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SFO Co-Terminal Negotiations Update

Back in January, AFA communicated that management had approached AFA regarding their desire to negotiate a co-terminal agreement for the SFO domicile.

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The Master Executive Council (MEC) then conducted interviews for three Special Negotiating Committee (SNC) members and appointed them in February.

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The SFO Co-term SNC met in early April for negotiations training and preparation. During that session, the SNC determined that a proposed SFO Co-terminal Agreement would have to contain significant improvements for all Flight Attendants (not just for those in the SFO domicile) in order for a tentative agreement to have a chance of ratification by a majority of the membership. With that prerequisite in mind, the SNC developed a conceptual proposal (a non-binding proposal, or “supposal”) and passed it to management for their consideration.

Management recently responded to the conceptual proposal:

Thank you for sending us AFA’s conceptual proposal to consider while negotiating co-terminals for SFO.  It is our understanding that the Special Negotiating Committee strongly believes we would need to implement many of the items listed in the proposal in order to have the SFO co-terminals voted in by AFA membership. 

As you know, the difference in savings is relatively small between opening a SJC FA base, and opening SFO co-terminals. Given that, we have very little to play with in order to implement items in AFA’s Conceptual Proposal, while still achieving savings and efficiency for the company greater than (or equal to) those that the company would gain by opening an SJC base. 

As such, it would appear that continuing to negotiate a deal between the two parties in order to achieve SFO co-terminals is not productive. Please let us know if you’d like to continue the discussion, or if you agree that the parties should respectfully walk away at this point and acknowledge a deal could not be reached at this time on SFO co-terminals.

The MEC concurs with management’s assessment that the parties should respectfully walk away from further negotiations. We sincerely thank the SFO Co-Terminal Special Negotiating Committee members for their service.

The MEC has been holding off on publishing these details in deference to management’s desire to take the lead on communicating plans for a San Jose Flight Attendant base. However, the MEC has become aware via social media that Inflight executive management has been openly talking to line Flight Attendants about such plans. Consequently, we feel an obligation to get in front of potential rumors and confirm to our members that the reports are true: Management intends to open a SJC base in the next year or so.

We know our members will have many questions. Once management provides the MEC with more concrete information, we will pass those details along to you.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Introducing Your SFO Co-Terminal Special Negotiating Committee

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for three Special Negotiating Committee (SNC) Member positions related to negotiation of a possible San Francisco co-terminal agreement. The MEC thanks the candidates for demonstrating their willingness to represent our Flight Attendants.

After thorough deliberation, the voting members of your MEC, consisting of the six directly-elected LEC presidents, have appointed Virginia Fritz, Justin Wetherell and Ashley Toles to the positions.

About the SNC Members

Virginia Fritz

Virginia became a Flight Attendant with Virgin America in 2015, and she has been the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson for AFA Council 35 in San Francisco since August 2018.  She has supported Legacy Virgin America Flight Attendants during the transition to the JCBA by training Flight Attendants on NAVBLUE and Crew Access. Virginia is a former resident of the Bay Area and currently commutes to SFO.

Justin Wetherell

Justin Wetherell currently serves as Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson for AFA Council 30 in Anchorage, a role he began in January 2017.  He has also been an inflight instructor since April 2017.  Previously, Justin served as Local Communications Committee Chairperson in Anchorage and a member of the Inflight Service Committee. Justin has been Anchorage-based since he was hired in July 2015. Prior to being hired at Alaska, he was an Anchorage-based Flight Attendant for Horizon Air. In his spare time, Justin volunteers at local schools to share his joy for aviation.

Ashley Toles

Ashley became a Flight Attendant with Virgin America in 2015 and has been at the SFO base ever since then. Ashley completed her undergraduate education at University of California, Santa Barbara and earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Early Modern British Literature. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Ashley is a licensed attorney and enjoys doing pro bono work for those who would not otherwise be able to afford legal representation.

About the SNC Chief Negotiator

AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

Kimberley Chaput has been an AFA attorney and negotiator since 2000.  She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana and her law degree from the University of Oregon.  Kimberley has negotiated contracts at several carriers including Horizon, Mesa, American Eagle (now Envoy) and Alaska, along with sideletters at several other airlines.  She lives on the Oregon coast with her daughter, Josie.

About the SNC Chairperson

MEC President Jeffrey Peterson

Jeffrey Peterson grew up in Anchorage, AK, and graduated from A.J. Dimond High in south Anchorage.  Jeff achieved a Presidential Scholar Award in 1991 and went on to attain a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.  Prior to becoming a Flight Attendant, he spent several years in hotel management working in San Diego and San Francisco for Marriott International and a Marriott hotels franchise company.  He started out his Flight Attendant career in 1999 in the Los Angeles domicile.  Jeff has also been based in Seattle and now San Diego.  He has served as AFA-CWA Alaska MEC President since July 1, 2011.  Jeff currently splits his time between his family’s condo in Puerto Vallarta and the AFA office in Seattle.

About the SNC

The Special Negotiating Committee will be responsible for entering into discussions with Alaska Airlines management to negotiate a possible co-terminal agreement for the SFO domicile.  Currently, a co-terminal agreement is in place for the LAX domicile, where Flight Attendants can, in addition to LAX, start and end trips at Burbank (BUR), Ontario (ONT), Orange County (SNA) and theoretically Long Beach (LGB) if Alaska Airlines ever resumes service to that airport. Section 28.F.7 of the collective bargaining agreement requires that the parties will negotiate provisions similar to those in 28.F (to cover the new co-terminals) if the Company were to open co-terminals at any other domicile.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

SFO Co-Terminal Negotiations

Management has recently approached AFA regarding their desire to negotiate a co-terminal agreement for the SFO domicile.  Alaska Airlines currently operates a co-terminal agreement at LAX, which allows pairings to be built to begin and end at co-terminal airports through the Los Angeles metropolitan area.  If adopted, an SFO co-terminal agreement would allow a similar arrangement for pairings to begin and end at co-terminal airports throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Why Negotiations?  Can’t Management Just Open Co-Terminals?

Though management retains the right to open and close domiciles at their discretion within the guidelines spelled out in the collective bargaining agreement, co-terminals are not domiciles in themselves but rather additional airports that are part of a single domicile.  There is no contractual mechanism that allows management to add additional airports to a domicile, therefore an agreement must be negotiated. 

Special Negotiating Committee To Be Formed

The voting members of your Master Executive Council (MEC), consisting of the six directly-elected LEC Presidents, have approved the creation of a special negotiating committee to negotiate a co-terminal agreement with management.  The committee will consist of three Negotiating Committee Members who will be selected by the MEC.  The MEC President serves as Chairperson of the committee per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

Although a co-terminal agreement would certainly effect Flight Attendants based at SFO, it would also have a further reaching impact throughout the system.  With more trips being able to begin and end at co-terminal airports, there would likely be a reduction in layovers in these locations. The systemwide distribution of flying would also be impacted as co-terminal airports would begin accommodating pairings built out of those locations.  For this reason, the Special Negotiating Committee positions are open to Flight Attendants from all domiciles.

Special Negotiating Committee Positions

Scope of the Special Negotiating Committee

The Special Negotiating Committee will negotiate an agreement for co-terminal airports to be added to the SFO domicile.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Special Negotiating Committee

From Section VI.A.2 of the AFA-CWA Policy Manual

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

a.         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.

b.         All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”

c.         Committee members shall be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.

d.         Committee members shall 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. (e.g., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).

e.         Committee members shall maintain a current record of the:

(1)        Financial condition of the company.

(2)        Management lines of authority and methods of communication.

(3)        Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.

f.          Committee members shall 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.

g.         The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator, shall prepare the contract opener.

h.         The Committee shall provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations through, for example, newsletters, hotlines, telephone trees, etc.

i.          The Committee shall 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.

Expectations/Qualifications

  • Appointed by the AFA Alaska MEC and terms are served to completion at the approval of the MEC.  Takes direction from the chairperson of the Special Negotiating Committee (i.e. in this case the MEC President) with input from the AFA International Collective Bargaining Department (i.e. staff negotiator) and Legal Department (i.e. staff attorney).  After successful ratification of the SFO Co-Terminal Agreement will continue to serve as a contract interpretation resource for the agreement.
  • Maintain a complete record of negotiations including proposals, notes and communications. Such record is the property of AFA-CWA.
  • Public interactions (including social media) must reflect favorably on AFA Alaska.  If requested by AFA Alaska, Special Negotiating Committee Members must be willing to reasonably limit social media interactions for the duration of preparation, negotiations and implementation.
  • Ability to tolerate controversy amongst one’s peers.
  • Willing to travel for training, preparation, negotiations, roadshows and other meetings as needed.
  • Must be willing to adjust her/his schedule as needed, sometimes with very little notice.

Flight Pay Loss/Expenses

  • 6 TFP for each 8 hours of work 
  • Travel time is unpaid; exceptions will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
  • Meal & incidentals and other expenses to be reimbursed according to AFA Alaska Policy Manual and AFA-CWA C&B.

How to Express Interest In the Positions

  • Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest letter and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org.
  • The expression of interest letter should include responses to the following questions:
    • What interests you about this position?
    • Why do you believe you are a good candidate for the position?
    • What is your understanding of the LAX co-terminal agreement that is currently in place?
  • The deadline for applications is Friday, February 1, 2019 at 5 PM Pacific time.
  • Linda will contact applicants to coordinate an interview with the MEC and arrange travel (if necessary).  Interviews will be held at the AFA MEC Office in Seattle, WA on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

Questions?

Any questions regarding Special Negotiating Committee positions should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

[AS] Paine Field (PAE) Operations

For release to pre-merger AS councils only

Alaska Air Group has announced the intent to operate Alaska Airlines mainline flights out of Paine Field (PAE) in Everett, WA sometime in late 2018. Management has informally expressed interest to AFA in discussing a co-terminal agreement out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Driving distance between SEA and PAE is approximately 40 miles. Paine Field may not be made into a SEA co-terminal pursuant to §28.F.7 [Domiciles: Co-terminals] without mutual agreement between the parties.

It is far too early to speculate on how operations out of Paine Field might affect Inflight operations. Be assured that AFA will keep you updated once formal discussions regarding PAE begin with management.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

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