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Greetings,
Your MEC
Officers, President Lisa LeCarre and Secretary-Treasurer Jeff
Albers continue their focus on negotiations toward contract
improvements in a merged contract. Along with the rest of the
Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) merged contract negotiations
continued last month with meetings in Phoenix on September
8-11, and in Charlotte on September 28 through October 1,
2009. Last
month, merged contract negotiations focused on three contract
sections.
Scheduling - HP Sections 6,
7&16/US Section 9 The Scheduling
section continues to be negotiated. The Company gave AFA a scheduling proposal
that contains substantially revised rescheduling language. Rescheduling is a very
important topic and governs how a flight attendant is treated
and paid during irregular operations. AFA’s basic
position is that a Lineholder should not be treated like a
Reserve. Some major differences we have had with the Company in
this area concern the Company’s ability to remove a Flight
Attendant from her/his pairing and when the Company has to get
the Flight Attendant back to domicile when they are rescheduled.
At our next negotiations session in PHX, AFA will formulate a
counterproposal to the rescheduling section. We also had
discussion of Reserve issues, as the Company is preparing a
counterproposal on Reserve. AFA reiterated the need for contract language
that allows scheduling flexibility, trip choices and processes
for earned income through Company open time and personal trades
for Reserves. Again AFA voiced opposition to tagging, and the
“buckets” for order of assignment.
International Flying
– HP Section 34/US Section 12 An International
section counter-proposal was passed from the Company to
AFA. Improvements
in this section include the designation of Mexico as a
non-transoceanic international (NTI) destination. Hawaii would
be designated as transoceanic international (TI) flying and any
flying to South American cities south of the Panama-Columbian
border would also be considered TI flying with the additional
premiums applied. AFA has not
agreed to the separation of International flying into an
exclusive division in which flight attendants would bid in
seniority and would perform all international flying. AFA believes that an
International Division would restrict a Flight Attendant’s
bidding options especially in consideration of a PBS
system. There are
additional concerns about restrictions placed on bidding for
vacations within a division as well as restricting the ability
of all flight attendants the ability to work international
trips. Instead, this
week the Company proposed an international purser program called
the Cabin Service Director or CSD program. The CSD program would
be a Lead A position on Transoceanic International flights. The CSD position would
require additional training and have enhanced duties and responsibilities on CSD
designated flights. The CSD positions would be awarded based
upon seniority in each domicile, and would require a 6-month
commitment. AFA has agreed to
consider the Company proposed Cabin Service Director language as
long as the Company agrees to premium pay associated with these
positions. General – HP Section
27/US Section 30 Finally, AFA
passed the General Section counterproposal to the Company this
week. A major issue revolves around the tidying of
aircraft. Although
we are still apart on some specifics, the East contact contains
greater restrictions on aircraft tidying than the West contract
so West flight attendants will see improved cleaning language.
The Joint
Negotiating Committee will meet again October 13-15 in Phoenix
and October 27-29 in Charlotte. |
