Hotline Messages
4 July 2008 Hotline
Happy Fourth of July!
We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend with friends and family.
Special Leave Incentive Program Questions
Our leadership is pleased that the company has offered Special Leave Incentive Program (SLIP) leaves in lieu of furloughs, granting flight attendants continued medical coverage and uncontested unemployment benefits during SLIP. The company’s welcome announcement June 30 prompted many questions from flight attendants seeking clarification on everything from unemployment benefits during previous SLIP leaves, to right to return to current base at the end of such leaves.
Our MEC has posed these and many other questions to Julie Showers, who issued what we hope is just the first of several Frequently Asked Questions memos before the July 13 SLIP bid deadline. Julie has assured flight attendants that an impending merger approval by the Department of Justice will not affect the terms of the leave.
We have every confidence that Julie and other senior officers will address our as yet unanswered questions regarding SLIP leaves after such approval, when a merger transaction occurs, which according to company documents could be as early as “Fall/Winter 2008.” This transaction – in which the airlines will begin operating as a “single transportation system” – will trigger a National Mediation Board representation election for Delta and Northwest flight attendants. Julie has not addressed how or whether leaves would be affected should we lose our representation in this election.
We encourage you to direct further questions to Julie at (please cc ) so that she can provide everyone as much information as possible in making this final, binding decision to apply for a SLIP leave. In the meantime, we have created an ”Employment Benefits” webpage at nwaafa.org, where we have posted communications from Inflight regarding SLIP leaves; links to the US Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance benefits page as well as individual state pages and benefits calculators; COBRA rates; and other resources for those contemplating SLIP leaves or the upcoming August Company Convenience Leaves (CCLs).
Knowledge is POWER!
Contract Education: Established Base Line Average Correction Issued
In the latest PBS Update from the PBS Implementation Team, the Established Base Line Average (EBLA) for PBS mock bids in July was corrected to 85:00 instead of the 82:00 that appeared in the July cover letters. Once PBS goes live, the EBLA determines RSV Month End Release parameters (please see the June 27 hotline message for details) and will impact PBS bids. Read more about the EBLA in our online contract, Section 5.D.2.—Established Base Line Average.
Supplemental Insurance Enrollment Information: More Sessions Scheduled
As a member of AFA-CWA, you are entitled to enroll in several supplemental insurance plans offered by National Group Protection (NGP), a union company with over 30 years in the employee benefits market. Available individual and family coverage includes accident protection, critical illness insurance and universal life insurance. The plans are portable upon separation from Northwest Airlines and do not require medical exams prior to enrollment.
Our MEC has arranged for NGP to send licensed agents to each Council to conduct informational sessions and on-site enrollment. The following base visits are scheduled:
COUNCIL DATE
94 DTW July 16 to 23
97 SFO August 6 to 10
91 NYC August 13 to 15
Please contact a Local Executive Council Officer for exact times and locations. As more sessions are scheduled, they will be posted on our website on the “Events” page (under “Conferences") and in Inflight lounges.
Something to Consider:
“At Will” Employment
as Defined by Delta Air Lines Management
“Just as all personnel may resign their employment with Delta at any time and for any reason they choose, Delta may terminate the employment relationship at any time if Delta concludes that such termination is appropriate.”
From the June 12, 2008 Delta Human Resources Administrative Action Guidelines handbook now on our website on the ”Merger Resources” page.