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Sep 7, 2010
OPBSK scheduler improperly books NRPS DHD travel (Contract Section 11.B.3.)
[06.10.09] -- F/A Rakiya "Rocky" Jones was assigned a meter ID on June 3, 2009 by a crew scheduler at OPBSK which was contained a DHD segment that was incorrectly booked. Upon arrival at O'Hare for the DHD segment, F/A Jones discovered that she was unable to check-in via the Easy Check-In kiosk. When she went to the gate, a CSR stated that she was unable to place F/A Jones on the stand-by or DM (Departure Management) list for First Class as a result of how the booking was created (as stated in Contract Section 11.B.3.). The CSR identified that the booking was made "incorrectly" and that he was unable to change it in time for departure.
Due to time constraints with the departure and CS duties, other F/As were accommodated in First Class (their NRPS bookings were made properly), and the First Class cabin checked in full. Adding to the problem, an incorrect boarding ticket was given, and F/A Jones boarded as a seat dupe. She returned to the gate counter, and was then told her PNR booking was deleted. She was forced to contact OPBSK from the gate area, and was again re-booked on the flight by a crew scheduler. By this time, since First Class cabin had checked in full, F/A Jones was seated in a Economy Class seat.
Upon arrival home, F/A Jones immediately submitted a report to AFA Council 12, and a follow-up with OPBSK management was sent. The follow-up resulted in a review of NRPS (Positive Space) DHD booking procedures with the crew scheduler identified through F/A Jones' diligent report. Additionally, a review of Contract Section 11.B. (Deadheading Section), and the inconvenience she encountered at the gate was discussed with the crew scheduler. OPBSK Operations Controller Mike Behrens submitted an apology to F/A Rakiya "Rocky" Jones, and the issue was immediately addressed due to Rocky's diligent reporting.
OPBSK scheduler books NRPS DHD travel incorrectly (Contract Section 11.B.2.)
[07.04.08] -- F/A Jill Southworth found herself on a DHD from SYDLAX on July 4th, and discovered her booking was made in the incorrect class of service per Contract Section 11.B.2. Jill phoned Local President Darren Shiroma and fellow F/A Charlie Landa (who was also on L/O in SYD). When we submitted the reports to OPBSK management, it was revealed that the crew scheduler who booked the reservation used the Apollo code "B" class (which is an Economy Class booking code) instead of the appropriate "C" class (Business Class code).
As a result of this finding, OPBSK management will brief this clarification with all OPBSK crew scheduling personnel to ensure they are clearly aware of the differentiation of booking codes in Apollo. Without follow up from F/A Charlie Landa (who submitted a detailed email report on behalf of F/A Jill Southworth from his L/O!), your AFA office would not have been able to follow through with OPBSK appropriately. Please encourage everyone to report diligently to ensure our Contract is upheld, and direct your coworkers to this page for examples on how you too can make a difference!
OPBSK refuses hotel room in violation of Contract Section 6.B.1.b. -- Know Your Rights
[06.06.08] -- F/As Raegan Lunsford and Sarah Oden -- with Contract in hand, advocated with OPBSK crew schedulers to obtain a room for their delayed departure. Despite holding their ground and knowing the language in the Contract, OPBSK crew schedulers cited that "rooms would not be authorized unless the L/O time was in excess of the DSL L/O time." They wrongly asserted that the extended L/O time would only require a room if it was plus 4-hours in addition to the scheduled L/O time. This is an incorrect application of Contract Section 6.B.1.b., and Raegan and Sarah knew this. OPBSK crew schedulers refused to transfer the crew's call to the Hotel Desk for hotel room authorization.
Frustrated, Raegan phoned the AFA Los Angeles Office. Local President Darren Shiroma contacted the Hotel Desk through FLT-LINE (bypassing OPBSK) and upon review of the ID by Hotel Desk personnel, approved hotel accomodations for the entire crew were authorized per our Contract. With Contract in hand while out on assignment, Raegan and her crew knew their Contractual rights. If you find yourself at an impasse, you should always ask to speak with a "Controller on Duty" at OPBSK, and remember to document Contract references and take notes on details including names, time, etc.
Follow up from OPBSK management on 6/10/08 was in agreement that the crew were entitled to rooms per Section 6.B.1.b. of the Contract and both crew schedulers involved will be addressed. Without Raegan & Sarah's diligent reports, we would not have been able to address crew scheduler violations, and thank them for advocating for increased accountability of all employees at OPBSK.
In the box below, we're republishing an excerpt from the 3/30/07 issue of E-Lines which we posted on the "Bulletin Board" page of our AFALAX.org site. Please visit the Bulletin Board page for more handy references for ALL Flight Attendants.
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Right to Hotel Room on 4 Hr Scheduled or Actual Due to Delay - E-Lines excerpt: 3/30/07
6.B. of the Contract: The Hotel desk has failed to provide hotel rooms for crews when they are scheduled or delayed in excess of 4 hours. Section 6.B. of our Contract provides us with single occupancy hotel rooms when we are scheduled at a layover station for more than four (4) hours. We are also afforded a hotel room if we arrive at a layover station and discover that a delayed outbound flight is causing a layover of more than four (4) hours from the time the delay is known.
Long-standing practice and recent conversations with WHQ Labor Relations confirm the application of this Contract language. Should you experience difficulties in obtaining this Contractual right, contact your Local AFA office immediately. If the issue cannot be resolved in compliance with our Contract at the time the 4 hour layover is known, remember that Flight Attendants may avail themselves of self help to obtain a hotel room and expense the cost after the incident. Click the following link to a Guide to using Self-Help procedures. (Company Expense Forms should be available in the Domicile Resource Room.) |
OPBSK attempts to assign ONSB F/A ID in violation of Contract Section 10.G.1.a.
[06.05.08] -- F/A April Amara was assigned an 0930-1330 ONSB on May 6, 2008. Upon conclusion of her assignment, she phoned OPBSK to "block out" using her cell phone. When she reached a crew scheduler, she was placed on hold for a few minutes, meanwhile, she received an incoming call from OPBSK. She remained on the line to block out, and was released from her ONSB assignment. She retrieved a voicemail from another crew scheduler stating that they wanted her to "call (them) back through FLT-LINE for an assignment."
April was diligent in retaining the voicemail message, and followed up with email reports to the AFA Los Angeles office. Through her advocacy and detailed record-keeping, she kept notes from the incident which allowed Local President Darren Shiroma to report the violation to OPBSK management.
Follow up with OPBSK management will include review and discussion with OPBSK crew scheduling personnel responsible for the intent to violate Contract Section 10.G.1.a. The box below includes a reminder from the "Reserve Survival" page on AFALAX.org. Be sure to visit the page and retain the items in the Reserve Checklist there - don't leave home without them!
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ONSB - Section 10 of our Contract (10.G.1.a)
A Flight Attendant on standby reserve shall be released from standby duty no later than four (4) hours from the time she/he reports for duty, or will be assigned an ID which departs no later than five (5) hours from commencement of the duty period, except when the Company is in a drafting situation.
A scheduler should NOT ask you to "hang around" beyond your ONSB obligation. You must be "ASSIGNED AN ID which departs no later that five (5) hours from commencement of the duty period.." This means you should NOT be asked to "wait for a possible assignment" beyond the specified duty period. REPORT any violations immediately to us via email! |
OPBSK assigns illegal ID in violation of Contract Section 7.I.4.a. - Watch your legalities and refuse to be a victim
[02.06.08] -- F/A Omar Enciso provided us with a written report submitted to AFA Council 12 which outlined an "intended" violation of Section 7.I.4.a. of the Contract (Duty Time Maximums). When he contacted OPBSK to flag the illegal assignment, he was told to "take the trip anyway." How many times have you been given this exact statement by OPBSK? If your answer is "one" - that is simply one too many.
Based on the PST check in time, the scheduled Duty Time for the third day of his ID was illegal. A check in of 0455 PST has a contractual maximum of 11 1/2 hours according to Section 7.I.4.a. of the Contract (which clearly states: "the duty time provisions are based on the F/As home domicile time), and Omar's ID clearly showed at 12 hour 55 minute Duty Time. Omar was diligent in taking notes, and printed a hard-copy of the ID (see actual ID below).
OPBSK management is in agreement that the scheduling of this ID was illegal, however, it is blaringly apparent that we ALL must be vigilant in Contractual awareness. It is unfortunate that we are placed into a position to "defend" the Contract, but with the knowledge that Omar exercised, we can all make a difference to ensure that accountability is a two-way street. In the end, Omar's ID "fell apart" and he was not subject to the Duty Time violation as scheduled within his ID.
We'd like to thank Omar for submitting his report to flag the problems with OPBSK - in doing so, he has made an effort to "look out" for his fellow Flight Attendants across the system. Thank you, Omar!
The Illegal ID:
OPBSK fails to notify Flight Attendants regarding delays. Again.
[02.04.08] -- We've received two reports that OPBSK is failing to notify crews in SYD regarding delayed departures and changes to pick-up times. A report from F/A Kathy Stevens noted that on January 12, 2008, OPBSK failed to notify crewmembers of changes to their return flight to LAX. She was forced to go down at pick-up time to notify crewmembers (who were already in uniform) that they were not leaving that day.
In the second report, F/A Jill LeBlanc notified AFA Los Angeles that the only reason they realized that their return flight to LAX was delayed was when the crew van failed to pick them up at the designated time. Due to OPBSK's failure to notify them accordingly, they unnecessarily waited for an hour in the hotel lobby. Evidently, the van driver was notified...
In Kathy's incident on January 12, she stated that OPBSK claimed "they notified SYD Operations" to make the appropriate calls. In Jill's incident on February 2, she says the SYD airport staff said they "faxed the hotel to notify of the delay." It's important to note that OPBSK Schedulers are responsible for notifying each member of the crew. Other reports note that Pursers are being contacted, and told to "advise the rest of the crew" - this is a scheduling requirement of OPBSK. Not F/As, Pursers, Airport Operations staff, the hotel front desk, or anyone else.
LAXSW Management has been notified, and we'll provide updates to any progress here. We must continue to advocate for change and accountability from OPBSK. Continue to submit reports to us via email at afalax@unitedafa.org or via AFA mailbox at the Domicile Mailfile Room. Please encourage our colleagues to do the same.
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Notification of Changes to F/A Schedule - August 17, 2007 E-Lines Excerpt:
Notification of changes to your schedule must be accomplished in person, through telephone conversations and in limited situations by a notice in your mailbox. F/As in the purser position are not responsible for informing the rest of the crew of a delay or schedule change; these notifications need to be handled by the scheduler. Text messages, ACARS or other non-approved forms of notification are not acceptable.
Also Note: ACARS messages may not communicate reassignment information (such as "go to gate XX" or "go to flight XX") - they may only communicate for F/As to "contact scheduling upon arrival," or other similar message. |
For more on OPBSK failures and problems, visit the following link:
OPBSK, We Have A Problem >>
Contract Tested Under Irregular Ops At LAX >>
A Proactive Stand – Flight Attendants Advocate Through Knowledge
Flight Attendants at LAX take care of (each other's) business
[09.27.07] -- More recent examples of clear reporting by Flight Attendants illustrate why communication within the F/A unit is so crucial, and shows how it impacts our entire work group. Two examples we find important to share are highlighted below. One shows why concise documentation of discussions with the F/A Service Center and Contractual knowledge are imperative, the other shows how a simple email or report can affect building of an ID.
• In September, AFA was notified by LAXSW F/A Alice Kral that the FASC advised her that she would not be entitled to Purser pay on ID 3260 8/15/07 for either the DHD or the ground surface portion of this ID for which she was Purser.
Alice was told that the F/A Service Center had received a "memo" stating that they (F/A Service Center reps) were to check the DSL of every trip that included a deadhead to ensure that the trip pairing was originally in the DSL - if it was not then the F/A was not entitled to Purser pay.
On 9/14/07 LEC VP/Secretary Karrie Forbes contacted the FASC and spoke with Dennis in (Manila). He confirmed that they, in fact, do have a "memo" from the company advising to check the DSL to see if the city pairs of the DHD are in the DSL, if not, no Purser pay was to be paid.
For example, in the case of this ID 3260 8/15/07, since the F/A deadheaded LAX-SFO, not BUR-SFO, there would be no Purser pay. The FASC maintained that the same holds true for the surface segment BUR-LAX, which was not in the original DSL.
Karrie asked Dennis at the FASC which part of the Contract he was using to implement this seemingly "new way" of applying Purser pay. He stated that it was not in the Contract, but there had been an "agreement" between the Union and the Company with regard to this method of establishing Purser pay. WRONG!
Section 5.B. of our Contract clearly spells out when a F/A is to be paid Purser Pay. When AFA contacted Payroll at WHQ, they confirmed that Purser Pay should be paid for Alice's ENTIRE ID. Our thanks to Alice for being so diligent in her reporting to AFA, and for protecting and watching over our Contractual rights - we encourage all Flight Attendants to do the same!
• In September 2007, LAXSW F/A Alex Robledo inquired about the layover change for the 3-day MEX trips (ID 7227/7226/7228). The October change had the Language Qualified F/A laying over in MEX, with the remainder of the crew laying over in SFO. He notified that this was a change to previous months where the entire crew layover would be in the same location.
Our AFA MEC Central Schedule Committee discussed the change with the Company about the difference in the way the language ID was built versus the non-language ID. The Company acknowledged the ID could be built both ways, and that for October 2007, were built differently as an oversight. For November, the language ID will fly the same sequence as the non-language ID. Thanks to Alex for reporting this scheduling oversight by WHQSK, and for bringing it to our attention so we could address it appropriately.
Submit reports to AFA Council 12 - Los Angeles via email using contact info found on the "Contact Us" page.
Shining Examples: Reporting that made a difference
[01.30.07] -- Every day, we have opportunities to affect change. Thorough reporting to the local AFA Office does result in positive change. We are proud of the fact that there are dozens of Flight Attendants here at LAX that make the extra effort to watch out for one another by simple, consistent reporting. The following bullets highlight just a few of the examples.
• In March 2006, LAXSW Flight Attendant Cathy Lazarus reported that the MSY airport crew lounge had a Unimatic computer that was missing a keyboard. Her thorough report also noted that the air conditioning was inoperative. After our direct contact with MSY Operations, we were informed by our AFA MEC Hotel & Transportation Committee that crew lounges should also be written up using the TVLLOG reporting page on Unimatic. Within days of her report, the computer keyboard was replaced - and within weeks, the air conditioning was repaired.
• In 2006, the Contractual 1900 CLLR tape was late four times. Several F/As including James Rick and Nickie Busigin notified AFA via email and phone to report the Contract violations. Reports from SFO and LAX regarding crew meals on Hawaii turns resulted in lunch crew meals now being boarded on early departures instead of breakfast, and red-eye turns now have crew meals boarded roundtrip.
• LAXSW F/A Gina Dudley reported an OPNTRP issue a few weeks ago, and provided detailed specifics regarding her discovery. An open position was showing on an ID, yet the OPNTRP file did not contain the open ID. She reported her observations to us, and within a few hours, one of the OPBSK managers manually resolved the computer automation issue.
• On January 20, 2007, LAXSW F/A Miyuki Boluyt reported that her SkyNet access from home had “timed out” while trying to download the February 2007 bid package. This built-in time out security feature prevented her from completely receiving the lengthy download due to the size of the bid package. The AFA Los Angeles office notified our AFA MEC Central Scheduling Committee - they met with the company and identified a solution to the problem in time for the March bid packet. Larger bid packages will now, as a result of Miyuki’s reporting, be broken up into smaller component files so they can be downloaded separately.
• LAXSW F/As Esther Leivers, Liz Moreno, Connie Bandy-Elliott, Jane Shutt, Rafael Garcia, Pattie Adams, Beverly Sung, Charlene Costa, and many others have forwarded us news articles and industry-related editorials. Industry news has always been a point of interest to F/As, so the articles are all reviewed for posting on our site. Of course, we should all remember that what we read in the media may not always contain complete facts, and sometimes have a tendency to lean toward sensationalist journalism.
• Reports from Kyle Allin and Liz Moreno regarding our newest flying partners have been submitted to the LEC Office via email as well. They reported back to us to ensure that probationary F/As concerns were addressed and their Contractual rights were protected.
• Rumors submitted to us via email are quickly addressed and clarifying facts are easily found on our LEC website. Dozens of rumors and distracting speculation are submitted to us each month by F/As, and we ask that you continue to keep the lines of communication open!
• Many F/As have notified us of Scope Clause violations as well. The AFA/UAL Flight Attendant Agreement, page one, clearly defines to work we do – reporting violations allows us to address the concerns in a timely manner.
We should all be proud of the advocacy that dozens of F/As within our ranks use to ensure our Contract, our rights, and issues that affect our careers are protected. Encourage our coworkers to get connected to our site so we can all stay on the same page. Every F/A who has emailed us since the inception of our LEC website in November 2005 should know that your reporting has made a difference!
A Proactive Stand – F/As Advocate Through Knowledge
[March 2006] -- As Flight Attendants, we are faced with numerous challenges every day we go to work. Despite the exit from Chapter 11, there are still many new issues that will continue to surface. Recent outsourcing of several functions within the Flight Attendant Service Center (FASC) and centralization of our Scheduling to OPBSK are just a few examples.
Several of our LAX-based flying partners encountered out-of-the-ordinary situations and simply took a stand with information they knew they could stand by. Having your Contract with you, along with knowing “Your Rights As An Employee” and obtaining the info on the “Meeting With Your Supervisor” page on our site are all components of “knowledge is power.”
Here are a few shining examples….
• OPBSK contacted a LAXSW F/A and attempted to assign a flight out of SNA. Though SNA is listed as a co-terminal of LAX, there has been no formal move by the company to “activate” this SoCal airport as a co-terminal. The F/A inquired about the assignment and stood ground – knowing that SNA was not an active co-terminal - and asked about report to LAX with surface transportation provided to SNA. The scheduler eventually abandoned efforts in assigning a trip originating out of SNA.
• OPBSK contacted 3 LAXSW Reserves with less than 4 hours from report time for ONSB assignments. All 3 F/As asked if this was a “short call out” and were told it was not. The F/As reported back to the LAX AFA office and we were successful in addressing the incorrect information provided by OPBSK and the correct contractual language was reiterated to SK personnel.
• A LAXSW F/A contacted the FASC when they were passed over on the Move Up list. When contacting the FASC, the F/A informed the FASC Rep about the error and was told an error was made, and that a supervisor was going to subsequently build her line. Monitoring of the Move Up list and advocacy in contacting the FASC, and holding them accountable to follow through led to the F/As Move Up line being built.
Self advocacy starts within YOU – many tools are available on our AFALAX.org and unitedafa.org sites, but require us to seek them out. Only then can we wield the information against misinformation and use it to protect ourselves.
REPORT IT! Thorough documentation of times, dates, names and incidents allow for proper follow-up and tracking of issues. It is only through precise information that issues can be addressed!
Use our "Contact Us" page to submit your reports, but don’t forget to check our AFALAX.org site for updates and further info first.
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