Seniority Integration will be by Competitive Seniority Date
AFA and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the union that currently represents the Virgin America Inflight Teammates (ITMs), signed a seniority integration protocol confirming the two Flight Attendant groups will be merged in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws’ Merger Policy. AFA’s Merger Policy sets forth that seniority integration is by competitive (bidding) seniority date.
>>> Click here to view the TWU/AFA Seniority Integration Protocol document. <<<
What is competitive seniority date?
Competitive seniority date is the date from which each Flight Attendant accrues competitive (bidding) seniority as a Flight Attendant on her/his current seniority list. AFA has previously referred to competitive seniority date as “date of hire,” for simplicity’s sake and because it is a common term in the industry.
Who oversees merging the lists?
The AFA Merger Policy dictates that two merger representatives will be appointed by the MEC for each carrier. The MEC has already selected Sandra Morrow and Marie Maxwell to represent Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants. The Virgin America (VX) merger representatives will be selected after AFA has been certified as the union representing both carriers following single carrier determination by the National Mediation Board (NMB). (For more information see “Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Timeline” on afaalaska.org.) This committee oversees the process of merging the seniority lists in accordance with the Merger Policy. The list will not be given to management until the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement is negotiated and ratified.
Are any adjustments made to the seniority dates before the lists are merged?
In order to make an “apples to apples” merging of the seniority lists into one, the merger representatives will be responsible for appropriately adjusting seniority dates by accounting for training credit while ensuring that no Flight Attendant’s relative seniority moves compared to her/his classmates.
Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants will receive a “training credit” adjustment to their respective seniority dates because Virgin America ITMs receive their seniority dates on the first day of initial training whereas Alaska Flight Attendants receive their seniority dates following initial training.
Each half of the committee is tasked with sending letters to the Flight Attendants on its respective seniority list so that seniority dates can be verified.
Does the fact that the VX ITMs voted down their Tentative Agreement (TA) impact this process at all?
No. Seniority Integration would occur using competitive seniority date regardless of the outcome of the TA. AFA’s Merger Policy of “merger by competitive bidding seniority” is fair and satisfies the McCaskill-Bond requirement of “fair and equitable.” TWU agreed that AFA’s Merger Policy is the appropriate application under the circumstances prior to finalizing the TWU VX TA.
If you have any merger-related questions, contact your Local Executive Council president.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee
Lillian Velazquez says
When you say “training credit” do you mean that Alaska Airlines flight attendants will have their first day of training as their seniority date?
Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says
Not necessarily. Alaska F/As will at a minimum receive a training credit based on the length of training, but it is premature to say with certainty that all will have their seniority date adjusted to the first day of training. There may be several classes who had a significant gap between the end of training and going online, so adjusting the seniority date of those classes to the first day of training may not be the most fair application. The Merger Reps will gather all necessary information (e.g. training date, length of training, online date, etc.) to make a fair determination of how to adjust seniority. The intent is to make an apples to apples comparison between the two groups prior to merging the lists.