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View From The Jumpseat
January 2010 - ATL/NYC Member ConcernsDecember 2009 - DTW FA Janette Rook's Views
November 2009 - BOS FA Jacob Easter's Views
October 2009 - MEM/ATL FA Kathy Swarts' Views
February 05, 2010 eNews
THIS WEEK’S LABOR QUOTE
No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees… or to influence or coerce employees in an effort to induce them to join or remain or not to join or remain members of any labor organization.” ~ The Railway Labor Act, federal law governing airline representational elections
GROUNDHOG DAY 2010:
WELL-TIMED RAISES FOR NON-CONTRACT LABOR… AGAIN
Delta may have waited until after Groundhog Day to announce raises for non-contract labor, but given its proximity to our upcoming representational election, it feels like deja vu all over again. In uncannily similar timing, PMDL Flight Attendants were given a small pay raise last January, too-just one month before AFA called for their 2009 representational election, which was lost by a very small margin.
Delta explained the raise to be part of a pre-merger commitment to bring top-scale PMDL non-union workers up to industry standard. For a better understanding of what that really means, click HERE. Strategically waiting until “the right time,” Delta is careful to spread this goodwill broadly, lest anyone claim election interference over isolated Flight Attendant raises.
A common method of the familiar “divide and conquer” technique, the selective raises are surprising only in their predictability. PMDL Flight Attendants who have been around since at least 9/11 know first-hand such pleasant surprises can turn to compulsory concessions on a dime. Surprise take-backs and work rule changes are imposed with equal speed, via memo, absent the protection of a legally binding contract.
Joanne Smith’s letter to PMNW FAs not receiving raises serves up a dose of harmonization philosophy with this pretense of consolation: “We will continue to honor the pay, benefits and work rules provided for in your contract” and “Until then [the representational election], we will honor the commitments under your contract.”
That is, indeed, good news, given Delta has appeared to honor only those parts of our contract that best suit their goal to undermine it. This, while defiantly side-stepping our Scope provisions, Seniority rights, Grievance process, information disclosure, Training travel requirements, Uniform replacement, and countless other efforts to assert policy over contractual language.
THIS WEEK’S MANAGEMENT QUOTE
We must be the employer of choice, by being responsible to our employees and treating them with respect and dignity… That means the best ethical management… We will provide fair and appropriate compensation and benefits… Employees must feel free to make suggestions and tell us when we are mistaken.”
~ Delta Air Lines’ ‘Rules of the Road’,
governing principles for successful business
QUESTION OF THE WEEK-FMLA
Q. I think Sedgwick denied my FMLA request because of my Reserve status. Can they do that? I’m confused about which hours actually count towards the FMLA requirement of 568 hours. Do vacation time, sick time and OPR stand by count toward the hours? I thought there was a new law that would help us.
A. Your FMLA request cannot be denied due to Reserve status alone, but there may be other (dis)qualifying factors. After years of AFA Government Affairs activists and concerned AFA members lobbying for guaranteed access for Flight Attendants to the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act was signed into law by President Obama on December 21, 2009. The law greatly improves upon previous FMLA provisions-which inadvertently excluded flight crews in its previous form-especially for Reserves.
The new annual threshold for FMLA flight time/flight pay accrual is 504, down from 568. Vacation and Sick time do not count toward FMLA hours, but time spent sitting Reserve generally does under the new law. The new guidelines for eligibility (exclusive of qualifying or disqualifying medical factors) are as follows:
For Line Holders:
1) The FA has worked or been paid at least 504 hours in the previous 12 months; and
2) On average, the FA has worked or been paid at least 60 percent of his/her scheduled hours in the previous 12 months.
For Reserves:
1) The FA has worked or been paid for at least 504 hours of his/her monthly guarantee in the previous 12 months; and
2) On average, the FA has worked or been paid at least 60 percent of his/her monthly guarantee in the previous 12 months.
Please let us know if your FMLA request is denied because Sedgwick has incorrectly calculated your qualifying FMLA time.
VACATION ACCRUAL ADJUSTMENTS
Over the past several weeks, many of Flight Attendants received company emails regarding vacation adjustments for incorrect prior year vacation accrual. Most often, 2010 vacations days were over-projected, leaving members with the choice to either forego a planned and scheduled vacation, or keep the days off as credit without pay. While the company does make calculation errors that require correction, other times, a more thorough understanding of the accrual and projection process matched with your individual CMAS information leads to-voila!-the answer. Hint: it doesn’t hurt to have a calculator on hand to get to the bottom of it.
Company emails directed Flight Attendants to write to with questions, or to indicate which vacation option they would choose. Company representatives have been returning email inquiries and/or walking members through their calculation via phone, as necessary. Many of the email answers were unclear, however, leading to more confusion. If you received a Vacation Adjustment email and don’t understand where the discrepancy lies, want detailed instructions on how to resolve your vacation issue, or just want to learn more about the vacation accrual process, click HERE.
“THOSE DARNED TELE-MARKETERS! OH WAIT, IT’S SCHEDULING!”
Be aware that unfamiliar phone numbers may appear in Caller ID when you receive a call from Crew Scheduling. We have been advised that the company phone system’s out-dialer is tied to reservations. Apparently, a recent switch from the NWA 800 call center to the DL call center routes calls through an ATL server, effectively changing the number that shows up on your phone. The company is in the process of reprogramming this so most future Scheduling calls should appear from the regular 866-612-0001 number. Bottom line—and especially important for Reserves to note—that strange number on your phone could actually be a call from Crew Scheduling.
CAMI CABIN SAFETY WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE
The 2010 schedule for the Cabin Safety Workshops has been announced by the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, OK. These workshops are open to all flight attendants and provide an excellent opportunity to become updated on important research activitiesbeing conducted in the area of aircraft cabin safety.
The dates of the workshops include: April 13-15, June 15-17, August 3-5 and September 14-16. There are no fees for attending the workshops; however, participants are responsible for their own lodging, meals and transportation. We are currently working with Delta IFS to determine the possibility of positive space travel being made available to any FA interested in taking advantage of one of the sessions.
Click HERE for additional information on the current research topics to be presented and, importantly, the registration form required. Assignments to the workshops are awarded in the order that registration forms are received, so we encourage you to submit your interest now. You will find the workshops to be an invaluable experience!
~ submitted by ASHS Chair Jeanne Elliott
A VESTED INTEREST IN UNIFORM STANDARDS
On January 19th, your MEC Grievance Department and the Company arbitrated what has become known as, simply, The Vest Grievance. Shortly after last year’s introduction of the Richard Tyler collection, the company finalized an updated version of uniform standards. Delta now requires that the vest, a dress, or your jacket be worn at all time while working in BE class.
Previously, if the company required a specific garment be worn, they paid for it. The elimination of a required garment i.e., the old International Serving Jacket, in Business/First Class during past negotiations was seen as a win for the flight attendants and was tied to the elimination of International dry cleaning during concessionary bargaining.
Required attire in BE has returned with the new standards, but the only comfortable alternative is the vest. Not only do we have to pay for vest as an optional item, but we now have to clean it on our own dime, as well.
The “Vest Grievance” arbitrator was Sylvia Stratek. Witnessing for the union were New York Flight Attendant and Negotiator James Yung and Local 92 LECP and Purser Bob Cannatelli, who wore his jacket during an AMS trip, providing evidence of how filthy the jacket can get when worn during meal service. The company called Julie Showers out of retirement to testify on their behalf.
Oral briefs will be given on February 17. Customarily, a draft award is issued approximately six weeks after the submission of the briefs.
~ submitted by Grievance Vice Chair Patricia Reller
THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS
Delta May Shut Cincinnati Crew Base, Shift Flying ~ ABC News (02/02)
PILOTS’ VIEW
The Delta tradition includes a commitment to bargaining legally binding contracts-for the pilots. In our latest campaign video, two Delta pilots talk about the importance of representation to them and their profession, and why Delta flight attendants not only need, but deserve representation.
Click the TV or click HERE to watch the video. Please be sure to view, then register on the site, give it the highest rating possible, subscribe to future videos and share/forward it to your friends, family and others.