Section 14 - Seniority

SECTION 14

SENIORITY 

14.A. GENERAL 

14.A.1.

Upon assignment to the line, a newly employed Flight Attendant shall have their her/his Flight Attendant, Company and pay seniority dates adjusted to the date of entering Flight Attendant training, provided such training period was unbroken prior to successful completion and assignment to the line. A Flight Attendant who has transferred from a different department within the Company shall retain accrued Company seniority. Within each training class, a Flight Attendant’s relative seniority will be established in the order of their employee number, with the lowest number being most senior.0F0F If more than one initial training class is assigned to the line on the same date, their seniority will be in class order with the most recent class being the most junior. In cases where more than one class reports for the start of training on the same date, the classes will be combined for the purposes of determining seniority order using the order of their employee number, with the lowest number being most senior.

14.A.2.

Seniority shall not be lost except as provided in this Agreement.

14.A.3.a.

Seniority shall govern all Flight Attendants in connection with their retention in case of furlough due to reduction in force, re-employment after furlough, preference in assignment of Base as vacancies occur, and preference of assignment to monthly schedules provided that the Flight Attendant is sufficiently qualified for the conduct of the operation involved.

14.A.3.b.

In the event a Flight Attendant is not considered sufficiently qualified, the Company shall furnish to the Flight Attendant, upon application, written reasons therefor. 

14.B. PERIOD OF PROBATION 

14.B.1.

A Flight Attendant shall be considered as a probationary employee until they have she/he has accumulated one hundred eighty (180) days of active service on the line as a Flight Attendant. During the last ninety (90) days of the Flight Attendant’s probationary period, the Company, in taking any action regarding a Flight Attendant on probation, shall consider any written recommendation which has been filed by the Union. Flight Attendants’ names shall be placed on the Flight Attendant System Seniority List as of in order of the date of their assignment to the line as Flight Attendants; provided, however, that the seniority provisions of this Agreement do not apply to Flight Attendants unless retained in the service of the Company after the probationary period. The service of Flight Attendants may be terminated at any time during the probationary period without a hearing. When more than one Flight Attendant is assigned to the line on the same day, the Flight Attendants so assigned shall appear on the seniority list in the order of their United Airlines employee file number.* 

*(Applies to Flight Attendants hired after October 2, 1997 )  

14.B.2.

A Flight Attendant who is absent due to illness or injury for a period of fourteen (14) consecutive days shall have their her/his period of probation extended by the number of days in excess of the first fourteen (14) days.

14.B.3.

Absences due to vacation will not cause the period of probation to be extended. 

14.B.4.

The Company must so notify the affected Flight Attendant and the Union immediately upon return from the absence which would cause an extension of the probation period.

14.C. SENIORITY LIST

A Flight Attendant Seniority List showing the name, location, Domicile, Flight Attendant seniority date and the date of entering the Company’s service shall be made available at all stations where Flight Attendants are Domiciled and a copy delivered to the Union and each Local Council President. This list shall provide designator codes for those people not actively flying. These codes shall be explained on a legend page. All changes to the list shall be marked with an asterisk. Such list shall be amended each January 1st and July 1st thereafter, incorporating changes and additions. The procedure outlined in Section 23.C., shall be the exclusive method for Flight Attendant handling of protests concerning seniority. Flight Attendants shall be allowed a period of a maximum of thirty (30) days from the date the announcement is made that the list is available for Flight Attendant perusal in which to protest any alleged omission or error affecting their seniority. Failure to protest such alleged omission or error within thirty (30) days after the announcement of the availability of the seniority list upon which the alleged omission or error initially appeared shall preclude a Flight Attendant from protesting same, except that when a Flight Attendant is on vacation, leave of absence, furlough or sick leave, they she/he shall protest any alleged omission or error within thirty (30) days after returning to flight duty.

14.D. LOSS OF SENIORITY 

14.D.1.

Any Flight Attendant who resigns or whose services with the Company are permanently severed for just cause, shall forfeit their her/his seniority rights.

14.D.2.

In addition, any Flight Attendant who fails to return from any leave of absence on the designated date of return shall be treated in accordance with Section 23.A. of the Agreement.

14.E. TRANSFER TO NON-FLYING OR MANAGEMENT DUTIES

14.E.1.

A Flight Attendant who transfers to nonflying or management duties within Inflight-related areas shall continue to retain and accrue seniority indefinitely.

14.E.2.

Notwithstanding Paragraph 1. above, Flight Attendants transferring to Managing Director level or above positions will be removed from the System Seniority List, except those Managing Directors in Inflight-related areas who are on the seniority list on the effective date of this Agreement. 

14.E.3.

A Flight Attendant who transfers to any other position within United Airlines shall retain seniority for one (1) year. 

14.E.4.

For purposes of this Paragraph 14.E., Inflight related-areas include Inflight, Inflight Employee Relations, Inflight Training, Inflight Recruiting, and Inflight Scheduling. 

14.E.5.

During a period of furlough, a Flight Attendant in a non-flying or management position shall not accrue Flight Attendant seniority which would change their her/his relative position on the Flight Attendant System Seniority List with those Flight Attendants on furlough. 

14.E.6.

A Flight Attendant who accepts transfer to perform as an instructor at the Company’s Inflight Training Center (Emergency Procedures Instructors [EPI]) shall continue to accrue seniority while in that position. 

14.E.7.

A Flight Attendant who transfers to perform as an instructor of Initial or Recurrent Emergency Training for United Flight Attendant trainees or United Flight Attendants, shall continue to accrue seniority while in that position. 

14.E.7.

A Flight Attendant who is transferred to non-flying duties with the Company because of physical incapacity or injury, shall retain and continue to accrue seniority during such period of sickness or injury for a continuous period of three (3) years. If a Flight Attendant does not return to Flight Attendant duty within the time limits as described herein, such Flight Attendant’s name shall be permanently removed from the Flight Attendant System Seniority List. 

14.E.8.

Upon return to duty from non-flying duties as described in this Paragraph 14.E., a Flight Attendant shall be permitted to resume their her/his status at the Domicile to which previously assigned, unless they were or if during such assignment, bid on and was awarded a vacancy at another Domicile, or was otherwise subject to involuntary transfer under the provisions of Section 17.J., in which case they shall assume their her/his new assignment on the effective date of the bid award.

14.F. COMPANY BUSINESS ASSIGNMENTS (COBUS) 

14.F.1.  

Flight Attendants awarded any combination of Company business assignments in excess of three hundred and sixty-five (365) days in any rolling fifteen (15) month period, shall retain and accrue seniority for a maximum of three hundred and sixty-five (365) days in the rolling fifteen (15) month period while on the Company business assignment(s) and thereafter shall only retain seniority.

14.F.2.

Flight Attendants on Company business assignments in the training or recruiting areas for the Inflight Services Division shall retain and accrue Flight Attendant seniority while in the position.