BEWARE THE FINE PRINT and LOOPHOLES!
- EARLY OUT
- RESERVE
- CROSSOVER
- SINGLE CONTRACT
Early Out Agreement - (TA - pg. 61, paragraph 1)
“The Company in its sole discretion shall determine the number of Early Out Packages to award.”
However, the Afa FANN Newsletter published in their Q & A on January 20, 2012:
Q: How many eligible Flight Attendants will be awarded the Early Out?
A: There will be a minimum award of 1,000 eligible Flight Attendants awarded the Early Out. Early Out packages shall be awarded to the senior eligible bidders, based on system seniority.
Nowhere in the TA is there a specific number given. The Company has the sole discretion so where does the 1,000 come from? And if it doesn't meet 1,000, what happens? Is it Null and Void?
Reserve Preferencing Letter of Agreement (TA -pg. 67) Development and Implementation: “In the event that programming cannot be accomplished to meet the above requirements...If an alternate solution is not agreed upon, this Letter of Agreement shall be NULL and VOID”.
One year from "Date of Signing" to develop the software to implement reserve preferenceing but if for whatever reason they are not successful, we are out of luck until 2016! Again, the Company is in the driver’s seat.
Crossover Side Letter of Agreement (TA - pg. 73)
“…the total number of cross over transfers pursuant to this Agreement shall not be greater than, in the Companies’ sole judgment, they deem advisable to adjust the Flight Attendants staffing at the Companies.”
Again, Afa failed to nail down a number. So how many will it be? 100? 1000? Or ZERO?? Afa left it strictly up to the Company.
Section 35 Duration, Single Contract Negotiations (TA - pg. 57) “…..shall provide written notice of intended change no earlier than thirty days and no later than 60 days…..” “Negotiations for a Single Collective Bargaining Agreement shall commence no later than one hundred twenty days from written notice.”
So, six months (60 days plus 120) from date of signing, they will START combined negotiations. That is IF all FOUR parties (UAL, CAL, GUAM and s-UA flight attendants) agree to it.
Ask yourself, why is it a 4 year contract? (6 years from the amendable date). CONTINENTAL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS NEGOTIATIONS FOR A NEW CONTRACT WILL START MARCH 5th.
Will they get another new contract this year? And once single contract negotiations start for CAL, what will happen to combined talks?
It looks like "B Scale" wages for s-UA flight attendants for a long time to come!
