As previously reported, Bruce Retrum, Lovely Offerle and James Yung are still employed by AFA as your negotiators. Although they are employed by AFA, they are paid with your dues money. They were also the ones who negotiated your current contract, along with AFA attorney David Borer.
Months since our “Quality of Life” was demolished: 9
Our contract, future and families’ welfare are in their hands, yet since the terms were agreed to (by a small margin and a suspicious and questionable vote tally), we are unsure what your negotiations “team” has accomplished, let alone what they’re doing today. We are left only with questions:
- Have you been mailed a current contract? I have not.
- Why not?
- Is your contract still being negotiated by your AFA “negotiations team?"
- Do you know what the contract says about what you are going to get paid for PBS training?
- Are the terms of our contract still considered moving targets?
- How will we know if talks are going on regarding side letters?
- Is it true that Kevin Griffin has already agreed to changes in contract language in private back room meetings with company management? Have you been able to vote on the changes? Has Kevin told you about the changes he agreed to? Is he even authorized to make changes to your contract?
- Has AFA sent you any information about how a merger could “open up” our contract?
- Why not? A merger could mean an opportunity for contract improvements.
- How are Delta non-unionized flight attendants able to be getting pay increases since bankruptcy, but we have not?
- How did the NWA pilots get improvements post-bankruptcy but we have not?
- NWA AFA’s own website indicates that our dues were spent to get a “victory” of unpaid NWA attorney fees. Obviously NWA’s firms know there’s money to be had. What is our attorney doing to get that money into our pockets? Wouldn’t you like to see an AFA victory that actually benefits YOU?
- Why is your MEC allowing this negotiations team to collect over $100,000 of your dues dollars with no results, and no accountability to the membership?
- Why do we only seem to hear from AFA about how we are supposed to help them organize the Delta flight attendants? Doesn’t AFA have a highly paid (compared to line flight attendants) organizing department working with the Delta flight attendants, and currently being led by Mollie Reiley and Danny Campbell?
These questions are not rhetorical and are quite serious.
While several of our fellow flight attendants are feasting high on the union hog, almost all of us are struggling to make ends meet. As AFA fools around sending sophomoric, cutesy “Ima” emails, we are all faced with the reality of life without any more “equity claims” that seemingly were sold just to get a “yes” vote.
We are here to stay and this contract is not.
Ask your appointed union representatives, your unelected negotiations team, and the hired AFA staff what they are doing to improve your quality of life. After all, for $500 a year in dues (per member) it’s about time they give us a little more than “Ima’s” inane galley banter:
Kevin Griffin: kgriffin@nwaafa.org
Bruce Retrum: bretrum@nwaafa.org
Lovey Offerle: lofferle@nwaafa.org
James Yung: jyung@nwaafa.org
Attorney David Borer: dborer@afanet.org
When they reply, if specific answers are not included, demand that they provide you with NWA AFA MEC meeting minutes, as well as information regarding the budget (who’s offline and for how long, what are WE paying them, what are they doing to earn their pay, etc…). As members in good standing we are entitled to this information.
Sincerely,
Jose A. Ibarra
