New Construction Project
They will start work on the ADA ramp on 9/16. This will affect a couple of the front parking areas and the front row of lockers by the windows. Please ensure you are adhering to all the restricted area signs/tape/etc, they are quick to turn people in for violating those.
Voter Canvas
A small group of people in the building will contact every ZSE member to ensure they got their ballot (there were an alarming number of people who didn’t get ballots during the regular election) and ask whether the member has mailed it in yet. The national voter turn out was (in my opinion) abysmal at about 39%. I cannot stress this enough, it is in our best interests to do these simple but important things and ensure the FAA knows that we are active, we care and are paying attention to our workplace.
Fatigue Mitigation Schedules
The reps are close to finalizing a schedule that best suits each of your areas. This process has involved countless hours of work and brainstorming to balance the old rules, new additional rules, contractual requirements, and to ensure you have a decent stretch of time off during your RDOs. We are doing our best, but every schedule that meets these parameters will have pros and cons.
To make things easier, I've created a brief overview that combines the key rules from the new MOU, the 7210.3, the contract, and the OPM guidance. Please note, this list is not all-inclusive, but it covers the basics.
Current 7210.3 rules:
If an employee is assigned more than two (2) consecutive ten (10) hour midnight shifts, all of the consecutive ten (10) hour midnight shifts require a 2100L (Non flex) start time.
Ten (10) hour midnight shifts are limited to no more than four (4) in any six (6) day period.
No day shift may immediately precede a ten (10) hour midnight shift.
Have at least 30 consecutive hours off−duty within each seven−day period.
Additional new 7210.3 rules:
Have at least a 10-hour break from the time work ends to the start of any shift.
Have an off-duty period of at least 12 hours preceding and following a midnight shift.
A minimum of seven (7) hours core time each workday, except for the purpose of a fatigue flex-shift, then a minimum of six (6) hours core time on the shift immediately preceding a midnight shift. Core hours: Day - 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Mid 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m)
Contractual requirements:
Article 24:
Employees shall be authorized the use of all leave they will accrue within a leave year.
Article 34:
Flexible Work Schedule (FWS):
Maxiflex-40 is the name of all variations of an FWS
Must work 40 hours in an administrative work week (Sunday-Saturday)
Credit can be earned
Flex times can be used
Compressed Work Schedule (CWS):
An employee works eight 9-hour days in a pay period and one 8-hour day for a total of 80 hours in a pay period (i.e. 5/4-9 schedule)
Credit cannot be earned
Flex times may not be used
Additional Information:
Credit hours and flex times are only available to employees on a Flexible Work Schedule (FWS), such as Maxiflex-40. Employees on other schedules, such as a Compressed Work Schedule (CWS) or a basic work schedule, will follow the rules applicable to those schedules as defined by OPM and cannot earn credit hours.
For the basic work schedule via OPM, employees have a fixed work schedule (i.e., 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week) with predetermined start and end times. There is no provision for earning credit hours because the schedule does not allow for flexible variations in daily or weekly work hours beyond what is predetermined.
I understand this is a lot to take in. If you're interested in a group call with all members or a one-on-one conversation to clarify things or address any questions or concerns, please let me know, and we can arrange it.
In solidarity,
Amy Sizemore