Hotline Messages
25 April 2008 Hotline
Negotiations Committee Contract Printing Update
As soon as our contract was ratified, our Negotiations Committee and representatives from Northwest Labor Relations and Inflight Services began the painstaking process of proofing contract language and cross-checking all references. The task was made particularly challenging since the March 2006 (TA1/TCE) “white book,” on which the “green book” was based, had not been proofed before it was distributed for review, rejected by the membership and imposed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. This procedure is finally near completion, with only two sections still requiring minor clarification before AFA-CWA, Labor Relations and Inflight sign off on our collective bargaining agreement.
Within the next two weeks, approval is expected from all parties. The final version of our contract will be converted the from standard, letter-sized paper to the preferred 8 1/2” by 5 1/2” format, so the pages will fit in a portable, zippered pouch. Once the formatting is complete and is likewise seen and approved by all parties (a task estimated to take one to two additional days), we will upload your contract to our website, nwaafa.org.
At the same time, the approved electronic file will be put in the queue at the NWA print shop, where IAM employees will print, collate, hole punch and shrink wrap each copy—complete with metal rings for binding. IAM’s part in delivering our contract will take approximately thirty days, after which each base will receive copies sufficient to insert in all flight attendant mailboxes. The separate zippered travel pouch will be available thirty to forty-five days after distribution of the contract.
If this established timeline is altered in any significant way, we will issue an update and estimated completion date. You may download the contract in its current form here until the final version is released.
Knowledge is POWER!
Contract Education: Reciprocal Cabin Seat Update
A negotiated improvement to our contract, Letter of Agreement 31 – Jumpseat Reciprocity, began benefitting our membership in January. As of April 10, 2008, we have reciprocal agreements with jetBlue, Delta, Midwest, SkyWest, USAirways and Southwest Airlines. American Airlines and American Eagle become effective May 1. Details of the AA/AMR guidelines are now posted on our website. Please click on this link to view all agreements and frequently asked questions.
Knowledge is POWER!
Contract Education: Domestic Duty Limitations/Monthly Scheduled Minimum Line
We’ve all been there – a long day on the aircraft and you find yourself going illegal.
You spend 20 minutes figuring out legalities with your crew (click for a previously published, printable Domestic Duty Limitations chart and calculator) and realize you’ve only got 15 more minutes. Even though you’re wiped out, you waive your legalities in order to make it home for something you’ve planned for the next day.
While we all want to enjoy every minute of our precious time off, duty limitations are an important negotiated item in our contract. Section 5.A.6. (Hours of Service) allows scheduled domestic duty periods of 13 hours with rest of at least 9 hours (see 5.A.6.a.(2) and (3) for distinctions), an improvement over FAA duty and rest regulations possible only through collective bargaining. Please honor our contract: it is for our protection, our safety and our health. It sends a strong message to the company that we are united and value our negotiated work rules.
In addition, in a climate where planned reduction in future flying capacity has been announced, we must consider the ramifications of consistently flying a maximum line. We realize not all of us can make such a sacrifice, but we ask that if you are in a position to fly a lower line (Section 6.C.5. – Regular Line Awards) you consider doing so whenever possible in hopes of diluting the company’s overstaffing concerns.
Not At Base While On Reserve
The company has placed a strong warning in the May 2008 Bid Analysis cover letter about the consequences of not physically being available at base during an entire Reserve on-call period. The company intends to continue placing this warning in future cover letters.
Despite the fact that many Flight Attendants have been terminated for this activity since 2005, the activity continues. You must take this warning seriously when you are on Reserve:
“Unless specifically released by Crew Scheduling, Reserve Flight Attendants are required to be at their Base for the entirety of their on-call period. If you are found to have traveled to your Base after the beginning of your on-call period, left your Base without being released prior to the end of an on-call period or in any other way falsely represented yourself as having been at base for the entirety of your on-call period, the Company considers this an act of dishonesty and you will be subject to immediate discharge.”
Please refer to your contract (Section 7 – Reserves) and the warning on the Reserve Committee page of our website, nwaafa.org, for fulfilling Reserve requirements.
Special Government Affairs Section
U.S. Senate Urges Delta/Northwest Execs to Include Employees in Merger Process
This week, 26 United States Senators signed a letter in support of real employee involvement at Northwest and Delta. Spearheaded by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the message from elected officials stated, “Delta and Northwest Airlines should honor the loyalty and hard work of their employees by immediately offering them a seat at the table in the merger talks. No employees should have to fear that they will lose their jobs, their benefits, and even their union representation without even being given a voice in these negotiations. We also hope that the merger process will not be used as a way to eliminate the union representation that has existed at Northwest for decades.” To read the letter, click here.
Initial House and Senate Hearings Scrutinize DL/NW Merger
Representative John Conyers (D-MI), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, called a hearing on the proposed DL/NW merger for Thursday, April 24, one day after the Delta representation election began. A Senate hearing was called on the afternoon of the same day. Richard Anderson and Doug Steenland testified at both hearings. AFA-CWA International Vice President Veda Shook testified at the House hearing on behalf of the over twenty thousand flight attendants at the proposed combined carrier. (View the webcast of the hearing from C-SPAN.) Both informational sessions were attended by our MEC Vice President and Government Affairs Chair Albert Garcia, and Mark Stell, Delta flight attendant and DL-AFA Steering Committee member, who were available to the media and Congressional staffers Thursday.
Rep. Conyers, a champion of labor in his home district where thousands of Northwest Airlines employees live and work, was genuinely shocked at testimony given by Veda with regard to both Northwest’s AFA-CWA and Delta’s non-union flight attendants being shut out of merger discussions. Said Chairman Conyers, “If they’re [thumbing their noses at you] now, I shudder to think what they’re going to be doing after this merger goes through.” Albert and Mark met with Chairman Conyers at his office after the morning hearing. At their request, the Congressman has committed to composing a letter similar to Senator Kennedy’s (cited above), which will urge Anderson and Steenland to take a position of neutrality in the Delta campaign and begin open discussion with employees.
A comprehensive report on activities before, during and after the hearings will be included in the April Government Affairs report on the Government Affairs page of our website, nwaafa.org.
MN Legislature Hearings Continue Next Week
The first of several planned hearings on the effects of the NW/DL merger on the state of Minnesota was attended today by MEC President Kevin Griffin, Secretary-Treasurer Mark Gehrt, MSP Council 95 Vice President Willie Wilcox and Council 95 Government Affairs Chair Camilla Wolkerstorfer. Although labor was not called to testify this week, next week’s hearings will include testimony from Northwest union representatives. For more information on attending these hearings, please contact MEC Government Affairs Chair Albert Garcia at , or Camilla Wolkerstorfer at
MEC EAP Committee Chair Rosemary Miller Offers Merger Stress Relief Techniques
Our AFA EAP will be sending out several “merger messages” in an effort to provide information and support during the merger process. These messages are intended to be a combination of practicality and optimism, and to offer you concrete ways to manage stress, even if some of the suggestions may be unconventional. Please let one of your local EAP Reps know if you need extra assistance, or if you have any suggestions you’d like to pass on to other members.
Today’s Message:
Three things you can do right now to manage your “merger stress” (plus one)
- Right now, this very minute, stop what you are doing. Right now! Stop...and think of fifteen (yes, that’s 15) things that you are grateful for; things that will not be taken away by the merger. Yes, you CAN think of 15 things in your life that you are thankful for that will not disappear once your paycheck says “Delta.” Even better, write your list down, and carry it with you.
Here are my fifteen, in no particular order, just as they roll off thoughts: my family; my car; my house; the flowers on my desk; dark chocolate; cashmere sweaters; French perfume; the jumpseat pass on SWA in my travel wallet; all of our new reciprocal jumpseat privileges; my pretty new (on sale) travel wallet; the “awards night” I will go to tonight for my daughter making the honor roll; the EAP Reps who I know are out there right now taking care of their brothers and sisters on the line; the success I had mediating a difficult ProStan situation this morning; the view outside my window; the SFO skyline; my new (on sale) bike. Ha! That was 16!
- Decide to go out and buy or borrow, and actually read, Eckhardt Tolle’s book, The Power of Now. It can be pretty heady reading, but its basic message is this: do not submit your body, your physiology, your blood pressure, your brain chemicals, your emotions, your mood, to a future event that is not happening at this very moment. Research has shown that your brain cannot tell the difference between an event that is actually happening or one that you are imagining, so give your poor system a break. DO NOT DWELL on the possible scenarios that the merger may bring you, because at this moment, they are not happening, and you can go about your day in (relative) peace and ease if you take the time to remind yourself that, at this moment, you are OK.
- Get practical. Call NEAS, the private EAP-service company that provides 3 free counseling sessions to NWA employees for each separate work/life issue that you have concerns about, and ask what support is available for people facing job events like the merger. NEAS is NOT Northwest Airlines. Your call will be confidential. The number is 877-464-4009.
The “plus one?” Go back to #1 and think of 15 more. Seriously. Do it now.
Delta AFA Get-Out-The-Vote Centers Need Our Help
The National Mediation Board mailed voting instructions April 23 for the Delta representation election. Votes will be counted at 1400 EDT on May 28.
Helping Delta flight attendants earn union representation will protect OUR contract and bargaining rights if the merger is approved: if both flight attendant groups are unionized, our contract will not be at risk, and we may begin seeking improvements immediately in a combined agreement. Northwest flight attendant volunteers can play an important role at key Delta domiciles in Visibility Campaigns and Get Out The Vote phone banks. After Richard Anderson’s masterful, despicable evasion of the question from Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) at Thursday’s House hearing on the merger (at 1:04:00 on the video), about whether he is neutral on the Delta flight attendants’ union election, our presence at DL Visibility Campaign sites is critical to combat the voter suppression tactics DL management is employing. Support our colleagues at Delta in finally gaining a seat at the bargaining table and the protections of a negotiated contract. Reach out to DL flight attendants from a Call Center or Visibility Campaign in your hometown or on a layover in one of these cities:
Get Out The Vote Call Center Locations:
CVG, DFW, LAX and NYC*
ATL, DCA, FLL and SLC**
* Open until May 11
** Open until May 27
AFA Visibility Campaigns:
ATL, BOS, CVG, FLL, LAX, MCO, NYC and SLC
For more information about these opportunities to assist our Delta colleagues, email:
MEC Seeks Merger Representatives for Seniority Integration Process
The AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws contains processes for mergers between two AFA-represented carriers. Although Delta Air Lines flight attendants are not yet part of AFA-CWA, our MEC is going forward with plans to appoint two Northwest AFA merger representatives in advance of a successful Delta election. Representatives from each AFA airline involved in a merger will be certified by their respective MECs “as having complete and full authority to act for and on behalf of the flight attendants of their respective airlines for the purpose of compiling necessary employment data and a single flight attendant seniority list.” (C&B Section X.C.1.)
Merger representatives will be “responsible for determining the seniority number, the date from which each flight attendant accrues competitive (bidding) seniority as a flight attendant on her/his current seniority list..., the initial date on which each flight attendant commenced operational training attendant to commencing duties as a flight attendant..., the number of days after initial training date spent by each flight attendant in initial operational training prior to qualification as a flight attendant..., whether the flight attendant accrued seniority for any or all such training days and, if so, the number of days accrued.” Much of this important step in any successful merger was completed by our Seniority Verification Committee earlier this year.
Merger representatives will begin work on June 2, 2008. To apply for a merger representative position, please send a letter of interest and résumé by 1400 CDT May 15 to or:
Karen Chapdelaine, Office Manager
Northwest Airlines Master Executive Council
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
8011 34th Avenue South, Suite 220
Bloomington, MN 55425
AFL-CIO Sponsors “Turn Around America” Video Contest, TAKE TWO
Last week, when we introduced the Turn Around America video contest we linked to an inaccurate web address. We apologize for the error. The correct address is below.
“America isn’t working the way it should. Homes are being foreclosed on at alarming rates, families are surviving without health care, people are being forced to decide between gasoline and groceries, men and women are working harder for lower wages. We are on the brink of economic peril.” If you agree with this statement by our labor brothers and sisters at the AFL-CIO, it’s time for your fifteen minutes of fame. Or three and a half minutes, to be exact.
The “Turn Around America” video contest asks, “How can we turn around what most of us agree is our country’s wrong-headed direction? What’s not working? What changes would you like to see? How do we get it done?” If you have the answers, get them on video. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $2,000 cash award, with the spot to be shown at AFL-CIO rallies and as television advertisements. There are even separate competitions for $1,000 prizes in some of our hub cities (St. Paul, Minneapolis and Detroit), increasing your chances of a labor Oscar®. Submissions will be accepted until May 10. Visit the Turn Around America website for more information.
MEC Seeks Candidates for Vice President
In a previous hotline message we reported Master Executive Council Vice President Albert Garcia’s decision to step down from this position and devote his time to MEC Government Affairs. According to the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws (C&B), Article VII.C.3.c., “When the office of Vice President is vacant for any reason...[t]he vacant office of Vice President shall be filled by election at the next [MEC] meeting.” From Article VIII.B.1.: “The representative of each Local Council on the Master Executive Council shall have the privilege of nominating one (1) candidate for the office of...Vice President...” Our Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, who comprise the MEC, have the privilege and responsibility of electing our MEC Vice President, which they will do at the next MEC meeting on May 1, 2008.
If you are interested in being considered for MEC VP, please send a letter of interest along with a résumé to:
Karen Chapdelaine, Office Manager
Northwest Airlines Master Executive Council
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
8011 34th Avenue South, Suite 220
Bloomington, MN 55425
or email: . All Officers of the MEC must be active members in good standing. For a description of duties of MEC VP, please refer to the C&B, Article VII.C.2.b. Candidates should submit interest by 1300 CDT May 1, 2008.
As in any democracy, transparency in elections at every level is critical to the confidence of the electorate. To that end, candidates for the MEC VP position will be posted on the MEC website so members may provide input to LEC Presidents with respect to a preferred candidate. Please check our website, nwaafa.org, for a list of declared candidates.