of reimbursement from the airline for union work.
Being previously involved in union work I will tell you that it is not a 9-5 job like some on this board seem to think. I had folks calling me at all hours of the day and night and there is no way to control that. As a rep, your number/email is out there and you are going to get those calls. I can tell you from my experience that you will put in many hours working for the membership that you are never reimbursed for.
If our reps are in the office from 9-5 Monday thru Friday should we expect them to take our call at 9 PM on Saturday because scheduling is trying to pull something…should they take the call?
Let me put it this way…you just finished doing a one day and scheduling asks you to do a PBI turn, are you going to do it? It’s the same thing. I hear from folks that John calls them back and has worked on their behalf after hours and even from his trips that he’s working. I have personally seen evidence on emails forwarded to me that he is responding at 2AM, are we paying him for that time? Would you do the same?
Some may not like the job he is doing or that he is doing enough, some may have issue with “idea†he is taking time from others but you cant make everyone happy…ESPECIALLY in Union work.
ETB trips are First Come, First Serve any time he takes off the board would be awarded just like anyone else there are no special rules for John. I personally don’t agree with taking 108 hours of FPL and then also flying on top of that, but any line holder that SAPs in 108 could do the same thing, it does not violate any AFA guidelines. I also found out that John does not claim all the expense money he could and never claims any expenses for the days he is flying because the company is paying per diem.
I want folks to know the facts...