It is important to remember that there are no contractual provisions that control staffing levels. Essentially, management has free reign to determine the head count numbers at American Eagle Airlines. I think that most of us would like to prevent the junior manning/extensions from ever happening; however without any control or input into the staffing levels at this airline, that is a nearly impossible task. All we can hope to do is ensure that when junior manning/extending is necessary; it is done in compliance with the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
On that note, I would like to direct your attention to Section 8, paragraph K. of your contract. This part of the contract addresses the junior manning order. I would first like to addresses in a Q. & A. format some of the most frequently asked questions that AFA receives.
Q. What is the difference between Junior Manning and Extension?
A. Junior manning can only occur on your day off. You may be extended at the end of your trip. However, extensions are limited to one turn. (i.e. one leg out of and one leg back to domicile).
Q. I was supposed to be done with my trip today, but I got stuck in Cleveland overnight due to bad weather and now, crew scheduling has extended me to work a different flight back to my domicile tomorrow. That is my day off. Is this legal?
A. Yes. Even though it is your day off, the company has an obligation to return you to your domicile as soon as possible. This type of incident would be known as a “Return to Domicile.” Pursuant to a letter of agreement reached between AFA and the Company, such “Return to Domicile” shall be limited to one flight, or if not possible, the most direct routing to domicile from the station you are at. You will also be paid and credited at one hundred-fifty percent (150%) of your hourly rate of pay for this type of extension.
Q. Why was I junior manned/extended when there are supervisors in the in-flight office that are junior to me?
A. I will refer you to Section 8, paragraph K. of the contract as well as Section 14, paragraph D.1. Although supervisors maintain a number on our seniority list, they are not a part of the junior manning order list contained in Section 8. While the Company may have supervisors fly trips from time to time, this is done at their discretion and is not mandatory. Crew Scheduling is not required to include supervisors in the available pool of flight attendants for purposes of determining who will be junior manned/extended.
Q. I got extended after my trip and I know there are many flight attendants junior to me. Why didn’t crew scheduling extend them first?
A. Section 8, paragraph K., subparagraph 3.a. of the contract allows crew scheduling to extend you for one round trip at the end of your trip. Subparagraph 3.c. states that crew scheduling has to use the most junior and available flight attendant for the extension. It is possible that the flight attendants junior to you are either not legal or crew scheduling was unable to make positive contact with them. If this is the case, they are not considered as “available” for the extension.
Q. I was junior manned when I came inbound from the last flight of my sequence and there were Standby Reserves in the crew lounge. Is this legal?
A. First of all, this is not a junior man assignment as it is not on your day off. It is considered an extension. Per Sideletter P, the Company must use the Standby Reserves before they extend you. It is important, to check and see if the Standby Reserve flight attendants are indeed, available. Just because there are standby reserve flight attendants in the crew lounge does not necessarily mean that they are available. They may have already been given an assignment and are just waiting to begin their outbound flight.
Q. I was extended at the last minute when I came in from my trip. Couldn’t crew scheduling have called a reserve from home to do this assignment?
A. Section 9, paragraph E., requires crew scheduling to provide Reserve Flight Attendants at home, a two our call-out period. If the flight became available at the last minute and the at home Reserve is unable to arrive at domicile within the two hour call-out period, in order to make the flight in time, they will not be considered as available for the assignment.
Q. I was junior manned on my day off tomorrow, but crew scheduling gave me the junior man assignment at 8:00 P.M. the night before. Can they do that? I mean they should have been able to find someone junior to me by the next day!
A. Yes they can do this if it is done legally. Section 8, paragraph K., subparagraph 1. states “If after awarding open time, uncovered flying remains, it will be assigned in the following order:” The key here is to find out, per the contract, if the junior manning order was followed properly. I will give you some hints as to how to investigate this later on in the article.
Q. I was junior manned on one of my days off. Will the Company have to pay the day back?
A. Please refer to Section 7., paragraph D., subparagraph 5. The Company only has to pay back the day if you fall below your eleven (11) minimum days off in the contractual month. If they do take you down below the minimum eleven (11) days off, you have two options. You can either have the day (s) off rescheduled by mutual agreement between yourself and the Company, during the same bid period when possible, but in no case later than the following bid period; or you can opt in lieu of rescheduling such day (s) off, to be paid three hours and forty-five minutes (3:45) above your guarantee for each such day. Additionally, Section 7 paragraph D., subparagraph 5. states, that you can not be required to work more than two (2) guaranteed days off in a given bid period. In other words, you can never be brought down below nine (9) days off in any contractual month.
Q. I was Junior Manned/Extended on one of my guaranteed eleven (11) days off a few weeks ago. I received a return day back and then crew scheduling tried to junior man/extend me on that return day. Can they do this?
A. No. Section 7., paragraph D. subparagraph 5.b. states “A Flight Attendant will not be subject to a junior assignment or extension on such rescheduled day(s).”
Q. I’m a Reserve Flight Attendant and was Junior Manned/Extended on one of my Golden Days. Can they do this?
A. No. Section 2., paragraph AA. Prohibits this action and states “Golden Days – means a set of three days off in domicile for Reserve Flight Attendants that cannot be removed or changed by the Company or on which a Flight Attendant cannot otherwise be made available by the Company.”
Q. I’m not feeling well and Crew Scheduling told me that I couldn’t call in sick for my junior manning/extension assignment. Can they do this?
A. No. The Company cannot prohibit legitimate use of sick time. You may be required to see an In-flight Manger prior to going home, and that is legal. The Union does not advocate that any Flight Attendant abuse sick leave. However, if you are truly sick/exhausted/fatigued, you need to ask yourself if you are able to perform your safety related duties onboard the aircraft.
Q. Crew Scheduling called me at 2:00 A.M. in my overnight to notify me of a junior man/extension assignment for the next day. I had already been in rest for six hours, is this legal?
A. No. Per Section 7., paragraph E, subparagraph 4., does allow Crew scheduling limited contact during your rest period. Interrupting your rest in an attempt to give you a Junior Man/Extension assignment is not permitted under this provision of the contract.
Q. Can I be junior manned/extended into an assignment that would schedule me to be on duty over fourteen (14) hours.
A. No. Section 7 paragraph C., subparagraph 1. states “A Flight Attendant shall not be scheduled to be on duty more than fourteen hours (14:00) per duty period”.
Q. Can I be junior manned/extended for an assignment that would require me to work seven days in a row?
A. No. Section 7 paragraph C., subparagraph 2., states “A Flight Attendant will receive one (1) calendar day free from duty in her/his domicile in a seven day period.”
Q. If I have been Junior Manned/Extended and I find another Flight Attendant who is willing do the assignment, can I trade it?
A. Sure. You can submit the trade via the automated trip trade system so long as one of the Flight Attendants is not a Reserve Flight Attendant. If they are, the trade will have to be manually approved by Crew Scheduling.
Q. What happens if I refuse to fly a junior man/extension assignment?
A. The Union does not advocate that any flight attendant refuse to fly. If you do refuse to fly, you will be given a missed assignment or “MA”. This will appear in your HI10M. The Company considers a missed assignment an attendance occurrence. Attendance occurrences will be reviewed between you and your respective in-flight manager.
Q. Crew Scheduling Junior Manned/Extended me for the fourth time this month! I don’t think this is right, am I correct?
A. Yes, you are correct. Please look at Section 8., paragraph K., subparagraph 5.a. This limits the number of Junior Man/Extensions to no more than three (3) per bid period unless you agree otherwise.
Q. Crew Scheduling is trying to Junior Man/Extend me and I’m pretty sure this will make the thirteenth time this year. What do I do?
A. Please reference Section 8., paragraph K., subparagraph 5.b. and 5.d. Crew Scheduling will be allowed to do this unless you have previously notified them that you have invoked your right to the annual limit. This means that sometime prior to actually being given the 13th Junior Man/Extension assignment; you will have to notify Crew Scheduling that you have reached your annual limit of 12 assignments. If you fail to do so, and the 13th assignment has already been placed on your schedule, you will be responsible for working that assignment. Once you have completed this 13th assignment, you will no longer be subject to any further Junior Man/Extensions for the remainder of the year.
Q. Crew Scheduling has Junior Manned/Extended me for a Reserve Assignment. Can they do this?
A. No. Section 8, paragraph K., subparagraph 5.e. prohibits this.
Q. Why can’t the Union file a grievance for all flight attendants about junior manning/extension problems?
A. While the Union does have the ability to file MEC grievances on behalf of the entire group of American Eagle Flight Attendants, it would be nearly impossible for most Junior Man/Extension incidents as each one varies and has a distinct fact pattern. We can however, file grievances on behalf of individuals that have been junior manned/extended illegally. Each case involves different dates, times, available flight attendants etc. This is why it is usually necessary to look at each case individually and file separate grievances.
If you believe that you may have been junior manned/extended illegally, what can you do? Research. It takes a lot of time to investigate, but it can be done. Your Union representatives need your help. It isn’t enough to think or assume that you have been junior manned/extended improperly you must prove it. We have been able to get relief for flight attendants illegally junior manned/extended when there is proof that there was an available and junior flight attendant to do the assignment. The following is a list of ideas to assist you in your research; Turn to your contract Section 8. paragraph K., page 34.
1. 8.K.1.a. Flight Attendants who have requested to make-up sick time.
Crew Scheduling is supposed to keep a list, of flight attendants wishing to make up sick time. There is no real way to track this list in the computer therefore, a call to crew scheduling will be necessary to determine if there were any individuals on the list.
2. 8.K.1.b. Flight Attendants who have volunteered for drafting assignments (Volunteer List), and who are on the drafting list at the time of assignment.
Once again, crew scheduling, only, maintains this list. It will necessary to call crew scheduling to determine if there were any individuals on the list.
3. 8.K.1.c. Available Reserves (on RAP, finishing a trip, not yet started a trip etc.) excluding Airport Reserves in the domicile.
In any junior manning/extension situation, the first order of priority is to determine “when the time became available or open?” If it became open at the last minute due to a sick call for example, you just might be the most junior available flight attendant to do the assignment. On the other hand, if the Company knew that this flying had been in open time for quite awhile, they may be assigning you out of order. The following computer DECS entry will assist you in determining when the time became available:
DOMESTIC including SJU
N3DR/(base)/(equipment type)/(position)/(date)
Examples: N3DR/MIA/ATR/02/30MAY or
N3DR/ORD/EMJ/01/30MAY
N3DR/DFW/SF3/01/30MAY
N3DR/SJU/ATR/02/30MAY
Now that you have determined when the time became available, you can view a list of reserves and their respective assignments, by putting the following DECS entry in the computer:
DOMESTIC including SJU
HI33/D/(date)/R
Note: When pulling up this reserve list, you may need to back track a couple of days to determine the exact date a given flight attendant’s sequence began.
In order to view a fight attendant’s individual sequence, you must put the following DECS entry in the computer:
HSS/(position 01 or 02)/(sequence #)/(date trip started)
Example: HSS/01/10106/30MAY
Once you have pulled up a reserve list, please check each individual’s assignments carefully. Often times, crew scheduling will assign a reserve flight attendant to a trip sequence for the next day that has a P.M. sign in time. Then, they take them out of the system as available. This is incorrect. Section 9, paragraph G., states “Once a Reserve has been given a trip assignment, she/he will be required to remain available for immediate flight assignment during her/his reserve period”. In other words, crew scheduling should not take them out of the system as available, since they can be given additional flying prior to the trip they’ve already been assigned. This might mean that there is a junior and available flight attendant who could have been assigned the flying that you were junior manned/extended for.
4. 8.K.1.d. Available reserves (on RAP, finishing a trip, not yet started a trip, etc.) including Airport Reserves in the domicile on a day off.
Once again, you may use the HI33/D/(date)/R entry to pull up a reserve list and from there, use the HSS/(position)/(sequence #)/(date trip started), entry to view an individual’s trip sequence.
5. 8.K.1.e. Most junior available Flight Attendant in domicile, who is on a day off.
The following computer entry, while in your personal mode in DECS, will display a list of flight attendants in your domicile in seniority order and their respective bidline award for the current month:
3BR
Note: This entry will not work during the bidding process, however the in-flight managers are able to retrieve this information from the computer.
6. 8.K.1.f. Most junior available Flight Attendant from another domicile on a day off.
To determine this, you must pull up a 3BR and a reserve list from another domicile. Unfortunately, the company’s use of different computer partitions (MQ & NA) does not allow us to view a reserve list in a partition different from that which we are in. Additionally, you will be unable to view the 3BR from a base other than that of your own domicile. An in-flight manager should be able to obtain his information for you. The following computer DECS entries will allow you to view the list in another base and within your company imposed partition:
MQ Partition
N6DF/(different base)/(date)/R
Example: ORD flight attendant looking @ BOS list: N6DF/BOS/30MAY/R
NA Partition
N6DF/SJU/30MAY/R – MIA looking @ SJU list
N6DF/MIA/30MAY/R – SJU looking @ MIA list
7. You can also look through your bid package. Find lines that contain trip sequences that end at a time where the individual on that sequence could have done the junior man/extension assignment or were on days off at the time of the junior man/extension assignment. You will then need to see if that flight attendant was junior to you. You can do this by walking over to the bulletin board where the monthly bid awards are posted. If the flight attendant awarded a line containing such a trip sequence is junior to you, then you may have been junior manned/extended improperly.
8. Simply ask around the crew lounge. There may be someone junior and available, you just need to ask.
9. If you are unable to prevent a suspected illegal Junior Manning/Extension assignment before you have to actually fly it, remember that our new contract allows your AFA Representatives the ability to request a copy of the Junior Manning/Extension log. Crew Scheduling is required to keep copies of the logs for no less than 90 days (Section 8.K.7.). We recommend that you bring the evidence you were able to collect and present it to your Local AFA Representative. Ask him/her to request a copy of the Junior Man/Extension log.
Once you have researched your junior man/extension assignment and believe that you have the proof that you were junior manned/extended illegally, we strongly recommend you contact a Union Representative immediately for assistance.
We hope that the information in this article will help protect you from any violations of our contract. Be armed with the knowledge to protect yourself. Learn the contents of your contract and carry it with you at all times.
