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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Below are answers to questions the Negotiating Committee has received from Flight Attendants over the last week. All Flight Attendants may find these answers helpful in evaluating the 2022 Tentative Agreement. If you have any questions for the Committee, you can email them at negotiations@edvafa.org.
I’m hearing that if I vote “no” on the TA the Company will have to come back and offer a better deal. Is that true?
No. Anyone who says this has mixed up mid-term bargaining with Section 6 bargaining. Section 6 (of the Railway Labor Act) requires that the Company bargaining with us after it is amendable, until we get a ratified agreement. But, our contract is not currently amendable, so Section 6 does cover our bargaining. We are now engaged in “mid-term” bargaining (during the term of the contract), so the Company has no obligation to come back and offer Flight Attendants more, or anything, if the TA does not pass.
As we have said, we don’t know what the Company will do if the TA is not ratified. They could offer more, they could offer less, or they could walk away altogether. However, the idea that the Company is obligated to offer a better deal if the TA is turned down is completely false.
Why is a 2-year contract extension a good idea?
The primary reason the extension is a good idea is that it puts Endeavor Flight Attendants at the front of the regional airline pack for wages -- we will have the highest overall wage rates. We need and deserve a raise now to keep up with inflation. The extension was a key term for management, and we could not have achieved the wage increases without agreeing to an extension.
Flight Attendants are rightly concerned about the economy and inflation. But, locking in better wages now in a potentially volatile airline industry is not a bad idea. It can give the economy and industry time to stabilize and guard against an economic downturn before our Contract is amendable.
Why did first-year Flight Attendants receive the biggest wage increase?
The 0-1 Year Flight Attendants were brought up significantly. Everyone else will receive a 4% increase.
The increase for "new hire" Flight Attendants was necessary to make Endeavor competitive for hiring and retention, which have fallen far behind the industry. This was actually a shared goal of AFA and management. We need to have good, qualified colleagues who will stay for years to come.
I was hired earlier this year (2022). Can I vote on the TA?
If you were in a May 2022, or earlier, new hire class and graduated by May 30, 2022, you will be eligible to vote in the TA ratification. You should have received voting materials in the mail by now. If you did not, you may contact AFA through one of the following methods:
- Through the AFA Election website: afacwa-elections.org. Click the “Request a New Activation Code” tab, fill out and send the form.
- Call Membership Services (ballot line) at 844-232-2228, choose extension 2. The Membership Services office is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm ET. You may also contact them outside of regular hours and leave a voice message.
- Contact an Officer at your Local Council.
Is it true that we get 2 raises each year?
On October 31, 2022, we will all receive a raise. Starting next year (2023) Flight Attendants receive 2 raises each year, one on your anniversary date and the other on April 1 of each year. The exception is for Flight Attendants who are already at the top of the pay scale – they receive one raise per year.
What is the deal with the new Aircraft Certification language?
Since its been well-over a decade since the Company had to certify a new aircraft type, Flight Attendants are very confused about what this means. The certification flights for new aircraft are not scheduled flying (open time), nor is it revenue flying. Typically, aircraft certification involves a few flights over the course of one day. These flights may not even originate in an existing base.
Currently, our Contract does not have any language about how Flight Attendants would be utilized to certify new aircraft. Further, bidding rights (seniority) are for scheduled, revenue flying that is tied to a base. This was an issue for which management wanted clear language. It did not make sense for us to demand a seniority bidding process for only two Flight Attendants in an event that occurs roughly once per decade.
Regarding the monthly Geographic Stipend: if I drop all or most of my flying am I still considered “in active service “ for the stipend?
The short answer is that you may drop most or all of your flying during a month and still be eligible for the Geographic Stipend. However, please also read the “long answer,” below.
The long answer is that you must be in “active service” for at least 15 days during a month to receive the stipend. You are considered “active,” UNLESS you fall into one of the following categories:
- Personal Leave
- General Medical Leave (non OJI)
- Long Term Disability
- Military Leave greater than 90 days
- De-qualify as a Flight Attendant
- Suspended without pay
- Furloughed
- Retire, resign or terminated
The two “exceptions” to the above categories are FMLA leave or the first 90 days of OJI leave – these two leave categories will not count against qualifying for the bonus.