Stewards Committee Update
“Is that even legal?”
If you ask yourself that question following a call from the company, your best resource is your union stewards.
Read the attached update for information about comp days, changes to a reserve line holders’ days off, and the new on-call steward program.
All About Comp Days
The CBA states that if a trip delay infringes on a day “previously scheduled free of Duty” with an actual off time past 0200, the pilot is entitled to a replacement day off, or “comp day.” Any flight or deadhead time beyond 0000 will be paid above guarantee. (The company notates this as “ABGM” on the Tableau pay report).
Pilots are to give three choices of comp day to crew services. Please note that the contract does not place any limitations on what days the pilots can select, and any demand by crew scheduling to make choices other than the ones initially submitted to crew scheduling is not warranted by the CBA. If crew scheduling is not willing to honor one of the choices, they are required to make the choice of replacement day off for the pilot and the pilot will be PPSK’ed for the removed trip and paid ABG for any other trip picked up on that day.
Q: I emailed crew services with three choices of comp day and they responded that they cannot honor any of them and requested that I make three other choices. Do I need to do this?
A: No. The CBA does not place any limitations on which days a pilot can choose, even including a day attached to a multi-day pairing. Pilots are welcome to respond to crew services that they will not be making further choices per the CBA. As always, if an interaction with the company raises questions, please contact the stewards at stewards@apa2118.org for guidance.
Q: I’m on reserve and crew services just changed my day off. Do I get a comp day?
A: No. Crew services is entitled to exchange a pure reserve line holder’s days on duty – this process is different from that for a comp day and explained in detail below. However, if a trip on a reserve callout is delayed past 0200 on a day off, the comp day rules apply.
Reserve Days Off — Know the Rules
Pilots on a pure reserve line are not guaranteed the days off awarded to them from the bid in the same manner as line holders. The CBA states that “Crew Scheduling may change a Reserve Line Pilot’s Days Off, excluding Golden Days, on the calendar day prior to a Day Off.” (16.G.3) Note that this language does not entitle crew services to change a reserve line holder’s days off without limit: only the day off immediately following the day on duty in which the pilot was contacted can be changed. This requires pilots to understand a somewhat confusing rule and to contact the union if they feel the company has violated the CBA.
The company must also select another reserve day from a pilot’s awarded reserve line to be changed to a day off, or “X-1” day. This is not a PPSK; pilots will be paid ABG for any trip or reserve period picked up from open time, VFN, or trip trade.
Q: I have a single day of reserve on a Saturday and the company called me on Thursday to assign me a two-day pairing that would start on Saturday and end on Sunday, originally my day off. Is that legal?
A: No. A single pairing can be assigned to a reserve pilot from open time up to two days prior to a pilot’s reserve duty, but to take away a pilot’s off day, crew services would have to wait until the day before, or in this case Saturday to make the assignment.
Q: I have three days of reserve in a row and Crew Services is assigning me a four-day trip, changing my day off on what is now the last day of the trip, is this legal?
A: No. Because the company must wait until the day before the day off, there is no way to legally make this assignment to a reserve line holder.
Q: How can I use Gold Days help prevent the company from changing my days off?
A: By placing gold days at the end of a single day or block of reserve days, pilots effectively prevent the company from changing their days off.
Q: The company has changed my off day in violation of the CBA, what should I do?
A: Contact your APA 2118 Stewards Committee at Stewards@apa2118.org.
Q: After changing my day off on a reserve line, the company marked my new day off as PPSK and now I am not being fully paid for a trip I picked up from open time, is that right?
A: No. A replacement day off should be marked X-1 and not PPSK, and any pickup on that day should be paid entirely ABG. Pilots in this situation should file a JIRA report and contact the union Payroll Committee with questions.
The On‑Call Steward Program
As of April 1, the committee has instituted an on call steward to be available to pilots at all times. Pilots can contact the on call
Steward via the main union office phone number (702) 268-7591 with immediately time-sensitive questions or issues. Questions that are not time-sensitive should instead be emailed to stewards@apa2118.org and will be answered promptly.
Stewards are experts in Collective Bargaining Agreement language and interpretation and can act as representation for pilots in everything from disagreements with crew services to potentially disciplinary Section 18 meetings. Stewards also review and shepherd the grievance process and are happy to assist pilots in writing or submitting grievances properly. We strongly encourage pilots to contact the stewards if an assignment seems to be illegal or in violation of the contract. While it’s always good to ask fellow pilots for advice, to get the official union position pilots should contact the stewards.
Q: I have an issue and I’m not sure which committee to contact, where should I start?
A: Contact your union stewards at Stewards@APA2118.org or for an immediately time-sensitive issue call (702) 268-7591.
Q: I don’t know which committee to contact — where should I start?
A: Contact your Union Stewards by email at
stewards@apa2118.org
