Council 21 - Washington DC
About Council 21
Representing United Airlines Flight Attendants based at DCA. Local CWA #22021
Bad Day/Worse Day Trades (Oct 14, 2018)
Meeting Minutes
2018
2017
2018
Bad Day/Worse Day Trades (Oct 14, 2018)
10/14/2018
Ladies and Gentlemen of Council 21,
October is a busy month for making selections that affect 2019. In addition to having to bid, here is a reminder of the upcoming deadlines.
Line bidding: Closes 0800 HDT October 17.
Vacation Election Period: Closes 0800 HDT October 15.
Primary Vacation Bid: Opens 0800 HDT October 23, closes 0800 HDT October 31.
Annual Benefits Open Enrollment: Closes October 26.
As a reminder, when we submit our bids, be sure to choose either to use or not use RA days for adjustment, which is under the schedule tab in the dashboard of CCS. Lower line averages for November should make trading much easier next month.
The articles in this weeks newsletter will mirror AFA E-Lines as we make an effort to ensure all important information is consistent.
The Fall 2018 Regular Meeting of the United Master Executive Council (MEC) concluded on October 11, 2018, at the Hyatt Rosemont in Chicago. BOS Council 27 Member, Celeste Bouchard was re-elected as a Member of the Central Schedule Committee and Cari Kershaw, LAX Council 12 Member was elected as the MEC Vice Chairperson of the MEC Communications Committee. Daily summaries will be available within the next few days.
As always, we are available to you 24/7 by either stopping in the IAD Office, calling 703 260 0051 during regular business hours or by using the prompts after hours. Here is the prompt order. Call 703 260 0051, then:
1 – Non-immediate issues; calls will be returned next business day.
2 – Reserve ONLY Issues (Immediate need)
3 – Urgent and Immediate Matters.
Contact your Reserve Committee by Text or Email:
In addition to being on call 24 hours a day for urgent and immediate Reserve issues, the Local Reserve Committee is now available by text message or email for non-urgent matters. You can text message/email the Reserve Committee with any non-urgent concerns or questions. The Reserve Committee will make every attempt to respond to your inquiry within 48 hours.
Council 21 Reserve Committee by Text Message - 571.420.1721
Council 21 Reserve Committee by Email - dcareserve@unitedafa.org
To email Council 21, please use afadca@unitedafa.org.
Note! We do not use or respond to united.com emails for union business.
Thank you for being informed and engaged Members. Please remember to fly safe, challenge rumors and to respect each other.
In Solidarity and with Respect,
Todd Failla
Local Executive Council President
AFA-CWA, IAD Council 21
AFL-CIO
Bad Day Worse Day Trades - Instant Trading and Pick-Ups when Reserve Coverage insufficient.
JCBA Section 7.N.
Much confusion still remains over the process’ of the “Bad Day – Worse Day” trading provision of our JCBA. In an effort to provide clarification on this type of trading we will provide a 3 part publication defining the process of instant trading and pick-ups when Reserve coverage is Insufficient and the process Flight Attendants will use to calculate trading down.
Section 7.N of our JCBA outlines the instant trading provision and states the following: Trip trades with open time will be allowed only when sufficient Reserve coverage exists as determined by Scheduling.
All instant trading is determined by Reserve coverage, on the particular days involved in the trade. However, trades may still be accomplished using the “Bad Day – Worse Day” calculations described in Section 7.N of our JCBA. This refers to trip trades involving trips having days which are blocked due to minimum staffing requirements. For additional information, refer to this link: https://unitedafa.org/news/2018/10/13/bad-day-worse-day-trades
Ready Reserve Availability Following the 1930 HDT Assignment Process
MEC Reserve Committee
We have received questions from Flight Attendants regarding the obligation of a Reserve to be telephone available once assignments are made during the 1930 HDT process. In addressing these questions, it is important to make the distinction between Flight Attendants who are on a day off and Flight Attendants who are on Ready Reserve status when the 1930 assignment process occurs.
Flight Attendants who are on a day off when they receive their next-day Reserve assignment at 1930 HDT, whether to a pairing or Standby position, are not required to remain telephone available once assigned. If the assignment is to Ready Reserve status, the Flight Attendant is required to be phone available beginning at midnight. (Certain exceptions apply on the last day of the bid month when transitioning from a Lineholder to a Reserve month. See JCBA Section 8.H.6.)
When a Flight Attendant is on Ready Reserve for a given day, the Reserve obligation to be phone available is for the calendar day (midnight – 2359 HDT) unless the Flight Attendant is going into Set days off, in which case they are automatically released at 1600 HDT.
Therefore, Flight Attendants who are on Ready Reserve status when they receive their next-day Reserve assignment at 1930 HDT, whether to a pairing or Standby position, are required to remain telephone available until 2359 HDT. At midnight, the Ready Reserve obligation has been completed and the Flight Attendant is no longer required to remain phone available unless the next-day assignment is to Ready Reserve status, in which case the requirement to remain telephone available is continuous.
It should be noted that if an assignment is made for the next day during the 1930 process to a Flight Attendant who is on Ready Reserve for the current day, the Flight Attendant's position on the availability list will change for the current day as they will then only be available for the remainder of the day as a 1-day Reserve. Current-day Ready Reserve assignments to open 2-, 3- or 4+-day positions would be assigned to Ready Reserves who remain on the list and are available for 2-, 3- or 4+-days.
NOTE: Assignments to open positions that check-in the next day between 0001 and 0459 will be assigned to Ready Reserves who are available on the current day and are also on Reserve availability days for the next day as well as the requisite number of days necessary to cover the assignment.
The possibility of being called for a 1-day assignment after 1930 HDT (with a 3-hour call-out to an assignment that returns before midnight) is unlikely under normal circumstances. However, in an irregular operation, it would not be impossible for it to become necessary to assign a Reserve who had been assigned during the 1930 process for the next day and remove the assignment for the next day in order to do so.
If a Ready Reserve would like to avoid any uncertainty, especially if assigned to an early morning check-in the following day, she/he should contact Crew Scheduling to request to be released from phone availability for the remainder of their current-day Ready Reserve obligation once assigned to either a Pairing or Standby for the next day during the Reserve assignment process.
If you have additional questions, please contact the C21 Office. 702 260 0051
AFA Resources for Hurricane Michael 
The devastation left by Hurricane Michael in several states is still coming into focus, with coastal Florida cities destroyed beyond recognition, and homes, businesses and agriculture torn or swamped from Georgia to Virginia. Hundreds of thousands of people have and will be affected including members of our AFA Flight Attendant family as well as our CWA brothers and sisters. AFA EAP is always available at 800-424-2406.
Our AFA Disaster Relief Fund provides assistance to AFA members and retirees who have suffered significant damage and/or relocation as a result of a disaster. For those of us outside the disaster area, we can help the most by donating to the AFA Disaster Relief Fund where our contributions can provide lifesaving assistance to those who need it the most. More AFA Hurricane Resources >
Vacation Election Process Make Your Selections by Monday, October 15
Flight Attendants can make their vacation election selections now through Monday, October 15, 2018, 0800 (HDT). During the Vacation Election Process Flight Attendants choose what they would like to do with their 2019 Vacation days as it pertains to:
1. FLEX – paid or unpaid vacation
2. Deferral of Vacation into your 401(k) – minimum 7/maximum 14 days deferral.
3. Vacation Buy Back with a 0.5% incentive before the annual vacation period
To locate your Vacation Award Letter and make your selections, login into CCS, go to the Vacation tab ->myvacation, select “To view Optional Election, Click here. “ Be sure to select 2019 in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
Additional information containing the details of each vacation election option can be found on our website or in the 2019 Vacation Guide.
Correction: Vacation 401(k) deferrals and Vacation Buy Back count as paid activity for 401(k) match
We need to correct information previously published following the initial opening of the Vacation Election period. Both Vacation 401(k) deferrals and Vacation Buy Back are considered wages and are subject to 401(k) Company Matches and Company direct contributions pursuant to the terms of Section 29.I of the JCBA.
2019 Vacation Team Contact Information Update
After the 2019 Vacation Bidding guide was published, there were some changes to the access options. For the sake of clarity, we’re republishing the numbers and appropriate FLTLINE options:
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Vacation Team Contact Numbers
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Frankfurt
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0800-181-4245
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Hong Kong
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0800 – 96 – 5483
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London
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0800 – 89 – 6516
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Narita
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00531 -12 - 4066
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United States
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1-800-FLT-LINE
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OPTIONS:
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Options 4, 9, 1
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Open Enrollment for our 2019 Benefits - Make your Selections Now through October 26, 2018
Details of this year’s benefit options can be accessed through Your Benefits Resource (YBR) which is accessible from the Employee Services section of the company’s website. Enrollment may be completed via the internet or over the phone now through October 26, 2018.
Absent your participation in the open enrollment process, your current 2018 elections will carry over for 2019 with the exception of your health care and dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) contributions and the $30/$60 co-pay Build Your Own (BYO) plan options. Even if you plan to keep the same coverage you currently have, you’ll still need to make spending account elections for 2019.
Your C21 Benefits Committee volunteers will be available throughout the annual open enrollment process to assist you with any questions you may have.
Bidding for your November Schedule
Effective today, Flight Attendants may submit bid for their November 2018 schedule in CCS. The Primary bid period opened today October 12, 2018, at 0800 HDT and will close at 0800 HDT on October 17, 2018. Primary bid awards will be available in CCS on October 18, 2018.
There are a number of changes to the bid interface available in CCS all of which have been designed to facilitate bidding and reduce the time it takes to bid.
November Bid Packages – Single Duty Period Pairing Display
We learned late yesterday of a change to the manner in which one day (turns) are displayed in the lines of flying. In the past, a Nashville turn from EWR would appear in the lines of flying with the pairing number and the three letter city code through which the Flight Attendants would pass, in this case, BNA. There was some surprise when all of the city codes for the turn flying appeared in the lines of flying as the originating base city code. In the above example, the pairing appeared with EWR under the ID number.
Management worked the better part of today to correct how these displays appeared on the electronic copies of the lines and to revise the electronic copies. The electronic copies are available in CCS.
In addition, BidPlus® was able to implement the fix on their website as well. When you hold your electronic mouse over the pairing, it will display the city code to which you will be flying during the single duty period turn.
Unfortunately, the printed lines will not reflect this change as the printed copies were already in transit to the various locations to ensure they will be available consistent with the Contractual requirement of 1500 on the 14th calendar day of the month.
BidPlus Tool CCS Compatible for November Bids 
Last month in an effort to assist Flight Attendants in the transition to the new bidding environment, all United Flight
Attendants were provided with FREE access to BidPlus for a period of four (4) months courtesy of BidPlus and the United Master Executive Council for AFA. This offer is available when submitting your November bids and the uploading of bids is now compatible with CCS.
BidPlus provides Flight Attendants with the ability to search the lines of flying for the characteristics each individual determines is her/his personal priority be it layover locations, duty days, numbers of days off, etc. In addition, through this tool, access to monthly schedules is now available as of the 12th of the month in an alternate electronic format.
In order to take advantage of this advanced bidding tool, follow these directions:
- For FAQs, click the Help menu, and then choose FAQs
- To create an account, if you haven’t already done so, click 'Start My Free Account'
- You will be directed to a registration form
- Once you complete registration, you will be automatically directed to your new BidPlus desktop
- There are 2 windows on the desktop. The one on the left toggles between the test drive (old) bids and current new bids.
- To open a bid package, click once to select the bid package, and then click the Load Bid Package button at the bottom middle of the desktop.
- The first time you open a bid package it will take you through a brief setup where you can choose your languages and set up your pay rates.
- Once the configuration process is complete, your bid package will open. You will also be presented with a Quick Start video.
- The quickest way to find help is to locate and click on the "How do I ....?" feature located throughout the program. It will give you direct access to the Support Center.
Additional information and the details of this offer are available here or by visiting our website, unitedafa.org.
November International Bid Position Matrix Updates
Flight Attendants should be alerted to recent changes the company has made to the November International bid position matrix. We encourage you to review these changes prior to submitting November bids. Please refer to the November bid packet cover letter and staffing sheets for detailed information on the November matrix changes and position responsibilities.
Note: There are no changes to the domestic position matrix at this time.
Keeping Up with the Safety Changes
MEC Safety, Health and Security Committee
With the full implementation of a common scheduling platform, we continue to see efforts by Inflight to further harmonize safety procedures for all Flight Attendants. Among these, the Common Metal bulletin that became effective October 1st included many significant safety changes. These include but are not limited to:
1. changes in jumpseat assignments,
2. demo location and
3. demo and cabin coverage requirements.
As we all know, the bulletin, released in the midst of new scheduling information, was not only large, it contained significant changes. With this in mind and based on the timing of the release, it would have been easy to miss some of these significant changes when you reviewed the bulletin.
To ensure are familiar with the most up-to-date information, we encourage you to make time for a second thorough review of the summary of changes section of every bulletin. Take note of these changes and address any questions you may have with your Local Council Safety, Health and Security Committee.
More importantly, we encourage you to use your on eFAOM on each and every flight. It is always a good idea to use your eFAOM to review your jumpseat assignment and demo position, as well as to complete a thorough preflight check of your door, and surrounding emergency equipment. Additional information is available on Flying Together in the aircraft specific pages and in your Link’s Content Locker. Whether you are flying a new airplane, or one that you’ve flown for years, recognize that change is “in the air”. Use all available resources in fulfilling your safety responsibilities.
Updating Information Related to your FAA Airman Certification Card
MEC Safety, Health and Security Committee
Flight Attendants can obtain information on how to update the personal information associated with the FAA Airmen Certificate may best accomplish this by visiting the FAA Airmen certification website, where they will find detailed instructions.
Information regarding address changes can also be found in the same area of the website.
Note: Changes to your KCM profile are provided by the Company and updates when you update your company records.
Vote in the Midterm Elections
MEC Government Affairs Committee
The November 6, 2018 midterm election will determine what we can achieve for working families and for our profession. We are counting on every AFA-CWA member to vote.
We've been getting reports from Flight Attendants who have voted in the past and thought they were registered. But they discovered their name had been removed from the registered voter list. In some states, the deadline has already passed to register, but we still encourage every member to make sure you double, triple check that you are registered to vote!
Don't assume you'll be able to cast your vote on Election Day. In our profession, we never know! Cast your vote through Early Voting or get an Absentee Ballot to submit your vote. Talk with your flying partners about doing the same.
Voting is key to our credibility with Congress. Turning out in large numbers to vote in November 2018, is critically important to ensure that our voice is heard.
We need a government that supports our work. Your vote on November 6 may be the one that makes the difference in helping to put in place a pro-Flight Attendant environment in Washington, D.C. Visit afacwa.org/vote to register to vote, check your registration, and your voting rights.
10 Hours Rest is the Law
On October 5, 2018, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 became law. The Secretary of the Department of Transportation now has 30 days to change the federal rest rules for Flight Attendants. The new rest rule is 10 hours free from duty and it cannot be reduced for any reason. The FAA will provide the airlines with an implementation period for the new rest rules, which typically is no more than six months. We will update Flight Attendants as the implementation process moves forward.
Additional Council Information
The information below is maintained and updated by your Local Council.
Council roster not available at this time.
