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SCP (Partial Line Award Completion Period) with Q & A

The following are responses to questions that we have received regarding SCP and how it impacts Compass Flight Attendants.  Some of these questions appear to be based on a general misunderstanding of what SCP is and how it will benefit a large number of Compass Flight Attendants without impacting anyone else’s bids or awards.

What is SCP (Schedule Completion Period)?

Simply put, SCP is a change to the process that makes PBS awrded incomplete lines into complete lines. SCP will allow Compass Flight Attendants the opportunity to play an active role in that change. Incomplete line awards are the ones that, after processing, became ‘mixed line’ awards each month.

Just remember: 10 – 15 – 20

Three very important aspects of the Schedule Completion Process that will impact everyone are the changes to the bid opening date, the bid closing date and the awards date. Bidding will now open on the 10^th, close on the 15^th, and the awards will appear on the 20^th. The two day adjustment to the bid period allows enough time for the SCP process to occur and have those participating Compass Flight Attendants see their final award at about the same time that we currently have.

What is the benefit of SCP?

When PBS processes a Flight Attendant’s bid preferences there are three possible outcomes:

• A Full Line is awarded populated by pairings.
• A Reserve Line is awarded populated by reserve days.
• An Incomplete Line is awarded populated by some pairings but not enough to create a Full Line. This happens when there are not enough pairings left in PBS to create a full line that honors both the FARs (example: 24 in 7) and Contractual requirements (example: 11 days off).

Incomplete lines up until the introduction of SCP saw the company adding reserve days to make them into awarded mixed lines. SCP is an after PBS award process that now gives the Compass Flight Attendants who are awarded incomplete lines the opportunity to try and create full lines for themselves without negatively impacting any other Flight Attendants bids or awards.

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Some Question and Answers about SCP:

Who is eligible to participate in SCP?

Only those Flight Attendants who are awarded incomplete lines by PBS will participate in SCP.

Will SCP only affect those Flight Attendants that are currently receiving mixed lines as their awards?

No. The Flight Attendants given incomplete lines by PBS can change monthly.

Why the change?

 After hearing your feedback, we negotiated these positive changes with the Company that allowed us to keep mixed lines in our contract and to improve on what is already in place for the awarding of mixed lines. The SCP process has the potential to reduce remaining trips in open time allowing for less reserve coverage (which could translate to more ‘green days’). Also, changing our bidding dates allows us to see our awards earlier in the month.

How is SCP different from how Mixed Lines were previously created?

Previously when PBS awarded incomplete lines, the company would populate them with reserve days and mixed lines were the result. With SCP Flight Attendants who are awarded an incomplete line will have two days to try and create a complete line by picking up, dropping or trading trips using the pool of un-awarded pairings that are left over each month after the PBS process is complete and the line awards are final. This process is similar to what our pilots have and will give the Flight Attendants who are awarded incomplete lines more control over their schedules.

Are any Flight Attendant’s PBS bids or awards affected by SCP?

No this process has ZERO impact on the PBS bidding and award process.  SCP occurs only after the awards are published.

How did we get SCP?

The agreement to implement SCP was the result of a grievance settlement. The previous Mixed Line award process gave all the ability to add trips at Company discretion with little over sight and no consideration of Flight Attendant preferences and seniority,

What pairings create the pool that flight attendants will use for SCP?

The trips in the pairing pool that are available for the SCP process are only those un-awarded pairings that are left over each month after PBS closes. No Compass Flight Attendant misses out on the ability to bid for or have the chance to be awarded any of the pairings created by crew planning.

When does SCP take place?

SCP is a process that occurs after PBS has closed and the awarded schedules for all bid eligible Flight Attendants are completed. SCP is a ‘post award’ process that will only involve Flight Attendants who are awarded an ‘incomplete line’ at each domicile.

When SCP requests are processed are they handled on a ‘first come first served’ or ‘seniority’ basis?

SCP requests are processed in seniority order and not on who tried to adjust their schedule first. The SCP requests are processed immediately after the 2 day SCP period closes.

SCP is a voluntary process, what happens if I am awarded an incomplete line by PBS and do not participate in SCP?

For any Flight Attendant awarded an incomplete line that chooses not to participate in SCP, or is unsuccessful in creating a full line after participating in SCP, the system will add enough reserve days to their schedules to create a complete line.

Does SCP lessen any contractual obligations on the company?

No.  The Company is still contractually required to award as many full lines as possible using PBS. This contractual requirement reduces the number of reserve lines awarded. SCP will now lower the number of mixed lines awarded.

What changes to bidding will occur as a result of SCP?

Bidding now opens on the 10^th, closes on the 15^th, final awards posted on the 20^th. Think 10-15- 20.

Does SCP need to be voted on by the membership to take affect?

No.  SCP is only a process that replaces the previous process that was challenged by a contractual grievance. SCP is a grievance settlement that was vetted, reviewed and approved by the MEC. SCP will be tested for a period of seven (7) bid periods to insure both parties are satisfied with the end result.

One of the mandates that AFA Compass was given by the members during contract talks was to maximize the number of lines awarded, keep reserve lines to a minimum, and give as much voice as possible to the Flight Attendants to address their needs and preferences. With the change to the SCP process from the previous process we are able to enhance that mandate.

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SCP Language – Memorandum of Understanding

Posting and Awarding of Monthly Bid

• Bid packages will be made available electronically by 1200 central time on or before the tenth (10th) of the month.
• Bids will open at 1200 central time on the tenth (10^th) of the month.

New F. Schedule Completion Period (SCP)

• Flight Attendants who’s projected Scheduled Credit Time at the end of the PBS award process is less than the monthly guarantee shall be required to participate in the Schedule Completion Period. Flight Attendants who were not eligible to bid a schedule pursuant to Section 6.D., and Flight Attendants whose projected Scheduled Credit Time at the end of the PBS award process is more than the minimum monthly guarantee, or who have been awarded a CDO Schedule shall not participate. Crew Planning will electronically post the list of Flight Attendants required to participate in the SCP with the schedule awards, pursuant to Section 6.E.6.
• Bidding and Awarding of SCP Bids
• The deadline for submitting SCP bids is 1200 central time, two (2) Calendar Days following the posting of monthly schedule awards. SCP results shall be processed in a batch and posted twenty-four (24) hours following the close of SCP bidding. Open Time Live processing will being at 1400 central time following the posting of the SCP.
• Flight Attendants may submit requests to add an additional Trip(s) or to swap a Trip(s) from their schedules for an open Trip(s).
• No partial Trip swaps are permitted.
• No out-of-Domicile Trip adds or swaps are permitted.
• Schedule Adjustment Requests for specific Trips identified by Pairing number will be worked in Seniority order using the Company’s electronic Crew Scheduling and Schedule Adjustment systems.
• Requests may be submitted that would normally not be awarded as part of a line due to non-FAR day off and rest requirements applicable to line construction. All requests a Flight Attendant submits will be processed, provided that the Flight Attendant’s schedule at the end each bid submission is projected to be equal to or greater than its credit value prior to the bid submission being processed.
• If a Flight Attendant projects below the minimum guarantee point at the end of the SCP, the Company may, pursuant to this Section., add Reserve duty days (in that order) to the Flight Attendant’s line and reduce the number of days off to a minimum of eleven (11).  The number of Reserve days added will be determined in the following manner.

Each Reserve day will have a value of four (4) hours (for purposes of adding Reserve days only).  The number of Reserve days will be calculated as follows: The Flight Attendant’s Scheduled Credit Time at the end of the SCP will be subtracted from the minimum guarantee and divided by four (4).  A number less than four (4) will be rounded up to a whole day.  The result will be the number of Reserve days added, except that any Reserve days that would bring the Flight Attendant below the minimum number of days off will not be added.

• SCP is an extension of the monthly schedule bidding and award process referenced in Sections 6.C. and 6.E. All PBS line construction provisions shall be followed, except as provided in Section 6.E.2.(f) above.
• SCP results will be posted via the Company’s electronic Crew Scheduling system.

This agreement will replace and make void the MOU on Mixed Line flying entered into on _________________.

SCP will be tested for a period of seven (7) bid periods.  After any mutually agreed to changes are made to the SCP bidding and award process, SCP will become a part of the monthly Flight Attendant bid and award process.

The SCP process will begin with the January  September 2016 bid process. Prior to the SCP trial process start the parties will have ample time to communicate this process to the Flight Attendants.  The Company agrees to share, no less than 24 hours in advance, with the MEC Scheduling Chair, or her/his designee, the communication they are sending to the Compass Flight Attendants on this change.

During the trial AFA Scheduling Chair, or her/his designee, may be present for the bid process and awards.  Following the end of the trial, the AFA Scheduling Chair will be provided copies of the SCP awards no later than 72 hours after the bid process closes.