Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Council 72

October 26, 2016

Fellow Flight Attendants,

The majority has spoken and has voted not to ratify the tentative agreement.Through the vote, we sent a strong message that we expect more for our contributions to the airline.

We will need to re-survey our group to define a limited number of priority issues to change from this tentative agreement.  The NMB ultimately controls the timing and location of negotiations. Look for those communications in the coming days and weeks.

We remain unified as a group and focused on our future. We are stronger and better together.

In Solidarity,

AFA Omni MEC/LEC President Hamilton Kaopua, Negotiating Committee Member Tammy Kirkenslager, and AFA Staff Negotiator Suzanne Balzer review the 2016 Tentative Agreement and answer your questions.

Scope

Compensation

Expenses

Sick Leave

Leaves of Absence

Training

Vacation

Scheduling

Hours of Service

Furlough and Recall

Discipline, Grievances, and System Board

Union Security

Uniforms

General

Questions and Answers

Negotiating Committee Recommendations 

Q:  Who gets to vote on this Tentative Agreement?

A:  For all new contract ballots, we allow all “members” to vote, that is they must have an application on file.  There is no restriction of a probationary period.  Again, only flight attendants who are members will have their votes counted, which is why any nonmember will be sent a voting ballot with a membership application.  Also, it is important to understand that on the Vote Count Date, votes that are cast may be determined invalid based on the member’s status in the company on that date, such as a manager or ISC, a flight attendant who has resigned or not completed their IOE, or anyone who does not have a membership application on file; their votes are invalid.  You can also change your vote up until the polls are closed.  The last vote counts.

Q:  When do we start paying dues?

A:  The Dues are currently $50 a month and may be deducted twice a month from your paycheck on the last day of the month and the 15^th.  A Dues Check Off sheet will be sent to all flight attendants after ratification.  Dues deductions should begin in December 2016.  These deductions would represent the November dues month. This is called ‘prior month’ dues.

Q: “A Flight Attendant shall be guaranteed a minimum of nine (9) Scheduled Days Off in any Bid Month.”  “A Flight Attendant who is available for work on each Scheduled Duty Day during a full Bid Month shall be eligible for a MPG of sixty-five hours (65:00) of pay at the applicable Hourly Rate.”  This effectively means that our 19 days of reserve would be upped to 21 or 22 days with the same guarantee of 65 hours.

A:  Incorrect. Per SECTION 3 – COMPENSATION, B.3, A Flight Attendant who is awarded a Bid Line in which there are more than nineteen (19) Scheduled Duty Days in the Bid Month shall have her/his MPG increased by 3.43 hours for each additional Scheduled Duty Day in the Bid Month. So, assuming you are awarded a bid line with the following scheduled duty days per bid month, the following will apply:

19 days = 65.00 Hours of Minimum Pay Guarantee

20 days = 68.43 Hours of MPG (65 + 3.43 hrs)

21 days = 71.86 Hours of MPG (65 + 3.43 hrs + 3.43 hrs)

In effect, any FA who is awarded a bid line of 20 or 21 duty days will automatically be guaranteed the MPG for that bid period.  The amount of days off may be increased by the company, not decreased.

Q:  How do I know if I’m a member and my application has been received?

A:  Send an email to hkaopua@afaomni.org, and Hamilton will be able to verify your information.  Also, once you’ve sent in your membership application you can go to our website, AFAOmni.org and sign up for access to the Forum.  Only members are granted access.  Once your membership application is processed you will receive an email from the Forum administrator welcoming you.  That would be another way to know if you’re a member.  Please keep in mind that you should also update AFA, as well as Omni, any time you have a change of address, phone number or email.  You can update your information with AFA, here: http://www.afacwa.org/change_of_address

Q:  Why did you compare our wages to one charter airline and 3 regional carriers?

A:  In order to put in perspective the wage offer made in the TA we had to find carriers of comparable size. There are not very many carriers with less than 1000 Flight Attendants. Why does that matter?  When you look for a comparable number of Flight Attendants you are looking at a fairly comparable Inflight budget for wages. Do you think Omni’s IFS budget is equal to UAL? SWA?  Of course not.  So to get an accurate picture we must compare an apple to an apple. What type of flying is performed can come in to play in add-on pay but does not in hourly rates.

RUMOR:  The Company is eager for us to ratify because they are going to save a lot of money and the AFA wants us to sign so they can recover money spent during the negotiations.

FACT:  Every day we do not have a contract the Company actually SAVES money.  This TA represents an overall cost to the Company.  AFA recovering money HAS NEVER been an issue.  Your future dues do not represent a “recovery” as a percent comes back to your leaders to conduct the various functions of the Union.  The many experts who have assisted us have been paid for by dues from other represented airlines.  That is how a Union works!

Q: How do Omni Flight Attendant wages compare in the overall industry?

A: This first table is ranking Omni’s wages when compared to 28 other US carriers.

	Was/is	Will be if ratified
4th year	26	13
6th year	26	10
8th year	26	13

Direct comparable wages at Date of Signing and Date of Signing +3 and +5.

DOS
	OMNI	MIA	HZN	PED	SKY
4TH yr.	$25.28	$24.28	$25.97	$25.76	$23.82
6th yr.	$29.46	$28.46	$28.43	$28.75	$26.23
8th yr.	$30.62	$29.62	$30.35	$30.16	$28.88

DOS +3
	OMNI	MIA	HZN	PED	SKY
4th yr.	$26.04	$24.28	$26.89	$26.41	$23.82
6th yr.	$30.35	$28.46	$29.44	$29.47	$26.23
8th yr.	$31.55	$29.62	$31.42	$30.92	$28.88

DOS+5
	OMNI	MIA	HZN	PED	SKY
4th yr.	$27.22	$24.28	$26.89	$25.41	$23.82
6th yr.	$31.73	$28.46	$29.44	$29.47	$26.23
8th yr.	$32.98	$29.62	$31.42	$30.92	$28.88

Most of the wages used for comparable purposes were NOT first contract wages.  We knew going into this we would never lead the pack with a first contract.  But to go from almost dead last to the middle of the pack is worth your consideration.

Q: Why is there no short term disability coverage in this Tentative Agreement?

A: Using the survey as a guide, that was not an issue that made the top ten items Flight Attendants wanted in their first contract.  As a member of AFA-CWA there are a number of insurance coverages that could be made available to Omni Flight Attendants that provide better coverage at a lower cost.

Q: How do I read this pay scale?

Flight Attendant compensation during the term of this Agreement shall be based on the following hourly pay scale:

	DOS	DOS+1	DOS+2	DOS+3	DOS+4	DOS+5	DOS+6
1st yr.	$19.52	$19.52	$19.81	$20.11	$20.41	$21.02	$21.02
2nd yr.	$21.93	$21.93	$22.26	$22.59	$22.93	$23.62	$23.62
3rd yr.	$23.42	$23.42	$23.77	$24.13	$24.49	$25.22	$25.22
4th yr.	$25.28	$25.28	$25.66	$26.04	$26.43	$27.22	$27.22
5th yr.	$27.16	$27.16	$27.57	$27.98	$28.40	$29.25	$29.25
6th yr.	$ 29.46	$29.46	$29.90	$30.35	$30.81	$31.73	$31.73
7th yr.	$30.18	$30.18	$30.63	$31.09	$31.56	$32.51	$32.51
8th yr.	$30.62	$30.62	$31.08	$31.55	$32.02	$32.98	$32.98
9th yr.	$31.04	$31.04	$31.51	$31.98	$32.46	$33.43	$33.43
10th yr.	$31.66	$31.66	$32.13	$32.61	$33.10	$34.09	$34.09
11th yr.	$32.58	$32.58	$33.07	$33.57	$34.07	$35.09	$35.09
12th yr.	$33.19	$33.19	$33.69	$34.20	$34.71	$35.75	$35.75
13th yr.	$34.15	$34.15	$34.66	$35.18	$35.71	$36.78	$36.78
14th yr.	$35.14	$35.14	$35.67	$36.21	$36.75	$37.85	$37.85
15th yr.	$36.16	$36.16	$36.70	$37.25	$37.81	$38.94	$38.94

A: Reading down, the first column indicates your hourly pay rate based on years of active service with the company.  Pay rate within Year 1, Year 2 and so on, and topping out at 15 years.

Reading across, the top line indicates the Date of Signing (DOS), then each year after, indicated by +1, +2 and so on, to a maximum of 6 years.  The Date of Signing is the date this Agreement is ratified and signed into effect.

You will notice the shaded boxes, which indicate the way to follow your pay rates and the way your pay rate will increase based upon your years of service and also the years after ratification, with examples below.

Example 1: I am in my 1^st year with OAI/Date of Hire: Dec 10, 2015. Today I make $18.05/hour.

For this example, the TA ratifies on October 26, 2016.

On November 1, 2016 my hourly pay rate will increase to $19.52 (1^st year rate/DOS).

On December 10, 2016 I complete one year of service and start my 2^nd year.  My hourly pay rate then increases to $21.93 (2^nd year rate/DOS).

On December 10, 2017 my hourly pay rate will be $23.42 (3^rd year rate/DOS +1).

On November 1, 2018 my hourly pay rate increases to $23.77 (3^rd year rate/DOS +2).

On December 10, 2018 my hourly pay rate increases to $25.66 (4^th year rate/DOS +2).

This continues through the scale.

Example 2: I am in my 8^th year at OAI/Date of Hire: Feb 1, 2009. Today I make $26.28/hour.

For this example, the TA ratifies on October 26, 2016.

On November 1, 2016, my hourly pay rate will increase to $30.62 (8^th year rate/DOS).

On February 1, 2017 I complete eight years of service and start my 9^th year.  My hourly pay rate increases to $31.04 (9^th year rate/DOS).

On February 1, 2018 my hourly pay rate will be $31.66 (10^th year rate/DOS +1).

On November 1, 2018 my hourly pay rate increases to $32.13 (10^th year rate/DOS +2).

This continues through the scale.

Q: Why 24 hour reserve?

A: We discussed many different possible reserve types and differing hours.  During the last week of negotiations it became obvious, and because of the flying Omni does today, they were not breaking from the 24 hours concept (which by the way is still in use at many carriers).  If in the future our flying modifies to more scheduled service we can work with management to see another way to schedule reserve.

Q: Why no pay for reserve?

A: The concept of a guarantee was created as a pay minimum for reserve days.  If, for example, you were a reserve at a major carrier and sat reserve every one of your required on call days and never flew- your pay for reserve would be your guarantee.  Our goal became to increase your hourly rate so your guarantee would be worth more.

Please send us your questions and refer to our website, AFAOmni.org for the posted Frequently Asked Questions.  Thank you.