A: NO

EVERYONE needs to work 480 to accrue PAID vacation for the following year.

IF you do not work 480 you will be given a FULL credit towards Healthcare coverage consistent with your seniority awarded vacation allotment.

Seniority affords you more vacation days and the ability to hold prime vacation time whether it was earned the previous year or not. In order to have your vacation as a PAID benefit everyone will need to work 480 TFP over the entire year.

The Negotiating Committee believed this was the most fair application across all seniority groups.

During the Negotiations Process, there are three rooms.  There is a joint room where all members from both committees meet to exchange proposals and have discussions.  Each committee has it’s own room as well, allowing us to have private discussions and work on issues without the other committee present.

The Longevity Premium is paid on all worked TFP. It’s a premium for those at the top of scale (TOS) based on years of service (YOS). All premiums in the contract are paid only on worked TFP. Just like the Reserve Premium and Productivity Premium, the Longevity Premium is not paid on vacation or sick leave. Keeping all premiums the same in the intent and application was important to the integrity of what a true premium is. Premiums are paid when you are flying.

There are two premiums (Reserve and Longevity) that are paid only to specific groups within the seniority list – Reserves and Lineholders that have entered the TOS. The third premium is available for all flight attendants including Reserves and Lineholders who will also be earning their respective premium associated with their placement within the seniority list.

TA2 Provision Comparison Chart now available

The Negotiating Committee has developed a document that compared the various provisions in TA2 with those in the current Contract. The TA2 Provision Comparison Chart has now been posted at http://afaalaska.org/negotiations/ta.

Check out the Negotiations blog for the latest information regarding TA2

There has also been quite a bit of activity on the Negotiations blog over the past several days. If you are active on social media then mostly likely you are up to date, but for those who are less active we suggest you check out the blog at http://afaalaska.org/negotiations/blog.

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

The formal formatting of TA2 is nearly finished! The Negotiating Committee had hoped to release an electronic version of TA2 to you by now. However, we heard from management’s team Friday afternoon that they would need a few more days to make sure there were no language changes in the final version that were not agreed to previously. While the delay is frustrating, we understand that this is an important part of the process to ensure what you review in TA2 is accurate and inclusive of all information.

The Negotiating Committee knows this process was handled differently during TA1. When the Membership demanded we leave no detail out or no stone unturned for TA2, the NC took that very seriously. We want Flight Attendants to have a document they can understand and that leaves no question as to the inclusion of all provisions. Due to the massive amount of work and the attention to detail, we believe TA2 will be much easier to review. The downside of course is that this process took just a little longer than originally anticipated.

The Negotiating Committee will have TA2 to you online within a time frame that will allow approximately four weeks to review before the closing of the voting period and available in hard copy at the Roadshows and in domiciles. We will also be available to answer questions and provide clarity right up until the closing of the polls. There will be Roadshows, Q&A posts on the Negotiations blog, videos posted on line at www.afaalaska.org/negotiations and multiple ways for you to have your questions answered, including emailing negotiations@afaalaska.org and the Negotiations Feedback Form. We hope these options will give you all the resources you need to make an informed decision for your future.

Thank you for your patience. We’re nearly ready for you to see the TA2 full-text language!

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

The Negotiating Committee has had a little extra time after we released the TA2 Summary last Saturday, which has provided us the ability to answer questions on social media this week. During this time we have also been making posts on the Negotiations Blog as we have seen questions arise. We have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with you and answer your many questions about the proposed changes of TA2.

This coming Sunday, November 16th, the Negotiating Committee will be headed back to Seattle for the entire week. More long hours are in store for us as we prepare for the upcoming Roadshows. At the request of the Membership we will also be doing videos that will be posted as an additional reference. Those who are unable to attend a Roadshow should find them very useful.

Due to the amount of preparation required, we need to wisely use the minimal time we have left to ensure we are thoroughly prepared for the Roadshows. We want to remain available to answer TA-related questions and in order for us to do that efficiently we need to pull our resources into one location. We are asking all Flight Attendants to join us on the Negotiations blog at http://afaalaska.org/negotiations/blog to ask questions and comment in real-time on the information we are publishing. This will help you better understand the provisions of TA2. You can also email negotiations@afaalaska.org or use the Negotiations Feedback Form.

We will continue to monitor social media and will be directing you to the Negotiations blog to find the answers to your questions. Please know this is our way of using our time to the benefit of the entire Membership because every Flight Attendant has access to the Negotiations website and blog.

We look forward to hearing from you and providing you with accurate information so you can make an informed decision for your future!

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo