2021 is just around the corner, what is to come?
Dear Bargaining Unit Employees, Union Brothers and Sisters,
In a couple of months we will be in 2021. Your Local Union Leadership wants to take a moment to discuss the upcoming events in 2020, what is left of it.
•Major Holiday’s
oThanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years
•Airport Shift Bid LAS/RNO/PHX
•Annual Leave Bid LAS/RNO/PHX
Major Holiday’s
We may or may not be engaged in festivities, family gatherings, or parties. If you do, we hope you and your families are safe and sound, and engage in a safe gathering. If you choose to have an alcoholic beverage, please remember the possible ramifications those drinks may have in the future as we are held accountable for our conduct on duty and off duty.
If you are stopped and detained/arrested for a DUI/DWI, resulting in you receiving a ticket for DUI/DWI, you have to report it immediately to your STSO/TSM within 24 hours. The table of penalties, which was revised in 2018, is very clear on the discipline for off-duty misconduct. You will receive a seven (7) day suspension for the off-duty misconduct. If it is your second DUI, you will face termination according to the table of penalties.
Aside of the ramification you may face at work, don’t forget that you will face consequences in your personal life, to include significant increase in your insurance premiums, court fees and fines, vehicle repairs, and/or additions (Breathalyzer Machine to start your car, etc.) (PS: ).There is a clause in most insurance coverages these days…if you are convicted of DUI, the insurance does not pay for your Comprehensive/Collision coverage, meaning cost for repairing your vehicle…double check the fine print). The financial impact can easily go over $10,000 for those couple of drinks. Please plan accordingly! Please rideshare, Uber, Lyft, Taxi, call a sober friend! Don’t drink and drive!
Airport Shift Bid at LAS/RNO/PHX
Each airport Arizona vs Nevada is doing their bid a little different. Ultimately, we all bid based on our seniority. We make our selections on the schedule based of our own preferences, whether it is RDO, shift start time, or work location. Please review your shift bid date and time, enter it in your phone, set a reminder right before it is, don’t forget to bid, or you will be placed to a shift/RDO as close as possible to your current shift. Dates for each airport have been already posted and should be briefed as those dates are quickly coming up on us.
A few questions to answer ahead of time:
•5% percent of the workforce can bid outside their certification. Meaning, if your PAX, you can bid on Baggage line if it is available. The rules have it broken down further regarding the 5%. The actual is 2.5% that get to choose based on their seniority. The other 2.5% gets pushed out of the work location as there will not be any room there. No bid line available. Our schedules are build based on how many employees there are, and when and where we are needed (in a perfect world). There is no extra lines or spares.
•Last we heard from D.C. that airports may end up having 4 bids in the year in order to accommodate frequent airline flight changes and passenger volume influxes. Our schedules are build on “previous” years trends and + added. Since this COVID19 occurred, everything changed with the airlines and passengers. We all see it first hand what we deal with on a daily basis. We all hope that we do not have to bid 4 times a year. If we do, it is because there has to be notice to you about schedule changes, and you have to be provided the opportunity to bid.
Annual Leave
LAS/RNO will have a different bid this year. BUEs will be provided over 30 days to place selections for weeks and days. There is no limit on the submissions. You can make 52 submissions for weeks, and 365 submissions for individual days. Management will go down the seniority list and award based on your selections, and availability of the weeks and days.
If you are in the top 25% of the seniority list, you pretty much will get all your selections for weeks and individual days. We want to stress to the newcomers, to the lower seniority to submit as many submission for their earned weeks and individual days, or you may not receive any time off! Hate to say it, under the process LAS/RNO has chosen this year, submit 52 weeks that you want off in the chronological order of priority, and 365 individual days in order of priority. Don’t bank on having anything available once “First Come, First Serve” opens up to have anything left!
PHX we bid on our annual as we have done previously. No changes in sight on the process. We encourage everyone to place their bids for annual weeks, and annual individual days to ensure you receive your time off. It may or may not be what you wanted, at least it is something away from work to decompress and enjoy.
Regarding your individual days, if you do not have any major days that you would like off, like a birthday or anniversary, think about taking a single day off in conjunction with your elected RDO. Give yourself a 3 or 4 day weekend, like a mini vacation.
In any of the bid processes, an AFGE Representative will be present to ensure your seniority and selections are followed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate and reach out to one of your local officers or stewards. Want to get involved and be a steward? Please reach out!
In Solidarity,
AFGE TSA Local 1250