URGENT NOTIFICATION- SEATTLE MEET & GREET CANCELLED TOMORROW!
Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,
Please make a note that the Council 19 meet and greet planned for October 24, 2014 is cancelled.
We are sorry for the inconvenience!
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council
Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,
Please make a note that the Council 19 meet and greet planned for October 24, 2014 is cancelled.
We are sorry for the inconvenience!
Update: Your Negotiating Committee and Master Executive Council (MEC) are still hard at work. The MEC decided to continue the meeting through tomorrow evening before releasing more information. We realize many are anticipating more information this evening, but we ask that you please stand by for an update tomorrow.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt
Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Every communication posted to the Negotiation Blog is a committee effort. We rotate the administrative responsibilities of monitoring, posting and answering questions. Every communication, unless specifically signed by an individual, is authored and reviewed by your entire committee. The individual listed as the author of the post is simply the individual responsible for publishing.
Due to recent concerns about the potential spread of the Ebola virus, AFA International and AFA Alaska have been coordinating a response. We have made resources easily accessible by providing a “one stop” shop on the AFA Alaska website. You can find these resources at http://afaalaska.org/ashsc/ebola. The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be updating the page as additional information becomes available.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Chairperson Seth Heiple
What’s the 411 you ask? How does this negotiations thing work? What step are we currently at in the process? We voted down that last Tentative Agreement (TA), why aren’t we doing away with it and starting from scratch? Why don’t we reopen all sections? How do we know if a section is closed? Do we get to know the specifics of a section once it’s TA’d or closed?
All of these are great questions. We also know that there are many more. Remember, many of us have been hired since negotiations started three years ago!
This blog is a way of answering questions, providing education of the process and giving you a resource to search for answers to your questions that may have already been covered. It will also provide an easy way to give feedback or ask for more clarification. We value our flight attendants time and are hoping to keep this a simple and clear way for you to have all the information you need to stay informed.
Q: How does this negotiations thing work?
A: When our contract reaches the end of an agreed upon duration, unlike other non-railroad/airline union workers, our contract doesn’t expire. It becomes amendable. This is a fancy way of saying we can now take it and attempt to make changes. Because we don’t throw it out and start a new one, we take the current contract and attempt to fix or change areas that have been identified as important—thus creating a new contract to work under. The FA group has its list of things to fix/change and so does management. This is where the process of negotiations begins.
Step 1: Direct negotiations begins – Once we start meeting with management there is no 3rd party involved. It is us and them. We agree together on the dates and both sides come to the appointed times with ideas and begin to negotiate what will be changed or added and how. This process is usually helpful until we reach the areas of the contract that are most contentious. Our contract includes many sections, some of which neither party needs to or tries to make changes or additions. These sections are the easiest to complete and close rather quickly. Once we finish these sections we are now set to negotiate the sections that both parties will be the furthest apart on. As we attempt to find a resolution there can come a point where it is clear that a 3rd party is needed to help move one or both of the parties along in the process. We applied for mediation at Alaska in May 2013. That was an attempt to avoid even longer delays in reaching a TA.
Step 2: Mediation begins – Once either party applies for mediation, we are appointed a federal mediator by the National Mediation Board (NMB). This person is now deciding when, where and how we meet. This person’s sole job is to get both parties to come prepared to mediation to reach an agreement on the sections of the contract that have not been able to close. The goal of the mediator is to push the process along to get to a TA for members to vote on. The mediator is not primarily concerned with how good the contract is – just that it is finished.
Once all sections are closed, a draft of the entire TA is presented to the union’s Master Executive Council (MEC) at Alaska. The MEC will decide whether or not to put the contract out for a vote. If that happens, it is put out for members to evaluate and vote on. In our process this is what we are now referring to as TA1. (not sure what this last sentence means?)
Step 3: Membership vote – If a membership votes Yes (to ratify) a TA it becomes the new contract and is in effect until the agreed upon end date when it becomes amendable again. If the membership votes No (declining to ratify the TA) we are scheduled to sit back down and reopen sections according to members’ priority of importance.
Step 4: Mediations begins… again – At this point – TA2 negotiations – it is expected by the NMB that only sections of paramount importance are reopened, not all sections. Remember their goal is to direct the process for both parties and to move us towards agreement. Opening all sections is an indication to the NMB that we are not looking to get to a second TA quickly, and this doesn’t look good for either side to take this approach. Because of the request for mediation, the mediator now controls when and where we meet. They decide how many days we will meet at a time. If they are not convinced that we are serious about reaching a 2nd TA in as quick a way as possible, they have the right to decline scheduling any further meeting dates. Essentially putting our entire process on hold.
Step 5: 2nd TA is reached – once an agreement is reached, it is voted on by the MEC (your LEC presidents). If approved it then becomes the 2nd TA which is published for review and vote by membership. At this point the process of Step 3 – 5 repeats as necessary or directed by the mediator.
So what if the MEC decides not to put the TA out for a vote or we have a TA that’s voted down again? At this point we are left at the mercy of the NMB, and they have a couple of options:
Q: What step are we at currently in the process?
A: We are in Step 5. You will see though, that Steps 3-5 repeat as necessary and as directed by the mediator and the 3 NMB Board Members appointed by the President of the US.
Q: We voted down that last TA, why aren’t we doing away with it and starting from scratch?
A: Contracts are in a sense living things. We have a current contract that never goes away just becomes amendable. As we negotiated TA1 we worked from the current contract making changes to language and provisions. Our current contract is always the foundation from which we work. As we started the second round of negotiations we made proposals based on the survey results, still using the contract as the foundation and incorporating any changes that were deemed good from TA1. Had we started from scratch we would have lost all of the good that was contained within the first TA. This also would have created another lengthy process that was not necessary. The goal is to get to a TA that the FA group can ratify in the quickest way possible. Starting over and throwing out the bad AND the good isn’t in our best interest. What was proposed was doing away with the provisions the FA group did not support and keeping the ones they did. At the same time proposing new provisions to replace or the ones not supported in TA1 or areas of new concern.
Q: Why don’t we reopen all sections?
A: This answer is 2 parts – 1st, not all sections had provisions that needed to be changed or that the FA group as a whole found problematic. Once a section is reopened, it is opened for both parties. Additions we deemed good can be taken out by management. The goal in reopening sections is always to better the FA group’s position.
2nd – As mentioned in the question “How does this negotiations thing work?”, the step we are currently in almost requires that we only open sections that need the most work and are of paramount importance. To insist on opening sections where no change is needed or was found to be satisfactory by the majority of the group would send a message that ultimately could be detrimental to our goals. Management has just as much right to renegotiate provisions as we do.
Q: How do we know if a section is closed?
A: On the new website you can see which sections are closed (Now they are all closed as we wait to present the deal to the MEC). If you are unsure if that section was ever reopened during this second round of negotiations you can look at our Opening Proposal (http://afaalaska.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/AFA-Alaska-2014-TA-2-Opening-Proposal.pdf) While we met in mediation, we always gave updates of what provisions were changed or stayed the same, in addition what sections have been recently closed. Sometimes we leave mediation agreeing to the provisions/concepts and agree to close a section but we need additional time to write the language to support the provisions within the body of the contract. This delayed writing is the way we use our time in mediation most efficiently.
Q: Do we get to know the specifics of a section once it’s TA’d or closed?
A: We do our best to provide as much information as possible in the way of explanations of the agreed on sections or provisions within the limitations our mediator has set. The concern here is that while a section is rarely reopened again it is possible. It’s also important to only share as much as we can without compromising our negotiating position for future sections that may be tied to or connected with other provisions that are still being negotiated. Our mediator cautions us in sharing any detailed information while we are still negotiating but we have identified that this method is not what is best for our FA group. We are hoping that this blog will help to answers questions or misinformation we see during the process.
Local Council Meeting
Alaska Airlines Council 15, San Diego
Monday, October 20, 2014 – 11 AM to 2 PM
Sharie D Shipley Center, San Diego International Airport, San Diego, CA
The Sharie D Shipley Center is located in Terminal 2 on the baggage claim level. From the Commuter Terminal, ride the airport loop bus and get off at the third stop. Walk into Terminal 2 baggage claim area, turn left, and walk to the very end. The center is on the left side of the far end wall.
I. Call To Order
II. Officer’s Reports
a. President
b. Vice President
c. Secretary
III. Introduction of Guests
a. Jeffrey Peterson, MEC President
b. Stephen Poynter, MEC Scheduling Vice Chairperson for PBS
IV. Committee Reports
a. Air Safety, Health, & Security
b. Benefits
c. EAP/Professional Standards
d. Government Affairs
e. Grievance
f. Hotel
g. Inflight Service
h. Membership
i. Mobilization
j. Reserve
k. Retirement
l. Uniform
V. Announcements
VI. Approval of Minutes
VII. Call For Late Agenda Items
VIII. Old Business
IX. New Business
a. Inflight Mobile Device
X. Good and Welfare
a. Contract 101
b. Q&A
XI. Adjournment
Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,
Your LEC Officers want to remind you of the following upcoming events:
Where: Labor Room: 230C
Flight Ops Building (where we have RT) on the second floor near the lunchroom.
When: 12:30-2:30
Where: SEA TAC Conference Center- Seoul Room (Mezzanine Level)
When: 11am-3pm
Parking is free on all floors- except #4– in parking garage
Now is the time to review your current health care plan and options. Log on to alaskasworld/people soft/click benefits tab/click benefits summary to review your current selections.
Membership Update
AFA Blast Emails
Next week the MEC and the Negotiating committee are meeting to review the “Agreement in Concept.” We know you are all anxious to hear details and we are anxious to share the details with you. But, the MEC wants to ensure that we have a document that we believe will be supported by the group. Be patient with us are we go through this process and allow us to take our time to fully understand the changes.
Stay informed! Find the latest information on the AFA website: afaalaska.org
In solidarity,
Laura, Jake, Linda, Stephanie, and Adam
Dear Reserve Flight Attendants,
Today we are launching a new tool for reporting reserve issues. It is our goal to make reporting incidents as easy and quick as possible. We have added a link to a form on the Reserve Committee page of afaalaska.org that will bring you directly to a Reserve Incident Report form. On this form, you can report contractual violations, issues with scheduling and/or a scheduler and any other issue you have while on reserve.
We would like to remind you that if you believe the contract is being violated, try to contact your AFA Representative immediately to have the issue resolved. In addition, we also ask that you report the issue on this form as well. All of the data taken off these forms will be used at meetings with management in an effort to fix any breakdowns in the system.
You can access the form by going to http://afaalaska.org, clicking on the Reserve Committee link, and selecting the Reserve Incident Report link in the tools & resources box. You can also access the form directly at http://afaalaska.org/reserve/incident.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact a member of your Local Reserve Committee or MEC Reserve Chairperson Jarod McNeill at jarod.mcneill@afaalaska.org.
In Solidarity,
Your Reserve Committee
Converting $/ TFP → $/ Block Hour
$/ TFP → $/ Block Hour |
$ amount (TFP) X 1.13 = |
$ Amount/ Block Hour |
Example: AS Top of Scale $rate currently |
$46.48/ TFP X 1.13 = |
$ 52.50 / Block Hour at other carriers |
Converting $/ Block Hour → $/ TFP
$/ Block Hour → $/ TFP |
$ amount (TFP) ÷ 1.13 = |
$ Amount/ TFP |
Example: New AA/ USA TA Top of Scale $rate |
$53.52/block hour ÷ 1.13 = |
$ 47.36 / TFP |
Dear Flight Attendants,
As you know, a tentative deal – what we are calling an “Agreement in Concept” — has been reached. This document will remain an Agreement in Concept until it has been presented to and approved by the Master Executive Council (MEC). Only after MEC approval does it truly become a Tentative Agreement (TA). At that point, it would be released to the membership for a ratification vote.
Management has stated “voting [is] expected to be complete by December,” which we believe may be a premature estimate. In the rush of getting TA1 to you last year, it became quite clear that more time could have been spent clarifying and cleaning up the final document. This time, we are going to be more methodical in our approach and ensure everything is in order before the MEC votes whether or not to accept the agreement.
The Negotiating Committee is working diligently to finalize and then present the agreement to the MEC as quickly as possible. During this process, we ask for your patience. We know that you are very anxious to see the details, but you also sent us a strong message during the last round to take the time needed to have complete contract language ready for your consideration.
Although the November 12th Informational Picketing event has been canceled, we still encourage you to wear your RED AFA t-shirts to the upcoming meetings!
Thank you for your support!
In Solidarity,
Your LEC Presidents –Becky Strachan, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Laura Masserant and Stephen Couckuyt
Grievance Committee Supplemental Ditching Training Update Dear Flight Attendants, We wanted to take a moment to remind and encourage all of you to complete your Supplemental Ditching Training (SDT) as soon as possible but by July 31, 2024. The SDT drill requires completion of an in-person hands-on drill, completion of the SDT CBT, and to […]
Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, June 13, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent and advocate for our Reserve Flight Attendants. The Committee also met with management to review specific concerns that Flight Attendants brought forward. Your Local Reserve Committee is available to answer questions, clarify contractual language, or help resolve reserve-related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
On June 25, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling. The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding. Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
AFA has not agreed to any extra-contractual terms for the newly announced supplemental ditching training; discussions with management just started. Many management decision-makers are away at contract negotiations, delaying progress toward any sort of agreement. Our AFA Committees are committed to advocating for your rights and will address unresolved issues through the contractual grievance process if necessary.
Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Monday, June 17, and Tuesday, June 18, to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants. The MEC was supposed to meet with executive management and union leaders from other company workgroups but chose to skip the meeting in support of our Negotiating Committee. The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 9, and Wednesday, July 10.