AFA Presents Our Case To The National Mediation Board

• AFA Representatives met with the National Mediation Board (NMB) in Washington, DC, to discuss Alaska Flight Attendant negotiations.
• The meeting aimed to present our concerns, emphasizing the need for significant improvements to bring Alaska Flight Attendants up to par with the industry. 
• AFA proposed additional negotiation dates directly with management due to the federal mediator’s limited availability, aiming to expedite progress toward an agreement.

AFA International President Sara Nelson and General Counsel/Director of Collective Bargaining Joe Burns joined MEC President Jeff Peterson and Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo to present our perspective on Flight Attendant negotiations to the three National Mediation Board (NMB) members in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, April 23. Our federal mediator was also present. The meeting presented an opportunity for us to familiarize the Board with our specific concerns in negotiations, the industry landscape, and the significant lift it will take to bring Alaska Flight Attendants up to par with the industry.

The two-hour meeting allowed AFA to make the case that we are committed to the quick resolution of our negotiations. However, that must result in a paradigm shift in compensation for Alaska Flight Attendants, which is a goal for which we are willing to fight! Questions and comments from the Board underscored that they recognized our concerns and our resolve.

The focus of our meeting was not to press for a “release to strike” because we are not yet at an impasse. It was to familiarize the Board with our struggle.

The meeting came about because Alaska management requested a meeting with the Board. The Board, in turn, offered AFA an opportunity to meet with the Board. That is normal operating procedure so that the Board hears from both parties. Management met with the Board later in the afternoon after our meeting.

On another note, AFA suggested to management at our last mediation session last week that we should schedule additional meeting dates without our mediator due to his restricted schedule. We have reached out to management to identify mutually workable dates and are committed to increasing the pace of progress and moving this process toward an agreement.

No More Stalled Negotiations: Tell Congress to Stand Up for Our Rights

In addition to Alaska Flight Attendants, Flight Attendants at American, United, Air Wisconsin, Omni, and others have been in drawn-out negotiations across the industry. Without the credible threat of a strike, management across our industry is perfectly happy to prolong negotiations for years and delay paying for the improvements we have earned.

We’ve been out on the picket lines and demonstrating what we’re willing to do to get the contracts that we deserve. Air Wisconsin Flight Attendants voted by 99% to authorize a strike, if necessary. Alaska Flight Attendants by 99.48%. American Flight Attendants by 99.47%. Omni Flight Attendants by 100%.

But without the threat of a release, management doesn’t move at the table. This unnecessarily strains the resources of the National Mediation Board (NMB) with on-going disputes in mediation, while delaying much-needed increases for frontline workers. There have only been two releases from mediation with strike deadlines since 2006, compared to dozens of releases in the 1980s and 1990s.

Tell your Representatives in Congress to sign on to a letter that urges the National Mediation Board (NMB) to utilize all provisions of the Railway Labor Act, including “self help” and workers’ right to strike at the end of a 30 day cooling-off-period, to encourage negotiations for a fair contract for Flight Attendants and other aviation workers. Record profits should equal record contracts.

Send a Letter to your Member of Congress now and click here to be directly connected to their office over the phone. Take both actions and tell your friends to do the same.

Phone Script:

“Hi, my name is [your name]. I am a constituent and a Flight Attendant. I am calling to ask my representative to sign on to the bipartisan letter to the National Mediation Board urging the agency to help conclude contract negotiations by making it clear aviation workers have the right to strike. This issue is critical to me and my family. Thank you.”

Thank you for taking action for our careers!