- Thank you for filling out our Negotiations Survey. Continue to send feedback directly to the Negotiating Committee.
- What is the best pay system: TFP? Block? Duty? Or…?
- There are several trends when comparing pay systems.
- Our goal is to negotiate the best possible contract with the best possible pay.
There is plenty of discussion on the line (and online) regarding contract negotiations. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the Negotiations Survey (62% turnout)! Continue submitting feedback directly to the committee through the Negotiations Feedback Form. A recurring theme from discussions and the survey is whether TFP, Block, or Duty is the best method for calculating pay. It’s no surprise there are strong proponents of each system. Our Negotiating Committee recognizes pay is a priority.
Several trends emerged from our comparisons of the various pay systems, proving no single system is guaranteed to pay better:
*This comparison of TFP and Duty includes a ratio of 1:1. It’s very unlikely to achieve this conversion rate.
The important question: TFP? Block? … or Better? Let’s think outside the box: Rather than focusing on TFP vs. Block vs. Duty, let’s consider a better system with improved pay rules. Regardless of what we fly each day, we deserve better pay. Block is great, so is TFP, so is Duty – all depending on the situation. A hybrid system would capture the best of all three, ensuring Flight Attendants are justly compensated for all types of flying.
So… Block? TFP? We can do Better!
Correct me, nicely, if I’m wrong, but both TFP and Block deal with only part of our duty day. For decades we have been getting hosed for being at work, being able to be disciplined and yet paid the measly $2.50 for time spent boarding and deplaning. Thank goodness DL broke the mold by getting some pay for their boarding and deplaning, we have something to point at. (Spoke to a DL FA on employee bus a couple weeks ago). Frankly I think the Change.org petition ( if you haven’t looked at it you really should) started online by other airline crews has opened Everyone’s eyes to the fact that no other workers show up for work, can be held accountable and disciplined yet aren’t getting a real wage for those hours. I’m not saying Duty over TFP or Block. I’m saying come together and put pressure on the airlines before we have to wait to be finished with negotiations to right this wrong. For those of you who haven’t been employed with the company since before the last negotiations, it has taken 2 years to negotiate each of the last contracts in the last 25 years. We should not be working nearly for free each day we come to work for part of our day, when we are held responsible and can be disciplined during those hours.
Thanks for taking the time to read, digesting and thinking this over.
Agreed! Let’s Think Outside the Box and Improve pay in other creative ways. Perhaps keep something like TFP – but more along the lines of Duty Rigs, like a calendar day minimum, similar to SWA’s of at least 7.5 TFP (so, PDX/SEA/PDX turn would be worth 7.5, rather than the “paltry” it is now, and similar, a trip checking out after midnight inclusive of debrief – would give us an extra 7.5!) Increase vacation pay from 4 to 5 TFP. There’s loads of ideas out there. Let’s award ourselves better pay, compensations ….. ideas that make sense!
Pay for boarding. Don’t change the system just add pay for boarding and deplaning.
I would like to see a pay system that captures ALL the time we are working.
From check in to check out.. that would include boarding and ground stop time.
Hourly rate and no moving targets… after a certain number of hours on duty overtime would kick in…….could it be that simple??? yes, i think so.
3 out of the 4 examples tfp was the better pay. Just saying 🤷🏽♀️
This is my 5th airline so I know. Scheduled or better!
What if we did a system where you get paid which ever is the higher of the 3? So if I am working my 10 hour duty day but my TFP and my block time is only 5 for example I would get paid 10 for my duty day. I know it would be a little more complex but possibly not?
I think changing to a new system is a waste of money that could be used to improve tfp.
TFP is so confusing. We are paid by the TFP which is a varying unit of distance. If all TFP were 243 miles it would make a bit more sense.
If we go over block, we are paid at 0.5TFP for every hour over block. Here we are paid at half pay for a measurement of time, not distance.
Then, on our paysheet, we see our hourly rate conversion!
Where else can you be paid by a combination of different measurements of distance and time?
Block or better would simplify pay for everyone. Our pilots are paid that way, why would ours be different?
Why should we work for half pay over scheduled block? We should be paid for every minute at our ‘standard’ rate.
Agreed. I live and die in minutes. Compensate me in minutes, and be transparent about it.
100% agree with you, Jaqui!!!
Thank you Jaqui!!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t have said it better!!! TFP is extremely confusing!!
Please explain why you believe that a 1:1 conversion rate of TFP:Duty is unlikely. What does the negotiations committee think about United’s current proposal of a Ground Time “added” pay in their current negotiations which would for all non-flight time at .5 hourly rate?
Thanks!