• SENIORITY INTEGRATION UPDATE
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SENIORITY INTEGRATION UPDATE

There are many rumors spreading throughout the system regarding the seniority integration process that I would like to clear up. What follows are the facts up to this point.

The current AFA date of hire merger policy is being challenged by the America West MEC and their membership in the form of an agenda item. To clarify this challenge, allow me to give you some background information about AFA and the means with which a change could occur. The date of hire policy is found in Section X of the Policy Manual of the Association of Flight Attendants -CWA. The Policy Manual and the Constitution make up the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. 

The mechanics of changing the policy are straightforward. The AFA Board of Directors consists of the LEC Presidents of all AFA represented airlines. The Board will hold its annual meeting on October 18-21 in Palm Springs, California. An agenda item is brought through committee to the Board of Directors for a vote. The AFA International Officers, President Pat Friend, Vice-President George Donahue and Acting Secretary Treasurer Kevin Creighan are charged with carrying out the policies of the Board of Directors. Similar to our national government the Board of Directors functions as the legislative branch and makes the rules while the International Officers function as the Executive Branch and implements them. The International Officers do not vote and although they have influence they do not have the authority to change or amend a policy or constitution article. 

The America West agenda item seeks to throw out the date of hire policy and replace it as needed with an "alternative formula". The agenda item does not specify what the "alternative formula" would be. While it is clear the America West flight attendants do not want date of hire, rumors of "stapling us to the bottom" or "10 for 1 slotting" are unfounded. The Agenda item claims the current date of hire policy would "grossly disadvantage" one group and is outdated and therefore not applicable to this merger. In order for the Agenda item to have any effect on this merger it seeks to make the policy change retroactive to January 1, 2005. 

In order for the policy to change the agenda item must be approved by a simple majority (50% plus 1) of the Board of Directors who vote by roll call (one vote for each member in good standing they represent). A decision by the Board of Directors to make the policy change retroactive to January 1, 2005 would require a 2/3 role call vote. 

It is clear to all of us at US Airways that we have always supported the date of hire policy and are not willing to see it amended or changed in any way either permanently or as an exception. Our membership has stood by the date of hire policy in previous mergers and expects to do so in the future.

Your MEC has had discussions regarding our strategy for defeating any attempt to change the policy and will be finalizing that strategy very soon. We will call on all officers and the membership to help carry our message to the members of the Board in the days and weeks leading up to the meeting. We will provide you the tools to make your interests known. 

Thank you,

Mike Flores
MEC President

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AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

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