7.08.22 – Negotiations Update #15

Friday, July 8, 2022

Negotiations Update #15

Negotiations continued in DFW on June 7th-9th and June 28th and 29th. During these sessions, we continued discussions with Management on Section 11-Hours of Service, Section 14- International Flying, Section 30- Dispute Resolution and Grievance Procedure, Section 16- Deadheading, Section 6- Crew Accommodations, and Section 10 – Scheduling. While we have narrowed our differences in some areas, we are at a complete stalemate in others. As a result, many of these sections have been tabled until later in negotiations. The Company has made it very clear they are looking to increase efficiency from our workgroup, and this does not apparently include improving our quality of life at work, in the process.

You may view status updates about these sections on the Negotiations Status page of the APFA website.

Section 11- Hours of Service 

We were able to close out the outstanding issues of domestic Voluntary Waiver of duty limitations by agreeing to a tiered compensation structure with a backstop as detailed in Hotline #13. The remaining open issues have been tabled and will be addressed later in negotiations.

Of particular interest is the Company’s proposal of 10 hours minimum scheduled layover rest  (from release to report), inclusive of travel time to/from the hotel. This is noteworthy given the fact the Company’s own 2022-2023 CQ Curriculum stresses the importance of adequate rest and planning of sleep. When you couple this with the Company’s aversion to working with APFA on a Fatigue Risk Management Program, it becomes clear how of little importance adequate rest is for this management team. APFA is proposing 11:30 hours minimum rest, the intent of which is to provide a minimum of 10 hours rest “behind the door.”

Section 14- International Flying

The discrepancy between the definition of Mid-Range flying and the chart in 14.D has been resolved. The chart will be updated to reflect the definition of Mid-Range duty period currently found in 14.D.2 of the JCBA. The remaining issues that have been tabled to be addressed later in negotiations are international on-board requirements as well as layover rest. As you may recall, the Company wants to the ability to reduce layover rest after an IPD leg to a mere 10 hours. While it is obvious the Company cares very little about our rest, this reduction in rest is not something the APFA is willing to entertain. We are holding firm with our proposals that NIPD rest may not be reduced to less than ten (10) hours behind the door, and IPD rest shall not be reduced less than 14 hours.

Section 30- Dispute Resolution and Grievance Procedure

We received the Company’s response to their vision of what our dispute resolution process should look like. Currently, we reserve the right to dispute any action of the Company, except discharge (which is covered in Section 31 – System Board of Adjustment). The Company would like to limit this ability to only allowing  disputes involving disciplinary action or the interpretation or application of the Contract. The ability to grieve any action of the Company is a long-standing contractual provision going back decades which APFA is not willing to surrender. Our goal in opening this section is to address the fact very few grievances are being resolved at the base level, strengthen our processes and have more control in protecting and representing our 25,000 members.

Section 16- Deadheading

We were able to close out the outstanding issues of electronic notification to notify crew schedule of change to deadhead, ability to pre-board, maintain language for deadhead attire, and maintain legalities of original scheduled deadhead except at FA option to have home base rest start according to actual deadhead. We were able to secure pay protection in instances where there are deviations on a deadhead to the first live leg, and the Flight Attendant has agreed to be caught up to their original sequence or accepts other flying. We remain apart on the following items which will be discussed later during negotiations:Company Proposals:

• The ability to stand up a deadheading Flight Attendant to work regardless of reserve coverage.
• The ability to book an alternate final deadhead after report, but at a lower pass priority (A12 instead of A1).

APFA Proposals:

• The ability to book a final deadhead seven (7) days in advance without any change to pass priority.
• Any international or domestic flight scheduled for four (4) or more hours will be provided booking in the highest-class of service.

Section 6- Crew Accommodations 

This section has been tabled as we were unable to close out the remaining items included in our proposal to the Company back in August 2021. We proposed penalty pay when hotels are not provided in a timely manner in the event of cancellations and/or reschedules. After having nearly nine months to review our proposal on this, the Company simply rejected it, signaling they are presumably okay with flight attendants sitting on hold for hours, or sleeping in airports or hotel lobbies waiting for rooms. To be clear, providing hotel accommodations in a timely fashion is the Company’s responsibility. If they cannot meet this basic obligation, the affected flight attendants should be compensated – Management’s time is worth money, and so is ours. The Company did request to move the hotel gainshare program discussion to later in negotiations, along with the other economic items.

Section 10- Scheduling

This section was opened and due to the complexity of the section, it will be approached in phases. Please refer to the Negotiations Status page for the latest updates. Here are a few of both the Company and APFA proposals:

Company Proposals:

• Any red flag sequence traded in ETB will have the RF indicator removed and the FA picking up the sequence will not be eligible for the RF premium.
• The ability to mix narrowbody and widebody aircraft in the same sequence.

APFA Proposals:

• Lowering the 40-hour scheduling limitation for the trading and dropping of trips.
• Increasing the ability for reserves to pick up from TTS/UBL on days off and after being released.
• Limiting reserves to being assigned into a Flex Day(s) only one (1) time during the month; after being assigned into a Flex Day pattern all remaining Flex Days would be converted to Golden Days.
• Adding a hundred fifty percent (150% – Red Flag) premium for reschedules or modifications that extend past the originally scheduled footprint when returning to base.

Next Meeting/ Stay Up-to-Date

Our next scheduled meeting with the Company is July 18th-21st in DFW. Please keep up-to-date with the status of our Negotiations by visiting the Negotiations Status page on the APFA website. This page will be updated after each session with management. This is your contract, so please be sure that APFA has your updated contact information and you receive the APFA hotlines.

Click here to update your information with APFA.

Click here to subscribe to the APFA Hotlines.

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• 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.

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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]