Ladies and Gentlemen:
As you have been told, your MEC Officers have been in conversations with management since late last year discussing the establishment of satellite bases at SAN, MCO and PHX. We have discussed a number of topics with management and have reached concurrence on the importance of a significant number of items for Flight Attendants who would be based at these locations.
Of all the topics we have discussed to date, the one item we have been unable to come to a common understanding of is how the Paid Move provisions of our JCBA apply for Flight Attendants when opening a Satellite Base.
Today the MEC Officers met with representatives from management in a good faith effort to learn about the company’s concerns and to find a compromise solution intended to meet the needs of the company and Flight Attendants as it pertains to paid moves for those relocating from other geographic areas.
In point of fact, the Union offered a proposal intended to meet management’s concerns as it pertains to Paid Moves for Flight Attendants transferring to the geographic locations in which these satellite bases will be established. While initially disappointed that our proposal did not address management’s concerns, you can imagine our surprise when management did not offer the Union a counterproposal and instead advised the participants in mediation that this would delay the opening of the satellite bases - indefinitely.
We want to be very clear. AFA has made exceptional efforts to raise concerns and ensure the interests of our Members are adequately addressed as it pertains to the opening of satellite bases. We have been very clear since this issue was first raised, this is not a reason to delay the opening of the satellite bases.
While it is likely some in management will assert the delay in opening satellite bases is the Union’s responsibility, nothing could be further from the truth. We will continue to advocate for the interests of all our Members and we are prepared to meet and discuss these issues with management. However, any solution must not only meet the needs of the Members, but must be consistent with our rights under the Collective Agreement.
In Solidarity,
United Master Executive Council