Negotiations: Update Five
To Our Fellow Spirit Flight Attendants,
Contract negotiations continued this past week with the company, and we are happy to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement (TA) on Section 20: Safety and Health! We were able to secure new language requiring the company to have a monthly meeting with the AFA Air, Health Safety, and Security Committee to address our concerns onboard the aircraft with safety policies and procedures. We were also able to strengthen the language in section 20.C.10 to allow us flight attendants the ability to be released from duty, without the threat of discipline, when traumatic events happen during our workday (i.e., physical assaults, medical emergencies, and exposure incidents, etc.).
Other sections that were discussed in this section include:
Section 10: Training and Meetings
We are continuing to push for “hour for hour” training pay for both in-person and distance learning. We are also seeking to make a shorter training day and for the company to provide hotels in-base for commuters. The company, however, is content to offer us only the current 4 hours per day pay AND they want to expand the maximum training day to 9 hours EXCLUDING breaks and lunch. This means, your recurrent could be as long as ten and a half hours! (Imagine a recurrent that starts at 0800 and you won’t be released until 1830!) We are waiting for the company’s response to our most recent proposal.
Section 11: Vacation
We opened the Vacation section and proposed an increase to vacation accrual and an increase to the pay associated with a week of vacation (currently 28 hours). We are also proposing eliminating the cap on float vacation payouts (currently 8 hours per month) and fixing the language concerning end of the year payouts, we want the ability to select “any combination” of paying out your unused vacation AND being able to carry some of our unused vacation into the following year. The company has not yet proposed any specific language to the Vacation section; however, talks will continue on this subject in future bargaining sessions.
Section 22: Grievance Procedure
The company has proposed electronic notification for NOIs (via company email). We have proposed, in exchange for electronic communication, that Flight Attendants be PAID for their time spent answering to NOIs. We are waiting for the company’s response to this offer. We have also proposed that there be a time limit imposed on the company for how long they have to issue NOIs... Despite some of our differing opinions on the above, we have made some progress in securing agreements in this section; including the guarantee that the company will apply the PRP policies evenhandedly to all flight attendants, a quarterly mediation requirement to resolve disputes, and we also agreed to a list of arbitrators to use in arbitrations.
Section 23: General
The entire discussion is currently revolving around “crew meals” and the “crew room quiet rooms.” We have proposed that the company either provide us with more substantial meals than just the snacks onboard for longer duty days OR allow us time to get off the aircraft to secure something to eat. We are also requesting “quiet rooms” be available in all crew rooms (including Atlantic City). To date, the company has been unwilling to address our concerns, and they even suggested that the “quiet rooms” that we have now are not used by us!
Section 25: Commuter Policy
The company has responded to our last Commuter Policy proposal by offering to double the number of instances a commuter can use the commuter clause, however; along with this, they have increased the ability of the company to “reassign” any flight attendant who uses the commuter policy. However, the company did agree to some of our language in our proposal, including removing the requirements for commuters to “register” to take part in the program. This is an ongoing discussion and will continue in future sessions.
The next collective bargaining session is scheduled for February 8th through the 10th in Fort Lauderdale. We anticipate receiving the company’s proposals for Section 8: Scheduling and Section 9: Reserve! Make sure that you have your current email address updated with AFA Communications so that you continue to receive updates on the status of our contract negotiations! If you need to update your email preferences, please click "Manage Your Subscription" at the bottom of this e-line, or any e-line communication.
As always, don’t forget to WEAR YOUR PIN to demonstrate to the company YOUR SUPPORT for the Negotiating Committee and our efforts on your behalf!
In solidarity,
Your AFA Negotiating Committee -
Jason Kachenmeister
Colleen Burns
Rick Santiago
Paula Mastrangelo
