Reserve Committee
Changing Reserve DO to GDZ (Golden Day Trip Trade)
Reserve Flight
Attendants now have the ability to gain more flexibility within
their own lines. This new procedure is called "Changing Flight
Attendant Day Off (DO) to Golden Day Trade (GDZ)" and allows a
Reserve the flexibility to pick up trips on his/her original Day
Off.
The rules are as follows:
1. On your last Reserve (RV) day preceeding a
DO, when a Reserve Flight Attendant is released from his/her
trip, hot shift or stand-by shift, he/she may call Crew
Resources and request to have the following DO changed to a GDZ.
Make sure to ask for the "Z" ability with the request.
2. Minimum rest rules still apply. He/she must have a
minimum of 10 hours of domicile rest, waivable to 9 hours at the
flight attendant's option. Please refer to Section 5-7 E. of
the flight attendant contract.
3. Automation of this process is targeted to begin on
September1, 2008 through Maestro. The new update will allow
Reserve Flight Attendants to pick up trips prior to noon (12
pm). Until automation on September 1, Reserves will only be able
to pick up trips that report after noon
on their GDZ.
AFA Officers President Lisa LeCarre, Vice President Dorene
Fredette and Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Albers, along with the
entire Reserve Committee view this new procedure as a
significant and hard-won victory for all Reserve flight
attendants. This victory was made possible by the earnest
persistance of flight attendants John Connor and Simon Heppell.
When you meet these two gentlemen on the line, please shake
their hands and thank them for a job well done.
Respectfully,
Deborah Breazeale, AFA Reserve Committee Chairperson
Reserve GD Trip Pickup Ability To Be Restored
As you may
recall on April 1 Crew Resources implemented an unannounced
series of patch programming updates to the Maestro Scheduling
System, one in which re-established certain programming rules
governing rest requirements and report times of trips picked up
on a Reserve's Golden Day off. The programming rule, originally
written to conform to the contractual language of Scheduling
Section 7.C.4.a as well as other relevant sections of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement inexplicably broke in 2006 or
earlier. During the time period that the rule was not in effect,
Reserve Flight Attendants who had a day off (DO) preceding a
Golden Day off (GD) or series of GD's were permitted to pick up
trips that reported earlier than noon on their Golden Day.
Upon learning
of the Maestro patch changes, AFA immediately contacted the
Company and had meetings with Crew Resources in an attempt to
find a solution and restore the past practice. These meetings
were productive and the Company seemed agreeable to the
restoration, however we received word in May that due to the
cost associated with re-programming, the Company would not
revert back to the former practice.
This past week
MEC President Gary Richardson brought several issues including
this important Reserve Flight Attendant matter to the attention
of the members of the US Airways Board of Directors Labor
Committee. After discussion, CEO Doug Parker who chaired the
Labor Committee, agreed with President Richardson's request to
restore the practice.
This coming week,
Richardson and US Airways Labor Relations Director Cindi Simone
will work on the necessary language and Letters of Agreement
that will resolve the issue. More information on the expected
time it will take to re-program Maestro and restore the practice
will be forthcoming.
If you
would like to become a member of the Reserve Committee, please
e-mail your name and C# to
reserves@afa66.org
or fax your information to 480-966-7374 or call 480-966-1231,
extension 23.
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