Comparison of AFA and United Proposals

Date: October 8, 2009

NOTE: Updated comparison chart is available here.

At the opening of our negotiations on April 6, 2009 we presented a 148-page Opening Proposal of the Contractual improvements you determined were our priorities through Member negotiations surveys, discussions at the Roadshow in the fall of 2008, feedback to your Local Council and direct interaction with our Negotiating Committee.  On the same day management presented a 4-page letter of generalities with concessionary verbiage in reference to pay, healthcare, work rules, job security and quality of work life. 

After 14 weeks of negotiations we have yet to receive a comprehensive proposal from management, although we have discussed 28 of the 35 Sections of the Contract.  The following is a summary reminder of our proposal set in contrast to the proposals made by management.  Keep in mind this is just a summary and may not include full review of our collective goals as contained in our 148-page Opening Proposal.  View our Opening Proposal document and video any time at: www.unitedafa.org/contract/negotiations. 

Book = Current Contract

Section 1 - Recognition

Section 19 - Sick Leave

AFA

  • Book

 

United Management

  • Other employees or vendors to perform Flight Attendants’ work

AFA

  • Increase sick leave accrual
  • Occupational continuance
  • Direct deposit for Occupational reimbursement
  • Cash out of sick leave bank at retirement or resignation
  • Use of sick leave for family member

United Management

  • No Proposal

Section 2 - Definitions

Section 20 - Physical Exams (T.A.)

AFA

  • Increase holidays
  • Same day reassignment (“fake 3-day” fix)

 

United Management

  • Decrease holidays
  • CRAF, MAC, Hawaii, Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Central and some South America domestic flying with domestic pay & work rules.
  • HNL domestic domicile

AFA

  • Book

 

United Management

  • Book

Section 3 - Union Activity

Section 21 - Reduction in Personnel

AFA

  • Increase FPL
  • Union office space
  • No use of disapproved hotels

United Management

  • Reduce FPL
  • Restrict Union Travel
  • Eliminate requirement for eating facilities to be on site at layover hotels (3.K. Layover Hotels)

AFA

  • Clarify Probationaries’ ability to participate in Voluntary Furlough

United Management

  • Eliminate furlough rebid - prevent those on current voluntary furlough from participating in new furlough

Section 4 - General

Section 22 - Filling of Vacancies

AFA

  • Increase PTO
  • No fee for CJA
  • Reciprocal Cabin Seat Agreements
  • Recording of Crew Desk
  • International domiciles direct deposit
  • International On-Board rest facilities improvement
  • Signature required mail

United Management

  • Eliminate PTO
  • Deny CJA on weight restricted flights
  • Increase minimum amount of  adjustment check to $200
  • Eliminate flight crew lounges for sits over 3 hours
  • Intentional selective deviation from staffing standards

AFA

  • Increase COMAT
  • Right of return to closed domiciles
  • Right of return for surplus
  • Ability to transfer while on leave
  • Secure visas for Intl Domicile closure

 

United Management

  • Eliminate settling time for all voluntary transfers including new
    domiciles

  • Eliminate hotel for new hires or for newly established domiciles

  • Eliminate annual BP-3 for Intl Domiciles

Section 5 - Compensation

Section 23 - Leaves of Absence

AFA

  • Increase pay
  • Increase reserve guarantee and override
  • Merged pay scale
  • Longevity
  • Drafting pay
  • Penalty pay
  • New “ground pay”

United Management

  • No proposal

AFA

  • Medical Leave of Absence  increase to 7 years
  • Increase maternity, paternity, adoption leave to 180 days
  • FMLA improvements
  • Ability to be awarded new leave from leave status

United Management

  • Eliminate military leave protection for non-US citizens.

  • Elimination of 12 month minimum on LOA before Flight Attendant kept off pay status until re-qualified

Section 6 - Expenses, Transportation & Lodging

Section 24 - Moving Expenses

AFA

  • Increase expenses
  • Downtown for layovers over 15 hours
  • Increase crew meals
  • ActUnited management reimbursement for cab or transportation
  • Increase parking reimbursements

United Management

  • No proposal except for 6.B. (Lodging)
  • 32 hours – Downtown 
  • $20 payment for not using layover hotel (contingent)
  • Intl layover hotel room – wait 2 hours before self help
  • Credit card or cash deposit at check-in at layover hotels
  • No hotel for sits under 5 hrs

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • Eliminate moving expenses for new domiciles

Section 7 - Hours of Service, Legalities

Section 25 - Personnel File (T.A.)

AFA

  • Increase RSV # of days off
  • Shorten duty day
  • Increase legal rest
  • Improve crew rest
  • Key in hand

United Management

  • Eliminate Quarter System
  • Eliminate rest provisions:
    • 8-in-24
    • 30-in-7
    • 1-in-7
  • Extend Maximum Duty Time to 17 hours, or more when last segment is Deadhead
  • Reduce Legal Rest to 8 hours
  • Expand Field Layovers to a hotel within approximately 30 minutes of airport
  • Weaken the limitations on Night-into-Day Flying

AFA

  • All complaint letters/inflight observations removed after 12 months

 

United Management

  • Extend time to place reports in Flight Attendants' Personnel File by 6 days after receipt at domicile

Section 8 - Minimum Pay and Credit

Section 26 - Grievance

AFA

  • Increased duty rigs
  • 8.J. reassignments
  • Drafting pay
  • Increase call out pay
  • Full pay for holding

United Management

  • Eliminate minimum duty rigs (5/10/15/20)
  • Reduce trip rig – time away from home (1 for 4)
  • No longer pay the greater of actual or scheduled
  • Holding time paid after 1 hr

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • MEC grievance to be filed within 60 days (26.D.)

  • LEC grievance to be filed within 60 days (26.E.)

Section 9 - Flight Assignments & Scheduling

Section 27 - System Board

AFA

  • Increase staffing
  • Reassignment pay
  • Trip trading improvements
  • Lower line averages
  • No conversion from DHD for service enhancement
  • Eliminate required purser qualification for domestic

United Management

  • Increase line of flying average
  • Eliminate the printing of all bid materials
  • Expand language qualified positions to domestic and double the number
  • Restrict number of buddy bids
  • Prevent trades that lower lines below 50 hours

AFA

  • Provision to ensure 80 days of System Board are used

United Management

  • 3-person Board for discipline

 

Section 10 - Reserve

Section 28 - Prisoner of War (T.A.)

AFA

  • Improve Reserve Scheduling procedures - preferencing
  • Improve Reserve trading procedures
  • No more than 3 conversions to Ready per month
  • No more than 3 STBY assignments per month
  • Increase Reserve days off

United Management

  • Eliminate Ready Reserve 4 hours notice prior to departure
  • Standby Reserves to be assigned to board/deplaned flights and perform pre-departure duties when not assigned as a working crewmember

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • Book

 

Section 11 - Deadheading

Section 29 - Workers’ Compensation

AFA

  • Seating assignments and upgrade procedures
  • Economy Plus and exit row seat booking for Economy

United Management

  • ½ credit for DHD
  • Booked in Economy for all DHD

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • Book

 

Section 12 – International

Section 30- Union Security

AFA

  • Reassignment & drafting pay
  • Reduce duty day
  • Increase legal rest
  • West Coast and Hawaiian turn restrictions
  • Eliminate selection and increase Purser Training
  • Purser discretion for Onboard rest

United Management

  • No Proposal

AFA

  • Clarify dues collection

United Management

  • Modify Union Security and the processing of dues

Section 13 - Military Airlift Command

Section 31 - Safety

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • MAC as domestic flying

AFA

  • Request for information
  • Access to secure areas
  • Fatigue protection
  • Air quality protection
  • Pesticide protection

United Management

  • Book

Section 14 - Temporary Duty Assignment (T.A.)

Section 32 - Savings Clause (T.A.)

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • Book

AFA

  • Book

United Management

  • Book

Section 15 - Training

Section 33 - Benefits

AFA

  • Full pay for training and travel
  • AFA approved hotel
  • Increase IST Training

United Management

  • Eliminate 3-hour min pay guarantee
  • Flight Attendants removed from schedule subject to 8.J. reassignments.
  • Eliminate 1-in-7 protection

AFA

  • Premiums lowered & capped
  • Coordination of benefits
  • Improve prescription drug program
  • Modernize health and wellness charts
  • Short term disability
  • Lower retirement age to 50

United Management

  • No proposal

Section 16 - Uniforms

Section 34 - Retirement

AFA

  • No advertising on uniforms
  • Clarify uniform points
  • Clarify for wool allergies

United Management

  • Eliminate restriction on other employee groups wearing Flight Attendant uniforms

AFA

  • Increase direct contribution and match to 401(k) or equivalent
  • Roth IRA
  • Annuity feature

United Management

  • No proposal

Section 17 - Seniority

Section 35 - Duration
(and Letters of Agreement)

AFA

  • 7 year accrual while on Medical Leave of Absence

 

United Management

  • Flight Attendants who transfer to Onboard Management to retain and accrue seniority indefinitely
  • Parties have discussed only current Letters of Agreement without contemplated changes

Section 18 - Vacation

Hotel Standards

AFA

  • Increase vacation days
  • Increase vacation pay
  • Increase allocation for interim bids

 

United Management

  • Decrease vacation days
  • Withhold 25% of allocation during annual vacation bid process
  • Eliminate vacation pay advance

AFA

  • Incorporate into Agreement

 

United Management

  • Eliminate personal checks cashing at hotels
  • Decrease in hotel safety requirements
  • Eliminate requirement for eating facilities to be on site at layover hotels
  • Eliminate bathtub requirement

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