Section 16 - Job Share & Partnership Programs

SECTION 16

JOB SHARE AND PARTNERSHIP FLYING PROGRAMS

16.A.                 PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

16.A.1.              JOB SHARE PROGRAM

The Job Share Program allows a line of flying to be shared by two Flight Attendants for a single bid month. The availability of the Program is determined by the Company’s Flight Attendant staffing needs based upon qualifications at a Base.

16.A.2.              PARTNERSHIP FLYING PROGRAMS

The Partnership Flying Programs allow a line of flying to be shared by two (2) Flight Attendants for a period of time longer than a single bid month. There are three (3) types of Partnership Flying Programs as follows:

16.A.2.a. ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP

The Annual Partnership Program covers a twelve (12) bid month period. The availability of annual partnerships is determined by the Company’s Flight Attendant staffing needs based upon qualifications at a Base. When offered, Annual Partnerships shall begin in May of each year, unless changed by mutual agreement of the Company and the Union.

16.A.2.b. MULTIPLE-MONTH PARTNERSHIP 

A multiple-month partnership covers a period of two (2) to eleven (11) bid months. The Company can only offer multiple-month partnerships which begin and end within the annual cycle for the Annual Partnership Program. The availability of multiple-month partnerships is determined by the Company’s Flight Attendant staffing needs based upon qualifications at a Base.

16.A.2.c. FURLOUGH-MITIGATION PARTNERSHIP

A furlough-mitigation partnership covers a period of thirteen (13) or more bid months. Prior to implementing any involuntary furlough, the Company shall offer furlough-mitigation partnerships sufficient to eliminate the need to furlough. Such partnerships shall be offered to:

16.A.2.c.(1).

 All Flight Attendants in Bases within the continental United States, and 

16.A.2.c.(2).

All if Flight Attendants in that Bases outside the continental United States if Flight Attendants in that Base will be subject to furlough or displacement. 

16.A.2.c.(3).

Participation in the Program shall be awarded in system seniority order among eligible Flight Attendants. A Flight Attendant may not avoid their her/his own involuntary furlough by entering into a furlough-mitigation partnership.

16.A.3. ORDER OF AWARD

The Company may offer multiple-month partnerships and multi-month leaves, either together or separately. When the Company offers both multiple-month partnerships and multi-month leaves of the same length, they will be combined and awarded in seniority order. When full month leaves and job shares are offered, they will be combined and awarded in seniority order.

16.A.4. GENERAL 

16.A.4.a.

Once a Flight Attendant is awarded a partnership, they she/he must complete the partnership before they she/he shall be eligible to begin another partnership; except that when the Company offers a Furlough-Mitigation Partnership Program, Flight Attendants in another Partnership Program are eligible for the Furlough-Mitigation Program.

16.A.4.a.(1).

It is intended that all other provisions of this Agreement shall apply to Flight Attendants in the Job Share and Partnership Flying Programs, except as may be otherwise provided in this Section.

16.A.4.a.(2).

Management shall not be responsible for resolving disputes arising between Flight Attendants paired in the Job Share or Partnership Flying Programs.

16.A.4.a.(3).

Flight Attendants may form job share or partnership pairs among Flight Attendants in the same Base.

16.A.4.a.(4).

Job share and partnership pairs may be formed without regard to lineholder or reserve status.

16.A.4.a.(5).

The Company shall make an electronic board available in order to facilitate the formation of job share or partnership pairs.

16.B. ENTRY INTO JOB SHARE AND PARTNERSHIP FLYING PROGRAMS

16.B.1. PROGRAM AWARD TIMELINE

16.B.1.a.

When the Company offers the Job Share Program or initiates a Partnership Program, the bid period for job shares or partnerships shall close not later than the 20th day of the 2nd bid month prior to the bid month in which the job shares or / partnerships will occur, e.g. bids shall close on August 20th for October job shares or / partnerships. The bid close date for Job Shares or Partnership Programs may be changed by mutual agreement of the Company and the Union.

16.B.1.b.

Job share and partnership awards shall be published before the Flight Attendant bid period opens for the bid month of the job share or partnership.

16.B.2. JOB SHARE PROGRAM

Flight Attendants may apply to the Job Share Program either as a pair or individually. Participation in the Job Share Program shall be awarded first to paired applicants in seniority order based on the senior partner’s seniority. After that, the Company shall award the remaining available job shares, if any, to individual applicants in seniority order and pair them based on their seniority. The Company shall publish the list of Flight Attendants awarded pairs in a Job Share Program.

16.B.3. PARTNERSHIP FLYING PROGRAMS

When the Company offers a Partnership Flying Program (Annual, Multiple-Month, or Furlough-Mitigation), Flight Attendants shall apply to the Program individually. Program participation shall be awarded in seniority order. The Company will then publish the list of Flight Attendants awarded participation in the Program. Once published, Flight Attendants shall be given no less than ten (10) days from the date of the publication of the award list to form partnership pairs among those awarded. Participants who do not form pairs within the given time period shall be paired with each other in seniority order.

16.B.4. WAIT LISTS FOR ANNUAL AND FURLOUGH-MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS 

The Company shall place applicants who are not awarded an annual or furlough-mitigation partnership on a wait list. In addition, after the deadline for applications to the Annual Partnership Program has passed, Flight Attendants may request to be placed on the wait list for that Program. Vacancies shall be filled from the wait list in seniority order.

16.C. MONTHLY BIDDING PROCESS AND RULES FOR JOB SHARES AND PARTNERSHIP FLYING

The following rules apply to Flight Attendants in a job share or partnership:

16.C.1.a.

Both Flight Attendants must submit a monthly bid.

16.C.1.b.

The Company shall award lines of flying based on the seniority of the senior Flight Attendant in the job share or partnership.

16.C.1.c.

Within forty-eight hours (48:00) after a line of flying has been awarded, the Flight Attendants shall divide the line, through CCS (or future equivalent), so that the line value is shared as evenly as possible without splitting any trips or block of reserve days unless one block must be split to evenly divide the line. Reserve lines will not be split to create short blocks of days of availability, except when the short block abuts the last day of the bid month.

16.C.1.d.

A Flight Attendant in a job share or partnership is limited to a monthly maximum of fifty-five hours (55:00) pay and credit excluding vacation.

16.C.1.e.

If a line of flying cannot be evenly divided without one or both of the Flight Attendants exceeding the monthly maximum, the Flight Attendants shall utilize the procedures set forth in Section 7.I., to bring their pay and credit hours within the monthly maximum. If they are unable to do so within forty-eight hours (48:00) after the line of flying has been awarded, the Flight Attendants will contact Scheduling to resolve the issue.

16.C.1.f.

In the event of a month-end conflict, if one of the Flight Attendants is legal to fly the first trip of the month, they she/he shall be responsible to cover the trip.

16.C.1.g.

When Flight Attendants have overlapping vacations in the bid month, they may elect to slide their vacations to the extent necessary to minimize or eliminate the overlap, provided that both vacation periods remain within the same bid month.

16.C.1.h.

Once a line is divided, each Flight Attendant may adjust their her/ his individual schedules through normal contractual processes and shall use her/ his seniority to compete for move-up lines. Reserves shall use their seniority to complete for move-up lines. Lineholders shall use their seniority to complete and participate in the seniority trip trade window.

16.D. DISSOLUTION AND SUSPENSION/CANCELLATION OF PARTNERSHIPS

16.D.1. PERMANENT DISSOLUTION OF A PARTNERSHIP

A partnership shall be dissolved if one partner obtains a hardship release, transfers to another Base or becomes inactive and expects to remain inactive for the remainder of the partnership.

16.D.1.a.

When an annual or furlough-mitigation partnership is dissolved, the remaining partner shall be re-paired with a Flight Attendant from the wait list. If there are no partners available on the wait list, the remaining partner shall bid for lines of flying using their  her/his own seniority and shall drop trips, or reserve availability days if applicable, to comply with Paragraphs C.3. and C.4. above, until the partnership term ends.

16.D.1.b.

When a multiple-month partnership is dissolved, the remaining partner shall bid for lines of flying using their  her/his own seniority and shall drop trips, or reserve availability days if applicable, to comply with Paragraphs C.3. and C.4. above, until the partnership term ends.

16.D.2. TEMPORARY DISSOLUTION OF A PARTNERSHIP

When a Flight Attendant in a partnership becomes temporarily inactive, the remaining partner shall bid for lines of flying using their  her/his own seniority and shall drop trips, or reserve availability days if applicable, to comply with Paragraphs C.3. and C.4. above, until such time as the inactive Flight Attendant returns to active status or the partnership term ends, whichever is sooner.

16.D.3. SUSPENSION OR CANCELLATION OF MULTIPLE-MONTH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

16.D.3.(a).

The Company may suspend or cancel multiple-month partnerships in the event there are unforeseen staffing shortages during the Partnership Program term, provided that all multiple-month partnerships in the affected Base are suspended or cancelled to the extent that they overlap the staffing shortage period.

16.D.3.a.(1).

If the Company suspends or cancels a Multiple-Month Partnership Program, it shall:

16.D.3.a.(1).(a).

Provide advance notice to the Union, including the Base where the multiple-month partnerships will be cancelled or suspended and the length of any suspension;

16.D.3.a.(1).(b).

Notify the affected Flight Attendants prior to the opening of line bids for the first bid month that the Program is cancelled or suspended;

16.D.3.a.(1).(c).

Cancel any job shares previously awarded and not offer any new job shares at the affected Base during the period when multiple-month partnerships are cancelled or suspended; 

16.D.3.a.(1).(d).

Not initiate any new time-off programs, at the affected Base during the period when multiple-month partnerships are cancelled or suspended;

16.D.3.a.(1).(e).

Not cancel another multiple-month partnership program for two years after the last month of the cancelled/suspended multiple-month partnership term, at the affected Base.

16.D.3.a.(2).

When the Company has suspended multiple-month partnerships, it may shall reinstate some or all of the partnerships in the same bid month, with the same Flight Attendant pairs. In the case of a partial resumption of partnerships, they shall be offered in seniority order based on the seniority of the senior member of the partnership. 

16.D.3.a.(3).

In the event there are unforeseen shortages in a special qualification, the Company may suspend or cancel Multiple- Month Partnerships involving Flight Attendants with the special qualification in inverse seniority order. In this event, the provisions of Paragraphs 16.D.3.a.(1).(c)., 16.D.3.(a).(1).(d)., 16.D.3.(a).(1).(e). 3.a.(3)., 3.a.(4)., and 3.a.(5). above shall not apply.

16.D.4. CANCELLATION OF A FURLOUGH-MITIGATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM 

The Company may cancel, in whole or in part, a Furlough- Mitigation Partnership Program. If the Company is not cancelling an entire Program, it shall solicit Flight Attendant volunteers in seniority order. If there are insufficient volunteers, the Company shall select Flight Attendants in inverse seniority order. Remaining participants shall be re-paired in accordance with Paragraph B.3. above. If there are no available qualified Flight Attendants to re-pair a Partnership at the affected Base, the remaining partner shall bid for lines of flying using their her/his own seniority and shall drop trips, or reserve availability days if applicable, to comply with Paragraphs C.3. and C.4. above, until their her/his Partnership term ends.