In This Weeks Hotline . . .

AQ HELP | MSP AQ | GRIEVANCES | SKEDS UPDATE | RSV TRADES | COMPASS | AUCTION | NEW VIDEO

SURVIVING AQ: CHANGES MADE, RESOURCES AVAILABLE

Continuing feedback from members has allowed our negotiated MEC ASHS Committee to represent our interests in needed changes regarding inconsistencies in the AQ training curriculum, inaccuracies in the latest Resource Guide and concerns with specific facilitators in their evaluation of exit proficiencies.

Please be aware that the Resource Guide was revised on September 1st, with another revision to be issued and effective October 1st.  Ensure that you receive the latest version in preparation for AQ.

The following summarizes the study resources available to further assist with AQ preparation:

• Aircraft Matrix (dated September 1st) and Emergency and Evacuation Commands (dated August 1st) can be accessed and printed via ATLAS under Hot Links; click on Integration Related Changes then Tools/Resources.
• Exit Operation Videos can be viewed via LMS and DeltaNet.
• On LMS in ATLAS, click on Catalog, then Inflight – Supplemental Training Video and go to Content.
• On DeltaNet, scroll down to Inside In-Flight, click on Learning, then Video Library and Exit Operations.
• Review    Once you have completed the required CBT, you may go back to the individual aircraft modules for further review.  Log onto LMS on ATLAS, select Learning History then Review Content next to the AQ CBT.

We look forward to your continued feedback and specific concerns as a result of the AQ experience.  Section 11.G. – Training Curriculum Development and Section 22 – Safety, Security and Health provide us with a crucial voice in the workplace.  Let us hear from you!

— Submitted by MEC Air Safety, Health and Security Committee

DE-STRESSING YOUR AQ/IQ TRAINING IN MSP

For those of you wanting to go to MSP a day early to eliminate training stress, SEA AFA EAP Chair Jill Holland has compiled a list of several hotels that give a NW/DL discount:

• La Quinta = $42 ($48 incl. tax).  Includes continental breakfast and will drive to the Park Plaza, airport, or Building F but not Building N (NATCO) where training takes place.  Culvers restaurant next door; no refrigerators in rooms.  952-881-7311.
• Comfort Inn = $49 ($58 incl. tax).  Continental breakfast included; van will take you to the airport.  No refrigerators in rooms.  952-854-3400.
• Park Plaza = $79 plus tax. This is where our rooms for training are reserved.  15% off food and non-alcoholic beverages; happy hour 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.   Perkins restaurant 5 minutes walk away.  No refrigerators in rooms.  The bus comes to the hotel about an hour before class starts, and delivers you back after class.  952-831-3131.
• Crowne Plaza = $89 plus tax.  Continental breakfast included.  There is a shuttle/van that will take you to Building N and the airport.  There are three Crowne Plaza hotels by the airport, but this one is at 2700 Pilot Knob Rd. in Eagan.  651-454-3434.
• Westin Edina Galleria  Great location across from the Southdale Mall at 3201 Galleria in Edina.  Probably a AAA discount but no "official" NW/DL discount.  866-716-8104 or 952-567-5000.

When you get to Building N there is a room for bags behind the sign-in desk that also has a refrigerator trainees can use.  The cafeteria closes at 1:30 p.m., so you can order from three choices (sandwich, salad or wrap) and it will be in the "grab and go" cooler; you can build yourself a sandwich and place it in the downstairs refrigerator; or you can plan on buying the caterers' hot meal that is delivered at 6 p.m. in the commons for $8.00 (includes hot entree, salad, bread, desert and drink).

Classes have been getting out a little early on the last day, so book the closest departure – and don't forget to explore our negotiated reciprocal jumpseat/cabin seat agreements for other travel options.  Good luck at training!

— Submitted by Jill Holland, SEA AFA EAP Chair

GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE UPDATE

On September 16th, MEC Grievance Chair Greg Riffle, Vice Chair Patricia Reller and AFA legal counsel Peter Swanson met with Susan Kramer, Managing Director – Labor Relations and Brian Moreau, Director – Flight Attendant Scheduling in front of mediator Marlene Gold to discuss several outstanding grievances and open issues.

We are pleased to announce that the meeting was fruitful, resulting in the following:

1. The company agreed to pay a flight attendant 4:15 who was forced to repeat a day of training because she did not sign out after training.
2. NW agreed to meet and discuss a recent termination with the possibility of returning the flight attendant to work.
3. The union agreed to provide the company with a list of OPR lounges with the most egregious problems, with an eye to correcting those problems.
4. Several discipline issues were settled with a reduction in the Performance Development Levels.
5. The union and the company agreed to arbitrate the management flying grievance on October 14 and 15 in front of arbitrator Fred Horowitz. However, both parties also agreed to continue to meet before then and discuss this issue with the hopes of settling prior to arbitration.
6. The company agreed to fix the discriminatory practice of allowing pilots to jumpseat on weight restricted flights while removing jumpseating flight attendants.  Thank you to DTW Council 94 flight attendants Sara Ruiz and Marianne Hesselbein for bringing this to our attention and for providing copious amounts of accurate documentation. (A company email addressing this change in policy is posted on ATLAS.)

As you know, a grievance was recently filed addressing the poor quality of the uniform vest and tie. After that filing, the vendor responded that the fabric of the vest was "delicate" and great care should be exercised when wearing it!  Apparently that didn't fix the problem and Delta is now wear testing a new vest and tie.  This proves – as with the second set of wings – that our contractual grievance process is working.  We will continue to chip away at other outstanding uniform issues.

Another flight attendant was brought back to work this week making a total of 5 wrongfully terminated flight attendants returned to their jobs since April.

— Submitted by MEC Grievance Committee Vice Chair Patricia Reller

AFA SCHEDULING COMMITTEE AND NW MEET IN MSP

Representatives from your Local Executive Councils and the MEC Scheduling Committee held their biannual meeting this week in MSP.  The AFA Purser Committee was invited to attend, along with several flight attendant managers from around the system.  Here are some of the notes from the meeting on Tuesday:

• Results from the AFA and Northwest flight attendant pattern construction survey directly influenced upcoming changes to DC9 pairings.  You may have read that the pilots and flight attendants will no longer be paired on the DC9 beginning November 1, 2009.  The first round of patterns for the November bid month more closely match flight attendant preferences for fewer onerous 5 day trips, and more 2-3 day patterns.
• Delta has not yet provided its 2010 flying schedule so it was difficult to discuss headcount at each base and to review related issues.  Given the current trend of less instead of more, it isn't likely we'll see any measurable increase of either domestic or international flying.  We can pass along that charter operations are very healthy and the company intends to dedicate at least 2 B744 aircraft for mostly CRAF/AMC operations.  NYC will see more capacity added from LGA as part of Delta's recently negotiated slot and gate deal at that airport.
• The Company will be parking NW B747-200 freighters by year's end.  Because of government regulations that require a carrier to "use or lose" a slot, some new cities could be served from NRT, and we could see increased frequency to popular destinations like GUM and SPN.  While this could affect trip length in the Pacific, it could also provide an increase in hours for bid at the bases.  Look for more news on this in the coming months.

Complete notes from our meeting will be posted on the MEC website under the "Committees / Scheduling" tab.  The MEC would like to thank the representatives from each base that attended and worked to make this meeting a success.  We would also like to thank the NW Scheduling Department for a productive and informative day.

The next meeting is scheduled for February 2010.  Please provide your feedback to the committee!  Contact mecscheduling@nwaafa.org, or click HERE to use our online scheduling reporting worksheet.

— Submitted by MEC Vice President Daniel Grey

RESERVE OPEN TRADES:  LET THE COMPUTER DO THE WORK!

PBS awards the contractual maximum number of days off to reserves during the monthly bid.  Trading your reserve days within your schedule is limiting since there aren't typically "residual" off duty periods available after the bid is published.

Many reserves call friends and colleagues and ask them to swap days in order to change their schedule.  While that is one option, the AFA Scheduling and Reserve committee would like you to encourage members to use Reserve Open Trades.  (Please review our contract language governing these trades in Section 7.I.4. – Reserve Trades and Line Adjustments.)  Reserve Open Trades are essentially the same as a mutual trade with a friend; except the auto-award system finds the match for you!

Here's how it works:

1. Go to CENTRY and select Schedule Adjustments, then Reserve Schedule Adjustments and choose Open Trades
2. Enter date(s) you want to trade and record
3. The trade requests will work only in PLAP (midnight run) and not SLAP
4. Normal trade parameters apply (trades cannot result in fewer than 2 days on call for all bases except HNL, which must have a minimum of 3 days on call)
5. The trade is only awarded if the entire request is able to be awarded

— Submitted by MEC Vice President Daniel Grey

COMPASS AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS PETITION NMB FOR REPRESENTATION ELECTION

Congratulations to our fellow flight attendants at Compass Airlines who, along with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, filed a petition with the National Mediation Board (NMB) this week to hold a representation election on behalf of the over 300 Compass Airlines flight attendants. Compass Airlines was formed in 2007 as a Northwest Airlink partner and now is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.  We stand shoulder to shoulder with them and wish our fellow flight attendants at Compass the best of luck in their efforts to win union representation and the right to negotiate a legal contract for the very first time.

— Submitted by MEC President Janette Rook

JUST 37 DAYS UNTIL THE OPENING BELL

You can become a Hero of the Heart to critically ill or injured Flight Attendants by participating in The Pegasus Project's "Heroes of the Heart" Online Holiday Charity Auction which opens for bidding on November 1, 2009 at 9:00 AM EST.

The work we do is vital to the nearly 50,000 AFA-CWA community of Flight Attendants.  Whether battling breast cancer, HIV, or other life-threatening illness or injury, the Pegasus Project is there to provide a financial lifeline to Flight Attendants who are facing the most difficult time in their lives.

The auction opens in just 37 days and we have some terrific items for you to bid on this year. (We are adding new items to our auction catalogue regularly so check back often.)

Make sure you check out the Travel Section where we have added three new hotel packages including a two night weekend stay at The Fairfax at Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. with a Full American Breakfast for 2 at the legendary Jockey Club.

For the Art Lover we are extremely pleased to offer two highly collectible prints by famed artist Anatole Krasnyansky. "The Gathering" and "To Heart and Harps" are matted and framed Artist Proof prints on artist paper hand signed by Krasnyansky.

We need your support and are asking you to participate in one of the following ways:

Donate.
We need Auction items to add to our catalog.  If you have valuable merchandise, rare collectibles, business or personal services or access to unique events, we need your contribution today.  Click here to Donate.

Be A Sponsor.
Contact Gary Richardson, Pegasus Auction Coordinator and US Airways flight attendant, at garyr12361@aol.com or 602-625-5573 to take advantage of promotional opportunities for your business or to pledge your individual support.

Tell Your Friends.
Do you know someone who would be interested in supporting our cause?  Please share the news of the online auction with your friends so they can be part of the excitement.  Refer a Friend to our auction so they can get involved.

Thank you in advance for your continued support!  We look forward to your item donation and online bids!

REPRESENTATION: DEMOCRACY AT WORK

The experts agree: Sitting down to bargain works.  The next step in the Delta campaign. 

Click the TV, or HERE to view the latest video. 

Please be sure to view our video, then register on the site, give it the highest rating possible, subscribe to future videos and share/forward it to your friends, family and others.

Visit the Delta-AFA campaign:  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  Delta-AFA

BRING A COLLEAGUE. GET MOTIVATED. GET INVOLVED. 

The NWA AFA MEC Calendar of Events is 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 months, and there will be information sessions and gatherings planned and posted at www.deltaafa.org as well. 

DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR UNION PIN - AT WORK & TO TRAINING! 

Show your support for collective bargaining by wearing your union pin to work and all company events.  Together, we are AFA.  Click HERE or visit www.afanet.org for information about AFA-CWA union structure and the history of the AFA-CWA.  Dues & Member Information can be viewed HERE.