DECREASE IN PHL FLYING
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Dear Member,
DECREASE IN PHL FLYING
Last Friday the Company announced a Pilot Bid that will reduce the 75/76 Domestic flying in PHL. As communicated in a previous Eline, the Company released the following CBS message at 16:56 EST last Friday:
Date: Friday, 10 August 2007 16:56 ET
To: USAALLMX.F/A, USAALLFA.SPV
From: KINSEY.P
Subject: PHL/CLT Staffing Update Nov 2007
As each of you and particularly our PHL based flight
attendants know, the flying in PHL has its peaks and
valleys. During the winter, it seems there are too many
flight attendants and in the summer as seasonal
transatlantic service begins our flight attendant staffing
becomes very tight. A portion of this is created by the
change in aircraft utilization as the flying shifts between
transatlantic and domestic markets. During the
transatlantic flying season, the utilization for our
transatlantic fleet is much higher than the utilization for
the same aircraft when they are flying domestically
during the off season.
In order to help offset some of that difference going
forward, the company is issuing a pilot bid that will
remove 15 lines of flying from PHL 757/767 Domestic
in November, 25 lines of flying from PHL 757/767
Domestic in December and add 25 lines of flying to
CLT PHL 757/767 Domestic in December. The
difference of 15 lines represents the lower utilization
of the aircraft. We feel these changes will allow us
to achieve a more balanced distribution of assets
and to more effectively utilize our resources.
Philadelphia is our primary international gateway
offering 20 daily transatlantic flights to 19 destinations
throughout Europe. Charlotte continues to be our largest
hub operation with over 539 daily departures offering
service to 122 nonstop destinations.
As a result of this pilot bid, InFlight Administration
will be posting flight attendant transfers into CLT for
the month of November and we anticipate posting
another transfer effective for the month of December.
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Since this morning I have been talking with various Company managers about the decision to make this change. I have also been in consultation with PHL Council 70 President John McCorkle and CLT Council 89 President Ann Crowley.
The Pilot Bid and the CBS message do not really address the "peaks and valleys" caused by seasonal Transatlantic flying. The bid is purely pilot driven and is a result of pilot staffing and training problems the Company hopes to eliminate by moving the 75/76 Domestic flying into CLT. In addition, Company managers indicate this decision is based on the Company's belief the aircraft will have better utilization rates in CLT than in PHL.
As the message indicates, due to lower aircraft utilization (domestic v. transatlantic) 15 PHL 75/76 lines of time will basically "vaporize" in November. In December, 25 Pilot lines of 75/76 flying will be shifted to from PHL to CLT. The net result is that 125 transfer openings will occur in CLT for November with an additional transfer posting (estimated at 75 to 100) for December.
Because there is a seasonal pull down of Transatlantic flying every year in PHL the "peaks and valleys" do occur, but this pilot bid does not address that as the lines of flying will be moved into CLT and the corresponding number of Flight Attendants will be needed to staff those lines. PHL will remain in an overstaffed situation until the seasonal Transatlantic flying returns in 2008. The Company indicates the overstaffing will be "handled" by offering Voluntary Personal Leaves of Absence (VPLOA).
AFA realizes this is a drastic step and will affect the lives of many of our members. PHL Flight Attendants know the lines will shrink at the end of the seasonal Transatlantic flying but the removal of domestic 75/76 flying in addition to the seasonal pull down has a devastating effect.
The 15 75/76 pilot lines that "vaporize" equate to 60 Flight Attendant lines and the 25 75/76 lines that will shift to CLT account for the additional 100 Flight Attendant lines. What is not clear is if 100 Flight Attendant lines are being added to CLT, why the need open CLT up for 200 or more Flight Attendants. AFA is pursuing the answer to that question
For PHL Flight Attendants the decision on whether to transfer or not is difficult at best. While the number of lines that will be reduced is known, it is impossible to predict who will transfer to CLT. Until the transfers are processed it will also be impossible to determine how many PHL Flight Attendants will go back on Reserve as a result of the loss of domestic 75/76 flying. AFA will update you as information is developed. I would have liked to have been able to address this matter sooner but the timing of the publication of the Pilot bid made that impossible until now.
Questions and Answers
Q - Does AFA have a role or a say in where the Company places aircraft or lines of flying?
A - No. AFA does not have any contractual ability to require the Company to maintain a certain amount of flying in a base. AFA has contractual language that ties the Flight Attendants lines of flying to the Pilot lines.
Q - Will the process reverse itself next year when the seasonal flying increases in PHL?
A - No. PHL will, as mentioned above, remain overstaffed until the seasonal Transatlantic flying returns next year. At that point the staffing will be adequate for the seasonal flying - according to the Company.
Q - Will there be any transfer openings in PHL next year.
A - Possibly. If the Company increases flying significantly in PHL then transfer openings could occur.
Q - If PHL will be understaffed from November until April/May will the Company consider offering VPLOAs for more than a month at a time, e.g. a three month VPLOA.
A - The current contract does not provide for that ability but AFA will meet with the Company to determine if multiple-month VPLOA can be offered.
Q - I have a priority right of return to CLT on file-is it valid?
A - Priority right of return for Flight Attendants displaced from a particular base guarantee such Flight Attendants the right to return to the base from which they were displaced before anyone else is granted a transfer to that base. If you have a priority right of return to CLT on file and do not wish to exercise that right you must contact the Company to have the priority right of return removed from your file. You can contact Mark Stelzer at 480-693-5827. Please remember that a priority right of return is only valid if after you were displaced you did not voluntarily transfer to another base or if furloughed you did not accept the first recall you were offered.
Q - I have a "standing transfer bid" to CLT on file-is it valid.
A - Yes. Standing bids will be honored in seniority order as the transfers are processed. If you have a standing bid on file or can't remember if you have a standing bid on file you can rescind the bid on the hub or call Mark Stelzer. If you rescind the bid on the hub please be sure to make a copy.
Q - Do Flight Attendants who were furloughed from CLT and recalled to another base have a priority right of return to CLT?
A - No-only Flight Attendants who were displaced from CLT and then subsequently furloughed and recalled to a base other than CLT have priority return rights (if a priority right of return form was filed).
Thank you,
Mike Flores, President
The US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA
