Negotiations: Update Four
Spirit Flight Attendants:
This past week, your negotiating committee met with the company from November 30th through December 2nd in Fort Lauderdale for another week of collective bargaining.
Two Sections have reached Tentative Agreements!
Section 17: Moving Expenses
We increased the reimbursable moving expense allowance from $4500 to $6000 if a flight attendant is displaced from their base. Additionally, for any flight attendants who choose not to move if displaced will receive a $1000 lump sum payment to help defer the cost of commuting. In today’s contract, this payment does not exist.
Section 19: Missing and Internment
This section will remain the same as our current contract.
Other sections discussed during this session:
Section 7: Hours of Service
The company passed us their opening proposal for Hours of Service. Their proposal seemed to us like the “Crew Scheduling Christmas wish list.” Unfortunately, Crew Scheduling has not been very good boys and girls this year, so they really shouldn’t be too hopeful.
The company’s proposal included the following:
REDUCING our release at the end of a duty day to just 15 minutes (currently 30 minutes).
ELIMINATING restrictions on the number of block hours that can be scheduled per day.
ELIMINATING our 33/7 block limitation.
ELIMINATING the restrictions on number of segments between 0100-0500.
(Imagine working 6 legs in the middle of the night!)ELIMINATING flight attendant’s current abilities to seek alternate deadheads.
ELIMINATING all of crew scheduling’s requirements to notify us of delays and cancellations.
Our staff negotiator, Paula Mastrangelo, provided the company with envelopes addressed to the North Pole to demonstrate where they should be sending this proposal, but unfortunately for the Company, Santa has recently reported to us that Spirit’s Crew Scheduling is still on his naughty list.
AFA has responded to this proposal seeking the following:
INCREASE rest between duty periods and limit the company’s ability to reduce our rest
DECREASE the maximum duty day we can be scheduled to work (currently 14 hours scheduled/16 hours extended).
EXTEND the release time for international arrivals (reflecting the amount of time spent in customs and immigration)
ELIMINATE the company’s ability to schedule a morning departure following a red eye.
LIMITING the amount of airport sit time that can occur between redeye flights.
Making a calendar day a true calendar day (NO before 0200 EXCEPTIONS)
Adding ADDITIONAL PAY anytime deadheading flight attendants are “stood up” to work a flight
ALLOWING greater flexibility with requesting alternate deadheads
INCREASING the notification requirements when flights are delayed/cancelled
INCREASING the compensation when there is a notification failure.
Obviously, there is still work to be done. More discussions will be had in the coming months, and we will see where this section will land as negotiations continue.
Section 10: Training and Meetings
Training and meetings have been discussed at length, several proposals have been passed back and forth. The company is seeking to extend training to 9 hours excluding breaks (Imagine a 10.5 hour recurrent!) and keep the training pay the way it is now. AFA has proposed a SHORTER training day and INCREASING training pay along with hotels provided for commuters for training in base.
Both sides are now in agreement to allow flight attendants to trade training dates (S3, recurrent, etc.) with open dates and with other flight attendants. We still must work through the details on how this will be accomplished though.
Section 25: Commuter Policy
The company’s proposal wants to, for the most part, maintain the policy pretty much as it is today. However, AFA is seeking to add “ground commuting” (allowing other options besides a no show when you can’t make it to work due to an unforeseen circumstance) and eliminate the requirement that commuters “register” to a specific airport. We are also seeking to remove the “2 times per year” limitation on the use of the commuter policy, as it is in our pilot’s contract.
What’s next?
The next collective bargaining sessions is scheduled for January 11th through January 13th of 2022.
Please, CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR AFA PIN to show our solidarity! This is the easiest way to remind the company that you support the efforts of your negotiating committee and that the company should take our proposals seriously!
In solidarity,
Your AFA Negotiating Committee
Jason Kachenmeister
Colleen Burns
Rick Santiago
Paula Mastrangelo
