Latest News – Page 241

March 15, 2014 21:54

Dear Flight Attendants,

Management has confirmed the upcoming Town Hall meetings in March through at least mid-April are being canceled and rescheduled for later dates. This affects meetings already scheduled in Portland, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Anchorage, with one as soon as this coming Tuesday. Please check First Class for Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider’s March 15^th edition of “What’s Happening” for further information.

Background

During the Master Executive Council (MEC) meeting this week, your MEC officers explained to management that our members are not pleased these meetings were going forward on the heels of a failed tentative agreement (TA). We explained the group is frustrated, with many believing management would use the Town Hall meetings as a fact-finding mission for negotiations. This was particularly troubling considering AFA had not even had an opportunity to put out a follow-up survey.

The MEC also reminded management that we have two councils in the midst of officer elections: Councils 19 Seattle and 39 Portland. In our estimation, the Town Hall meetings would have created unnecessary angst amongst the Flight Attendants. Because of where we are with negotiations and the officer elections, the timing simply wasn’t right so we strongly advocated to management to reconsider the Town Hall meetings.

The MEC informed management that we would prefer delaying the Town Hall meetings altogether until a ratified collective bargaining agreement is in place. However, management is very interested in taking action to correct areas of concern that were in the latest employee survey. Management recently shared the detailed results of the survey with AFA leadership and we can verify there were some areas needing improvement.

Inflight management would like to improve the lines of communication and to establish renewed trust with Flight Attendants. At our meeting with management, the MEC expressed that a ratified agreement is critical to laying that foundation. Management explained they cannot wait to do something until after a TA is reached because of the uncertain time frame of contract negotiations. Although proceeding with the Town Hall meetings before a ratified TA is in place is not our preference, the MEC recognizes that it is reasonable for an employer to take corrective action when employee survey results clearly show a need.

Consequently, the MEC advocated to management for a delay to the Town Hall meetings so both parties could fully focus on getting back to the table as soon as possible. AFA is thankful that management was responsive to our feedback and delayed the meetings. We’re tentatively optimistic that listening to the leaders elected to represent the Flight Attendants is a great first step towards re-establishing trust with our group.

The Plan Going Forward

Be assured that once the Town Hall meetings begin, AFA will be closely monitoring the situation. We are still very much concerned with the possibility of direct bargaining at these meetings. Under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), management is required to negotiate directly with the elected representatives and is prohibited from doing so with individual members.

If management solicits feedback from Flight Attendants directly related to negotiations, that would be problematic. However, management is allowed to address questions or concerns brought forward by Flight Attendants, even if related to negotiations—at least to a point. Because of the complicated nuances related to direct dealing, AFA has made it very clear that we’re uncomfortable riding this fine line.

However, the AFA Collective Bargaining and Legal departments are fully apprised of the situation and are being given continual updates. National Mediation Board (NMB) Mediator Victoria Gray has also been informed. Management is aware of our position. At the end of the day, management has the right to meet with and talk to employees. Because of the MEC’s concerns, Inflight management has invited the officers to attend as interested observers. We would be able to attend the meetings regardless because we’re also Flight Attendants, but the explicit invitation is very much appreciated as a demonstration of good faith.

Summary

In consideration of management’s responsiveness, the MEC is taking no further action regarding the Town Hall meetings for now. Remember this for the upcoming Flight Attendant socials: do not share with management specific bargaining objectives or views related to negotiations! This is true not only at the socials, but at all times.

One again, kudos to management for doing the right thing!

In solidarity,

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

March 15, 2014 10:00

Dear Flight Attendants,

The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the Negotiating Committee at the MEC Office in Seattle on April 17. All three Negotiating Committee positions are up for interview and consideration. Per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, the MEC President is the chairperson of the Negotiating Committee and rounds out the Committee as the fourth member.

The Negotiating Committee is charged to negotiate and institute the needs and desires of the Flight Attendants into an effective collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Committee should have a good working knowledge of the current CBA and be willing to devote their full time to the Committee during negotiations. The members of this Committee shall serve as the CBA Interpretation Committee until a new agreement is completed.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Flight pay loss (FPL) reimbursement will be provided to Negotiating Committee Members at the rate of 6 TFP at “A” pay for 8 hours of work. FPL is not reimbursed for days that solely contain travel to/from an activity.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume to candidate@alaskamec.org. The deadline for applications is Thursday, April 10 at 5 PM PDT.

A member of the MEC will contact candidates to schedule an in-person interview. Interviews will be held at the MEC Office in Seattle on Thursday, April 17. Instructions for listing for positive space travel will be provided to those who do not live in the Seattle area. Hotel rooms or other expenses are the responsibility of the candidate.

Questions

Any questions regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jpeterson@alaskamec.org.

In Solidarity,

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

References

AFA-CWA International Policy Manual, Section VI – Contract Negotiations

March 14, 2014 21:21

Dear Flight Attendants,

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) just wrapped up its March MEC meeting this week and it is time to give you an update.

Negotiations Survey

We know everybody is anxious to hear from the leadership in regards to negotiations. The next step in the process is a survey to the membership to determine the bargaining objectives for the next round of talks. Your leadership is committed to achieving comprehensive and accurate survey results that reflect the needs of the membership. Consequently, AFA has retained the Hart Research Group (http://www.hartresearch.com/) to administer the negotiations survey. AFA and Hart have discussed employing several different methods to gather data including monitoring social media and discussion boards in addition to using a traditional phone and/or online survey.

Your current Negotiating Committee members are meeting next week to gather preparatory materials for Hart. We’re targeting the survey to be out as soon as possible after April 11^th. Why April 11^th? Council 39 Portland and Council 19 Seattle have officer elections underway with a count date of April 11^th. The leadership doesn’t want too many moving pieces in play at any given time so we’re going to wait until polls so everybody can focus on the survey.

Negotiating Committee Interviews

As a reminder, interviews for the Negotiating Committee will take place on April 17^th at the AFA MEC office in Seattle. All qualified and interested candidates (including current members of the committee) are encouraged to apply no later than April 10^th. The MEC will provide additional information in regards to qualifications, duties and compensation in a separate communication due out in the coming days.

Mediated Negotiations to Resume

Under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), we will be back in mediation when we return to the table. These talks will carry on under the purview of the National Mediation Board (NMB) and we believe Victoria Gray will continue as the federal mediator assigned to our case. The parties have set a tentative date of mid-May to resume mediated negotiations.

Upcoming Company Town Hall Meetings

The MEC has received plenty of feedback from the membership regarding the upcoming Company “Town Hall” meetings. During our MEC meeting this week the officers met with management to pass along our members’ concerns. We strongly advocated to management to reconsider the timing of the Town Hall meetings and we are optimistic that management is taking our request under serious consideration.

Consequently, the MEC is holding off on taking a strong public position on the Town Hall meetings until management has had an opportunity to respond. There has been quite a lot of email and phone discussion with management about this issue all the way up to the publication of this communication. The MEC is expecting further developments very soon so stand by for an update shortly.

In solidarity,

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

March 13, 2014 09:01

Hello Seattle Flight Attendants!

Please remember to join your LEC Officers for the AFA Town Hall meeting on March 20th, 2014 from 1-5pm in the Central Annex of the Sea Tac Airport, mezzanine level. Parking is free on floors 3, 5, 6, 7, 8.

This is not a company town hall meeting- This is an AFA meeting where you will have a chance to sit down with your local officers and share your thoughts on the upcoming negotiation process.

We hope to see you there!

March 7, 2014 10:30

Dear Flight Attendants,

This has been a busy week for the Master Executive Council (MEC). On Monday, the MEC met with the members of the Negotiating Committee to conduct a debrief on the failed Tentative Agreement vote. Below is an update on upcoming activities related to negotiations.

Negotiations Survey

A new negotiations survey is in the beginning stages of being written and will be released within the next several weeks. The survey will be open for approximately two weeks.

The results from the survey will be used by the Negotiating Committee to write the AFA opener for the second round of negotiations. At this time, negotiations are tentatively expected to resume during the second week of May. As we are still in the mediation process, all negotiations sessions will continue to be facilitated by National Mediation Board (NMB) Mediator Victoria Gray.

Negotiating Committee

After thorough discussion, it has been determined that all Negotiating Committee positions will be up for interview and consideration of candidates. All qualified candidates who apply—including current Negotiating Committee members—will be considered. Interviews for the three positions will be held in Seattle at the AFA MEC Office on April 17.

If you are interested in applying for a Negotiating Committee position, please send your expression of interest as well as a resume listing your qualifications to candidate@alaskamec.org. After submitting your resume, you will be contacted to schedule an interview time on April 17.

The Evolution of the VOICE Committee

Your MEC is very excited to announce some forthcoming changes with the VOICE Committee. VOICE, or Volunteer Organizers for Information, Communications, and Education, has been an integral part of communications between the Negotiating Committee and the Flight Attendants for the past several contract negotiations. The committee was first organized at a time when information was not as readily accessible as it is today, and we depended on VOICE committee members to provide us with the latest updates on the progress of the Negotiating Committee through the information they shared.

Today, many of us use email, social media, and the Internet to stay connected to current news and updates in the negotiating process. The original purpose of the VOICE Committee has essentially become obsolete. The MEC is currently working with MEC VOICE Chairperson Adam Clarey and your Local VOICE Chairs to harness the power of our VOICE Committee in new ways that will demonstrate our solidarity and unity as we go back to the negotiating table.

More information about the evolution of the VOICE Committee will be coming soon once these changes have been finalized. In the mean time, please ensure that you add info@alaskamec.org and negotiations@alaskamec.org to your address book or contacts to prevent AFA communications from being filtered out as spam. If you are not already subscribed to AFA Alaska email updates, visit http://alaskamec.org/signup to subscribe.

In Solidarity,

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

March 6, 2014 20:24

The next LAX FA base meeting is set for Thursday, April 10th, 2014, from 11am-2pm

@BJ’s Restaurant, 16060 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.

Bring your questions and also get the latest information regarding contract negotiations.

The more FAs in attendance the better!

In Solidarity,

Your LEC Council 18,

Sandra, Kelly, Kelese, and David

March 6, 2014 16:46

Dear Flight Attendants:

Each year, the Association of Flight Attendants Scholarship Fund awards a scholarship to a dependent of an active AFA member in good standing who is seeking to further her/his education at an accredited college or university. The recipient of this scholarship will receive the cost of tuition, room, board and reasonable book expense, up to a maximum of $5,000 for one year. Any recipient may reapply for this scholarship each year until graduation up to a maximum of four years.

More information about the scholarship fund including the required application form and instructions are available from the AFA International website at http://www.afacwa.org/scholarships. The postmark deadline for applications for this year’s scholarship is April 10.

The CWA Joe Beirne Foundation Scholarship is also available to dependents of AFA-CWA members. Information and the application form for this scholarship can be found on the CWA website at http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/beirne. The deadline for this year’s Beirne Scholarship is April 30.

Any questions regarding the AFA Scholarship Fund can be directed to your LEC Officers. Contact information for your LEC Officers can be found on alaskamec.org then by selecting your base from the local council menu.

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

March 5, 2014 21:14

Crew Planner John Bumanglag’s D position pairings and the AFA 3 position pairings were selected for April.

There is a schedule change on April 6^th and also Mexico Daylight Saving Time starts on that day. You may note minor flight time changes on this date. Another Schedule change happens April 27^th. Some seasonal warm destination flights end for the season on these dates. More detail below.

Here are comments specific to each base.

SEA– High time turns continue to MSP/MCI/TUS/ and DFW. Also STL goes back to a turn starting April 6^th. Popular two day trips to PHL/FLL/EWR/BOS and DCA continue daily. SJD and PVR nonstops run through April 26 before ending for the season. Long MCO layovers are frequent. Long KOA layovers 3 days/week as well.

PDX– Two day trips to BOS and DCA operate daily. AM LAS turn, mid AM PHX and DFW turn run daily as well. PDX loses KOA and LIH nonstops April 27^th until next November. OGG all nighter goes from daily to 3 days/week April 27^th.

ANC– HNL and ORD nonstops continue daily. Overall TFP looks good. ANC loses OGG and KOA nonstops April 5^th for the season.

LAX– BUR has a nice variety of trip lengths and Hawaii layovers are frequent. LAX-YVR turn 703/702 is back daily! DCA two day and high time Mexico turns continue. SNA turns continue as well.

SAN– BOS two days run daily. OGG will really be a two day starting April 6^th. HNL continues to release after midnight so is one day longer than it appears.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Please see attached April pairing stats.

Your Crew Planning Team,

Jeff Stein
AFA Pairing Analyst

Kelly Yeager
Crew Planner

John Bumanglag
Crew Planner

April Pairing Statistics

March 5, 2014 21:05

Crew Planner John Bumanglag’s D position pairings and the AFA 3 position pairings were selected for March.

The bid month begins March 2nd
Daylight savings time begins March 9th. This coincides with a large schedule change where you will see many minor flight time changes as well as some flight number changes.
Some flights that have seen reductions for the winter months will resume or return to daily as of March 9th. These include ANC-ORD and BOS-SEA and PDX and SEA-EWR market. Also the 3rd ONT-SEA flight will come back which brings back the morning pairing out of ONT.
Horizon begins operating in Alaska March 3rd. They primarily will fly ANC-FAI with one daily flight ANC-ADQ. We have some D position pairings with deadhead on Horizon for March.

Here are comments specific to each base.

SEA- Two day pairings continue daily to DCA(2x)/PHL/PVR and SJD nonstop and FLL. High time turns continue daily to MCI/TUS/DFW and MSP(2x).

PDX- Two day pairings continue daily to KOA and DCA. They resume daily to BOS March 9th. AM LAS turns, mid AM PHX and DFW turns run daily as well.

ANC- ANC-ORD resumes daily March 9th. ANC-HNL nonstop continues daily.

LAX- DCA two day and high value Mexico turns continue daily. TFP overall looks better than previous months. ONT RON flight resumes March 9th so trips out of there should be more normal. SNA has frequent turns per FA feedback.

SAN- BOS two day operates daily. As a reminder OGG and HNL-SAN both currently duty off after midnight so the trip is actually one day longer. So though it may look like a two or three day…it’s really a three or four day for bidding purposes.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Please see attached March pairing stats.

Your Crew Planning Team

Jeff Stein
AFA Pairing Analyst

Kelly Yeager
Crew Planner

John Bumanglag
Crew Planner

February 27, 2014 11:20

Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,

Please note important upcoming events in your base! We hope to see you at one or both of the meetings!

March 20, 2014 Town Hall Meeting

On March 20, 2014 Council 19 LEC Officers will host a “Town Hall” meeting. The intent of this forum is to discuss your thoughts on the upcoming negotiation process and provide you an opportunity to learn more about the roles that each of your elected officers performs.

This is a great opportunity for you to connect with your leaders and share your thoughts.

All candidates for the upcoming election are invited to attend this forum and meet with the members and the local officers.

When: March 20, 2014

Where: Central Annex Room, Mezzanine Level Sea Tac Airport

Time: 1pm to 5pm

Parking paid for on all levels except Level 4

April 16, 2014 AFA-CWA Base Meeting

On April 16, 2014 Council 19 is hosting an AFA-CWA Base Meeting to discuss the upcoming Board of Director’s Meeting (BOD). The BOD is a yearly meeting where all members of the MEC attend to discuss the business of the union. This year International Officer Elections are taking place and it will be important to gain your input on the candidates so I can vote for a candidate that best represents your interest.

In addition to International Officer Election the BOD will be discussing the financial future of our Union and making necessary fiduciary decisions on the budget. Please come to this meeting to review the important agenda items and offer your feedback.

When: April 16, 2014

Where: Central Annex Room, Mezzanine Level Sea Tac Airport

Time: 1pm to 5pm

Parking paid for on all levels except Level 4

Council 19 SEA Election Schedule

The Council 19 Election window will soon open. Starting March 6^th voting instructions and activation codes will be mailed to all Seattle Flight Attendants. If you do not receive this information from AFA International by March 11, 2014 please contact AFA International/Membership at 1-800-424-2401, press 1, ext 706.

In accordance with the Article VIII of the Constitution & Bylaws, all Councils in Category II must nominate and elect officers for the term beginning July 1, 2014 and ending June 30, 2017. Local Council Officers to be elected will be LEC President, LEC Vice President, LEC Secretary, and 2 Council Representatives.

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	Council Representative
Laura Masserant	Jake Jones	Linda Christou	Stephanie Adams
Robert Napoleon	Vanessa Travis	Daphne Clarkson	Adam Clarey
		Jarod Mc Neill

Election Schedule:

Mail date: 3-06-2014 (Voting Instructions and Activation Code mailed)
Polls open: 3-11-2014 12:00 pm EST (Voting begins online and by telephone)
Polls close: 4-11-2014 2:00 pm EDT (Election ballots are tallied)