Mark DesAngles - IBT Local 986
Javier Lectora - IBT Local 856
Teamsters Airline Division - SFO Point


August 5th, 2020

Re: RIF Options Information 2


All SFO IBT Members,
 
Below are answers to some of the questions that were asked during our various informational meetings throughout the Base in recent weeks. They are in no particular order.

We were asked if the effective date for those that decided to Retire in Lieu of Furlough would be October 1st. The answer is yes it would. And, yes, you would receive furlough pay.

We have also been asked many times if it is required that you check one of the three red asterisked choices at the bottom of Options 1 and 2 RIF Options pages. The short answer is 'NO'. Don't check any of those boxes unless you are looking for a specific outcome. Here are a couple of examples where it would make sense to make one of these choices.

Example 1: I want to check if I can stay in San Francisco but only in a couple of the BAQ's for which I am qualified. Otherwise, I will take the layoff. I would check only those particular BAQ's that I want to check and then LOAP at the end of Option 1. The system would check ONLY the BAQ's that I checked and, if none were available, I would be placed on LOAP. If you intend to try all the BAQ's for which you are qualified, you would not have to check LOAP at the end of Option 1. Also, if you have Option 2 preferences, you don't check anything at the bottom of Option 1.

Example 2: If I am retirement age and I would like to exercise my seniority to see if I can stay employed but I would rather retire than take a layoff, I would make all my selections for Option 1 and Option 2, then check Retire in Lieu of Furlough at the end of Option 2. The system would check if I have the seniority to hold in any of my preferences. If I could not, the System would allow me to retire instead of putting me on furlough. You would still receive severance.

These examples are specific types of uses for the red asterisk selections. If you intend to go completely through the process, you don't have to check any of those choices. If you cannot stay at SFO and you cannot bump to the system, you are going to be placed on LOAP at the end of the process anyway.

Regarding System options in your 'home' Bid Area (the Bid Area you are currently assigned):
If you have choices in your home Bid Area to the system, you have the option of selecting these home Bid Area system options as a part of Option 1 OR Option 2. This is important for two reasons:

First, if you have a different Furlough Recall Date (FRD) than your Craft Seniority, and it is your preference to try and stay at SFO, you would not select any system options in your home Bid Area as part of Option 1. You would only choose all the SFO BAQ's for which you are qualified. The program would exercise your Craft Seniority to check if you can displace in any of those BAQ's at SFO. If not, your FRD will be checked before bumping you out to Option 2 preferences. If you have a higher FRD, then the person with the lowest FRD in your classification at SFO will be bumped out before you, despite them having a higher Craft Seniority than you. FRD is what determines who bumps to the system or takes the layoff from the point (LOAP). In this scenario, you would then have the ability to prioritize your system options in your home Bid Area anywhere in Option 2 with the rest of your system options in other BAQ's.

Likewise, if it is your preference to try and exercise your FRD out to the system first, before trying SFO BAQ's, then you would select any of your system options in your home BAQ that you want as part of Option 1. You would then have the ability to sort those choices right at the top of Option 1, if you like. The program would then try and exercise your FRD out to the system in your home Bid Area in your preference order before checking any SFO BAQ options. However, if you had a high FRD, you might then bump out to the system before finding out if you could have stayed at SFO, like you did in the previous scenario.

Remember, that if you check any of your home Bid Area system options as part of Option 1, then they will not be available in Option 2. And vise verse.

Important information for our BAQ 302 Shop Inspectors:
As you know, the 302 BAQ exists only at SFO. As such, the RIF Options program does not list any 302 system options for the 302 Shop Inspectors. Consequently, a 302 must exhaust all Option 1 preferences before being able to exercise any Option 2 choices, as is stated in LOA 19. This includes any technician choices that were made as part of Option 1. Various other premium positions (Leads/Inspectors) have system options in their home Bid Area (the Bid Area currently working). They have the option of selecting home Bid Area system options as a part of Option 1 or Option 2, the same way other classifications such as technician can. This would allow a Lead/Inspector to prioritize bumping into the system using FRD in their home BAQ at the very top of Option 1, if they so desired. Likewise, if the priority was to stay at SFO, they could prioritize home Bid Area options to the system as part of Option 2. That would allow them to exercise all SFO Options, including any technician choices, as part of Option 1, before bumping into the system. Unfortunately, because of the unique nature of the 302 BAQ, that is simply not possible for this group. The bottom line is that a 302 will have to exhaust all Option 1 choices, including any voluntary technician choices, before being able to exercise bumping rights out into the system in Option 2. Of course, if you did not list any technician choices in Option 1, you would could go to Option 2 choices after the system checks all of your Option 1 premium selections. That is your choice. But, if you want to add technician choices to Option 1, you would have to exercise those choices before going to Option 2.

Someone asked about the fact that some of the HOU Hobby choices were removed from the preferences. Specifically, 102, 104, 105, and 110 were removed as options. According to Labor Relations, they were removed because the transition to IAH is already underway or largely completed for those BAQ's. All of the remaining HOU BAQ's are still available. Please be sure to read the note on the first page of the RIF Options. If you bump to any of those remaining HOU BAQ's, you will be subject to another RIF in the early part of next year. That RIF would be conducted per Article 6.B.4.
 
We have had several questions related to how a recall will be conducted. First, everyone on furlough will be placed on the SFO Point recall list in order of Furlough Recall Date (FRD). You can be recalled to any BAQ for which you are qualified. That is why it is important to make sure that all BAQ-related issues are taken care of before you are furloughed. Additionally, your recall right will not be affected by any selections that you make in the RIF Options process.

An important correction from previous information: If you 'retired' from furlough, you would not be ineligible for PBGC benefits. You would still receive those benefits upon turning 65 years of age. Please contact the PBGC for specifics. However, contractual Retiree Bridge benefits would not be available to individuals who did not retire from active service.


In Solidarity,

Mark DesAngles                   Javier Lectora
Business Agent                     Business Agent
Local 986                              Local 856