11.21.15 – (LUS) – December PBS Bid Award Update #3 – Working Towards Solutions

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Saturday, November 21, 2015

December PBS Bid Award Update #3 – Working Towards Solutions
List of Flight Attendants Directly Impacted with Mis-awards

December PBS Bid Award Update #3 – Working Towards Solutions

APFA leadership has been in constant communication with the Company negotiating a mutual agreement for a remedy for the mis-awarded Flight Attendants for the December bid. APFA strongly believes that when any Flight Attendant is mis-awarded, it creates a domino effect, and those affected are far greater than just those directly involved. A re-run of the bid would have been the most logical solution, but the situation was not brought to APFA’s attention until after the Electronic Trade Board (ETB) had already opened. According to the Company, a bid re-run could not take place because AOS, the PBS vendor, could not repair and test the issue immediately. Since the ETB had already opened, a bid re-run was no longer an option due to the amount of transactions that had already taken place between Flight Attendants.

In addition to the mis-awards, there are many Lineholder and Reserve Flight Attendants who received disappointing, but correct December awards, especially during the second half of the month. This is our first December month under the PBS system, and we have heard and seen unimaginable awards given to many Flight Attendants in all four LUS bases. Before the December bid opened, APFA reached out to the Company on multiple occasions in an attempt to bring down the Reserve numbers and to create additional Lineholders. It was also proposed to the Company to bring down the line averages. Unfortunately, each of these requests were not taken into consideration.

APFA Representatives continue to provide solutions regarding the December bid award debacle. To immediately resolve the mis-award, the Company has agreed with APFA to immediately contact each affected Flight Attendant to confirm one of the following options for each mis-awarded pairing:

Fly the mis-awarded trip and receive 300% pay (100% pay and credit and 200% pay-no-credit)
Drop the mis-awarded trip and follow the contractual procedures consistent with pay protection (as referenced in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, 10.D.17)
If a mis-awarded trip was already traded prior to receiving the above options, the Flight Attendant who traded the mis-awarded trip will receive the value of the scheduled pairing as pay protection. The Flight Attendant who flew that traded pairing will receive the greater of scheduled or actual pay for the pairing
A special mailbox has been established to respond to concerns regarding December award. Please send all questions regarding mis-awards to [email protected] by Nov. 24, 2015 (Any reported concerns outside the 219 affected flight attendants will be reviewed starting on Monday)
An additional communication will be sent to address questions regarding unexpected awards as a result of the complexities and schedule distribution during holiday flying

To provide relief for those not included in the 219, added scheduling flexibility will be offered in December:

The initial ISAP run on November 30 for the bid month of December will allow for 6% open time for the entire month (December 2-31)
All subsequent ISAP runs:

Trips originating during December 3–15 will allow for 6%
Trips originating in the remaining weeks of December 16-31 – return to 3% but evaluate daily the need for further upward adjustment
Crew Scheduling will review available staffing on daily basis and may further relax daily/monthly maximum open limits, therefore eliminating the triggering event when the daily/monthly limits are relaxed Example: allows a Flight Attendant to drop a 4-day trip to pick up 3-day trip

The Flight Attendant Resource Center (FARC) has increased staffing levels and is available to answer questions 0500 to 1900 MST, M-F at 480-693-8232 or 800-327-0117 option 2 followed by option 8.. The FARC support window is extended to the weekend during an open bid window or challenge period. PBS Trainers and Base Managers are also available at the base to assist with questions. All email questions regarding December awards should be directed to [email protected].

December Bid Award – List of Flight Attendants Directly Impacted with Mis-awards

Flight Attendant Resource Center (FARC) representatives are calling Flight Attendants, identified here by LUS badge number, to review options and confirm resolution of mis-awards created by the PBS system error.

List of Flight Attendants Directly Impacted with Mis-awards