- Our Day of Solidarity this week was a resounding success. Thank you to everyone who was able to participate!
- Negotiations resumed this week, coinciding with our Day of Solidarity informational pickets.
- Six sections of the contract remain open in addition to our overall economic package. We do not intend to reopen the entire contract, other than a few proposed adjustments to sections we have tentatively agreed upon.
- Both parties intend to jointly file for mediation this month, and we have other mobilization activities in the works.
Day of Solidarity
A huge thank you to everyone for your efforts in showing management we deserve a fair contract, which we have more than earned! Thousands participated at all six bases, including all three AFA International Officers – Sara Nelson, Keturah Johnson, and Dante Harris. We were also joined by pilots, other airline employees, labor groups, elected officials, family, friends, and allies. Our display of unity, strength, and solidarity indicates to management we are in lockstep on pushing for necessary contract improvements. The public, investors, and media are watching and reacting – our negotiations are national news!
Negotiations Update
This week, our Negotiating Committee and Mobilization Committee Chairperson met with management for Negotiation Session 18. We were joined at the table this week by AFA Financial Economist Teresa O’Donnal. *Our Negotiating Committee is supported during this process by AFA International Collective Bargaining and Legal departments.
Our Day of Solidarity coincided with Negotiation Session 18. Both parties confirmed we have no intent to start from scratch, despite the breakdown in negotiations during negotiation session 17. Although we do not plan to reopen all previously agreed sections of the contract, each party has a few items to revisit in addition to the remaining open sections and economic discussion.
AFA proposed maintaining four quarterly point reduction forms in Section 32 and commuter protections in line with industry standard (e.g., flight loads in specific circumstances) in Section 37.
What’s at stake?
Management proposed increasing the 240/480 TFP thresholds to 480/720 TFP. We adamantly oppose an increase and continue pushing to eliminate these requirements.
Management proposed a minimum monthly flying requirement, which was immediately withdrawn after our objection. This was not part of their opening proposal or any proposal throughout negotiations thus far.
Management proposed increasing the duty day. We adamantly oppose an increase and are committed to retaining our 10:30 duty day.
We immediately pushed back on minimum monthly flying, stating the introduction of new proposals at this late stage in negotiations was not in line with our expectations. Our additions were all included in either our opening proposal or a proposal from the past year of negotiations. Management had never previously proposed minimum flying. After our pushback, management agreed to withdraw their proposal on a minimum monthly flying requirement.
We passed our comprehensive economic proposal to management at our last session in June. Management did not respond with an economic proposal this session. Your Negotiating Committee and Master Executive Council are extremely unhappy that management chose not to offer a counter to our last compensation proposal, especially considering management’s statement to the press that our offer was “not economically feasible.” They should have come to the table with an offer and we are deeply disappointed in their failure to do so.
We remain committed to achieving an industry leading contract we deserve and have earned, with improvements in pay rates and work rules. We will continue pushing management to bring proposals that reflect the value of our workgroup.
What’s next?
Both parties will jointly file for mediation this month. This satisfies a contractual requirement to file for mediation one year after initiating direct negotiations. The parties agreed to keep our current scheduled sessions through November in place while we wait for a mediator to be assigned. Find more details on mediation, and the negotiations process, on the Contract 2022 Website.
Additionally, we continue planning mobilization activities. We are distributing red AFA bag tags in each domicile. Look for additional communication from your local council on when Mobilization Volunteers will be distributing bag tags. We encourage everyone to display their bag tag proudly to further express our solidarity. Stay tuned for additional solidarity activities in the coming months.
Open Sections
5: Definitions
9: Junior Available and Premium Open Time
10.R-S: Scheduling
12: Exchange of Sequences
14: Vacations
21: Compensation
Stay Connected
Make sure you and your flying partners are signed up for AFA emails. Review the Contract 2022 Website for additional resources, including the Negotiations Dashboard with a summary of progress to date. Continue supporting our efforts by wearing your AFA pin and displaying your red AFA bag tag while flying and at company events. Other mobilization details are available on our Red Hot Summer page.
We are Stronger Together, Better Together.