a group of people in uniform
American Airlines has fired 50 flight attendants who failed to report for duty on reserve, as their contract required. The move disproportionately hits junior flight attendants but should come as no surprise to those who deliberately violated their contract by not actually being able to fly while on company time.
American Airlines Fires Derelict Junior Flight Attendants
In the seniority-based system negotiated by unions in the USA, flight attendants generally cannot “hold a line” (choose which flights they work on) for many years and may not even be assigned routes in advance until they have put in several years. Yes, the life for junior flight attendants is often the life of being on “reserve” or on-call, assigned to routes at the very last minute due to cancellations by other flight attendants.
When flight attendants call out sick at the very last-minute, an immediate replacement is required or else the flight will be delayed or cancelled. That’s where reserve flight attendants come in, who are instructed to remain near their assigned airport and be ready to report to work within 2-3 hours if called. In exchange for being “on-call” flight attendants are paid for their time, even if they are not ultimately called.But American Airlines has seen an uptick in reserve flight attendants who will not answer the phone or who call in sick, after they have been assigned a flight. This goes against company policy.
American Airlines warned about this in a memo to flight attendants earlier this month:
We’ve talked before about the crucial role reserves play in helping keep the operation running smoothly. We depend on reserves when there’s bad weather and other factors that prevent lineholders from working their scheduled assignments. Unfortunately we continue to see some troubling trends that negatively impact running a reliable operation.
When you are on reserve, it boils down to this:
Your are obligated to be positioned within two hours of your base airport (three hours for co-terminal bases) for the duration of your RAP (reserve availability period) unless Crew Scheduling releases you.
If you are not positioned as described above for the duration of your RAP, you may be considered “out of base.” This may lead to the termination of your employment.
You are required to report a known illness/injury the day prior to ROTA processing or as soon as you know you will not be available. You should not wait for Crew Scheduling to assign you a trip before calling out sick.Many flight attendants found the memo offense, indignant that American Airlines was blaming them (at least partially) for operational disruptions. But American Airlines was not kidding and is now investigating flight attendants who failed to report as required. 50 have already been fired.The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union representing AA flight attendants, has warned its members:
We have seen a significant uptick in investigations regarding reserves not in position to accept an assignment while on a Reserve Availability Period (RAP). The Company is aggressively enforcing the requirements of JCBA Section 12.H.1. You must be able to report to the airport within two (2) hours/three (3) hours for a co-terminal while serving a RAP. If you are on Reserve and you have a triggering event such as a TM (no contact, trip missed), a MT (missed trip- you don’t show up), LC (late call out or sick on contact), or a late request of a PO, the Company will conduct a travel audit and compare it to your reserve schedule. They will conduct a 35R investigation. During this investigation, they will pull all your travel benefits history, including past, current AA listings, travel, and other airlines. They will use other evidence to substantiate their claim that a Flight Attendant was not in position to report within the contractual timeline.
Translation: American Airlines is coming after you if it suspects that you are not upholding your end of the bargain by being available within 2-3 hours when on reserve. This seems quite reasonable to me.
CONCLUSION
American Airlines has terminated 50 flight attendants who it suspected were skirting contractual obligations while being paid to be on reserve duty. More investigations are underway and the union is urging its members to exercise extreme caution while on reserve duty.
It seems to me this is a totally reasonable reaction by American Airlines to what it claims is a festering problem. While positive reinforcement might be the preferred solution from a management perspective, AA hopes its harsh tactics will persuade other flight attendants to avoid similar action going forward.