6.15.23 – Negotiations Update #25

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Negotiations Update #25

After a briefing with your APFA Base Presidents, your Negotiating Committee passed a reserve proposal to the company intending to lower the number of years Flight Attendants are required to serve reserve.

In recent years, we have experienced an excessive number of years required to serve reserve- in some instances even twenty or thirty years and beyond. While that number has lowered at many, but not all bases, we also know once the hiring slows, those numbers will creep up again.

The Membership has made it clear that this problem must be addressed in these negotiations. We need a reserve system that spreads out the reserve obligation as our current rotating system does but also offers Flight Attendants the expectation that they will not be required to serve reserve their entire careers.

We have received various ideas on how to deal with these issues. Based on our surveys and membership feedback, there is neither majority support for going to a completely straight reserve system nor a majority who want to continue with the status quo. Our task was to develop a proposal that reflects the varied views of the Membership while addressing your key concerns.

Reserve Proposal to Reduce Reserve Seniority Levels While Improving Reserve Quality of Life

Our reserve proposal includes a revised rotation applied to Flight Attendants hired after the ratification of this agreement. All Flight Attendants hired prior to date of ratification will continue their current JCBA rotation. For Flight Attendants hired after the date of ratification, the following provisions will apply:

• If needed as a Reserve, for the first three (3) years after initial training, a Flight Attendant shall be on straight reserve.
• If needed as a Reserve following this period, a Flight Attendant will serve Reserve on a one (1) month on/ one (1) month off rotation for a period of three (3) years.
• If needed as a Reserve following this period, a Flight Attendant will serve Reserve on a one (1) month on/ two (2) months off rotation for a period of three (3) years.
• If needed as a Reserve following this period, a Flight Attendant will serve Reserve on a one (1) month on/ three (3) months off rotation.

Just to be clear, the above formula does not apply to any Flight Attendants currently on the property, including new hires. This will only apply to future new hires who are hired after the date of ratification.

Our projections show this new rotation will lower the numbers of the reserve requirement in most bases down under ten years. It allows new hires to get much of the reserve obligation out of the way earlier in their flying careers and helps more senior Flight Attendants from being pushed back onto reserve.

We also know that we have high seniority bases, such as LAX and PHX, in which Flight Attendants with decades of experience still serve reserve. We have included in our proposal and made clear to management that any solution must address the concerns of high seniority bases. This problem cannot simply be resolved with a different reserve rotation or even straight reserve but must address issues of allocation of flying and growth in these bases. These discussions will be ongoing but represent an important part of our proposal.

Most importantly, any changes to the reserve proposal to reduce overall seniority levels must combine with improving reserve quality of life, including, but not limited to:

• Reserve access to TTS/UBL on days off,
• ASG ‘clicks’ for all days flown regardless of how the trip was obtained,
• Improvements to how aggressive reserve hours are calculated,
• Improvements to RAP D assignments, and
• Standby reserve duty limitations determined by standby report time instead of sequence report time.

We will continue our weekly progress updates with your APFA Base Presidents.

Now is the time to join the Contract ACTION Team. Indicate how you would like to help secure the contract that you deserve. Please sign-up today by clicking here to assist your APFA Leadership.

Remember, wear your Union pin and red lanyard every trip, and affix your luggage tags to your luggage before your next trip.

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]