As many of you have seen, Hurricane Joaquin is making its way to the United States and will be heading up the East Coast this weekend. We all know from past experiences, weather events of this magnitude have the potential to wreak havoc on our flight operations. For those of you who are flying this weekend, please stay safe and monitor your schedules for potential changes.
For ERJ flight attendants the CBA protects you under Section 3.W.2.b., if you are unable to report to work due to hazardous or impassable roads resulting from severe weather you will not be assessed with an attendance occurrence. In addition, please make sure you are following the requirements of the Conscientious Reporting aka the Commuter Clause by taking a screen shot of the PBTs showing open seats for two flights that are scheduled to arrive at least one hour prior to your report time. If those flights are canceled please take a screen shot of the cancelation(s). Boarding passes will not be required for canceled flights. However, if the flights are operating you must obtain a boarding pass from the airport.
Under the CRJ CBA you are protected under Section 28.O. The Company is obligated to work with you for the purposes of removing him/her from scheduled duty if your home/domicile is involved in a natural disaster. Each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis for attendance policy applicability.
Please provide as much documentation as possible to show the hazardous or closed roads in your area, such as news reports or pictures. In addition, make sure to follow the guidelines of your Commuter Clause whether CRJ or ERJ, as the expected severe weather could lead to cancelations and oversold flights system-wide. If you are having a scheduling issue, make note of time you spoke with scheduling and also take screen shots if necessary.
For those members who will be home and live on the East Coast, please be sure to prepare yourself for this weather. Many states to include New Jersey have already declared a State of Emergency due to the potential impact of the hurricane. Members who live close to the shorelines may experience the worst with coastal flooding.
As always please put your safety first and if you have any questions or concerns your grievance reps will be standing by to assist in whatever way they can.
Fraternally yours,
Sara Gonzales
GENERAL CHAIR
