Council 12 - Los Angeles
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Council Information
Dante Harris
President
Phone: 818-415-8190
Fax: 877-818-3043
Home Address: PO Box 7401, Burbank CA 91510
Email: Dante@afalax.org
John Palumbo
Council Representative
Phone: 310-200-2854
Email: John@afalax.org
Latest News
The information below is maintained and updated by your Local Council.
Missing Your Contract?
[06.18.10] — Our Flight Attendant Contract is akin to the owner's manual for your vehicle. Would you keep the owner's manual at home, in the closet, or in a desk drawer? Or, would you attempt to concoct a recipe you've never cooked up without a recipe book in hand as reference? The answer to both of these questions is: probably not.
The FAOM and The Contract — The Rules and The Protections
Our FAOM (Flight Attendant Operations Manual) is a requirement for us to have with us on each trip (FAA Regulation and Company Policy). The FAOM ensures we adhere to Federal Law and the mandates of our FAA certification. The FAOM looks out for the safety of commercial aviation, the airline and the traveling public. Flight Attendants are unable to legally fly without the FAOM, and we report to work with it consistently.
Our CONTRACT (aka the Collective Bargaining Agreement), on the other hand, is not a requirement to carry with us, but it differs from the FAOM because it protects US. Our Contract stipulates the manner in which we can be scheduled, defines how we get paid, and limits the process in which we are rescheduled. The Contract also provides us with hotel safety & security oversight, and dictates how management administers our benefits (medical, dental, maternity, sick leave, etc).
The Contract determines our entire work life — in about 5" X 6"
Each day, Flight Attendants come across many legalities that no one is expected to remember off the top of their head. Our Contract is minimal in size — it measures about 5 inches by 6 inches — yet it single-handedly determines our entire work lives at United Airlines. Our Contract is a living document (just like a will or a trust), and is filled with protections that were fought for by Flight Attendants throughout the decades.Some report to work without our "owner's manual" in our tote or suitcase, and are left to blindly go by what crew scheduling provides — we are literally "in the dark." There are many situations where Flight Attendants cite Contract reference to dispel the assertions that "they're legal" for a reassignment in the operation. Yet others are sometimes fooled into waiving legalities, or duped into forgoing rights afforded to them by our Contract by virtue of being oblivious or unaware.
Having your Contract with you at all times isn't a luxury; it's a right afforded to you by our union membership. Without it, management and crew scheduling would have "carte blanche" over every aspect of our work life — a scenario we fortunately never have to contemplate. The rights and protections of our Contract are sometimes taken for granted, so to be certain we never become complacent, we should always have our personal copy in our possession at all times when we're on duty. Section 4.C. of our Contract requires the company to provide each Flight Attendant with a copy of our Contract. Copies can be obtained at the Domicile Coordinator's Desk.
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