9.17.22 – Negotiations Update #18

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Negotiations Update #18

Negotiations continued in DFW on September 7th. As previously mentioned, we are approaching Section 10 in phases due to its complexity. In addition to the details provided below, you may view status updates for all the opened sections on the Negotiations Status page of the APFA website.

Section 10 – Scheduling 

During this session, the Company passed its third version of Section 10 – Scheduling, which contained both rejections of our proposed items and substantive changes that are eye-opening to say the least.

Highlights from the Company proposal include:

• Rejected the APFA’s proposal of 13 days off in a 31-day RSV month.
• Rejected the APFA’s proposal for a restriction on assignment into a Flex Day pattern to (1) one time per month.
• Rejected the APFA’s proposal for Reserves to maintain all their days off (currently 12) when they have less than eight (8) days of vacation in a bid period (currently it is less than seven (7) days).
• Rejected the APFA’s proposal for lineholders to conduct TTS/UBL/ETB transactions down to a minimum line credit of thirty (30) hours in a bid period.
• Rejected APFA’s proposed addition of a staffing chart into the contract.
• Rejected the APFA’s proposal for satellite parking in addition to parking at the respective base (when the stations are within 250 miles of each other).

Although the company may have rejected a proposed item from APFA, it does not mean that the item is no longer in discussion as it may be reworded and/or presented with reviewed changes.

• The Company is currently not interested in adding an eighth layer in PBS.
• The Company will consider APFA’s proposed TTS/UBL enhancements (e.g., RSV usage of TTS/UBL, out-of-base UBL, short call UBL, TTS daily limit exceptions for transactions to improve a more negative day, and multiple sequences in a conditional transaction) for programming and testing, but have countered that they will be developed and tested one at a time, to determine if the particular provision is viable and able to be implemented.
• The Company continues to propose the ability to mix widebody and narrowbody flying within a sequence.
• The Company has proposed that a Reserve bidding an ETB, TTS, or UBL trip on days off prior to being released into their flex or golden day may be awarded a trip that originates no earlier than 1200 (noon) HBT. Current language allows a Reserve to pick up an ETB trip on their first flex or golden day at 1000 HBT.
• The Company has proposed a new system titled “Flight Attendant Transition Days.” A Transition Day is a carry-in Reserve Day(s) awarded or assigned in the subsequent month as an extension of the Reserve month. This is particularly alarming and impactful when the subsequent month is a Lineholder month. For those serving back to back reserve months, these transition days would just be reserve days. Reserves available on the last day of the Reserve month may be awarded or assigned up to five (5) Transition Days in the following month, according to Reserve day patterns (no fewer than 3 days and no more than 6). The Transition Days would extend a Reserve’s obligation into the following Lineholder month, even if the Reserve had reached the max RSVCOT in the month prior, meaning a Reserve could call out of time but still be obligated to their Transition Days in the following Lineholder month. A Reserve would also be restricted from using Vacation, including filler and/or VEX days on Transition Days. Additional details of this proposal are listed on the Negotiation Status page.

We are still awaiting the Company’s proposal for 10.J-L (Rescheduling, Illegal Through No Fault, Last Sequence), but they have signaled this will be forthcoming.

For those that have not had an opportunity to view the Negotiations page on the APFA website, we are dedicated to transparency during this negotiations process. When reviewing the Negotiations Status updates to the individual sections, please keep in mind these are updates to ongoing negotiations. It is common to have numerous proposals passed between the parties on the same section over several months. Because of this, you may see much back and forth between the parties, as well as either or both parties holding firm in their respective positions. Although the company may have rejected a proposed item from APFA, it does not mean that the item is no longer in discussion as it may be reworded and/or presented with reviewed changes.

Next Meeting/ Stay Up-to-Date

Our next scheduled meeting with the Company is October 10th and 11th. 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.

Click here to update your information with APFA.

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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]