VOICE Comment Card Report August 2013
Your Negotiating Committee reviews all comment cards submitted by members and posts those each month for transparency. Please know that we appreciate all comments, concerns and feedback. Some of the comments submitted maybe in Sections that have not yet been discussed, they may be included in our opening proposal (posted on AFA website http://www.alaskamec.org), our previous survey or may have already been addressed. Your opinions do count and we will continue to respond to concerns and comments not previously addressed or as sections become available.
Please note we will continue to post comments and questions with contact information, however, questions/comments without contact information will no longer be posted due to ensuring member involvement. Your information is always kept confidential and we appreciate open communication.
Comment Card Topics:
Reserve: 0
Pay: 22
Scheduling/hours of service: 9
Sick Leave/attendance: 2
Commuter: 0
Benefits/Vacation/Insurance: 8
Hotel/Crew Meals: 0
Contract Language: 16
Clarifications/Rumors: 6
Questions
L, ANCFA
Just concerned about these leaves right now and our pairings are trash and can they vote if on a leave and all the VJA and JA and leaves–??
For those of you who might be considering a 30/60/90 day staffing adjustment leave, be advised that you must be a member in good standing in order to vote on a tentative agreement. Therefore, it’s important that you stay current on your dues payments. If you have questions about dues currency and payment options, you may contact the AFA-CWA Membership Services Department (http://www.afacwa.org/membership/) or one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers.
K, ANCFA
How are we paying stock holders dividends and not compensating our front line employees, who have sacrificed to make this company successful? We need to be having base meetings RIGHT NOW about the current standings of our negotiations, motives, where are we going from here? We need to be on the same page BEFORE a TA’d contract is presented. Why are we hiring FA’s if we’re not hiring pilots? Are we hiring FA’s so they have the majority vote of a TA’d contract?
so…are we any closer to a TA? when is our next skdl ‘mediation? haven’t heard anything in a long while…talking to fellow FA’s, we’re all getting frustrated–this whole situation is so shameful for AS! We should be holding base meetings with our union reps right now to ‘boost morale/’share’ views/expectations, as a way to get everyone on the same page re: what we expect, at this point–ie…a $10/hr raise, at least! any ideas…?? Where are we with mediation?
Why are we not having base sits with union reps/negotiators explaining the process and where we stand?
This lack of communication is leaving a really negative feeling for many people. The emotions were running strong for a long time. They are starting to wane,
The Company reserves the right to allocate money to shareholders through the Board of Directors. The negotiating committee is working to solidify a contract that will recognize our Flight Attendants contributions. The committee is working through the economic and non-economic pieces which are very time consuming. Without going into detail over a raise we are looking at more of a percentage based approach versus an exact dollar figure. Mediation dates are scheduled through December of 2013, typically meeting one week each month in a location other than Seattle. There is a difference between base sits, base meetings and road shows. Base sits are typical of AFA Committees such as Reserve, Benefits, ISC and so on. Base meetings are determined by your Local President and must commence during specific times of the year consistent with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. A copy of the AFA Constitution and Bylaws is available online at www.afanet.org. Road shows will be scheduled in conjunction with an entire contract TA being presented to the membership where the negotiating committee will be available to assist in walking you through the contract. It is important for each member to know the existing contract prior to attending the road shows so we may have a informative and productive meeting.
R, LAXFA
A lot of FAs asking question about TA’d opentime section. I’ve asked them to wait for the roadshows but, here are the questions: Where’d the quartile system originate? Is there an airline that uses it? How does it work for them (details)?
People think that this was TA’d without the usual communication to membership. Why weren’t we walked thru this before it was TA’d?
The quartile system originated from membership feedback in the Negotiations Survey and concerns as well as internal discussion amongst your Local Presidents and the Negotiating Committee.
The Committee looked at the current Open Time issues, including the frustration of undesirable trips, down trading and the other pros and cons of contractual provisions specific to OT. Today, the system is broken and does not work for the majority of Flight Attendants. At the bargaining table, AFA and the Company teams felt the stagnation created by the current system was untenable and could not continue.
The changes in our Open Time System tentative agreement are comprehensive and sweeping. Many carriers in our industry (Hawaiian, US Airways East, AA, Piedmont, American Eagle, to name some) incorporate seniority in processing OT transactions somewhere in their OT process, if not throughout it.
Neither we nor the Company want to be locked into a new system that causes more problems than it solves and are exploring “opt out” provisions. We are talking about a “trial” period in which either side could opt out or if certain benchmarks are not met both sides would renegotiate based on the information gained from the experience.
But it is important to understand how the negotiations process works. The negotiators work from the FA survey and input from both the members and the LEC Ps. If the team was to come back to the members with every piece of new language the process would take twice as long. Therefore, the team works closely with the LEC Ps when new language comes up and seeks feedback. The FAs have an option whether to vote for or against a TA when it is completed. Many sections of the TA are tied together, which is why the entire document is presented together at the end.
This Negotiating Committee and MEC made a conscious decision early on to have open negotiations and share as much information as feasible with members. Obviously, this can be a liability because as information comes out during the process we run the risk of members “making up their minds” on single provisions without seeing the entire package.
Comments:
K, ANCFA
We need to remember:
“We are the company”
“We are the union”
Management is corporate greed
After 9/11 we had fear mongering from management about what we needed to do to survive. Contract 2006 we as front line employees we made huge concessions. Then there was the 2010 plan to keep us viable. Then we have them a 2 year extension. Which expires may 1, 2012. We are currently on contract going 7.5 years; 18 months of negotiations. That is shameful, pathetic. After 5 years of record profits and the FA’s bringing 750 million $$$ in profits we need to be in the top of the industry standards for pay and work rules.
Can we please send out a message to the membership about the need to stay current on all union dues in order to vote. Lets just say we get a TA’d contract by the end of December, I hope everyone knows they must still pay their union dues, on time, and on their own dime, to be eligible to vote! Everyone I have spoken to in the 2 days had NO IDEA it was a necessity. Please, please, please.
Afanet.org/payment
That’s the website I have directed people too and it seems to be spot in!
A, LAX,
We want retro pay negotiated in please. Thank you.
B, LAX
We want retro-pay negotiated on this contract.
D, LAX
We want retro pay negotiated in please. Thanks!
I, LAX
I would like retro pay to be negotiated into the contract.
S, LAX, Retroactive pay in the new contract.
C, LAX
We want retroactive pay negotiated in our new contract!
J, LAX
Retroactive pay negotiated into new contract.
M, LAX
Please negotiate back pay for our next contract. Do not let our health benefits increase like the pilot contract. Thanks very much.
J, LAX
Retro Pay or Signing Bonus (We have waited for over 2 years without pay increase).
K, LAX, We want retroactive pay negotiated, please.
D, PDXFA
Needs to change (JN) for no-show. If you no-show for a flight then you’re in (JN) for the next month. Plus cannot trade with open time or another flight attendant. That needs to change. Should not be held responsible for whole month, maybe one trip., or 1 week, but not whole month.
FYI: Trade Jail is eliminated in the new agreement, if ratified.
H, PDXFA
VERY disappointed that none of the new routes just announced (pdx – rno/tus & Sea – cos/oma) are actually Alaska Flights. Skywest & Horizon are NOT Alaska!
S, PDXFA
Very concerned about the company’s decision to launch new service using Skywest.
This is concerning considering the length of the flights. (Sea-oma and Pdx-tus) being comparable to existing flying done on the 737 (pdx/sea –orb and sea-tus.)
This is unprecedented at Alaska…we need SCOPE!
S, SEAFA
It would be great is “multiple trades” on emastro could recognize “open days.” It makes it impossible for those with overlapping trips on the same day to utilize the open day. Thanks!!!
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