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        You are here: Home / Archives for Master Executive Council (MEC)

        Delayed Publication of May 2022 Bid Awards

        April 13, 2022 19:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        Like all of you, the MEC is extremely frustrated by management’s unacceptable violation of Section 10.J.8 of our collective bargaining agreement through their failure to post May 2022 bid awards on time. We will file a contractual grievance on behalf of all Flight Attendants for this violation, so please note there is no need to file a ticket through the AFA Alaska Support Center. We hear you loud and clear: You want transparency and accountability from management, and you expect AFA leadership to do everything in our power to make that happen on your behalf.

        Management has already acknowledged “administrative error,” but this does not go far enough. Consequently, we have communicated your expectations that management transparently communicates additional details and management’s actions in response, including how responsible parties will be held accountable and what is being done to prevent a recurrence. The MEC has also requested Labor Relations to engage with us at the earliest possible opportunity regarding an appropriate and mutually acceptable remedy for the contractual violation.

        What is a potential remedy? There is no identifiable loss of pay because of the contract violation, so there is no contractual basis to seek compensation or any other alternative remedy via arbitration. The best outcome we could achieve via a favorable arbitration ruling would be for management to cease and desist (i.e., not violate the contract provision going forward). However, management has already agreed there was a contract violation and signaled to AFA there is no intent for future violations.

        Although management is neither obligated to pay anything for the inconvenience, nor would an arbitrator compel management to do so, nothing prevents the parties from mutually agreeing to compensation or some other compensatory-like remedy. AFA has expressed our desire to management to settle this dispute by negotiating such a remedy, so it’s their move next.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Grievance Committee, Latest News, Master Executive Council (MEC), Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Tagged With: 2022, bid award, bid awards, grievance, PBS

        Spring 2022 Incentive Premium & Winter Holiday Incentive 2021 Backpay

        March 18, 2022 20:45

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • AFA and management have agreed to a temporary incentive program designed to encourage Flight Attendants to pick up additional flying over the next several months.
        • For the bid months of March, April, and May 2022, qualifying TFP greater than or equal to 100.1 TFP in that bid month will be paid at two times (2.0x) your trip rate.  Certain exceptions and restrictions apply.
        • At AFA request, management also agreed to include an additional payout for Flight Attendants who reported to work during the Winter Holiday Incentive 2021 eligibility period between December 23, 2021, and January 2, 2022; experienced a flight cancellation; and were previously pay protected at 1.0x.

        Late Wednesday afternoon, management approached the MEC with a proposal for an incentive premium to encourage Flight Attendants to pick up additional flying over the next several months. After several proposals back and forth over the past few days, the parties reached an agreement late this Friday afternoon. You can read the Spring 2022 Incentive Premium Letter of Agreement that provides more details by clicking here.

        Key Details

        • The Spring 2022 Incentive Premium will be in effect for the March, April, and May 2022 bid periods (March 2 through May 31, 2022).  Each month will be considered individually.
        • All qualifying “Spring Incentive 2022 TFP” (based on Worked TFP) greater than or equal to (≥) 100.1 TFP in a bid month will be paid at two times (2.0x) the applicable trip rate.  Some exclusions apply (see below).
        • Spring 2022 Incentive Premium pyramids on Premium Open Time premium(s) but is capped at two times (2.0x) the applicable trip rate.

        FAQs

        What is Worked TFP?  All paid TFP excluding vacation/Longevity PTO and sick leave. This includes sit pay, minimum pay rules (MPRs), stranded pay, delay pay, training pay, and any other compensation that is paid in TFP.

        What else is excluded from Worked TFP to define the qualifying Spring 2022 Incentive TFP?  Pay protection and initial training (RQ3) pay is specifically excluded and will not count toward the 100.1 TFP Spring 2022 Incentive Premium threshold.

        Does the Spring 2022 Incentive Premium affect other contractual premiums?  The Spring 2022 Incentive Premium has no effect on all contractual premiums except for Premium Open Time premium(s).  If a Flight Attendant picks up Premium Open Time at one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate and is also eligible for the Spring 2022 Incentive Premium of two times (2.0x) the trip rate, the Premium Open Time premiums pyramids up to a maximum of two times (2.0x) the trip rate; Premium Open Time premium rates of two times (2.0x) the trip rate or higher will remain the same.

        Will I be able to see my Spring 2022 Incentive Premium pay in Rainmaker?  Management has indicated that it is not likely that incentive premium pay will be reflected in Rainmaker quickly, if at all. Management believes this will be processed directly through Peoplesoft, so the applicable pay will be visible on your paystub.

        Winter Holiday Incentive 2021 Backpay

        AFA initially asked management about this back in January, but we were not able to reach an agreement on the concept at that time. As part of the negotiations for this incentive program, the parties agreed to provide an additional payout to Flight Attendants who reported to work and experienced a flight cancellation between December 23, 2021, and January 2, 2022.  Affected Flight Attendants who reported for work during the above dates, scanned in or checked in for duty, experienced a flight cancellation, and were pay protected at 1.0x pay will be eligible for an additional payout of $250 each. The $250 backpay is a flat amount per person and is not per sequence or per flight.

        Flight Attendants who are eligible must self-identify by completing a Company payout request form no later than April 10, 2022.  Flight Attendants with scheduled vacation days during this time and those on a leave of absence will have the deadline extended accordingly. Please see management’s communication for specific information about how to submit the payout request form. You can read the Winter Holiday Incentive 2021 Backpay Letter of Agreement that provides more details by clicking here.

        Questions?

        If you have questions about the Spring 2022 Incentive Premium, please contact your LEC President for more information.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: 2022, incentive, premium

        Management Eliminates Remaining Pay Protection and Points Reduction Related to COVID-19 Effective Today

        March 15, 2022 17:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • Management eliminated all remaining COVID pay protection and attendance points forgiveness, effective today.
        • Going forward, Flight Attendants who experience COVID-related illnesses–even if attributed to workplace exposure—will be forced to use sick leave to replace lost income during Company-directed quarantine and will be subject to attendance points in accordance with Section 32 of our contract.
        • AFA leadership attempted to work with management to enter into an agreement for continued attendance points forgiveness related to COVID-19, but management declined to engage.

        As indicated in “Further COVID Policy Changes” which was emailed to all employees on March 10th, Alaska Airlines management eliminated all remaining pay protection and Attendance Policy points reduction related to COVID-19, effective today. Management cited employee rates of infection having dropped “to only a handful of cases this week,” “vaccinated employees…staying out of the hospital even if they get infected,” and overall “lower risk to our employees” as justification for this most recent policy change.

        Although those statements are currently true—and we hope that they remain true, AFA Alaska leadership strongly disagrees with management’s decision. Until the World Health Organization (WHO) or the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) officially reclassifies COVID-19 from a pandemic to an endemic disease, then pushing financial and work performance ‘liability’ for this disease to employees is, in the MEC’s opinion, premature.

        AFA leadership would be remiss if we overlooked the other commercial factors that management did not acknowledge:

        • Shifting pay replacement for absences related to COVID-19 from the Company to employees’ respective personal sick (or PTO) banks minimizes the Company’s pandemic-related financial burden; and
        • Assessing attendance points (or similar work performance ‘demerits’) to employees for absences related to COVID-19 may lead to increased reluctance by employees to call out sick for other issues, which potentially minimizes pandemic-related operational challenges and inefficiencies—and ultimately improves the bottom line in a roundabout way.

        Management advised AFA leadership of the plan to return to situation normal some weeks ago, and we lodged our pandemic vs. endemic objections at that time. Whether it was because of pushback from union leadership or perhaps other factors, management temporarily delayed rollout. However, management was unwilling to wait any longer.

        The MEC also requested that the parties bargain on another temporary agreement for point reduction related to COVID-19 absences similar to AFA MOU “§32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19” that expired on September 30, 2021. Unfortunately, management declined to engage.

        Stay tuned for more details about that drama in a forthcoming update!

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: 2022, COVID-19

        March 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

        March 10, 2022 17:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, March 8 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
        • The MEC was originally scheduled to meet with management and a group of union leaders from other company workgroups, but the meeting was cancelled by management due to scheduling conflicts.
        • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

        The March 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, March 8.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

        Meeting with Management Cancelled

        As part of this meeting, the MEC was scheduled to meet with company management and a group of union leaders from the other union-represented workgroups within the company.  The intent of these meetings, usually held once per quarter, is to receive updates from management and allow for a broader discussion of issues and concerns facing all company employees.  Unfortunately, management had to cancel the meeting due to scheduling conflicts.

        MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

        Last month, Krystle Berry stepped down from the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson position to allow her to focus on other responsibilities.  The MEC thanks Krystle for her years of service in the position and commitment to our Flight Attendants.  Krystle will continue to serve in her role as Council 39 Portland LEC Vice President.

        Martin Monteblanco has served as AFA Alaska CWA NextGen Representative since January 2020.  In this role, he has taken on duties as an alternate to the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson and most recently has stepped up to serve as Acting MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson during the transition period.  Given his experience, the MEC has appointed Martin to permanently fill the position for the remainder of the term through December 31, 2022.

        Questions?

        If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

        Upcoming Pilot Informational Picketing

        March 2, 2022 13:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • Alaska Airlines pilots and management began negotiations in spring of 2019, and have recently entered into mediation under the authority of the National Mediation Board (NMB). Some of the pilots’ key negotiating priorities are schedule flexibility and job security improvements.
        • The pilots will be conducting informational picketing in a number of locations on Friday, April 1 to bring attention to the issue.
        • Flight Attendants in full uniform who participate in the “rules of engagement and picketing training” portion of the event are welcome and encouraged to picket with our pilots as a show of unity.

        Alaska pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have been in contract negotiations with management since spring of 2019, and their current contract became amendable on April 1, 2020. The parties have recently started mediation under the authority of the National Mediation Board (NMB). Among the pilots’ negotiating priorities are schedule flexibility and job security improvements.  You can find more information about the pilots’ perspective regarding the challenges they are facing in bargaining at alaskapilots.org or on The Alaska Pilots podcast.

        Informational Picketing Event – Friday, April 1

        On Friday, April 1, Alaska pilots will be conducting informational picketing to raise public awareness to the struggle they are facing.  Picketing events will be conducted at all five pilot bases: Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.  The ALPA Alaska MEC has extended an invitation to our Flight Attendants to join the picket in a show of solidarity.  Flight Attendants who would like to picket must attend the “rules of engagement and picket training” portion of the event and will also be required to be in full uniform to participate. 

        For more information about the picketing event or to RSVP, visit the event website (link can be found in the version of this article sent to your personal email address on file with AFA Alaska).  When completing the RSVP form, please input your contact information and indicate you are a Flight Attendant in the appropriate space near the bottom on the form.

        Use of Non-Revenue Travel Privileges to Attend Picketing is Prohibited

        As a reminder, company policy strictly prohibits the use of any type of non-revenue travel (including offline/OAL travel) in order to participate in picketing activities against the company. For more information, please refer to page 4 of the Employee Travel Handbook (AAG SSO required).

        Questions?

        If you have questions about the picketing event that are not answered on the event page (see above), please contact your LEC President.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: ALPA, contract negotiations, pilots

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