2.27.20 – Attendance & Performance Policy Arbitration Award

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Attendance Arbitration Decision
Has Arrived
System Board Orders Changes

I am pleased to announce that APFA has just received the Arbitrator’s final award on AA’s Flight Attendant Attendance and Performance Program. Positive changes will be coming as a result of APFA’s important Presidential Grievance challenging the Program. Click here to read the final ruling:

https://www.apfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SS-186-2018-APFA-7_Attendance-Policy-Presidential-Award_Corrected.pdf

The System Board ordered significant changes to the Program including, but not limited to:

• The 2 hour/3 hour report time for reserves begins at ‘positive contact’ (speaking to Crew Schedule).

• Personal Days (POs) are not automatically chargeable after the second one in a year.

• Incentive point will be used for the next absence, even during a critical period.

• Planned and approved MLOAs that touch a critical period will not be assessed an extra point for the critical period, so long as the MLOA was approved prior to the bidding period for the critical period month.

• An additional point will be added for progressive discipline, starting at Step 2. The points are now at 4 points for Level 1, 7 points for Level 2, and 9 points at Level 3. Termination may result at 11 points, rather than 10.

• A Flight Attendant may only be charged multiple points for two separate events on one day in limited scenarios.

• No single event will be charged more than 3 points.

• A single continuous absence will not be charged a second attendance point until the 7^th day.

• A Flight Attendant on approved block FMLA will not be charged an attendance point for a single continuous absence, even if the absence extends beyond the Flight Attendant’s FMLA entitlement.

• A Flight Attendant may “Call in Well” to inform the Company that she/he is available to fly during the original footprint of a trip. If the Flight Attendant can pick up a trip, with Crew Schedule’s consent, the Flight Attendant will only be charged attendance points for days she/he did not fly.

There is more, including other performance-related aspects of the Program like reserve out of base and customer complaints no longer automatically going into My View. The System Board Members also ordered the Company to make adjustments to individual Flight Attendant’s records in accordance with the Award, going back to October 1, 2018.  All changes are detailed in the Award.

We will be briefing APFA Leadership on this decision at the APFA Convention beginning Monday next week. We will also be putting together more information as soon as possible to explain the impact of the Award in further detail. After a lengthy hearing and deliberation, we wanted you to have a chance to read the Arbitrator’s decision immediately.

In closing, I would like to thank the APFA representatives and Flight Attendants who gave their time and effort to this grievance, and the SBA team that worked tirelessly to bring this case together.

In unity,

APFA National Vice President
[email protected]