SECTION 22

SAFETY, SECURITY AND HEALTH

A.    Recognition

The Company recognizes that safety, security and health are subjects that are an essential part of a Flight Attendant’s working environment and shall work with the Union’s Safety, Security and Health Committee to identify and resolve Flight Attendant safety, security and health issues and concerns as specified in paragraph C.1. of this Section.

B.    General

The Company shall provide Flight Attendants with safe equipment, working areas and working conditions.

1.    Union Access to Work Location

Upon request, with reasonable advance notice, the Company shall give the MEC President, or his/her designee, and the MEC Safety, Security and Health Committee Chairperson(s) access to any Flight Attendant work location to inspect conditions related to Flight Attendant safety, security and health.

2.    Standardized Locations for Safety Equipment

The Company shall make reasonable efforts to standardize the locations of safety and emergency equipment on each series of aircraft.

3.    New and/or Modified Aircraft Interior Designs

The Company shall consult with the MEC President, or his/her designee, prior to the introduction of new aircraft interior designs and/or alteration of existing aircraft interior designs or configurations related to Flight Attendants’ working and crew rest areas, safety, security and health.

4.    Aircraft Emergency Evacuation Demonstrations

The MEC President, or his/her designee, shall be given advance notification of and may attend Northwest/Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft emergency evacuation demonstrations and any FAA required certification tests or proving runs that require the participation of Flight Attendants. The MEC President retains the option to send a designee to attend in his/her place.

1.    Operations Affected by Hostilities or Political Disruptions

The Company shall notify the MEC President, or his/her designee, upon receipt of any information regarding hostilities or political disruptions which may present a danger to the personal safety and/or security of Flight Attendants at stations into which they are required to fly. If requested, the Company shall meet with the MEC President, or his/her designee, to review the impact of such hostilities and/or disruptions on Flight Attendant safety, security and health.

C.    Joint Safety, Security and Health Committee

1.    The Company and the Union shall maintain the Joint Safety, Security and Health Committee (“Joint Committee”) by identifying not more than three (3) members appointed by the Company and not more than three (3) members appointed by the Union. The Joint Committee shall work together to identify and resolve safety, security and health issues and concerns related to the Flight Attendant workplace. The Joint Committee shall meet once quarterly on mutually agreed upon dates and shall keep minutes of its meetings. Joint Committee activities shall include but not be limited to:

a.    Conducting inspections or special investigation of hazards as necessary;

b.    Recommending corrective action(s) or procedures for unsafe or harmful working conditions and practices related to Flight Attendant duties;

c.    Reviewing Flight Attendant trend data regarding industrial injuries and illnesses;

d.    Recommending corrective action(s) for prevention of incidents/accidents, harmful exposures and/or communicable diseases;

e.    Evaluating the safety, security and health considerations regarding the use of new or modified equipment, processes and/or procedures relevant to Flight Attendant safety, security and health and making recommendations concerning any change or proposed modification(s); and

f.     Recommending modifications to security procedures and practices which relate to Flight Attendant security on board the aircraft and at layover hotels.

2.    The Company shall compensate each Union designated Joint Committee member (line Flight Attendant) in attendance at each Joint Committee Meeting a minimum duty period credit for pay purposes per quarter. The Company and Union shall designate the meeting dates sufficiently in advance for Union Committee members to bid around the meeting date. The Company shall not be responsible for any type of flight pay loss associated with Joint Committee meetings unless a meeting is rescheduled by the Company after the bid deadline(s) for the month in which the meeting occurs.

The Company shall provide fee-waived Y1/F2 travel authorization for each designated Joint Committee member (line Flight Attendant) when Joint Committee meetings with the Company are scheduled.

D.    Notice to Union of Inflight Incidents

The Vice President Inflight Services, or his/her designee, upon notification of the incidents listed in subparagraphs D.1. through D.7., below, involving Flight Attendants, shall notify the MEC President, or his/her designee, of such an event. Notification shall include, but not be limited to the following: the specific location of the event; name of the Company person in charge, if applicable; names and respective bases of all Flight Attendants involved; location of Flight Attendant survivors; and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator in charge, if applicable. Events requiring notification shall include, but not be limited to:

1.    Aircraft Accident – An occurrence which causes damage to a Company aircraft with Flight Attendants on board, in which any person suffers death or serious illness or injury.

2.    Hijacking (Air Piracy) – Seizure or attempted seizure of a Company aircraft with Flight Attendants on board by actual or threatened force or violence.

3.    Terrorism – Terrorist acts or threats impacting a layover station when Flight Attendants are checked-in or scheduled to be checked-in at the layover facility and the safety of such Flight Attendants is at risk.

4.    Serious Inflight Incident – An occurrence with a Flight Attendant(s) on board a Company aircraft involving, but not limited to, any of the following:

a.    The pilot declares a Yellow or Red Level Emergency

b.    Aircraft cabin decompression

c.    Fire and/or smoke onboard the aircraft

d.    Any passenger evacuation of an aircraft

e.    Incursion and/or near miss on the ground or in flight

f.     Bomb threat against an aircraft which is deemed credible by Company security

g.    Flight diversions for medical reasons

h.    Flight Attendant exposures during a flight involving hazardous materials or bodily fluid which have been documented on an Inflight Incident Report

5.    Death or Serious Injury

a.    A serious injury or illness to, including an injury or illness requiring hospitalization of, a Flight Attendant during a trip hour period for any reason;

b.    Death of any Flight Attendant during a trip hour period;

c.    Death of any flight deck crew member or passenger onboard the aircraft.
6.    Interference with Crew – Physical assault or crew interference which occurs onboard the aircraft and results in local and/or federal authorities being called to meet the flight.

7.    Safety, Security and Health Risks at Layover Hotels – An incident at a layover hotel, when Flight Attendants are checked-in, involving

a.    A loss of water service to the hotel that may have an adverse affect on Flight Attendants

b.    A loss of electrical service to the hotel that may have an adverse affect on Flight Attendants

c.    Fire

d.    A break-in into a crew member room which has been reported to hotel management and/or the local authorities

e.    Natural disasters impacting a layover station, when Flight Attendants are checked-in or scheduled to be checked-in at the layover facility and the safety of such Flight Attendants is at risk

f.     U.S. Government health advisories impacting a layover station when Flight Attendants are checked-in or scheduled to be checked-in at the layover facility and the health of such Flight Attendants is at risk

g.    Terrorist acts or threats impacting a layover station, when Flight Attendants are checked-in or scheduled to be checked-in at the layover facility and the safety of such Flight Attendants is at risk

E.    Union Accident Investigation Team (“Go Team”)

The Company recognizes the Union Accident Investigation Team (“Go Team”) as potentially active participants in an accident investigation under the purview of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Company shall provide positive space online Y1/C2/F2 transportation or positive space travel on an airline serving the area to the site of any aircraft accident for at least two (2) members of the Union Accident Investigation Team, as required. In the event of an accident in a foreign country and expedited documents are obtained for the Company, the Company shall endeavor to obtain the same documents for the Union Accident Investigation Team.

F.    Notification to Flight Attendant’s Emergency Contact

When a Flight Attendant suffers a serious injury and/or illness as a result of an accident, incident, hijacking or terrorist act, the Flight Attendant may request that the Company notify his/her designated emergency contact. Should the Flight Attendant’s injury or illness prevent him/her from communicating with the Company representative or emergency medical personnel, the Company shall notify the Flight Attendant’s designated emergency contact person.

G.    Reimbursement for Damaged or Destroyed Personal Property

Flight Attendants whose personal property is damaged or destroyed in an aircraft accident, serious incident, hijacking or terrorist act shall be reimbursed for their losses, upon satisfactory proof of such losses. The measure of loss shall be replacement cost or fair market value, whichever is less.

H.   Occupational Health Protections

1.    Immunizations

The Company shall, in advance, advise Flight Attendants when immunizations are required by governmental authorities for entry into or return to the United States from a destination directly served by the Company. All immunizations required under this provision shall be provided at Company expense. The Company maintains the right to limit such reimbursements to the specific base(s) involved in the relevant scheduled flying or to specific crews in the event of charter operations.

2.    Food Service Gloves and Hand Cleaners

It shall be the practice of the Company to provide food service protective gloves and antibacterial hand cleansers for use by Flight Attendants in accordance with Company policy. The Company agrees to meet and consider the recommendations of the Union prior to the implementation or subsequent modification of such policy. The Company shall not be accountable for the absence of food service protective gloves or antibacterial hand cleansers on any specific flight(s).

3.    Exposure to Hazardous Materials

Flight Attendants exposed to hazardous materials and/or contaminants introduced into the aircraft cabin shall have access to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to facilitate any necessary treatment.

4.    Charter Flights – If Smoking Requested

Should the Company accept charter business that requires the Company to allow smoking on a specific pattern, Flight Attendant positions shall be filled in accordance with Section 6.O.3. of this Agreement.

I.   Security Protections

1.    Bomb Searches

Flight Attendants shall not be required to perform bomb searches on aircraft when the aircraft is on the ground or to remain on board during such searches unless circumstances do not permit evacuation of the passengers and Flight Attendants before a search is conducted.

2.    Disruptive Passenger Policy

The Company shall maintain a “Zero Tolerance Policy” prohibiting assault on employees by Northwest Airlines’ customers and vendors and offering support to Flight Attendants who are victims of assault. The Company reserves the right to modify the specifics of the policy, but agrees not to do so without first consulting the MEC President.

NOTE: Flight Attendants shall be provided a copy of the Company’s Disruptive Passenger Policy, as amended.