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Critical Coverage Highlights Continued Management Failures

See also: Furlough Recall Notification and Information

As a result of additional failures by United management, the company finds itself in a position of being critically short on Flight Attendants at the end of the August schedule month. AFA, through the MEC Officers and the Central Schedule Committee has repeatedly made recommendations to optimally use the Contractual provisions available to cover all known flying and avoid critical scheduling harmful to our airline and our Members. As early as August 31, 2003, over a year ago, we had discussions over the large number of Flight Attendants being furloughed and registered our concerns. Since that time we have continuously sought additional information and responses to our recommendations to no avail. Our concerns include:

• Developing a coverage plan that continually depends on the use of high time lines to fly the schedule.
• Construction of IDs that push the outer edge of Contractual limits and increase the probability that the ID will not be flown as scheduled.
• Construction of IDs in this manner and high line averages increase the likelihood of reassignment and create the need for additional reserve coverage – minimizing the productivity gains demanded by the company during negotiations effectively wasting a significant component of our massive sacrifices.
• These factors have contributed to the company’s frequent early recall from voluntary furlough. Outrageously, while announcing the need for the unscheduled recalls, the company continues to refuse AFA’s advocacy for providing the opportunity for a return to active status on a voluntary basis -- and at the very least, approving all Flight Attendants’ request for a hardship return.

Had the company seriously considered the points we have raised, Critical Coverage may not have been necessary. This latest move by the company may be added to the growing list of their failures further impacting Flight Attendants.

While they continue to make our work lives difficult, we have the opportunity to address this problem together. It’s important to note that AFA negotiated some significant Contract changes benefiting Flight Attendants since the company last declared Critical Coverage four years ago. Taking advantage of these new provisions may help to lessen or eliminate the impact of Critical Coverage. Specifically the parameters of Section 9.J. state:

• Flight Attendants based at domiciles where Critical Coverage has been declared, will be paid time and a half based on their rate of pay and the type of open flying picked up and flown between the date of this notice and August 30, including any overlap time into the new month. This will be paid whether or not they opt.
• Flight Attendants may opt for an additional 15 hours over the opted quarterly maximum by calling the crew desk. A lineholder who does so and picks up open flying, will earn the time and a half rate for the entire ID(s) picked up and flown.
• Reserves who opt for the additional 15 hours over their opted quarterly maximum, or pick up in open flying a trip on their days off, will be paid time and a half for any IDs assigned that put them over the alternate 87 hour cap or their quarterly maximum. Reserves may opt by calling the crew desk.

We encourage those who are able, to use the provisions of Section 9.J. to pick up trips from open flying to improve their pay and reduce the impact on those who will be affected by the Critical Coverage period.

The affected domiciles, seniority dates and designated standby periods are listed below. The seniority range is based on the projected need for Flight Attendants at each domicile.

*Note: No Critical Coverage stand-by period for August 30.

Critical Coverage applies to all lineholders with seniority at or junior to the dates stated above. Within the identified seniority range all lineholders will be subject to call and assignment if:

• You have five (5) or more hours (2 hours on the last day of the month) remaining between your quarterly projection and your quarterly maximum, and;
• You are not scheduled to fly during the ensuing 24 hours following the daily two-hour designated standby period.

If you have fewer hours available than the time above, or have already reached your quarterly maximum, or are on days off in conjunction with vacation, or already have a trip within the 24 hours following the daily two-hour designated standby period, you are not required to remain available for the designated two-hour standby period. If you have been on duty for six consecutive days prior to either call date without an intervening 24 hours free from duty, you do not need to be available.

How are assignments made during Critical Coverage?

Crew Scheduling may assign flights for the 24-hour period following the two-hour standby period. For example: Flight Attendants standing by for a Critical Coverage assignment between 1600 – 1800 on August 28, may be assigned to trips the evening of August 28 with check-in times up to 1759 on August 29. The contractual six-hour drafting provision does not apply in Critical Coverage situations.

How can I be affected if I am a reserve?

Reserves can only be assigned on their reserve days. Opting to your quarterly maximum or the additional 15 hours for the extra pay provided for in Section 9.J. is optional. Reserves may also pick up open flying on their days off as provided for in Section 9.I.6.

If the company terminates all or part of the Critical Coverage standby period for any of the domiciles listed, the company will provide that information at least 24 hours prior to the start of the domicile’s standby period via 1-800-FLT-LINE (CATS option) and through an update on Unimatic Front Page News. We encourage all Members to continue to check our website, Dear AFA and AFA E-lines for the latest information from AFA.

>> See also: United's critical coverage announcement  (.pdf) 43 KB