12.16.21 – APFA PHX Base Brief – December 2021

Thursday, December 16, 2021

APFA PHX Base Brief – December 2021

Robin, Secorra and your PHX Base Council Reps would like to wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

As we enter 2022, we reflect on the many changes that occurred in 2021. The loss of several of our Flight Attendant friends and coworkers, from cancer, COVID, heart and blood issues, as well as natural causes has touched all of us in PHX. The very recent loss of former EAP Co-Chair, Rita Wichmann and longtime PHX Flight Attendant Lisa Eagleton remind us that no one is promised tomorrow.

Please remember to be kind to your coworkers, find time to say hello, send that text message or give them a quick call to catch up. You won’t regret it. If you are in the airport, please stop by the crew room and leave a message of condolence, a funny story, or how much Rita or Lisa meant to you. It will be given to their families, and will be much appreciated.

We would like to remind all PHX FAs that our sick calls are still among the highest systemwide. With the hopeful return of widebody flying as the delivery of 787s from Boeing resume in the future, we certainly want the Company to know that we will have the staffing to cover LHR flying.

The high percentage of sick calls also curtails our ability to get our displaced Flight Attendants returned to PHX. With that being said, make no mistake, we will continue to fight for the return of all displaced Flight Attendants and lobby for additional premium flying out of our base.(SEA/LHR).

PHX has a long history of having some of the best Flight Attendants systemwide. Our customer service numbers were always ranked #1 or 2 in the system. Since the start of COVID and rotating Reserve, those rankings have slipped to the bottom systemwide. Like the mythical Phoenix bird, we know that PHX can rise from the ashes and once again reclaim our top ranking in customer service. With Doug Parker retiring at the end of March, now is the time to show our new CEO, Robert Isom, that PHX is undervalued, and we can and should be given more premium flying.

We also would like to remind all FAs that the mask mandate has been extended to March, 2022. Per policy, we are to inform the passengers that it is required for them to wear a mask. If you have asked them once, and they continue to be non-compliant, have another member of your crew approach them with a second request. Should they not comply, and you are on the ground, request a CRO. If you are in the air, fill out a CERS. Remember, we only ask/remind them twice. And with the holiday peak flying approaching, especially with family’s flying to enjoy time with relatives, use your situational awareness when addressing the compliance of 2- and 3-year-olds. If you see the parents making a concerted effort, but the child just can’t keep that mask over their nose, or if the child is asleep, remind the parents nicely and you will have fulfilled Company policy.

We would also like to remind all PHX Flight Attendants that your vaccination status is your business. The same with those who have received a vaccine exemption, that is between you and the Company. Please do not discuss your status or any exemption on the flights. If a fellow crewmember asks you if you are vaccinated, change the subject, or remind them, politely as possible, that your health and anything to do with it is personal and you’d rather not discuss it.   As with politics and religion, this is a subject that should not be discussed on your flights.

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January 2022 Allocations and Staffing

On Friday, December 3rd at 0900, we had the monthly staffing call with the Company. On this call for PHX were Robin Agee and Secorra Flowers. We were advised that PHX has 985 available FAs for January with 666 Lineholders and 319 Reserves (32.3%). PHX, again, has the highest percentage of Reserves with CLT close behind us at 32.2%. Once again, the high number of sick calls were referenced as to the percentage of Reserves needed. Since we have 1000+ less flying hours in January but our line average went from 79.7 in December to 82.1 in January, with a comparable number of projected Lineholders, it can only be surmised that the high number of vacations has a significant bearing on these projections.

The allocations call to discuss the sequence construction, type of trips (i.e. number of 1-,2-,3- and 4-day sequences, ODANs, red eyes, etc.), any contractual violations, the length of duty day and overnights, was held on December 3rd, also. For January, PHX lost 1066 hours of flying, as stated last month. Any loss of hours in undesirable. For January we increased to 29% turns but lost 5% of our 2-day and 3% in the 3-day sequences. 4-day sequences increased from 4% to 5% of our flying in base. ODANs decreased from 6.0 to 5.5.

As for the quality of the sequences, we are pleased the overnights are, once again, predominantly longer than the duty days we are working. We do send recommendations for sequence changes and types (increase in turns and 2-days, etc), however as a reminder, the Company uses one solution when building the sequences, which means that most of the bases must be requesting the same type of flying. We are happy to see DCA/TPA/CMH turns in the bid and do acknowledge that we still have a high number of 3- and 4-leg turn days, as well as 5-credit hour turns. Widebody flying is still in PHX with destinations of HNL/OGG at least until April. As of yet we have no definitive date to the return of PHX-LHR, we are still being told that the projection is March of 2022. However, as we previously stated, with Boeing not delivering the new 787’s American has ordered, as promised, the ones AA has on hand will continue to be used in PHL, DFW and JFK. For this reason, we could see a further delay in the resumption of our LHR flying. Nothing has been definitively said to us, except that Boeing has not met it’s promised delivery dates on the new wide bodies. We are simply putting 2 and 2 together. Hopefully, we are incorrect and we will see our LHR resume in March or April, even for a few days a week.

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January 2022 PHX Town Hall

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, we will have a virtual PHX Townhall at 10:00 am. We have invited the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee from APFA as guests to discuss the Committee’s mission and how it relates to all AA Flight Attendants. We have seen too much divisiveness in recent months, let’s start the communication here so that we can understand and bring us back together, standing strong.

We will also have Deborah Volpe and Ankit Patel from the Contract Action Team on the Town Hall.

At the beginning of January, an email will be sent out to the PHX membership explaining how you can submit questions that you would like answered during the virtual meeting.

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Holiday Peak and Perfect Attendance Payments/
Positive Space Commuting

APFA has signed a Letter of Agreement with American Airlines that offers additional pay when working during holiday peak periods. The Holiday Peak and Perfect Attendance Payments/Positive Space Commuting Hotline explains how it works.

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Pay Issues
By Secorra Flowers, APFA PHX Base VP

Robin and I often are asked about pay issues when an irregularity happens on a trip. Most of the questions can be answered by looking at your FOS Screens. Some of the credit details are not captured in the Crew Portal display. To verify the credit for your trip, utilize your FOS screens. The HI1 and HI2 screens show most of the pay-related details. Volunteering to exceed your duty day can be verified by viewing the trip in mobileCCI. The code VE will be added by Scheduling and is visible after the first flight number of the duty day. The Flight Service website has a helpful Pay Resource Guide to decipher the FOS screens and your Activity Sheets on the Payroll website.

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Senior Bump Reminder

Before using the LRD to “toggle” to Reserve, please remember that having too much vacation may keep the month from counting towards your Reserve rotation. If you have more than three (3) days of vacation and you toggle to Reserve, you will be awarded Reserve status for the PBS bid, but it will not count towards sitting reserve. JCBA Section 12.A.3.b.

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Last Leg Deadhead

Per the JCBA, a Lineholder only needs to notify Scheduling they will not be taking their scheduled deadhead. This notification must occur before the scheduled deadhead. If you fail to do so, you risk receiving a Missed Trip. If you cannot complete the call to Scheduling, make sure you screenshot your call log, the active hold time, or a copy of your cell phone bill as proof of the attempted notification. Reserves are required to ask and receive consent from Scheduling to take a different flight back to base or your commuter city.  JCBA Section 16.H.1.

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Lost Crew ID Procedure

Should you lose or have your AAID stolen, please refer to the IFM > Work and Conduct Rules > Uniform and AA ID > Lost, Stolen, and Damaged AA ID Replacement Procedures. A Crewmember may obtain a temporary validation of their AA ID. Please see your IFM for complete details.  Lost, stolen, or damaged AA IDs must be reported in writing via the Badging Portal. An important fact, when going through security checkpoints without a valid Crew Member ID, you will be subject to the same regulations as a passenger. You will be required to comply with the 3-1-1- liquids rule, nor will you be allowed front-of-the-line privileges at either TSA Precheck lanes or standard passenger-screening lanes. The TSA does not consider you in full uniform without a valid Crewmember ID.

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Trading Positions

Did you trade positions after signing in for a trip? Please make sure you are still showing signed-in on MobileCCI. If the App is not showing you as signed in, please contact Scheduling. It is strongly recommended you review your HI10M in mobileCCI at the end of each month to verify your Chargeable Occurrences.

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Contract Action Team
By Deborah Volpe and Ankit Patel

With APFA and the Company actively negotiating our next collective bargaining agreement, it is extremely important, now more than ever,  that we get the correct information out to our membership.

As Activists for the Contract ACTION Team, you will be a direct link between the general membership and our Negotiations Committee. You will be tasked with talking to your flying partners about communication sent out by the Union’s Negotiations Committee, directing Flight Attendants how to sign up for the hotlines, how to access information as well as how to participate in ACTION events such as: email campaigns, base, regional and systemwide events.

As we continue to build our movement, we encourage all PHX Flight Attendants to sign up as Activists.

https://www.apfa.org/contract-action-team-sign-up/

You can get the latest updates on negotiations by visiting ContractAction.org.

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Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the Holidays
By Robin Rakiec-Jones, PHX Base EAP Chair & Base Council Rep.

We have a new licensed counselor for the PHX Base. Her name is Vicky Newsom. She can be reached at 763-340-7763. Her email address is [email protected]. Her address is 2021 Rio Salado Parkway Suite A111 Tempe, AZ 85281.  She also does telecommunication which is great if you are on an overnight or are not comfortable doing in person meetings. I have not yet met her personally, but we have spoken on the phone and I have received very positive feedback about her.

I also wanted to tell everyone if you are in any kind of substance or alcohol recovery we have a group of flight attendants who meet every Thursday from every base online. It is called FAIR which stands for Flight Attendants in Recovery. The EAP counselors from every base are present on various days for feedback if desired but it is a flight attendant group. It is a confidential meeting so you would have to reach me to get the zoom password and link.

Finally, I have started two groups on Facebook. One is Caring Crews PHX that was started with the help of Leslie Free five years ago and a new group that I started called The Flight Attendant Grief and Support Group. Feel free to join either one of these groups if you are on Facebook.

Please feel free to call me on my personal cell phone at 602-690-5345 with any questions or for the zoom link and password for FAIR.

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Scheduling & Contract Reminders

Did you know that should you return to base between 2300 and 0600 due to late operation (delays) of your sequence, you are entitled to actual transportation charges “substantiated by receipts”?  Should you feel you are unsafe to drive home, or you do not want to wake your princess parking driver, you can take an Uber, Lyft or a shuttle. It is in the JCBA in Section 6.C.4.

What is considered positive contact? If you look at Section 10.V.5. the list includes Crew Scheduling(Tracking), a Company designee (member of Management), an FSM or the Captain. It is not a voicemail on your cell phone, a Crew Coordinator or Gate Agent. A Gate Agent can tell you that Crew Scheduling wants you to call; but again it is not positive contact.

Section 10.J.4. states that once a Flight Attendant crew has originated their sequence, the Company may reschedule such crew to maintain schedule or substitute another crew on a part of the sequence to maintain scheduled operations in accordance with published timetables. This is a mid-sequence reschedule and is legal. However, Section 10.J.7. states that at the time of the reschedule, the Company shall make every effort to schedule such FA crew to arrive back in their crew base no later than the time she/he was originally scheduled to return. In NO EVENT will the FA(s) be rescheduled beyond her/his originally scheduled return unless the Company has unsuccessfully made every effort to provide Reserve coverage to continue the sequence from that point without causing a delay or cancellation.  What does this mean?  If there are Reserves available, whether RAP or Standby, and the Company has sufficient time to put the reserve on that sequence without further delaying the sequence, then you should not be rescheduled from your original sequence.

When returning to base at the end of your sequence, Lineholders cannot be rescheduled. The Lineholder is finished and cannot be “tagged” or given an illegal double up. As a reminder, if you are a Reserve once you are past your release time (block in plus 15 minute domestic debrief, or 30 minute NIPD/IPD debrief) you cannot be rescheduled. Rescheduling Issues Part VII: Forced Double-Ups

If you are on Reserve and get back from an assigned/awarded sequence later than originally scheduled, check your assignment for the next day. If it provides less than your contractual 12 hours rest, it is your responsibility to call Crew Scheduling.

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Frequently Asked Contract Questions

Reserve Assignment

We are still receiving quite a few questions regarding when you can be contacted/assigned a sequence. Per JCBA Section 12.G.3. – “Flight Attendants may be assigned sequences or Standby shifts that report within a RAP prior to the start of the RAP. At the commencement of a RAP, Flight Attendants are responsible for reviewing and acknowledging all assignments through the automated system.“

What this means is you can receive a One Alert prior to the start of your RAP, but you are not required to acknowledge the assignment till your RAP begins.

Which brings us to JCBA Section 12.H.1. – “A Reserve shall be required to report within two(2) hours from the time she/he is notified of a sequence by Crew Schedule.”

What this means is if you are sent a One Alert at 9:25 for a sequence that checks in at 12:05, and your RAP C (11:00 till 23:00) you do not have to acknowledge the assignment till the beginning of your RAP, or 11:00. That makes the latest you can check in at the airport 13:00.

If you have any questions, please call APFA PHX at 800-595-1471. You can also call the Contract/Scheduling desk at APFA National 817-540-0108, or utilize the Live Chat feature on APFA.org.

Airport Standby Assignment

JCBA Section 11.E. is the table used to determine the length of day. The report time of the sequence determines your duty day max, not the report time of the standby shift.

L. ON-DUTY ALL-NIGHTER DUTY PERIODS (ODAN) – (Domestic and International)

As an exception to Paragraphs E., ODAN sequences consist of a single, stand-alone duty period which shall not be incorporated with any other duty period. An ODAN sequence includes all of the on-duty hours between 0100 and 0500 HBT. The Company may schedule ODAN duty periods subject to the following restrictions:

1. The ODAN duty period shall be scheduled for a maximum of fourteen (14) hours of duty however, the Flight Attendant may be required to remain on duty up to fifteen (15) hours to complete an ODAN sequence.

Return to Crew Base

Many still ask if the Company has to return us to base within 4 hours of our originally scheduled release time?

No. The language from the 1999 AWA Contract changed with the implementation of the 2013 US Airways Red Book Contract.

If you look at JCBA 10.J.7. it reads “at the time of rescheduling, the Company shall make every effort to schedule such Flight Attendant crew to arrive back in their crew base no later than the time she/he was originally scheduled to return. In no event will the Flight Attendant(s) be rescheduled beyond her/his originally scheduled return time unless the Company has unsuccessfully made every effort to provide Reserve coverage to continue the sequence from that point without causing a delay or cancellation…”

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Airport Standby

As a reminder, per JCBA Section 12.F.17.:

“A Standby must be available for immediate contact and assignment while on Standby duty but is not required to be in the Standby room.”

Flight Attendants sitting Airport Standby do not have 15 minutes to call Crew Scheduling back  as we do on a RAP.  Not answering your phone, or immediately calling back, could lead to a missed trip.

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Payroll Deduction Option

A new method for donating to Wings Foundation through bi-monthly payroll deduction is now available on Jetnet through Workplace Giving.

Previous payroll donations to Wings Foundation accounted for 70% of the funds made available to your colleagues in need of financial assistance due to illness or injury while off AA payroll, or whose primary residence is damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster/catastrophic event.

It is easy to sign up for automatic payroll deduction.

• Sign into Jetnet > Get Involved > Workplace Giving
• Choose “Donate Now”
• Select the “Wings Foundation” icon, followed by “Make a New Donation”
• Select “Recurring Payroll”
• Enter your amount of choice (this amount is per pay period = 2x monthly)
• Scroll down and select “Add To My Cart” followed by “Checkout”
• Select Name, Address & email, followed by “Next Step”
• Select “I Agree”
• Select “Confirm and Finish” (this page shows the amount per pay period AND the estimated total for the year; you may “Go Back A Step” if you wish to edit your donation amount)

 

Flight Attendants who currently donate to Wings Foundation through our “Network for Good” may continue with this option, which deducts a fee or allows you to make up the difference, so your donation is “whole” to WINGS. There is no fee when donating through payroll, so we strongly recommend switching your donation options to automatic payroll deduction.

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APFA PHX Phone Number
800-595-1471

• Ext. 1 – National Office and Contract & Scheduling Desk
• Ext. 2 – PHX Base President Robin Agee
• Ext. 3 – PHX Base Vice President Secorra Flowers
• Ext. 4 – Mandatory Meeting Representation
• Ext. 5 – Medical and Injury on Duty
• Ext. 6 – Reserves
• Ext. 0 – General Questions

 

Save the image below, for when you do not have access to the internet:

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]

Secorra Flowers
APFA PHX Base Vice President
602-551-8116
[email protected]