Reserve Information Packet
Prepared
by: Debora Sutor (MEC Grievance Chair) & Armando Ramos (System Board
member). Updated (Sept, 2006) by Armando Ramos (System Board Member)
QFirst,
it’s very important that you Read and Understand your
contract new AFA-AE 2005!
QKnowing
your contract will allow you to challenge Crew Scheduling whenever you
believe they’re doing something wrong and it’s a violation of your
contractual rights.
QRemember;
when you talk to Crew Scheduling there are certain guidelines you must
follow:
·
Always, always, always get the name of the person you talk to and the
time and date of the call.
·
Avoid being disrespectful to the Scheduler. Sometimes they may be
disrespectful to you, but remember that all calls are recorded. If they
say you were rude and you weren’t, we can always go back and listen to
the tape to see who disrespected whom.
·
If
you’re told to go to the aircraft to do a flight, while on the phone
with a Scheduler, ensure it’s in your HI1 & HI3 before proceeding to the
aircraft. That is the only proof and documentation you’ll have, in the
event you have to defend yourself if something goes wrong. Ex. (pay
credit, etc.)
·
Print and save a new copy of your HI3 each time your schedule is
changed. Again, this will serve as proof of the history of your schedule
in the event something goes wrong.
QNow,
I’ll give you some definitions and examples of different situations.
1.“Check
out time” means the time a F/A is released from duty as set for the in
Section 7.B. of the Agreement, which normally will be fifteen minutes
(:15) after block-in of a flight or thirty minutes (:30) after block-in
of a flight where customs clearance is required.
Ex. If
your flight blocked-in at 15:25, your actual release time is 15:40. If
your flight blocked-in at 20:11 and you have to clear customs and
immigration, then your actual release time will be 20:41. You must also
remember to call crew scheduling to be released.
2.
“Schedule on Duty” means that you will not be scheduled to be on duty
more than 14 hours per duty period. However, you can be required to
remain on duty up to 16 hours if you experience weather or mechanical
problems or assigned new flying. (Section 7 paragraph C.1.)
Ex. This
means that your schedule, on paper can never exceed 14 hours however,
you may need to exceed the 14 hours in actual practice to accommodate
unforeseen circumstances such as weather or mechanical. You cannot
be on duty for more than 16 hours in actual practice. If you ever
find yourself in this situation, let Crew Scheduling know that you’re
about to be illegal for flight. Once you tell them, they will be held
responsible if they tell you that its OK for you to fly but you end up
with 16:01. Remember the conversations are taped. A detailed duty time
and rest chart can be found on the MEC website.
3. “Days
Off” –You are guaranteed 11 days off per month. When you are required to
fly on one of your guaranteed days off, the day off will be given back
to you in the same month when possible but no later than the following
month. You are not required to work more than two of your guaranteed
days off in any bid period. (Section 7 paragraph D.5.)
Ex.
Unfortunately the Company may Junior Man you to work on one or two of
your guaranteed minimum 11 days off. However, your day(s) off must be
given back to you that same month or next month at the latest. There is
an RF entry you must do in DECS to request your payback day or days off
(see RF message list on the last page). Additionally, your 11 guaranteed
minimum days off must be in your domicile.
4. As a
RSV F/A you are allowed to trade days off or days of availability with
other RSV F/A’s, pick up from Open Time, and you can also pick up a trip
from a line-holder on your days off and as long as it doesn’t create a
conflict your RSV duty. You can also engage in Optional Exchanges.
Ex. You
can swap your days off for another RSV Flight Attendants days off or,
you can swap your days of availability with another Reserve Flight
Attendants days of availability. This can help you to be flexible and
get days off that you need. You can also do a one way trade known as an
Optional Exchange. This means that you can help a fellow Reserve Flight
Attendant by simply picking up one of their days of availability and
working for them, thus giving them a day off they may need.
Additionally, if you pick up Open Time or a trip from another Flight
Attendant, you can still trade it, drop it or get another Flight
Attendant to work it for you, if something comes up after you’ve picked
up the time.
5.
“Golden Days” – means a set of three days off in domicile for Reserve
Flight Attendants that cannot be removed or changed by the Company or on
which a Flight Attendant cannot be otherwise made available for duty by
the Company.
Ex. While
Golden Days protect you from being involuntarily given an assignment by
the Company, you can pick up Open Time, pick up time from another Flight
Attendant or trade these days. When trading, keep in mind that Golden
Days may only be swapped as a complete set or block of days (Section
7.D.2.). You may not trade only one Golden Day. Please also be aware
that once you pick up Open Time or time from another Flight Attendant,
you will lose your protective status and will be considered to be
available. This means that while you may not be given additional Reserve
flying, you may be extended or Junior Manned in accordance with Section
8.K. of the agreement.
6.
“Junior Manning” is when the company involuntarily assigns you a trip on
your days off. You need to know and confront Crew Scheduling, if you’re
Junior Manned and believe you were not assigned correctly. Crew
Scheduling must follow the guidelines as listed under Section 8
paragraph K of the agreement. The checklist must be followed in the
exact order as listed in the contract as follows:
·
Flight
Attendant who have requested Sick Leave Make-up.
·
F/A who
have volunteered for drafting assignments and are in the drafting list
at the time of the assignment.
·
Available
RSV’s (on RAP, finishing a trip, not yet started a trip, etc. excluding
Airport Reserves in the domicile.
·
Available
RSV’s (on RAP, finishing a trip, not yet started a trip, etc) including
Airport Standbys in the domicile.
·
The most
junior available F/A in the domicile, on a day(s) off.
·
The
junior available F/A from another domicile, on a day(s) off.
Ex. This
one is common sense, if you’re on days off DON’T ANSWER YOUR PHONE, if
your caller ID shows those notorious words: “call one”, “unavailable”,
etc. When you’re on days off, you are not required to answer calls from
the company or return calls to Crew Scheduling and they don’t have to be
aware of your whereabouts. Once you have answered the phone however, and
Crew Scheduling has been able to make positive contact, you will have to
do the assignment. If you are Junior Manned, you will receive pay and
credit at 150% of you applicable hourly rate of pay for all of the hours
as set forth in Section 4. You can also find a more detailed checklist
for Junior Manning of the MEC website. It can be printed and you should
carry it with you.
7.
“Released from RSV duty” means when you’re on RSV duty at home, you may
request to be release for a period of time when there is adequate
staffing. (Section 9 paragraph B.3.)
Ex. If
you need to do your laundry or go to the supermarket, or whatever reason
you may have, you can call Crew Schedule and ask them to release you for
a few hours while you do your laundry or go grocery shopping. To be
honest with you, they will only do it if they have more than 20 F/A’s on
RSV duty at home. My advice to you is, get a cell phone or pager, pack
your bag and leave it in your car or ready at home, same with your
uniform and go out and “do your thing” whatever it might be. You may
also request to drop days of reserve availability. If approved by
swaps/drops, your monthly guarantee will be reduced by the value of a
reserve day(s) dropped or (3:45 hrs per day).
8. “Full
and Partial Releases” – Section 9.C.3. allows you to submit a preference
for a full or partial release.
Ex.- If
staffing permits, Crew scheduling may honor your request to be fully or
partially released from a day of Reserve availability. You should submit
this between the hours of 1000 and 1400 Central Time each day when
submitting a list of your preferences. A request honored under these
circumstances will not reduce your monthly guarantee.
9.
Reserve Day Slide – Section 9.J. allows you to “slide” the beginning or
end of a block of reserve days.
Ex.- Your
slide request should be granted so long as reserve coverage is not
comprised on the days you will now be off. If you are scheduled to be on
availability Tues. – Sat. in a given week, you can request to slide the
block of days to cover Sun. – Mon. If the slide is granted you will now
be on availability Sun. – Thurs. and you will have Fri. – Sat. off. You
will need to submit your request for reserve slide with an RF message.
(please see RF message list on the last page)
10. Time
Balancing – Section 9.C. references time balancing. It tells us that
with the exception of the first day of each bid period, Reserve Flight
Attendants will be placed on one list in inverse seniority order or
accumulated credited hours (i.e. least time flown is first on the list).
Ex – We
do not have a system of issuing assignments based on seniority or by
submitting proffers, unlike some Reserve systems you may have worked
under previously. Assignments are made based on least amount of credited
hours accumulated. You may however enter certain preferences of
assignments.
11.
Preferencing - We operate under a system in which, Reserve Flight
Attendants may submit a list of trips from open time that they would
prefer (known as a preference). You may also submit a preference for
Reserve Availability Periods, uncovered Airport
Reserve
Periods and full and partial releases. Preferences will be submitted
each day between 1000 and 1400 CST. Crew Scheduling will process reserve
assignments in least time accrued order assigning trips based on Flight
Attendant preferences while also taking your days of availability into
account. If you have preferenced for all three-day trips and you only
have two days of availability left, your preference will be passed over.
While the
contract does not require the Company to absolutely grant each Flight
Attendant’s preference it does require them to use their best efforts.
For example, if you are the Flight Attendant with the least time
accrued, thereby placing you first on the time balancing list, and you
preference for three different trips all of which you are legal and
available for, and do not receive any of them, you may be able to show
that crew scheduling did not use their best efforts to honor your
preference.
12. “Call
Out Time” Section 9.E. states: The minimum call-out period will be two
(2) hours prior to departure time.
Ex.
Remember that call out times for all domiciles is 2 hours. You
will have a maximum of 2 hours to report to the airport for your
assignment. Don’t let Crew Scheduling tell you otherwise. The Union has
had reports of Crew Scheduling calling a Reserve Flight Attendant, for
example, at 12:00 PM for a flight scheduled to depart at 2:00 PM. They
then advise the Flight Attendant that he/she has to sign in by 1:00 PM.
When the Flight Attendant objected, the scheduler claimed that this was
in accordance with the contract since it was now 12:00 and this is two
(2) hours prior to departure. THIS IS NOT CORRECT! AFA has discussed
this thoroughly with the Company and you have 2 hours to get to the
airport and sign in after you have been contacted by crew scheduling.
If you are able to make it to the airport before the two hours that
is great, but you are not required to. If giving you your contractually
required two-hour call out means that Crew Scheduling has to delay the
flight, then so be it. Make sure you perform your required safety checks
prior to boarding, even if you find yourself in this position and
rushed.
13.
Confused about RAPs and NAPs? It’s no wonder as the specifications are
not really spelled out in the contract. Section 7 paragraph E. of our
contract provides us with the applicable rest provisions for those of
pilots as set forth under Part 121 of the Federal Aviation Regulations
including any modifications thereto during the life of the Agreement.
What exactly does this mean to a new Flight Attendant who will be on
Reserve? FAR 121.471(b) establishes a 24 hour “look back” from the end
of a flight assignment during which appropriate rest must have been
scheduled. Reserve time, while not defined in the FARs, is generally
understood to be a period of time when a flight crewmember is not on
duty but must be available to report upon notice for a duty period.
Therefore, a Flight Attendant on Reserve could not be scheduled for or
accept a flight assignment unless at the end of the flight assignment
one could look back 24 hours and find the required amount of rest.
During a
24 hours period, a Flight Attendant must have a scheduled rest period of
9 hours which can be reduced to no less than a period of 8 hours. This
is also known as a NAP or “non availability period.”
Flight
Attendants can be assigned to an “availability” period that is 15 hours
in length but may not exceed a maximum period of 16 hours in length
during a 24 hour period. This is known as a RAP or “Reserve Availability
Period.”
Simple
math tells us if you add 8 (minimum reduced rest period) and 16 (maximum
scheduled availability period) it totals 24 (the amount of hours in the
look back period). These periods are examples of the bare
minimum/maximum requirements.
For a
more detailed explanation of RAPs and NAPs go to the MEC website and
print the article.
14. To
protect yourself in the event you are improperly assigned flying, during
or immediately after a 7-day conflict, please review the following:
·
You cannot fly 7 days in a row. You must be given one calendar
(not a 24 hour duty free period) off after working 6 consecutive days.
·
If you are unable to be returned to domicile and are placed into rest on
the 7th day in an outstation, due to cancellation, bad
weather, mechanical or a duty time limitation - it is considered just
that: rest and not a day off. Per section 2.P. of the collective
bargaining agreement “Day Off” means a period of time between the
hours of 0001 and 2400 based on local time at a Flight Attendants
domicile, when a Flight Attendant shall be free of all duty with
the Company.
·
Your “Day Off” will commence upon return to your domicile the following
day, regardless of any previously existing flying obligations. Follow up
with crew scheduling to ensure you have been given your required “Day
Off”.
·
All of your 11 minimum days off must be given at your domicile.
·
The removal code for a 7-day conflict is 7D. Reserve Flight Attendants,
please be sure to count any 7D codes in your HI1 as an off day; If you
are junior manned you may not qualify for a payback day.
·
If Crew Scheduling will not cooperate ask for a supervisor and/or see
your In-Flight Manager. Tell them AFA has informed you there is a
sideletter of understanding between Management and the Union and dated
July 15, 2002, in this matter and you are seeking your rights as
provided in this letter. Sideletter W of the CBA.
15.
The Association is pleased to notify you that we have reached a
settlement agreement in a dispute between the parties which was
challenged via an MEC grievance #22-99-2-43-01 “Assignment Past Standby
Reserve.” Please refer to Sideletter X of the CBA.
The
Grievance arose as a result of the Company’s action of assigning flying
to Airport Standby Reserves which departed more than forty-five minutes
past the end of their assigned Standby Reserve period. The Association
maintained this was in violation of Section 9, Paragraph F., of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Prior to
the actual arbitration of the case, the parties were able to reach a
settlement. To better assist you in understanding the terms of the
settlement, we offer the following examples of legal and illegal
assignments. It is also important to remember that Section 9.F.3.
requires assignments among Airport Reserve’s to be made in least time
accrued order.
Examples
of Legal Assignments For an Airport Reserve Shift Beginning
at
0530 and Ending at 1330
-
Flight Attendant is signed in for his/her Airport Reserve shift, is
contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following two day trip
in its entirety:
-
Flight Attendant is signed in for his/her Airport Reserve shift, is
contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following two day trip
in its entirety:
SEQ
8190 BASE ORD SEL 233 ORG SCH DOM EMJ
FA1 SMITH
M EMP NBR 123456
DT EQ
FLT STA DEP STA ARR AC FLY GTR GRD ACT
SKD 04 EB
4159 ORD 0810 GSP 1053 1.43 0.34
SKD 04 EB
4362 GSP 1127 ORD 1217 1.50 1.05
SKD 04 EB
4261 ORD 1322 PIT 1548 1.26 0.33
SKD 04 EB
4344 PIT 1621 ORD 1655 1.34 0.42
SKD 04 EB
4217 ORD 1737 CMI 1830 0.53
D/P SKD
7.26 P/C 0.00 TL 7.26
HALF DAY
COUNT CMI 4
SKD TL 7.26 ACT TL 0.00
SKD ONDUTY
11.35 ODL 13.12
SKD 05 EB
4401 CMI 0842 ORD 0934 0.52 0.45
SKD 05 EB
4201 ORD 1019 LSE 1117 0.58 0.33
SKD 05 EB
4202 LSE 1150 ORD 1246 0.56
D/P SKD
2.46 P/C 0.00 TL 2.46
SKD TL 2.46 ACT TL 0.00
SKD ONDUTY
5.04
SEQ SKD
10.12 P/C 0.00 TL 10.12 TAFB 29.51
This is a
legal assignment. The Flight Attendant’s duty day began at 0530 and was
scheduled to end at 1845 for a total scheduled duty time of 13 hours 45
minutes. The “assigned trip” was scheduled to depart no later than
forty-five minutes (:45) after the end of the Airport Reserve period.
Remember, we look at the departure time of the trip as a whole and not
the individual legs contained within sequence in this case to determine
if the “assigned trip” was given within the (:45) legal assignment
window.
1.
The Flight Attendant is signed in for his/her Airport Reserve shift, is
contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following work assignment:
SEQ
28217 BASE DFW DOM EMJ
FA1 SMITH
M
DT EQ FLT
STA DEP STA ARR AC FLY GTR GRD ACT
SKD 02 E5
3533 DFW 0645 LIT 0754 1.09 0.31
SKD 02 E5
3534 LIT 0825 DFW 0944 1.19 1.16
The
Flight Attendant completes this assignment and returns to domicile to
sit the remainder of the Airport Reserve shift. At 1230 he/she is
contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following new/additional
work assignment:
SEQ
6506 BASE DFW DOM EMJ
FA1 SMITH
M EMP NBR 123456
DT EQ FLT
STA DEP STA ARR AC FLY GTR GRD ACT
SKD 01 E5
3621 DFW 1410 LBB 1518 1.08 0.41
SKD
01 E5 3620 LBB 1610 DFW 1715 1.05 1.31
This is a
legal assignment. The Flight Attendant’s duty day began at 0530 and is
scheduled to end at 1730 for a total scheduled duty time of 12 hours.
The new/additional flying assigned departs 40 minutes after the
scheduled end time of the Airport Reserve shift, therefore it is within
the (:45) legal assignment window.
Examples
of Illegal Assignments For an Airport Reserve Shift Beginning
at
0530 and Ending at 1330
-
Flight Attendant is signed in for his/her Airport reserve shift and
is contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following work
assignment:
SEQ
7207 BASE SJU SEL 245 ORG SCH INT ATR
FA1 SMITH
M EMP NBR 123456
DT EQ
FLT STA DEP STA ARR AC FLY GTR GRD ACT
SKD 08 53
9564 SJU 1400 SDQ 1510 1.10 0.25
SKD 08 53
9844 SDQ 1535 SJU 1645 1.10 2.15
SKD 08 53
5384 SJU 1900 EIS 1942 0.42
D/P SKD
3.02 P/C 0.00 TL 3.02
HALF DAY
COUNT EIS 3
SKD TL 3.02 ACT TL 0.00
SKD ONDUTY
7.12 ODL 10.53
SKD 09 53
5379 EIS 0750 SJU 0831 0.41 1.29
The
assignment is not legal. Although it’s scheduled depart 30 minutes after
the scheduled end time of the Airport Reserve shift which of course, is
within the (:45) assignment window, the Flight Attendant’s duty day is
scheduled for over 14 hours. The Flight Attendant’s duty day began when
he/she signed in at 0530 and would be scheduled to end at 1957. This
would be a total scheduled duty time of 14 hours and 27 minutes and
would therefore not be legally assigned trip.
-
Flight Attendant is signed in for his/her Airport Reserve shift, is
contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following work
assignment:
SEQ
14104 BASE BOS DOM EMJ
FA1 SMITH
M EMP NBR 123456
DT EQ FLT
STA DEP STA ARR AC FLY GTR GRD ACT
SKD 04 EB
4638 BOS 0656 DCA 0830 1.34 2.30
SKD 04 E4
4546 DCA 1100 BOS 1215 1.15
D/P SKD
2.49 P/C 0.00 TL 2.49
SKD TL 2.49 ACT TL 0.00
SKD ONDUTY
6.34
SEQ SKD
2.49 P/C 0.00 TL 2.49 TAFB 6.34
The
Flight Attendant completes this assignment and returns to domicile to
sit the remainder of the Airport Reserve shift. At 1300 he/she is
contacted by crew scheduling and receives the following new/additional
work assignment:
SEQ
14036/15227 BASE BOS DOM EMJ
FA1 SMITH
M EMP NBR 123456
DT EQ
FLT STA DEP STA ARR AC FLY GTR GRD ACT
SKD 04 E4
4644 BOS 1420 BGR 1515 CH 0.55 0.30
SKD
04 E4 4649 BGR 1545 BOS 1640 CH 0.55 2.20
The assignment is not legal. Although the Flight Attendant’s total
scheduled duty time for the day is at legal at 11 hours and 25 minutes,
the new/additional flying is scheduled to depart 50 minutes past the end
of the scheduled Airport Reserve shift and has therefore exceeded the
(:45) legal assignment window.
The
following are some codes you’ll need while on Reserve that you should
keep with you as reference.
DECS codes:
HI1.………………..To see your current months schedule.
HI2.………………..To see your last months schedule prior to the opening of the
monthly schedule bid for the next month bidding, once bids for the next
month are final and closed this entry (HI2) will show you your next
month schedule.
HI3.………………..To see your current or last assignment.
HI4
…………………To see your last assignment, only works once you have begun or
signed in for your current assignment.
HI5.………………..To see your next assignment (only works after you confirm
your next day assignment).
HI6.………………..To retrieve your messages (HI6A & HI6P to print).
HI16……………….To retrieve your already read messages for that day.
HI*9.……………….To retrieve your qualifications record (after IOE).
HI12/month………To retrieve your actual monthly up to date per diem.
HI33/D/date/R …….To view RSV list
NS/flight# …………To view who your flight crew is
NST/flight#/date/base …..To view your crew with their nicknames
N3DO/base//date …………To view available open trips
N3DR/base//date …………To view at what time a particular trip opened
and why the trip became open.
N3D/base//date …….To see what individuals were awarded available open
time on any given day.
N4D/base/aircraft type/date ….Open time that includes the number of days
of scheduled flying, number of legs scheduled each day, and overnight
city.
RF 200
RSV ….To submit your reserve preferences for the next day coverage.
RF 200
TRAD ………To swap days off with another F/A (both F/A’s must do the same
entry in their individual personal mode).
RF 200
RTD ……………..To submit a request for a payback day.
RF
200(base) DROP ……………To submit a request to drop a whole RSV day (comes
out of your guarantee 75 hrs.) Example: RF 200D DROP ... means you are a
DFW F/A dropping a RSV day. RF 200M DROP …means you’re a MIA F/A
dropping a RSV day. Base codes: LGA=L, BOS=B, MIA=M, SJU=S, DFW=D, ORD=O
& LAX=X.
RF 200
DTT ……...To submit when you want to drop a trip or RSV day prior to
recurrent training.
RF 200
GOLD ……To submit when training conflicts during your Golden Days off.
RF 200
SWAP ……To submit a reserve swap within your own schedule.
RF 200
FULL……. To submit a request, for a full open time sequence pick up.
RF 200
PART…….To submit a request, for a partial open time sequence pick up.
RF 200
OUT……...To submit to pick up a sequence out of your base/domicile,
regardless of full or partial pick up.
HIPH/H/home
number…To add your home phone number (substitute the /H/ for /B/ to add
business phone number and /T/ to add temporary phone number)
The
Association hopes this packet will be of some help for you. The key to
avoiding stress while on RSV is to know your contract. Know your rights
and know what Crew Scheduling can and can’t do. If you’re new to “Eagle”
welcome, happy and safe flying!!!
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