- Significant progress was made this week, so we split our Negotiations Update into two parts.
- Part 1 covers tentative agreements reached on Sections 16: Sick Leave/On the Job Injury and 32: Attendance Policy, as well as a related LOA addressing the impact of paid sick leave laws on the CBA.
- Part 2 will publish later, covering the remaining tentative agreements from this session and progress to date.
Negotiations Update
This week, our Negotiating Committee and Mobilization Committee Chairperson met with management for Negotiation Session 15. *Our Negotiating Committee is supported during this process by AFA International Collective Bargaining and Legal departments.
We made significant progress, tentatively agreeing to multiple sections this week. Because several sections have significant changes, we split our negotiations update into two parts. Part 1 covers tentative agreements on Sections 16: Sick Leave/On the Job Injury and 32: Attendance Policy, as well as a related Letter of Agreement (LOA) addressing the impact of paid sick leave laws on the CBA. Part 2 will publish later today, covering the remaining tentative agreements from this session and progress to date.
Section 16: Sick Leave/On the Job Injury
General:
- Best state sick leave provisions apply to all Flight Attendants (despite management goal of applying sick leave laws on a state-by-state basis)
- Sick leave accrual ratio remains the same, split into two separate banks:
- Total 3 for 30 TFP accrual (or, 1 for 10 TFP accrual – no change from current)
- 1 for 30 TFP accrual into protected “State Bank”
- 2 for 30 TFP accrual into contractual “CBA Bank”
- Example – Flight Attendant flown/credited 75 TFP
- State Bank accrues 2.5 TFP
- CBA Bank accrues 5 TFP
- Total accrual – 7.5 TFP
- Example – Flight Attendant flown/credited 75 TFP
- Incorporated addendum
State Bank (new):
- No points assessed when using State Bank (for each full day covered)
- New hires may use State Bank after 90 days of employment (currently 180 days)
- At ratification, up to 40 TFP from existing sick leave balance will transfer into State Bank
- If Flight Attendant does not have at least 40 TFP of sick leave, their total balance will transfer to the State Bank
- Sick leave will accrue into State Bank at a rate of 1 TFP for every 30 TFP flown/credited
- At the end of the calendar year, a maximum of 40 TFP from the State Bank will roll over into the next year
- At the end of each calendar year, at Flight Attendant option, any excess in the State Bank above 40 TFP will be:
- Paid out 100% (default), or
- Transferred into CBA Bank
- In addition to personal or family illness or injury, State Bank can be used for:
- Preventative care
- Domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, stalking
- Bereavement, funeral, or making necessary arrangements
- Public health emergency (including closure of school or childcare)
- Evacuation at domicile
- Unsafe air quality/heat index at place of work
- Other provisions allowed by state law
CBA Bank (existing):
- Improved sick leave payout at retirement (currently 25% of total bank balance):
- Bank balance between 0.1 – 560.9 TFP, all paid at 25%
- Bank balance between 561 – 849.9 TFP, all paid at 50%
- Bank balance ≥ 850 TFP, all paid at 100%
- Increase of 1700 TFP maximum accrual will be discussed with economics
- AFA proposed 2400 TFP maximum accrual
- Points assessed as normal for CBA Bank usage
- In addition to personal or family illness or injury, the CBA Bank can be used for:
- Applicable provisions in Section 15 [Leaves of Absence]
- Injury or illness related to domestic violence
- Where otherwise explicitly allowed pursuant to CBA provisions
Using Banks:
- When a Flight Attendant calls out sick, they designate either State Bank (no points) or CBA Bank (points)
- Ability to change designation prior to end of next sequence
- May use both banks for same sequence if one bank does not have enough TFP to cover entire sequence
- Whichever bank is designated will be used to cover as many full days of the sequence as possible
- Any remaining days of the sequence will be covered by the other bank
- Example: Call out for a three-day, 19.5 TFP sequence
- Only enough TFP in State Bank to cover 2 days (13 TFP)
- CBA Bank covers remaining day (6.5 TFP)
- No points for first two days, 0.5 points for third day (or Flight Attendant may utilize point reduction form for assessed points – if available)
Section 32: Attendance Policy
- When Flight Attendant calls out sick, they designate either State Bank (no points assessed) or CBA Bank (points assessed unless mitigated)
- Ability to change bank designation prior to end of next sequence
- Verification of State Bank usage:
- State law allows management to verify State Bank usage, but we significantly limited verification requirements
- Management must announce a verification period at least two days in advance
- No more than 3 verification periods per year
- Each verification period no more than 10 days long
- Management can request verification only if a Flight Attendant called out sick for more than 3 consecutive days
- See verification examples below
- Management will reimburse out of pocket medical costs required to obtain verification
- Flight Attendant has 10 days to provide verification after the first day calling out during a verification period
- Verification includes a note from a healthcare provider or substantiating evidence (e.g., court appearance for domestic violence, proof of level 2 or 3 evacuation zone, etc.)
- If Flight Attendant does not provide verification within timeframe, sick leave usage will be converted to Management Drop with points and without pay
- Sick leave will be credited back to their State Bank
- Any Single Continuous Occurrence of Illness (10 days) beginning in advance of the notice provided and extending into the verification period will be excluded from verification requirements
- State law allows management to verify State Bank usage, but we significantly limited verification requirements
- Quarterly Point Reduction:
- Currently 1 point reduction per quarter for a Single Continuous Occurrence of Illness (10 days) when using the CBA Bank
- Exchanged for State Bank protections/usage (no points assessed) and Trimester Point Reduction:
- Available State Bank may be used multiple times throughout the year (no points assessed)
- 1 point reduction per trimester for a Single Continuous Occurrence of Illness (10 days) when using the CBA Bank
- Productivity Premium Program (PPP) retention and improvements (see below)
- All point values (§32.E.3.) and other record improvements (§32.G.) remain the same despite management bargaining priorities (i.e., reduce termination threshold, increase point values, eliminate record improvement, etc.)
- Productivity Premium Program (PPP) retained and improved:
- Although not part of Section 32, management’s bargaining priority was to eliminate PPP in relation to provisions on paid sick leave and attendance
- Increased total payout to $4,000 (currently $2,500)
- Restructured to trimester blocks
- State Bank sick leave now counts toward TFP threshold, in addition to Vacation
- 40 TFP threshold per trimester (equivalent increase of 5 TFP per month, to account for State Bank usage)
- Incorporated addendum, labor memo
LOA: Changes to Paid Sick Leave Laws
Provisions for addressing future changes to paid sick leave laws and their potential impact on the CBA
Verification Examples
Subject to verification:
More than three consecutive days of State Bank usage during a Verification Period
- Sick call for 4-day (7-10) State Bank
- Sick call for four turns (10, 11, 12, 13) State Bank
- Sick call for two 2-days (8-9, 10-11) State Bank
- Sick call for two 2-days (9-10, 14-15) State Bank
Not subject to verification:
May utilize point reduction form for CBA Bank usage, if available
- Sick call for two 2-days: (6-7) State Bank, (8-9) CBA Bank
- Not more than 3 consecutive days of State Bank
- Sick call for two 2-days (9-10, 14-15) State Bank, worked turn (12)
- Not more than 3 consecutive days
- Sick call for three 3-days (3-5, 6-8, 9-11) State Bank
- First sick call prior to notice of Verification Period
- Sick call for 4-day (14-17) State Bank
- Not more than 3 consecutive days in Verification Period
- Sick call utilizing State Bank outside of Verification Period
- Not in Verification Period
- Sick call utilizing CBA Bank
- Not utilizing State Bank
Resources
Watch the Session 15 Recap Video part 1
Listen to the Session 15 Recap Podcast part 1
Showing Solidarity
Continue supporting our efforts by staying informed and wearing your AFA pin while flying and at company functions, such as training. We are Stronger Together, Better Together.