4.20.22 – Negotiations Update #11

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Negotiations Update #11

Negotiations continued in DFW on April 4th-7th. During this session, we continued discussion on Section 8-Vacation, Section 9-Sick Leave, Section 15-Foreign Language Speaker, Section 30-Dispute Resolution and Grievance Procedures, and Section 31-System Board of Adjustment. We also opened and passed a proposal on Section 14-International Flying. You may view these proposals on the Negotiations Status page of the APFA website.

Section 15 – Foreign Language Speaker 

We reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) on Section 15-Foreign Language Speaker. The proposed increase in speaker pay and addition of speaker understaffing pay will be addressed in Section 3-Compensation. The Speaker requirement will be established daily for RAPS based on language requirements and days of reserve availability. The number of Speakers required for a RAP will be based on the projected need to cover speaker positions on that RAP.

Section 8 – Vacation

Vacation is tabled until later in negotiations. Our proposal included increasing the number of vacation days for all Flight Attendants. In particular, our current vacation accrual in years 1-9 lags woefully behind our competitors (for comparison, Delta has 14 vacation days in years 1-4; United has 12 days in years 1-4), so we are proposing to adjust the vacation accrual chart to match or lead the industry. While the company has not agreed to any changes at this point, this will be a major issue when we address the economic portions of the agreement. We also proposed increasing vacation pay and credit to five (5) hours per day (regardless of vacation length or type). Vacation pay will be addressed later in negotiations when we get to economics.

The company had proposed amending language to allow Flight Attendants the ability to pick up trips on vacation days using TTS/UBL. After exhaustive internal discussion, we are keeping the current JCBA language that allows the use of ETB only during vacation. Vacations are awarded in seniority order, with the most coveted vacation slots (July, August, December, etc.) going to the most senior Flight Attendants. If we changed the language to allow pickups in TTS/UBL during a vacation period, those same senior Flight Attendants would then be able to exercise their seniority again within TTS/UBL (and Red Flag) to pick up trips during those vacations, thereby reducing the available open time trips for all of those Flight Attendants not on vacation.

The Team proposed an adjustment to the total vacation days available at each base to provide opportunities for additional vacation days in the summer months and December. There was a robust conversation with Manpower Planning regarding the impact on headcount in critical months if changes were incorporated. After additional internal discussions, we agreed to keep the current JCBA language in 8.C.2.d.

Section 9 – Sick Leave

Sick leave will be tabled until later in negotiations. Our proposal to increase the monthly accrual to five (5) hours will be discussed at the end of negotiations due to economics.

We remain apart on our proposed new language to add a rapid re-accrual option for Flight Attendants who had been out sixty (60) days or longer for personal illness, injury or pregnancy.

We are also apart on adding an option to be able to “make up” sick time.

The company is also proposing a change to 9.D.2.c. regarding Reserve Flight Attendants who call in sick with no sick bank. Currently, the language states that a Reserve’s guarantee will only be reduced if the Reserve would have been utilized. However, the company is proposing that the Reserve guarantee be reduced regardless of if they would have been utilized. We are against this change and proposed to maintain current JCBA language.

The company did not propose any language addressing a perfect attendance program.

The company is proposing a placeholder to add language waiving municipal and state provisions for family and sick leave.

Section 30 – Dispute Resolution and Grievance Procedures
Section 31 – System Board of Adjustment 

Discussions on these two sections continue. We are proposing major changes to these sections to improve the process for how we enforce the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Although we do not always think about it, these sections are among the most important sections of the agreement. Negotiating language is crucial, but we must ensure management adheres to the agreement. The language in these sections sets the rules on how the agreement is enforced and is very important.

You may view the Union proposals on the updated negotiations status page on the APFA website.

Section 14-International Flying

The Negotiating Team presented our opening proposal for Section 14-International Flying. We are proposing a backstop to the max duty day when a Flight Attendant voluntarily agrees to a voluntary extension of their duty day (VE). The VE contains a tiered extension, and the Flight Attendant must approve each extension. The first extension for three (3) hours maximum (16 hours but no more than 19 hours) would pay 200%. The second extension for a 3-hour maximum would increase pay for the duty period to 300%.

We are proposing adding electronic communication for all VE requests and Flight Attendant acceptance.

There is no option for a voluntary extension on Extended Long Range flying. We recognize there are times in actual operations that the duty day extends beyond the maximum. We are proposing language to automatically pay 200% VE in these cases.

The Team has proposed a 30-minute debrief for duty periods containing NIPD flights, even if the terminating flight is a domestic segment.

We are proposing an increase in Flight Attendant training slots for Purser to one hundred (100) system-wide per year.

Next Meeting

Our next scheduled meeting with the company is April 25th-28th in DFW.

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One of the most important parts of contract negotiations is membership involvement and activism. The more Flight Attendants involved, the stronger we will be at the bargaining table. The Negotiating Committee will continue to call on all 25,000 Flight Attendants to help drive the message on complex issues for management to digest. All of us will help management understand why it is important for US to have the Contract we all deserve.

Contract ACTION Team activists spread out in the concourses in domiciles across the system talking to Flight Attendants and signing them up to be part of our effort.

These negotiations belongs to all members, and we need the support and involvement of 25,000 Flight Attendants to secure a great contract. Sign up to be a Contract ACTION Team member and:

• Keep up-to-date on negotiations.
• Discuss info with your flying partners.
• Encourage your flying partners to support actions to pressure the Company to agree to our demands.

 

Click here to join the Contract ACTION Team

In Solidarity,

Your APFA Negotiating Committee

Reese Cole
Kelly J. Hagan
Julie Hedrick
Timothy Legeros
Brian Morgan
Wendy Oswald
Susan Wroble
Joe Burns, Lead Negotiating Attorney

[email protected]