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
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