09 January 2009 

NMB RULES ON SINGLE CARRIER STATUS FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Ruling Not for Flight Attendants - On Wednesday, January 7, the NMB rejected Delta's argument that a single carrier finding for pilots, flight dispatchers and meteorologists also applies to the other unions including AFA, the IAM and AMFA.  The NMB ruled that for purposes of representation, the merger of Northwest and Delta has created a single transportation system for the pilots, flight dispatchers and meteorologists, but affirmed AFA's position that a representation election can only be initiated by an employee or a Union.  AFA will file for a single carrier determination when the respective flight attendant work groups have been fully merged.  For a review of the full NMB findings, please go to the MEC webpage or click HERE.  To review AFA's press release please click HERE. -- Update by AFA Legal

EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT TEAMS (EIT) -- BYPASSING OF OUR UNION RIGHTS

Another company memo to solicit flight attendant participation in an EIT came out this week.  This memo demonstrates another one of management's ongoing attempts to divide and conquer flight attendants.  An EIT is a familiar union busting technique.  It has been used historically by many companies to attempt to circumvent the collective bargaining agent and its representatives, and to undermine the union's direct voice.  Our union welcomes and needs all members to actively participate in the process of change, to improve various aspects of our working conditions.  However, we urge you to do so through our AFA Committees, where we have the power to truly make a difference via our negotiated legally binding contractual rights and grievance procedures.  Once again, your union is requesting members to discontinue all participation in Employee Involvement Teams immediately.   

COVER LETTER ENHANCEMENT FOR PURSER BIDDING

With the recommendation of the MEC Purser Committee, the Company has agreed to include "Purser Credit Hours" in the cover letter beginning with the February analysis.  Under section F-STAFFING, you will notice the total amount of Purser hours available for bidding at your particular base.  Since February is the first month for implementing this change, the previous months' hours are not available for comparison.  However, they will be listed in the cover letter on the March analysis.  This information will be useful to Pursers in bidding to determine if Purser hours have increased or decreased at your base.   Let us know what you think of this change at purser@afa.org. -- Submitted by MEC Purser Committee Chair Kim Cook

CIAO TO OUR OUTGOING LABOR SECRETARY CHAO

Our outgoing Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, longest serving member of the original Cabinet appointments in the current Bush administration, wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and member of the board of directors for thirteen corporations that included Northwest Airlines, will be leaving behind a legacy that is pro-corporation and anti-labor.  During her tenure, Secretary Chao has forced locked-out longshoremen back to work without a fair contract, slashed safety and health standards for workers -- especially those in the mining industry -- and gave businesses advice (on DOL's website) on how not to pay workers' overtime by manipulating worker's wages and salary thresholds.  Her husband, Senator McConnell, voted against minimum wage increase and voted for cutting pay for tipped workers in seven states.  In return, they've received campaign contributions, personal gains, and professional appointments and opportunities.  All in all, under Secretary Chao's leadership, we've seen a loss of close to 2.4 million jobs in 2008.  American workers saw no improvement in unemployment benefits or re-employment assistance.  We look toward the future with Secretary of Labor Nominee Hilda Solis, who is expected to look out for American labor's best interest, and protect workers' health, safety, and economic security.

HAVING A VOICE - A-DAY RESERVE OR FULL LINE RESERVE

"I have twenty-five years AND AM STILL ON RESERVE," "no one asked me if I wanted to be on reserve again...and I don't," "I wonder if NWA people know that over half of flight attendants at many bases will be on reserve again," -- the above quotes were comments made by a Delta flight attendant in a recent e-mail exchange to a NWA-AFA officer.  This Delta flight attendant expressed the dismay and frustration shared by many of our Delta colleagues over the lack of control they have in Delta's A-Day reserve system, and of other life changing policy decisions.  Some of our flying partners in the Northwest system, who have been on full-time reserve during the past several years, may express opposite sentiments.  These flight attendants may prefer a reserve system that distributes reserve duties more evenly among all members of the base, so that everyone can share in the responsibility.  Regardless how one may feel about the two distinct reserve systems, the key is to have a say and a right to vote for a system that best suits the majority of our flight attendants.  It is important that we get to decide on all decision-making processes that have a direct impact on our every day professional and personal lives.  If we have the opportunity to negotiate a new joint contract, we will survey all members to decide how this will be handled at the new Delta.  Without a contract, we will take what Delta imposes and like it.  Please click HERE to view Delta A-Day statistics.

CONGRATULATIONS RYAN INTERNATIONAL FOR JOINING OUR AFA-CWA FAMILY

Despite the heavy union-busting efforts of Ryan International Airlines management, aided by the infamous anti-union law firm Ford & Harrison, Ryan International flight attendants triumphed in their fight to gain union representation by voting two to one in favor of having collective bargaining power.  Ryan International, a charter carrier based in Rockford, Illinois, is not only our newest member - Council 67, but is also the first non-union carrier to join AFA-CWA since the two unions merged in 2004.  We salute the courage of our newest 167 union brothers and sisters at Ryan International and we welcome them to our AFA family.  Now they will begin negotiations for a new legally binding contract that provides decent wage and benefits as well as having a voice in shaping the future of their careers.  At the new Delta we hope all flight attendants will follow Ryan International's triumphant choice and seize that same opportunity to collectively bargain for the best contract in the industry, for the world's largest airline.  Click HERE to view AFA's press release.

WILL PREPARATION SERVICES -- BENEFIT RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO ALL

No matter what stage of life we've reached or what our financial situations are, it is always a good idea to be prepared for the time when we are no longer here.  Minnesota Life and our EAP provider, NEAS, are providing Will Preparation services.  Instructions to use these services can be found on RADAR under the Benefits page.  NEAS is a nation-wide EAP service that is available to Northwest flight attendants in addressing individual and organizational health, safety, and productivity needs.

RESERVE CENTRAL -- DAILY/BLOCK RELEASE

A Reserve flight attendant may submit a CENTRY request to be released from his/her on-duty period(s).  If such a request is approved by crew scheduling, the flight attendant will have his/her reserve guarantee reduced by four hours and fifteen minutes (4:15) for each on-duty period released.  When a daily/block release request is submitted, the request will stay in the system and be worked each day until the flight attendant takes the request out.  Therefore, it is possible that a reserve flight attendant can be on a trip or end a trip on the day(s) that the release was awarded and still have his/her guarantee reduced.  The net result could be that the flight attendant lost pay of 4:15, even when they ended up working on at least part of the release day(s).  This issue has been grieved and investigated by your MEC Grievance Committee and we will keep you updated on the progress in resolving this situation.  Please refer to CREW ACCESS system to keep track of all active requests.

In the meantime, AFA is also seeking specific examples of reserves who were awarded reserve daily releases (RX) on top of a flying assignment, which resulted in a loss of pay of flight time for the day of the reserve release.  Example:  Today is Friday.  I am on call Saturday and Sunday.  As a reserve, I request a reserve daily release for Sunday.  On Friday evening, I am given a 2-day trip leaving Saturday morning, arriving back to base on Sunday at 3pm.  I am unable to enter a cancellation of the request.  On Saturday, I am awarded the reserve daily release for Sunday, even though I am flying on that day.  As a result of losing 4:15 for that day because of the reserve daily release being awarded (Sunday), I am in effect not paid for what I have flown.

If you have been impacted in this manner by the award of a reserve daily release (RX), please send an email to mecgrievance@nwaafa.org with all of the details, including your employee number, the date of the reserve daily release, and its impact on your pay for that month.  We are establishing a tentative date for an arbitration of a grievance filed over this issue and we would welcome any additional examples of this harmful practice to add to our arbitration evidence. 

INFORMATION SESSIONS ON VOLUNTARY PROGRAM AND SATELLITE BASES

The company is conducting information sessions around the system.  At each of the bases, the information session will discuss fleeting, bidding, flying, and satellite bases, as well as address the 2009 Voluntary Program.  Some topics are not part of our contractual agreement, and therefore the union is not able to negotiate these topics on behalf of our members.  Early Out and 55 Point are both Company-sponsored programs.  If you are thinking about participating in either program, we strongly urge all members to consult a financial advisor before submitting your election, because once you submit  your consent to participate, your election cannot be revoked.   As for satellite bases, our union is still in ongoing negotiations with the Company to work out details of the program.

AROUND THE SYSTEM - BRING A COLLEAGUE. GET MOTIVATED. GET INVOLVED.

The MEC meeting schedule and the Local Meeting schedule are found under the "Events" tab at www.nwaafa.org.  Delta Flight Attendants will be invited to local union meetings throughout the country in the coming year, and there will be mixers and trainings planned and posted at www.deltaafa.org as well. 

GOT MERGER QUESTIONS?  GET ANSWERS!   

You are always welcome to contact your AFA-CWA Local officers, whose contact information is found at nwaafa.org.  Another way to get accurate answers to merger questions is to email Questions@nwaafa.org.  As additional information is gathered, it will be reported in hotline messages, our quarterly printed MEC newsletter all call, in Union bulletin boards, and on the websites.  Archived editions of the MEC merger Q&A the source and the Contract vs. Policy Manual postcards are posted on the MEC website.  To sign up for the joint campaign e-news and read past campaign publications visit www.deltaafa.org.

DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR UNION PIN! 

Click HERE or visit www.afanet.org for information about AFA-CWA union structure and the history of the AFA-CWA.  Dues & Member Q&A can be viewed here: http://nwaafa.org/resources/dues/.