Q: As I’m reading this response [in the JNC blog post Occupational Seniority “Synch Up”], I see the word “anticipating”. Is it written somewhere that this is how it is going to happen? Isn’t this whole TA the reason we are doing this? Was competitive bidding seniority and occupational seniority set up this way because the JA merger never addressed the date of hire issue first day of class versus first day of flying?
The JNC is “anticipating” that the SMIC will be giving credit to pmAS FAs’ competitive bidding dates for time spent in initial training. The job of the SMIC is to merge the lists and certify the ISL in a fair and equitable manner consistent with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws.
A: [Note: Although the JNC is responding to this question in the context of the Merger Agreement TA, the SMIC is the final authority on seniority integration.] The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) decides the method of determining if and how a L-AS Flight Attendant would receive competitive bidding seniority credit for time spent in initial training. This is all outlined in Section X [Merger Policy] of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws. The SMIC’s work on the Integrated Seniority List (ISL) is running in parallel to the work on the JCBA by the JNC.
Until the SMIC has certified the ISL, which will occur prior to the ratified JCBA, the exact details regarding competitive bidding is technically not final. That is why the JNC uses the word “anticipating.”
Yes, seniority integration and JCBA negotiations were initiated as a result of the merger. The Merger TA and the ISL are two products of those efforts.
A new seniority integration effort occurs in every merger, so the historical application of seniority integration in the Alaska Airlines-Jet America merger has no bearing on the current merger. The JNC wanted to ensure that there were no disparities between Occupational Seniority and adjusted competitive bidding seniority resulting from this merger, which is why we negotiated the “synch-up” provision.
