Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

To say that this week was frustrating and disappointing is an understatement. We came to this fifth mediation session in San Diego with the intent of working hard and getting very close on the remaining short list of items now on the bargaining table.

 

In an effort to secure industry-leading trip and duty rigs, we proposed a limited application of a duty day of up to 12 ½ hours and not to exceed 25% of pairings at each domicile. #shutthefrontdoor! #saywhaaat?! #whosesideareyouonanyway?! (#dontworrycuzitsoffthetable!)

 

The Negotiating Committee knows there are many strong feelings about increasing the duty day and this was a very difficult position for your committee to even consider. Rest assured that we would have never gone there unless we were confident the overall package would have strongly benefited from this move and we could address the implications of a longer day.

 

We can’t disclose exact numbers but here are some facts to consider. According to survey results, some Flight Attendants might be willing to fly an extended duty day under very specific circumstances if there were guarantees that the pairings would be extremely productive. However, the vast majority of Flight Attendants are adamantly opposed to a longer duty day under any circumstances. At the same time, all Flight Attendants are interested in the efficiencies guaranteed by rigs. This move was a calculated effort to achieve all objectives as much as possible.

 

Of course management was interested in the longer duty day and asked for some time to do analysis through the pairing optimizer. We agreed.

 

Initially, management reportedly ran the analysis without their or our proposed rigs and with no 25% cap on pairings over 10 ½ duty hours. Unsurprisingly, management said the results were inconclusive and unhelpful in figuring out the effect of any of the rigs or duty days. We spent the entire session waiting for additional results. It was a creeping delay that tied us to our caucus room. Two hours dragged into four then into six then overnight…….it turned into another one of management’s “productivity sits.” (Note to Negotiating Committee: don’t forget to submit for stranded pay!)

 

We did have discussions with management’s team regarding rigs and it quickly became apparent that management was entertaining below industry-standard rigs. Duty and trip rigs in the industry are based on hourly pay (“block hours”), except for Southwest Airlines’ TFP rigs. We proposed rigs based on TFP, but management refused to consider our intended application which recognized that there is an average of 1.13 TFP in every block hour.

 

In order to make a fair conversion to a TFP environment, a conversion factor (1.13) must be applied. In our caucus-room discussions, management refused to convert the hourly rate to TFP for the trip and duty rigs. This resulted in below standard rigs. We went through many examples and in the end, management’s team said they understood; however, they were firm in their position—even though their application resulted in a 13% reduction in the rig compared to industry standard.

 

Our frustration mounted over the week and it became obvious that management would only consider mediocre rigs and was looking for more than 25% of pairings to contain duty days in excess of 10 ½ hours. This was a deal that we did not want to pursue.

 

Therefore, we have taken the duty day in excess of 10 ½ hours off the table and gone back to book on that provision. Know that management is adamantly opposed to any type of duty or trip rig on a 10 ½ hour duty day restriction; however, your committee is still actively looking into solutions to reduce long sit time, inefficient pairings and long layovers with no pay.

 

As we mentioned in the last update, for those of you interested in ratcheting up the heat, contact your LEC president regarding volunteer opportunities.

 

Council 30 ANC: Melanie Buker – melanie.buker@gmail.com

Council 19 SEA: Laura Masserant – lmasserant@yahoo.com

Council 39 PDX: Cathy Gwynn – catgwynn@comcast.net

Council 18 LAX/SAN: Sandra Morrow – sleemorrow@verizon.net

 

We have our sixth mediation session in Seattle, WA, December 10^th -12^th.

 

In solidarity,

Your AFA Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters, Jake Jones and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

negotiations@alaskamec.org

https://www.facebook.com/alaskaairlines.negotiations

http://www.youtube.com/user/AFAALANegotiations

“Five Bases, One Voice”

alaskamec.org

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

Your Negotiating Committee heads to San Diego this coming week for our fifth mediation session. Bargaining will take place November 12th-14th under the direction of Victoria Gray with the National Mediation Board (NMB).

 

Each of you is aware that we are down to the core issues in negotiations: economics. If we do not reach an agreement with management on a new deal in this next session, it will be time to turn up the heat. If we want improvements, we must step up to the plate.

 

Have you been outspoken in your demands for pay and benefits? Then now is the time to focus on our future and pull together and demonstrate to management that we can be a powerful force and fight together to secure our future. Contact your local executive council (LEC) officers and add yourself to a list of volunteers to help organize activities and participate in upcoming events.

 

Council 30 ANC: http://alaskamec.org/council-30-officers/

Council 19 SEA: http://alaskamec.org/council-19-sea-officers/

Council 39 PDX: http://alaskamec.org/pdx/officers/

Council 18 LAX/SAN: http://alaskamec.org/council-18-lax-officers/

 

In a recent interview, Brad recognized Alaska’s “best quarter ever” and the contribution of all the employees in achieving that result. Well, we see our Company’s positive financial trend and we want our “best contract ever.” In the interview, he also acknowledged the uncertainties and challenges that our Company faces—especially from Delta! That is exactly why management needs to come to the table with the intention of putting serious money into our contract and making us feel valued as employees.

 

Labor relations strife as a result of Flight Attendant contract negotiations is not what the Company needs right now. A new contract that makes Flight Attendants feel valued for their contribution is what is needed. Then we can all move forward and do what we do best: continue to work hard together to solidify Alaska’s position as the most respected and successful airline in the industry. Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants are proud to have helped build that reputation. If management can agree to an appropriately rewarding contract, we look forward to participating in our collective bright future!

 

In solidarity,

 

Your AFA Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters, Jake Jones and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

 

negotiations@alaskamec.org

https://www.facebook.com/alaskaairlines.negotiations

http://www.youtube.com/user/AFAALANegotiations

“Five Bases, One Voice”

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

Your AFA Negotiating Committee just wrapped up our fourth mediation session October 29-30, 2013. This session was held at the National Mediation Board (NMB) in Washington, DC, and overseen by federal mediator Victoria Gray. We were again joined by transportation economist Dan Akins as our financial advisor. Although we did not reach a tentative agreement (TA) on any sections this session and there is some distance between our positions, we believe there is a willingness on both sides to get a deal in the near future.

 

On Monday we were joined at the table by Alaska Air Group (AAG) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brandon Pedersen. He came to answer any questions we had about Alaska’s stock buy-back program and the recent decision to pay a dividend on AAG stock (NYSE: ALK). AFA believes that if senior management and the AAG Board of Directors are willing to direct significant funds back to the shareholders, our leaders should also be willing to reward their Flight Attendants in kind. Following the discussion with Brandon, management passed us a comprehensive proposal at the end of the day which made some movement toward our position.

 

We spent Tuesday morning in further evaluation of management’s proposal and in formulating our response. Pat Sims, senior mediator with the NMB, dropped by mid-day to talk about our negotiations and she stayed through the remainder of the day. After we returned from lunch we smelled a weird electrical smell and further investigation revealed smoke coming from the ceiling!

 

Luckily, our caucus room was filled with first responders and we successfully evacuated in under 90 seconds! (Okay, maybe we’re dramatizing the event ever so slightly.) Seriously, though, we did have to move to a different part of the building after it was discovered that the air conditioning motor had seized up and was smoking. That evening after all the excitement had passed we gave management a comprehensive response to their proposal.

 

As a consequence of the electrical issue, on Wednesday we were required to relocate to the Hamilton Hotel just down the street from the NMB. AFA Director of Collective Bargaining Clare Burt joined us for the bulk of the day. Mediator Gray met separately with both sides and there was some consultation about how to move the discussion forward. We had a small group discussion with Mediator Gray and the principle members of management’s team which seemed to put the talks back on track. We will continue that dialogue on a conference call early next week and expect to resume mediation in San Diego, CA, November 12-14, 2013.

 

In the meantime, we appreciate your supportive messages and the faith you show in your representatives at the table. It is a difficult job we are undertaking to better the situation for all of us. Please stay strong, stay informed and together we will prevail!

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your AFA Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters, Jake Jones and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

 

negotiations@alaskamec.org

https://www.facebook.com/alaskaairlines.negotiations

http://www.youtube.com/user/AFAALANegotiations

“Five Bases, One Voice”