Negotiations: Update Nine
Fellow Spirit Flight Attendants,
This past week, your AFA negotiations committee met with the company in Fort Lauderdale. The sections that we discussed were:
Section 7: Hours of Service
Section 9: Reserve
Section 16: Furlough and Recall
Section 22: Grievance Procedure and System Board
Section 23: General
Section 7: Hours of Service
We are still apart from the company on the amount of scheduled rest between duty periods. The company would like us to be at the (soon to be) FAA minimum of 10 hours of rest between duty periods, and our position is that we require more than the FAA minimum rest every day – and that there should be a built-in buffer. We are also apart on maximum on duty times. The company wants us to continue to work 14-to-16-hour duty days, but we are fighting for a more humane work schedule, included in this discussion is the “redeye plus one” limitation that we are also seeking to codify in this agreement. Also, still being discussed, is the practice of “standing up a deadhead” and the ability of scheduled deadheads (line holders and reserves) to be released, either and the back or FRONT of a pairing; especially if the flight attendant is already in position for their assigned flying. The company’s position seems to be that they want deadheads to act as “mobile ready reserves” and would rather not allow us to release ourselves… Notification is also a hotly debated item, especially given the amount of IROPs we have been experiencing lately. Also involved in our discussions on this section was our proposal that the company reimburses flight attendants for the cost of Global Entry, should they choose to utilize this service. And finally, we had a heated, but productive, discussion on Section 7.H. concerning the ability of flight attendants to question the legality of assignments given to them by crew schedulers. Although from all the above, it may seem that we are apart on many issues in this section, we are pleased to report that company has abandoned some of their more egregious and unrealistic proposals and the conversations have remained productive, albeit there is still a long way to go with this section.
Section 9: Reserve
We have reached an agreement on increasing the minimum number of days off for a reserve flight attendant to 13 in a bid period with 31 days. We are also in agreement on creating a system with definitive parameters by which a reserve can designate their restored moveable day. Gone will be the days where a reserve’s choice of a restored moveable day would be at the discretion of a crew scheduler! Our greatest focus on the reserve section is to create as much predictability in a reserve’s schedule as possible. Obviously, the company is resisting these efforts, due to their need to cover the operation. However, we believe that both goals could be achieved. We are discussing creating a “long call” reserve shift to make it easier for commuters to be on reserve as well as changes to how trips are assigned (which is currently done via a overly complicated time balancing bucket system). We also had a productive discussion on “self-notification” and the better use of modern technology for reserve assignments. Both sides of the table are trying to avoid the hours’ long wait to speak with a crew scheduler. However, the company has still not abandoned some of the more outlandish proposals concerning “reserve extensions” and “reassignments” which we believe some of which are violations of our current CBA. The company is arguing that reserve flight attendants should be on call 24 hours a day once assigned a trip and available for reassignment whenever the company “feels like it.” Clearly, this is unrealistic… However, at the very end of the last day of this month’s collective bargaining session, we had a very candid and honest discussion with the company concerning reserves. Both sides acknowledged that the current reserve system is no longer sustainable.
Section 16: Furlough and Recall (Tentative Agreement Reached!)
After months of discussions, we have returned to current contract language. The changes to this section (mostly concerning the order of recall) that we had proposed were agreed to by the company ONLY at the cost of medical benefits/travel benefits for flight attendants who voluntarily furlough. Unacceptable! Ultimately, we concluded that the current language is what is best for the flight attendants and no changes were made to this section.
Section 22: Grievance Procedure and System Board
We have achieved increases on the time limits that flight attendants have to file contractual complaints and grievances. We are also strongly advocating for time limits on how long the company has to issue NOIs, lengthening the time a flight attendant has to schedule an NOI, and pay for any flight attendant attending an NOI. Management is pressing for an unlimited time frame to issue an NOI following a suspected infraction, and they want to lengthen the amount of time it takes for them to provide a resolution to the NOI. Obviously, the company wants us to continue to attend NOIs on our own time – without pay. Finally, the company is seeking to eliminate the requirement to FedEx NOIs to flight attendants – as they would rather deliver NOIs through company email. More discussions on the above are scheduled for our next meeting in May. We have already agreed on a panel of arbitrators to streamline the arbitration process and we have also agreed to dates each year for mediation (mediations with and without a mediator) to help to move our grievance cases along faster.
Section 23: General (Tentative Agreement Reached!)
Not much in this section was changed except for guaranteeing us a quiet room in larger bases (those bases with over 200 flight attendants). Even though most of our crew rooms already have quiet rooms, currently, our CBA does not require the company to provide these to us. We attempted to negotiate for “crew meals” on longer duty days or time to step off the aircraft to secure food, but the company strongly resisted on these proposals. Ultimately, we ended with a frank discussion on catering deficiencies and the request that the company considers healthier options for us as part of the cart loadout.
The next steps:
The next collective bargaining session is scheduled for May 24th-May 26th in FLL.
Thank you to all of you that completed the second negotiations survey. The survey is now closed, and we will be reviewing the thousands of responses over the next several weeks to better craft our positions. Please remember to update your email address, phone number, and physical address with AFA to ensure you do not miss out on any AFA communications. You can update your information with AFA here: Change of Address - Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (afacwa.org)
Also, unfortunately (as of today), only about 2900 of our 4800 Flight Attendants will have the opportunity to vote on a new contract. This is because there are thousands of flight attendants currently behind in their AFA dues. Flight Attendants in bad standing with the Union do not get a vote.
If you have been dropping your line to zero or spent a lot of time on CVTO/EVTO last year, there is a good chance that you are behind in your dues. Don’t wait until the last minute and possibly miss out on having a vote towards our future. AFA offers flight attendants with past due accounts the ability to set up a payment plan that will keep the member in good standing while making payments.
Please contact the AFA Membership Services Department to set up a promissory agreement. If you have further questions, please contact your local officers or AFA Account Services at 1-844-232-2228 ext. 3. If you have received a bill from AFA and would like to pay online, you can use this link: AFA-CWA Dues - AFA-CWA - Dues (unionly.io)
In the meantime, please continue to wear your AFA pin at work, on your uniform, above your wings. Show management that we are all united in our quest for a better contract. Management doesn’t seem to believe that we have the resolve necessary to see this through; let’s prove to them that they are wrong. Come out to a picket, stay active in the Union, communicate regularly with your local officers and representatives, and WEAR YOUR PIN.
In Solidarity,
Your AFA Negotiations Committee -
Jason Kachenmeister
Colleen Burns
Rick Santiago
Paula Mastrangelo
