Negotiations News Archives

Dear Flight Attendants:

During the past two weeks, your Negotiating Committee and members of the Master Executive Council (MEC) have been conducting a series of TA Roadshows in the Flight Attendant domiciles throughout our system. While conducting these sessions, we have heard similar questions being asked by many of you in regard to certain sections of the TA. To assist in your understanding and to help bring clarity to these common questions, the Negotiating Committee has developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and corresponding answers.

Please take a few moments and read over the FAQ, which you can find here: http://alaskamec.org/ta/faq. On this page, you’ll find answers to general questions about the TA, negotiating timeline and procedures under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), as well as answers pertaining to specific sections and negotiated language. Additionally, the FAQ contains a correction to insurance costing projections based on exact figures whereas estimates were used at the roadshows. We hope that once you’ve had the opportunity to read over the FAQ, many of the rumors and misconceptions that have manifested about the TA will be put to rest.

If you have a question that is not answered in the FAQ, we invite you to attend one of the 2nd round of roadshows to be held the first two weeks of February. The roadshow schedule is posted on the TA info page, which can be found here: http://alaskamec.org/ta. In addition, you are always welcome to contact the Negotiating Committee directly to get your questions answered by emailing negotiations@alaskamec.org.

In Solidarity,

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

Dear Flight Attendants,

Ballots for the Tentative Agreement (TA) ratification vote are currently being mailed out. Polls open 1/17/2014 (Friday) and close 2/14/2014. It is extremely important for all eligible Members to vote! For your information, a non-vote does not count one way or the other. Also, you may change your vote multiple times—the final vote on record is the one which will be counted.

Flight Attendants who do not receive their voting instructions with the 16 digit activation code must call the AFA Ballot Helpline 1-800-424-2401, press 1 then EXT 706 (after the polls open 1/17/2014). If you have not received your voting instructions by Monday 1/20/2014 or so then please call the AFA Ballot Helpline.

Flight Attendants who have dues or membership issues please call AFA Membership Services 1-800-424-2401, press 7.

AFA Membership Services is staffed Monday through Friday 930AM EST to 5PM EST.

Voting Instructions: As with the LEC officer elections, Flight Attendants will receive a ballot packet containing the voting instructions including a 16-digit activation code and the voting guide. These will be mailed from the mail house in Maryland on 1/13/2014. The activation code is specific to each Member therefore new instruction or voting guides will not and cannot be mailed. If a Flight Attendant does not receive her/his ballot packet, s/he must contact the AFA Ballot Helpline. A new activation code with instructions will be emailed from the voting system directly to the Member.

A Flight Attendant must be an active member in good standing to be eligible to vote.

Active: They must not be on an unpaid leave of absence; however if they are within the 3 month window then they are eligible.

EX: FA is on an unpaid leave as of 1/1/2014. Their 3 month dues obligation is JAN, FEB & MAR. This person is eligible to vote without any issues.

EX: FA is on an unpaid LOA as of 10/1/2013. Their 3 month dues obligation is OCT, NOV, DEC 2013. This person is not eligible to vote unless they contact Membership Services and pay their dues through and including February 2014 [AFA C&B Article II C.1.b(3)].

Probationary Flight Attendants: Flight Attendant not off probation as of 2/14/2014 are not eligible to vote and cannot make themselves eligible to vote, nor will they receive the voting instructions. However, if a probationary Flight Attendant is off probation on or before 2/14/2014 they are eligible to vote during the entire voting period.

Member: A Flight Attendant must be a member to cast a vote. Non-members or agency fee payers are not eligible to vote. However, they will receive the voting instructions with a 16-digit activation code. These non-members can make themselves active by completing a membership application and paying the $60 initiation fee (due immediately). These individual must contact AFA Membership Services.

Good Standing: If a Flight Attendant is delinquent in paying their dues they are not eligible to cast a vote. These F/As will receive the voting instructions with an activation code, however they will not be able to cast a vote until they settle their account. These individuals must contact AFA Membership Services

Address Update: AFA Membership Services will be uploading the roster into the ballot system on 1/19/2014. Until then a Member may submit an address update via the AFA Membership Services change of address web page: www.afacwa.org/coa.

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

Dear Flight Attendants,

In the past week the Negotiation Committee has been overwhelmed with the turnouts at the Road Shows! You are coming prepared and you have offered us your feedback on many sections of the TA, but most importantly the 480 accruals as they apply to Sick Leave and Vacation.

In the TA you will find that there is a 12-month “Look Back” for sick leave accruals. What does this mean?

1. Sick Leave Accrual is based on a 12-month “Look Back” and a Flight Attendant must have earned TFP (exclusive of sick leave) and credit from vacation that totals 480 in the previous 12 months.

2. Vacation Accrual is also based on a “Worked” 480 TFP in the calendar year (exclusive of sick leave and vacation).

Based on concerns that FAs have lost 2 months to properly prepare for these changes the Negotiation Committee and management collaboratively worked together to create a fair implementation schedule of the Sick Leave and Vacation accruals.

If the TA is accepted by the membership on February 14^th the following 2014 sick leave and vacation accrual formulas will apply:

Sick Leave

The 480 12-month look back for SL accrual will begin with March 2014 and will
look back on a pro-rated basis adding months as we go. Remember, sick leave accruals are based on worked TFP, Vacation, and Minimum Pay Rules.

For example:

April 1^st  “Look Back”  You are doing a look back to March 2014 and add your worked TFP, Vacation and Minimum Pay Rules and multiply by 12;

Example: In March calculated 40 TFP (worked TFP, vacation, and Minimum Pay Rules)

40×12=480. You will have your sick leave accrual for April 2014.
May 1^st “Look Back” You will look back to March 2014 and multiply calculated TFP x 6 and look back to April 2014 and multiply calculated TFP x 6 and add those totals.
Example: March calculated TFP, Sick Leave, and Minimum Pay Rules is 40 TFP

40×6= 240

April calculated TFP, Sick Leave, and Minimum Pay Rules is 40 TFP

40×6=240

240+240=480. You have reached the 480 credit for using sick leave in May.

June 1^st “Look Back” You will look back to March, April, and May and multiply calculated TFP by 4:

March calculated TFP=40   April calculated TFP=40    May calculated TFP=40

40×4=160                                 40×4=160                                40×4=160

160+160+160= 480

You have reached the 480 credit for sick leave use in June.

If the new sick leave accrual policy is not in place by June, you will continue to calculate your accruals by reducing the multiplier.

July 1, 2014 you will calculate March, April, May and June totals and multiply by 3.

August 1, 2914 you will calculate April, May, June, and July totals by 2.
We will use this pro-rated method until you have a full 12 month look back.

2015 Vacation Accrual Schedule
2015 Vacation accrual calendar year starts March 1, 2014 and runs to December 31, 2014. Assuming 40 TFP worked per month this means you need to have 400 TFP worked (including Minimum Pay Rules) in order to receive the full accrual and pay for the 2015 vacation.

2016 Vacation Accrual Schedule

Accruals earned in 2015 for use in 2016 will be the first year requiring 480 worked TFP per the Tentative Agreement.

In solidarity,

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

negotiations@alaskamec.org

Dear Flight Attendants,

We want to update you with February Negotiation Road Show changes before bidding closes tomorrow:

The February 4^th Road Show scheduled for Portland will now be held in Anchorage.  The Portland LEC Officers will still host a Q and A session at the Sheraton Airport as scheduled.

The dates in Anchorage for the Negotiation Road Shows are now February 4^th and February 5^th at the Millennium Hotel.

Start time 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM both days.

We are also adding a date to the Seattle Road Show schedule. The added date is February 8, 2014 at the SEA TAC Hilton (Saturday).

Start time 9:00 AM to 12:30pm and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.

We encourage you to attend a Road Show! If you cannot attend a Road Show please reach out to your Voice Committee and or your LEC Officers if you have questions!

In solidarity,

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

negotiations@alaskamec.org