SENIORITY INTEGRATION UPDATE & RENEWED CALL FOR INFORMATION SHARING

Please visit our website http://www.nwaafa.org/resources/merger or click HERE to review the latest correspondence between our Master Executive Council and the Delta Seniority Integration Committee.  In our communication we have again thanked the Delta Seniority Integration Committee for their hard work and recommendations and reiterated our position regarding seniority integration.  We've also made a renewed request for the same access and information about Delta flight attendant seniority and employment data, as the Delta committee was provided over the past year for Northwest flight attendants.  To this date, the sum total of information that we have received to begin our analysis of the Delta flight attendant data is found in the very same Portable Document File (PDF) on Deltanet that all flight attendants have received.  That document is password protected so that it is not printable or convertible.

When Delta management chooses to make all information available to pre-merger Northwest Merger Representatives, we will begin to review the information compiled by the Delta flight attendant Seniority Integration Committee.  The good news is that it appears we will not have a dispute about methodology so, when the time is right, we should be able to reach an agreement very quickly.  Your Master Executive Council looks forward to working with the Delta Seniority Integration Committee, and to a future that we hope will include the possibility of an industry leading, legally binding contract at the world's premier global airline. -- MEC President Janette Rook

NEW AFA INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE CREATES GREATER UNION TRANSPARENCY

All decisions made by the AFA-CWA Board of Directors (BOD) at the recent March 31-April 2 meeting in Milwaukee, are posted on a new website: www.afa-bod.org. Now, AFA-CWA members can view all resolutions and original agenda items submitted to the BOD as well as revisions to, status of and voting on those agenda items. The creation of this website was directed by Agenda Item 21 (see www.afa-bod.org) which sought to make “the union more transparent.” To place an item on the agenda for next year’s Board of Directors meeting, contact your local council officers.  Visit www.afanet.org for more information and links for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. 

FLIGHT ATTENDANT COALITION MEETS

Representatives from all U.S. flight attendant unions met this month at the International Association of Machinists’ (IAM) William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Maryland. The coalition, which meets quarterly, discussed a variety of subjects including joint legislative efforts, health and safety, and collective bargaining.

Pat Friend, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, stated that the unions were looking for ways to ensure that certain rights were a given.  She said, “What can we take off from the bargaining table so that we don’t have to bargain for a safe work place, we don’t have to bargain for reasonable working conditions? Then we can focus on pay, benefits, and a secure retirement.”  Also in attendance were International Transport Federation representatives.

To view a video link about the Flight Attendant Coalition (created by our brothers and sisters at IAM, who represent Continental Flight Attendants) go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X8uf-RhFjw

MEMBERSHIP & DUES INFORMATION

For those flight attendants awarded a SLIP leave effective May 1, 2009 the AFA-CWA Membership Services Department is aware of these leaves and will code your account accordingly.

If you are currently on a SLIP leave and were awarded the SLIP leave effective May 1 you will NOT owe an additional 3 months of dues.  If you are currently active and taking the SLIP leaves starting May 1, you will owe dues for May, June and July.  Keep in mind that dues deducted on the 13th of the month are for THAT month. Therefore if you have dues deduction on May 13th, that will pay for the first month and you will then owe for June and July.

The Membership Services Department of AFA-CWA works diligently to ensure that membership records are maintained accurately and that dues reports and checks are worked in a timely and efficient manner.  This is only possible with the assistance from every flight attendant and your local officers.  Also, review the AFA-CWA Membership Services Website:  www.afanet.org/membership

Always maintain an accurate mailing address on file with your Local Council as well as the AFA-CWA International Office in Washington, DC.  For your convenience you may go to: http://nwaafa.org/onlineforms/contactinfo/

Some helpful tips to ensure you stay in good standing with your dues can be found on our website www.nwaafa.org under the Resources tab -- Submitted by MEC Secretary-Treasurer Lynn Bible

WORKPLACE SAFETY HEARINGS HIGHLIGHT WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY

CWA members and other activists across the country will join together to commemorate Workers Memorial Day 2009, April. 28.  Important health and safety hearings will take place on Capitol Hill with two members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee hearing testimony on safe workplaces.

Also, the House Education and Labor Committee will focus on the reintroduction of the Protecting American Workers Act.  The bill would substantially improve the current OSHA law, adding criminal sanctions for employers with egregious violations.

CWA Occupational Safety and Health Director Dave LeGrande said unions are planning to bring a significant number of family members affected by workplace tragedies to the hearings.

LeGrande said organizers will have large posters of victims of workplace accidents and illnesses that activists can carry with them in a march to Capitol Hill from the Labor Department on Tuesday morning. Participants are asked to gather at 8 a.m. Tuesday on the steps of the DOL building at 200 Constitution Ave., NW.

Our Collective Bargaining Agreement includes protections for anyone involved in an OJI, serious incident and/or accident. Our MEC Air Safety, Health and Security Committee continue to advocate for improvements to our workplace along with strong efforts by our Government Affairs Committee. To read the entire AFA-CWA Interactive story click HERE .

NWA-AFA MASTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT VACANCY

Janette Rook has been elected Master Executive Council President and this creates a vacancy for the MEC Vice President.  The election for MEC Vice President will take place at the next MEC meeting in Altanta on May 12-13, 2009.  If you are interested in being considered for MEC Vice President, please send a letter of interest with a resume to Karen Chapdelaine, Association of Flight Attendants, Master Executive Council, 8011 34th Avenue South, Suite 220, Bloomington, MN  55425, or email to kchapdelaine@nwaafa.org.  For a complete description of the duties of MEC Vice President, please refer to the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws Article VII, 2(b) or click HERE.  Please submit your letters of interest and resumes in a timely manner.  If you have additional questions, please contact your Local Council office or the NWA-MEC office at (952) 241-4100.  As of April 24, we have not received any applications for this position.

NEW MEC COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR

Please join your Master Executive Council in our heartfelt thanks to DTW based flight attendant Rhonda Taylor, for her service over the past several months in her temporary role as Communications Chair.  She graciously agreed to step into that role until the position was filled on a permanent basis.  Please also join us in welcoming NYC based flight attendant Rene Foss on her new appointment as our new MEC Communications Chair.  Rene Foss has long been involved in various areas of union activism and will begin her new role as MEC Communications Chair on April 26.  Rene will carry on her duties as a volunteer in the LEC 91 Government Affairs Committee Chair and continue to advocate on legislation that affects flight attendants.  A warm thank you goes out to both Rhonda and now Rene for taking on this important and challenging endeavor on behalf of our members. 
 

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.  A variety of information sources are available to our members, including the quarterly MEC newsletter all call,  local union bulletin boards, the recorded weekly Hotline message, and of course our websites.  Visit www.nwaafa.org and www.deltaafa.org for information, as well as to sign up for e-news and to view archived MEC Hotlines and campaign information.

STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK

Join World Class Delta Flight Attendants at Facebook to learn and discuss all the latest issues with your peers.  Sign up to view YouTube videos to educate and inspire flight attendants about the endless possibilities at the world's premier airline.

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/.