11.23.15 – December PBS Awards…Now What?

Monday, November 23, 2015

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December PBS Awards…Now What?

Hello DCA Flight Attendants,

Just when you thought employee morale couldn’t get any worse…SURPRISE!

We hear you loud and clear. In fact, due to the outpouring of emails, calls, and texts shortly after the December PBS Bid run, we were able to contact the Company quickly to relay there was indeed a problem. The next step we had to determine was to what degree. One of the first things we learn in First Aid is to stop the bleeding.

The Company continued to focus on the “approximately 200 Flight Attendants” that they knew had a Mis-Award. Therefore, against the insistence of the LUS Presidents, a PBS Re-Run was not done. The Electronic Trade Board opened as planned, causing even more disruptions. Our stance was and remains that this is far more reaching than the confirmed 219 Flight Attendants; such as the forced Coverage Needed (CN) parameters affecting seniority. The Company now agrees.

It is also important you know your LUS Officers, Scheduling & Reserve Reps, and JIRC had a very detailed discussion with the Company a week before bids closed to aggressively assert their numbers and projections were too restrictive. For example, we reminded the Crew Planning Team the 84.3% across the board Minimum Line Value amount was a mistake, as was their huge increase of Reserve numbers. What may work in bases of 2,400 FAs does not mean it will in a base of 500.

We acknowledge the Company’s job of protecting the operations. But their conservative figures and reluctance to heed our pro-active recommendations was beyond irritating, and certainly contributed to where we are today.

Now What?

The Company has assured us they will make this right; our job is to ensure they do. The following hotline outlines the first of many remedies we are working on to alleviate the impact to our Flight Attendants: December PBS Bid Award Update #3 – Working Towards Solutions
In the meantime, help us help you by continuing to keep a paper trail. Send examples, snapshots, and your comments to [email protected] and please copy me in your email ([email protected]) so we can keep track while coordinating with Lori Vitto and the DCA PBS Trainers.
The Flight Attendant Resource Center “FARC” may also be reached at 480-693-8232.
DCA Flight Service is standing by and have relayed their support and may be reached at 703-224-9380.

Throughout this “Perfect PBS Storm” you have remained professional, and patient. I have kept every one of your communications and used your words of anguish in the numerous ongoing meetings with the Company. It is one more tremendous blow and undo burden to the LUS Flight Attendants who do not deserve this, nobody does.

This upcoming Thanksgiving, amidst all the stress and chaos, I am thankful for your resilience, strength, and trust. My primary focus and every LUS President, is on the membership we serve. Thank you for looking out for each other.

In Strength and Solidarity~

Di

Dianne Britton
APFA DCA-LUS Base President
[email protected]