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Association of Flight Attendants-CWA United Master Executive Council

Collective Bargaining Agreement

2005-2010

Section 17 -- Seniority

SECTION 17
SENIORITY

  1. General
    1. Upon assignment to the line, a newly employed Flight Attendant shall have 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.
    2. Seniority shall not be lost except as provided in this Agreement
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 domicile 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.
  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.
  1. Period of Probation
    1. A Flight Attendant shall be considered as a probationary employee until 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 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.)

    2. A Flight Attendant who is absent due to illness or injury for a period of fourteen (14) consecutive days shall have her/his period of probation extended by the number of days in excess of the first fourteen (14) days.
    3. Absences due to vacation will not cause the period of probation to be extended.
    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.
  2. 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 26, Paragraph 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, she/he shall protest any alleged omission or error within thirty (30) days after returning to flight duty.
  3. Loss of Seniority
    1. Any Flight Attendant who resigns or whose services with the Company are permanently severed for just cause, shall forfeit her/his seniority rights.
    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 26.A of the Agreement.
  4. Transfer to Non-Flying or Supervisory Duties
    1. a. A Flight Attendant who transfers to a management position within Onboard Service shall continue to retain seniority indefinitely.
      b. A Flight Attendant who transfers to any other position within United Airlines after the date of signing of this Agreement shall retain seniority for one (1) year.
      c. Flight Attendants who have transferred to a management position or a professional/specialist assignment in departments other than Onboard Service or into any job covered under Section 17.E.1.c of the 1980 Agreement shall be permanently stricken from the Flight Attendant Seniority List on the date established by the 1980 Agreement or six (6) months from March 15, 1984, whichever comes first. Any such individual who may be re-hired as a Flight Attendant will be placed at the bottom of the Flight Attendant Seniority List.
      d. Effective March 15, 1984, Flight Attendants who have transferred to any other job shall cease to accrue seniority.
      e. Notwithstanding Paragraph 1.a. above, a Flight Attendant with a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in the Flight Attendant position may transfer to an Onboard Service management position and continue to accrue seniority for a period of three (3) years.
      f. During a period of furlough, a Flight Attendant in an Onboard Service management position shall not accrue Flight Attendant seniority which would change her/his relative position on the Flight Attendant System Seniority List with those Flight Attendants on furlough.

     

     

    		 g. Flight Attendants moving into a management position within three (3) months of completing a special assignment, shall have time spent in the special assignment position included in the three (3) year seniority accrual set forth in sub-paragraph e. above.
    2.

    A Flight Attendant who accepts transfer to perform as an instructor at the Company's Inflight Training Center shall continue to accrue seniority while in that position.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. Upon return to duty from non-flying duties as described in this Paragraph E, a Flight Attendant shall be permitted to resume her/his status at the domicile to which previously assigned, 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 22.J, shall assume her/his new assignment on the effective date of the bid award.
    6. Flight Attendants awarded any combination of special assignments in accordance with Section 4.Q. shall accrue seniority for a maximum of one hundred eighty (180) days in a calendar year while on special assignment and thereafter shall only retain seniority.

END OF SECTION 17

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