8.30.24 – 2024 Tentative Agreement Update #11: Questions From the Road Part III

Friday, August 30, 2024

2024 Tentative Agreement Update #11
Questions From the Road- Part III

In this hotline:

• Frequently Asked Questions, including:
  • Moving through the pay scale
  • New Flex/Golden day Reserve restoration option
  • Boarding Pay implementation delay and capturing value
  • Retro Pay and 401 (k) options
  • Retro Pay and the IRS
  • Reserve System quality of life and financial improvements
• Virtual Town Halls #1-4 Now Available
• Need More Information? Contact the TA Call Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: I keep hearing I have two pay raises each year if I am not at the top of the pay scale. Can you explain?

A: Many Flight Attendants hired in the last five years have not experienced a key benefit of having a union contract, which includes two pay increases per year. One increase is on the date of contract signing and the negotiated increases that follow each year, and the other increase is on their personal anniversary date.

Q2: Can you explain the new guaranteed Flex Day/ Golden Day (FD/GD) restoration option if I am flown into day(s) off while serving reserve?

A: The Tentative Agreement introduces a new option for day(s) off restoration for reserves.

The new day off replacement guarantees that if you are flown into a FD/GD, your day off will be restored at the end of that block of days off.

Example: If a Reserve has Wednesday-Friday off and is flown into Wednesday, they are guaranteed Saturday off.

This does not change the Reserve’s option to select a replaced day off somewhere else in the month (with crew scheduling consent) or the option to waive the day off in exchange for the value of the Reserve day as pay no credit.

Q3: Boarding Pay will not be implemented until six months after date of signing. Did we capture the value for that delay, and if so, where was that money placed in the Tentative Agreement?

A: Rather than having vague language on implementation, we secured a firm date in the implementation schedule on which Boarding Pay must be paid. This is a firm deadline, and the company will be required to have this programmed by this date, or they will have to pay this provision manually.

The negotiating committee received full dollar value for the delay in Boarding Pay and used the money to secure other contract improvements, including the sit rig, all vacation at four (4) hours, and other core economic items that affect all Flight Attendants.

Q4: Can I deposit my retro pay into my 401(k)?

A: You may choose to deposit up to 100% of your retroactive pay into your 401(k), but please take into account the IRS contribution limits. In 2024, the 401(k) IRS contribution limit for employee contributions is $23,000.

If you are 50 or older, you can make an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, increasing your employee contribution limit to $30,500.

Q5: How is my retro pay taxed by the IRS?

A: Retroactive pay increases are categorized as supplemental wage withholding by the IRS. The current rate for withholding supplemental pay is a flat 22% for amounts up to $1 million for the year.

Q6: I hear there are a lot of improvements to our Reserve system. Can someone walk me through the improvements?

A: Click here for the August 13, 2024 Town Hall which includes a negotiator presentation on Reserve system improvements broken down by specific topics.

Click here to read the recent hotline Tentative Agreement #3: All About Reserve, which includes more information on reserve improvements and examples of reserve financial increases under the Tentative Agreement.

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Virtual Town Halls 1-4 Now Available
(broken down by topics below)

August 20th Virtual Town Hall #4 here:

00:00 – Welcome & Voting Information
05:51 – Snap-Up, COLA, SWA Comparison, What Happens If NO Vote
30:53 – Implementation Timeline
38:25 – Voluntary Extension (VE) – Domestic
41:55 – Voluntary Extension (VE) – NIPD/NLR
43:36 – Hotel Penalty Pay
47:39 – Sit Rig
50:28 – DH Stand-Up & Commuting
55:32 – Reserve
59:08 – Training
01:00:52 – IOD
01:02:13 – Speaker
01:04:14 – Q&A (Retro Pay, Pay Scale, Negotiators, Hotel, VE, Electronic Notification, Retirement & Retro Pay, Training Pay, Hotel Penalty Pay, Sit Rig, Buffers, Days Off, Boarding Pay, TTS, TTS & UBL Implementation, Speaker pay, Crew Meals, Open Time, IOD & Retro Pay, Minimum Duty Period, DOS, Standby)

August 13th Virtual Town Hall #3 here:

00:00 – Welcome
01:21 – Reserve (Section 12)
06:38 – Reserve PBS Improvements
07:10 – Reserve Days Off
13:15 – ROTA/D Improvements
17:40 – ASG (Clicks) Indicator Improvements
20:21 – RAP D Improvements
23:12 – Standby Improvements
26:07 – LMCO (Less Than Minimum Callout)
27:47 – Aggressive
29:36 – Pay & Credit
33:28 – Out of Base Standby
34:27 – Satellite Bases
38:34 – Implementation Schedule
44:40 – TA Voting Walkthrough
46:57 – Trip Comparison Calculator
59:46 – Q&A

August 6th Virtual Town Hall #2 here:

00:00 – Welcome
01:12 – Implementation Timeline
03:55 – Delayed Programming Boarding Pay
09:11 – Delayed Contract Concerns
17:04 – Outcome of TA Vote
23:23 – Boarding Pay vs Wages
32:27 – Inflation & COLA
35:44 – How the TA is Industry Leading
42:00 – Retro Pay Q&A
46:16 – 401(k) & Profit Sharing Q&A
49:55 – Holiday Q&A
50:50 – Compensation Q&A
55:15 – APFA Website Calculators
57:45 – Boarding Pay Q&A
01:03:40 – Sit Rig Q&A
01:08:32 – Hotel Penalty Pay Q&A
01:11:36 – Cartels Q&A
01:13:43 – Deadheading Q&A
01:18:08 – Electronic Communication System (ECS) Q&A
01:23:44 – Reserve High Seniority Bases & Reserve Q&A
01:31:44 – TTS/UBL Q&A
01:33:35 – TTS/UBL Q&A (and Retro Pay question follow up clarification)
01:33:38 – RHRA Q&A
01:40:10 – Attendance Policy Q&A
01:41:36 – Miscellaneous Q&A

July 31, 2024 Virtual Town Hall #1 here:

00:00 – Welcome and Negotiations Process Recap
07:35 – Economics (Joe Burns and Dan Akins)
27:06 – TA Wages & Compensation (Joe Burns and Dan Akins)
40:43 – Other TA Economic Components (Joe Burns and Dan Akins)
42:27 – 401k Improvements & Profit Sharing (Joe Burns and Dan Akins)
49:40 – Implementation Timeline (Joe Burns and Dan Akins)
56:13 – Next Steps
01:01:53 – Retro Pay
01:07:10 – Boarding Pay & Position Pay
01:10:49 – Holiday Pay
01:11:38 – Compensation for Hotel Delays & Hotel Penalty Pay
01:13:47 – Vacation Pay & Credit
01:15:01 – Protected Work Rules
01:20:40 – PBS, TTS, UBL Improvements
01:27:55 – Pay Protections
01:31:53 – Satellite Bases
01:33:28 – Misuse of Scheduling Systems
01:34:40 – Electronic Communications System (ECS)
01:38:06 – Completed Trip
01:38:57 – Sit Rig & Boarding times
01:42:15 – Voluntary Extension (VE)
01:43:08 – Reserve Pay Above Guarantee
01:50:50 – Reserve Rotation & Scheduling Improvements
02:11:38 – Section 15 Foreign Language Speaker
02:13:10 – Deadheading & Self-Booking
02:15:30 – Deadhead Stand-Up
02:17:30 – Transfers
02:18:50 – IOD & RHRA
02:20:07 – Section 29 Training
02:21:05 – Grievances
02:23:15 – Changes to Commuting
02:24:05 – Crew Rest
02:24:33 – Miscellaneous
02:31:00 – Q&A

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Need More Information?

Click here to vote– voting is online only, and no codes are needed! 

Questions? Contact the Tentative Agreement Call Center
The call center is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm (CT).

(424) 4TA-INFO
(424) 482-4636

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Continue to wear your red WAR pin, red lanyard, and bag tags until we secure the contract we’ve earned.

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]