6.08.18 – Systems Allocations Call

The monthly Systems Allocations call occurred this week. The allocations call covers the trip pairings in each base, as well as the release of the upcoming reserve numbers issued by the Company.

Participants on the call include department members of Man Power Planning, Labor Relations, and Network/Crew Planning, as well as APFA base representatives and the APFA National Contract and Scheduling Chairs.

This call, as have the calls over the last 7 months, began on a heated note when the reserve numbers were released. Yet again, during a holiday month, the Company goes into excessive mode when determining the numbers for reserves. The Company’s position on the MAY/JUN/JUL holiday grouping is the same one they take during the NOV/DEC/JAN holiday grouping. The company always tries to protect the end of the month and the beginning of the month. Whenever the end of a month or the beginning of a month includes a holiday, then they calculate a need for even more protection during the time period. The problem with said calculations is that the numbers used to do this are excessive, considering the number of days being protected.

The Union is, by no means, saying there isn’t a need to protect the operation, but what we are saying is that common sense needs to be used when figuring reserve numbers. One of the options that has been proposed is making adjustments to the line average, but even that comes with concerns. Although the contract does not give the Union final say over the reserve numbers, we continue to have an open discussion.

Your APFA local and national leadership continues to voice our frustration with the overly aggressive calculations to the monthly reserve numbers. We will continue to advocate for the Company to use common sense when calculating monthly reserve numbers.Kim Kaswinkel
APFA PHL Base President
prphl@apfa.org