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AFA Now Represents Virgin America Flight Attendants

AFA confirmed as the collective-bargaining representative for Virgin America Flight Attendants

The National Mediation Board (NMB) has confirmed AFA as the collective-bargaining representative for Virgin America InFlight Teammates (ITMs).* Effective immediately, AFA takes over representation of Virgin America Flight Attendants from our sisters and brothers in the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). We are the first union to achieve consolidated representation in the merger between Alaska Airlines and Virgin America.

* Going forward, AFA will refer to Virgin America ITMs as “Flight Attendants” unless there is a need to distinguish between the two. This is in order to maintain consistency in the AFA family of over 50,000 Flight Attendants at 20 carriers.

Transitional Local Council 35 Virgin America Officers to be appointed very soon

The Master Executive Council (MEC) expects AFA International President Sara Nelson to appoint a Transitional President and Secretary for the newly formed AFA Transitional Local Council 35 Virgin America SFO-JFK-LAX very soon. Pursuant to the AFA Constitution & Bylaws Article III.A.2 [Local Councils and Local Executive Councils: Establishment of Transitional Local Councils for Newly Organized Carriers], President Nelson has been soliciting input from VX F/As for names of potential appointees. The deadline for submitting potential appointees ended this past Wednesday, April 11, 2017.

Each potential appointee must have received a minimum of two recommendations and signed a commitment to serve. (The commitment to serve statement was included in a linked electronic recommendation form that was distributed to Virgin America F/As via company email.) The appointed Transitional Officers will serve as Council 35 leadership for a period of approximately four to six months until elections can be held to fill those positions.

Click here for more information >

Compensation

AFA is aware that non-represented employees at Virgin America typically receive wage increases around this time of year. We are very concerned that VX Flight Attendants have not received a wage increase in several years, which currently places VX F/A pay at the bottom of the industry. Consequently, AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to meet in order to discuss this subject at our earliest opportunity. Once appointed, the AFA Transitional Local Council 35 President will also represent VX F/As in those discussions.

Virgin America Flight Attendants: Sign Up to Get Involved!

Involvement is one of the key hallmarks of AFA.  As a member-driven Union, the more people who get involved, the better off we are. We are “Stronger Together, Better Together.” If any Virgin America (VX) Flight Attendants are interested in getting involved in AFA and Council 35, we want to know!  If you are a VX F/A, please take a few moments to complete the volunteer interest form, and let us know how you might be interested in getting involved.

Click here to access the Council 35 Involvement Interest Form (Virgin America only) >>

Vacancies for two Virgin America Merger Representatives and one Joint Negotiating Committee member will be posted soon

In the coming weeks, the Master Executive Council will be soliciting applications from Virgin America Flight Attendants to fill vacancies for two Merger Representatives to serve in the Seniority Merger Integration Committee and for one Joint Negotiating Committee member. The MEC will review applications and interview final candidates prior to filling vacancies.

 

For additional information regarding the duties of a Merger Representative in the Seniority Merger Integration Committee, click here >

 

For additional information regarding the duties of a Joint Negotiating Committee member, click here >

 

If you have any further questions, contact your LEC president; Virgin America F/As may email vx@afaalaska.org.

 

In Solidarity,

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

Virgin America ITMs: Ready to Get Involved?

We are anticipating that the National Mediation Board (NMB) will rule this week that AFA is the collective bargaining representative for Virgin America ITMs.  In anticipation of this ruling, the process of getting an AFA Local Council established and set up for Virgin America ITMs is already underway.  AFA Council 35 will be made up of all Virgin America ITMs based at JFK, LAX, and SFO and will be a part of the Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council.

Transitional Local Council Officer Appointments

Transitional Local Council Officers for Council 35, both a President and a Secretary, will be appointed by the AFA International Officers soon after the NMB issues its determination that AFA is the collective bargaining representative.  Transitional Officers will serve for a period of approximately four to six months until elections can be held to fill those positions.

If you haven’t already shared your feedback regarding who you would like to serve in these appointed positions, please do so by completing the online form (link provided by email).   Just a reminder that the feedback period will close on Wednesday, April 11.

Sign Up to Get Involved! 

Involvement is one of the key hallmarks of AFA.  As a member-driven Union, the more people get involved, the better your Local Council and our Union will function.  If you’re interested in getting involved in AFA and Council 35, we want to know!  Please take a few moments to complete the volunteer interest form and let us know how you might be interested in getting involved.

Click here to access the Council 35 Involvement Interest Form >>

Questions?

If you have any questions, please send an email to vx@afaalaska.org.

 

In Solidarity,

Your AFA Alaska MEC Executive Officers – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer and Linda Christou

AFA Welcome Message to the Virgin America InFlight Teammates

[Note: The following email was sent to all Virgin America InFlight Teammates at 9:30am PT on Wednesday, April 5, 2017.]

To: Virgin America InFlight Teammates

From: Jeffrey Peterson, AFA Alaska Master Executive Council President

Reply To: vx@afaalaska.org

Welcome to the AFA Family, Virgin America InFlight Teammates!

We look forward to the National Mediation Board (NMB) certifying the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) as your collective bargaining representative, and we expect that certification around April 14th or shortly thereafter. The 50,000 Flight Attendants from 20 airlines in AFA are very excited to include you and strengthen our union with your participation.

Sign Up for AFA Communications

Alaska Air Group management has allowed AFA to utilize the Virgin America email system in order to contact you. Going forward, we will steer away from using company email, so we encourage you to sign up for AFA communications using a private (non-Company) email address by following this link: http://afanewsletters.org/subscribe/.

Representation from your Ranks

As AFA members, you have the right to representation from your Flight Attendant ranks at Virgin America. Shortly after each of you signs an AFA membership application, we will begin elections for union officers. It is critical that you complete a membership application right away so that you can vote for your union officers.

We encourage all Virgin America InFlight Teammates (ITMs) to learn more about what it means to represent your flying partners and serve as an AFA leader. Your resources include the AFA International and AFA Alaska websites as well as the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws.

In the meantime, the AFA International Officers will appoint two Virgin America ITMs to serve as Transitional President and Secretary of your new AFA Transitional Local Council at Virgin America.

We value your input and would be thrilled to hear from you by Wednesday, April 12th about who you would like to have appointed as Transitional Officers.

Please fill out this form to volunteer yourself or to recommend your flying partner for AFA Virgin America leadership > (Link removed.)

Transitional Officers serve for a period of approximately four to six months until elections can be held to fill those positions.

Compensation

AFA is aware that non-represented employees typically receive wage increases around this time of year. We are very concerned that ITMs have not received a wage increase in several years, which currently places your pay at the bottom of the industry. Consequently, AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to meet in order to discuss this subject at our earliest opportunity.

We anticipate the NMB’s certification of AFA as your representative as soon as April 14th, so the parties are tentatively planning to meet the following week. Your Transitional Local Council President will also represent you in those discussions, which is why it is so important for you to provide your input by completing the AFA Virgin America Recommendations for Appointed Leadership form. (Link removed.)

AFA Membership Application

The next step in continuing to build your strong Flight Attendant union is a membership drive. We will send an AFA Membership application to your mailing address on file with the company. Or, if you’d like to get a head start you may download and print the application from our website and send the completed form to the address printed on the application. We will send you an AFA pin and information about our union. Several of your flying partners and AFA officers at Alaska are helping with the membership drive by visiting the Virgin Villages and carrying membership applications and AFA pins to share with you as well.

If you would like to help with the membership drive and/or support AFA Virgin America in another capacity, please reply “I Want to Help!” to this newsletter.

Remember, you pay NO DUES until you vote on and approve a contract.

AFA Recognizes the Distinctive Culture at Virgin America

AFA recognizes the distinctive culture you have built at Virgin America, including the unique name for your role: Inflight Teammate. Going forward, AFA will be using the more traditional title of “Flight Attendant” in reference to our profession. Please know that AFA celebrates the culture at each of our carriers and will continue to do so throughout this merger between Virgin America and Alaska Airlines—and beyond.

Ask any question you may have and know that you are valued. We often remind each other in AFA: It doesn’t matter if you’ve been here for five minutes or thirty years. You are becoming a member of the Association of Flight Attendants and your union stands with you. We are Stronger Together, Better Together.

Once again, welcome to the AFA Family, Virgin America Flight Attendants!

In Solidarity,

Sara Nelson

AFA-CWA International President

Jeffrey Peterson

AFA-CWA Alaska Master Executive Council President

Once the NMB certifies AFA as the collective bargaining representative at Virgin America, we anticipate more merger-related activities to occur at a faster pace. The Master Executive Council (MEC) will continue to keep you updated on developments as they occur.

In Solidarity,

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

Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Update: March 1, 2017

Merger Negotiations Protocol Agreement meeting

Your AFA Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) members, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Lindsey Steele and MEC President Jeff Peterson, met with Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider and Managing Director of Labor Relations Elizabeth Ryan on February 15, 2017, at the Doubletree Seattle Airport to discuss a merger negotiations protocol agreement. AFA Senior Staff Attorney and Negotiator Kimberley Chaput filled in for our regular professional negotiator, Paula Mastrangelo, who had a scheduling conflict. A merger negotiations protocol agreement essentially sets the framework for merger negotiations, covering such items as frequency and location of meetings, table etiquette and expectations and how Alaska and Virgin America would operate until we have a joint agreement.

AFA had drafted the protocol agreement in advance of the session. Management reviewed it and prior to the meeting told us that they did not have any noteworthy concerns besides the references to a “joint collective-bargaining agreement.” We arrived at the session anticipating that it would merely consist of finding a mutually agreeable alternative term, signing the document and discussing any new information about the merger.

Dispute over each party’s understanding of their respective obligation to bargain

However, management presented AFA with a revised draft protocol agreement containing language that led to a discussion about each party’s understanding of their respective obligation to bargain and the scope of such bargaining. Management’s primary claim is they are not contractually obligated to negotiate a joint collective-bargaining agreement (JCBA). It is clear from the session that management wants to negotiate solely on the mechanics of bringing the Virgin America Inflight Teammates (ITMs) under our current agreement and nothing more. Management’s position at the table also echoes previous statements that executive management has made on the subject. Our position is that we are putting together two work groups and need to reach agreement on all topics. AFA has indicated to management and in previous membership releases that there must be improvements for the Alaska Flight Attendants as well as for the Virgin America ITMs.

Read more >

When pressed for justification, management cited a federal circuit court case to support their position, but AFA’s reading of the case indicates that it actually supports our position there is a duty to bargain. Moreover, management claims that since Alaska is the surviving carrier and not a successor, CBA §4.C [Status of Agreement: Labor Protective Provisions], which sets forth the obligation to bargain, does not apply. The parties reached a temporary stalemate of sorts, so AFA agreed to further review related case law and precedent prior to the parties reconnecting to determine next steps.

Differing bargaining objectives

AFA and Alaska Legal have since had an opportunity to discuss the dispute. From the preliminary conversations we have had so far, it is becoming obvious the parties do not agree on our respective bargaining objectives. However, management acknowledges that we have to negotiate some kind of merger agreement–although what exactly that might look like remains to be seen.

Merger negotiations will not begin until well after the NMB’s decision on single-carrier status and representation

Keep in mind that actual merger negotiations will not begin until well after the National Mediation Board (NMB) issues a decision on single-carrier status and representation. AFA does not know exactly when that will be, but we are anticipating a ruling in the next few months. Once that occurs, AFA will move forward to the next steps in the process. Just one example of many: We will eventually add representation from the Virgin America ITMs to the JNC.

AFA and management are currently discussing how to get the protocol agreement back on track, and AFA will continue to update you on our progress.

In Solidarity,

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

Your Joint Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput (substituting for AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo)

Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Update: January 31, 2017

There have been concerns raised to your Master Executive Council (MEC) leadership about what exactly the acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Air Group and the subsequent merger between Alaska Airlines and Virgin America will mean for the AFA Alaska contract. Specifically, the question on the minds of many: If the Virgin America In-flight Teammates (ITMs) ratify a second tentative agreement between the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) (the union representing the ITMs) and Alaska Airlines management, will our joint contract negotiations result in a deterioration of the “legacy Alaska” compensation and/or work rules? These concerns have been brought about by a recent communication from Alaska Airlines management to the Virgin America ITMs that hints an impending second tentative agreement (TA) and provides management’s perspective regarding the TA.

Be assured our bargaining objectives will not be negatively affected if the Virgin America (VX) ITMs have a contract, because the “floor” for our talks will be the AFA Alaska contract. In our preliminary discussions so far, Alaska Airlines management has indicated they want to simply assimilate the Virgin America ITMs into our contract with minimal or no changes. It is clear from executive management on down that they are not expecting to “negotiate” any changes to the AFA Alaska contract.

For example, check out the video of the Alaska and Virgin America Day One Town Hall in which MEC President Jeff Peterson asks Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden about expectations related to the merger for enriching the Alaska labor group contracts. The video can be accessed by going to “AS+VX Day 1 roundup: Photos, videos and celebration” on Alaskasworld.com (login required), scrolling down to “Employee and teammate town hall” and clicking on the link to the full version of the town hall. Jeff’s question is found between 51:15 and 52:00 and Brad’s answer is between 52:00 and 53:15.

In spite of this prevailing opinion amongst management, we have indicated there must be improvements for the Alaska Flight Attendants as well as for the Virgin America ITMs.  The recent communication from Alaska Airlines management to the VX ITMs spoke of them getting the AFA Alaska pay and work rules, not lesser ones. Management also referred to our contract as “industry leading.”

Certainly, management recognizes there is no going backwards. We all want make this merger a success.  Undermining the pay, protections and benefits in our contract would be a disastrous for the merger. Finally, all AFA Alaska and AFA Virgin America members in good standing (dues current) will get to vote on the joint contract, so we are going to move forward in solidarity to improve the legacy Alaska contract.

Beyond providing this information to our membership, it is important that AFA Alaska does not speculate any further on TWU VX’s ratification process and how it may affect the merger of our groups. The VX ITMs should have the space to take part in their democratic vote without influence or interference from anyone, including us. The MEC encourages the VX ITMs to talk to their TWU leadership for any specific concerns or questions regarding their contract negotiations.

Until the NMB makes the determination that AFA is the representing union for Virgin America, the MEC affirms the right of TWU VX to achieve a historic first contract. As a reminder, AFA filed for single carrier status with the NMB on January 5, 2017. AFA looks forward to representing the Virgin America ITMs in the near future!

In Solidarity,

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

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