I feel it was a successful visit and as always, would like to see more involvement from the CLT FAs especially the RSVs.  As I always say, we cannot help you if we do not know what is going on.  CLT has 2 RSV reps-Denise Elmore Jackson and Donnette Thomas-I know Denise is in the running for LECP for Council 79 and Donnette has been out and is unavailable at this time.  If you are interested in becoming a LEC RSV Rep, please contact Andy Ferguson or myself regarding this matter.  I also had the opportunity to visit IAD in February and this was an extremely successful meeting.  I am so happy that so many RSVs reached out to me and vice versa and discovered that MANY had the impression that just because they are on probation, they did not have the right for union representation.  THIS IS UNTRUE!!!!  I cannot stress enough that if you are a probationary FA, PLEASE contact a union rep IMMEDIATELY regarding any matter!  You may just be surprised that we can help you depending on the situation at hand.  I am looking for RSV Reps for both ORD and IAD-if you are interested, please contact Ryan Makings or myself.

Now, this is very important-negotiations for our next contract begin in November of this year.  I am asking from the RSVs any ideas that you may have or changes you would like to see regarding our next contract.  Please email me with your ideas-we need to hear from you in order to help you. I would like to see a better and bigger RSV section in our next contract and hopefully help in your quality of life.  This will be a great opportunity to get your voice heard so please, feel free to contribute.

There are a few things I would like to address to the RSVs:

First, please review the attendance policy and understand it-this will help you to avoid UORs and/UFWs.  When you are checking in for your shift, PLEASE, if you are doing so via Crew Web, make a follow up phone call with Crew Tracking-we have discovered many FAs are receiving UORs because sometimes Crew Web is not checking the FAs in.  When you call Crew Tracking, this is a recorded line and we can always access the tapes to prove that you have checked in.  If this happens to you, please contact your local union rep IMMEDIATELY! Time is of the utmost importance when trying to help you out.  Second, when you are sitting RR, PLEASE make sure you sign in on the "sign in/out" sheet that is located by your base administrator's office.  This is also a "backup" and proof that you were sitting RR.  I noticed when I was in CLT and IAD, that many days had passed where no one signed in or out-this can be very beneficial to you if you are marked as UOR and/or UFW-I like to call this "CYA".  Also, if you receive an email regarding a disciplinary action or feel you may be receiving one, CONTACT A UNION REP IMMEDIATELY!  If you receive an email, a union rep should be included however, you need to respond by hitting "reply to all" requesting representation (even if you are on probation).

Please familiarize yourselves with the RSV section in your contract.  Knowledge is power and most of the time, you can settle a situation on your own and if not, contact your local union rep.  If you do not have a contract, again, you contact me or one of your local reps.  There have been several occasions where a RSV FA has contacted me and I was able to get the situation rectified on the spot and in some cases, the RSV FA was compensated.  I would like to see more of this-I can't help you if I don't hear from you! Whatever may be happening, let your union know!!  Your MEC President, Chantil Huskey, and I have been meeting with the company regarding some RSV issues and hopefully, we will see some changes. 

I would like to end this update with a huge "thank you" to all the RSVs.  I know life is hard as a RSV and I am optimistic that great things will be coming your way as well as a better quality of life.  Again, if you are interested in becoming a RSV REP in CLT, ORD and IAD, please contact your local president or myself. As always, fly safe!

Thank you,

Laurie Calvagno

MEC RSV CHAIR

480.239.9821

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