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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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May 22, 2014

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

It has come to the attention of the Master Executive Council (MEC) that a video has been posted to social media. That video features a modified clip from Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider’s interview with KTUU at the Alaska Air Group Shareholders Meeting on May 8th. It also contains one of AFA Alaska’s recent mobilization messages throughout and other statements about the interview and negotiations.

 

This video was not produced by AFA and is in no way sponsored or endorsed by AFA, your MEC or your Negotiating Committee. We believe the source video has since been taken down.

 

With the recent solidarity activities fresh on everyone’s mind and our RED Hot countdown underway, we understand that many of you are eager to engage in more collective action events. The Negotiating Committee has a strategic plan in place to leverage the power of our unified group as we return to negotiations in July.

 

Individual efforts that are conducted outside of our AFA mobilization campaigns could dilute our unified voice and have a detrimental effect on the success of the Negotiating Committee at the table. Additionally, discipline or perhaps even termination of employment could result from such activities.

 

Going forward if you have ideas for mobilization activities, email those suggestions to negotiations@alaskamec.org.

 

In Solidarity,

 

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

 

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

 

MEC 5BSS Logo

Our new RED AFA pins are a hot commodity!  Here’s how you can get yours:

  • Mobilization Volunteers have been provided with a supply of RED AFA pins, lanyards, and other giveaway items.  They will be available inside KCM checkpoints in conjunction with their flying schedules.
  • If you don’t have the chance to see a Mobilization Volunteer, email your Local Mobilization Chairperson.  They’ll have instructions on how to get a RED AFA pin at your base.  You can find contact information for your Local Mobilization Chairperson at alaskamec.org/mobilization.

Join the RED Hot Countdown – 60 days to 100% support!

MEC 5BSS Logo

We are turning up the heat. Now is the time to mobilize our workgroup for action. Solidarity is a powerful force, and we are calling on every flight attendant to STAND STRONG as we begin our second round of negotiations.

Here’s where we STAND:

  • February you voted with a CLEAR voice to send us back to negotiations on your behalf to fight for a better contract
  • May 8th you backed that vote with a LOUD voice during the shareholder meeting in Anchorage
  • May 20th you backed that vote with an INFORMATIVE voice by joining the mobilization efforts in ANC, SEA, PDX, LAX, & SAN

Now let’s continue to back that vote with a STRONG voice by:

  • Sending a clear message to management with a 100% participation in wearing your RED AFA pin
  • Sharing the message of UNITY to your fellow flight attendants
  • Participating in SOLIDARITY events, as your Negotiating Committee continues to stand for a contract you can believe in

Why RED?  RED signifies our strength & power!
­­Why NOW?  It’s time to send a unified message!
Why ME?  Each flight attendant is crucial to our success!

Management will literally be counting RED pins to get an understanding of our strength when coming back to the table. We need YOU, we need your VOICE, we need your SOLIDARITY, we need your STRENGTH.

This is OUR TIME! Each of you is valuable to your Negotiating Committee’s success. The countdown has begun. Send your Negotiating Committee to the table with 100% support as we represent YOUR VOICE to management.

RED Hot Countdown  –  60 days to 100% support:

  • Wear your RED AFA pin – Share a pin
  • Encourage each other to participate
  • Join the fun! Tweet & Instagram your photos
  • Look for your RED Hot rewards around the system
  • Participate in solidarity events

MEC 5BSS Logo

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

Cathy Gwynn was re-elected as Council 39 Portland president to the term of office beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2017. Certified Council 39 Election Results here: http://afacwa-elections.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Council-39-Certified-Results-Run-Off-2014.pdf.

 

The Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates Cathy and we sincerely thank John Cornelius for stepping forward to run in the election.

 

In solidarity,

 

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

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

Your Negotiating Committee is hard at work in Tempe, AZ, reviewing the negotiations survey results as we prepare for second round mediation. Joining us is AFA-CWA International Vice President and President-elect Sara Nelson. Thank you to Sara for all the great mobilization advice! We’re looking forward to working with her more in the future.

 

We would like to congratulate Alaska Airlines for receiving the highest ranking in the North American Airline Satisfaction Study amongst Traditional Network Carriers by JD Power and Associates. Further, we want to thank our Flight Attendants for their invaluable contributions resulting in this unprecedented seventh consecutive win.

 

Now, this is what your Negotiating Committee needs from you:

 

  • Join your Mobilization Team on Tuesday, May 20th, at Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego. They will be greeting our Flight Attendants with our newest solidarity swag. (It’s a surprise!)
  • Use your $100 Company Store credit coming in June to purchase at least one logo item such as a bag tag or shirt (preferably cotton or cotton blend). Additional instructions will follow in June.
  • Stay tuned for the countdown…! 🙂

 

In solidarity,

 

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

 

MEC 5BSS Logo

Dear Flight Attendants,

Your Mobilization Committee is hard at work conducting Mobilization Training sessions in our five base cities this week in preparation for support of the Negotiating Committee when mediation begins again.  Sessions were conducted yesterday in Anchorage and additional sessions are scheduled today in Seattle and later in the week in Portland, Los Angeles, and San Diego.  It’s not too late to sign up for training if you haven’t already done so.  Visit alaskamec.org/mobilization/training to register now.

In conjunction with Mobilization Training, a solidarity activity is planned on May 20th in all bases.  Even if you are unable to attend a Mobilization Training session, we invite and encourage as much participation as possible in the May 20th event.  Participation time slots for each base are as follows:

  • Anchorage: 13:30-16:30
  • Seattle: 05:00-07:00, 07:00-09:00, and 12:00-14:00
  • Portland: 06:00-09:00
  • Los Angeles (LAX): 09:00-11:00 and 14:00-16:00
  • San Diego: 08:00-11:00

Click here to access the volunteer signup form for the May 20th solidarity activity

Once you’ve signed up, your Local Mobilization Chairperson will be in contact with you to provide you with a briefing on the event including where to meet up.  If you attended or are planning on attending a Mobilization Training session this week, it is not necessary for you to complete the signup form—you will be signed up automatically at your training session.

If you have any questions about the Mobilization Committee or the May 20th solidarity event, please contact your Local Mobilization Chairperson.  Contact information can be found at alaskamec.org/mobilization.

Let’s send a resounding message on May 20th and demonstrate that we are FIVE BASES, STANDING STRONG!

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gywnn, Sandra Morrow and MEC Mobilization Chairperson Adam Clarey

MEC 5BSS Logo

Dear Fellow Flight Attendants:

Polls are currently open and voting is underway in the Council 39 LEC President runoff election.  The two candidates on the runoff ballot for LEC President are John Cornelius and Cathy Gwynn.  If you haven’t already voted, please be sure to do so.  Polls close on Friday, May 16 at 12 PM PDT.  Results will be published after the ballots are certified.

For more information about the runoff election or to view the results after ballots are certified, visit the AFA-CWA elections website at http://afacwa-elections.org/councils/ala-council-39-pdx/.

In Solidarity,

Your LEC Officers – Cathy Gwynn and Brian Palmer

AFA Council 39 Logo

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

Several of you have requested access to the flier handed out at the Alaska Air Group Shareholders Meeting rally. An electronic version of the flier may be found here:

 

ALK Shareholders Mtg 2014 AFA Flier

 

In solidarity,

 

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

 

MEC 5BSS Logo

Dear Flight Attendants,

Yesterday afternoon Flight Attendants demonstrated their solidarity by rallying at the Alaska Air Group (AAG) Shareholders meeting at the Anchorage Museum in downtown Anchorage. The Master Executive Council (MEC) thanks Council 30 Anchorage for hosting the event.

We estimate approximately 75 Flight Attendants participated in the rally and informational picketing, including those on an Anchorage layover in addition to Anchorage-based Flight Attendants.  The total crowd was well over 100, with friends, family and other union members joining in.  Many thanks for the support of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Working Washington, Jobs with Justice, Nursing Education Alumni Association (NEAA) Teachers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Alaska Public Employees Association / American Federation of Teachers (APEA/AFT), Longshoremen, Teamsters, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE), United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and Alaska Laborers.

The rally included an informational picket and the distribution of a flier (see below) to anybody passing by the picket line, including AAG Board of Directors members, Shareholders and management.  The rally was picked up by several media outlets, including KTUU Channel 2 Anchorage and Alaska Dispatch (reprinted on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News local section).  More pictures at KTUU.

Following the rally, some of your AFA leaders and Flight Attendant Shareholders moved inside for the meeting. MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Council 30 President Becky Strachan and Council 30 Vice President and Negotiating Committee member Lisa Pinkston represented AFA.  During the question and answer portion of the Shareholders meeting, MEC President Jeff Peterson was given the opportunity to make a brief statement on behalf of AFA:

AFA Statement

The rally was an extremely successful demonstration of solidarity for AFA.  Feeling energized and want to do more?  Check out alaskamec.org/mobilization for more information.  Mobilization training will take place next week.  Get involved now and help make a difference!

In solidarity,

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

 MEC 5BSS Logo

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