AFA’s Neglect, Incompetence and Stupidity Causing the Death of Scope

AFA’s Neglect, Incompetence and Stupidity Causing the Death of Scope

Despite AFA’s occasional hotline protests, objections and outbursts regarding the company’s ongoing destruction of our contractual Scope language, it appears that our union leadership has all but surrendered any chance we have of preserving our rights under Section 1 (Recognition, Scope and Job Security) of the Flight Attendant Agreement.

Regrettably – and in spite of numerous warnings and offers of help from former, experienced union officials – it has become obvious that AFA hasn’t bothered to track (record for future use in a grievance/arbitration) our pre-merger NWA flying as the consolidation takes place. Meanwhile, the company continues to shift much of our pre-merger NWA international and domestic flying to pre-merger Delta (just ask any DTW or MSP flight attendant who used to hold international flying), and AFA still hasn’t negotiated a fence agreement in (like ALPA has) to protect us.

AFA’s foolishness and idiotic decisions haven’t stopped there – apparently, we can only conclude that AFA International President Patricia "Pat" Friend and her much ballyhooed staff of gun-shy attorneys have convinced NWA MEC President Janette Rook that it’s better to not file a Scope grievance until the company blatantly violates our language, most likely based on the meritless suggestion that nothing can be done beforehand. Ironically, Northwest violated the Me-Too Clause in LOA 35 in November 2008 by giving the pilots unilateral raises and improvements to their contract, while failing to give us equal reductions in our concessions during bankruptcy. After losing part 1 of the LOA 35 grievance, AFA has yet to pursue the second, and more likely win on that issue. It appears that nothing is ever “just right” for AFA to pursue, other than of course, the all-mighty dues dollar.

For goodness sakes AFA, toughen up and take a stand before it’s too late! Quit stalling and get to work, NOW! Immediately contact the company and challenge their statements that our Scope language is dead. (While doing that, PLEASE open a full time ATL office – that IS our company’s headquarters, isn’t it?) Demand that they clarify their statements and force them to respond. If the company denies that our Scope language still exists, or refuses to engage on the issue, file a grievance over the issue of whether the language remains in effect and take it to arbitration. And if they refuse to pursue this issue, we have to wonder if even the ostriches with their heads in the sand at AFA don’t realize that they have already lost Scope and are just trying to keep its ghost alive in hopes of winning a few more votes.

We, the flight attendants, have not forgotten that our jobs were protected during our last negotiations in exchange for cuts in our contract. It is incredulous that AFA has not only twiddled their fingers while the pilots got their pay back, but are now potentially at the edge of losing our job protections. Meanwhile, we are still paying AFA $500 plus each a year in dues, so why aren't our elected and unelected leaders doing their jobs? Do they care more about their union positions than our profession?

Call and email our union officials today, and demand that they file a Scope grievance and push it to arbitration NOW, before we’ve lost the most important section of our contract and with that the best argument to preserve the union. AFA has always claimed to have a “bottom-up, member driven” structure. It’s time they started taking direction from their members instead of the other way around. When you run into the paid AFA staffers (who call themselves ‘volunteers’) demand that they tell AFA leadership to pursue the Scope and Me-Too grievances and to STOP this erosion to our contract. It’s time for AFA to start fighting for our contract. Our dues money that is being used to pay these staffers to sit around at airports and crew lounges would be better spent on pursuing the grievances that have an impact on our pay and on our work lives. As such, at the very least they should be listening to and forwarding our concerns, instead of debating, attacking and belittling members for voicing suggestions and criticisms.

When is AFA going to get off the campaign trail and finally get down to work?

Please note, all email addresses and phone numbers were taken from previously published AFA websites, emails/hotlines, and other publicly posted content.

AFA International President Patricia “Pat” Friend
pfriend@afanet.org 202-434-0574

AFA International Vice President Veda Shook
vshook@afanet.org 202-434-0578

AFA NWA/Delta Organizer Mollie Reiley
airmom@frontiernet.net 763-479-4006

AFA NWA/Delta Organizer Danny Campbell
dgcampbell@comcast.net 248-556-6196

NWA MEC President Janette Rook
jrook@nwaafa.org 952-241-4101

NWA MEC Vice President Daniel Grey
dgrey@nwaafa.org 952-241-4102

NWA MEC Secretary-Treasurer Lynn Bible
lbible@nwaafa.org 952-241-4103

NWA MEC Grievance Chair Greg Riffle
griffle@nwaafa.org 952-241-4105

NWA LEC Presidents:

ATL President David Carter
dcarter@nwaafa.org 678-358-6201

BOS President Robert Cannatelli
rcannatelli@nwaafa.org 617-957-4877

DTW President Diana Mitcham
dmitcham@nwaafa.org 734-532-8404 ext. 6

HNL President Dave Tadlock
dtadlock@nwaafa.org 808-223-0610

LAX President Les Meeks
lmeeks@nwaafa.org 213-453-3688

MEM President Shawn Fivecoat
sfivecoat@nwaafa.org 901-326-1348

MSP President Bruce Retrum
bretrum@nwaafa.org 952-241-4127

NYC President Josh Zivick
jzivick@nwaafa.org 347-419-4219

SEA President Jay Hong
jhong@nwaafa.org 206-304-2489

SFO President Kate Day
kday@nwaafa.org 707-364-5538

Sincerely,
Jose Arturo Ibarra