1.07.15 – (LAA/LUS) Benefits on Leave, CISD, Heavy Items, Accident/Incident Notification, JCBA Documents, Paychecks, Sk Hrs, Equipment Training, Joint Annuitant/QPSA, Gov’t Affairs

 

   

 

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Benefits While on Bid Leave (BL – LAA) and Voluntary Leave of Absence (VLOA – LUS) – Section 25.B; Section 25.N – [email protected]
Effective on Date of Signing (December 13, 2014), while on BL/VLOA, a Flight Attendant shall be treated as if they are an active Flight Attendant for purposes of benefits payments, which will be at the company-subsidized rate. 
LAA: Formerly, LAA Flight Attendants paid the full rate (non-subsidized) if the leave of absence exceeded 30 days. 
LUS: Status quo 
 
Advising APFA of Safety Related Areas – Section 34.A – [email protected]
Effective January 1, 2015: APFA will be advised of all areas of safety concerning flight attendants. 
 
Considering APFA Safety and Security Recommendations – Section 34.B – [email protected]
Company will consider all recommendations of APFA’s Safety and Security Department.
LAA: Formerly policy, now contractual
LUS: had similar language in the Red Book
 
CISDs – Section 34.T – [email protected]
Critical Incident Stress Debrief (CISD) Program is now contractual.
LAA / LUS: New contractual language
 
Lifting Heavy Items – Section 34.R – [email protected]
A Flight Attendant will not be required to lift or assist in the lifting of items which, in the Flight Attendant’s best judgment, could result in injury. 
LAA / LUS: New contractual language 
 
Personal Resuscitation Mask – Section 34.U – [email protected]
Company will provide an Individual Personal Resuscitation Mask and replace a stolen mask for each Flight Attendant. 
LAA / LUS: New language
 
Accident/Incident Notification – Section 34.H.1 – [email protected]
The company will notify APFA in the event of an aircraft accident or incident. Flight Attendants have the right to Union representation in the event of an aircraft accident/ incident. 
LAA / LUS: Previous LAA and LUS contractual language contained similar agreements with respective airlines.
 
JCBA Documents
Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement Language – 12.23.14
Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement Implementation Schedule – 12.26.14
January 2015 Implementation Schedule – 12.24.14
 
 

Paychecks – Section 3.N – [email protected]
LAA:  For the foreseeable future LAA Flight Attendants will continue to receive half of their base pay in the middle of the month check and the larger check at the end of each month.  Notice will be given at least 90 days prior to the transition of receiving our larger check earlier in the month.
LUS: A chart listing the pay dates for LUS Flight Attendants for 2015 is posted on the Contract Department page of the APFA website.

2014 Sick Hours – [email protected]
LAA
As in years past, our 2014 sick hours will not be finalized until Pay Comp has closed out December 2014 schedules, sometime around January 10th. Once close out takes place, preliminary SK hour accrual for 2014 will be available for review in DECS – HISK/L. Final SK hours for 2014 will be added to sick banks the week of January 19^th. If you’ve had an unpaid sick absence since January 1, 2015, and are still on payroll, Pay Comp will apply the newly accrued sick hours to the absence. This should be completed by February 9, 2015.
 
Equipment (Aircraft) Training – [email protected]
LAA
There are still training class vacancies in January available for equipment, including Airbus. If you forgot to trigger for or simply want the training, please follow the instructions listed for voluntary training in the cover pages of the bidsheet. While trip removals are not offered for voluntary training, you will receive $9.50 per hour for training.
 
LAA
Joint Annuitant and QPSA – [email protected]
The new year is a great time to check up on your pension selections. This will help you maximize your pension if you die before retirement.
 
Upon retirement, your selection of a Joint Annuitant determines how you would leave your pension to a survivor. What happens if you were to die before you retire? Does anyone inherit your pension? Maybe, federal law requires that a pension plan must allow a pension to be inherited by a legally married spouse, including legally married same-sex spouses, regardless of whether your state recognizes your marriage. The default amount mandated by federal law is for the surviving spouse to get 50% of your joint and survivor pension.
 
APFA negotiated a better benefit. If you file a QPSA (qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity) form, you can designate that your spouse receives up to 100% of your joint and survivor pension should you die before you retire. For Flight Attendants, this benefit is paid for by the company. If you do not fill out this form and if you die before benefit commencement, your spouse will only receive the default amount equal to 50% of your pension.  This form is only effective until you get ready to retire. Once you make your selections for form of benefit at retirement, this QPSA form is replaced by your new selections. If you are not legally married, this QPSA option is not available to you. This form can be found on JetNet and here on the APFA website.

LAA / LUS
APFA Government Affairs – [email protected]
The APFA Government Affairs program will be integrating LUS FAs to serve on our APFA legislative team. APFA Government Affairs provides lobby training to our field representatives and will be doing so again in 2015. We’ve asked all the Base Presidents to help identify Flight Attendants who would like to participate in our 2015 program.

Our successes over the past several years would not have been possible without a strong APFA legislative team that carried our message to Capitol Hill. The APFA Government Affairs program is unique in that it emphasizes meeting with Representatives in their field offices. Nothing replaces the work we do on Capitol Hill, but a meeting in a government representative’s home district provides a unique and usually far less distracted environment to discuss issues that are important to our members. Our legislative team has been instrumental in securing meetings with members of Congress in their district offices, particularly when we have needed support on our most pressing issues.

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Chair