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[Note: Please read this communication in its entirety. It is lengthy, but the detail is necessary to fully explain the changes. –NC]

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

There are still rumors and misinformation surrounding the tentative agreement (TA) specific to Junior Assignments. It has been a while since we explained the proposed changes to JA and your Negotiating Committee will take this opportunity to review the process, the provisions and the enhancements to our current system compared to the TA.

 

What is JA?: Junior Available occurs when a Flight Attendant is required to work on an unscheduled day(s) [i.e., a day off] or when Crew Scheduling assigns additional flying after a completed sequence.

 

What is a Reassignment?: Reassignment is any assignment changes or additions occurring on days you are already scheduled to fly, although may carry into days you were scheduled to be off.

 

Chart outlining the current JA system vs. the TA’d version

 

 

JA premium

Can FA trade JA assignment?

Premium follow trade?

If FA JA’d out or order?

FA not JA’d?

Premium OT to avoid JA

TODAY

1.5x pay

Not really*

N/A

1.5x

N/A

N/A

TA

2.5x pay

Yes

Yes

3.0x

2.5x

1.5x min

 

*Under the current contract, a JA trip may be posted for trade only once and you must contact Crew Scheduling to work out the trade. What that effectively means is that nobody trades a JA trip and in fact it is so inaccessible that very few Flight Attendants realize this provision even exists per 9.G of the Contract. The TA provides for unlimited trading of the pairing without restrictions.

 

Current Process TODAY:

 

Company decides in order to cover the operation they need to utilize Junior Available provisions of Section 9. Crew Scheduling (CSKD) utilizes the monthly seniority list starting with most junior qualified, available Flight Attendant in the domicile from which the sequence departs who is completely legal for the flight(s) or sequence to be assigned. CSKD will start at the bottom of the list and work up: 1) by calling the FA at the primary contact number on file with CSKD if s/he is not already on duty, or 2) if s/he is on duty, by flagging the FA to be contacted in flight via ACARS in and/or a supervisor upon arrival.

 

Due to improvements to technology (e.g. caller ID), only about 1 out of 200 Flight Attendants on the average answer their phone—usually by mistake.

 

Except for a very few, in reality Flight Attendants who are already on duty are the ones who are JA’d today – because it’s a game of “tag, you’re it.” True, there might be a delay in notification because CSKD has to go through the charade of calling those at home but they still get you nonetheless. If you are tagged for JA today, it is because CSKD has already attempted to call everybody junior to you who is legal for the assignment(s). Remember that legalities disqualify many FAs and you also cannot be JA’d if you trade away a trip off your original line on that day. (This loophole legally allows many junior Flight Attendants to become ineligible for JA with just a few clever manipulations of their schedules.)

 

A Flight Attendant cannot be contacted for JA duty more than twenty-four (24) hours before the needed scheduled sequence or reserve duty period. Flight Attendants who are JA’d are offered 1.5 times the appropriate trip rate or a day off at straight pay of her/his choice equal in number to those assigned by the JA assignment.

 

New TA’d Section 9 Junior Available procedure:

 

Company decides in order to cover the operation they need to utilize Junior Available provisions of Section 9. Prior to attempting to JA any Flight Attendant, CSKD can post the trips in OT with a minimum 1.5x premium to encourage someone to pick it up. The premium can be increased to 2.0x or even 2.5x and once the premium goes on the trip, it cannot be removed unless assigned to a Reserve or there is a cancellation. Crew Schedulers do not want to JA Flight Attendants and Premium OT is actually a cheaper option for the Company even at 2.0x pay because we raised the JA premium to 2.5x pay.

 

Crew Scheduling utilizes the monthly seniority list starting with the most junior available Flight Attendant on duty anytime the day prior—essentially the same list utilized today. For the purposes of this provision, duty is defined with specific reference to inbound working crews and any Flight Attendant on a layover or at check-in—basically anytime you are accruing time away from base (TAFB).

 

The new provision eliminates the step of calling Flight Attendants at home who do not answer their phones. This “trade-off” results in hugely increased premiums at a significant financial penalty to the Company!

 

Remember – the Company today has the ability to JA working Flight Attendants concurrently with making the calls to Flight Attendants at home. It really just depends on whether ‘your number is up’ on the seniority list of those legal for the assignment(s).

 

If a Flight Attendant is JA’d the Flight Attendant will receive a premium of 2.5 times the applicable trip rate for all flying.

 

Under the TA there is no option to elect days off when receiving a JA assignment. Why did we change this? The thought process behind this new JA provision is to minimize the number of Flight Attendants affected by JA. When a Flight Attendant chooses a day off in lieu of compensation it affects Reserve coverage on subsequent days which often causes additional JA assignments or reassignments due to operational needs. The goal is to cover the operation and get flying back to normal with the least amount of impact to the group.

 

If a Flight Attendant receives a Junior Assignment, Crew Scheduling is required to notify the FA if they will fall below the minimum of 12 days off in a bid month or if there is a 48/7 violation and the Flight Attendant may decline the Junior Assignment if either situation applies.

 

Flight Attendants will have the ability to trade Junior Assignments and the premium of 2.5 times the applicable rate will follow the sequence. A Flight Attendant may be contacted for JA duty while on a sequence no earlier than the preceding calendar day before the needed, scheduled sequence or reserve duty period.

 

The preservation of seniority is critical! We eliminated the loophole that allowed junior Flight Attendants to gain “super seniority” and avoid JA by trading away trips from their original line. Some FAs would swap trips with each other and become “untouchable” for JA for an entire month. This is course would push the JA list even higher in seniority. Well, no longer!

 

The new process, protections and provisions allow for both the Flight Attendants and the Company to manage and audit the Junior Available assignments. Transparency is integral to this provision. Consequently, management will provide a list of those JA’d so the assignments can be fact-checked.

 

With such a high premium attached to JA assignments the Negotiating Committee is extremely confident that the Company will first attempt to utilize Reserves, make reassignment adjustments to those already flying (when applicable—this very rarely happens) and offer Premium Open Time (minimum 1.5 times the applicable trip rate) prior to JA’ing.

 

As a last and final resort to cover the operation the Company will utilize the provisions of Section 9, while also protecting seniority, minimum days off and contractual rest provisions.

 

Your Negotiating Committee spent countless hours reviewing, discussing and enhancing the provisions of Section 9. We were successful in negotiating a seniority-based system of assignment, protections, waivers and compensation. We are optimistic that once we present a contract to the membership for ratification, Flight Attendants will read over Section 9 Junior Available Rules and understand the complete depth of all changes and improvements.

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

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

 

“Five Bases, One Voice”

negotiations@alaskamec.org

[Post script from MEC President Jeffrey Peterson: Many of you have written directly to me over the last month or so asking for clarification to this section. I have been able to respond to many but I apologize that I have definitely fallen way behind on writing back to some of you individually. If you haven’t heard back from me on this issue I hope this communication will go a long ways towards answering your questions and/or addressing your concerns. The other members of the Negotiating Committee have kindly offered to assist in answering negotiations-related questions in a more timely manner. You can email negotiations@alaskamec.org and your message will be sent to all members of the AFA Alaska Negotiating Committee. -jtp]

Dear Flight Attendants,

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Board of Directors (BOD) is the highest governing body of our union, consisting of the officers who are elected by members at each airline and base or Local Council. Directly-elected Flight Attendants set the priorities and objectives of our union. Yesterday, these leaders came together in special session in Washington, DC, to address timely policy issues and objectives for our union.

First on the agenda was a discussion about the US Airways/American merger that affects AFA members from four airlines: American Eagle, Piedmont, PSA and US Airways.

The US Airways Master Executive Council (MEC) presented the intense work done over the past year and a half that culminated in a ratified contract only weeks following the official announcement of the new merger. In addition to industry-leading job security, the new single contract also provides the opportunity to achieve additional improvements at the new American. The leaders discussed their efforts to work with representatives of the American Flight Attendants to address the issues of concern in a merger: contract, seniority protection, representation.

The AFA-CWA Board of Directors voted unanimously to support US Airways Flight Attendants in our efforts to secure the best contract with our American flying partners once this merger is approved. In addition, the BOD reaffirmed our union’s first priority to unite all Flight Attendants – and the Board committed the support and resources to achieve this at the new American.

The leaders also discussed the merger agreement with CWA that uniquely increases our power through our partnership with the 700,000 member union while we retain the right to determine our policies and objectives in our union of, by and for Flight Attendants. The merger agreement, approved by membership ratification in 2003 and which became effective January 1, 2004, may be found on the AFA-CWA website at http://cb.afa-bod.org/

There are a lot of challenges and opportunities before us at all of our airlines and across the industry. Our union has never shied from a challenge. Our history is rich with many accomplishments rooted in our first objective: “To unite all cabin crew members in the airline industry regardless of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression who are eligible for membership.” This year alone we experience the product of our commitment to this objective through incredible social change. Working within our democracy is hard, but it leads to better results because we are all involved.

At the end of the day, as is the case with this Board meeting, we walk forward in unity because that is our commitment to each other and that is how we make a difference for our flying partners and our families.

In Solidarity,

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

Several Flight Attendants have contacted the Negotiating Committee due to misunderstandings related to management’s latest edition of “Grab & Go.” Please keep in mind that the Grab & Go posted on the Inflight webpage was revised earlier today, so we are referring to the earlier version that is still circulating out there and being discussed on the line.

 

What is the controversy all about?

 

“Highlights of Section 14 (Vacations) include the following:

graduated vacation accruals based on annual amount of TFP worked;

vacation pay based on TFP worked; one week of paid time off for

employees with 25 years or more of service who have flown more than

960 TFP in a year.”

 

Many Flight Attendants have inferred this to mean that AFA has agreed to eliminate all vacation for anybody under 25 years. This is absolutely not the case! All vacation pay is essentially the same as today: 2 full weeks at one year (and prorated if under one year), 3 weeks at 5 years, 4 weeks at 10 years and 5 weeks at 18 years. Flight Attendants with 25 years or more will receive an additional week of paid time off if they have flown 960 TFP in a year (average of 80 TFP per month hard time). No, it’s not a total recapture of the week of vacation lost with the Southwest Agreement in ’94 but it’s a step in the right direction! Finally, the “graduated accruals” concept only applies to those who fly under the 480 TFP. That means Flight Attendants who do not achieve 480 TFP will receive less days of vacation—which are already unpaid under the current agreement—and this will depend on how far below 480 TFP they fly in a year.

 

By the way, Flight Attendants who do not achieve 480 TFP will no longer have their longevity pay increases held up. Not only that, but Flight Attendants who have been held back under the current agreement due to not achieving 480 TFP in a calendar year will be advanced to their appropriate step rate under the TA. Now that wasn’t in the Grab & Go!

 

Until we’ve had an opportunity to discuss our concerns regarding the current communications strategy with management and Mediator Gray, we’re going to refrain from commenting any further on the details outlined in the various versions of management’s Grab & Go. However, in our humble opinion management continues to ride the fine line of violating the spirit of our communications agreement. We’ll make sure to pass along to Mediator Gray that our members are missing the communication from AFA and are restless for any news. This is made even more frustrating due to the fact that management is communicating so much!

 

Some Flight Attendants have asked for clarification to our “Negotiations Update September 9-12, 2013: Mediation Session #3 DCA Recap.” They want to know who “AFA” refers to in the following bullets summarizing the Open Time Implementation Letter of Agreement:

 

  • Quartile System: AFA and management can mutually agree to alter the application. AFA can cancel after six months.
  • AFA has the ability to cancel this program after a specified time and it will trigger automatic negotiations on the sections specific to Open Time trading.

 

“AFA” as referenced above is the Master Executive Council by vote of the Local Executive Council (LEC) presidents per Section VI.B.5.b of the AFA-CWA Constitution & By-laws. The LEC presidents each get one vote which is broken by the MEC president in case of a tie unless there is a roll-call vote. Under the C&B the LEC presidents are given power as your duly-elected representatives to advocate the will of their members. Just remember that these provisions are fail-safe measures in case the trading system proves to be overly restrictive for Flight Attendants or that there is such a broad consensus opposed to the Quartile System that we do not need to or want to wait for the year mark for a membership ratification vote. The MEC would intervene only if action is absolutely necessary. Again, it’s just in case.

 

Flight Attendants have asked what AFA’s position is on the Company’s employee survey currently underway. The MEC and the Negotiating Committee believe you should take the time to complete the survey but don’t hold back! You may respectively add to or ad lib the following sentiment (or simply copy and paste) in the free form comments section:

 

“Now that Alaska Airlines is well positioned for the future and making significant profits, we expect recognition for our past sacrifices. Flight Attendants will be appropriately recognized for their contribution to this Company’s success by achieving the Contract they deserve!”

 

Finally, many have inquired who they should contact on the management negotiating team in response to the Negotiating Committees request to “send the message to management” in our latest negotiations communication. Their team consists of Shane Tackett, Andy Schneider, Elizabeth Ryan, Mike Link and Cindy Petchnik. Since Shane and Andy are the chief spokespersons and ranking officers on their committee, we think it’s appropriate to direct all communications to those two via First Class (Shane.Tackett@alaskaair.com and Andy.Schneider@alaskaair.com). Feel free to use the same paragraph above as a framework for your thoughts. Again, you must be respectful and do not engage in conversation about your personal thoughts regarding bargaining objectives. Just remember the phrase, “My Negotiating Committee speaks for me!”

 

Our next mediation session is scheduled for October 28-30, 2013, in Washington, DC.

 

In solidarity,

 

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

 

“Five Bases, One Voice”

alaskamec.org

Council 30 LEC Officer Election Schedule

In accordance with the Article VIII of the Constitution & Bylaws, all Councils in Category III must nominate and elect officers for the term beginning January 1, 2014 and ending December 31, 2016 (three year term). Local Council Officers to be elected will be LEC President, LEC Vice President, and LEC Secretary.

As a union member, you have the right to nominate candidates for office, to run for office and to cast a secret ballot.

Nominations and elections are governed by procedures outlined in the Association’s Constitution & Bylaws, Article VIII and the AFA Policy Manual.

All nominated candidates who have filed a Commitment to Serve, who received at least two (2) votes and are members in good standing at the time of the count will appear on the election ballot.

Nomination Results:

The following Flight Attendants received at least 2 nominations and will appear on the election ballot.

LEC President

LEC Vice President

LEC Secretary

Melanie Buker

Lisa Pinkston

No candidate successfully nominated

Rebecca Strachan

 Click here for a copy of the Certified Nomination Results

Election Schedule:

  • Mail      date:         9-20-2013 (Voting Instructions and      Activation Code mailed)
  • Polls      open:      9-24-2013 (Voting begins online and by      telephone)
  •   Polls close:     10-25-2013 (Election ballots are tallied)

 

Step-by-step instructions for both the nomination and election process can be found on the AFA-CWA Election website: www.afacwa-elections.org along with the Category III Election schedule, AFA-CWA Election Handbook and Commitment to Serve form.

Several Anchorage Flight Attendants have reported not receiving their nomination ballots sent
from AFA-CWA in August.  If you do not receive your election ballot, which will be mailed September 20, 2013, please contact Bon Kenia, AFA International Office Member Services – BKenia@cwa-union.org.


PROBLEM WITH CABIN AIR QUALITY?

WHO TO CALL – HOW TO REPORT – WHERE TO GET MORE INFO

AFA continues to collect reports of problems with cabin air quality at Alaska Airlines. Some incidents involve exposure to electrical smoke, engine exhaust, or deicing fluid. For many, the source of the problem is never conclusively identified. Nonetheless, Flight Attendants have reported health-related symptoms associated with several recent air quality incidents. Often, symptoms are temporary and resolve by themselves. Other times, symptoms caused by exposure to airborne chemicals can be serious and long-lasting. AFA is particularly concerned with the possibility of exposure to oil or hydraulic fluid fumes that could enter the cabin via the aircraft air supply. To answer your questions and provide practical information, your Master Executive Council (MEC) is providing these two important publications (click on the link to open file):

 

“Answers to frequently asked questions: Onboard exposure to smoke/fumes”

 

“What your doctor needs to know”

 

If a chemical contaminant is in the air, people usually notice a peculiar odor (e.g. dirty socks, wet dog, oil/chemical/electrical, etc.). In a minority of cases, there may be a smoke or a mist.

 

Regardless of the phase of flight, rule out non-ventilation in-cabin sources of odors as quickly as possible and promptly report the problem to the pilots. If you notice an unusual odor before passengers board, step off the aircraft at the earliest opportunity. Provide as much information as possible (nature of odor, location in cabin, suspected source, any symptoms, etc.). Maintenance needs to check and address the source of the problem. In all cases, notify your supervisor as soon as possible to initiate the company’s investigation process.

 

To remind you of what to do if you are exposed to oil/hydraulic fluid fumes, your MEC is also distributing this updated [AIR QUALITY INFORMATION CARD] for you to print, cut, fold, and carry, either behind your airline ID or in your purse/wallet. It is important to have the information at your fingertips if you have a problem with air quality in the cabin. If you are exposed to onboard smoke/fumes, you may also find this [AIR QUALITY INCIDENT CHECKLIST] useful.

 

  • The AFA Air Quality Information Card tells you who to call at the union, what company paperwork you need to complete, and what resources are available. It is very important that you document exposure to fumes by filing both I-21 and ASAP reports.

 

  • If you get sick, the AFA Air Quality Information Card directs you to see a doctor to document your symptoms and seek relief. In very serious cases, a trip to the emergency room or urgent care clinic may be necessary, but more often than not a doctor’s visit will suffice. Know that your claim doesn’t start until you see a medical doctor, so if you are sick, don’t postpone getting medical care. Many doctors have not heard about oil or hydraulic fumes on aircraft making people sick, so make sure you provide a copy of the FAA-funded guide for health care providers titled “Exposure to Aircraft Bleed Air Contaminants Among Airline Workers” and the engine oil/hydraulic fluid safety data sheet. All information is athttp://alaskamec.org/committees/air-quality/.

AFA is here to help.

Be aware of your environment, report problems, and put your health and safety first.

Dear Flight Attendants,

The term for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers ends December 31, 2013.  In accordance with our Constitution and Bylaws, we will be holding interviews for MEC President, MEC Vice-President and MEC Secretary-Treasurer at our MEC meeting on November 19-20, 2013.  The interviews will take place in Seattle.  The new term will run from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016. 

Resumes may be faxed or emailed to our Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Gesch at:  206-246-4752 or ygesch@alaskamec.org.  Resumes must be submitted by Friday November 15, 2013.  Yvette will contact you to schedule your interview.

If you are interested in serving and have additional questions, please fell free to ask any MEC or LEC Officer.  The officers’ contact information can be found online at www.alaskamec.org.  All officers of the MEC must be active and in good standing.

MEC President Responsibilities 

The President shall be the official union spokesperson and chief executive officer for the Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines as the representative to management and shall therefore have the authority and duty to:

  1. Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board.
  2. Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances.
  3. Be available to attend various meeting with Alaska management in Seattle, Washington.
  4. Be available to travel to attend meetings with members and management in other domiciles, MEC meetings as well as other meetings required of the Association, such as the annual meetings of the AFA-CWA Executive Board and the AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  5. Steer committees at the request of the MEC.
  6. Be a member of the Negotiating Committee.
  7. Be a member of the Executive Board.
  8. Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President.
  9. Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union at Alaska Airlines.
  10. Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer.
  11. Ballot the MEC if necessary or when required.
  12. Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.
  13.  Maintain the Union’s files and property, and then transfer them to his/her successor promptly.

MEC Vice President Responsibilities

The Vice President shall:

  1. Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the MEC.
  2. Perform the duties of the President at his/her request or in the absence of the President.
  3. Be granted the privilege of the floor at all MEC and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.
  4. Steer MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
  5. Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
  6. Attend monthly MEC meetings; quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company; quarterly Labor Coalition meetings; and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

MEC Secretary Treasurer Responsibilities 

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

  1. Assist the President in administering MEC funds
  2. Maintain MEC records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.
  3. Be responsible to the President and MEC.
  4. Oversee membership information and records.  Receive monthly membership reports from Alaska and send copies to AFA International.
  5. Be responsible for the general record keeping and accounting of the MEC budget and any funds, including but not limited to:

·         Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company

·         Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss

·         Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International

·         Review and approve expense reports

·         Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports

  1. Provide a quarterly statement on expenditures to the MEC.
  2. Solicit monthly agenda items from the MEC for the monthly MEC meetings
  3. Create a monthly meeting schedule and agenda
  4. Provide overnight accommodations and meal arrangements for MEC officers
  5. Reserve meeting rooms as necessary
  6. Schedule conference calls
  7. Take minutes at each monthly MEC meeting and provide approved copy of the minutes to the MEC, MEC Committee Chairs, and the International Secretary-Treasurer
  8. Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meeting of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President.
  9. Attend monthly MEC meetings; quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company; quarterly Labor Coalition meetings; and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

In solidarity,

The Associations of Flight Attendants-CWA, Alaska Airlines

Membership

By Linda Christou:  AFA-LEC 19 Secretary-Treasurer

            Membership in the union is extremely important and now more than ever.  With a looming vote for a new contract for our group it is important for you to be up to date on your dues.  If you are delinquent and in “bad standing” in your dues whether it is for 1 month or 12 plus months your vote will not be counted as it disqualifies you from voting for anything that arises.

            Here is a quick re-cap of dues…monthly dues is usually taken out of your 20th paycheck but if you are on a leave of any type (worker comp, medical leave, voluntary furlough education etc.) you will be required to pay for the first 3 months of that leave and after that you don’t pay dues until you return to work and this is according to the AFA-CWA by-laws. If there are months that you don’t fly enough and they cannot be auto-deduct from your 20th paycheck you’ll need to pay them yourself (always good to check that 20th paycheck).  If you ever receive an invoice from the International office that means you owe dues and will need to pay them via online and or check sent to them.

            Our International Membership department has stepped up the progression on informing FA’s of their delinquencies and sending out Standing 2, 3 and 5 letters to inform you what you need to do to become current.  Here is a synopsis of the progression of steps for non-payment… Standing 2 letter indicates you are now in bad standing and this is the first stage of the AFA-CWA delinquency process.  A flight attendant goes into S2 when you have ONE or more dues billings that are over 90 days old and remain unpaid.  Standing 3 letter indicates that the FA remains delinquent after receiving the initial “Bad Standing” warning letter.  You now receive your S-3 letter certified mail return receipt (if AFA International has a incorrect address on file the LEC President or Secretary will put it into your co-mail file at work and it is treated as if sent via certified mail).  Nonpayment could result in discharge per our FA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Section 26 C & D.  Standing 4 is in pending status which means your International membership department is researching your account for you.  Standing 5 is your final warning and this becomes very serious.  After receiving your S-2 and S-3 letters for nonpayment, our International AFA office in Washington DC sends a letter to Alaska Airlines requesting discharge for nonpayment and a copy of this letter is also sent to your LEC President.

            If you find yourself unable to pay the full amount you need to contact the International office to set up a payment plan called a Promissory Note Agreement.  They’ll send the agreement of which you must sign it and send it back for it to be valid.  Once this is agreed upon you must make your MONTHLY payments that have been agreed upon until the balance is paid in full.  If you do not make your monthly payment for the promissory note that could be revoked and if that happens you will need to make your payment in full to avoid a S-5 letter.  Deferral of dues can only occur if you are on a current leave.  If you have received anyone of these notices please do not disregard and either contact the International office or Becky Strachan – ANC LEC President.

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

Your AFA Negotiating Committee just finished up a week of mediated talks with Alaska Airlines management at the National Mediation Board (NMB) in Washington, DC. We are continuing our commitment to Mediator Victoria Gray and limiting comments to very general statements on progress at the table. (Well, we’re going to do our best anyway!) Industry economist Dan Akins once again joined the AFA Negotiating Committee as a subject matter expert to assist us in crafting our comprehensive proposals and responding to management.

 

The week started with Tentative Agreements (TAs) reached on the following items:

  • Section 14: Vacation
  • Section 16: Sick Leave/On the Job Injury
  • Section 32: Attendance Policy
  • OT Implementation LOA (and final affirmation of Section 12 TA: Exchange of Sequences)
  • Term Sheet for settlement on outstanding issues in the above three sections.

 

We captured some very important protections for Flight Attendants and feel that the agreements in the above sections reflect our commitment to you to make our work lives better.

 

BIG NEWS!

 

OK – we are going to slightly bend our “vow not to spill details…” The following information is really timely and goes a long way toward addressing a lot of your concerns with changes to Open Time.

 

We heard your concern about the drastic change in Section 12: Exchange of Sequences in regards to Open Time and most specifically to the Quartile System. There are a ton of changes in that section and with so many new interacting provisions neither party could be 100% certain that it would work as planned. Therefore, with mediator Gray’s assistance we worked with management to craft the “Open Time Implementation Letter of Agreement (LOA).” This LOA provides for the following:

 

  • Quartile System: AFA and management can mutually agree to alter the application. AFA can cancel after six months.
  • Quartile System: After 12 months, there will be an AFA membership vote on whether or not to keep the Quartile System (similar to how we voted on PBS several years back). If the result is “no,” then the system will revert to what it is today with Open Time opening at the same time for all seniorities in a domicile (but with the new trading rules).
  • International Jet Bridge Trades: With at least twelve hours notification, will be approved.
  • OT threshold numbers can be changed by mutual agreement. The parties spent several months resolving different interpretations of how the OT threshold number interacted with Open Time trading. The parties agreed that different OT threshold values must be tried. AFA’s interpretation of only “first day of a sequence” will count toward the threshold numbers for closing OT days will be applied. If OT liability is too great, management’s interpretation of “every day of a sequence” will apply toward the threshold will be tried. If that happens, negotiations will automatically begin on the sections specific to Open Time trading.
  • Monitoring of Open Time trading satisfaction by monthly surveys conducted by AFA in partnership with management during the trial phase.
  • AFA has the ability to cancel this program after a specified time and it will trigger automatic negotiations on the sections specific to Open Time trading.
  • An AFA Scheduling Chairperson position will be created with full access to crew systems and Crew Scheduling to monitor a specified set of metrics and work with management to evaluate this new system—as an equal. This position will act as AFA’s liaison with the Company to resolve all issues related to scheduling.

 

Your Negotiating Committee feels that this agreement is revolutionary and will ensure that Flight Attendant needs are met. The provisions allow for an agile response if an unforeseen problem crops up and for a true monitoring of scheduling issues in partnership with management.

 

That was the good news…

 

Compensation: The Negotiating Committee worked very hard to considerably pare down our compensation proposal while preserving the most critical and reasonable elements. We are committed to bringing Alaska Flight Attendants the overall compensation package that they deserve. We presented our proposal to management’s team and were informed that while they appreciated our movement, we are still too far apart on money for them to seriously consider addressing what we have on the table. However, management did vow to thoughtfully consider our proposal in the coming weeks between now and the next session.

 

Management believes that when combined with the other improvements we have already achieved, accepting our compensation proposal is not a wise long-term business strategy. We find this extremely disappointing in the light of the fact that the past several years have seen us tempering our expectations and accepting below-industry increases to improve the Company’s financial position. Now that Alaska Airlines is well-positioned for the future and making significant profits, we expect recognition for our past sacrifices. Please send the message to management that, “Flight Attendants will be appropriately recognized for their contribution to this Company’s success by achieving the Contract they deserve!”

 

We meet again in mediation the week of October 28th and will be changing venues from Austin, TX, to Washington, DC.

 

 

In Solidarity,

 

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

 

“Five Bases, One Voice”

alaskamec.org

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