Speaker: Andrew Rhinehart, APFA National Safety and Security Chair
What does your department look like today vs prior to the CBA?
Andrew Rhinehart: APFA safety and security currently is a 24 hour operation. Before the CBA, uh, we were running two shifts a day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and two shifts on the weekends. Since the CBA and our well deserved raises, unfortunately that has taken a hit on our budget. Uh, now, uh, representatives are working Monday through Friday, 2 shifts a day, but only being paid 5 hours per shift. And then on the weekend, their shift is 24 hours, only paid 5 hours of that. Currently we can't afford to staff a representative 6 days out of a month. So I, I, as department chair am having to fill in on those days, uh, which I don't mind, but the role of department chair and department rep are very different, and it does show in the quality of support that we're. able to provide and not having a rep who is paid to work that shift and provide the attention necessary to affected crew members in the critical incidences, especially since I'm trying to now juggle that with being on meetings that I am responsible for attending as department chair. As we move forward and as myself and my reps move up the pay scale with the CBA, we will not be able to staff this department 24/7, and the quality of support that we currently are providing and struggling to provide following the CBA, it will continue to diminish.
