Greetings,

AFA Latest News

When Do We Vote?

Good question.  We wish there was a simple answer but there is not.

At the moment, our election is being held up by the National Mediation Board (NMB) and the RJET single carrier determination.  The NMB must first rule as to whether or not Frontier and the other subsidiaries owned by RJET are a single carrier for the purpose of representation. 

If the NMB determines that Frontier and the subsidiaries of RJET are not a single carrier the representation election will proceed as normal.  The NMB will determine the schedule for the election and the election would proceed.

If the NMB determines that Frontier and the subsidiaries of RJET are a single carrier there will not automatically be an election at Frontier.  The Frontier flight attendants will be represented by the Teamsters, without ever having voted for them, unless AFA is able to prove that at least 35% of the flight attendants at the RJET subsidiaries are currently represented by AFA and/or has signed an AFA authorization card.  If AFA reaches the 35% threshold there will be an election with both AFA and the Teamsters on the ballot.  If not, the flight attendants at the RJET subsidiaries will be represented by the Teamsters. 

This is why we are continuing to collect AFA cards even though we've already filed for an election.  If you have not already done so, please sign a card (there is one attached to this eline).  If we don't have enough cards we will not get to choose our union in the event the NMB determines that Frontier and the other subsidiaries of RJET are a single carrier. 

When Will the Single Carrier Determination Be Made?

That's up to the NMB.  As part of their research into whether or not the RJET subsidiaries are a single carrier, they asked management to answer a few questions.  Frontier management requested, and was granted, an extension for answering those questions.  The company submitted their answers to the NMB on October 29.  AFA will review the information supplied by the company and will submit comments to the NMB this week. 

What Does the Company Want?

Clearly, the company wants the NMB to determine that Frontier and the subsidiaries of RJET are a single carrier for two reasons.  They want to operate Frontier with employees working under a union contract negotiated at a regional airline (the RJET flight attendant contract) and they do not want us to belong to AFA. 

Frontier/Republic management does not want us to belong to the world's largest and best flight attendant union.  It would be easier for them if AFA would just disappear and they hope the single carrier determination will cause that to happen. 

Let's think about this.  Why don't they want us to belong to AFA?  Because AFA is the best union for flight attendants.  Management does not want us to belong to a union which is singularly focused on flight attendant representation.  AFA does not represent anyone but flight attendants so AFA is never distracted or swayed by what is happening with another employee group at a particular airline.  It is all about flight attendants, only flight attendants.  Management does not want us to have that kind of representation. 

But it is not about what management wants, it is about what flight attendants want. The flight attendants at Frontier want a choice.  We want to choose our union, not have it forced on us. 

Given the opportunity to choose, we will choose AFA.  That is why management and others are working tirelessly to stop us from having that choice.  

Seniority Integration

The McCaskill-Bond Amendment ensures a fair and equitable seniority integration through arbitration, unless the groups are represented by the same union.  The RJET flight attendants are NOT represented by AFA and therefore AFA's merger policy does NOT apply.  Anyone who tells you otherwise is purposely trying to mislead you and you are smarter than that.  Don't fall for it.  Read the AFA Merger Policy on our website (http://www.afafrontier.org/aefiles/AFA%20Merger%20Policy.pdf).

Next E-Line

The next eline will include detailed information about the structure of AFA.  If you have any specific questions you would like answered about AFA's structure, please reply to this email. 

F9 for AFA Coalition of Frontier Flight Attendants