Hosted by AFA Director of Collective Bargaining, Clare Burt, the roundtable discussion outlined the creative attempts of AFA to secure improved contracts even during economic downturns in the airline industry.  Alaska airlines recently secured an industry-leading contract through creative negotiations. Following is an update on the status of negotiations at AFA carriers:

Alaska – Tentative Agreement reached on March 10, 2009

American Eagle – contract is amendable in October 2009

America West – began Section 6 negotiations in 2004; recessed by NMB in December 2005; began merged talks in January 2006; requested resumed Section 6 talks in March 2009

Air Wisconsin – began negotiations in January 2009

ASA – ratified a contract in July 2008

Air Tran – began negotiations in January 2008

Hawaiian – awaiting the ratification vote tomorrow, March 31, 2009

Midwest – began negotiations in January 2009

Miami Air – negotiations started in September 2007; were suspended in December 2008 when members rejected a 2.5% increase in exchange for postponing talks

Mesa – began negotiations in 2006 and are currently in mediation

Northwest – currently under a concessionary agreement through December 2011

Piedmont – contract is amendable in August 2009; currently under an agreement related to the restructuring of US Airways

PSA – contract is amendable in August 2009; currently under an agreement related to the restructuring of US Airways

Spirit – began negotiations in 2007; resumed talks in February 2009 after a mutually agreed upon recess

United – will begin negotiations on April 6, 2009

US Airways – began merged talks in 2006; contract amendable in 2010.

Lynx and Ryan International will begin first contract talks this year; both carriers won AFA representation in January 2009

 
The roundtable highlighted two negotiating trends pertinent to the current merged US Airways talks. The first trend involves the push of airline managements to secure preferential bidding systems in agreements. Most managements’ are requesting pre-ratification agreements on PBS, approving a variety of vendors from Navetech to Flightline.

 
The second trend regards the variety of ways in which airlines stall and delay during negotiations.  AFA participants noted negotiations stalling tactics from refusal to agree to non-economic contract issues, to refusal to provide adequate business plan information, to bringing bullet points instead of actual language to the table.

 
Ed Gilmartin, AFA General Council briefed participants on the status of the recent National Mediation Board appointment of Linda Puchala, a former AFA president. The current president on a rotating basis appoints the three members of the NMB. Barrack Obama appointed Puchala to takeover the position of Read Van de Water, a holdover appointment by the Bush administration.  Puchala’s nomination goes to the floor of the Senate and, in the hands of the Democrats, should be approved within a month, as long as no Senate hold is placed on the nomination.

 
Puchala is currently a senior mediator with the National Mediation Board and oversees the Alternate Dispute Resolution program for the Board. Since joining the NMB, she has worked with employees and employers in both the airline and rail industries. She has over 30 years experience in labor relations, which includes serving as the President of the Association of Flight Attendants from 1979 to 1986.

Balancing the AFA Budget

The AFA Budget Committee meets each year at the Board of Directors meeting in order to create a budget that will be approved by the delegates of the BOD.  This year the committee has the difficult job of cutting the budget by over $2 million, due to the reduction of members in the industry from layoffs, furloughs or leaves of absence.  The Budget Committee will balance the budget with the goal of minimizing the reduction to member services at the local and MEC level.

While no one is happy with the assumed cuts in non-constitutionally required training and various committee funding, the focus is on maintaining the funding required for negotiations and system board at all airlines.

During 2009, eighteen carriers will be either in negotiations or will be opening negotiations with airline management.  Additionally, funding is also being reserved for system board in order to retain resources to defend AFA contracts.

In addition to a decrease in members, AFA lost the representation of Aloha Airlines in March 2008 after 62 years of AFA representation, and ATA in April 2008 after 35 years of AFA representation through airline shutdowns last year. While Ryan International and Lynx are two new AFA represented carriers, per the constitution and bylaws, members do not pay dues until after the ratification of the first contract.

The AFA BOD Budget Committee is made up of the four members of the Finance Committee (a standing BOD committee) and four additionally appointed members reflecting the diversity of the various AFA carriers. Council 66 member and former MEC Secretary-Treasurer Mary Cost, has been a member of the Finance Committee for the past 6 years and continues to sit on the committee.

We will provide further information regarding the outcome of the AFA budget at the conclusion of this year’s Board of Directors meeting.

MEC President, Lisa LeCarre  
MEC Vice President, Dorene Fredette
MEC Secretrary-Treasurer, Jeff Albers

 

mec@afa66.org
www.afa66.org