The AFA Alaska-Virgin America Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) wrapped up our ninth merger negotiations session. We met with management on Wednesday, January 17th in Seattle, WA.
Representing management: Vice President of Labor Relations Greg Mays, Vice President of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America Inflight & Call Center/Guest Services Jeff Butler, Managing Director of Labor Relations Elizabeth Ryan, and Virgin America Manager of Labor Emily Kimmel
AFA Director of Collective Bargaining Joe Burns joined the JNC again this week to support our efforts.
The parties made substantial progress this week building upon the work from last week. We reached tentative agreement on several important comprehensive proposals.
Although we have reached several important tentative agreements, consistent with AFA’s policy, there is no comprehensive Tentative Agreement (TA) until all provisions have been finalized. Once all items have been agreed between the union and the company, a full text TA will be presented to the Master Executive Council (MEC) for approval.
The parties will be meeting again next week to continue closing out the remaining open items. More information will be forthcoming after next week’s session concludes.
In Solidarity,
Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Keep in mind that merger negotiations are a different process than regular negotiations. Discussions are focusing on a limited list of Flight Attendant priorities. All the provisions in the AFA Alaska contract (scheduled pay raises, etc.) will continue in force for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants; all the provisions in the Virgin America work rules will remain in effect for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants unless modified and/or superseded by the AFA Virgin America letters of agreement.
