7.14.21 – APFA DFW Base Brief – July 14, 2021

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

In this hotline:

• System Issues
• Are you still experiencing early boarding?
• What do I do if I have a ‘late contact’ (LC)?
• Is your tablet work ready?
• Pre-flight crew briefing
• Post-flight responsibilities
• What is ASAP, and why would I use it?
• Meetings with your Flight Service Managers
• Am I picking up a satellite trip?
• Is my sequence pay protected?
• When do I go illegal?
• Do you have your JCBA?
• Are you thinking about retirement?
• What is professional standards?

 

Hello, DFW!

With all the various changes surrounding us this past year, it has been hectic. DFW has grown enormously with the return of our furloughed Flight Attendants, along with the displaced Flight Attendants from PHX down-sizing and the STL base closure. We are an amazingly blended group and we are proud to represent each one of you.

If you are on Facebook, we have a non-sanctioned Union page called DFW Union News. Please feel free to join, as we try to update info daily and answer questions that you may have. This is another form of communication that we utilize at the base.

We are excited to see routes being restored as passengers fill our aircraft, ready to return to pre-COVID normalcy. With that being said, we are also seeing a rise in complaint letters, passenger mask violations, as well as unruly travelers onboard our aircraft. With the lack of support from the Company, it is becoming quite clear what their expectations are of Flight Attendant “accountability.” As we have stated previously, “accountability” is a two-way street, which we continually traverse. We cannot overemphasize that we know our contractual language and the IFM language about our job scope. As we open negotiations and move forward in our resolve, we need to protect ourselves and stand firmly in our knowledge.

System Issues

Please continue to use the “Scheduling System Issues Report Form” located at the bottom of the APFA website to report any TTS, UBL, ETB, or ROTA issues that you have incurred. APFA continues to investigate any potential violations that you may encounter.

Are you still experiencing early boarding?

APFA has filed a Presidential Grievance regarding the chronic violations of Sections 11.M and 14.F of the JCBA, specifically stating when Flight Attendants must be onboard, ready to receive passengers. Please continue to document all violations at [email protected]. This data is important and will be used to support the Presidential Grievance.

What do I do if I have a ‘late contact’ (LC)?

A Lineholder or a Reserve who calls in sick with less than two hours prior to report will receive an ‘LC’. Additionally, a Reserve who calls in sick once their RAP has started and after being assigned a sequence will also receive an ‘LC’, even if there are two hours or more prior to report.

I am filing a Base NOD that Reserves on a RAP who call in sick more than two (2) hours prior to report are being penalized and treated differently than Lineholders, Reserves on a ROTA assigned sequence, and Reserves who pick up on a day off. It should be a standard two (2) hours or less short call for all.

If you receive an ‘LC’, you should contact your FSM to see if they will remove it.

If you receive an LC and have FMLA, once it is recoded, contact your FSM to advise of the FMLA recoding. They will contact the FMLA desk to see if the FMLA is for sudden onset. If they are told yes, they are to remove the LC.

Is your tablet work ready?

Please be sure your tablet is up to date and at 90% or higher with all FOUR lights lit on the back of the mophie case before stepping onto the aircraft for your first flight of the day. It is imperative that if your tablet is not working that you call and inform Stratex. The number is located on the back of your tablet. You may also obtain a loaner tablet, if needed, from a Duty Manager at the Flight Attendant Service Center.

Pre-flight crew briefing:

We all know that pre-flight briefings are to occur before each flight. While procedure states that the Lead/Purser confirms everyone has their equipment (ID, passport, tablet) at the briefing of each flight, we want to ensure that you are aware of policy.

What is not part of our job is to check to see if everyone has done their training, tablet read and sign, if their tablet is charged, etc. The email that the Company sent out was quite confusing and once again poorly communicated.

For additional information on your pre-flight responsibilities, you can reference the IFM > General Policies and Procedures > Pre-Flight Overview > Crew Briefing.

Post-flight responsibilities:

Once we have arrived at the gate and all passengers have deplaned, we still have post-flight responsibilities. If flying the Purser/Lead position, your additional duties require a cabin walk thru-which includes checking seats, overhead compartments, and closets to ensure no articles have been left behind. You must also check lavatories for passengers or items left onboard and confirm that ALL DOOR EXITS are DISARMED.

For additional information on your post-flight responsibilities, you can reference the IFM > General Policies and Procedures > Post Flight Duties > Flight Attendant Responsibilities.

What is ASAP, and why would I use it?

The Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is a way for crew members to voluntarily self-report unintentional Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and safety violations, as well as general safety concerns.

To file an ASAP report, go to the Safety and Security section of the Flight Service website. Click on Cabin Aviation Safety Action (ASAP) report. Prompts will lead you through the report.

The three-person Event Review Team (ERC) reads every report submitted into the ASAP reporting system and responds to the submitter. The ERC is comprised of one member of each of the participating parties:

• APFA Safety Department
• FAA
• Flight Service Safety Management System (SMS) Department

After submitting an ASAP report, the ASAP Event Review Team (ERC) will send you an email once your report has been closed out. This email will be sent to your aa.com email address unless you enter another email address when submitting your report. The email you receive from the ERC will contain a link that will take you into the ASAP reporting system, where you will find a message waiting for you.

After reading your ASAP report, should the ERC have questions or need more information, they will call you at the phone number listed on your HI1 or the phone number you have entered on your ASAP report.

Your ASAP report, as well as any conversation you may have with the ERC, is confidential; the information is NOT shared with flight service or with the FAA. Should the ERC share data learned from your report/event, that data will be de-identified.

If your event is known to the Company, and your ASAP report is accepted into the ASAP program, it is suggested that you contact your FSM after you receive the message from the ERT stating that your report has been accepted. The Company cannot hold 35R meetings regarding your report/event while under the ASAP review. APFA and the Company have an LOA attached to the ASAP Memorandum of Understanding that states no punitive action will be issued to Flight Attendants whose event is accepted into the ASAP program.

Some of the ways in which an accepted ASAP report is closed out:

An electronic response is sent to the FA via email; The ERC may contact you to discuss the event and lessons learned; In some cases, skill enhancement may be recommended by the ERC. While participating in the skill enhancement is not mandatory, participation IS required if you wish to have your event accepted into the ASAP program.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is the agreement signed by all three participating parties (APFA, AA, and FAA) of the program. The MOU outlines and dictates the American Airlines Cabin ASAP program details and may be found in its entirety on the Safety and Security page of the APFA website.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Meetings with your Flight Service Managers

Have you been called in by your Flight Service Manager (FSM) for a meeting, also known as a 35R (section 35.R of the JCBA)? Did you know that you have the right to Union representation? Please do not go into any meeting without a Union representative with you. Your FSM is not obligated to inform DFW APFA on your behalf. This is your responsibility, and we want to ensure your rights are protected.

Am I picking up a satellite trip?

DFW now has two (2) satellite bases, AUS and STL, in a matter of less than a year. If you pick up using TTS/UBL or ETB, please check where the trips are originating. We are seeing a rise in Flight Attendants mistakenly picking up a satellite sequence originating from AUS or STL and not DFW.

When trading in ETB, you will see either AUS or STL next to the sequence that you are picking up, i.e., AUS-1972.  If you have picked up either of the satellites in error, we ask that you please put “AUS Trip” or “STL Trip” in the header on your ETB request so it is identified as a satellite trip for those that are looking to pick up.

When utilizing TTS/UBL, you will see the satellite criteria in the second column once you select the search criteria. We encourage all to be vigilant to ensure the success of both satellite bases.

Is my sequence pay protected?

With all the recent weather in DFW, we want to ensure that you know the contractual language of what is pay protected and what is not.

FAR ILLEGAL (FI) – if your trip arrives BEFORE your second trip departure with less than the 8 FAR hours between trips, you are paid what the delayed flight value is worth PLUS the original value of the second trip.

DIRECT CONFLICT (DC) – is when your current sequence releases AFTER the report (sign-in) time of your next trip. You will be paid the combined original value of both sequences.

ILLEGAL THROUGH NO FAULT (JCBA 10.K)– If after your current trip arrives, you are scheduled to have less than the contractual 11 hours rest, but more than the FAR 8 hours rest before the report (sign-in) time of your next trip, you may request to be removed without pay. Crew Scheduling will keep you on the trip unless you call them to take you off for your contractual rest.

LAST SEQUENCE LAST SERIES (LS) – You are pay protected if any trip in your last series of sequences cancels or if you are illegal to originate your last sequence.

Once you report, if you become illegal to complete your last sequence in its entirety, you may be required to continue to operate the sequence and split off at the latest point you pass through base. If you aren’t scheduled to pass through base, you will be split off at the point of illegality. In either case, you will be pay protected for the portion you were illegal to operate.

If the originating leg of your last sequence cancels, you may be required to split on to your sequence. CS must notify you of the request to split on prior to completion of the first duty period. If notified after report, a hotel room must be provided if the segment you are splitting on does not originate on the same day. In this case, you will be pay protected for the canceled segments. If Crew Scheduling does not make a request to split you back on, you will be pay protected for the entire sequence.

A FULL SEQUENCE CANCELLATION (XI) is not pay protected. However, some trips that are pay protected on the COVID Cancellation list may initially have an (XI) removal code until the list is updated. Once the list is updated, the removal code will be changed to (XF).

Your sequence is pay protected if some or all of your segments are flown by a substitute crew and will be coded with (XR).

Any sequence that falls in your last series of trips or is your last trip of the month will be pay protected and coded with (LS).

It’s important to remember that you can double dip over a pay protected trip using TTS or UBL. Picking up a trip through the ETB over any calendar day of a pay protected trip will negate pay protections.

For those flights that are part of the LOA Pay Protection due to COVID, please check the Covid 2021 cancellations listed for each month which are updated twice a week.  Go to Flight Service > Crew Resources > Scheduling > Covid 2021 cancellations.

If you don’t see any changes to your schedule in 5-7 days, please file a pay claim with Direct Connect. Keep in mind that close-out for Pay Comp is on the 8th of each month for the previous month. Always check your HI2 on the 9th before it is cleared out on the 10th for the next bidding month.

When do I go illegal? 

If you do not have a copy of the JCBA, you may obtain a paper copy from a Duty Manager at any one of the Terminal Operation areas (A, C, and D). You will find a digital copy on the APFA website and your Flight Attendant tablet.

Please always carry a copy with you when flying. We must arm ourselves with this knowledge.

Are you thinking about Retirement?

As mentioned in a National Hotline, the APFA Retirement Department will be conducting its first in-person seminar in more than over a year at DFW in July. We would love to see you there. It will be held on Monday, July 19, 2021, from 1100-1400 (CDT) at the Yandry Center in Terminal C across from Gate C2 at the DFW Airport.

The Retirement seminars cover a wide range of topics, including:
• Retiree Travel
• 401(K)
• Pensions
• COBRA
• Medicare

Legacy American Airlines Flight Attendants will need to download a pension estimate from the Pension Service Center page. Legacy US Airways Flight Attendants will need to request a copy of their pension estimate from the PBGC by calling 1-800-400-7242.

Members unable to attend the seminars are always welcome to watch the retirement webinar series available on the APFA Retirement Page and download the ‘Good Slide!’ retirement handout. Everyone is welcome regardless of base or seniority – no need to RSVP. Remember, it’s never too early to start planning for your Retirement.

What is Professional Standards?

Professional Standards is a program designed to mediate conflict resolution between Flight Attendants from an unbiased point of view.  It is the last line before involving the Company and has a high-efficiency rate of protecting Flight Attendants from mandatory face-to-face meetings with company management. Please utilize Professional Standards in instances involving behavior or conduct unbecoming of an American Airlines Flight Attendant. All participants remain anonymous.

Professional Standards has intervened in situations for substance abuse, Pilot/FA conflict, and professional working behavior onboard our aircraft, as well as harassment. Please note that once any party has notified the Company, the Professional Standards representatives take a hands-off approach.  Please utilize them first.

Our APFA DFW Professional Standards extension is monitored continuously to ensure a prompt response.  (817) 540-0108 | APFA Ext: 8606.

If we cannot be reached, please contact one of the following DFW Base Reps for assistance.

Maureen Walsh-Martin
(817) 739-5202
[email protected]
DFW Base Rep

Mark Arceneaux
(214) 457-0257
[email protected]
DFW Base Rep

Elle Hinther
(817) 564-4611
[email protected]
DFW Base Rep

Aaron Cuevas
(720) 237-8828
[email protected]
DFW Professional Standards

DFW Allocations/Manning Committee
[email protected]

In closing, you have our commitment that we will always work hard for you, protect you, your health, your safety and keep you informed to the best of our ability. Please reach out to us if you ever have a need or concern. We are committed to you.

Be careful and fly safe!

In Solidarity,

Amber De Roxtra
APFA DFW Base President
(682) 422-7179
[email protected]

Amy Knox Green
APFA DFW Base Vice President
(972) 696-9766
[email protected]