The MEC would like to thank Jennifer Wise MacColl for her work as MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson over the past several years. In her role, Jennifer has been a fierce advocate for Flight Attendants in numerous contractual and discipline cases. Jennifer will continue her AFA work as a member of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) pending the planned acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines.
Background
The MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to advocate for Flight Attendants in contractual and disciplinary cases. The Chairperson also serves as a resource to Local Grievance Committees in all aspects relating to grievance and contractual enforcement matters.
Additional Information from The MEC Policy Manual
1. SCOPE
a. The Grievance Committee will have as its primary objective the protection of all Flight Attendants against arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action.
b. The Grievance Committee shall uphold the current agreement, MEC policy and the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws.
c. The Grievance Committee shall act to secure the fastest possible procedures for all Flight Attendants in the arbitration of their grievances for disciplinary action.
d. The Grievance Committee shall follow the direction of the Grievance Screening Panel.
2. POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES
a. The MEC Grievance Committee shall consist of the MEC Chairperson and the Local Grievance Committee Chairperson from each council. The MEC may also appoint MEC Vice Chairpersons and MEC Grievance Representatives to the MEC Grievance Committee on an as needed basis.
b. The committee will assist AFA-CWA attorneys in the preparation of all ALA Flight Attendant grievances.
c. Proposed settlements of disputes between the Union and the Company shall be presented to the MEC President.
d. Priority at the System Board shall be given to Flight Attendants who have been terminated by the Company. Issues of sufficient importance to the collective interest can be scheduled ahead of termination grievances with the MEC President’s concurrence.
e. If any dispute arises regarding the merits of a contract grievance, the MEC will have the authority to terminate or continue the grievance process.
f. Grievant will be advised, via Certified Mail, of any Grievance Screening Panel determination.
g. The MEC Chairperson shall:
(i) Serve as a member of the Grievance Screening Panel
(ii) Attend all discussions of contract items at all regularly scheduled MEC meetings.
(iii) Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website. This will include the minutes of all Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) meeting minutes.
Qualifications
- Previous Union grievance or equivalent labor relations experience required
- Understanding of the principles of just cause
- In-depth knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA)
- Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle at least four days per week
- Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed
- Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
- Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of osTicket platform helpful.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes. Ability to pay close attention to detail.
- Ability to prioritize responsibilities and perform multiple tasks simultaneously
- Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information
Duties
- Enforce the contract
- File grievances and maintain the master grievance log
- Collect evidence, solicit documentation, and maintain complete records.
- Ensure that time limits are met for filing
- Represent AFA in alternate dispute resolution (ADR) meetings, grievance hearings, System Board hearings, and other meetings with management.
- Assist Union attorneys in preparing grievances for System Board
- Review material, handle correspondence, and keep the Local Grievance Committees well informed of current grievance developments
- Communicate regularly with the membership about decisions on grievances; explain ramifications of results
- Write grievance articles for membership communications upon request of the MEC Communications Committee
- Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC
Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement
- This position is budgeted for 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
- Time commitment is approximately four days per week in the MEC Office in Seattle with additional work completed remotely or in the office as necessary
Working Relationships
With The Local Grievance Committees
Constant interaction with the Local Grievance Committee Chairpersons and Local Grievance Committee Members.
With The Master Executive Council (MEC)
This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC President.
With The MEC Grievance Committee
Frequent interaction with the MEC Grievance Committee. This position directs the work of the MEC Grievance Representative(s).
With Management
Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Director of Labor Relations, Manager of Inflight Work Performance, and Inflight Performance Supervisors
With AFA International
Frequent interaction with AFA staff attorneys and AFA legal department
Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling
- The MEC will hold interviews during the September MEC meeting on Wednesday, September 28 or Thursday, September 29, 2016. Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
- Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Satterlee at yvette.satterlee@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, September 16, 2016. Yvette will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee
