LETTER 16
Subject: Language of Destination
Reference: Section 6 - Scheduling
LETTER OF AGREEMENT
between
NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC.
and
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
in the service of
NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC.
as represented by
ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS - CWA, AFL-CIO
THIS AGREEMENT is entered into by and between Northwest Airlines, Inc. a Minnesota
Corporation (the "Company") and the Flight Attendants in the service of Northwest Airlines,
Inc. as represented by the Association of Flight Attendants - CWA, AFL-CIO (the
"Union").
In recognition of the need to meet certain operational necessities of cultural awareness
and language proficiency on international routes, the Company and the Union mutually
agree to implement a Language of Destination (hereinafter referred to as "LOD") Program.
The following is a list of provisions that will apply to a Flight Attendant LOD program:
1. Beginning January 1, 2007, the Company may designate one (1) position on all
aircraft (excluding military charters) between cities in North America and cities in
Asia as being reserved for award or assignment to language qualified Flight
Attendants, covered by this Agreement, who have volunteered or been hired to
participate in the Company's LOD program.
2. Beginning January 1, 2008, the Company may designate up to two (2) positions
on all wide body aircraft, including B747, A330 and B787 aircraft, and one (1)
position on all narrow body aircraft (excluding military charters) between:
a. cities in North America and cities outside North America, and
b. cities outside North America to another city outside North America,
excluding those flights that are currently operated with a combination of
Foreign National Flight Attendants and Flight Attendants covered by this
Agreement,
as being reserved for award or assignment to language qualified Flight Attendants
covered by this Agreement who have volunteered or been hired to participate in the
Company's LOD program.
3. Beginning January 1, 2009, the Company may designate up to three (3)
positions on B747 aircraft, two (2) positions on all other wide body aircraft, and one
(1) position on all narrow body aircraft (excluding military charters) operating
between:
a. cities in North America and cities outside North America, and
b. cities outside North America to another city outside North America,
excluding those flights that are currently operated with a combination of
Foreign National Flight Attendants and Flight Attendants covered by this
Agreement,
as being reserved for award or assignment to language qualified Flight Attendants
covered by the Agreement, who have volunteered or been hired to participate in
the Company's LOD program.
4. LOD positions shall be scheduled as follows:
a. LOD patterns may only be constructed for bid during the monthly PBS
bidding process. The Company shall not create additional LOD patterns
during the course of the month for flying which was built into the monthly
bid analysis. LOD patterns may be built during the course of the month for
flying that was not built into the monthly bid analysis e.g., extra sections and
charters.
b. A language designated position shall be identified by specific language on
all LOD patterns. Such designations shall be published in the analysis and on
pattern display in ACCESS/ATLAS. Such "syntax" shall be used by PBS and
CENTRY for bidding preferences and negations.
c. LOD qualified Flight Attendants shall be awarded LOD patterns in seniority
order to the extent that the PBS system is able to honor such requests.
d. A LOD qualified Flight Attendant shall be subject to assignment of open
LOD patterns. To the extent practical within the PBS system, such
assignments shall be made in reverse seniority order.
e. A LOD qualified Flight Attendant who is unable to complete a full line with
LOD patterns may be awarded or assigned non-LOD patterns as required to
build a complete full line.
f. As required to provide an adequate distribution of language coverage on all
language designated flights, the second (2nd) (or third (3rd)) language
position may not be included in the monthly analysis until the first (1st) (or
second (2nd)) language position on all LOD flights are included in the
monthly analysis.
g. To the extent practical, the PBS system shall optimize the award and
assignment of LOD positions to minimize the assignment of LOD positions.
h. LOD patterns that become open following the PBS monthly award process
shall remain on the Open Flying List for bid or assignment to a LOD qualified
Regular Flight Attendant until the Secondary Line Adjustment Period (SLAP)
the day before scheduled operation.
i. In the event a LOD position becomes available on a pattern, the most senior
LOD qualified Flight Attendant, who is not the Purser with the same
language qualification, holding a Regular Flight Attendant position on the
Flight Attendant crew shall be required to fill such open LOD
position. His/Her original pattern shall then be posted on the Open Flying
List as a Regular Flight Attendant pattern.
j. In the event a LOD position becomes available on a pattern where there are
no LOD qualified Flight Attendants on the Flight Attendant crew, the position
shall be posted on the Open Flying List as a LOD pattern.
k. Such pattern shall remain on the Open Flying List until it has been awarded
or assigned to an LOD qualified Flight Attendant prior to the completion of
the Secondary Line Adjustment Period (SLAP) immediately preceding the
date of the pattern departure, in accordance with Section 6.K. of this
Agreement.
l. In the event the pattern has not been awarded or assigned under
subparagraph 4.h., above, it shall be awarded or assigned during the
Secondary Line Adjustment Period (SLAP) immediately preceding the date
of the pattern departure in the following category order:
(1) LOD qualified Flight Attendant requesting such pattern in CENTRY,
in seniority order;
(2) Time available LOD qualified Flight Attendant (in reverse seniority
order);
(3) LOD qualified Reserve Flight Attendant, in accordance with Section
7.D.2. and 7.D.3. of this Agreement;
(4) Regular Flight Attendant requesting such pattern in CENTRY, in
seniority order;
(5) Time available Regular Flight Attendant, in reverse seniority order;
(6) Reserve Flight Attendant, in accordance with Section 7.D.2. and
7.D.3. of this Agreement.
m. Rescheduling of LOD qualified Flight Attendants shall be made in
accordance with the provisions of Section 6.L. of this Agreement, except
that a LOD qualified Flight Attendant may be selected, or bypassed, for
rescheduling to ensure that a LOD position remains filled. Such rescheduling
shall be offered in seniority order and assigned in reverse seniority order.
When a LOD qualified Flight Attendant who is part of the common crew is
rescheduled, the remaining crew members shall maintain their common
crew status.
n. A Purser qualified Flight Attendant may not be awarded or assigned a LOD
pattern during the monthly bid award process. However, he/she may be
awarded or assigned LOD patterns from the Open Flying List in accordance
with Section 6 of the Agreement.
5. Within six (6) months after initiation of the LOD program, the Company and the
Union shall meet to determine the feasibility of allowing combined Purser/LOD
bidding during the monthly PBS bid and award process. Should a solution be found,
it is understood that a language qualified Purser, who is awarded or assigned a
Purser position on a flight, shall not be considered as filling any of the LOD positions
on that flight.
6. Prior to the initiation of the LOD program the Company shall provide the Union with
an analysis of the number of LOD vacancies to be filled in the system.
7. In order to qualify for a position in the LOD program, a Flight Attendant must
successfully complete a Company established and administered language
qualification test. The Company shall proffer such testing at least once annually,
following initiation of the program, to permit additional Flight Attendants to qualify
for the program. Such qualification test may be administered periodically, either
individually or on a system-wide basis, to ensure that the qualification has been
maintained. "Language Qualification" equates to a Company designated level of
functional fluency.
8. The Company shall post available LOD program positions for bid by language
qualified Flight Attendants. Such postings shall not be less than sixty (60) days prior
to the bid deadline and the Company shall offer language qualification tests during
such sixty (60) days. The number of positions available shall be at the discretion of
the Company.
9. A Flight Attendant who is awarded a position in the LOD program may not withdraw
from the program for a period of six (6) months from the date he/she becomes
active in the program. A withdrawal shall not become effective until the first (1st)
day of the scheduling month that is at least sixty (60) days following the date such
written request for withdrawal is submitted to the Company.
10. As a condition of hire, a Flight Attendant may be required to participate in the LOD
program for his/her first (1st) five (5) years of service as a Flight Attendant. During
that period of service, such Flight Attendant shall not be eligible to bid for or be
awarded a Purser qualification.
11. No distinction shall be made between LOD Flight Attendants and non LOD Flight
Attendants except as provided herein.
12. Positions designated as LOD shall be traded only with patterns carrying the same
LOD, or a LOD Flight Attendant holding the same language qualification.
13. The Purser/LFA on each flight may assign LOD Flight Attendants to specific cabin
work positions to fill the designated language positions on a flight in accordance
with Company established guidelines and to best meet that flight's specific
passenger demographics.
14. Provisions for reimbursement for tuition for language classes taken by a Flight
Attendant shall be in accordance with the provisions in Section 3 of this
Agreement.
15. The Company shall periodically update the announcement manual for all languages
included in the LOD program. To the extent practical and necessary,
announcements for languages covered under the LOD program shall be prepared
both phonetically and in the alphabets native to the language.
16. Within six (6) months of ratification of this Agreement, the Company and the Union
shall meet and confer in an effort to develop or designate an online language
training program, which may assist Flight Attendants in developing or refreshing
a LQ skill.
Agreed to on this 18th day of June, 2007
FOR NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS - CWA, AFL-CIO
/s/ Julie Hagen Showers /s/ Patricia A. Friend
Vice President Labor Relations International President, AFA-CWA
/s/ Jay Hong
MEC President, AFA-CWA
/s/ Lovey Offerle
Negotiations Committee, AFA-CWA
/s/ James Yung
Negotiations Committee, AFA-CWA
/s/ David Barrow West
Negotiations Committee, AFA-CWA
/s/ Bruce Retrum
Negotiations Committee, AFA-CWA
/s/ Mark L. Littleton
Senior Staff Negotiator, AFA-CWA