Our Contractual Rest has Value

Our workdays which are often long, may at times be extended due to irregular operations. The demands of our profession and the need to be alert and responsive at a moment’s notice to unexpected situations can take a toll on our body and minds.

Taking a warm shower, decompressing and settling into a snug, feathery bed isn’t just a nicety, it’s a necessity. In order to perform our responsibilities as safety professionals and to meet the demands of our job, we must take care of ourselves first and ensure we take advantage of every opportunity to get the rest our bodies need. Our Contractual rest is vital and has been negotiated so we can recharge and be ready to meet the challenges in our careers as well as our personal lives.

Section 6.V.3. in our Contract provides guidance as it pertains to our negotiated Contractual Domestic Legal Rest requirement.

At home, our minimum legal rest must consist of at least twelve (12) hours free from duty. And, while there are also negotiated provisions that provide Flight Attendants with the ability to waive the minimum home legal rest in order to trip trade/pick up pairings, Flight Attendants cannot be required to reduce their rest period. 

Flight Attendants who elect to waive their minimum home legal rest may, at their sole discretion, reduce their rest at home with the understanding that the legal rest between pairings is then reduced to ten (10) hours minimum rest for all purposes.

It is also understood, in the event the Flight Attendant trades or drops one of the pairings resulting from the waiver and the minimum home legal rest between her/his pairings is reestablished, the ten (10) hour minimum rest shall no longer apply.

At a domestic layover point, our minimum Legal Rest is based on the proximity of the layover hotel to the airport location as well as the availability of transportation.

1. If the hotel is within approximately fifteen (15) minutes time from the airport and provided that prompt transportation is available, our legal rest is ten (10) hours free from duty.
2. If the hotel is more than approximately fifteen (15) minutes time from the airport, our minimum legal rest is expanded to eleven (11) hours free from duty.

In both cases above, once we have checked-in and during the debrief periods we are on duty. For this reason, neither of the periods can be considered as part of our free from a duty rest period.