AFA Debrief June 27, 2024
- Master Executive Council Summer Meeting
- End-of-Month 1-in-7 Conflicts for Reserves: If You Don’t Fix It, You Waive It!
- Calculating Holiday Pay
- AFA Celebrates PRIDE: Parade and Event Opportunities
Master Executive Council Summer Meeting
The United Master Executive Council Regular Meeting for Summer 2024 is scheduled to be held at the Hyatt Rosemont in Chicago from Tuesday, July 16th through Thursday, July 18th. During this meeting, your Local Council President, along with the 13 other Local Council Presidents representing the various Councils in our Union, will discuss important Union matters.
We welcome all Members in good standing to join us at this meeting and participate in our democratic process. Complimentary shuttles are available from the Chicago ORD to the Hyatt Rosemont every 30 minutes (at the:15 and 45) and depart from the hotel pickup area at the ground level of Terminal 2.
End-of-Month 1-in-7 Conflicts for Reserves: If You Don’t Fix It, You Waive It!
MEC Reserve Committee
Whenever a Reserve is not scheduled with at least one (1) calendar day off at their home domicile in any consecutive seven (7) day period due to the convergence of monthly schedules, Sections 6.P.3. and 8.I.2. of the Contract provide the Flight Attendant with the ability to decide if and how they would like to resolve the schedule conflict. However, it is important to remember that this is one instance where if you do not take action to fix the legality, it is considered automatically waived! This must be done prior to the first day of the new schedule month in one of the following ways:
- Flight Attendants should contact Inflight Scheduling prior to the first day of the schedule month for rescheduling.
- Flight Attendants may move a day off from later in the month to resolve the 1-in-7 conflict. The Flight Attendant may indicate preferences as to which day off in the new month will be moved, and these preferences will be considered, if possible.
- For the purpose of complying with the 1-in-7 limitation, a Reserve may be released (RLSD) from a day of availability. However, this is employed only as a last resort.
- If the Flight Attendant will be a Lineholder in the new month, she/he will work with scheduling to adjust the schedule. If it is necessary to drop a trip to resolve the 1-in-7 conflict, the Flight Attendant’s preference as to which pairing is to be dropped will be subject to the concurrence of the Flight Attendant and Inflight Scheduling. In the event of a failure to reach agreement, the pairing to be dropped will be subject to the approval of the Crew Resource Manager/designee.
NOTE: A Flight Attendant who contacts crew scheduling and indicates she/he does not wish to waive the 1-in-7 must have the conflict resolved during that call. Flight Attendants should not be told to “wait” to resolve the conflict at a later date, that the “pool numbers” will not allow for a day off to be moved, or that there are “no legal trade options.” If you find yourself faced with these explanations, contact your Local Council Reserve or Grievance Committee for assistance in resolving this matter before the first day of the schedule month.
- Alternatively, Flight Attendants may “self-trade” to correct the 1-in-7 by trading days off either mutually with another Reserve or with the Reserve Pool during the Open Time trade windows. There is no requirement for Flight Attendants to first attempt a self-trade prior to contacting scheduling.
If a Flight Attendant would prefer to leave the scheduled days of availability as awarded, she/he may choose to waive the 1-in-7 legality by doing nothing. If the Flight Attendant does not contact crew scheduling before the first day of the new bid month, the 1-in-7 is considered automatically waived. Keep in mind that, even if the 1-in-7 Contractual legality is waived, the 24-in-7 FAR must still be satisfied with a 24-hour period free-from-duty in the consecutive seven (7) days. Unlike with the 1-in-7, the FAR can be satisfied by 24 hours free-from-duty at a layover point in both the domestic AND international operations.
NOTE: The 24-in-7 federal aviation regulation may not be waived by a Flight Attendant or the company.
If you have additional questions, please contact your Local Council office.
Calculating Holiday Pay
We remind everyone of the upcoming U.S. Contractual holiday, Independence Day (July 4th) as set forth in Section 2.Q of our Contract. Flight Attendants receive additional pay for flight assignments flown and training assignments (CQ) occurring on, or over designated holidays. As a reminder, Flight Attendants are eligible to be paid for a maximum of five (5) holidays per year, one of which includes the Flight Attendant’s birthday.
Holiday Pay is calculated using a formula as defined in Section 4.I of our Contract:
- Hourly rate of pay times
- The credited flight time for the pairing
- Divided by the number of hours away from home
- Times the number of hours away from home falling with the holiday
Note: Premium pay is not included when determining holiday pay.
There are also a few additional considerations for Reserves:
- Reserves are eligible for holiday pay unless released on a holiday then no holiday pay is paid
- If you are assigned to Ready Reserve status and you do not fly, holiday pay is credited at 4:27 in a 30-day month or 4:13 in a 31-day month at the applicable hourly rate of pay for the Reserve
- The Reserve daily rate for holiday pay is different than the Reserve daily value used for other purposes
- For additional details, see the latest revision of the Reserve Survival Guide
AFA Celebrates PRIDE: Parade and Event Opportunities
Throughout the month, there have been celebrations, remembrances, and events to honor the contributions and history of the LGBTQ+ community.
To promote and support opportunities for PRIDE events AFA-CWA has partnered with Pride at Work. AFA will be at events in some of our major cities such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. If you are interested in learning more about a Pride Parade or event in your community or base, please fill out the form here.
As we come to the end of PRIDE Month, we reaffirm our commitment to work together to promote inclusivity, challenge discrimination, and foster a culture of acceptance and understanding within our Union and the broader community. We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ members and allies, advocating for equal rights, fair treatment, and respect for all individuals.
Reminders:
JUNE- Pride Month
JULY 1–7 - Holiday Absence Certificate Required
JULY 4 – Independence Day (Paid Holiday U.S. and GUM)
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