1.31.20 – MIA Base Brief – February 2020

Friday, January 31, 2020

MIA Base Brief – February 2020

In This Brief

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APFA Budget
National Officers Elections
JCBA/Contract
Coronavirus
Company Email for Union Business
Annual Vacation Bidding
Vacation Buyback
Pay Protection-Canceled Legs
Direct Conflicts/FAR Illegal-Pay Protection
Attendance Incentive Credit/Bank Point
Reserve Carryover Waiver
Uniform Alterations Reimbursement
Investigations, Right to Representation: Section 35-R
Admirals Club
Aircraft Lighting

APFA Budget

Hello Miami! It’s hard to believe we’re well into a new decade. Due to budgetary issues, all budgets have been required to take significant cuts for the foreseeable future, including the bases. This means that we are going to have a reduction in the reps at the base. We are committed to providing the base with the service you expect and deserve. It may take a bit longer to get a reply to an email, text, or phone call but we will reply.

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National Officers Elections

The first round of National Officer election results is out. Roughly only 9,000 of 28,000 members voted. There will be a runoff for all four Officer positions.

The runoff ballots will be mailed on February 7^th and must be received by March 9^th.

If you need to update your address with APFA, email [email protected]. The Company does not notify APFA of address changes. If you do not receive a ballot, be sure to email the [email protected] with plenty of time to receive it and return it by the due date.

Please exercise your right to vote.

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JCBA/Contract

Five years have already gone by and the JCBA became amendable on December 17^th, 2019. The Railway Labor Act covers airline contract negotiations. Under this act contracts do not expire, they become amendable. What does this mean? Our current JCBA will remain in full force and effect during negotiations until a Tentative Agreement is reached. There are many steps in the process of reaching a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (Contract) before a mediator could release the parties into self-help.

Vacation Buyback

If you were awarded Vacation Buyback, your payment will be in your June 15^th paycheck. When paid out, the vacation buyback is considered a lump sum payment. Per IRS regulations it is taxed at supplemental rates. For 2019, according to the IRS, the rate was 22%.

Since this is not a bonus, your regular 401k election and company contribution/match will apply. If you want to defer a larger percentage of this payment into your 401k, you must change your contribution election for that paycheck. This will require you to make two changes, one before the paycheck and one after. Consult with Fidelity for information regarding deadline dates for the transactions.

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Pay Protection-Canceled Legs

All pay protection for canceled segments are reviewed by Crew Compensation at closeout on the 9^th of the subsequent month. Should your sequence involve a canceled leg, you are pay protected for the greater of what you fly, or the scheduled time of the entire trip if another crew flies any part of the sequence. In addition, you are pay protected for the greater if you are rescheduled. Other than Last Trip/ Last Series, these are all reviewed by Crew Compensation.

Direct Connect messages from Crew Compensation are being auto-generated stating that there are no changes to your hours. This is obviously creating confusion. Once the review at closeout is complete, the pay protection if warranted will be applied.

4. Presence of Union Observer during Company Security Department Investigative Interviews.

The Company will permit a union representative to be present as a silent observer during Company Security Department investigative interviews in accordance with the following terms:

1. Flight Attendant(s) interviewed by a Company Security Department representative as part of a Company Security Department investigation may, upon request by the Flight Attendant(s), have an APFA representative present during such interview to act in the role of a silent observer.
2. Should it be impossible for an APFA representative to be available or if an APFA representative cannot be readily available upon request, (within one (1) hour) the Company’s Security Department will not be required to delay the interview. In such circumstances, a Flight Attendant who is being interviewed by the Company Security Department may (1) request the presence of another Flight Attendant who is covered by the AA/APFA Agreement, who is available within one (1) hour, and who is not also being interviewed, to act in the role of a silent observer; or (2) request a brief consultation with an APFA representative by phone prior to the interview. A Flight Attendant who elects to consult with an APFA representative by phone will be provided, generally five (5) to ten (10) minutes, to speak privately with an APFA representative prior to the interview. Although such Flight Attendant’s luggage and other personal possessions will remain with the Flight Attendant, she/he and her/his luggage and other personal possessions must remain in plain view of the Security Department representative during the private phone consultation to ensure the integrity of all evidence is preserved.
3. Should a silent observer be present during the Company Security Department’s investigation interview, such silent observer, whether an APFA representative or another Flight Attendant, may not interfere with or impede the investigation and/or interview. If a silent observer fails to comply with the terms of Paragraph R, the Company will exclude the silent observer from the area in which the investigation and/or interview is being held and the Company will continue with the process.
4. In the event that Company concludes that problems have developed for the Company as a result of its permitting an observer to be present during Security interviews, the Company will notify the APFA of such problems and the parties attempt to resolve them. The Company retains the right to modify or cancel Paragraph R.4.a.-d in the event problems persist that cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the Company. 

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Admirals Club

Flight Service has notified us that potentially creating a boarding pass for the purposes of entering the Admirals Club could result in a travel policy violation.

The Travel Guide has the full Admirals Club policy, in part below:

Starting November 1, 2019 team members will need to show their Verification Pass (the boarding pass used to get through security) when entering the Admirals Club.

Reminders:

If you have an Admirals Club membership (either from purchased membership, credit card promotion or one-day pass), please be advised that you and your travelers may only access the lounge if you are traveling same-day as a passenger on American or a partner airline.  Otherwise, access is prohibited.  The Admirals Club membership is not intended for team members to utilize before, during and after work hours.  If you do access the lounge while traveling, remove any company badges, name tags, or lanyards while in the club, and change out of your entire uniform (this includes all uniform pieces) prior to arriving at the lounge. These same guidelines apply should you access any other airline clubs/lounges.

The Admirals Club is not intended for use by team members while working a trip (including deadheading) or as a break area before, after, or between flights/during “sit time.” If you’re a commuter headed to work, we invite you to enjoy the lounge in your home city prior to departing on a flight to your base city. However, you may not wear any portion of your uniform and should avoid calling attention to yourself as an American team member while in the lounge. Likewise, after your trip is finished and you’ve completely changed out of your uniform, you may access the lounge in your base city before catching your flight home.

Separately from the Travel Guide:

Falsifying or manipulating travel records is prohibited; examples of such conduct include creating fake PNRs, booking non-revenue travel for an ineligible traveler or using more guest passes or vacation passes than allotted.

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Aircraft Lighting

Lights on, lights off, sidewalls off, sidewalls on, too bright, too dim? Professional Standards has been receiving an overwhelming number of calls about aircraft lighting.

They ask that you try to work this issue out amicably on the airplane. Aircraft lighting is covered specifically in the manual, so when all else fails, follow the manual as specified.

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Until next time, fly safely!

Randy