10.11.23 – Negotiations Update #36- APFA’s Economic Counterproposal

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Negotiations Update #36

APFA’s Economic Counterproposal
All Remaining Non-Economic Sections Passed 

At our bargaining session at the end of September, we presented management with comprehensive proposals on all remaining non-economic and economic issues. As we have previously reported, we are at the stage of negotiations where we are working to narrow the issues to either move towards an agreement or to be in a position to request the National Mediation Board (NMB) to release us into a thirty-day cooling off period.

We will continue to bring awareness to our fight by keeping the media, the traveling public, and our Union Siblings engaged. Please plan to attend upcoming picketing events and other solidarity events.

Your APFA bargaining team presented the company with full-text proposals on the remaining non-economic sections of the Agreement. These sections include Section 10 – Scheduling, Section 12 – Reserve Duty, Section 11 -Hours of Service, Section 14 – International Flying, Section 16-Deadhead, Section 27 – Injury on Duty (IOD), and Section 37 – General.

Following that, the negotiations team presented similar comprehensive proposals on economic issues, including Section 3 – Compensation, Section 4 – Expenses, Section 8 – Vacation, Section 9 – Sick Leave, Section 25 – Leaves of Absence/ Approved Time Off, Section 26 – Insurance, Retirement and Other Benefits, and Section 29 – Training.  Here, our emphasis is on continuing the core priority economic issues for Flight Attendants and focusing on the overall economic values of the agreement.

As we have discussed previously, we are fully prepared to reach an agreement with management, but we are willing to do what it takes to push this bargaining forward, including requesting a release for a strike. The standard for the National Mediation Board granting a release is whether the parties are at an impasse in our negotiations. The NMB typically wants a manageable list of open issues and to have the economic terms focused on the key issues in terms of overall value. This manageable list must have a reasonable expectation to be resolved if granted a 30-day cooling-off period.

One area we are holding firm on is wages. To put the ball in management’s court, we slightly shaved our initial proposal on wages from 35% to 33%, but since we extended the proposal to a four-year duration, we have added a 5% increase in the last year. In total, this amounts to a 50% increase in wages over the four years of the agreement. We also continued other important improvements, including increasing vacation pay and accrual, certain premiums, 401(k) improvements, etc. All of these proposals add money to the agreement.

When we presented our economic proposal, we made it crystal clear to management that their economic framework does not and will not work. Flight Attendants have kept this airline running through bankruptcies and mergers, dealt with unruly passengers through COVID-19, and saved the carrier from possible bankruptcy by advocating for the Payroll Support Program. It is our time for improvements.

Flight Attendants across the industry are in bargaining at American, Alaska, Southwest, United, and many smaller carriers, and Delta Flight Attendants are involved in an organizing campaign with AFA-CWA. Management wants to limit the economic framework to the status quo, but we told them that does not work/not interested. We need substantial wage increases and improvements in our work rules, and we will settle for nothing less.

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Section 03- Compensation

• APFA is maintaining our proposal for retroactive compensation.

3.A- Hourly Rates

3.B- Reserve Guarantee

3.C- Premium Pay

3.D- Holding Time

3.F- International Pay (NIPD)

3.H- Drug Testing

3.I- Foreign Language Speaker Premium Pay

3.J-  Holiday/Incentive Pay

(New) Boarding Pay

(New) Reserve Override Pay

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Section 04- Expenses

4.A- Per Diem

4.C- Crew Meals

4.D- Parking

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Section 08- Vacation

Section 8.A- Vacation Accrual

8.B- Vacation Pay and Credit

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Section 09- Sick Leave

9.C- Sick Leave Accrual

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Section 26- Insurance, Retirement, and Other Benefits

• Increases in health care premiums capped at 6% per year (APFA proposal).

26.D.5- Sick Leave Bank Upon Retirement

26.G- 401(k) Contribution/Match

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Section 29- Training

Section 29.E.- Training Pay

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New- Profit Sharing

Our next week of federal mediation is scheduled for October 17th-19th in DFW.

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Continue to wear your red WAR pin, red lanyard, and bag tags until we achieve a tentative agreement.

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Save the Date! Systemwide Picketing:
Thursday, November 16th, 2023

Thursday, November 16th will be our next systemwide picketing event! Now more than ever, we need everyone to turn out to show management, the traveling public, and the media that We Are Ready for a contract, and we will do what it takes to secure the contract we’ve earned.

Stay tuned for times and locations.

In Solidarity,

Your APFA Negotiating Committee

Reese Cole
Kelly J. Hagan
Julie Hedrick
Timothy Legeros
Brian Morgan
Wendy Oswald
Susan Wroble
Joe Burns, Lead Negotiating Attorney

[email protected]