The SWAPA Ride Report: Polling/Implementation, a Grievance, and Reroute Q&A

This week, host Captain Matt McCants from SWAPA Communications outlines the next high points in April’s implementation schedule. He also plugs the upcoming SWAPA polling event, and gives the membership a look into active debates, including a grievance between SWAPA and the Company.

If you have been part of an online reroute, you’ll want to listen in to this week’s Q&A, which covers a number of common and some not-so-common reroute scenarios, as well as how overrides come into play with the Junior Assigned (JA) process. These questions and answers should let you know what to expect the next time you have a change on your board.

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Transcript

This is the SWAPA Ride Report for Friday, April 12th, 2024.    

The SWAPA Ride Report is your source for headlines, updates, and answers to frequently asked questions regarding your new Collective Bargaining Agreement.  

I’m your host, Captain Matt McCants from SWAPA Communications.  

As you are probably aware, the open enrollment period for the SWAPA STD and LTD programs closed today. Their last video is up on the SWAPA website, and the next date on the calendar for all things benefits and disability will be the usual open enrollment period this Fall. So there’s really nothing left to do but recognize the SWAPA benefits team for their tireless effort these last several months. So if you see Brent Weisner, Tony Caparella, Damian Jennette or John Burton out on the line, I hope you’ll join me in thanking them for all the work they’ve done, and will continue to do as we move forward into the year.    

Now the theme of this week’s edition of the show is data. Whether you have been here for 20 years or 2 months, you’ve undoubtedly heard that SWAPA is a data driven organization. The Survey, Education, and Polling process formed the foundations from which Contract 2020 was built on, giving the Negotiations Committee defendable positions from which to pursue the targets of the contract. And as we’re now approaching 3 months into a new CBA, the time has come to start gathering some metrics from the membership.  

 As you saw in Tuesday’s SWAPA Snapshot, next week you will receive an email to the address you have on file. This periodic polling will zoom in on the pace and priorities of implementation. Without a doubt, this has been the one of the most dynamic periods in SWAPA pilots’ history, so your thoughts on how it started…and how it’s going…are critical in shaping how it’s going to go. In addition, the SWAPA Schedule Research Committee and Communications Committee have identified specific issues for the next several months, and will use the feedback from the membership as guidelines from which to operate. So look for that email on April 15th, which, I think is a due date for something else as well, and we look forward to hearing from you.  

The implementation train keeps rolling, and here’s the next wave.  

SRC is working closely with Flight Ops on the implementation schedule, including scheduler training. The SRC and Contract admin attended a meeting this week, covering several provisions to be implemented April 30, found in Sections 9–13. More information will be provided in the coming weeks, but here's some of the highlights of what's on the docket for implementation between now and next month:  

Some of these items include expanding Open Time Priority, to picking up Reserve blocks, as well as provisions that require awarding non-ETOPS pairings in POT prior to assigning ETOPS Reserves. There are lots of provisions from section 12, that are mostly Crew Scheduling execution processes like:  
  
Adjusting release times due to delays for transportation or other issues out of your control   

• Codified rules on how and when Scheduling can contact you   
• Cancellation and reassignment timelines with the ability to self-release  
• More flexible GDO placement and removal timeframes ie a manual phone call to Scheduling  

And for reserves:  

• The “OWN” reserve preference and   
• New jetway trade allowances for Reserves

We’ll hit on these again in a couple weeks when we’re closer to the implementation date.  

 
  On a related note, payroll is kind of a zoo right now. Due to the massive undertaking implementing the new pay provisions, Payroll has extended their close out period to April 14th.  Eventually, many of these pay rules will be automated, but until then expect there to be some lag time as Payroll makes corrections.  
 
If you still have a pay issue on the 13th, send a screen shot of the SWAPA Pay Audit output to  flightopspayroll@wnco.com. SWAPA staff is inundated with questions and the backlog could take a few days to reply, so please don’t resend your inquiry. And we appreciate your patience.  

As discussed before, note that the total pairing pay in the Payroll Report only includes applicable overrides, which are itemized at the bottom of the pairing details.   

Last on the scheduling front, the “SWMP” checkbox is live.  

Section 13.M.3. captures the provisions that apply if you are on a short call out, which is qualified as either less than 2 hours from RAP start to check in, or less than 2 hours from notification to check in. This is flagged in CWA with a check box for SWMP (shorthand term for Scheduling Will Make Push) next to the Crewmember name at the bottom of the pairing, which will then calculate premium pay for the first duty period.  The company deployed this new CWA feature this week.  

Please note that even though the pairing display doesn’t reflect the total pay, the payroll report does, with a total that includes the premium due. 

Let’s switch gears and talk about some ongoing issues between SWAPA and the company. 

We’ve been tracking a number of morning meal reimbursements that have been turned down. The Negotiations Committee and Contract Admin are currently tackling this issue in Joint Implementation Committee meetings with Labor Relations. Concurrently, SWAPA leadership is in talks with Flight Operations management on this topic.  

There is also a dispute about the premium pay multiple application of Sim support events. SWAPA is actively engaged with Flight Ops regarding this matter as well.   

Another dispute pertains to the application of paid move provisions, specifically whether a Pilot needs to retain a vacancy in the new domicile after triggering the paid move. While there is no language citing that bidding out disqualifies the paid move provisions, there is a possibility that the Company will not reimburse you if you’ve left the new domicile. Until an agreement is reached, the safest option to ensure your paid move, is to not change your vacancy.  

Lastly, SWAPA has filed our first grievance.  Reserve short notice premium provisions for Pilots who weren’t eligible based on the time of assignment, but become eligible at the time of notification, are not being properly assessed and paid.  We hope to resolve this before we roll back into arbitration season.  

So what can the line pilot do about all of this?  

The short answer is – write it up. If you have expenses that are denied, if you have a hotel complaint, or any other situation where you think the intent of the new CBA isn’t being followed, don’t get frustrated. Contact your rep and contract admin. These instances are accumulating a record that SWAPA will use to strengthen our cases we bring to the company.   

The frustration on language disagreement is understandable. There was no doubt that we would have to defend the contract we negotiated. But the more formal feedback we get, that is information sent to SWAPA sources, the more ammo we have to substantiate our positions.  

Now let’s dive into some Q&A that contract admin fielded this week, and the theme here is reroutes.  

So I was rerouted on day 2 of my 3-day trip to do an additional leg at the end of my originally scheduled day. It was later removed before I was in position for it. Am I due 1.00 TFP under Section 2.K.6.? 

Not in this case. The purpose of Section 2.K.6. is to compensate you if you had to stay in position after the original release time anticipating additional flying only to then have it removed. Since you were placed back on your original assignment, there is no additional compensation due. 

OK how about this situation- I was rerouted to catch up to the original flights of my last duty period. Since I have a new deadhead at the start of my last duty day, it is no longer just my original sequence. Am I still due Late Return Override (LRO) if I block-in more than 2 hours late? 

Yes, you are.  LRO pays out if your original last flight runs more than 2 hours late. It does not matter if other parts of the last duty period were modified; only that you are on your originally scheduled last flight. Now, if you are reassigned off your terminating flight, LCO will apply and LRO will not. As we’ve seen in a number of instances now, LCO and LRO can’t co-exist, but LCO and LDO can, and often do.  Sections 2.J.2, 4, and 6 are your references here. 

Here's another one- I was rerouted into flying today that was run through open time before it was rerouted onto me. Should I receive Double-Time pay for this flying? 

OK good question - The new CBA has eliminated the Junior Assign process for trips for today. As trips complete the VPF process (which will be VDT in the future), they can be reassigned online. Pilots reassigned into that flying will be paid LCO in accordance with 2.J.2. Now if a trip for tomorrow completes the Junior Assignment process and still needs to be rerouted, Section 12.M.9. dictates 100% LCO for that reassignment.  

And this one is a “move up” scenario - I was rerouted, resulting in an earlier report time for my duty period tomorrow. Am I supposed to get LCO for the whole duty period tomorrow? 

So the only “move-up” language that now applies is when you are rerouted to push a flight earlier on day 1 than your original schedule. In that case, it will trigger 100% LCO for any leg(s) that depart before your original push time. All other reroutes will still trigger 50% LCO for the new legs; but if the reroute catches you up to your previous flying, the original legs will not pay LCO regardless of a “move-up” previously in the day. This is more from Section 2.J.2. 

Lastly, I had a pairing that was ending early in the day on Easter Sunday, and I picked up additional flying that added to my pre-existing day. Should I receive a Holiday Override for both pieces that I had picked up for that day? 

Unfortunately no, Holiday Override will not “double stack” if you will. The language specifies that, “A Pilot who performs duty or is on a RAP at any time during the following Holiday periods…” so on and so forth. This does not allow for multiple considerations of duty. Section 2.J.13 spells this out.  

That wraps up the headlines and Q&A this week. As always, if there’s something you want to hear more about on the show, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org.   

And thanks again for joining this week’s ride report. If you missed anything, this transcript will be on the Podcast Page under the Communications tab on the SWAPA website.  

Fly safe, fly informed.