This should be in EVERYONE'S interest....this is the proposal the Company replied with regarding compensation - WARNING! IT IS REPULSIVE!!!
IF THE WEST FLIGHT ATTENDANTS VOTE TO STRIKE, WOULD THE EAST BACK US UP??
Company Passes Unacceptable Comprehensive Proposal
On Tuesday, December 7, 2010, Company negotiators passed a comprehensive proposal to your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) that devalued your job, ignored your needs and did not come close to forming a framework that would result in an agreement. The word that best describes the Company’s proposal? Insulting. Highlights (or lows) of the proposal include:
• A gutting of the AFA Scope language and protections because it “encumbers the Company’s ability to attract merger partners.”
• A Compensation proposal would simply move up the 2012 East pay rate already negotiated in the current contract and locking that pay scale in for the next 5 years, with no other increases.
• A Healthcare proposal that would eliminate the 90% and 100% plans providing only an 80% plan for flight attendants, while increasing the deductible to astronomical levels.
• Per Diem based upon East 2008 rates
• A tiered Vacation scale that brings East flight attendants up to West vacation days per year and offers no additional days for West flight attendants
• A Sick Leave policy that stops West flight attendants from using their sick time to care for their sick children and requires the Lineholder to make up the time used from the sick bank; pays 100% for the first yearly sick occurrence thereafter paying 70%
• Eliminates the requirement that the Company hold discussions and negotiates with AFA on issues surrounding new aircraft equipment and routes
The Comprehensive Proposal passed to AFA this week from management was not in the ballpark for acceptance by your negotiators, and nowhere near the AFA Compensation proposal provided to the Company in October. In essence, the only thing the Company did was to extend the East bankruptcy contract with added concessions, leaving this JNC no choice but to reject the proposal.
The JNC countered with a proposal that reflects the compensation pay rates of airlines such as Alaska, Continental and proposals on the table at United. Our proposal also eliminates the Customer Service Director (CSD) program because of lack of adequate compensation for participation in the purser-type program and rejects any proposal to split East flight attendants from their pilots.
East MEC Notifies Company of intent to open Section 6 Discussions
The East Master Executive Council (MEC) sent a letter to US Airways requesting to begin Section 6 Negotiations on the East Flight Attendant Agreement. The East flight attendant contract provides for an early opportunity to open Section 6 discussions on their contract, which becomes amendable in January 2012. The notice of Section 6 intent is required to be presented by the end of December of this year.
The East flight attendant contract, Section 22, Duration, B.1. “ This Agreement shall become effective on January 10, 2005, with the exception of times and different dates mentioned otherwise herein as agreed to in negotiations, and shall continued in full force and effect until December 31, 2011. The Company and the Associations agree to open negotiations under Section 6 or the Railway Labor Act one year prior to the amendable date. “
If management is unable to reach an agreement with AFA on a merged contract, East flight attendants will have the opportunity to request return to Section 6 negotiations on a separate contract and West flight attendants will have the opportunity to request a strike vote and a release from the National Mediation Board. It is unlikely that the NMB would return one group to Section 6 talks without also returning the other.
Council 66 Section 6 negotiations were reopened in June of 2009. However after one meeting, Company negotiators refused to schedule additional sessions and both parties returned to Merged Contract talks. Today, the Council 66 Section 6 negotiations remain open but “recessed” while parties have focused on reaching a Merged Agreement.
AFA Calls Special Negotiations Update LEC Meetings
AFA will be holding two special sessions of LEC Meetings to discuss recent developments in negotiations with all members in good standing. The agenda will cover negotiations only. The meetings will be held:
THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2010
At 1:00 pm at the AFA Union Office
505 S. 48th Street, Suite 101
Tempe, AZ 85281
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2010
At 9:30 am at the AFA Union Office
505 S. 48th Street, Suite 101
Tempe, AZ 85281
I would rather shut it down. They don't have the brains God gave a flea. 
