Summary of Issues – Achieved and Defeated

2012-2016 Contract

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From day one of our Section 6 Negotiations management has aggressively pursued concessionary proposals designed to promote productivity for the company to the detriment of Flight Attendants.  Our AFA Negotiating Committee has remained steadfast in our commitment to preserve our quality of life, our pay protections and negotiate flexibility at a Flight Attendant’s option, not management’s. 

We have defeated management’s concessionary approach from preservation of work rules, pay protections, and healthcare to scheduling, hotels and job protections.  With the support of United AFA Members the leadership entered into the 12 week Expedited Mediation – the new program with oversight by the National Mediation Board – narrowing our issues to the 12 highest priorities of United Flight Attendants and knocking many of management’s concessionary proposals off the table as their issues had to be reduced to 12 as well.

As you consider this Tentative Agreement consider not only what it includes, but also what is not included.  This Tentative Agreement is not the final product of what we have been working so hard to achieve.  It is a process we used that did not exist before.  Through your solidarity and demand for improvements we reached this stepping stone with immediate improvements now and the foundation upon which we can build our Negotiations for a Single Contract, together with our Sisters and Brothers from Continental and Continental Micronesia.  The improvements here are real and immediate, but are only the first step.  This tentative is only the beginning.

Additional information and opportunities for full review will be provided throughout this process.

United Major Issues Not Achieved through Expedited Mediation

United Management Major Issues

Concept Management Agenda AFA Achievement
Reserve Moveable
Days Off		 1st day in block may be moved to 1st day of next block of days on Current book.
Duty Time Maximums Increase Duty Day Maximum – Domestic
Scheduled – 14:00
Actual – 16:00		 Current book.
Hotels Eliminate downtown hotels
Eliminate requirement for food on property.
Increase time for hotel room on sits.
Eliminate Hotel Standards Agreement.		 Current book.
Legal Rest International Delete over 14:00 category.
After 10:00 hours – Place of lodging minimum reduced to 18:00 hours
Rest – Between Japan and U.S.
Place of lodging minimum reduced to 18:00 hours		 Current book.
PTO Eliminate Current book.
Deadheading Economy booking Current book.
Holidays Eliminate birthday Current book.
Special Leaves Option to avoid full benefits of Voluntary Furlough Current book.
1 for 2 hours duty time Eliminate Current book
Minimum 5 hours per one duty period Eliminate Current book
Minimum 5 hour average multiple day IDs Eliminate Current book
1 for 3.5 hrs time away from home Eliminate Current book

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Summary of Major Issues Discussed in Negotiations

Concept Issues Brought to Table Final Agreement
Duration 3 years from DOS
Expedited Mediation Protocol and Related Agreements		 4 years from DOS
Hourly Rates of Pay Improve total compensation and align pay scales: 
ACHIEVED
  • Immediate Wage Increase
  • 10.0% immediate across the board increase effective date of signing (“DOS”).
  • Domestic Rates of Pay
  • 2.0% across the board increase effective first anniversary of DOS.
  • 2.5% across the board increase effective second anniversary of DOS.
  • 2.5% across the board increase effective third anniversary of DOS
  • International Rates of Pay
  • 2.0% across the board increase effective first anniversary of DOS.
  • 1.5% across the board increase effective second anniversary of DOS.
  • 1.5% across the board increase effective third anniversary of DOS
Increase guaranteed minimum pay:
  • Lineholder:  71 hours
  • Reserve:  78 hours
Signing Bonus Achieve single payment for late Contract
ACHIEVED		 $5,000 USD
All Flight Attendants Receive
Early Out Provide opportunity to retire early while providing for improved job security and quality of worklife for Flight Attendants through organic seniority improvements.
ACHIEVED
  • Eligibility:  At least 15 years of service as a Flight Attendant.
  • Eligible for Signing Bonus
  • No age restriction.
  • Pay-out: 
  • $2,400 per full year of service as a Flight Attendant, up to a maximum of $60,000.  Minimum $36,000.
  • Pay-out over and above $5,000 Signing Bonus.
  • Pass Travel: 
  • Retiree pass travel upon reaching age requirement; bridge NRSA travel until eligible for retiree passes, if eligible.
  • COBRA:
  • UAL will subsidize COBRA premiums for first 3 months, Flight Attendant premium not to exceed active rate.
Involuntary Furlough Protection ACHIEVED Protection against involuntary furlough as a direct result of modifications in the new Agreement.

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Concept Issues Brought to Table Final Agreement
Cross-over Program Improve original UAL proposed cross-over
ACHIEVED
  • Voluntary
  • One time right to revoke bid after award
  • Right to return to United in event of layoff at Continental
  • Ability to preference Continental base
  • Retain and accrue United seniority while working at Continental
  • No impact on relative position on integrated seniority list
  • Paid at Continental pay rates based on United years of service
  • Crossover date of award and acceptance determines bid seniority while at Continental
Reserve Monthly Guarantee Improve Guaranteed Minimum Compensation
ACHIEVED
  • 78 hours
Value of a Reserve day
  • 30 day month – 4:20
  • 31 day month – 4:07
Per Diem Improve Expenses
ACHIEVED		 Domestic
  • DOS  $1.73
  • DOS +1  $1.95
International
  • DOS  $2.13
  • DOS +1  $2.50
Flight Time and Bid Line Limitations Increase Line of Flying averages, eliminate quarterly system, and increase opting thresholds.
ACCOMPLISHED IN FLIGHT ATTENDANT FRIENDLY MANNER
  • No limit on Lineholders voluntarily picking up trips.
  •  
  • Unlimited voluntary opting for Reserves.
Line of Flying Maximum 95Opts:100/100+Line of Flying Average 88
Legal Rest Improve minimum Legal Rest provisions for Domestic and International
ACHIEVED		 Flight Attendant’s shall be given a Legal Rest equal to, or greater than, those domestic duty periods that exceed 10:30. 

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Concept Issues Brought to Table Final Agreement
Reserve Assignments & Special Reserve Legalities  Improve Reserve control over schedule, quality of life and compensation.
 ACHIEVED
  • Industry-leading preferencing system for Call-in Reserves
  • Limited Ready Reserve preferencing system.
  • Minimum of 12 days off (non-movable) every bid month.
  • Reserve Lines of Flying may be built with up to 16 days off (with proportionate reduction to guarantee), at company discretion.  Reserves who did not bid for a line with more days off can have their availability days and guarantee restored. No one will be forced into a line with more than 12 days off.
  • Once assigned an ID, Reserve may trade with another Flight Attendant for an ID of the same number of days, departing same day, within 2 hours credit time (auto op if higher value).
  • Once assigned an ID, may trade the ID for days off with a Lineholder (reduced guarantee based on days vacated).
  • Unlimited voluntary opting.
  • Reserves paid for every vacation day within the vacation period (instead of just the Reserve days).
  • Reserve Guarantee: 78 hours
Value of a Reserve day:
  • 30 day month – 4:20
  • 31 day month – 4:07
Establish 0900 sick leave call off for Ready Reserves.
Vacation and Sick Leave Accruals for Low-Time Fliers Eliminate Vacation and Sick Leave accruals. Maintain current book on maximum number of vacation days.Modify accrual formula to provide for 1/24th vacation accrual for every 16:15 credited hours/quarter.  1 hour of training counted as 1 credited hourNo vacation accrual if no credited hours/monthImproved Sick Leave Accrual

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Concept Issues Brought to Table Final Agreement
Legalities Eliminate 8 in 24 and
30 in 7.
ACCOMPLISHED IN FLIGHT ATTENDANT FRIENDLY MANNER		 Agreed to 8:30 in 24 (Flight Attendant option to waive)
Maintain subsequent 16 hour rest and eliminated interim 2 for 1 rest
Legal Rest maintained through improved Legal Rest provision Legal Rest equal to, or greater than, those domestic duty periods that exceed 10:30. 
Agreed to 35 in 7 (Flight Attendant option to waive).
Schedule Flexibility Improve Flight Attendant schedule flexibility.
ACHIEVED
  • 2.5 hours extra pay if drafted.
  • UAL may offer 5 for 1 pay, regardless of location, in exchange for Flight Attendants’ voluntary waiver of intl duty limitations, incl Hawaii.
  • Operational Reliability Incentive of five (5) hours incentive pay if Company requests Flight Attendant to waive minimum Contractual Legal Rest to FAR minimum legal rest of 8 hours on domestic layovers, with 10 hours’ rest within 24 hours
  • Jetway trades (within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, plus HKG, NRT, FRA, and LHR).
  • Ability of Lineholders to preference (instead of having to indicate specific ID) when requesting Trip Trades with Open Flying (TTOF).
  • 25% increase in minimum guaranteed trade daily allotment
  • Eliminate the “fence” between international and domestic allocations, so that unused international allocation may also be used by domestic Flight Attendants. 
  • These improvements also increase the daily allocation for same day trades.
  • Charter trades based on seniority vs. first-come first-serve.
  • Company will advise Flight Attendant of the reassignment before giving option to decline. Trip must return with 22 hours of original.
  • Specific priority for Partnership open flying requests.
  • When Flight Attendant has an invalid open flying priority, request considered at lowest priority.
  • Lineholder and Reserve may trade trips
  • Reserves may trade trips
  • Reserve may RDO trips with Lineholders
  • Lineholders who pick up open flying during limited critical coverage will receive time and one-half pay, without having to remain available for 2-hour standby period.

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Concept Issues Brought to Table Final Agreement
Language Reserves Eliminate dispute LOA on page 251. Allow UAL to build language Qualified Reserve Lines of Flying.
Vacation Pay Increase pay and pay for every day of vacation for Reserve.
ACHIEVED		 Year 1 - 2:45 hour per day
Year 2 - 3:00 per day
Year 3 - 3:00/3:15 per day
Sick Leave Improve general Sick Leave provisions, including Occupational Benefits and associated attendance points.
ACHIEVED
  • Increase maximum accrual from 950 to 1,000 hours.
  • Additional accrual of 1.5 hours per quarter if Flight Attendant has 234 hours (actual, deadhead, and vacation) during quarter (234 is based on 78 hour Reserve guarantee for three months).
  • Credited with a combination of flight time credit and sick leave credit up to the value of line instead of current book 97/100 hours. Flight Attendants will be paid full value.
  • Increase minimum hour option when on sick leave an entire month to 71 hours.
  • No attendance points for any absence that is a result of verified unannounced clear air turbulence or sudden aircraft movement, passenger assault, emergency evacuations, aircraft accident, hijacking or sabotage.
  • Option to have direct deposit of Workers’ Compensation payments to financial institutions in the U.S.
  • Commitment to request its Workers’ Compensation vendor to provide detailed statements showing both TTD payments and reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical expenses.
401(k) Improve defined contribution program
  • New ROTH option
  • Higher wage rates provide increased Company direct and matching contributions

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