10.20.17 – Critical Manning Shortage at LAX

Friday, October 20, 2017

Critical Manning Shortage at LAX

The Company has notified APFA that they have invoked Article 9.L of the contract in response to a critical manning shortage at LAX.

Article 9.L of the Foundation Document refers to the Order of Open Time Coverage and it allows Crew Schedule to assign trips to Flight Attendants on Duty Free Periods (DFPs) once certain steps are reached.

Step 6: Allows the company to assign regularly scheduled Flight Attendants at the base in reverse order of seniority provided there is no conflict with his/her scheduled duty-free period.

Step 7: Allows the company to assign Reserve Flight Attendants on a scheduled duty-free period.

Step 8: Allows the company to assign regularly scheduled Flight Attendants on a duty-free period, in reverse order of seniority.

The company is required to notify APFA when steps six (6), seven (7), and/or eight (8) have been reached.

LAX is currently at Step 8.

As a reminder, in order to assign Flight Attendants on their DFPs, first party contact has to be made. If you are contacted by Crew Schedule and you answer your phone on a DFP and identify yourself, that is considered first party contact.

Also, if contacted on a DFP, always be aware that per FAA regulations, no person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft within eight (8) hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage.