The ClearDaze 2006 LOWLIGHTS

The Following is a list of Lowlights that a  group of concerned Flight Attendants throughout the system have put together for the purpose of letting you know what the Union and the Company are trying to SELL you.  We have gone through this Tentative Agreement very thoroughly.  For those who have not read it in its entirety please refer to the sections that we have highlighted.

  This Tentative Agreement is BAD for us ALL, whether senior or junior, schedule holder or reserve.  This Tentative Agreement brings Industry Standards to an all time LOW and sends us back decades and in one point to 1863.

As the Professional Flight Attendants Association along with Ms. Susan Boda and Northwest Airlines have decided to once again provide you with the “Summary” or “Highlights” instead of the entire Tentative Agreement we feel these Lowlights will provide you once again with the fine print we consider the LOWLIGHTS.

To begin with let us point out that this Tentative Agreement fails to contain the “Strike Out” language that we have seen in all previous Tentative Agreements.  In the full text of the Tentative Agreement you will read what has been changed and what is new with the bold print but you will not read what has been “Eliminated”.

Unless you compare page by page with the old contract you will not be able to really compare this Tentative Agreement with the old and it will take years to find out the real change when you say you begin to say “Whatever happened to …”.  We believe this was done on purpose as was the 1999 Tentative Agreement when the Company left out page numbers and a Table of Contents.

We must stand together and obtain a FAIR, SAFE and LIVEABLE CONTRACT!

The days of voting blindly without reading the entire text of the Tentative Agreements should be history.  Please read and make an informed decision as this affects not only our jobs here at Northwest Airlines but the entire industry.

Now welcome to the 2006 Lowlights!

CLEARDAZE LOWLIGHTS FROM A CONCERNED GROUP OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

SCOPE - SECTION 1

1.      Page 1.2 line 23 “This Agreement covers all Flight Attendants in the employ of the Company who are employed and assigned within the United States and its territories and Flight Attendants in such positions when assigned to those segments of the Company's international passenger flights which originate or terminate in the United States and its territories and also Flight Attendants in such positions when assigned at the discretion of the Company on other international passenger flights, except as provided in Letter of Agreement___.”

2.      The letters of Agreement have not been numbered or lettered and this scope language leaves SCOPE open ended and not definitive.

LETTER OF AGREEMENT DEALING WITH SCOPE

SUBJECT:   Early Out/Severance
REFERENCE: Section 1 –SCOPE

3.      The Early Out/ Severance is “Subject to the Company implementing, through ratified agreements, revisions to the labor contracts of the Company’s other unionized employees that are reasonably projected to produce $ 1,126 million in average annual savings in labor costs from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2010 (excluding any implementation, severance, or separation programs) eligible employees may be entitled to “severance” under the terms of this Agreement.”  This includes ALL NWA labor contracts and could take years to be completed and is not a definite item.  Notice the word "may".  

4.      The Severance and Pass Privileges" Any Participant whose age plus years of service is greater than or equal to 60 shall receive lifetime F5R pass privileges on the Northwest Airlines, Inc. system.”  If Northwest should merge with another airline will travel be permitted on that new carrier under a different name?  Former Secretary of Transportation has stated in public there is a possible merger with Delta.  Another point to be taken is "years of service". Years of service is not defined. Does it mean years back to your hire date or does it mean years of service at NWA, on the NWA Seniority List ?  This could a huge decrease  in the severance pay for the former Republic F/AS. 

5.      Conditions for Effectiveness - “This severance program is contingent upon ratification of the PFAA Restructuring Proposal. In addition, the Company reserves the right to offer, at its option, more severance packages than required by number of furloughees.  Actual separation dates will be determined as quickly as possible following ratification of this Agreement and based on the needs of the operation. Specific separation dates shall be assigned in seniority order by base.”  

DEFINITIONS - SECTION 2

6.      This section was not completed UNTIL March 21, 2006 one day prior to the first Road Show for the Tentative Agreement.  It is one of the most important sections of the Agreement as it defines the entire language for the contract.  To have agreed to this last weeks after signing and publishing the Tentative Agreement shows irresponsibility and we will completing the LowLight section for this soon.

COMPENSATION - SECTION 3

7.      Compensation Page 3.2 Chart.  Current 15^th year+ Flight Attendant pay (prior to the 90+ day PFAA concessionary package) $3,191.78.  Beginning January 2011 we will be making 3,102.75.  Therefore in 2011 we will make less than we did in 2004.  That is also contingent on this being the only attack on our contract!

8.      Incentive Pay Page 3.3 Chart.  Current incentive pay (prior to the 90+ day PFAA concessionary package) was $49.10.  Beginning January 2011 we will be making $41.37.  Once again we will be making less than we did in 2004 and is contingent on this being the only attack on our contract.

9.      Reserves Page 3.4 Line 15 “E. Reserve Guarantee 3.A Reserve Flight Attendant’s monthly guarantee of eighty hours (80:00) shall be reduced by the following: (a).Any flight time lost due to a leave or his/her unavailability, and/or (b). Four hours and fifteen minutes (4:15) per on duty reserve day not actually served. NOTE: A Reserve Flight Attendant who does not serve any on duty reserve days in a month shall not receive any reserve guarantee for the month.”  If you are released and not used which we have seen in the past for over thirty days will you lose your guarantee and receive pay?  

10.  Purser Pay Page 3.4 Line 35.  Purser Pay currently (prior to the 90+ day PFAA concessionary package) was $7.25 an hour.  Beginning January 2011 Pursers will be making $5.33 an hour.  Once again this is less than the 2000 Contract of $6.00 an hour.

11.  Lead Pay Page 3.5 Line 33.  Lead pay for decades was $2.75 an hour.  Beginning in January 2011 that Lead Pay will be $1.76 an hour.

12.  International Flying Pay Page 3.6 Line 25.  “International flying pay shall be suspended in its entirety for the time period between the date of signing of this agreement and December 31, 2008 inclusively.”  In 2009 we will be going back to what we received decades ago.

13.  Holiday Pay – Page 3.7 Line 30.  Holiday pay shall be suspended in its entirety from the date of signing of this Agreement. And reinstated one day Christmas 2008, another day New Years 2009 and Thanksgiving 2010. 

14.  Credited Hours for Pay Purposes Page 3.8 Line 29.  “Note: On a pattern basis, the number of actual flight hours greater than scheduled flight hours for each on duty period (overfly hours) shall be offset by the number of actual flight hours less than scheduled flight hours for each duty period (underfly hours).”  New language and once again a pay cut on top of the above mentioned

15.  Short Crew Compensation eliminated from Tentative Agreement.

16.  Quarterly Overtime language eliminated from the Tentative Agreement.

17.  Language Qualification Pay eliminated from the Tentative Agreement.

18.  Ground Holding Pay language eliminated from the Tentative Agreement.  Can you imagine having to remain on board for as many as 10 hours serving passengers for free in the event of a delay whether it be mechanical, weather etc and then still work a flight and be paid only for the flight time.  This dates back to 1863- The Emancipation Proclamation.

19.  Elimination of Training Pay for two government mandated days.

20.  Language Qualification Tuition Reimbursement Program – Page 3.10 Line 9.  “In order to provide opportunities for Flight Attendants to learn and develop foreign language skills, the Company shall maintain a tuition reimbursement program for Flight Attendants who meet the following criteria.  The criteria in paragraph 1., below, shall apply both to Regular and LOD Flight Attendants.”   To be reimbursed after taking a course you it will be up to a Company established test not a college or language institution.

LETTER OF AGREEMENT FOR COMPENSATION

Subject: Small Jets

Reference: Compensation

21.  “Should the Company acquire small jets configured with between 77 and 110 seats for use in its mainline operation, the Company and the PFAA agree to meet and negotiate appropriate  regional-like rates (e.g.,US Airways, Jet Blue, Air Wisconsin, American Eagle, ASA, Comair, Mesa, PSA, Republic, SkyWest, Transtates) for all flight attendant block hours on such aircraft.”  This is a MEET AND CONFER. If you happen to be assigned a pattern where one of these planes is used your pay will be negotiated at a later date.  Currently the First Officers pay is $24.00 per hour.  Can you imagine what the Flight Attendant Pay will be?  Recently Northwest purchased the Flying Certificate for FlyI (Independence Air which recently went bankrupt and folded).   PFAA claims SCOPE was saved. You will be on the seniority list!  You will just be paid a fraction of the other flights you fly on larger airplanes and with the same work rules and long hours. 

EXPENSES- SECTION 4

22.  Alternative Lodging Page 4.3 Line 1. “The Company and the Union may MEET AND CONFER to identify a limited number of hotels within reasonable distance of Company selected layover hotels in mutually agreed upon cities which would be acceptable alternative lodging for Flight Attendants, based on the rack rate for a standard room. Selected hotels shall be identified (along with telephone numbers) periodically in the cover sheet to the bid analysis and ATLAS. Should Flight Attendants be unable to secure alternative lodging at one of the hotels so identified, he/she shall contact Crew Scheduling for assistance.”  Once again MEET AND CONFER.

23.  Layover Hotel Selection Page 4.4 Line 24.  If a Flight Attendant crew is scheduled for a layover period in excess of fifteen hours (15:00) (release to report), in a city outside the forty-eight (48) contiguous United States and Canada, hotels or motels in a downtown or downtown-like location shall be selected, unless the Company and the Union agree otherwise.  Such agreement shall remain valid for the life of the hotel contract.  The term “downtown-like” shall mean easy access by foot or complimentary round-trip transportation to activities such as dining, recreation and shopping.  Page 4.4 Line 34.  c. It is understood and agreed that a downtown or downtown-like location SHALL NOT be required at a location in the case of:  Page 45. Line 7.  (5) A city located in the forty-eight contiguous United States and Canada”.  No more domestic downtown hotels.

24.  Rest Facilities at En Route Stops (Day Rooms) Page 4.6 Line 20. “Entitlement. (a)  A  Flight Attendant crew scheduled to remain at an en route stop for a period in excess of four hours (4:00), at a station that does not include a Flight Attendant Base, shall be provided a day room at a hotel/motel at or near the airport.  (b) A  Flight Attendant crew scheduled to remain at an en-route stop for a period in excess of four hours (4:00), at a station that does include a Flight Attendant Base, shall not be provided any day rooms.”  Imagine having a layover for over 4 hours with the longer duty days and sitting in New York, Boston, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, Tokyo, Seoul, Manila, etc for five, six, seven or more hours in an airport chair.  Then read the time of day restraints on Page 4.6.

25.  Meals Page 4.7.  Per Diem Line 10.  When Flight Attendants are on duty away from their base, they shall be allowed expenses for meals at the rate of one dollar and sixty-five cents ($1.65) (prorated) when engaged in domestic flying, and one dollar and eighty-five cents ($1.85) (prorated) when engaged in international flying.”  That is $44.40 a day international.  Enough to cause weight loss.  The government meals and incidentals for NRT is over $90 per day and that is a conservative figure.

26.  Exceptions to Per Diem Page 4.7 “c. (1) The patterns consist of a single duty period.”  Imagine that 14 hour high density turn without any per diem.

27.  Inflight Meals (Crew Meals)  Page 4.8 Line 11. Crew meals shall only be boarded on international flights…”  I guess flying domestically long days does not make one hungry.

HOURS OF SERVICE- SECTION 5

28.  Determination of Flight Time. Page 5.1 Line 34.  “(4) On a pattern credit basis, the cumulative actual flight time hours in excess of the scheduled flight time hours for each segment in the pattern (overfly hours) shall be offset by the cumulative actual flight time hours that are less than the scheduled flight time hours for each segment in the pattern (underfly hours).”  Once again pay is reduced. 

29.  Monthly Maximum Limitations.  Page 5.2 Line 42.  “One hundred hours (100:00) of credited flight time shall constitute the monthly scheduled maximum, with a corresponding seventy-five hours (75:00) scheduled minimum unless…”  Can you fly this amount of hours with reduced rest and loss of duty rigs?

30.  EMLA Page 5.3 Line 10.      “e. An Established Monthly Line Average (EMLA) other than eighty-seven hours (87:00) is established as provided in Section 5.D.”  Once again a “Definition” Section 2 is required and has not been completed.

31.  Weekly Limitations Page 5.3 Line 18.  The weekly limitations of Thirty (30) and Seven (7). has been eliminated.  35/7 is now the norm with many exceptions at the company’s discretion.  “NOTE:  The Flight Attendant must complete a pattern even if events beyond the Company’s control (i.e., weather, ATC delays etc.) subsequently cause the total flight time to exceed thirty-five hours (35:00) in seven (7) days within that pattern.” The decades it took to get safe working limitations have now been eliminated.

32.  Twenty four (24) in Seven (7) has been eliminated.  Page 5.4 Line 1.  “Where permitted by FAR, a Flight Attendant who is scheduled or rescheduled for a required twenty-four hour (24:00) rest period while away from base may be rescheduled to a “must deadhead” during such rest period.  Once again an example of the decades of safe working limitations have been eliminated.

33.  High Density Turns. Page 5.5 Line 23.  All new language.  “The single duty period shall be scheduled in excess of thirteen hours (13:00), but shall not be scheduled to exceed fourteen hours (14:00).”

34.  Actual On Duty Limitations.  Page 5.7 Line 33.  Sixteen (16:00), Eighteen (18:00), Twenty hours (20:00), and longer duty days discussed.  Once again the 20 hour duty day arises in a Tentative Agreement.  Paid only for portion that exceeds at rate quoted.  Last time the Company said not to worry as they did not have planes to fly 20 hours.  With this Tentative Agreement they do not need them.

35.  High Value Turns 14:00 hours and High Density Turns 15: hours.  New Language Page 5.6.  Chart.

36.  Maximum Landings. Page 5.8 Line 6.  Landings per duty period shall be limited to ten (10). In the event ten (10) landings are exceeded in a given duty period, the Flight Attendant shall receive an additional fifteen 10 minutes (00:15), for pay purposes only, for each landing in excess of ten (10).  

37.  Minimum Rest reduced Page 5.8 Line 17.  Notice the release to report times.  You will barely get sleep after “SCHEDULED FLIGHT TIMES” and a long day.  Another example of elimination of safe working conditions with rest periods.

38.  Line Averages, Minimums and Maximums Page 5.33 Line 29. “Annual System Line Average (ASLA) In any given calendar year, the ASLA shall not exceed eighty-seven hours and thirty 3 minutes (87:30), nor be less than eighty-one hours and thirty minutes (81:30).  The ASLA shall be calculated by adding the Annual Base Line Average (ABLA), as defined in (a).below, for each base and dividing by the number of bases open during that year. In the event of a base opening or closure during the measurement period, the average line value for the months that the base was open during the measurement period shall be used for the calculation as if it had been open for the entire year.”

39.  Established Base Line Average (EBLA) Each month, the Company shall determine the EBLA for each base.  In any 14 given month, the EBLA may not exceed ninety two hours (92:00), nor be less 15 than eighty-two hours (82:00) unless the Company has established an involuntary flex-down for that month as specified in F. below. For each EBLA, a corresponding monthly scheduled minimum and maximum 19 line value shall be established as specified in the table below:”  See Chart page 5.34. All new language with increased flying.

40.  Individual Voluntary Flex Page 5.36 Line 1.  “Flex options shall be determined by the Company”

SCHEDULING–SECTION 6

41.  PBS System Page 6.5 Line 41. “PBS shall be utilized for the monthly bidding process.  New system to replace SLIC.

42.  Computer System Page 6.7 Line 4. “Through a home computer system or bidding service approved by the Company providing the Flight Attendant is in good standing with such service provider. Such services may include a Company designed and maintained service, and/or a vendor maintained service. All expenses associated with accessing the Company mainframe shall be borne by the Flight Attendant.”

43. A Language Qualified Flight Attendant Page 6.8 Line10.  “Shall be required to bid language designated patterns or positions. In the event that there are insufficient language qualified patterns to construct a line, such Flight Attendant shall be awarded a line in accordance with the provisions of this Section and Letter of Agreement XXX.”

44. Reserve Flight Attendants Page 6.10 Line 1.  “Each Reserve Flight Attendant shall be awarded a Reserve line, should their seniorities warrant holding a Reserve line, with as many matching reserve blocks as possible to complete the lines. Should no matching reserve blocks be available, separate reserve lines shall be awarded or assigned.”

45. Priority Line Awards Page 6.12 Line 29.  “Should such Flight Attendant fail to select one of the above options by 1300, base local time, of the day prior to the first day of the bid month, Crew Scheduling shall assign him/her sufficient time available day(s) at a credit of three hours and twenty minutes.” There goes the 4:15 day again reduced.

46. Minimum Duty Reduced to Three hours and twenty minutes (3:20) in many cases through out Tentative Agreement

47. Bid Resolutions Page 6.16 Line 23.  “A Flight Attendant who has been awarded a line in error and who is unable to be placed on the pattern(s) he/she should have been awarded shall be pay guaranteed for the pattern(s) he/she should have been awarded. Such pay guarantee shall not relieve the Flight Attendant of the obligation to fly the pattern(s) awarded on his/her line or any pattern(s) assigned during the month. Such Flight Attendant shall also fulfill any Time Available obligations associated with the pattern(s) he/she should have been awarded.”

48. Report Procedures Page 6.22 Line 27.  “For on-duty periods that begin with a surface deadhead, report time for pay and credit purposes shall be the scheduled departure time of the surface transportation. However, for purposes of the report procedures of this section, the Flight Attendant shall be required to report as specified in 5.a.(1), (2) or (3) above.”  Report times will still be the same as required for International and domestic and charters just without pay and credit.  Notice also the language " (3) For all other flights, he/she shall report as instructed, but no earlier than one hour  thirty minutes (1:30) prior to departure."  That means domestic flight times which are currently 1 hour could be changed or instructed to this!

     

49. Time Available Page 6.46 Line 41.  “(d)When operationally critical, a Flight Attendant may be required by Crew Scheduling to accept a Time Available Opportunity, subject to the provision of Letter of Agreement. X”.  Time available will no longer be an option but at the Companies discretion.

50. “LETTER OF AGREEMENT__?____ SUBJECT: SLIC REFERENCE: Section – 5 and 6  The replacement program for the SLIC bidding system is planned for an October, 2006 start date. To facilitate the implementation of the new program, and to ensure continuity of the bidding process, the undersigned parties agree as follows:  1      The current SLIC bidding system will be used until the new system is implemented.  2 Unless specifically superceded by this Agreement, all contract language contained in June 1, 2000 Collective Bargaining Agreement that specifically addresses the SLIC bidding process shall remain in full force and effect until the new system is implemented.”  How many side letters are there and why are they not numbered or lettered?  Many have complained about previous side letters in Contracts.

RESERVES–SECTION 7

51. Reserve On Duty Periods Page 7.2 Line 14.  The standard minimum shall be thirty percent (30%) of the number of Flight Attendants who are beginning their series of on-duty periods that day. However, the Company may reduce the amount to ten percent (10%), should staffing levels become critical or in bases with pattern report times it determines to not be conducive to a 1400-1400 on call periods.

52. Determination for Assignment Page 7.3 Line 23.  “A Reserve Flight Attendant who has elected the “Thirty-Five-in-Seven (35-in-7)” limitation as provided in Section 6. XX., shall be by-passed for an assignment to a pattern which would cause him/her to exceed thirty-five (35) hours in seven (7) calendar days. Should the pattern remain unassigned following the assignment procedures as outlined in paragraph D.2.,3.,4. and 5., if applicable, of this section, the pattern shall be assigned in reverse seniority order regardless of the Reserve Flight Attendant’s weekly limitation election.”  This will force many to give up decades long fought for weekly limitations and legalities.

53. On Premise Reserve still in the Tentative Agreement.

54. Month End Release - Page 7.15 "A Reserve Flight Attendant whose monthly projection is greater than the Established Base Line Average (EBLA), as established by the monthly PBS bid shall, upon request by the Flight Attendant, be released from all future reserve duty for the month. Such request shall be made following the completion of the pattern that projects the Flight Attendant over the monthly EBLA, but no later than the completion of rest following such pattern. A Flight Attendant who does not request a Month End Release within this time frame shall be required to serve the remainder of his/her on call period(s) for the month, unless he/she is later granted a release under paragraph G, of this section, or is projected to be within four hours and fifteen minutes (4:15) of the monthly maximum."  You could be forced to serve 100 hours now that the minimums and maximums  have increased.  This is at the Companies discretion.

    Reserve Guarantee Page 7.15 Line 24.  “NOTE: A Reserve Flight Attendant who has no reserve on-duty periods in any given bid month shall receive no reserve guarantee for that month.”

55. Contingency Fly Page 7.18 Line 12.  New Language.

56. Short Call Page 7.18 Line 26.  New Language.  “The Reserve Flight Attendant must select the category that best reflects his/her proximity to the airport.” Range One (1):         Currently at the Airport Range Two (2):  Able to effect departure within twenty minutes (0:20) or less Range Three (3): Able to effect departure within forty-five minutes (0:45) or less Range Four (4)           Able to effect departure with more then forty-five (0:45) notice, but less then two hours (2:00)” Makes one want to live at the airport lounge LAX perhaps.

INTERNATIONAL–SECTION 8

57. Crew Rest Seats Page 8.2 Line 14.  “The Company shall provide on B757 aircraft one (1) set of three (3) contiguous main cabin seats in the rear of the zone or cabin for resting crew members. Such seats shall be curtained, reclining, marked “Reserved for Flight Attendant Crew Rest,” and shall be in a no smoking section. The Company shall consult with the Union prior to determining the precise location of such crew rest seats.”  Another MEET AND CONFER.

58. Extended Duty Flights Page 8.3 Line 17 Length of flights scheduled at eighteen hours (18:00).

59. Dinner Breaks Page 8.4 Flights Scheduled at sixteen hours and one minute “each Flight Attendant shall receive a dinner break under guidelines established by the Company and administered by the Purser or Lead Flight Attendant.” Page 8.4 Line5 “The Company will explore the possibility of alternative on board seating for dinner breaks.”  MEET AND CONFER.

PURSER–SECTION 9

60. Scheduling Page 9.5 Line 21.  “The PBS system shall ensure that all Purser flying is awarded or assigned in the monthly bid process.  (2) A Purser qualified Flight Attendant may be subject to assignment to either: (a) Two (2) Purser designated patterns; or (b) Twenty-five (25) credited hours of Purser designated flying;
61. Whichever is less in total credited hours in each month that he/she serves as a Purser qualified Flight Attendant.”  Once again the Company has the option to force Pursers to fly Purser patterns according to the PBS system.

VACATION–SECTION 10

62. Vacation Accruals Page 10.2 Drastically Reduced.  Maximum 21 Days.  At 25 Years in HNL this is a loss of 28 days. or a month and a half’s pay. 

63. Page 10.12 Chart 21 Days is equivalent to 63:00 Hours

64. Foreign Based Flight Attendants Page 10.2 Line 34..  In addition to the applicable vacation accrual above, foreign-based Flight Attendants covered by this Agreement shall accrue vacation credit of one and  one-sixth (1 1/6) days for each month of service during which the Flight Attendant is based at a foreign base, provided that in those months  in which the Flight Attendant either transfers to or from such base assignment he/she shall accrue such foreign base accrual if he/she is assigned to such base the greater portion of the month.

65. “NOTE: HNL based Flight Attendants shall not be considered foreign-based Flight Attendants and shall not be eligible for incremental vacation accrual under this paragraph f.”  This language has been in every contract since 1946.

66. Off Payroll Impact on Vacation Accrual Page 10.3 Line19.  “A Flight Attendant whose actual credited hours in a month are less seventy-five hours (75:00) shall have his/her monthly vacation accrual reduced in proportion to the percentage his/her actual credited hours are less than seventy-five hours (75:00) hours, rounded up to the nearest minute.”  If you do not fly the seventy five hours you will not accrue the vacation as usual.

67. Payment of Accrued Vacation Page 10.6 Line 29.  “A Flight Attendant shall be credited with three hours (3:00) for pay and credit for each day of vacation taken.”  Another pay cut. 

68. Minimum Monthly Vacation Allocation Page 10.9 Line 26.  “At least three percent (3%) of the established vacation man months at each base station shall be allocated to each calendar month equally distributed within that calendar month. The remaining vacation man months may be allocated as the needs of the service require as determined by the Company.  One (1) vacation man month is the equivalent of ninety   (90:00) vacation credit hours. The total man months to be allocated during the year shall be determined by taking the sum of each eligible Flight Attendant’s projected earned vacation days times the number of credit hours per day to which he/she is entitled, then dividing that sum by ninety (90).”  Most vacation allocation will be at the Company’s option.

TRAINING–SECTION 11

69. Independent Study Programs Page 11.2 Line 22.  “Flight Attendant shall be eligible to receive training pay at the rate of five dollars ($5.00) per hour, prorated to the nearest minute, for independent study programs”.  This is below the Federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour.

70. Exceptions to Paid Training Page 11.3 Line18.  “Up to two (2) days (sixteen hours (16:00)), excluding meal period(s) and breaks, of government mandated training.”  Another pay cut.

71. Bid, Award and Assignment of Training Dates Page 11.6 Line 41.  “Specific Aircraft Training (1) The Company may limit training (classroom or independent study) related to a specific aircraft type to the Flight Attendants assigned to the base(s) that operate that aircraft type.”  The Company is no longer required to train all Flight Attendants on all aircraft limiting income and flying potential.

72. International/Domestic Service Training Page 11.7 Line 34.  “The Company may offer international or domestic service training (classroom training or independent study) to a specific base or bases. (2) The Company may offer international or domestic service training (classroom training or independent study) to a subset of the population of Flight Attendants at a base so long as those who do not receive such training at the base are not restricted from the award or assignment of any pattern or bid position on a pattern as a result of not receiving such training. Such training may be awarded/assigned based on the percent of international/domestic flying performed by a flight attendant in his/her last six months of active status. The designated percent of such flying shall be at the Company’s option.”  Will this be paid?

73. Independent Study Page 11.13 Line 4.  “1  The Company will provide one (1) computer for every two hundred (200) active Flight Attendants at each Inflight Service base for use by Flight Attendants completing computer based training programs with the exception that the Company will not be required to exceed fifteen (15) computers at any one (1) Inflight Service base.”  HNL will get one and a half computers.

FILLING OF VACANCIES–SECTION 12

74. Base Balancing- System Excess Page 12.2 Line 42.  “In the event there is an excess of Flight Attendants in the system, the Company may initiate a reduction in force via voluntary and involuntary furloughs as provided in Section 14.B. of this Agreement.”

75. In the event there is an excess of Flight Attendants at a base, but not in the system, the Company may initiate a reduction in force via displacement of junior Flight Attendants at the base(s) with the excess as provided for in Section 14.C. of this Agreement.

REDUCTION IN FORCE AND RECALL SECTION 14

76. Base Excess Page 14.2 Line 35.  “NOTE: Such Flight Attendants shall not have an option to accept involuntary furlough from his/her base station.”  In the case of a Base excess you must choose to transfer to another base.  So much for the Allegheny Mohawk Labor Protective Provisions.

77. Notice of Expiration of Voluntary Furlough Page 14.5 Line 16.  “A Flight Attendant shall have seven (7) days from the date the Notice of Expiration of Voluntary Furlough was mailed to respond to the Company, in the manner set forth by the Company in such Notice.  Failure to Respond. A Flight Attendant's failure to respond to, or report for duty as required by the Notice of Expiration of Voluntary Furlough shall cause the Flight Attendant to be removed from the Flight Attendant seniority list and he/she shall be deemed to have voluntarily resigned.”  It takes more than seven days to reach most Flight Attendants by mail.

78. Base Closure Page 14.24 Line 12.  “Note 3: In the event there is not an excess of Flight Attendants in the system, a Flight Attendant at the closed base or a displaced Flight Attendant who fails to exercise his option to fill a vacancy or displace the junior Flight Attendant in the system shall be considered to have voluntarily resigned from the Company and will forfeit all seniority. Such Flight Attendant shall not have an option of base furlough.”  If HNL or any other base closes then you MUST exercise your right to transfer or be considered resigned!

SICK LEAVE SECTION 15

79. Monthly Rate of Accrual Page 15.2 Line11.  “A Flight Attendant shall accrue three hours (3:00) of sick leave credit for each full month of service as a Flight Attendant under this Agreement.”  Previous accrual was 5 hours a month.  Another pay cut.

80. Maximum Accrual Page 15.2 Line 16.  “    No sick leave credit shall accrue to a Flight Attendant who has a total sick leave credit accrual of eight hundred fifty hours (850:00). Effective with the date of signing of this Agreement, any Flight Attendant with a sick leave credit accrual in excess of eight hundred fifty hours (850:00) shall retain his/her sick leave credit and may use such credit pursuant to Section 15 and all applicable Sections of this Agreement. Such Flight Attendant shall not accrue additional sick leave credit until his/her total accrued sick leave credit has fallen below eight hundred and fifty hours (850:00).”   You will not accrue any sick time if you are over 850:00 hours until you drop below that number.  At 5 hours a month times 12 months that is a pay cut of 60 hours (almost one months pay) multiplied by your hour rate.  Another Pay Cut.

81. Off Payroll Impact on Sick Leave Accrual Page 15.3 Line 14.  “A Flight Attendant whose actual credited hours in a month are less than seventy-five hours (75:00) shall have his/her monthly sick accrual reduced in proportion to the percentage his/her actual credited hours are less than seventy-five hours (75:00) hours, rounded up to the nearest minute. For example: a.Assume a Flight Attendant’s monthly actual credited hours are thirty-seven hours and thirty minutes (37:30); b.Thirty-seven hours and thirty minutes (37:30) is fifty percent (50%) of seventy-five hours (75:00); c.The Flight Attendant will therefore accrue one and a half (1 ½) hours of sick credit for the month or fifty percent (50%) of the monthly maximum of three (3) hours.”  The Lowlight speaks for itself in the language.  You don’t fly 75:00 hours you do not accrue the already reduced 3:00 hours of sick time.

82. Sick Pay Credit for Line Holders Page 15.4 Line 1.  “A Flight Attendant holding a regular line and who is unavailable for duty because of personal illness or injury shall be entitled to receive sick pay credit at seventy-five percent (75%) pay for the first twenty-eight hours (28:00) of scheduled credited time dropped during each sick occurrence, to the extent of his/her sick leave accrual. Hours in excess of the first twenty-eight hours (28:00) dropped during a sick occurrence, shall be paid at one hundred percent (100%) sick pay credit, to the extent of his/her sick leave accrual.”  Already reduced pay is reduced further by paying only 75% of the reduced amount.  Another Pay Cut.  Compare this to Pilot Tentative Agreement where first call is 100% second call is 75% with doctor’s note. 

83. Excuse Prepared by Chiropractor Page 15.9 Line 34.  “When a Flight Attendant desires to present a doctor’s excuse prepared by a chiropractor the following additional conditions shall apply: a            The disabling illness or injury must be a pre-existing condition which has been diagnosed by a medical doctor. The Flight Attendant shall submit the medical doctor’s diagnosis with his/her chiropractor’s excuse.” The company does not recognize Chiropractors as Doctors of Credibility.  Doug Steenland and Julie Hagen Showers know more.

UNIFORMS SECTION 19

84. Replacement Uniforms Page 19.5 Line 33.  “The Company shall give consideration, on a case-by-case basis, to pay the cost of replacing any uniform items, including luggage, which is stolen while onboard the aircraft or while the Flight Attendant was on duty, provided the Flight Attendant was not causally negligent with respect to such loss. 4. The Company and the Union Negotiations Committee shall meet and confer to explore the possibility of establishing an alternate program (e.g., a “points” program) for the issuance of replacement uniform items. G. Luggage 
85. Flight Attendants shall purchase their own luggage. Such luggage shall meet Company designated specifications. The Company shall not be responsible for any expenses associated with the initial purchase, replacement or repair of such luggage except as provided in paragraph F.3. of this Section.”  Another MEET AND CONFER while you pay to wear the required uniform and use the required luggage.

SENIORITY SECTION 20

86. SAFA  Flight Attendants. Page 20.6 Line 9.  “NOTE: Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, the Company shall provide the Union President with a functional job description for the SAFA positions noted in paragraphs 2.a. through 2.j., above. The Company and the Union will then meet in a good faith effort to resolve any issues or concerns arising from any of the job descriptions.”  Another MEET AND CONFER.

PERSONNEL RELATED MATTERS SECTION 21

87. Probationary Flight Attendants Page 21.11 Line 4.  “1     A Probationary Flight Attendant shall have no right under this Agreement to contest any discipline or discharge action taken against them by the Company. However, in a meeting that involves discipline or discharge, a Union Representative may, at the request of the Probationary Flight Attendant, be present to act as a non-participating observer. The Company shall not be obliged to delay such meeting on account of the unavailability of a Union Representative.”  What is the sense of having a union and paying dues?

GENERAL SECTION 25

88. Foreign Service Bonus and Station Allowance. Page 25.3 Line 12.  “All Flight Attendants who are based outside of the forty-eight (48) contiguous states of the United States and the state of Hawaii shall receive a foreign service bonus and station allowance in accordance with the Company's policy which shall not be less than allowed other personnel at the same base.”  This language has been in every contract since 1946 and now excludes Hawaii.

MEDICAL SECTION 29

89. Must read Attachment E.  The entire section is a Lowlight.  Premiums begin at 25% based on blended rate and can increase 7% per year or 35% over the life of the five year contract TO BE 60%!  After all the pay cuts can you afford this?

EFFECTIVE DATE AND DURATION SECTION 33

90. This contract will be in effect until December 31, 2011 (January 1, 2012).  Where will you be?

THE LETTERS OF AGREEMENT

91. Early Out/Severance--“Subject to the Company implementing, through ratified agreements, revisions to the labor contracts of the Company’s other unionized employees that are reasonably projected to produce $ 1,126 million in average annual savings in labor costs from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2010 (excluding any implementation, severance, or separation programs) eligible employees may be entitled to “severance” under the terms of this Agreement.”

92. Lifetime F5R pass privileges on the Northwest Airlines, Inc. system.  What happens if there is a merger?

93. Specific separation dates shall be assigned in seniority "order by base".

94. Retiree Medical  Retiree- Medical. “For Retiree Medical benefits applicable to those employees who retire after the effective date of this Agreement, the Agreement shall be amended to reflect a retiree contribution equal to 50% of a premium equivalent rate based on a blended cost pool (UNKNOWN) comprised of active and retired employees. Note: This Retiree Medical offer is contingent on active employee medical plan contribution rates also being determined using a blended cost pool comprised of active and retired employees.
95.  During the term of this Restructuring Agreement, Retiree Medical contribution rates shall be subject to a maximum seven percent (7%) per annum increase applied to employees who retire after the effective date of this Agreement.  DOES THIS EFFECT THOSE ALREADY RETIRED?

96. Profit Sharing Plan-GOOD LUCK AS WE HAVE BEEN THERE WITH NWA STOCK. “Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors of Northwest Airlines”

97. Small Jets-“ Should the Company acquire small jets configured with between 77 and 110 seats for use in its mainline operation, the Company and the PFAA agree to meet and negotiate appropriate  regional-like rates (e.g.,US Airways, Jet Blue, Air Wisconsin, American Eagle, ASA, Comair, Mesa, PSA, Republic, SkyWest, Transtates) for all flight attendant block hours on such aircraft.”  MEET AND CONFER.  NWA has acquired the FLYi (Independence Air) air certificate. NWA Small Jet Airline will be called Compass Airlines. 

Read Attachment C!  Letter of Agreement 3.  Regional Subsidiary. Attachment C1.  It is an entire Lowlight in itself. There is a MINIMUM TERM OF SERVICE at the Small Jet Airline- 18 months.  There is also a MAXIMUM Monthly Recall after completing 18 months – 5 FIVE per month.  There are also Recall Bypass Provisions where you do not have to be recalled to NWA in seniority order.  READ THIS ATTACHMENT!  This flying starts June 2006 (less than two months.)

98. Preferential Bidding System- “The Company and the Union agree: To establish a new Preferential Bid System (PBS)” MEET AND CONFER.

99. Training Bid/Award Process- “The Union and the Company agree to meet within six (6) months following implementation of PBS in an effort to find a mutually agreeable way for Flight Attendants to bid and be awarded/assigned training as part of the monthly PBS bid/award process.”  MEET AND CONFER

100. Language of Destination LOD-“Beginning July 1, 2007, the Company may designate one (1) position on all aircraft (excluding military charters) between cities in North America and cities in Asia as being reserved for award or assignment to language qualified Flight Attendants, covered by this Agreement, who have volunteered or been hired to participate in the Company’s  LOD program. Beginning July 1, 2008, the Company may designate up to two (2) positions on all wide body aircraft, including B747, A330, DC-10 and B787 aircraft, and one (1) position on all narrow body aircraft (excluding military charters) between: cities in North America and cities outside North America, and             cities outside North America to another city outside North America, excluding those flights that are currently operated with a combination of Foreign National Flight Attendants and Flight Attendants covered by this Agreement.”  Could this position be Purser as well?

101. Why No LUMP SUM PAYMENT AS SEEN IN THE PILOT TENTATIVE AGREEMENT FOR 16.8 MILLION UPON EMERGENCE FROM C11?

102. Lastly, with all the Flight Attendants on the Northwest Airlines Flight Attendant seniority list being forced to fly approximately 30 percent more hours (67 hours now up to 100 hours) to make wages that go back to the 1970s  standards how many more furloughs will there be?  Why does the Tentative Agreement not contain a “NO FURLOUGH CLAUSE” as in the past. 

PILOT TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

103. Reduce International Pay by 23.9%but still receiving it.
104. Monthly Guarantees Blockholders 68 hours
105. Crew rest seat on narrow body international aircraft in First Class.
106. Minimum Duty Day 5 hour average.
107. Vacation accruals Maximum 40 days Minimum 14days.
108. Sick Leave capped at 1200 hours
109. Monthly Sick leave accrual 5 hours
110. Duration of Contract 12/31/11 depending on the date of C11
111. LUMP SUM PAYMENT -16.8 MILLION UPON EMERGENCE FROM C11

Please Print and Pass Around for Fellow Flight Attendants!

You will also notice the Lowlights are updated as new ones come in from the Flight Attendants reading the Tentative Agreement.

© 2006 ClearDaze Web Hosting LLC. All rights reserved.