3.10.21 – APFA PHX Base Brief – April 2021 Allocations

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

April 2021 Allocations

We are pleased to welcome Secorra Flowers as the Vice President-elect for the PHX Base starting her term on April 1, 2021. Secorra is a fierce advocate for our Flight Attendants and brings a vast amount of scheduling and FABRC (Flight Attendant Bidding Resource Center) knowledge with her to this position. Secorra can be reached at [email protected] and her APFA cell is 602-551-8116.

We also would like to thank Gene Labat for stepping into the Vice President role during February and March. He has worked many years for the membership of PHX and will continue as a Base Council Rep and Grievance Co-Chair with Ralph Huerta.

On February 22, 2021, a Base Notice of Dispute was filed regarding Senior Bumping based on the violation of JCBA Section 12.A.3.b.ii.:

Flight Attendant who is designated as Reserve but desire to be bumped off should bid a regular trip selection(s) and/or reserve selection(s). The Flight Attendant’s desire will be honored only if her/his seniority who has not already bumped a more senior Flight Attendant off reserve.

The Company should have bumped the fourteen (14) most senior Flight Attendants off Reserve that toggled to Lineholder, due to the fact fourteen (14) Flight Attendants slated to be Lineholders bid down to Reserve. This did not occur because the Company erred in displacing the majority of Flight Attendants that were to work Reserve in March, leaving the company short of the 203 Flight Attendants that were projected needed for the month. In fact, there were only 165 Flight Attendants legal and available for the March rotation, which included our most senior active Flight Attendant with almost fifty (50) years seniority. The Company’s short sightedness does not give them the right to violate the provisions of our Contract.

On Monday, March 8, the APFA Board of Directors (BOD) Convention was held in DFW at the Westin Las Colinas Hotel and Convention Center. This year, due to COVID restrictions, only the National Officers, Base Presidents, and Presidents-elect were in physical attendance; Regional Reps, Ad Hocs, Base Vice Presidents and Chairs joined by teleconference. The Board meeting was conducted over two (2) days and due to the hard work of the Budget Committee, National Officers, and Base Presidents over seventeen (17) resolutions were presented to the BOD for consideration. The bulk of these resolutions were changes to the Policy Manual with regards to monetary spending and accountability. All resolutions passed and will ensure accountability and fiscal responsibility by APFA leadership going forward.

The last order of business was to elect a new Ad Hoc for the executive committee. As announced Brian Morgan was elected and we are pleased to announce he will be the Ad Hoc for the PHX Base. Brian is a long-time union activist from PHL and is also currently on the negotiations team. You can learn more about the duties and responsibilities of an Ad Hoc in the APFA Constitution.

During the BOD, Base Leadership had our April 2021 allocation and manpower call with the Company. The PHX Base saw a slight increase in 4-day trips from 4% to 7%. Once again, the Company was reminded that 6-to-8-hour total sit times within a 2-, 3-, and 4-day sequence is not productive for our Flight Attendants and cannot be considered optimizing Company time and resources.

Also mentioned during the call were the SEA/LHR flights that are being crewed by CLT/DFW Flight Attendants in April. Those crews will deadhead into PHX to work the flight to SEA, overnight, and crew the SEA/LHR flight the next day. When questioned as to why the PHX Flight Attendants were not operating the SEA/LHR flights, it was explained that we do not have sufficient manpower here to staff the flights. This answer is not acceptable. As of today, we have 626 PHX-Based Flight Attendants qualified on the Boeing 777. There was not a manpower issue to cover the previous PHX/LHR flying. There was not a manpower issue to cover the Honolulu flying this past winter. It should not be a manpower issue to cover the SEA to LHR flights with our PHX Flight Attendants. If manpower is truly an issue, let’s bring back our recently displaced Flight Attendants. It adds insult to injury when the CLT and DFW bases have their own non-stop London and other IPD flights that have resumed and will resume in April. Your APFA PHX Leadership will continue to press the Company on this matter. The good news is that the PHX to LHR non-stop is currently scheduled to return in July and will be operated by the PHX base.

April 2021 PBS bidding will open, Sunday, March 14 at 1200 (CDT) and will close on Thursday, March 18 at 1200 (CDT).

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April PHX 777 IFS Training Drafts Revised
The assignment of the April PHX 777 and IFS Training Drafts were incorrect due to a technical error with the original awards (incorrect seniority). The incorrect awards have been rescinded, and the updated awards have been processed and uploaded. A mobileCCI message has been sent to those drafted.

Those affected will see an update to her/his Crew Portal once the PBS update is run on Friday, March 12. However, you can currently view the training (TA) on your HI10 in DECS if you have been drafted into training.

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Remaining April Bidding Timelines

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Primary Round of Annual Vacation Bidding Awarded/Secondary Round Now Open
The Primary Round of vacation bidding has been awarded. To view your award details, go to Crew Portal > Monthly Bids > Vacation > Annual > Summary. To view your award details, click on the Show Detail button.

The Secondary Round of vacation bidding is now open. The secondary round allows you to bid for any remaining vacation days not awarded in the primary round of vacation bidding. Additionally, any carry forward days are bid in the secondary round. You may only be awarded from the remaining dates available at your base. You will be awarded at your seniority until all your vacation days are awarded, or the system is unable to satisfy any more of your preferences. All vacation days will be awarded or assigned upon the completion of the secondary round of bidding.

The Secondary Round will close on Tuesday, March 16 at 1200 (CDT).

The Final Results will be posted on Saturday, March 20 at 1200 (CDT).

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] for assistance or email an APFA Contract and Scheduling Rep. on duty at [email protected].

The monthly process timeline for the May bid month (beginning of the vacation fiscal year) differs slightly from the remainder of the year due to the annual vacation bid and award timeline. The timeline for May vacation processes is adjusted as follows:

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Flight Service Quarterly Web-Based Training

As a reminder, the Flight Service Quarterly Web-Based Training (WBT) must be completed by Sunday, March 21 at 2359 (CT).

Here are the WBT completion requirements for Flight Attendants on various leaves:

You will receive $25 Training Pay for the completion of the modules. (JCBA Section 29.E.3.) To access the WBT module, go to Jetnet > Learning Hub.

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Know Your Contract

The following sections of the Contract are extremely important for our FAs to know and keep handy.

16.H. DEADHEAD TO CREW BASE OR COMMUTER CITY ON LAST LEG OF A TRIP SEQUENCE.

A Lineholder scheduled to deadhead on the last live leg of her/his trip sequence may choose not to take the deadhead. The Lineholder shall notify Crew Schedule of her/his election prior to the scheduled deadhead.

1. With Crew Schedule’s consent, a Reserve scheduled to deadhead on the last live leg of her/his sequence may choose not to take the scheduled deadhead, provided that she/he is available for her/his subsequent Reserve assignment.

What does this mean? If you are a Lineholder, once you get on that earlier flight you must call crew tracking and advise them that you aren’t taking your scheduled deadhead. You aren’t asking permission; you are just notifying them. If you don’t do this and they call to reschedule you to work a flight, Crew Tracking will then give you a TM, which generates two points and lose pay for that deadhead leg.

10.J. RESCHEDULING

• 10J.1-4 details the provisions allowable to reschedule a sequence.
• 10.J.1 is regarding the general provisions regarding rescheduling
• 10.J.2. is regarding the provisions to reschedule prior to report time
• 10.J.3. is regarding the provisions to reschedule after report but prior to sequence origination (in other words you’ve checked in but your first leg has not yet pushed back)
• 10.J.4 is regarding the provisions regarding rescheduling after origination (departure of first flight)
• 10.J.5.-6. are regarding rescheduling due to being removed or the sequence canceling in its entirety if you are a reserve.
• 10.J.7. return to base…this is important in an irregular operation.
• 10.J.8 More than a 3-hour delay (after report) This section allows a flight attendant to call and be released (without pay or credit) after report if your leg is delayed 3 hours or more.
• 10.J.9. Equipment substitution. This section explains downgrades and when/if the senior FA is released or deadheaded; as well as pay and credit.
• 10.J.10 Pay Protection

 

10.K. ILLEGAL THROUGH NO FAULT

10.L. LAST SEQUENCE OF THE MONTH PAY AND CREDIT

11.E. – DOMESTIC DUTY LIMITATION (SCHEDULED)

11.F – DOMESTIC ON-DUTY LIMITATIONS (ACTUAL)

It would benefit all PHX-Based FAs to review and understand JCBA SECTION 12 – RESERVE DUTY

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Last Sequence of the Month
Please be aware that the Company and APFA have a difference of opinion with regards to pay/credit for last trip of the month that involves a carryover. Please ensure you are checking your sequences that have carryover for any change in value. If there is a change, please complete a Scheduling Systems Issue Report Form on APFA.org.

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March “Well for Work”

As a reminder, all active Flight Attendants are required to a complete and Well for Work in Comply365 or at aa.comply365.net by the end of each month.

It is a short-declaration acknowledging that you are aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and you agree to do an individual health evaluation before reporting to work each day to determine if you are displaying any new, unusual or worsening symptoms of COVID-19.

If you are on leave, you are not required to submit a Well for Work self-declaration until you are back to active status. You do have to complete Well for Work if you are attending CQ.

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COVID-19 Exposure Reporting

APFA wants your help tracking COVID-19 exposure among our workgroup. If you tested positive, are symptomatic or awaiting test results, in self-quarantine, or had any other exposure issue, please fill out this COVID-19 Exposure Report Form.

For more information about the virus and a list of resources, be sure to check the APFA Corona Virus Updates page regularly.

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Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The challenges we face as Flight Attendants are unique, and even when everything is going right, it can be challenging to navigate a path through it all. Remember that EAP is there for you. This CONFIDENTIAL support is there for you and can provide support for issues you face in both your work and personal life.

You can reach EAP at 817-540-0108 ext. 8701 or by filling out the EAP Contact form at the following link:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Webpage on APFA.org

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Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

In Solidarity,

Robin Agee
APFA PHX Base President
480-238-2303
[email protected]

Gene Labat
APFA Interim PHX Base Vice President
[email protected]

Secorra Flowers
APFA PHX Base Vice President-elect
[email protected]