Master Executive Council

Pre-merger Northwest flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), and thousands of PMDL flight attendants applauded today’s announcement by the National Mediation Board’s (NMB) establishing new democratic voting procedures. The long awaited decision, which was published in the Federal Register abolishes outdated methods of voting that were highly susceptible to management coercion. Under the new guidelines, the majority of workers who actually vote in union elections will decide the election, and the NMB will stop assigning “no” votes to workers who do not participate in the process. Read more HERE.

Pursuant to the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, an election notice and job description for MEC Officer positions must be posted at all bases no later than 60 days prior to the start of the new term.  NWA AFA is in Election Category III, and the current three-year term of our MEC officers, which started July 1, 2007, will end on June 30, 2010. Read more and find out how you can run for office HERE!

30 April 2010 - AFA’s comments to NMB regarding Section 6 re-opener HERE. 
14 April 2010 - Read complete NMB filing for Section 6 re-opener over extended duty staffing on new aircraft here: NMB Case # CA-6967 - Delta Air Lines & AFA-CWA

April 9, 2010 - This week AFA offered once again to sit down and resolve our Scope dispute with Delta HERE.  However, absent any willingness on Delta’s part to work this out, AFA has filed an Answer and Counterclaim to the lawsuit Delta filed in federal court.  We also filed for a change of venue from New York to Washington D.C.  Please click on the Scope icon at right for more information.

MEC continues work on problems with jumpseats & non-rev listing:
Please click HERE for our 02APR10 Update.
Please click HERE for our 19MAR10 update. 
To print and carry the letter DL sent to ACS to clarify our contractual rights, click HERE.

Some advice - call customer service reps (whether Delta ESC or plan administrators like United Healthcare, etc) a maximum of 3 times, then resort to written requests via US Mail and/or email.  Click HERE for some common Delta contact information.  Write to them detailing your problem, and request a written response detailing the resolution within a specified number of days. Be sure to document: dates, times, case numbers, etc. for the case record. If you can’t reach a resolution, please contact your Local AFA representatives for assistance.

30-Second Brief on…..
In December the National Mediation Board held a public hearing on the proposed rule changes for union elections. TTD President Edward Wytkind testified at the hearing. Currently, union elections for aviation and rail workers are thrown out if turnout is below 50 percent of eligible voters and workers who sit out the election are counted as “no” votes. The NMB’s proposed rule change would permit a majority of workers who actually vote to decide the election and would stop assigning “no” votes to workers who don’t participate. The official comment period for this proposed rule change closed on January 4. TTD and all aviation and rail unions await the final decision by the NMB on this important matter. Read More

We’re excited to vote and are standing strong together as we await the NMB’s decision regarding their proposed voting rule change. For more information about our vote, please click HERE.  For more information about our merger, our election, and our Scope, please visit the Merger page and www.deltaafa.org. 

Please click HERE for more information about our new paycheck/payroll process.

On December 31, 2009 we reached another milestone in our merger with Delta Air Lines.  As our merger speeds along at a breakneck pace, there are many exciting changes to our airline that we all observe regularly.  Despite the fact that management has asserted often and loudly that our efforts for a fair election process were somehow slowing down the largest airline merger in history, today the FAA granted Delta/Northwest a Single Operating Certificate - just as Delta executives had planned all along. Most importantly, we want to assure our fellow flight attendants that the SOC does not change Delta’s obligations under our contract.  Nor does it affect our right to union representation. For the complete special hotline click HERE.

December 4, 2009 - Split Lines are expected to be available in a limited number in MSP, DTW and SEA for the January 2010 bid month. January will serve as a testing phase for this new contractual program. The bidding window will be announced today and it will close on the 09DEC09 at 0001.  SLIP Leaves and CCLs are also available and these will be awarded first, which may reduce the number of Split Lines.  Read more information on ATLAS and in LOA 41 - Split Line Program. 

December 2, 2009 - The bill that will extend the Family and Medical Leave Act to all flight crew members passed in both the House and Senate and has cleared its final hurdle. This victory is the direct result of the many thousands of letters, post cards, phone calls and visits to members of Congress by AFA-CWA activists, and the extraordinary dedication and hard work of the AFA-CWA Government Affairs Department. The law will extend to flight attendants the FMLA rights enjoyed by every other full time American worker to care for ailing family members without risking our jobs.  Read Full Press Release HERE.

03 November 2009

Dear Colleagues ~

This afternoon, Delta and Northwest flight attendant leaders from our joint Campaign Coordinating Committee, with the unanimous approval of your Master Executive Council of 10 Local Presidents, made the decision to withdraw our petition for single carrier status with the National Mediation Board (NMB).

Read full Hotline Hotline Here:

Press Release to read the official AFA-CWA press release.
Withdrawal Petition to read the official AFA-CWA Withdrawal Petition.

In a joint letter to members of Congress, AFA International President Pat Friend and American Airlines’ Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) President Laura Glading urged elected officials to “support a full review of deregulation” of the airline industry and its effects on consumers and employees since 1978.

Included with the letter was a copy of Flying Blind: Airline Deregulation Reconsidered, a report by Demos, a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization.  AFA and APFA agree with the report’s findings that the hyper-competition and price-gouging that lead to “low airfares are as much a problem as an achievement if they leave an industry without the resources to maintain service standards and make crucial investments in equipment, technology, and human capital.”

AFA and APFA are working together on Capitol Hill to improve the lives of flight attendants worldwide through lobbying efforts that bring attention to our profession.  We believe it is critical that Congress, the Department of Transportation and the Obama administration earnestly review the effects of deregulation and explore creative solutions that will bring stability to the airline industry and to its thousands of dedicated frontline safety professionals.