AFA Detroit Local
Executive Council 94 | 16 September 2008
AFA-CWA LEADERS TO HOLD
TOWN HALL MEETING IN DETROIT
If you only attend one
union meeting this year, THIS IS IT.
AFA-CWA Local Executive
Council 94 is pleased to welcome Association of Flight
Attendants - CWA International President
PAT
FRIEND
Communications Workers
of America (CWA) President
LARRY
COHEN
for an informal Town
Hall Meeting
MONDAY, October
6 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
TUESDAY, October
7 - 9:00am-11:30am , and 1:00pm - 4:00pm
at The Westin, DTW, Sky
Ballroom (3rd floor).
Bring questions.
Get motivated. Get involved.
THIS WEEK! PHOENIX
MEMBERSHIP MEETING!
AFA-CWA Council 98 in Los
Angeles and Council 94 Detroit will host a membership meeting
this Thursday in Phoenix. The meeting will be held at the
US Airways/America West MEC Offices in Tempe. All members
in good standing are welcomed and encouraged to attend!
Delta Airlines flight attendants and Union activists will join
us at this meeting!
NWA-AFA Membership Meeting
September 18
(Thursday)
Two
Sessions:
Session 1
from 1000 – 1230
Session 2
from 1330 – 1600*
NW/DL f/a
mixer after session 2!
US
Airways/America West Council 66 MEC Office
505 S. 48th
St.
Suite
101
Tempe, AZ
85281-2323
Tel (480)
966.1231 | www.afa66.org
Special guests include:
Pat Friend, AFA International President; Shane
Larson, AFA International Director of Gov't Affairs; Mary
Lou Savage, AFA International Benefits Director; Marianne
Bicksler, Delta AFA Activist; Rosemary Miller, EAP MEC
Chairperson; Scott Goodman, NWA MEC Staff Attorney.
Please contact lec98@nwaafa.org (LAX)
or lec94@nwaafa.org for
more information.
ONE WAY TRADE (OWT) PROCESSING
REMINDER
When submitting one of your patterns to give as a one
way trade, remember the only CENTRY input that marks the trip as
“active” in the system is the ONE WAY TRADE
entry. Do not
confuse the “Mutual Trade Bulletin Board” as a one
way trade.
The
trips you see available in the Mutual Trade Board are merely
advertising for mutual trades, or giving/taking OWT. Where the older system
required us to phone the other party in the trade and arrange
entries for the trade to be worked, the new system operates more
independently.
Example: You
want to give away your pattern 555 as a one way trade. FIRST, go into CENTRY
and select schedule adjustments, then One Way Trades. Enter your pattern as
the GIVER/Same Base.
If you would like to “advertise” your trade
as available, go to the Mutual Trade Bulletin Board in CENTRY
and mark your pattern 555 as available as a One Way Trade. You do not need to ask
the taking f/a to contact you. It’s helpful if you note “Entered
in system” to remind others that you have already input
the pattern in the appropriate OWT screen.
To
pick up trips, enter your pattern selection in the OWT screen as
SAME BASE/Taker.
You can enter your trip either specifically by pattern or
by generic syntax.
PLEASE NOTE: One Way Trade entries are worked up until
SLAP (1300 Base Local) the day preceding the desired departure
date.
One caveat to the rule above is a trade
for a different base.
Cross-base trades must be worked under the OWT screen,
giver/taker from DIFFERENT BASE. These trades will match the giver and taker
entries to process the transaction.
AFA
STATEMENT ON PRESS CORPS CHARTER INTERVIEWS
Your Local Executive Council Officers wish to comment
on the recent interview process for White House Press Corps
charters.
Rejection letters to flight attendants who applied
for interview positions stated that “DUE to the
overwhelming requests to join the program from so many well
qualified applicants, coupled with the limited number of
interview slots available, interviews were awarded in base
seniority order.”
AFA most
certainly agrees that using seniority and the charter language
found in section 6 of our Agreement is the historical and
equitable way to fill these positions. As both Union representatives and line
flight attendants, we do not subscribe to the
hand-selected, "friends and family" approach to filling
positions on premium charter trips. When sports or WH Press Corps positions become
available, the contract states that “flight attendants at
the applicable base shall be notified by company bulletin of any
charter flying conditioned on the charterer’s request for
flight attendants with specific qualification and/or
character. All
eligible flight attendants at the applicable base shall be
afforded the opportunity to interview . . ."
The opportunity to interview for one of
the 37 DTW Base White House-allotted time slots
was awarded in seniority order. However, the actual
WH Press Corps charter positions will be offered based on the
qualifications and character of candidates scheduled to
interview.
With close to 1200 applicants system-wide for the
recent charter positions, we wonder how interview positions
would have been granted in this scenario if NOT by
seniority? DTW management appears to be misleading
flight attendants with their suggestion that the Union insisted
on seniority-driven selection over their hand-picked model. While Local 94
or your MEC were never consulted on this subject,
seniority-based opportunities are consistent with fundamental
Union principles that embrace "date of hire" and hard-won
seniority rights.
BAG SEARCH. FACT OR
RUMOR?
There are a lot of rumors concerning
random bag searches being conducted by the company. We’d like to take
a moment to address those rumors, and deal with any
misconceptions that are being created by jumpseat talk.
First, let’s talk about what’s true. It is a fact that two
people have recently been terminated because of the results of
bag searches. In fact, at many
workplaces, employees are subject to daily or weekly searches of
personal belongings such as lunchboxes or lockers. Many union contracts
address personal property searches. If you are subject to a bag
search, you have the right to a witness, and private
consultation with your union representative (via phone if
necessary). ALWAYS insist on a union
representation.
Flight attendants mistakenly
believe that our personal bags, those which are not company
issue, are off limits to bag searches. This is NOT true. The company, under certain circumstances, has
the right to request a search of all your bags, not just those
issued by the company.
Random
bag searches of Flight Attendant luggage calls to mind the
oft-repeated advice that is sometimes dismissed as a rumor. Much as we like to be
prepared, please remember to always empty apron pockets, purses
and bags of any Northwest property, even if it is of no value,
before stepping off the aircraft. If you have any concerns
or questions about this issue, please feel free to contact one
of your Local Executive Council Officers. (some material provided
by MEC Grievance chair Greg Riffle)
SMALL
PIN, BIG MESSAGE . . .
Local 94
Officers want to remind you to wear your Union pin. Flight
attendants fought for the right to  wear their union pins on our uniforms, and
for the benefits that come with it. If you plan on
attending one of the upcoming "style clinics" for your new Delta
uniform, please wear your union pin. When you try on your
new uniform, be sure to ask where to display your
contractually-allowed union pin.
There are
reports that company representatives have directed flight
attendants to remove union pins for promotional videos and
photographs. If you are directed to remove union pins for
any reason, please report it immediately to your local executive
council. You are encouraged to wear your union pin to all
company events and to training - including the Northwest
Experience (or "Delta Experience," as it is increasingly
referred to, following the recent overhaul.) If you need a
union pin, please contact your local office.
GRIPE OR GRIEVANCE?
WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK
Have you ever experienced
something at work you felt was unfair? Come to the AFA
Detroit Office on Monday, September 22nd at 10:30 and we will
explore:
-
The solution to
potential violations of our contract and failure to meet the
standards of "just cause" in discipline
-
situations that might be
"gripes" or are grievable
-
the LEGAL rights we
have to settle disputes here at NWA
-
Learn what the union
does with "gripes" when we get ready for contract
negotiations
Contact LEC
94 President Diana Mitcham at dmitcham@nwaafa.org,
or lec94@nwaafa.org, for
more information.
GET INVOLVED.
DESTINATION: REPRESENTATION
The "New Delta" will be
the world's largest carrier. The combined work force will
not just follow industry standard, it will be the
industry standard. A representational election
for flight attendants at Delta will be held after the
company satisfies government formalities for mergers.
Perhaps more than any election in our careers, this will stand
alone as the most important. Now, more than ever, your
union needs your participation to help secure a future of
representation. 
Click on the official
campaign logo to go to the "Join the Campaign" page of the
new Northwest / Delta organizing campaign Web site. This
Web site will show you the appropriate chairperson for your
state. We're currently looking for state chairs, and
activists at all levels. Make sure there is a union pin on
your uniform, and an AFA tag on your suitcase. Stop by the
union offices under gate A8 for any of those items, and for
information on how you can help in our effort to keep
representation.
LOCAL 94 TELEPHONE
DIRECTORY 
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Wear your Union Pin! FLY SAFE, AND
FLY THE CONTRACT!
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