10.10.14 – (LAA/LUS) Implementation Letter, Penalties, As Soon as Practicable, FML, PBS, Transfers, Rotating Reserve,

APFA Special Hotline – Tentative Agreement Implementation Letter and Q&As

October 10, 2014

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The T/A Implementation Letter is complete and has been uploaded to www.apfa.org/negotiations. This letter is an agreement between the Joint Negotiating Committee and the company that establishes a timeline for when certain provisions of the T/A will go into effect. It will be incorporated into the JCBA. Below are some Q&As relating to the T/A Implementation Letter. 

What provisions go into effect immediately?
The pay and per diem increases go into effect December 2, 2014. Under this agreement, economic provisions that benefit Flight Attendants go into effect up front whereas the other provisions that save the company money, such as PBS, go into effect when they can be programmed. Many sections of the T/A, which do not require extensive programming such as the Grievance and System Board sections, Scope, Union Dues, etc will also go into effect immediately. 

What contract section will I work under until a provision of the JCBA goes into effect?
Until a provision of the JCBA goes into effect, LAA flight attendants and LUS flight attendants will each work under the applicable provisions of their respective current agreements.

Are penalties included in the implementation timeline?
The implementation letter contains timelines and a set of commitments to implement various provisions of the T/A. The implementation timeline has a built-in penalty because the T/A includes the economic increases (pay, premiums, etc) at the beginning of the agreement but the savings to the company through PBS and a combined operation come several years into the agreement. In other words, the company loses money by delaying the implementation of the scheduling system. 

Beyond that, the Scheduling Section gives the union a strong role in implementing the scheduling provisions through the Joint Scheduling Implementation Committee (JSIC). The Implementation Letter also identifies priority items for early implementation such as the new Reserve system, the pay protections and the automated Trip Trade System. 

What does “as soon as practicable” mean?
As “soon as practicable’ means the Company will immediately commence necessary steps to implement the provision but requires time to resolve identified issues such as programming changes or change necessary procedures. The items identified by “as soon as practicable” should be implemented in the first half of 2015. Examples of items the company has agreed to implement as soon as practicable would be the last live leg and the voluntary duty day waiver provisions for LAA flight attendants and the 1 for 2 duty pay for LUS flight attendants. 

How will LAA Flight Attendants be paid for vacation prior to PBS implementation?
LAA Flight Attendants will be paid trips missed for their vacation until PBS implementation. LAA flight attendants will also be able to use PVDs (limit of six per year) which will be paid at a daily rate of 3.5 hours. 

Will LAA Flight Attendants be able to use vacation for FML illnesses?
Prior to PBS implementation, LAA Flight Attendants will be able to use the current year’s scheduled vacation at trips missed just as they currently do. Flight Attendants will also be able to use up to 6 PVDs at a daily rate of 3.5 hours for an FML illness.

When can I transfer between bases? 
LAA and LUS Flight Attendants will be able to transfer between bases when all Flight Attendants are under one common crew management system (Flight Attendant Operational Integration). That is anticipated to be between two and three years from now, after PBS is implemented on the LAA side and LUS Flight Attendants migrate to a common scheduling platform on the LAA FOS crew management system. 

When will rotating Reserve begin? How will it affect Reserves currently on the property?
The new rotating Reserve provisions will not apply for two years from now until PBS implementation for LAA Flight Attendants and until Flight Attendant Operational Integration for LUS Flight Attendants, some time in 2017.

Until that time, both LAA and LUS Flight Attendants will continue to operate under the provisions of the current Reserve rotation (straight Reserve for LUS and rotating Reserve for LAA). No LAA Flight Attendant on the property as of the Date of Signing will be subject to straight Reserve.

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Chair