Fast Fact Friday: Domicile Break, Shortback, and Adjusting Your Report Time
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Article 8 in our Contract focuses on duty day – from the time you check-in/report until you are done with your work obligation. In this week’s Fast Fact Friday and our Education Committee email, we’re focusing on Crew Rest again… but this time, in domicile! Let’s take a moment and review Article 8.6, Domicile Break, with a splash of Article 8.7, FAR Pulls.
30-Second Review
- Fast Fact Friday: Domicile Break
- In Our Contract: Article 8
- Question From a Member
- Reminder: Adjusting Your Report Time
- What is a “Shortback”?
- Drug and/or Alcohol Testing
- Contacting TWU Local 556
Fast Fact Friday
Domicile Break
In the last Fast Fact Friday, we discussed the importance of sleep, with a primary focus on overnights. This week, let’s talk about another type of rest – a domicile break! Article 8.6 of our Contract breaks down our domicile break language, including originally scheduled domicile breaks and what happens when we adjust our schedules. From Lineholders to Reserve, let’s use this week’s Fast Fact Friday to continue our discussion of rest and relaxation… but this time in domicile.
Tap the preview graphic to expand.
In Our Contract
Article 8: Hours of Service
From duty day to crew rest calculations on both good and bad days, Article 8: Hours of Service contains much of our language regarding our time spent on duty (and resting). Want to read up on RON Hotel delays? Wondering if we do “Shortbacks”? Curious about our Red Eye protections? All of these things and more can be found in Article 8 of our Contract!
Education Committee Resources
Looking for additional crew rest, duty day, and fatigue-related resources from the TWU Local 556 Education Committee catalog? Check out these resources (and so many more!) available on our TWU556 Connect App (“Knowledge”) and Website.
Question From a Member
❓Question: “If I want to work back-to-back pairings, can I reduce my scheduled domicile break to the FAR minimum of ten (10) hours?”
👉 Answer: If you are adjusting your schedule in advance of completing the first assignment and starting your crew rest, you must allow for a scheduled domicile break of at least eleven (11) hours.
If you have completed the first assignment and have started your crew rest (domicile break), you can pick up another pairing (or trade to a different pairing) that reduces the scheduled break to the FAR minimum of ten (10) hours.
Extending Your Duty
When is Crew Scheduling allowed to adjust your report/check-in time? And when are they NOT allowed to adjust your report time?
The simplest way to answer that question is Crew Scheduling is ONLY allowed to adjust your report time to ensure that you are FAR legal. You will most often see this occur when you are delayed into a RON and need a schedule adjustment to receive the FAR required ten (10) hours of crew rest (end of debrief to report). However, you can also see this adjustment when you’ve picked up back-to-back pairings and experience a delay, resulting in an illegal domicile break under FAR. Check out Article 8.7 for more info!
Crew Scheduling is NOT allowed to adjust a report/check-in time to negate a contractual option and premium pay opportunity.
What is a “Shortback”?
A shortback occurs when a Flight Attendant works the last scheduled flight (terminator) into a RON and then works the first scheduled originator out of the outstation the next morning. It’s important to remember that a shortback takes into account the flight schedule (last scheduled terminator and first scheduled originator) and not the actual last inbound flight of the night.
Do we currently have shortbacks constructed by Inflight Crew Planning and placed in our bid packets? At this time, we do not have scheduled shortbacks in our bid lines. However, Article 8.5 of our Pink Contract provides protections for duty day, crew rest, etc., if Southwest Airlines determines that this style of flying would be beneficial to the operation and schedule.
Drug and/or Alcohol Testing
Because we are designated as air transportation safety and security personnel, Flight Attendants are subject to federally mandated drug and alcohol testing by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While these tests always occur pre-employment and post-incident/accident, more commonly, we meet the “clipboard person” randomly. When snagged for a random drug and/or alcohol test, you should call Crew Scheduling and have your duty day extended an additional thirty (30) minutes after debrief. If your test takes longer than the extended day has accounted for, contact Crew Scheduling so they can further extend your duty day to the completion of the mandatory test(s). (Article 8.2.D)
Why should you bother to notify Crew Scheduling of the drug and/or alcohol test?
- A duty day extension could affect compensation! Duty Hour Ratio (DHR) is calculated from check-in/report to the end of debrief (0.74 TFP per hour on duty). When our duty is extended to account for mandatory drug and/or alcohol testing, your DHR calculation would include that time. Don’t lose out on casholla… make the call! 📱
- An extended duty could affect contractual options, especially if your duty day exceeds 12:30 hours into domicile or 13 hours into an overnight. (Article 8.2.C.2) 💰
- An adjustment to your end of debrief could also affect your domicile break and FAR legalities. ⚖️
❓❓❓Did You Know❓❓❓
You can be subjected to a random drug and/or alcohol test in an outstation or domicile.
If you or someone you love is dealing with substance abuse, please know that the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) is available for you 365 days a year. FADAP was permanently added to our Contract (Article 24.10) to ensure we will always have this invaluable resource available.
Contacting TWU Local 556
The TWU Local 556 Office is available via the TWU556 Connect App weekdays 0800–2200 Central Time (CT), and weekends/holidays 0900–1700 CT, and by phone at (214) 640-4300, weekdays 0800–1800 CT and weekends/holidays 0900–1700 CT.
The Education Committee is available via email at education@staging1.twu556.org.
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas. Our goal is to make Contract education as inclusive as possible, recognizing that we all learn and retain information differently. The content in this email was provided by the Education Committee Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, in tandem with Education Team Lead Angie Kilbourne.
In Solidarity,
TWU Local 556 Education Committee
Sam Wilkins, Chairperson
Amanda Gauger, Vice-Chairperson
The views contained herein do not necessarily represent those of TWU Local 556 or TWU International. The purpose of this email communication is intended only to educate and inform TWU Local 556 Members. It is not intended to officially establish or clarify past practice, Contract language, or grievance/arbitration positions. It is therefore not to be utilized or relied upon by any person or party as evidence of the Union’s position on any past practices, Contract language, grievances/arbitrations, or any other disputes or issues between TWU Local 556 and Southwest Airlines.