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Recording: 1-888-3-NWA-AFA
MEC Now On Twitter! You can find out news from your MEC as it happens on Twitter. Follow us at "nwaafamec". To sign up, go to www.twitter.com.
View From The Jumpseat
January 2010 - ATL/NYC Member ConcernsDecember 2009 - DTW FA Janette Rook's Views
November 2009 - BOS FA Jacob Easter's Views
October 2009 - MEM/ATL FA Kathy Swarts' Views
January 8, 2010 eNews . . .
A MESSAGE FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend commented on the heroic
performance of the crew on Northwest 253 on Christmas Day. Go to http://www.nwaafa.org for the complete letter.
MEC GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE UPDATE
Through the ongoing integration of Northwest and Delta, your MEC Grievance Committee is working to ensure our contract and past practice are followed. There are five recently filed MEC grievances we would like to share with you. These include Reserve sick and vacation pro-rating, Simply Purser bidding, prescription medicine classification, retiree medical, and taped lines from scheduling. Please go to our committee page at http://www.nwaafa.org/committees/grievance to review the grievances.
With your feedback and assistance, we continue to identify these issues and challenge the Company to fix them via our grievance process. You can contact us at .
~Submitted by Greg Riffle, MEC Grievance Chairperson
A WORD ON DELTA’S “SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY”
Over Christmas, Delta Air Lines disseminated a “Social Media Policy” to our Flight Attendants. That policy provides guidelines for employees to follow when using electronic media formats, such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. This policy has created some confusion and concern among Northwest Flight Attendants and many Delta Flight Attendants, as well.
This policy does not, and cannot, curtail your right to discuss issues relating to wages, working conditions, and Union representation - or any Union issues. All Flight Attendants are protected by the Railway Labor Act when discussing such issues, whether in person or on Facebook. Indeed, the Social Media Policy does not limit such communication.
However, as all Flight Attendants know, employees may not disparage the Company with the general public--particularly not with passengers--which has always been Northwest policy. As with all communications, Flight Attendants simply need to be aware of their audience and never profess to be a “spokesperson” for the Company. So, nothing has really changed. Flight Attendants should continue to have robust debates and discussions about Union issues with fellow employees and managers; passengers, however, are not an appropriate audience for such issues.
~ Submitted by Peter Swanson, AFA Staff Attorney
DELTA EXECS PARTNER WITH SMALL BAND OF SUPPORTERS IN CONGRESS TO
OPPOSE NMB VOTING RULE CHANGE
Upper management appears to be lobbying hard to round up a small band of their staunch supporters in Congress to oppose the attempt by the NMB to bring more democracy to RLA elections. Delta executives are pulling out all the stops in this fight to keep us from having a Union contract in the future. With everything going on in the world economy, open skies agreements, code sharing and joint ventures we must ask ourselves why it is so important for DL executives to block a legal contract for Delta flight attendants.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution covers the story this week. Follow this link for the complete story:http://www.ajc.com/business/ga-gop battles-airline-270587.html
COMMENT PERIOD ENDS FOR NMB RULE CHANGE
January 4, 2010 was the deadline set by the National Mediation Board for submitting comments on the proposed change to NMB balloting procedures. A 30-day waiting period follows. We are hoping that, at the end of that period, the NMB will publish a final rule. To read comments submitted to the NMB by AFA-CWA General Counsel Ed Gilmartin on behalf of AFA-CWA International, follow this link: http://www.afanet.org/ aefiles/AFA%20RULEMAKING%20COMMENTS.pdf.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2010? NOT OUR CONTRACTUALLY DEFINED PAYDAY . . .
Your AFA Officers continue to field questions generated by Delta?s confusing “What’s New in 2010” email. Please note the Company’s blanket memo regarding payroll frequencies, absence management, uniform replacement and other administrative changes for the new year was sent to all Delta work-groups on both sides of the merger--not just PMNW Flight Attendants. It attempts to address issues for both contract and non-contract employees, in the air and on the ground, within the same document.
As the “What’s New” memo mentioned, not all changes in benefits, processes and policies are applicable to all employees. In fact, for PMNW Union-represented employees, including Flight Attendants, not much is really changing beyond a few behind-the-scenes procedures.
Here’s the pared down scoop based on this week’s most frequently ask questions:
Payroll Frequencies and Conversion
Q. I heard they are going to change the dates we get paid and maybe even swap the date we receive our big check. Is this true?
A. No. Pre-merger Northwest Flight Attendants will continue to be paid on the 13th and 27th of the month, per our contract, Section 25.G. The “big check” or “Month End Settlement Check” will remain on the 13th, and the “First Half Advance Check” will remain on the 27th, as in the past. Pay dates have changed or are changing for other work groups, but not for PMNW Flight Attendants. Our paychecks may look slightly different as payroll transitions to Delta systems, but they will retain the same components with which we are already familiar.
For more FAQs generated by the What’s New in 2010” memo, follow this link: http://nwaafa.org/docs/Whats_New_2010.pdf.
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This Week in the News . . .
“Coffee, Tea or a Professional Responsible for Your Life?” ~ Detroit Free Press, January 3, 2010 http://www.freep.com/article/20100103/COL21/1030307/1102/Coffee-tea-ora- professional-responsible-for-your-life
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NMB HEARING VIDEO
Dozens of Delta flight attendants were on hand in Washington, D.C. on December 7th to witness the historic hearing on the National Mediation Board?s proposed change for fairer and more democratic voting procedures for rail and airline representation elections. To view a report on this event, see video here, or click the image to the right.
Visit the Delta-AFA campaign:
Facebook | YouTube | Delta-AFA | iTunes Video | iTunes Audio
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BRING A COLLEAGUE. GET MOTIVATED. GET INVOLVED.
The NWA AFA MEC Calendar of Events is found under the “Events” tab at
http://www.nwaafa.org. Delta Flight Attendants will be invited to local union meetings
throughout the country in the coming months, and there will be information sessions
and gatherings planned and posted at http://www.deltaafa.org as well.
DON’T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR UNION PIN - AT WORK & TO TRAINING!
Show your support for collective bargaining by wearing your union pin to work and all
company events. Together, we are AFA. Click HERE or visit http://www.afanet.org for
information about AFA-CWA union structure and the history of the AFA-CWA. Dues &
Member Information can be found at http://www.afanet.org.