12.28.22 – Negotiations Update #20

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Negotiations Update #20

Negotiations continued in November and December. During these sessions, the company and APFA exchanged updated proposals on Section 10- Scheduling. APFA also passed our opening proposal on Section 12 – Reserve.

Section 10 – Scheduling 

This section is getting closer to being tabled. We remain apart on several items, including improvements to TTS/UBL & ROTA/D. While the company has shown some interest in our proposals, we remain apart on both language and implementation details. Our priorities are enhancements that will not require an extended implementation timeline.

Conceptually, we are apart because any enhancements are being tied to the company historical usage and projected open time reserve needs. So, at any point, the company could just change the numbers to reduce flexibility in the various systems. Additionally, the company wants to include some of these enhancements as conceptual bullet points to be reviewed at some point during a ratified contract. We are holding firm on actual language with a firm commitment for implementation.

Among the items proposed by the company:

• The option to require a Flight Attendant to work a flight on which they were originally scheduled to deadhead regardless of reserves available.
• Electronic notifications (e.g., reschedules, modifications, and UBL awards).
• Add a restrictive window when optioning to drop a rescheduled sequence under 10.J.2 (Rescheduling Prior to Report).
• The addition of “departures delayed to the next day” (formerly known as  “deferred flights”) to the exceptions of a “rescheduled” sequences. (10.J.1.e)
• An exception to 10.J.1-4 if they declare IROPS (based on their projected assumptions) which would allow for rescheduling procedures such as:
  • Reschedules to cover any flying due to a disruption (not just a “catch me up” to my original flying, if practicable).
  • Forcing a disruption on a member’s schedule to cover their operational deficiencies.
  • Mid-sequence rescheduling that allows turnaround swaps between crews to preserve reserves.
• An exception to 10.J.7 when “the company is PROJECTED to exhaust Reserves,” they may reschedule Flight Attendants to return to base after their originally scheduled return time.
• The exclusion of standbys from the list of available Flight Attendant replacements after a three-hour delay (10.J.8.).

All of these would allow the company to use a Lineholder as a roaming system reserve.

Section 12- Reserve Duty

The company responded to APFA opening Section 12 Reserve. As a reminder neither party has passed language for subsection 12.A (Reserve Lines/Rotation), 12.M (Priority of Assignment), 12.O (Assignment Information), and 12.Q (Month to Month Integration) at this time.

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Company proposed reserve concessions thus far:

1. Add requirement for rescheduling of flex day/golden day requested by the Flight Attendant based on Reserve coverage.
2. Flight Attendant on an unpaid leave for full or partial month during which they are scheduled for active reserve would not receive Reserve credit for that month.
3. Requiring bases with co-terminals to be available to report three (3) hours after the end of their reserve availability period (RAP).
4. A Reserve at bases with a co-terminal(s) may be assigned a standby shift that terminates no later than three (3) hours after the end of their RAP.
5. Removing the requirement for the company to call a secondary number when there is no answer at the primary number.
6. Shortening the reserves window to pick up on days off, currently 1000 after reserve day on, and 1800 prior to a reserve day on. Company proposed change to 1200 after a reserve day on, and scheduled home base rest by 0200 prior to next reserve day on.
7. Removing the ability for a Reserve to drop a reserve assignment/award on ETB.
8. Add electronic notifications as a replacement for positive contact.

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APFA enhancements that the Company has REJECTED:

1. Rescheduling of flex day/golden day Flight Attendant requests honored unless on a protected holiday.
2. Flight Attendant returning mid-month would not be subject to reserve unless on straight reserve.
3. Increasing the aggressive reserve limit for pay and credit to 60 hours.
4. Standby (SB) assignments must be scheduled to depart within their standby period.
5. Reducing four (4) RAPs to three (3).
6. Aggressive Reserves awarded standby will receive pay and credit towards RSVCOT even if over the limit for aggressive hours for the month.
7. Requiring open time to be processed by ROTA prior to being transferred out of base.
8. Allowing a reserve that bids in ROTA to work into a flex day to be processed regardless of open/closed grouping.
9. Penalty pay when scheduling calls unnecessarily during the hours of 0000-0700 HBT.
10. Increase reserve days off in a 31-day month to 13 days off.
11. Limit flex day usage by the company.

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Thank You
On behalf of the committee, we want to extend our thanks to YOU for the successful picketing event at all our bases in November, and we look forward to seeing you (and more) for the picket scheduled for January 24th. Your support keeps us fighting and is vital to achieve what we want out of this negotiation. Remember, this is YOUR contract, and we cannot do this without you!

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Systemwide Picketing
Tuesday, January 24th, 2023
11:00 am – 1:00 pm (local time)

click the image above for more information.

Next Meeting/ Stay Up-to-Date

Negotiations will continue in January. 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.

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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]