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Last Updated: March 18, 2008

Local Council Meeting – Thursday, June 19, 2008

Today’s announcement of United’s plan to eliminate 15 to 20 planes from its fleet and delay the purchase of newer aircraft signals, once again, that the current management is incapable of leading this airline. It is clear to our Membership in Chicago that United CEO Glenn Tilton and his upper management group haven’t learned the simple lesson that an airline cannot shrink its way to profitability.

Using fuel prices to justify its latest cost-saving scheme is typical of a management group that refuses to acknowledge the real problems that have been plaguing United Airlines for too long. We already know that United Airlines pays out among the lowest wages in the airline industry, yet it has the highest non-labor and non-fuel costs.

So far, we have been notified that United will implement a hiring freeze for Flight Attendants while they analyze the impact of downsizing the fleet and their Flight Attendant manpower requirements. There are no plans for a furlough as a result of this announcement; however, there will be an impact on our community as a result of potential staffing decisions and what markets United may cut as a result. The pilots announced today they will not be waiving the Sections of their Contract that guarantee minimum block hours that this company announcement may require. In agreement with AFA-CWA, the pilots also believe that perhaps management should reinvest the money into our operation instead of handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to shareholders and pocketing millions in bonuses and salary increases.

In the meantime, we will continue to meet with the company to advocate our interests, insure full Contractual compliance as they continue to develop and implement plans related to the announced fleet reduction. We will continue to insist that Flight Attendants not bear the brunt of the failed corporate decisions that have led the executives to conclude that the fleet reduction is a necessary and prudent corporate move.

Safety, Health and Security

If you are faced with a Safety, Health and/or Security issue and have concerns, it is very important to contact an AFA-CWA Safety Representative (email: safety8@unitedafa.org), or an AFA-CWA Representative (phone: [773] 601-5041) for guidance in handling your concerns and/or paperwork. It is important that you do not assume your Union is notified simply because the company is aware of the situation. Your AFA-CWA Representatives will provide guidance and advice during these situations.

Our Safety, Health and Security Committee remind all Members that our vigilance to safety does not end on the airplane. We often consider activity onboard the aircraft when reviewing safety and security procedures, but personal safety at layover locations should also be at the forefront of safety in our work environment. Look out for yourself and each other.

Operational Irregularities

Our Contract, when used properly, allows the airline to respond to operational irregularities while ensuring certain pay and schedule protections for Flight Attendants. It's important to carry your Contract at all times and especially during periods of poor management planning or an operational irregularity keep it close at hand for your reference during a reassignment.

There are certain Contractual Sections that you should study closely under these circumstances. Lineholder Flight Attendants at their home domicile who will be pay protected through line guarantee in Section 8.J.Domestically or Section 12.I. Internationally, may be subject to a reassignment under the same Contract Section. There is an AFActon our websitethat includes an educational explanation of this Contract language along with examples. Flight Attendants out of domicile should review Contract Section 9.K., Irregular Operationsand Section 12.R. for International Reassignments.

Flight Attendants serving Reserve status may want to download the Reserve Survival Guidefrom our website and carry it on your trips.

Our Contract includes specific direction on order of assignment, or reassignment as the case may be, to an open position. The order of assignment is delineated in Contract Section 9.I.domestically and 12.Q.internationally. This order of assignment includes six steps the company must complete before resorting to drafting for minimum staffing to cover a flight.

Finally, according to Section 9.I.7.,as a last resort the company has the ability to draft lineholders to maintain the operation of the flight – first to the most junior home Flight Attendant who can work the flight and still be legal for her/his next scheduled ID, (if time permits), then to the most junior home domestic Flight Attendant available and finally to any Flight Attendant legal for the flight (in inverse order of seniority, if possible). Flight Attendants serving reserve should take special note that the company may only utilize Section 10.C.13.d.to modify the reserve assignment procedures after fully complying with the Order of Assignment. (Section 9.I.and 12.Q.).

Check our website at www.unitedafa.orgfor more details on legalities, notification procedures and your resources available through the Commuter and Personal Emergency Policies. Throughout any irregularity or during daily operations, your Contract is your best resource and should always be your first reference.

Contractual Commuter/Emergency Policies

We encourage Flight Attendants to be aware of the possibility of irregular operations and review the Prudent Commuter Policyon page 249. We also encourage those in the affected area to review the Personal Emergency Policybeginning on page 250 of our Contract.

Reassignment Education

Lineholder Flight Attendants at their home domicile may be subject to Line Guarantee reassignments under Section 8.J.of our Contract. There is an AFActs(7 pages - 70 kb) on this subject in our website Contract section that includes explanation of the language and examples.

Flight Attendants on layover should review Contract Section 9.K., Irregular Operations.

Reserve Survival Guide >(16 pages - 1.1 MB)

Assignment and Reassignment Notification Parameters

Section 9 N.1.states that Flight Attendants must be notified by a face to face or telephone conversation concerning reassignment or a delayed flight. Text messages or other forms of notification are not acceptable. Also the scheduler needs to talk with each Flight Attendant about a reassignment. It is not the Flight Attendant in the purser position who is responsible to call each Flight Attendant on the FLTLOF. These notifications need to be handled by the scheduler.

For more information, please contact us at Local Council 8 - Chicago:

Association of Flight Attendant-CWA
Local Council 8 - Chicago
6250 N. River Road, Suite 4020
Chicago, IL 60018

Phone:
(773) 601-5040/5041/5042
(773) 601-5047 Grievance
(312) 961-5537 President (T.J. Sesko)

Email:
afaord@unitedafa.org
tjsesko@unitedafa.org 

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