November 2007

Topic: Compensation

Q: I am a line-holder this month and I picked-up a sequence of OT to be credited towards my sick bank. Due to weather conditions the whole sequence was canceled. Will my sick bank still be credited with 100% of the flight hrs., even though I was not able to fly the sequence?

A: Yes. Regardless of whether the OT you picked-up was for pay, make-up flying or to credit your sick bank, a line holder (regular, relief or part-time line) will be credited 100% of the hours that have been awarded. Reserve Flight Attendants however, must actually fly the OT hrs. in order to receive the credit.

Q: In August I was awarded a part-time line worth 42 hours of flying on the last half of the month. I picked-up 33 hours of OT on the first half of the month. When I received my check on August 15th I noticed that I had only been paid for 18.75 hrs. Since the total of the hours in my line plus the OT I picked-up is equal to 75 hours shouldn’t I be paid as if I had been awarded a 75 hour line?

A: No, for pay purposes you are considered a part-time Flight Attendant for that month. Regardless of whether you are a full time or part time line holder, OT will always be credited to your check at the end of the following month. On the 30^th of the next month (September) you will be paid for the OT that you picked-up at the beginning of August. We are paid current and any overage or undertime will be credited or deducted from your check at the end of the following month.

Q: On Thanksgiving I did an OE with another Flight Attendant who had been scheduled for a daily trip worth 5 hrs. and wanted to be off on Thanksgiving. When I received my check on December 30^th I realized that I had not been paid the holiday premium rate of 150%.

I e-mailed pay comp and their response was that because I had done an OE to get the trip that I was not eligible for the holiday premium. I worked on Thanksgiving and shouldn’t I be paid extra?

A: Yes. Section 4.M. of the CBA states “A Flight Attendant who was on duty on Christmas Day and/or Thanksgiving will receive one and one-half times her/his hourly pay rate as described above for all credit hours worked on such days.” So, no matter how you ended up with flying on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day you are always entitled to the holiday premium pay rate.

NOTE: Reserve Flight Attendants on an at-home RAP do not receive the premium rate unless they are assigned flying.

Q: I have just completed 13 years with the company and I looked at the pay scale in Section 4 of the CBA and noticed that there is no column for 13-14 yrs. of service. Will I receive a pay increase?

A: Yes – refer to Sideletter K. You will receive 2 pay increases - one on your Anniversary Date and another on the Date of Ratification/Date of Signing of the CBA as follows:

EXAMPLE:

DOR/DOS = October 27, 2005

Anniversary Date = March 6

· A 12 year Flight Attendant will receive on October 27, 2005 = $31.00.

· March 6, 2006 this F/A will receive an anniversary raise to $31.50.

· October 27, 2006 the F/A will then receive a DOS + 1 yr. raise to $31.81.

· March 6, 2006, they will then get an anniversary raise to $32.31

· October 27, 2007, the F/A will then get a DOS + 2 yrs. raise to $32.62.

· March 6, 2008 they will then receive an anniversary raise to $33.12.

· October 27.2008 the F/A will then receive DOS + 3 yrs. raise to $33.75.

· March 6, 2009, they will receive an anniversary raise to 34.25

NOTE: If you had already completed 13 or more years of service with the company at the DOS (Oct. 27 2005) then on that date every year you will automatically receive all the pay increases which have accumulated [$.50 (2005)+ $1.00 (2006)+ $1.50 (2007) + $2.00 (2008)] up to a maximum pay rate of $34.25 in 2009.

Q: My supervisor informed me that there was a suspicion that I had been drinking alcohol on duty. I was then sent to be tested for alcohol use. The test results came up negative. When I received my paycheck the following month I saw that I had not received the $10.00 compensation for drug and alcohol testing which is provided for in Section 4.J. of our CBA. Why didn’t I receive my $10.00?

A: Since the test was administered because alcohol use while on duty was suspected and therefore the test not random, you are not entitled to the drug and alcohol test pay. Only drug and alcohol tests which are administered randomly will qualify for the $10.00 additional compensation.

Q: I was overpaid in the amount of $500.00 and the Company deducted the total amount from my next pay check. Can payroll do this?

A: No they cannot. After much discussion between the Association and the Company, a Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed to and added to the CBA as Sideletter PP. The Company and Flight Attendant must come to a mutually agree to a repayment plan that is reasonable for both parties. There are some guidelines for the repayment amount; it may not total less then $25.00 per pay period and may not exceed more than 2 years in duration. The amount you have been overpaid is directly related to the repayment amount each pay period. For example, the higher the overpayment amount, the higher your re-payment amount. Meet with your Flight Service Manager to negotiate your repayment plan as soon as you have been notified of an overpayment.