Greetings,

Recently, most of you should have read an HI6 from Tammy Coffey stating that the 24 Hour TTOT window was turned off at the request of AFA.  We wanted to give you a little background information on this matter.  When Automation was implemented earlier this year, we experienced a few glitches here and there, but for the most part it was a smooth transition.  It took some time for some of our Flight Attendants to get used to not having to send an RF message to swap and drops.  Complaints regarding Automation mostly dealt with the fact that staffing fluctuated constantly; one minute it was green then red before they could hit the send button.  Once the 24 Hour TTOT window was programmed into the system, we experience multiple problems.  The first month all trips showed red, due to the fact that the drop feature was not turned on.  The company stated they needed time to fix the problems, and in order to get lights working correctly they would allow drops for the next months TTOT window.  By allowing this we did not realize the consequence was staffing would only go down, and never up since OT was not allowed to be picked up during this time period.  Other issues that that were identified: N4TL which allows us to find a redder trip to trade with, shut down within an hour due to mass overload of usage; and the fact that we could not trade a multiple day sequence for a sequence of fewer days, which is what AFA agreed to.  The company knows there are programming issues that need to be worked out and wanted to keep the system as is until they were fixed.  We (AFA) felt that this system should work for everyone not just those who were quick enough to do what they wanted in the first minute before all staffing showed red due to drops.    We are still working out a timeline to reflect the removal of the 24 hour TTOT window, once we have more information we will pass that on to you.  Before it is reintegrated we will have members test the system to insure that it meets the contractual provisions as agreed to in the Automation side-letter.  Should you have any questions please contact Carol Harper at harperafa@sbcglobal.net

Robert Barrow

MEC President

214-336-3509