Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian
Dear Flight Attendants,
Several of you have requested access to the flier handed out at the Alaska Air Group Shareholders Meeting rally. An electronic version of the flier may be found here:
ALK Shareholders Mtg 2014 AFA Flier
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow
Dear Flight Attendants,
Yesterday afternoon Flight Attendants demonstrated their solidarity by rallying at the Alaska Air Group (AAG) Shareholders meeting at the Anchorage Museum in downtown Anchorage. The Master Executive Council (MEC) thanks Council 30 Anchorage for hosting the event.
We estimate approximately 75 Flight Attendants participated in the rally and informational picketing, including those on an Anchorage layover in addition to Anchorage-based Flight Attendants. The total crowd was well over 100, with friends, family and other union members joining in. Many thanks for the support of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Working Washington, Jobs with Justice, Nursing Education Alumni Association (NEAA) Teachers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Alaska Public Employees Association / American Federation of Teachers (APEA/AFT), Longshoremen, Teamsters, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE), United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and Alaska Laborers.
The rally included an informational picket and the distribution of a flier (see below) to anybody passing by the picket line, including AAG Board of Directors members, Shareholders and management. The rally was picked up by several media outlets, including KTUU Channel 2 Anchorage and Alaska Dispatch (reprinted on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News local section). More pictures at KTUU.
Following the rally, some of your AFA leaders and Flight Attendant Shareholders moved inside for the meeting. MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Council 30 President Becky Strachan and Council 30 Vice President and Negotiating Committee member Lisa Pinkston represented AFA. During the question and answer portion of the Shareholders meeting, MEC President Jeff Peterson was given the opportunity to make a brief statement on behalf of AFA:
The rally was an extremely successful demonstration of solidarity for AFA. Feeling energized and want to do more? Check out alaskamec.org/mobilization for more information. Mobilization training will take place next week. Get involved now and help make a difference!
In solidarity,
Your MEC–Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow
Dear Flight Attendants,
AFA-CWA Council 30 Anchorage will be hosting a solidarity event tomorrow, May 8, 2014. Flight Attendants will be participating in a rally and informational picketing at the Alaska Air Group Shareholders meeting. Because Alaska Airlines System Regulations prohibit traveling non-revenue in order to picket, we invite Flight Attendant Shareholders, Anchorage-based Flight Attendants and Flight Attendants laying over in Anchorage to join in the event. The festivities will occur on the public sidewalk outside of the Anchorage Museum at Rusmuson Center (625 C St, Anchorage, AK) from 3pm to 4pm ADT.
Following the rally, we invite all Flight Attendant Shareholders to join Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson, Council 30 President Becky Strachan, and Council 30 Vice President and Negotiating Committee member Lisa Pinkston as they participate in the Shareholders meeting from 4pm to 6pm. Be advised we anticipate entry will be restricted to Shareholders only.
AFA appreciates the support of our probationary Fight Attendants, but we’re going to ask them to sit this one out. Probationaries are technically allowed to participate in informational picketing but AFA believes probationaries can best support their ‘tenured’ brothers and sisters by focusing on staying informed, familiarizing themselves with the Contract and passing probation.
Any Flight Attendants participating in informational picketing CANNOT wear the Flight Attendant uniform to the event. Instead, we encourage all Flight Attendants to wear their blue AFA t-shirts as a sign of solidarity. AFA t-shirts will also be provided on site in various sizes while supplies last. A plain royal blue t-shirt will suffice as a backup. Alternatively, you can never go wrong wearing your AFA pin along with a generic blue t-shirt of any shade!
If you’re in the Anchorage area tomorrow afternoon, join in the fun!
In solidarity,
Your MEC–Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow
For over two years, our Flight Attendants have worked without seeing an improvement in our collective bargaining agreement. We spoke in a resounding way and with a unified voice during the vote on our recent tentative agreement (TA). We told management “NO,” the TA does not recognize the contributions Flight Attendants make towards the numerous industry awards and record profits the company continues to achieve.
Becoming a Mobilization Volunteer is how you can directly contribute to the success of our Negotiating Committee. Read on to find out why being a Mobilization Volunteer is right for you:
Our contract has been amendable for over two years. After more than two years of negotiating, the parties have failed to reach an acceptable tentative agreement. This is two years too long!
When our voices are united in support of our Negotiating Committee, we send a loud message to management. When our actions are united in solidarity, the message is even louder.
Flight Attendants have the most direct and longest customer interaction than any other position within the Company. We have been told time and again by management that it is our people who make the difference and keep these customers coming back.
Being able to balance work and life is important to us. Together, we bargain for work rules and provisions that allow us to achieve this.
It’s time to get involved. Mobilization Training sessions are scheduled for next week in all of our base cities. In one two-hour session, you’ll learn about how we got to where we are in the negotiating process, where we’re going from here, and how you can make an impact.
Sign up now for a training session at alaskamec.org/mobilization/training. Want to know more? Visit alaskamec.org/mobilization or get in contact with your Local Mobilization Chairperson, listed below.
As we prepare to go back to the table, we must show management that we are unified, organized, and prepared—that we are FIVE BASES, STANDING STRONG!
Last week, Alaska Air Group posted another record quarterly profit for the first quarter of 2014. Quarter after quarter, the Company has been making money hand over fist. Meanwhile, our Flight Attendants have been in contract negotiations for over 2 years. We have yet to be presented with a contract that recognizes our contributions to the award-winning customer service and record profits that Alaska Airlines continues to receive and the record profits that the company continues to earn.
The time has come to show management that we stand together in our desire to achieve a contract that acknowledges our contributions to a wildly successful company. Our Mobilization Committee needs you to help demonstrate our solidarity to management by becoming a Mobilization Volunteer. Mobilization Volunteers will show management that we’re serious about negotiating an industry-leading contract by participating in solidarity activities. The Mobilization Committee will also be facilitating active communication between Flight Attendants and the Negotiating Committee.
Mobilization Training events are being held in all bases the week of May 12. By attending a single two-hour session, you’ll be empowered with knowledge about how you can help the Negotiating Committee send management a unified message—we are Five Bases, Standing Strong!
Read more about the Mobilization Committee at alaskamec.org/mobilization. Ready to gear up and make a difference? Sign up to attend a Mobilization Training session at alaskamec.org/mobilization/training.
