Reserve Improvements

Date: 8/3/2016

Improving the Reserve System

Recognizing how difficult reserve life can be, the JNC spent more time negotiating the Reserve System than any other Section of the Tentative Agreement. The end result is a Reserve system which provides flexibility for Reserves, maximization of earning potential, and protection against arbitrary company actions.

The Reserve System in the TA looks very different than the Reserve System management negotiators wanted to impose. The following includes some of the highlights of the Reserve System as well as an explanation of the improvements to the CAL/CMI Reserve System.

Maximizing Earning Potential

Reserves will now have the ability to pick up on days off from other Flight Attendants and be paid above the guarantee.

A Reserve may also pick up from open time on days off in certain instances including to avoid drafting and purple/white flag pairings.

Preserved combination of Reserve override and 78 hour guarantee which represents an increase in guaranteed pay for CAL Reserves with more days off.

Maintained control over trip assignments through Reserve Preferencing.

Maintaining Flexibility and Control

Reserve Preferencing allows Reserves to preference trips not just coming back from days off but before every Reserve availability day. This automated system removes crew scheduling discretion and eliminates favoritism. Explanation of Reserve Preferencing >

Maintains 12 days off from UAL agreement.

Virtually eliminates “bumping.” Reserves may not be displaced from trips assigned through Reserve Preferencing and may not be displaced for Ready Reserve assignments within 15 hours to check-in. That means displacement only can happen for the relatively rare Ready Reserve assignments outside of the 15 hour window.

Release to check in for assignments from Reserve Preferencing and Ready Reserve assignments within fifteen hours.

Reserves covered by 35-in-7 rule.

Protecting Days Off

Protecting days off for Reserves was one of the most contentious issues in these negotiations. Company negotiators wanted to impose the CAL system of moveable days without any changes. Your JNC negotiators were able to beat back that effort and end up with strong contract language which will drastically minimize assignments into days off, penalize crew scheduling for the failure to plan properly, and compensate those Reserves who are assigned into days off.

The protections in the contract include:

Strong order of assignment language which obligates the Company to use any available Reserve or standby prior to assigning into a day off.
No days moveable or changeable in advance. Assignments into days off may only be made from days of availability into Reserve days off meaning the Company only has one to three occasions to make such assignments each bid month.
Reserve volunteers must be offered assignment prior to involuntarily assignment and will receive either 5 hours of add pay on the first day or 200% for pairings worked into the second day off. Company can offer purple flag pairings to Flight Attendants (Lineholders and Reserves) to minimize assignments.
Based on our analysis of past data and the changes to minimize such assignments, assignments into the first day off will be very rare and assignments into more than one day off will be extremely rare.

Straight Reserve

Putting together three agreements with different Reserve systems is no easy task and involved change. After much deliberation and careful consideration of Flight Attendant feedback, the JNC agreed to straight Reserve in bases except for HKG, FRA, LHR, NRT, and HKG. These bases were an exception because of the limited turnover in these bases.

Improvement to the CAL/CMI Reserve System

The Reserve system in the Tentative Agreement contains many new concepts and many improvements to the CAL/CMI Reserve system.

Minimum of 5 hours pay and credit averaged per duty period. (This means no more 2 1/2 hour 1 days pairings going toward guarantee or 7 hour 3 days pairings going toward guarantee).
Increased rest and shorter duty days which are particularly important for Reserves.
More days off (12). This is a major economic item expanding the number of Reserve days off by 20%.
Standby (Airport Alert) for 4 hours sit = 5 hours pay and credit toward guarantee. No more ability for scheduling to extend standby to 6 hours.
Optional 100 monthly max/cap. Waivable 100 hour max.
Improved Reserve trip trading. Once assigned a pairing can trade with other Reserves or Lineholders.
Reserve Preferencing allows Reserves to preference/select trips not just returning from days off or standby but before every Reserve availability day. The automated Preferencing assignment system removes crew scheduling discretion/favoritism.
Picking up time from other Flight Attendants on days off and picking up white and purple flag pairing on days off.
Can only be turned to another assignment when blocking in- if it's to prevent drafting.
The 1-in-7 rule now based on whole calendar day rather than 24 hour breaks.
Very limited ability to be worked into day off.
Longer time to return call from scheduling, now 30 minutes instead of 20 minutes.
Reserve override plus Reserve guarantee means more money guaranteed per month for Reserves.
35-in-7 rule applied to Reserves.

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