Reserve Committee
Reserves
Chair:
Karen Jay kjay@nwaafa.org
Vice Chair:
Reserve Quick Reference Guides
- Contract Quick Reference Guide
- Reserve Trip Quick Reference Guide
- FA CENTRY Manual
- Please send a narrative report to your LEC officers/Local Reserve Committee Chair and the MEC Reserve Committee Chair at ;
- If possible at the time of pattern assignment, please print the Reserve Availablility/Credit Hours list from the Reserve menu in ACCESS and submit that as evidence – once that list is gone, we cannot recover it;
- If in doubt about the legality of a RSV pattern assignment, ask for a “review of crew orders.”
Latest Reserve News
Holiday Staffing & Trades
December 4, 2009 - The busy Thanksgiving Holiday is behind us and, by most accounts, the operation during the long weekend was relatively smooth. The Company has informed us that trip drops for lineholders were granted on and around Thanksgiving, and releases for reserves were offered - a very rare scenario in holiday periods of recent years.
A number of our fellow Flight Attendants have asked; ”Why aren’t reserves flying as much as we used to fly?” As we approach the Christmas and New Year Holiday, we are experiencing the historical calm before the storm with open flying and reserve utilization. In addition, the PBS system now assigns 100% of known flying, and there is no longer a cap on our monthly maximum line value. The more each of us pick up, the less there is to assign to reserves. Moreover, we continue to be in an overstaffed situation during an industry downturn and with all of the capacity reductions made in recent months by Delta.
While some reserves may be flying fewer hours while on call, AFA has worked with the Company on ways to offset potential involuntary furloughs. SLIP leaves continue to be offered, and a Split Line flying program was negotiated and will be implemented in January along with Company Convenience Leaves to help manage the overage of flight attendants. RIAs and OWTs are two options that are now available for reserves to supplement their 80 hour reserve guarantee, (RIAs are always being paid above guarantee). For the rest of this piece in the MEC Hotline, click HERE.
Posted by jrook on 12/04 at 09:15 PMOPR Lounge Grievance Settlement - 09NOV09
Click HERE for OPR Lounge Settlement.
For a printable version of below hotline piece click HERE.
This week, your AFA-MEC Grievance Committee reached a settlement with the Company over the issue of providing dedicated OPR (On Premise Reserve) lounges at each of our domestic bases. In brief, the Union has secured OPR-only lounges at all NWA bases.
An MEC grievance had been filed earlier this year over the Company’s failure to provide for OPR-only lounges at all of our bases. While some bases did provide dedicated OPR-only lounges, other bases did not. The lack of OPR-only space created a hardship for OPRs at those bases.
This issue was mediated in front of an arbitrator earlier this year, and based upon the outcome of that mediation session, the AFA slated this issue for arbitration. Although the grievance did not go to arbitration, we did meet with arbitrator assigned to the case, Margie Brogan, who assisted the parties in crafting an interim settlement agreement.
The settlement agreement provides for the Company to continue the practice of providing for OPR-only lounges in those bases where the practice was already established. In addition to continuing the practice in those bases, the Company has agreed to establish an OPR-only lounge in LAX, and at both DTW and LGA, in conjunction with a refurbishment and redesign of the existing in-flight facilities at both of those bases.
The Company agreed to offer JFK based OPR flight attendants the option of using the existing JFK OPR-only lounge, or using the JFK Delta In-Flight Services lounge. Also, in MEM, the OPR-only lounge, recently created as a part of the refurbishment of that base’s Inflight Service facilities, will be more clearly marked. The Company also committed to providing adequate, comfortable furniture in each of the lounges.
If all goes according to plan, all of the new and renovated OPR-only lounges at all bases should be available to our Reserves by January, 2010. The AFA reserved the right to have arbitrator Brogan retain jurisdiction over the implementation of this agreement, and to be available to the parties should a dispute arise before the Company fully implements the terms of the agreement.
The Union is happy that it was able to urge the Company to provide OPRs with the facilities necessary for them to properly and confortably perform their duties. - Greg Riffle, MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson
Posted by jrook on 11/12 at 12:03 PMSplit Lines - Now January 2010 Launch
SPLIT LINES - FOR RESERVES AND REGULAR LINEHOLDERS
Due to all the merger related programming, the company was unable to complete all the Split Line programming that is necessary for a November launch of the new Split Line Program. That means the program is now scheduled to launch in January, since we don’t want to make the December bidding any more complicated or stressful than it already can be for all of us. In the meantime, please read over Letter of Agreement 41 for details about this new program. I’ve spoken to a lot of Reserves while commuting to the MEC office in MSP and many don’t yet realize that both Regular and Reserve lineholders will be eligible to bid for this new program. LOA 41can be found on the Negotiations Committee page or click here: http://www.nwaafa.org/docs/contract/LOA_41_Split_Line_Program03SEP09.pdf. - MEC President Janette Rook
August 2009 Grievance - RIA & Your Guarantee
Last week, MEC Grievance Chairperson Greg Riffle filed an et al MEC Grievance over the Company’s announcement, in the September PBS cover letters, that the loss of a Reserve Increase Adjustment (RIA), due to sick or leave, would cause your Reserve Guarantee to be reduced as well.
Although there is contract language that says your Reserve Guarantee will be reduced for any flight time lost, that language has historic content and application. As we all know and are familiar with, a reserve line is made up of a series of duty days and off days. If you lose flight time due to unavailability on your reserve duty days, your guarantee has always been reduced.
However, an RIA is not a reserve trip assignment given to you by a crew scheduler on your duty days. By our contract, it must operate wholly on your days off, and the hours are isolated from your guarantee and most legalities. Therefore, we disagree with the Company’s decision to reduce your Reserve Guarantee for unavailability for an RIA picked up on your days off, and believe that should have no impact on your Reserve Guarantee. We will keep you posted on the progress of this grievance.
Our Efforts To Address On Premise Reserve Concerns
July 1, 2009
MEC President Janette Rook, Vice President Daniel Grey and MEC Grievance Committee Chair Greg Riffle met with the Scheduling Department this week to review member feedback and discuss improvements, following the June 1 start of On Premise Reserve (OPR) for pre-merger Northwest flight attendants.
OPR was implemented in conjunction with the elimination of the 2.5 to 8 hour call. Below is a progress report of the OPR system and efforts to improve Reserve satisfaction with the program, based on our meeting on Monday:
- A substantial reduction of OPR patterns has been realized going forward. Most bases are down to 1 OPR flight attendant per time slot. Larger bases like DTW, MEM and MSP have between 3-8 times slots, while all other bases currently have a maximum of 3 OPR slots per day. Please visit the Reserve Committee page for past and current OPR Planned Start Times/Patterns. OPR start times and number of patterns can change based upon operational needs.
- The MEM 1800-0000 OPR shift was eliminated due to your feedback regarding safety concerns. The last OPR for MEM will now end at 2200 when airport operations and the B concourse close.
- A future programming change is almost complete, that will allow a shift preference for flight attendants forced to serve OPR. This will NOT be counted as a preferenced OPR and therefore counts towards the maximum of 3 forced OPR patterns allowed per month.
- There was a commitment from the Company to address OPR lounge issues. One ongoing member and AFA issue involves OPR lounges that are shared with an already existing flight attendant quiet room. MSP and DTW are scheduled for crew lounge renovations beginning late summer in MSP; some bases are integrating with larger DL IFS lounges which may help provide a dedicated OPR lounge, however we are committed to addressing this issue as quickly as possible for our members.
- The contractually required pagers or mobile phones are not working in some areas. Some stations issue pagers that do not receive a signal in the IFS lounge, but do work in all other airport areas. New pagers are being shipped at time of writing. Please note: OPR flight attendants are not required to remain in the check in area if pagers do not work.
- The company reiterated their goal to make OPR productive and more attractive for Reserves.
AFA will continue to monitor OPR usage in all bases to ensure contractual compliance. Please continue to report all OPR issues to your Local Executive Council Officers. For complete contractual reference and OPR guidelines, click on the Reserve page of the NWA-AFA website at http://www.nwaafa.org/committees/reserve/.
Joint AFA & NWA Scheduling Survey
21 October 2008
A joint Flight Attendant Scheduling Survey was developed through Union and Company cooperation. This joint initiative demonstrates the correct way to survey unionized flight attendants, by working with their certified bargaining agent. We would like to extend our appreciation to all AFA Scheduling and Reserve Committee volunteers, as well as the Company representatives who worked diligently on the survey.
There have been many changes to the flight attendant profession at NWA, and AFA and the Company recognize that these changes have significantly affected your work schedules. To get a better picture of your scheduling preferences in this new environment, we have worked together to produce a survey designed to solicit your input in the areas of pattern construction and bidding of schedules. It is our hope that all flight attendants will participate, thus giving us the most accurate data base from which to make future pattern construction and computer bidding decisions.
Although there are contractual, federal, operational and economic requirements to be considered with the construction of patterns and PBS bidding, where and when there is flexibility, we want to be sure that your true priorities are taken into account. You’ll see that many questions will require you to prioritize your preferences. This technique is required since in the pattern construction world it is sometimes true that ‘improving’ one pattern characteristic can negatively impact a second pattern characteristic. We also recognize that what is a priority at one base on a particular aircraft type, may not be a priority at another. We are therefore exploring whether there is a reasonable way (both technically and practically) to apply different pattern characteristics to different bases.
Only one survey will be allowed per flight attendant; your last entry will be the one that counts. Both AFA and the company will have access to the raw data produced from the survey. The MEC Scheduling Committee will work with the Company toward analyzing your input to present viable changes to pattern construction whenever possible. The survey will remain open on ATLAS under “Hotlinks” until November 15, 2008.
Posted by jrook on 10/21 at 06:01 PMReserve SILO Processing Implemented
Last week the Company implemented several new contract items, including the SILO language for Reserve pattern assignment (Section 7.D.2.). It has since been reported that the implementation of SILO is creating serious problems for some RSV flight attendants.
Reserves must be watchful of contractual violations associated with SILO processing and should contact Scheduling and Union officers to record and track violations.
Your Reserve Committee and LEC officers need information about what impact SILO is having so we may act as quickly as possible to solve these problems with Scheduling and/or begin the grievance process. Please familiarize yourself with Section 7.D.2. so you are better able to determine the effect SILO is having on your RSV line.
A new Reserve Incident Reporting form is being developed and will be available soon on the Reserve Committee page of our website, nwaafa.org. Until the interactive form is online:
Your participation in providing us with this information is critical to improving SILO processing for Reserves.