AFA-CWA “Date of Hire” Protects Flight Attendants in Seniority Integration Process

A three-member arbitration panel ruled late Monday evening on the pilot seniority integration question.  Attached is a summary of the decision, written by AFA General Counsel Ed Gilmartin.  Leaving something as sacred as seniority to a disinterested third party arbitrator is risky business. 

Pilot leaders from NWA and Delta each made their case on how to best protect their groups.  The decision rendered by the arbitrators resulted in a very complicated award that did not give either side what they wanted.  Many of our members want us to dissect this decision and contemplate how it will compare to our future seniority integration with Delta, but to compare the two would be like comparing apples to oranges:

—  In AFA, we have “date of hire” seniority integration - regardless of where we fly, where we're based, etc.  We know what our seniority is and what it will be. Our process is simple, fair and transparent.

— The pilots tried to figure it out on their own.  Since they couldn't come to agreement independently, they hired outside arbitrators to make the decision for them.  With AFA, we'll know ahead of time exactly where we stand, and won't need to go through this tenuous ordeal.

—  Arbitrators give arbitrary decisions. It is the nature of the beast.  Some will gain and, conversely, others will lose.  With AFA's “date of hire” system, the process is fair and our seniority is guaranteed.

— AFA-CWA Policy in our Constitution and Bylaws is simple and straightforward:  http://www.afanet.org/cb/default.asp?id=61. This pilot award is over 30 pages in length; helping some while seemingly disenfranchising others.

We will post the entire decision after we remove the pilots' personal information, so you can read the decision yourself.  We're sure you'll come to the same conclusion:  There is too much at stake to not have AFA-CWA representation and “date of hire” seniority integration protection.

Flight attendants should focus on the fact that, unlike ALPA, we have a clear-cut position on seniority integration that is based on a “seniority bid date,” under our collective bargaining agreement.  “Seniority bid date” integration is fair and simple.  An honest integration process that respects years of service would unite us as we become the largest flight attendant group in the world.