Hotline Messages

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18 July 2008 Hotline

ASHS Update: Single Service Cart Changes
Your MEC Air Safety, Health and Security Service Subcommittee continues to work toward additional changes to improve the domestic single service cart. As a result of the May 16 “cart summit,” the company has already agreed to certain changes, including redesign of the cart packing/setup, overall weight reduction, and more workspace and product accessibility.

These changes were tested on 20 flights from June 9 through 14. Based on crew feedback, the carts will now be arranged for operation by one flight attendant, but are easily converted to a two-person operation. This new cart packing design was launched system wide on July 14. A two-person operation is recommended. However, if operated by one flight attendant, safe work practices should be used when positioning the carts in the aisle with the assistance of another crewmember.

Further changes are forthcoming, including new cart repair tags that will have a tracking number to ensure timely repair and follow-up. We still need your feedback: call or email the FACC and be sure to also email the MEC ASHS Service Subcommittee at .

Printed Contracts Shipped
The MEC Negotiations Committee is pleased to report that all printed copies of our ratified agreement have been shipped via company mail to each flight attendant base. Northwest and AFA-CWA representatives will be distributing copies to each flight attendant mailbox as soon as the cartons are received. Contracts will arrive shrink-wrapped containing three metal rings and two plastic page lifters; cloth zippered covers are in production and will be shipped to each base as soon as they are available.

PBS Mock 5.5 Bidding Announced
An additional practice session for PBS bidding will begin on July 25 at 1000 CDT. This Mock 5.5 bidding will close on July 30 at 0900 CDT. Please use every opportunity to submit a final practice bid before PBS goes live in August for the September bid month. The deadline for actual live September PBS bids is August 13 at 0900 CDT. See the latest PBS communication on the ATLAS home page for more information.

Northwest, Delta Steering Committees Meet in D.C.
Flight attendant activists from both the Northwest and Delta Steering Committees and our Northwest Member Engagement Committee Chair and Vice Chair will meet in Washington, D.C. next week. CWA organizers, advisors, attorneys and AFA-CWA International officers will facilitate intensive strategy sessions and advanced mobilization training to further ready these volunteers prior to a representation election of the combined flight attendant group when a merger transaction is complete. Once our joint strategic coalition has completed this comprehensive training, elected leaders of Northwest AFA-CWA will participate in a similar program, with a stronger focus on CWA’s successful local member-to-member organizing structure. A collaborative communications effort is planned – including a joint website and newsletter – with a launch date expected later this summer. Please email the Member Engagement Committee at to volunteer at the local level as we ramp up our efforts before Labor Day.

Activists and MEC Officers to Lobby Congress for MN Unemployment Insurance Benefits
MEC Officers and Government Affairs Committee activists will head to D.C. next week to lobby Minnesota members of Congress for less restrictive unemployment insurance benefits for MSP-based SLIP leave participants. Although a MN state statute currently denies unemployment to those who voluntarily take a leave of absence from work, our MEC contends that voluntary leaves alleviate more dire consequences to the State because such leaves prevent potentially devastating involuntary furloughs.

After meetings this week with Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy and MN State Representative Joe Atkins in St. Paul, AFA-CWA will visit several key State Senators at the State Capitol and the Minnesota Congressional Delegation in D.C., asking for the Delegation’s assistance in providing constituents with benefits afforded other unemployed workers. At the next Minnesota Central Labor Council meeting with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) on Monday, July 21, AFA-CWA will first meet with the Congressman, then will speak to the Council about the Delta/Northwest merger and Delta’s plan to eliminate our flight attendant union. We will update you with the results of these meetings.

Executive Management Team Now Included in Recycling Project
First it was aluminum cans and paper; now Northwest management itself is being recycled. A press release this week lists the Delta Air Lines transitional executive team, and many of the names are eerily familiar to Northwest employees. So much for some flight attendants’ hopes they might be treated differently by “new” faces in Delta’s management group if we’re left without a union: the same pool of “highly experienced operational, corporate and strategic leaders” who pillaged Northwest Airlines and eventually led it into bankruptcy will now be tasked with convincing investors, federal regulators, the traveling public and employees that a “seamless transition” is on the horizon. If only this reuse of corporate fossil fuel could end global warming.

Delta “Inadvertently” Removes Policy Manual References, Reissues FlyRight Work Rules
Delta Air Lines flight attendants work under imposed working conditions issued unilaterally by management and subject to change at any time. As such, keeping up with Delta’s “moving target” directives is almost impossible, especially when these rules and conditions for employment are not available for reference all in one place.

Management is not required to inform flight attendants of scheduling rule changes outside of FARs since they are not agreed upon as they would be between an employer and a union. Nevertheless, flight attendants are expected to know and abide by every mandate, even though they may never have seen or heard them.

This fleeting compilation of working conditions has never before been published in full. Our MEC web developer has been busy gathering bits and pieces of the Delta FlyRight rulebook (before any become obsolete!) and posting them on our website on the ”Delta Policy Manual” page. In a recent email to flight attendants, Delta executives warned that pages had “inadvertently” been removed for several years and were now being reinstated. It is unclear which pages may have disappeared and reappeared, but we invite you to review Delta management edicts on our website, keeping in mind that there are:

NO binding effective or amendable dates;
NO consequences for Delta management violating its own rules;
NO legally recognized processes through which flight attendants may argue against such rule violations;
and NO legal obligations for management to uphold any policy as Northwest Airlines must under our AFA-CWA ratified contract.

Reminder: Contact EAP for Professional Standards Issues
Detroit Hub Managing Director of Line Maintenance Jack Fauth recently issued a memo to his workgroup on how to report to Northwest management alleged “inappropriate conduct” during pass travel. In contrast to this directive, AFA-CWA urges flight attendants to call our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) volunteers to discuss professional standards issues with fellow union employees, not Northwest management. All conversations are kept confidential. We are discouraged to read Jack’s memo, as his goal could only be to damage the positive relationships that have existed for years between employee groups at Northwest.

Improved Hotel Committee Website Now Online
We invite you to visit the fun and informative MEC Hotel Committee website. Features include articles on everything from bedbugs to tipping, with new information being posted weekly.

Additional Local Council Meetings Announced
Local Executive Councils have scheduled meetings for July, August and September. Please visit the Council Meetings page of our website for times and locations. The page also lists scheduled PBS Seminars for July and August. The SAFA-taught PBS seminar topic for July is “Weighting;” for August is “Reports.”

Something To Consider: Happy Summer Travel Season!
Northwest VP of Communications Tammy Lee on how important service is to airline executives:

“When you’re choosing between survival and service, survival wins.”

— on Minnesota Public Radio’s Midmorning, July 16, 2008

Posted by Communications Chair on 07/19 at 10:00 AM

10 July 2008 Hotline

Northwest Public Relations Announces
Number of Employees Affected by Schedule Reduction
In a press release issued Wednesday, Northwest Airlines revealed the number of employees it expects to delete from its payroll in response to “fuel costs.” A media advisory cites a total of 2,500 management and frontline workers will be cut, first through “voluntary programs” and then by furloughs, if necessary. The company had an obligation to use internal employer/employee communication to announce this important, just-realized data; instead they chose to release it to the media first. We anticipate that the volume of interest in the SLIP leave program will significantly reduce the possibility of contractual voluntary furloughs using the company’s current numbers. In the future, we hope management will rely less on its “direct relationship” with the press and more on labor relations protocol when notifying employees of potential job cuts.

Information for Potential SLIP Leave Participants
The company has issued a second FAQ reference for flight attendants contemplating SLIP leaves. Link here to read Julie Showers’ responses to your questions, as well as new information from Contract Administrator SuzAnne Balzer. Thanks to all of you who emailed Julie and copied in your union.

Please visit the Employment Benefits page of our website, where we have provided links to the US Department of Labor and to your State’s unemployment insurance (UI) benefits department. The company has stated it will not contest unemployment claims; ultimately each state makes the final decision on granting UI benefits. In fact, due to a state statute, flight attendants in Minnesota have been denied benefits during previous SLIP leaves (link here for the MN State Statute). Any questions about UI benefits should be directed to the appropriate state agency. Please make every effort to get all UI questions answered before applying for SLIP leave.

As a reminder, if there are changes in your contact information that become effective during your SLIP leave (new phone, temporary address, etc.), update your contact info with AFA-CWA and with Northwest Airlines as soon as possible.

Flight attendants on SLIP leave will be responsible to remit AFA-CWA monthly dues for the first 90 days of unpaid leave. The AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws, Article XI.6. states, “Payment of dues shall be required of all members that are on active status during a month or any portion thereof. After the first ninety (90) days of removal from service and no longer receiving compensation through a carrier for disability leave, payment of dues shall not be required.” If you are granted a SLIP leave, the easiest way to be sure you are still eligible for all benefits of membership in AFA-CWA is to pay dues online at nwaafa.org. You may also mail your dues to:

AFA-CWA Membership Services
6th Floor
501 Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-2797
(800-424-2401)
(Membership Services Website)

Summer Reliability Plan Disqualifying Codes
Our MEC Scheduling Committee would like to clarify one of the Summer Reliability Plan disqualifying codes: YW, or “You Walk” does not refer to flight attendants who exercise their contractual right to be replaced when faced with exceeding on-duty limitations as listed in Section 5 (Hours of Service).

MEC Appoints Merger Representatives for Seniority Integration
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 has appointed two Northwest AFA merger representatives in advance of a successful combined Delta/Northwest representation election when a merger transaction is complete.

Ann Marie Mastalerz (BOS Council 92) and Barb Schlosser (MSP Council 95) are certified by our MEC “as having complete and full authority to act for and on behalf of the flight attendants… for the purpose of compiling necessary employment data and a single flight attendant seniority list.” (C&B Section X.C.1.)

Working to preserve Northwest Airlines flight attendants’ full bidding seniority in a merger with Delta Air Lines, Anne Marie and Barb 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. Barb and Ann Marie will continue this work, verifying our seniority list when it is published “no later than...July 31” as provided in our contract, Section 20—Seniority. Please read Section 20.B.2. for your right and responsibility to challenge information on our seniority list when it is published twice annually.

Something to Consider:
Visit Delta President Ed Bastian’s Chat Room Log!
Click here to read how Ed feels about his flight attendants having a legal voice at work. GMAB!

Posted by Communications Chair on 07/10 at 12:06 PM

4 July 2008 Hotline

Happy Fourth of July!
We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend with friends and family.

Special Leave Incentive Program Questions
Our leadership is pleased that the company has offered Special Leave Incentive Program (SLIP) leaves in lieu of furloughs, granting flight attendants continued medical coverage and uncontested unemployment benefits during SLIP. The company’s welcome announcement June 30 prompted many questions from flight attendants seeking clarification on everything from unemployment benefits during previous SLIP leaves, to right to return to current base at the end of such leaves.

Our MEC has posed these and many other questions to Julie Showers, who issued what we hope is just the first of several Frequently Asked Questions memos before the July 13 SLIP bid deadline. Julie has assured flight attendants that an impending merger approval by the Department of Justice will not affect the terms of the leave.

We have every confidence that Julie and other senior officers will address our as yet unanswered questions regarding SLIP leaves after such approval, when a merger transaction occurs, which according to company documents could be as early as “Fall/Winter 2008.” This transaction – in which the airlines will begin operating as a “single transportation system” – will trigger a National Mediation Board representation election for Delta and Northwest flight attendants. Julie has not addressed how or whether leaves would be affected should we lose our representation in this election.

We encourage you to direct further questions to Julie at (please cc ) so that she can provide everyone as much information as possible in making this final, binding decision to apply for a SLIP leave. In the meantime, we have created an ”Employment Benefits” webpage at nwaafa.org, where we have posted communications from Inflight regarding SLIP leaves; links to the US Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance benefits page as well as individual state pages and benefits calculators; COBRA rates; and other resources for those contemplating SLIP leaves or the upcoming August Company Convenience Leaves (CCLs).

Knowledge is POWER!
Contract Education: Established Base Line Average Correction Issued
In the latest PBS Update from the PBS Implementation Team, the Established Base Line Average (EBLA) for PBS mock bids in July was corrected to 85:00 instead of the 82:00 that appeared in the July cover letters. Once PBS goes live, the EBLA determines RSV Month End Release parameters (please see the June 27 hotline message for details) and will impact PBS bids. Read more about the EBLA in our online contract, Section 5.D.2.—Established Base Line Average.

Supplemental Insurance Enrollment Information: More Sessions Scheduled
As a member of AFA-CWA, you are entitled to enroll in several supplemental insurance plans offered by National Group Protection (NGP), a union company with over 30 years in the employee benefits market. Available individual and family coverage includes accident protection, critical illness insurance and universal life insurance. The plans are portable upon separation from Northwest Airlines and do not require medical exams prior to enrollment.

Our MEC has arranged for NGP to send licensed agents to each Council to conduct informational sessions and on-site enrollment. The following base visits are scheduled:

COUNCIL DATE
94 DTW July 16 to 23
97 SFO August 6 to 10
91 NYC August 13 to 15
Please contact a Local Executive Council Officer for exact times and locations. As more sessions are scheduled, they will be posted on our website on the “Events” page (under “Conferences") and in Inflight lounges.

Something to Consider:
“At Will” Employment
as Defined by Delta Air Lines Management

“Just as all personnel may resign their employment with Delta at any time and for any reason they choose, Delta may terminate the employment relationship at any time if Delta concludes that such termination is appropriate.”

From the June 12, 2008 Delta Human Resources Administrative Action Guidelines handbook now on our website on the ”Merger Resources” page.

Posted by Communications Chair on 07/04 at 03:39 PM

27 June 2008 Hotline

New Jumpseat Agreements Reached
Air Wisconsin (ZW), CommutAir (C5), Great Lakes Airlines (CK) and Sun Country Air (SY) will offer reciprocal cabin seats to Northwest Airlines flight attendants beginning July 1, 2008. Details can be found on ATLAS in the What’s New section. These agreements come from our ratified contract, Letter of Agreement 29 – Jumpseat Reciprocity.

Printed Contract Coming Soon
The contract has been printed and collated by IAM-represented employees at the company print shop. Although this process was briefly interrupted by the printing of a flight attendant manual bulletin, it is back on track and our contract is ready to be shipped to each base. Once the cartons are transferred via company mail to Inflight offices, copies will be available for distribution to each flight attendant. As described in a previous hotline message, the fabric covers will be delivered separately when completed.

Knowledge is POWER!
Contract Education: Reserve and Scheduling Committee Update: Early Release, Daily Release, Month End Release and Effect on Reserve Guarantee
Our MEC Reserve and Scheduling Committees would like to clarify language in Section 7 (Reserves) for those flight attendants who are contemplating requesting an Early(7.G.6.), Daily (7.G.2.) or Month End Release (7.G.7.).

When submitting a request for Early Release (ER) in VRU or CENTRY, RSVs “shall specify both a minimum projection and a specific release date that must be met in order to be released. Both conditions must be met before a Reserve Flight Attendant is released.” The default hourly minimum projection is 00:00, which will be recorded in the audit trail request if no other hourly minimum projection is entered. This will indicate a RSV is requesting release even without having flown or being credited any hours for the month.

If ERs are authorized and granted when both conditions are met, “A Reserve Flight Attendant who has elected and is granted a release shall be paid only for hours actually flown and credited.” There is no pay for remaining available – but not assigned a pattern – on any past reserve day once the release is granted. In other words, any 4:15 RSV day that would be accumulated and credited while sitting RSV without receiving an ER will be lost for pay purposes when an ER is granted. Please review the language in Section 7.G.6. for detailed examples of using the ER option.

RSVs may also request a Month End Release “following the completion of the pattern that projects the Flight Attendant over the monthly EBLA, but no later than the completion of rest following such pattern...A Flight Attendant who does not request a Month End Release within this time frame shall be required to serve the remainder of his/her on-duty period(s) for the month, unless he/she is later granted a release under paragraph G. of this Section, or is projected to be within four hours and fifteen minutes (4:15) of the monthly maximum.” The EBLA or Established Base Line Average is determined monthly by crew scheduling, is published on the SLIC cover letter and can be reviewed in the ACCESS scheduling matrix. This release will not result in a loss of guarantee pay as long as the EBLA exceeds the monthly RSV guarantee. (For example, the EBLA in June is 82:00; if a Month End Release is granted at 82:01, no minimum reserve guarantee is lost since 82:01 exceeds 80:00.)

A Daily Release (RX) request can be made by reserves. If granted, it reduces monthly reserve guarantee/pay by 4:15 per day. (Section 7.G. also contains this note: “A Reserve Flight Attendant who does not have any reserve on-duty periods in any bid month shall receive no reserve guarantee for that month.”)

Reserves affected by the loss of pay guarantee when granted RX or ER may still request Will Fly (WF) status. RSV WF will be processed as Category 16 (see Section 6.K.16. – Categories of Assignment). Please review Section 7.G. in its entirety if considering an Early, Daily or Month End Release, by using the online contract at nwaafa.org.

Northwest MEC Appoints Steering Committee Members to Work With Delta Activists
Delta and Northwest executives are intent on completing a merger before the end of the year. If federal regulators approve the transaction, flight attendants could face a National Mediation Board (NMB) representation election of the combined workforce in a few months. This election will determine whether we remain part of AFA-CWA and retain our collective bargaining rights, or lose our union and our contract.

Our MEC and Delta activists continue to define the joint strategy for this important election. The collaborative campaign, begun even before the first Delta NMB vote, will now be directed by a four-member team of flight attendant organizers from each airline, with support from AFA-CWA International and organizing strategists from CWA. Delta Steering Committee members will meet with Northwest Steering Committee members to further coordinate efforts in our push to ensure that each eligible flight attendant votes in an election when it is announced.

Steering Committee members who have volunteered to direct this critical campaign for Northwest flight attendants are:

Rebecca Collier, MSP Council 95
Sherry Eubanks, NYC Council 91
Susan Squiers, MSP Council 95
Rich Stone, HNL Council 99

Delta Steering Committee members are:

Marianne Bicksler, SLC
John Jablonski, ATL
Mara Levene, ATL
Mark Stell, SAS (Delta’s San Diego satellite base)

MEC Member Engagement Chair/Vice Chair, Grievance Chair/Vice Chair/Member Appointed
At last weekend’s MEC meeting, our elected leaders appointed the following members in good standing to MEC committee positions:

Effective Immediately: Member Engagement – Angela Wood (MSP Council 95), Chair; Jarrod Anderson (MSP Council 95), Vice Chair
Effective July 1, 2008: Grievance – Greg Riffle (MSP Council 95), Chair; Patricia Reller (DTW Council 94), Vice Chair; Kaki Androsiuk (LAX Council 98), Member At Large

Previous appointments include:

SAFA – Jordana Sperl (MSP Council 95), Chair; Julie Salak (MSP Council 95), Vice Chair
Purser – Kim Cook (SEA Council 96), Chair; Gary Helton (LAX Council 98), Vice Chair

We thank these activists for their continued participation in our union.

“Open To Change, Committed To Solidarity”
MEC Communications Committee Member At Large Rene Foss (NYC Council 91) tells us what she’s doing to protect our future in a merger and asks, are you committed to flight attendant solidarity? Click here to read Rene’s letter to her Northwest colleagues.

Early-Out Recipients to Receive Full Vacation Payout on Separation
In the company’s most recent early-out program, participants were advised that they would receive two payments upon separation, one in July for half of any outstanding vacation accruals owed, the other delayed until January 2009 covering remaining vacation payout.

Our MEC Grievance Committee approached the company about this arrangement, citing past practice upon separation from employment. When a flight attendant retires or resigns, our contract (Section 10.C.2.a. – Payment for Accrued Vacations) provides “accumulated vacation credit to the date of termination” if two weeks notice is given. Past practice over several contracts has been for the vacation payment to be included in the final separation payment. The company has since modified its decision to split this payment, avoiding a grievance on this issue. All vacation payouts for Early-Out participants will be included in July 2008 separation payments.

CWA Convention Update: Delegates Support Barack Obama in 2008
Though he was unable to attend in person, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) thanked thousands of CWA supporters in a videotaped message at this year’s convention in Las Vegas, after our sister union of over 700,000 members officially backed his campaign for president. Sen. Obama called his formidable presidential opponent Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “a genuine American hero,” and encouraged CWA members to participate in voting drives at work. Beginning this fall, AFA-CWA Government Affairs Committee members will be traveling the Northwest system, setting up voter registration tables with IAM and other unions, in cooperation with the Northwest Airlines Government Affairs department. Until then, if you’d like to get a jump on registering to vote, please visit the Government Affairs page of our website to download a voter registration form or register online in your home state.

Posted by Communications Chair on 06/27 at 05:16 PM

6 June 2008 Hotline

Air Safety, Health and Security Update: Further Improvements to Single Serve Carts
As reported in the recent Joint Safety/Service communication, the company has agreed to additional improvements to the “single serve cart” as a result of members’ feedback; now it’s time to see if they can deliver.

To support the carts being operated with two flight attendants, a new cart packing design has been implemented, making setup and delivery of the service easier. This packing system is considered “convertible,” so that it may be used by one or two flight attendants per cart, depending on crew count. Also, the weight of the carts will be further reduced by decreasing the number of liquor minis/beer and removing the beer/ice tub.

These changes will be tested on select flights between June 9 and June 24 (see ATLAS company email for exact flight numbers), with an Onboard Services and Catering manager or a special assignment flight attendant from the Flight Attendant Communications Center (FACC) on selected flights to take comments and suggestions. Your feedback to our union on these modifications is also needed! Please continue to use the Cart Feedback Form posted on the nwaafa.org website – or send your comments directly to: . Let us hear from you as we continue to work together to improve the “single serve cart” concept.

FMLA Moves Closer to Final Vote—One Voice Can Make a Difference!
We are in a critical phase of our push to get FMLA changes onto the floor of the Senate before the end of this session of Congress. Volunteers are still needed to spend a few hours at the MEC office on Monday, June 9 or Tuesday, June 10, calling AFA-CWA members in Tennessee, Michigan and Florida. We need Senators from these states—states with thousands of flight attendant constituents—to co-sponsor the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act (S2059) that will redefine FMLA qualifying hours for crewmembers.

Contact Camilla Wolkerstorfer at or 651-226-3881 to schedule some time to use your one democratic voice to influence others and our leaders on Capitol Hill. Calls will be made from the MEC office:

Northwest Airlines Master Executive Council
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
8011 34th Avenue South, Suite 220
Bloomington, MN 55425
952-241-4100

Meet Delta Flight Attendants at Your Next Local Council Meeting
Our AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws (Article III.D.2.a.) requires that, “A regular meeting of the Local Council shall be called at least two (2) times per calendar year by the President or by other elected Officers of the Council at the direction of the President. At least one (1) of these meetings will be held prior to the Board of Directors meeting to discuss and solicit agenda items from Local Council members.” The 2008 Board of Directors (BOD) meeting is in Milwaukee in July, and all Councils have scheduled local meetings prior to the BOD. Members in good standing are welcome to attend any meeting, but only members in good standing of the host Council may vote on or submit agenda items.

Many Local Executive Council officers have invited flight attendants from Delta Air Lines to attend these meetings and to offer true insight into what life is like at Delta without union representation. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming our colleagues to what may, for some, be their first union meeting. We anticipate many interesting discussions and a greater knowledge, understanding and appreciation of one another’s work experience. The only “direct relationship” we’re interested in cultivating at Delta is with its flight attendants!

Please visit the ”LEC Meetings” page of our website (under the “Events” tab on the homepage) for a schedule. We will update this page as new information becomes available.

MEC Meeting Announced to Precede CWA Convention,
Delta Flight Attendants Invited to Participate
This year’s CWA Convention will be in Las Vegas in June, where elected delegates from each Local Executive Council will represent each Council on changes to the CWA Constitution and Bylaws, the election of International and District Officers and establishing CWA policy. At the convention, Delta and Northwest organizers will speak to a crowd of thousands of delegates and guests about the recent NMB election and flight attendants’ future together in a merger. It is only with the full support of our brothers and sister advocates at CWA that we were able to successfully bring AFA-CWA to Northwest; we continue to rely on CWA’s strategic skill and enthusiastic organizing ethic to bring AFA-CWA to Delta.

The MEC will hold its annual pre-BOD meeting before the CWA Convention. At our MEC meeting, Local Executive Council Presidents will discuss agenda items relevant to the July BOD. They will also hear from MEC Committee Chairs or designees on progress and developments within our many specialized committees. We encourage all members to attend an MEC meeting, to fully appreciate the volume and scale of the work our elected leaders and other volunteers do on behalf of our diverse membership. Our MEC meeting is scheduled for June 20 and 21, and the CWA Convention will begin on June 23; both events are at the Las Vegas Hilton. On June 21 our MEC will be in planning sessions with Delta Steering Committee activists and CWA organizing experts, moving forward with our joint strategy in advance of a merger. Please contact your Local Executive Council Officers for more information.

Supplemental Insurance Enrollment Information Coming to Local Councils
As a member of AFA-CWA, you are entitled to enroll in several supplemental insurance plans offered by National Group Protection (NGP), a union company with over 30 years in the employee benefits market. Available individual and family coverage includes accident protection, critical illness insurance and universal life insurance. The plans are portable upon separation from Northwest Airlines and do not require medical exams prior to enrollment.

Our MEC has arranged for NGP to send licensed agents to each Council to conduct informational sessions and on-site enrollment. The following base visits are scheduled for June:
COUNCIL DATE
94 DTW June 16 – 23
(additional session scheduled for July)
98 LAX June 17 – 21
96 SEA June 17 – 21

Please contact a Local Executive Council Officer for exact times and locations. As more sessions are scheduled, they will be posted on our website, under “Conferences” in the “Events” tab, and in Inflight lounges.

Posted by Communications Chair on 06/07 at 12:23 PM

23 May 2008 Hotline

Final Electronic Version of Our Contract Now Online
In a previous hotline message we described in detail the process for moving our contract from raw pages to print-ready format (click here to read that story). Our web developer Neal McMahon has now received the final electronic version, as approved by union and company representatives, and has been hard at work uploading each section to the “Contract Resources” page of our website, nwaafa.org. (Under “Resources” on the homepage.) You may now download the pdf to your own home or laptop computer.

Within the next few days, a user-friendly interactive contract – complete with table of contents and index – will also be available, so researching contract questions will be quicker than ever. Not only will you be able to use the “Find” command in Adobe© Reader or Acrobat when reading the downloaded pdf on your desktop, but if a contract section is referenced in more than one place (for example, “Purser” appears in Sections 2, 3, 6, 9, etc.), Neal is programming the online version to indicate that repetition and link you to important cross-references. We think you’ll find this feature to be particularly valuable when investigating possible contract violations.

Our contract will be going into the print queue shortly and will be distributed into our company mailboxes as soon as it is published. We will update you if there is any deviation from the original printing schedule.

What Do You Know About Delta’s Seniority List?
If the answer to that question is, “Not much,” you are in the same boat as Delta Air Lines flight attendants. Their seniority list is not published. Seniority is not always a consideration in bidding, trip assignment, furloughs or leaves. If this is news to you, please click here to read Northwest Airlines flight attendant Rene Foss’ perspective on what else there is to learn about the way Delta operates – and what life might be like without union representation.

We Did It! Government Affairs Activists Declare FMLA Victory in the House
On Tuesday, May 20 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Airline Flight Crew FMLA Technical Corrections Act (HR2744). The final vote was 402 to 9, an impressive and substantial bi-partisan majority. The successful passage of this bill is due to our grass roots efforts in garnering support for this very important legislation, especially those of us in Michigan, who were instrumental in getting Thaddeus McCotter’s (R-MI) support as one of the original co-sponsors.

We now must focus on the companion bill in the Senate (S2059). The hurdle we face is in educating Senators on our unique schedules. For example, some think that reserve flight attendants are not full-time employees and should not be covered by this law! We will get them to understand. Please call your Senators and let them know how important this law is to all crewmembers. (Visit the Government Affairs page for information on contacting your elected officials.)

Once the Senate bill passes, both bills will be combined and sent to the President for his signature. This new law will not only benefit AFA-CWA flight attendants, but all U.S. flight attendants and pilots. Crewmembers will finally be able to meet the defined minimum number of hours for FMLA coverage: 60 percent of a full-time schedule based on each airline’s monthly minimum flying requirements. No longer will we need to negotiate for fair FMLA benefits.

Our MEC Government Affairs Committee would like to express our gratitude to Shane Larson, AFA-CWA Director of Legislative Affairs, for his guidance, and activists at Northwest and the other 21 AFA-CWA represented carriers who worked tirelessly to get this majority in the House of Representatives. Our “Congressional Hero” Tim Bishop (D-NY) said, “I think the fact that [AFA-CWA flight attendants] were able to generate so many cosponsors is a testament to the fact that this is a carefully and narrowly crafted bill that addresses an inequality that was never intended in the original law.”

We should all be very proud—your Union and its membership has again been effective in taking issues off the negotiations table through successful legislation.

Final Days of Delta Representation Election “Get Out The Vote” Effort
The National Mediation Board will tally votes in the Delta flight attendants’ representation election on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 1400 EDT. Until then, activists and supporters from Delta and other AFA-CWA carriers will be turning out for visibility campaigns and working at call centers around the country to be sure that each eligible Delta flight attendant is aware of the consequences of not voting in this election and of the benefits of union representation and a legally binding contract. If you can spend just a couple of hours in this effort, please contact today:

Get Out The Vote Call Center Locations:

ATL, DCA, FLL and SLC

Open until May 27

AFA Visibility Campaigns:

ATL, BOS, CVG, FLL, MCO, NYC and SLC

For more information about these opportunities to assist our Delta colleagues, email:

MEC Office Closed for Memorial Day
The MEC office will be closed in observation of Memorial Day on Monday, May 26, 2008. It will reopen at 0900 CDT Tuesday, May 27.

Posted by Communications Chair on 05/23 at 05:40 PM

16 May 2008 Hotline

What is SILO and Why Should You Care?
The Company recently implemented several scheduling items that, since the ratification of our contract, required extensive programming changes to properly reflect improvements to previous language. The most frequently asked question since then: “What the heck is SILO and how will it benefit me?”

On Wednesday, May 21, Local Executive Council 94 Officers and DTW Inflight Services will present a Scheduling and Reserve Town Hall Meeting in the DTW Inflight/Flight Operations CBT Training Room to answer that question and more, including why June PBS Mock 3 Bidding was cancelled. Click here for more information on this important update on scheduling implementation. If you are unable to attend this meeting and have questions about SILO and other scheduling items, please contact your Local Executive Council officers.

Our Hotel Committee Is Listening: AMS Layover Notes
The Noord-Zuidlijn subway construction project continues near the crew layover hotel in Amsterdam. When the dig began, there were reports from many area businesses that an increase in mice had been observed inside buildings as the animals’ habitat was disturbed. Thanks to prompt reporting of this problem from flight crews via the Flight Crew Report (FCR) on ATLAS and an aggressive pesticide and trapping response initiated by hotel management, only two sightings have occurred in the past three months.

A copy of the FCR is received by both ALPA and AFA-CWA Hotel Committee Chairs, as well as SuzAnne Balzer, Director of Contract Administration, who acknowledges receipt through Outlook Web Access. In addition, our website has an electronic ”Hotel Report Form” that is sent directly to our MEC Hotel Committee. Please be sure to use both of these methods of documenting problems. Reports to NWA and our union should be in addition to notifying hotel staff of any public health concerns. Our MEC Hotel Committee Chair Anne Odenwald would like to remind flight attendants to always call the room service attendant for tray pick-up and never leave food in luggage or unsealed in your room – move everything into the refrigerator as soon as possible. With these preventive measures in place and immediate notification, we do not anticipate any additional problems throughout the subway construction.

Employee Involvement Team Participants: Updates Needed
Northwest’s Employee Involvement Teams (EITs) have grown in number over the past year. Though participating in these peer groups can build strong relationships among members of different unions at Northwest, EITs also serve to circumvent direct union involvement with issues that affect our increasingly complicated work lives. Our union encourages employees to work together with management to create alternatives to unilaterally mandated service changes, but the Company should not attempt to use EITs to solve safety and service issues without AFA-CWA and other union leadership being directly involved in the process.

Since Northwest has chosen of late to implement procedures without proper notification to union leaders, we ask that those of you who have joined one of Northwest’s EITs please update LEC officers on initiatives as they are developed in committee. With your information and assessment, our union officers will use proper protocol to address contract compliance when Company policy is modified.

Atlanta Labor Rally Reaffirms Commitment to Delta AFA-CWA Supporters
MEC Vice President Janette Rook joined hundreds of activists from the labor community in the Atlanta area this week when she spoke in front of a group of union supporters and Delta flight attendants, offering Northwest AFA-CWA’s full support and solidarity during Delta’s representation election. “We are all flight attendants, seeking a common goal of bargaining strength and job protection, in a changing world and an uncertain economy,” Janette said. “We may have the opportunity to be the largest organized group of flight attendants in the country. Together we can negotiate a legally enforceable merged contract which solidifies our work rules and protects our flying.” For more photos from this event, please visit the Photo Gallery.

AFA-CWA Charges ‘Preemptive Interference’ by Delta Management
On May 2, AFA-CWA attorneys filed a complaint with the National Mediation Board demanding an immediate investigation into management interference in the Delta flight attendant organizing campaign. They specifically requested that, while the investigation is ongoing, the Board order Delta to:

immediately cease its interference and coercion with respect to AFA’s communication activities in the flight attendant crew lounges;
cease its deliberate misstatements regarding voter eligibility;
cease its intrusive and false communication to flight attendants; and
send a notice to all flight attendants on the eligibility list to report all incidents of interference and coercion to the NMB.

This Board’s track record on interference leaves AFA with grave doubts that any action will be taken by the NMB to stop Delta’s unlawful election activities.

Congress Hears AFA-CWA Testimony Regarding Proposed Merger
This week, AFA-CWA International President Pat Friend testified before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, stating that our union is “very worried that...Northwest flight attendants...are in danger of losing” collective bargaining rights in the Northwest/Delta merger. Pat encouraged legislators to “revisit the concept of employee protection from the deregulation act” as a partial solution to the negative impact mergers have on airline workers. She emphasized to Representatives that Delta management is using this merger as an opportunity to destroy unions in our industry, which will force down the standards of pay and benefits and the job protections that legally binding contracts provide. Visit our website to view testimony from Pat, Northwest ALPA MEC Chairman Dave Stevens and IAM International VP Robert Roach, and to read the AFA-CWA press release.

How We Get OUR Questions Asked at Congressional Hearings
At hearings, our Congressional supporters have asked pointed questions to both Anderson and Steenland about our concerns. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) asked Anderson last week about remaining neutral in the Delta representation election and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) confronted him this week about the anti-union video Delta sent to flight attendants’ homes (view videos here and here). We were also able to get Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) to send a letter to Anderson and Steenland about these issues. These Congressional heroes are examples of where our FlightPac contributions go: since unions are legally prevented from using dues money for contributing to campaigns, we must rely on member contributions to provide support to government officials – like Rep. Sutton and Rep Lipinski – who will fight for us and bring our issues to Capitol Hill. Please consider contributing as little as $1 a month to FlightPac. Visit afanet.org to download a FlightPac form and drop it in any union mailbox. With your help, we will be able to have our “Congressional heroes” continue to speak for us during the merger process and beyond.

Your Calls Help FMLA Clear Hurdle on Capitol Hill
On Wednesday of this week HR2744, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, was sent to committee for markup, the last step in the legislative process prior to sending a bill to the floor for a vote. For more information about how grass roots efforts by our local committee members affected this process, visit our Government Affairs webpage. Posted by Communications Chair on 05/17 at 11:52 AM

10 May 2008 Hotline

Delta Anti-Union Video Available on our Website, Rated R for Ridiculous
Delta Air Lines executives have made a strong financial commitment to prevent their flight attendants from having a union, and management has a seemingly endless supply of propaganda toward that aim. In addition to piles of anti-union material at every Inflight office throughout the country, now they’ve sent this slick anti-union video to 14,000 Delta flight attendants—funded with Delta employees’ own money. Watch it and you’ll see just how low Delta’s executive team is willing to go to keep AFA-CWA off the property and to keep a tight rein on every decision that is made during the proposed merger.

At AFA-CWA, our commitment is to get factual information to Delta flight attendants by volunteering at Call Centers and Visibility Campaigns around the nation, working one-on-one with our colleagues. When Northwest volunteers speak to Delta crews, our message is heard loud and clear—only as a union-represented workgroup will we have job protections and a say in the future of a merged carrier. 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. Please see the Get Out The Vote information below to volunteer to spread the truth about union representation.

MEC Vice President Sends Letter of Support to Delta Flight Attendants
After reports this week that Delta management is taking its anti-labor rhetoric to a whole new level, MEC Vice President Janette Rook was prompted to send a letter of support to Delta flight attendants. Her letter urges Delta flight attendants to carefully weigh the consequences of rejecting representation and becoming the largest non-union flight attendant group, without a contract, without a voice at the bargaining table and without scope and job protections. Janette also asks our Delta colleagues to consider why Delta executives would be so opposed to their own employees having a say in their future. Please link here to read Janette’s letter.

Deadline Extended: Aloha Airlines Flight Attendant Benefit Account/Donations
On March 30, Aloha Airlines announced it was ceasing operations, leaving hundreds of AFA-CWA members to face the devastating reality of unemployment on the eve of a recession and skyrocketing food prices. Honolulu Council 99 Officers and generous members immediately secured the following methods of providing monetary and gift card/certificate donations (preferred stores are Foodland, Safeway, Star Market and Costco) to “Show Our Aloha” to ALO Council 54 employees:

Donate money to the Wings Financial Credit Union (WFCU). Please make checks payable to:
Aloha Airlines Flight Attendant Benefit Account
Wings ID #1148785; Account # 0100029603
Send in or drop off your donation to any WFCU branch
Send gift cards to:
ATTN: Sheri Pasua-Bennett
Northwest Airlines, Inc.
Honolulu International Airport
Honolulu, HI 96819
Drop off cash, checks and gift cards in the designated lock box in Honolulu Inflight

Deadline for donations: May 30
Mahalo (thank you) for your kokua (help). For further information please contact Council 99 President Dave Tadlock at .

Chairman of House Judiciary Committee Drafts Letter to Anderson, Steenland
Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary, has drafted a letter to both Richard Anderson and Doug Steenland, addressing the Committee’s concerns about “the exclusion of certain employee groups from recent merger talks.” The Chairman’s letter comes at the request of MEC Government Affairs Committee Chair Albert Garcia and Delta flight attendant/Steering Committee member Mark Stell, who met with Rep. Conyers last month. AFA-CWA is seeking additional Congressional signatures on the letter, which also states the Committee is “troubled by allegations that the airlines intend to use the merger as a way to de-unionize the merged carrier. It is essential that the decision to unionize be a fair, open and democratic process.”

AFA-CWA Senate Testimony Emphasizes Importance of Collective Bargaining
AFA-CWA International President Pat Friend testified Wednesday, May 7, in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee. At the hearing, titled “State of the Airline Industry and the Potential Impact of a Delta/Northwest Merger,” Pat emphasized the role collective bargaining has played and should continue to play in creating and maintaining middle-class jobs in the airline industry. “Delta management is trying to destroy the few protections employees do have through their collective bargaining agreements by using this merger as an opportunity to destroy unions. If management is successful, they will have the ability to remake the entire airline industry and destroy airline jobs as a stable and secure middle-class career once and for all.” (Link to the archived webcast here.)

Subcommittee member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) used part of her floor time to thank employees of Northwest for coming to the hearing. The Senator later prompted Chairman John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-WV) to declare, “I...was impressed by your tenacity,” after she grilled Richard Anderson on what his so-called “commitment” to maintaining Minnesota jobs actually meant, including the over 2,000 flight attendants based in MSP. Doug Steenland stepped in – further securing his silent Board member status post-merger – saying, “The only thing we know is the world that we see today… If airfares go up [due to rising fuel costs], we’ll have fewer passengers. With fewer passengers we’ll need to have fewer reservations agents...fewer flights...so in terms of making commitments as to numbers of people, we have to recognize that there are variables that are completely out of our control.” If only the C-Span cameras had panned to Anderson’s face at that moment of truthiness.

Pat Friend will testify on Wednesday, May 14, in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Chaired by Representative James L. Oberstar (D-MN), no fan of the Delta/Northwest proposed merger. We will issue a report after next week’s hearing. Visit the Committee website for more information.

Government Affairs Committee Invites You to Speak Up!
Though some business leaders would prefer otherwise, as American citizens and union members we have a right to voice our opinions to help shape the laws of this country. Our MEC Government Affairs Committee Chair Albert Garcia will be at the Freedom of Speech booth in MSP next week, and Vice Chair Diana Mitcham will set up shop at DTW Inflight, answering questions about AFA-CWA’s work on Capitol Hill and in your home state. Government Affairs volunteers help improve our working conditions through legislation so union leaders don’t have to spend valuable time and resources negotiating what should be our inalienable rights outside of a contract. Please visit the Committee at one of the locations below, where we’ll have information about contacting your Senators and Representatives to improve FMLA; the latest on the stalled FAA reauthorization bill; our testimony in Congress and in the Minnesota legislature on the Delta/Northwest merger; details about FlightPAC, the AFA-CWA political action committee; and even instructions on how to register to vote if you’ve recently moved. Come speak your mind with the politically-minded Government Affairs Committee:

MSP Freedom of Speech Booth, Baggage Claim Level by Exit Door #5
DTW Inflight Office, Check-In Area
Both:
Thursday, May 15 – 1000 to 1600
Friday, May 16 – 1000 to 1600

GOTV Campaign In Full Swing, Seeking Volunteers
Northwest flight attendants can play an important role at key Delta domiciles in Visibility Campaigns and Get Out The Vote phone banks. Support our peers 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 and NYC*
ATL, DCA, FLL and SLC**

* Open until May 11
** Open until May 27

AFA Visibility Campaigns:

ATL, BOS, CVG, FLL, 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

Posted by Communications Chair on 05/10 at 08:08 PM

7 May 2008 Special: PBS/Scheduling Update

PBS Mock Bidding for June Delayed Until May 15
Patterns for June flying were loaded in ATLAS today. The Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Mock 2 (May) awards were scheduled to be released for flight attendant review on Wednesday, May 7. Unfortunately, due to serious programming issues encountered during Mock 2, data files loaded from previous mock bids became corrupted and had to be deleted. These files will be repaired and available for your review tomorrow, Thursday, May 8. (From the PBS “Crew Info” screen in ATLAS, see “Reasons Report” and “Awards Report” in the “Reports” box.)

The original agreement between AFA-CWA and NWA Crew Scheduling was to open bidding for PBS Mock 3 (June bids) as soon as the June analysis was available on ATLAS. Flight attendants would have been required during Mock 3 to enter a PBS test bid in order to proceed with an actual SLIC bid. However, neither the Company nor the Union is willing to go forward with Mock 3 unless the PBS vendor, Jeppesen, addresses the major global problems flight attendants encountered with Mocks 1 and 2.

Jeppesen has been unable to resolve every programming issue for Mock 3, and the Company and the Union have agreed that bidding for Mock 3 must be delayed until May 15. Jeppesen programmers have been given this time to implement solutions acceptable to both the Company and AFA-CWA.

As a result of this delay, the SLIC “lock"—which prevented flight attendants from being able to use SLIC without first submitting a PBS mock bid—has been temporarily disabled for June bidding. Please enter a regular SLIC bid for June. There is no expected delay of regular SLIC bid deadlines.

We will need new, valid results from all flight attendants entering PBS bids so we can continue to test the program and review bid awards. Beginning May 15, please enter a mock bid for June, which will further increase our understanding of trends and ability to address problems encountered during test bidding.

We appreciate your continued feedback to your Local Executive Council Officers and will update you when we have further information about mock bidding.

Knowledge is POWER!
Contract Implementation Update:
Reserve Assignment and Pattern Drops Using “SILO” Processing; Short Call Automation; Reserve AM/PM Options; Time Available Option Following No Show & Unable to Commute

Contract implementation continues, with several items going into effect today. Since prior notice was not given to flight attendants via OWA Company email, our union leaders contacted Crew Scheduling immediately. According to the Company, an email message announcing these changes was not delivered before implementation due to internal server errors. A detailed implementation email was finally sent by Crew Scheduling late today to all flight attendants, which listed these contract items:

Automated Short Call Requests (Section 7.D.4. – Short Call)
Reserve Assignments in SILO Order (Section 7.D.2. – Order of Assignment)
Pattern Drops in SILO Order (Section 6.G.4.m. – Pattern Drop)

Short Call requests will no longer be handled by Crew Scheduling, but will be entered by Reserves using VRU. Please follow the prompts ("scheduling options,” then “phone bid” and “reserve requests") to enter or cancel Short Call requests. Reserves requesting Short Call must remain available within the requested range until 2359 of the current on-duty period, unless a request is made via VRU to be removed from the Short Call list.

“SILO” is the new process of RSV assignment based on number of on-duty periods remaining in an on-duty block. Once the interface between PBS and SILO is fully developed, the new language will greatly benefit Reserves, resulting in fewer PDO/GDO violations through better pattern matching.

Pattern Drops in SILO order also began today. Bidding for pattern drops will not change. The number of available drops will now be listed for each SILO, specifying the number of one-day patterns, two-day patterns, etc., permitted for each upcoming date.

The following items have not yet been implemented but are scheduled for May 2008:

AM/PM Reserve On-Call Options (Section 7.C.2. – AM or PM On-Duty Period)
Time Available Options following “Unable to Commute” and “No Show” (Section 6.H.10. – Time Availability Following a No Show or Unable to Commute)

Regarding the new AM/PM language: Reserve Preferencing will override AM/PM bids. AM/PM on-duty is not awarded in seniority order, but according to credit hours (from highest to lowest) and company operational needs.

Currently the Company gives no Time Available option following a No Show or Unable to Commute. Implementation of Section 6.H.10. is scheduled for later this month, when you will be able to elect Time Available in such circumstances. Pattern guarantee will still be reduced by the number of credit hours lost due to NS or TL (unable to commute), although the ability to “make up” that time will be improved with the Time Available designation.

Please review the contract references cited and the detailed Company email in OWA for further information on these newly implemented items.

Posted by Communications Chair on 05/08 at 09:05 AM

3 May 2008 Hotline

ASHS Update: Grievance Filed on Domestic Single Service Carts
Flight attendant feedback on the single service “enhancement” in the domestic market has emphasized serious safety concerns and has been overwhelmingly negative. On Wednesday, an MEC grievance was filed requesting the company cease and desist the use of the single service carts as presently designed and hold in abeyance any changes planned for the addition of more for sale items.

Your MEC Air Safety, Health & Security Committee/Service Subcommittee will meet with the company and Liberty Mutual representatives on May 16 to further explore solutions to our concerns. Until that time, we encourage you to continue to contact the FACC and AFA by completing the feedback form posted on the website and/or providing comments to: . Remember: ASHS does not receive FACC messages. We need your input, particularly if you have incurred an OJI, filed the necessary paperwork and lost any credited hours due to a work-related injury.

Board of Directors Approves Another Obscene Exit Package for Steenland
Contrary to the rosy “win-win” picture executives at Delta and Northwest are painting for the future of the “new global airline,” stock prices at both carriers continue to tank. Fearing Doug Steenland might just take his shares—which have dropped to almost one-third of their post-bankruptcy value—and run before a merger is complete, Northwest’s Board of Directors this week shored up his exit package to almost triple the compensation he was expected to receive for sticking around through the merger.

Steenland will now haul in over $22 million, instead of the originally reported $7.8 million, adjusted to prevent his special brand of talent from leaving before cramming this deal through. (Doug’s got to be fuming, though, knowing Richard Anderson got $11.3 million for just his first four months running Delta last year.) Still unexplained is how this bump in executive compensation is being quantified as a cost-neutral item.

Minnesota State Senator’s Letter to Anderson: Remain Neutral in Delta Election
This week, AFA-CWA was invited to testify in front of the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate in two separate hearings devoted to the effects of a Delta/Northwest merger on jobs and air service in the state. Rene Foss, Minnesota native and life-long resident, gave testimony reminding state officials how important collective bargaining has been in creating decent, middle class flight attendant jobs—jobs that have historically propped up the state’s economy, even since the time Rene’s mother worked for Northwest Orient.

Testimony was followed up by questions from legislators directed to MEC President Kevin Griffin, who opened the eyes of those present to the anti-union tactics of Delta senior management and the high-paid public relations firms they’ve employed to prevent flight attendants from voting in the AFA-CWA representation election. Before Kevin and Rene could even leave the Capitol, State Senator Steve Murphy (28th District) drafted a letter to Richard Anderson that states, “collective bargaining would be good for the employees and good for the airline.”

IAM’s Stephen Gordon also testified at Wednesday’s Senate hearing on the merger, as did Ben Hirst, general counsel and director of corporate affairs at Northwest. Video from the hearing is available on our website, nwaafa.org.

Please join us at the Minnesota State Capitol on
Monday, May 5, at 9:00 a.m.
when Ed Bastian, Delta’s President, is scheduled to testify in front of the House Committee on Commerce and Labor;
and again at 10:00 a.m.
when he’ll speak in front of the Senate Committee on Business, Industry and Jobs.

We need a large group of uniformed Northwest flight attendants sitting in the hearing room: our presence at these events is critical to keeping our issues on the agenda of state lawmakers during the merger process. Our MEC Government Affairs Committee and Local Chairs have made valuable contacts in our hub cities. When rank and file members also show we are committed to a fair representation election at Delta, job protections for Northwest flight attendants and continued service to our communities, legislators take notice!

MONDAY, May 5, 2008
House Committee on Commerce and Labor
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joe Atkins
Agenda: Continued examination of proposed sale of Northwest Airlines to Delta and its impact on Minnesota commerce and jobs. Testimony from Delta Air Lines President Ed Bastian.

Senate Committee on Business, Industry and Jobs
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
Agenda: Metropolitan Airports Commission; Ed Bastian, Delta Airlines President

Contact Council 95 Government Affairs Chair Camilla Wolkerstorfer at
or 651-226-3881
for more information.

Sign the Petition Urging Anderson’s Election Neutrality, Flight Attendant Inclusion in Merger Discussions
The letter generated by AFA-CWA testimony from Sen. Murphy (above) exemplifies how important it is that we contact our public officials if we want our issues understood and supported. We will continue to attend hearings in Minnesota and any called throughout the country where our testimony and presence is recognized. You can also sign a petition urging that Anderson remain neutral in the representation election and include us in merger discussions by clicking on the petition image on the homepage.

Monthly Minimum Line and Use of SLIC Credit Value (CV) Syntax
In last week’s hotline message we encouraged those of you who are in a position to fly a lower line to please do so. This suggestion prompted responses from flight attendants whose experience bidding using the Minimum Line (ML) syntax in SLIC has not always yielded desired results. Instead of ML, consider using the more specific Credit Value (CV) syntax. Enter “CV(xx-yy)” where “xx” is the minimum number of monthly hours requested and “yy” is the maximum number requested, inclusive. There is a SLIC manual on ATLAS that will help explain the use of CV in your next bid (see Line Value Syntax chapter). Thank you to everyone who offered bidding tips.

PBS Implementation Team Update: Mock Bidding and Testing Phase
The Preferential Bidding System (PBS) is now running in a “test environment” so flight attendants can gain hands-on experience with PBS. This trial period will allow the PBS Implementation Team to address any technical issues and customize the product to best meet our bidding preferences. The Team’s goal is to review the monthly award results and fine-tune the system after each mock test bid period.

We encourage everyone to take part in the testing phase and give feedback from now until PBS goes “live” for the September bid month. Not only will this familiarize you with PBS, but you will be assisting the Union’s PBS representatives in correcting and improving the system to meet our contractual requirements. Letter of Agreement 11 in our contract (Preferential Bidding System) states, “The Company recognizes the Union as an important and integral part of the development, testing, implementation and continued monitoring of the new system. The Company agrees to consult with the Union on all matters related to the Flight Attendant PBS system.”

This contractual recognition will only be effective if Flight Attendants provide input, suggestions, priorities and concerns to Local Executive Council Officers, who will relay this information to our PBS Implementation Team representatives. We need 100 percent participation monthly, to get an accurate picture of how PBS will affect our schedules. Please contribute to the negotiated process of improving and refining PBS by taking part in the testing phase and contacting an LEC officer with your comments.

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 the first 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 and NYC*
ATL, DCA, FLL and SLC**

* Open until May 11
** Open until May 27

AFA Visibility Campaigns:

ATL, BOS, CVG, FLL, MCO, NYC and SLC

For more information about these opportunities to assist our Delta colleagues, email:

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

Museum of Flight in SEA Invites You to “Flight Attendant Day” Saturday, May 17
In 1930, Boeing Air Transport hired eight nurses as “stewardesses” to add a sense of safety to concerned passengers. On May 15 that year, Ellen Church made the first flight as a stewardess between San Francisco and Chicago.

In honor of 78 years of flight attendant service, Saturday, May 17, 2008 is Flight Attendant Day at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. This may be your last opportunity to see the museum’s fun and popular exhibit about flight attendant history and fashions, Style in the Aisle, which closes June 2. (Call 206-768-7105 or 206-768-7128 for more information.)

At 2 p.m. on May 17, reminisce in the William M. Allen Theater during the Style in the Aisle Panel Discussion. The museum will host a panel of flight attendants who did this glamorous and dangerous job during the golden age of commercial aviation. After the panel discussion, all flight attendants in attendance are encouraged to meet outside the west entrance for a group photo. Museum staff hopes to have a gathering large enough to set a Guinness record! Admission is free for former and current flight attendants all day—just show your wings or airline-issued identification at the ticket counter.

Museum of Flight
9404 E. Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108-4097
206-764-5720
www.museumofflight.org.

Posted by Communications Chair on 05/03 at 06:25 PM

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:

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

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