Master Executive Council (MEC)
Like all of you, the MEC is extremely frustrated by management’s unacceptable violation of Section 10.J.8 of our collective bargaining agreement through their failure to post May 2022 bid awards on time. We will file a contractual grievance on behalf of all Flight Attendants for this violation, so please note there is no need to file a ticket through the AFA Alaska Support Center. We hear you loud and clear: You want transparency and accountability from management, and you expect AFA leadership to do everything in our power to make that happen on your behalf.
Management has already acknowledged “administrative error,” but this does not go far enough. Consequently, we have communicated your expectations that management transparently communicates additional details and management’s actions in response, including how responsible parties will be held accountable and what is being done to prevent a recurrence. The MEC has also requested Labor Relations to engage with us at the earliest possible opportunity regarding an appropriate and mutually acceptable remedy for the contractual violation.
What is a potential remedy? There is no identifiable loss of pay because of the contract violation, so there is no contractual basis to seek compensation or any other alternative remedy via arbitration. The best outcome we could achieve via a favorable arbitration ruling would be for management to cease and desist (i.e., not violate the contract provision going forward). However, management has already agreed there was a contract violation and signaled to AFA there is no intent for future violations.
Although management is neither obligated to pay anything for the inconvenience, nor would an arbitrator compel management to do so, nothing prevents the parties from mutually agreeing to compensation or some other compensatory-like remedy. AFA has expressed our desire to management to settle this dispute by negotiating such a remedy, so it’s their move next.
Kimber says
Understandable that w/o loss of pay there is no monetary compensation but what about point reduction/ forgiveness. If we are a second late we get points. To keep apologizing for these inconveniences changes nothing. We are never given compassion for short comings, held to high standards as should they.
Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says
Attendance points credit (reduction or bank points, depending on one’s points balance) is a non-monetary settlement that we’ve already informally proposed to management as a potential option. Discussions will continue this coming week.
Jeanne "Patty" Kaiser says
What exactly was the “Administrative Error” since this was the month that we were all going to the new PBS system??????? Please be transparent. Thank you.
Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says
Thank you for writing in, Patty.
From what we know so far, it seems as if there was more than one administrative error. Earlier this evening we asked management to communicate the details to the entire FA group. Meanwhile, our own investigation continues. If management doesn’t share more by tomorrow afternoon, then we’ll send out another update with our findings.
Incidentally, the cutover to the new PBS interface (i.e., the sunset of the old ClassBid) has been pushed until at least the next bid month due to issues unrelated to the delayed publication of May 2022 bid awards.
Thanks in advance for your patience!