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 Holiday Shopping Union Style!

Published 12/7/2008 10:55:00 AM - VP

IBelow are some shopping ideas from the AFL-CIO.  My personal favorite is the book Click, Clack, Moo which starts the organizing in the toddler years - just ask my daughter!  /Veda

It's never been more important to support America's workers and our economy by using your holiday shopping dollars for union-made-in-the-USA gifts for your family and friends. What better way to share your values and demonstrate your commitment to helping rebuild the American economy than to buy 100 percent union-made gifts?

We’ve added lots of new items at The Union Shop Online to go along with our classic Fiesta disc pitchers in regular and miniature sizes, Union Made hoodies, Rosie the Riveter poster and much, much more.

 

We have an extensive collection of clothes, games and books for kids, tons of great stocking stuffers and holiday cards galore.

Thank you for your support and activism over the years, and America’s workers thank you for buying union-made in the USA.


 30 Years Post Deregulation

Published 11/26/2008 6:01:00 AM - VP

The end of this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Deregulation of our industry. In 1978 the promise was to increase competition to lower the price of air travel and increase availability for consumers.  The end of this year also marks the creation of the world’s largest airline, with the approved merger of Delta and Northwest.  While prices for consumers have surely fallen in real dollars in the past three decades, are we, as flight attendants, really better off?

 

Over the years, we’ve seen carriers come and go – yet the largest “legacy” carriers remain, for the large part, although in a radically different form and in a rapidly changing climate.  Each time a new carrier enters a market, the price drops.  That is good in the short term for the consumer, but as the Legacy carrier matches the price, frequently both carriers lose money. Even Southwest, the preeminent Low Cost Carrier (LCC), lost money this last quarter – it’s first time in 17 years.

 

As expected initially following deregulation, there was a shift for workers in increased productivity which passed along savings to the carriers.  But decades later, our airlines still haven’t found stability in a post deregulated environment.  Airlines haven’t been able to adequately predict shocks to the industry, changes in fuel prices or to stabilize themselves in economic downturns, such as the one we face today.  Couple this with an aging aviation infrastructure, under which the airlines try to compete freely, and we find ourselves at a crossroads.  Airlines compete in a fierce climate, which is only intensifying in the new global economy and open skies liberalization of international routes.

 

In the last decades, and especially since 9/11, airlines have tried numerous new measures to remain competitive: they have consolidated, entered into marketing agreements and formed partnerships with regional carriers.   They have been bloodthirsty in bankruptcy courts, shredding our contracts and pensions.  And absent negotiated contracts, they have stripped work rules and benefits.  No carrier has exploited this mix of “all of the above” strategy than Delta Air Lines.  Delta touts the fact that (excluding Northwest) fully 2/3rd’s of its flying is flown by regional partners.  In addition, it has successfully seen its merger approved with Northwest Air Lines.  Together, they own Northwest, Delta, Comair, Compass and Mesaba and have a stake in Midwest.  Delta connection carriers include ASA, Chautauqua, Freedom, Pinnacle, Shuttle America and SkyWest. Codeshare and Skyteam partner flying with  Continental, Alaska, Horizon, Hawaiian and American Eagle At every one of these carriers, except Delta and SkyWest, the flight attendants are members of a union. 

 

So, as the airline executives learn how to complete in this global post 9/11 landscape, so must we. As the airlines increase their power in the form of consolidation beyond the “New Delta”, so must we increase our leverage as flight attendants.  In order for us to enhance our power, we must take several proactive steps including:

 

Ø      Organize! As the Delta and Northwest flight attendants vote for union representation they can imagine the incredible leverage they will hold as the largest flight union in the world.  Delta executives promise to bring the flight attendants “up to industry standard” if they vote against the union.  But when they vote Yes, they will be able to have a contract that leads the industry, not following what others negotiate.  Since1978, when President Carter passed the Airline Deregulation Act, several major airlines have emerged in the airline industry. As the largest employers, working conditions at those airlines have set the benchmark for the industry. The fact that at the majority of those carriers flight attendants have been able to negotiate with their employers over the terms and conditions of their employment has been beneficial to all flight attendants. But today, a different scenario presents itself. The outcome of the union representation election at the newly merged Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines will determine whether the industry standard for U.S. flight attendants is one in which we have a say in our employment, or not. Executives at the “new” Delta are intent on eliminating the Northwest flight attendants’ collective bargaining rights and, although they may not be advertising plans for outsourcing, the record is crystal clear

 

Ø      Unite in our profession! We must come together as flight attendants, regardless of our carrier or our seniority.  Whether we hail from a legacy carrier, an LCC, a regional airline or a non-unionized carrier, we must come together.  When we do, we increase our power legislatively, passing laws such as FMLA for flight attendants and we raise the bar at the bargaining table for all of us.  If we don’t unite, we will be stuck in the rut the carriers have found themselves – in a circular circumstance where profits (and our paychecks) are held back by increased competition, which leads to lower prices for consumers, thereby applying pressure on our all of our contracts, legacy, LCC and regional, where each business model poses that labor must sacrifice to remain competitive.

 

 

Ø      Mobilize!  Where we already have contracts in place, we need to reach out to our current members and highlight the benefits of union membership.  A benefit of the deregulated environment is that there are more of us than ever before.  We have a tremendous opportunity today as many flight attendants, who thought they would only stay “for a year or two” and “see the world”, are remaining.  If this is a job worth keeping, than it should be a profession worth fighting for. With AFA-CWA’s continuing outreach and education programs that groom active union members to assume greater leadership in our union and in our communities, we are looking toward the next generation of leaders and young workers to guide us into the future.

 

Ø      Legislate!  All items important to our profession that we can help enact into legislation are costs lifted off our bargaining tables. Under the new Obama administration, and with a flight attendant friendly Congress, this translates into some significant and long-awaited advances.

 

We have been modestly success over time in bridging the gap between our different carriers, but our real opportunities lie ahead.  30 years ago this was a coveted, well sought after job.  Today, we are fighting for our profession like never before 

 

 

Surrounded by the economic uncertainty of our times, we can ill afford to relinquish our ability to defend our jobs. Nor can we afford to hand over the promise of a better future for the flight attendant profession. Welcoming a unified Northwest-Delta work group into the AFA-CWA family is of paramount importance to each and every flight attendant employed at a U.S. carrier.

 

As you read the articles in this issue of Flightlog, please stay focused on a vision of an empowered community of flight attendants in command of our future destiny. I hope that, as you do, each of you will make a personal commitment to reaching out to the Northwest and Delta flight attendants who will be voting in the near future in an election that will impact us all now and well into the future.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!


 AFA-CWA Member Speaks Out on Presidential Election

Published 10/24/2008 7:21:00 AM - VP

In the following letter, Phoenix-based Mesa Airlines Flight Attendant and Council 56 President Jamie Lynn McClay offers a non-partisan, flight attendant focus on the issues in the coming presidential election. Please take a moment to read her very personal and compelling letter.

________________________________________________________________________

Dear Fellow AFA-CWA Member,

As a life-long Republican and Mesa Airlines Council 56 President, I’m writing today to let you know why I will be voting for Senator Barack Obama on November 4th.

I grew up in a small, rural New Jersey county where the cost of living was among the highest in the nation. My parents were teachers--a blue collar family in a white collar town. I was taught that hard work can produce great results. But since the late 1990s, the hard working middle class has been losing ground. As companies cut costs under the guise of survival, we are losing our health care while the CEOs of those same companies take bigger and bigger bonuses. 

Politicians have decimated Social Security and now want to privatize which, in today’s economy, would put the program in even greater peril. All of this while middle class wages have decreased and people are left working longer days or taking second and third jobs to support their families.

As flight attendants, we face all of these challenges and more. We are excluded from the Family and Medical Leave Act as it is currently written; Open Skies threatens our jobs; fatigue is pervasive; and Delta’s union-busting campaign threatens to eliminate the Northwest flight attendants’ contract which would have a detrimental impact on all flight attendants.

Senator John McCain is not the same man as he was in 2000. He has supported many of the policies of the last eight years...when you could find him on the Senate floor, that is.  (He missed at least 400 votes this past year alone.)  He says “workers are the fundamentals of our economy,” yet he doesn’t support unions or the Employee Free Choice Act which would enable those workers to rise out of poverty level wages and regain lost ground in the middle class. He plans to tax employer health care benefits which would take even more from our pockets; refuses to sign onto our Technical Corrections Act for flight crews with FMLA; calls funding to study flight attendant fatigue unwarranted pork barrel spending and “ridiculous”; has allowed cuts to aviation security funding of over $725 million; is open to allowing cabotage (point-to-point flying by foreign airlines within the U.S.; and favors lowering wages, benefits and jobs in this country.

Since college, this is my first job that I consider a career. I love what I do but I want a more secure industry—an industry where CEOs are held accountable and union representation is a respected right, where flight attendants don’t have to risk their jobs to take care of a loved one or to worry about getting sufficient rest on layovers and we are all protected by OSHA while performing our duties. I want to see the survival of our industry and to see the working middle class restored to what it used to be. 

These are some of the reasons why I am voting for Senator Barack Obama—for my livelihood and so that the next generation may have a chance.

Sincerely,
 
Jamie Lynn McClay


 An Economic Recovery Plan for American Families: Fighting for American Jobs, Restoring Rights for American Workers

Published 10/10/2008 1:18:00 PM - VP

One thing has become crystal clear in this ongoing financial crisis: America needs an economic recovery plan that supports American workers, not just Wall Street. So far, we've seen bailouts and handouts for investment banks and big firms, but nothing to create quality jobs, repair our communities and restore the standard of living for American families.
 

The CWA Executive Board today in a special call approved the following statement on a recovery plan for working Americans that contains three critical components: Job creation, Bargaining Rights and Health Care.   

 

The economic crisis and financial chaos that surround us are part of an even bigger story. The United States has been borrowing enormous amounts of money while shipping quality jobs overseas and not producing enough domestically. Predictably, that’s resulted in a crushing decline in the standard of living for working families.
 
While even most conservatives now agree that government must act to end this economic crisis and support providing a handout to the biggest bankers on Wall Street, they continue to attack government involvement in health care reform and bargaining rights for workers.
 
In their view, the government rescue of Wall Street bankers and investment firms is just a necessary fix. Health care reform, on the other hand, is an unwanted intrusion by government.
 
We take a different view. We believe that the best way to restore the economy and restore the living standard of millions of American families is to focus on quality jobs and bargaining rights.
 
1. Create 21st Century Jobs and Infrastructure
 
To rebuild our economy, the U.S. needs wind farms across America and development of more alternative energy, high mileage cars produced in the U.S., and the build out of high speed Internet networks – the economic engine for the 21st century -- for rural and urban families and businesses. Necessary repairs to our highways and bridges and communities will require a massive infrastructure investment, with the materials and technology all produced by millions of new jobs. This is a real investment in our future, one that supports middle and working America. These kinds of quality jobs and real economic development will address our country’s financial crisis and should be ahead of any further financial bailouts or tax rebates to Wall Street. We’ve had enough bailouts for companies that outsource manufacturing and services, and get a tax break for doing so.
 
2. Pass the Employee Free Choice Act
 
We are through listening only to the organized voices of bankers, brokers and billionaires. Around the world, workers are increasingly bargaining their stake in the global economy. In the United States, however, bargaining coverage only exists for 12 percent of US workers; that’s one-third the typical rate for the large economies in the global North or South. In the US, our health care crisis, retirement insecurity and pay cuts have only made the economy worse, not more competitive. Consumption has been fueled by borrowing and trade deficits have cut our jobs and transferred wealth to Asia and the Middle East. Promoting bargaining rights for US workers must be part of any recovery plan. This is the best economic stimulus, one that will restore the middle class and our standard of living.
 
3. Health Care for All, funded by a broad based tax
 
If all Americans had world class health care, millions of jobs would be created for health care workers and our nation’s health care crisis could be addressed. If funded at least in part by taxes on imports, health care for all could help create millions of additional jobs. Almost every other global democracy funds health care with Value added Taxes on imports (and often other goods). We need to move most health care funding away from being a “tax” on our jobs, share the burden among all US employers and have the right to bargain supplemental health care as 12 million union members still do.
 
 
 
We need to step up and step out to build a coalition for a 21st Century New Deal. We will join together with labor and youth, civil rights and progressives, faith based groups and environmentalists, everyone who wants to sign on to a new economic recovery plan for America, one that benefits American workers, not just Wall Street. Let’s get started!
 
A Recovery Plan for All of Us
 
Jobs, not just rebates
Jobs, not just bailouts
 
Support for American Workers, not just Wall Street


 Remembering 9-11

Published 9/11/2008 6:58:00 AM - VP

Today marks the 7th anniversary of the tragic day of 9/11 that forever changed America and, specifically, our jobs as flight attendants. Our colleagues were the first victims that day; the unsung heroes who voices were silenced that terrible morning. They left behind children, spouses, partners and parents. We must carry on their memory.
 

Below is the list of crew who perished, in chronological order of the times the planes went down. May we keep them in our thoughts.

 

American Airlines Flight 11: A Boeing 767 en route from Boston to Los Angeles. The plane, carrying 81 passengers, nine flight attendants and two pilots, crashed into a tower of New York's World Trade Center about 8:45 a.m. ET.
Crew:
United Airlines Flight 175: A Boeing 767 bound from Boston to Los Angeles. The plane was carrying 56 passengers, two pilots and seven flight attendants. It crashed into the other tower of the World Trade Center shortly after 9 a.m.
Crew:
American Airlines Flight 77: A Boeing 757 en route from Dulles Airport near Washington to Los Angeles. The plane was carrying 58 passengers, four flight attendants and two pilots. It crashed into the Pentagon about 9:40 a.m.
Crew:
United Airlines Flight 93: A Boeing 757 en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco. The plane was carrying 37 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants. It crashed southeast of Pittsburgh around 10 a.m ET Tuesday.
Crew:
 


 Northwest Leadership Conference

Published 8/6/2008 7:09:00 AM - VP

This week and next dozens of leaders from Northwest Airlines are convening in Washington, DC to come together as a group, learn and refresh their understanding of AFA and CWA and plan the next steps in our joint Northwest – Delta Organizing Campaign.  The conference, facilitated by Veda Shook and ISRs Deb (Wilk) Hasson kicked off with a resounding introduction by Larry Cohen, CWA President. The 3 days explore qualities of leadership, action planning, budgeting and project management.  This conference is being conducted at the request of the Northwest elected leaders and is an exciting opportunity for them to come together in an open forum to discuss issues facing the Northwest flight attendants and the looming merger.
 
Participants for the first session are:
                 
August 5-7th:
Rosemary Miller – SFO Local 97
Michael May – MSP Local 95
Willie Wilcox – MSP Local 95
Rebecca Collier – MSP Local 95
Kaki Androsiuk – LAX Local 98
Les Meeks – LAX Local 98
Jarrod Anderson – MSP Local 95
Karen Ellis – MEM Local 93
Josh Zivick – NYC Local 91
James Lucas – NYC Local 91
Sherry Eubanks – NYC Local 91
Jacob Easter – BOS Local 92
Robert Cannatelli – BOS Local 92
Angie (Wood) Brewer – MSP Local 95
Elisabeth Joyce – LAX Local 98
John O’Donnell – DTW Local 94
Jeff Martoia – DTW Local 94
Jason Spain – SFO Local 97
Donald Williams – SFO Local 97
Rich Stone – HNL Local 99 (C3 Committee)
 


 Celebrating Freedom

Published 7/16/2008 12:16:00 PM - VP

Celebrating Freedom
 
The summer is proving to be a H-O-T one: literally – with a trip to Las Vegas for the annual CWA convention where temperatures shot well above 100° F and figuratively inasmuch as our summertime AFA agenda is more packed than ever.
 
Each year CWA convenes its annual convention where Delegates from all over the world connect to set the policy for and course for the union.  This year we met in Las Vegas and the group set priorities including pledging our full support for the Employee Free Choice Act.  Times are tough for middle class America and together we can make a difference by leveling the playing field and improving the laws that we have enabling us to organize more workers.   To be ‘one in a million’, sign up at www.freechoiceact.org and pledge your support. Of course, executives and there high priced lobbying firms are spending millions upon millions of dollars to spread their lies and distortions.  We, on the other hand, have numbers and if at least a million of sign up for support, that will speak much more loudly than amount of dollars.  Beyond lobbying Congress to vote against our right to organize, they are also pumping lots of dollars into the Presidential election. CWA delegates, on the other hand, voted unanimously at the Convention to endorse Barack Obama to be our next President. He joined our convention via teleconference and promised to work hard on our initiatives including passage of the Employee Free Choice and affordable health care for all Americans.  Together we can make a difference and reclaim freedoms lost under this current President.
 
After convention we celebrated July 4th, our Independence. What does this mean these days?  It’s a good question without a simple answer. We are having to work and fight harder than ever to protect existing freedoms in the current environment.
 
Next came our AFA Board of Directors meeting – our annual meeting of the local elected presidents – the highest governing body in AFA. Much was discussed about the difficult time we are experiencing in our industry and it was, therefore, extremely fitting that we had our meeting in Milwaukee, home of Midwest Airlines, whose executives and hired guns – the Seabury Group – are demanding over-the-top cuts to the flight attendants’ contract.  We held a candlelight vigil in support of the Midwest flight attendants.  We also paid a fitting tribute to our two carriers that went out of business this past year: Aloha and ATA.  And we said goodbye to our General Counsel David Borer who has been entirely committed to our profession for the past 22 years.  Stay tuned for our upcoming Flight Log issue which will outline all of the agenda items passed this year.
 
Back to Milwaukee! Midwest management continues to try to drive down the contract for the flight attendants and I am in Milwaukee today for two membership meetings.  Flight attendants can neither control nor pay for the cost of fuel.  In contract, its harder than ever for us to pay for our own fuel to get to the airport!  Something has got to give and it needs to be sooner rather than later.  We need rational energy and aviation policies in this country or we will continue to see the rapid decline in decent jobs.  
 
We need to remember what our Founding Fathers fought for – they stood together and risked their lives so that we can have freedoms today.  Naturally, we have greatly expanded our freedoms along the way – like me being able to vote!  The preamble to our constitution says: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. These are certainly words to inspire – Let freedom ring!


 Northwest and Delta Flight Attendants Gear Up for Joint Campaign

Published 6/12/2008 4:54:00 PM - VP

From the wake of the disappointing loss of the campaign for AFA representation by the Delta flight attendants, NWA AFA leaders and Delta activists, along with support from the International offices of AFA and CWA, are gearing up for a joint campaign for representation.
 
Earlier this year Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines announced plans to merge their two carriers. In fact, this announcement came shortly after the flight attendants at Delta filed for an election to be represented by AFA.  Their campaign took on added importance for our union: not only could we help Delta flight attendants secure the benefits of a legally binding contract, but we could also help ensure that the 60 years of bargaining history at Northwest would remain preserved.  If the vote at Delta had been successful, our AFA Constitution and Bylaws spells out how the seniority lists would be integrated by date of hire – in other words by flight attendant bidding seniority.
 
Delta waged a full scale assault during the flight attendant campaign – encouraging flight attendants to rip up their voting instructions, intimidating activists, surveying their activities, not allowing them to talk about the union – the list goes. Unfortunately, their expensive tactics paid off and not enough flight attendants cast votes. Our legal team has filed a charge of carrier interference with the National Mediation Board (NMB), seeking a remedy of a rerun election. Whether or not a new election is ordered, we still have a plan to move forward for a joint campaign with Northwest flight attendants.
 
The  Railway Labor Act (RLA), the body of law under which we fall, spells out that if two carriers combine, then there must be a showing of interest of at least 35% of the combined unit to have a merged election.  Currently that number is about the total of all of the NWA flight attendants, for whom the union would get “credit” for showing of interest.  That said, in order to prevail in the election, 50+1 of ALL eligible voters must cast votes for union representation.  Put differently, every flight attendant starts out as a NO vote and must in turn vote for union representation.  To illustrate numerically – suppose their were 7,000 NWA members and 13,000 Delta flight attendants, totaling 20,000 potential.  10,001 would have to vote yes. While these rules are extreme, to say the least, we do have a plan.
 
After the vote count on May 28th, NWA and Delta flight attendants gathered for a debrief and began to formulate a joint strategy going forward.  The two groups agreed to form a Joint Campaign Coordinating Committtee (JCCC).  The JCCC is comprised of 4 members from NWA and 4 representatives from Delta.  They will meet regularly via conference call and in person. Stay tuned on more news of our progress.


 Happy Mothers Day

Published 5/12/2008 6:00:00 PM - VP

For all the Moms out there – I hope you had a great day!  These are my two greatest motivators – Isabelle (5) and Donovan (20 months)


 Delta Flight Attendants Brief on Capitol Hill

Published 4/28/2008 5:56:00 PM - VP

April 28, 2008
 

Today on Capitol Hill  three very brave Delta Air Lines flight attendants shared their personal stories of the extreme voter suppression campaign by Delta Management during their election for AFA representation. They gave testimony to dozens of Congressional representatives in two separate briefings for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

l-r AFA Government Affairs Director Shane Larson; AFA-CWA Int’l VP Veda Shook; Delta flight attendants Kay Thomas, Mara Levene, John Jablonski; AFA-CWA Int’l President Pat Friend brief on Capitol Hill

Kay Thomas told daunting tales of being surrounded by six supervisors regarding her organizing activities. Said Kay, “The physical intimidation was witnessed by several other flight attendants. This sent a chilling effect across our work area. Though I am an outspoken activist, this intimidation was designed to send a clear message to every other Delta flight attendant present.”   John Jablonski spoke about the lack of access of the flight attendant organizing committee to reach their fellow coworkers noting, “Management has written a ‘policy’ dictating what are the ‘work areas’ and not allowing us to talk about the benefits of joining a union on the airplane, in the jetway, in the boarding area and in our check in areas for work.”  All three highlighted the extreme barrage of anti-union propaganda being forced upon them and Mara Levene brought notice that “This entire campaign is about fairness, yet what is ‘fair’ about management being allowed full reign to encourage flight attendants to rip up their voting instructions.”

 
Currently, Delta Executives are waging a multimillion dollar anti-union campaign designed at suppressing the vote including DVDs mailed to each flight attendant’s home as well as huge posters and countless leaflets in the crew lounge, not to mention supervisor wearing t-shirts with the anti-union message.  Delta voting is underway - to learn more about the campaign, visit www.DeltaAFA.org
 
 


 Giving a Voice to our Profession on Capitol Hill

Published 4/24/2008 5:50:00 PM - VP

Today I had the extreme honor of representing our profession at a much publicized Congressional Judiciary hearing regarding the proposed Northwest/Delta merger. You can read all the press on the event, including our professional press releases, but perhaps you’d care to join me on a “behind the scenes” tour?
 
For starters, the hearing was held in a rather small room. There was seating for approximately 50 guests. Knowing this and knowing that Delta and Northwest Executives had to put on a splashy, showy production, they “invited” 200 workers from Delta to accompany the event. In other words, they paid and housed 200 employees – including flight attendants – from Delta, and only Delta, to attend this event. How did I know it was only Delta? Because they paraded inside in uniform. Imagine if we (AFA) PAID 200 flight attendants to attend this event? Can you imagine the outrage? Delta would be racing to the NMB to void the Delta flight attendant election. 
 
I was testifying and was accompanied by Shane Larsen, our Director of Government Affairs along with ONE Northwest flight attendant and ONE Delta flight attendant. Unfortunately, Delta PAID people to wait in the line so the parade of PAID Delta employees could “jump the queue”. Thankfully, at the very last moment, our TWO coworkers were allowed in the room.
 
After a few moments, the CEOs of Delta and Northwest, Richard Anderson and Doug Steenland entered the hearing room: you would have thought Britney Spears had just exited rehab with the cascade of cameras and bulbs flashing. As they entered, our TWO brave flight attendants approached Mr. Anderson and presented him with a letter requesting neutrality: http://www.deltaafa.org/aefiles/DeltaNWALtr%20Anderson.pdf. Mr. Anderson completely dismissed their request.
 
Once the hearing got underway, Congressmembers from both parties grilled the CEOs about service concerns in their community and, notably, potential layoffs. Of note was the questioning by Congresswoman Betty Sutton who gave Anderson a run for his money asking him repeatedly – in many different ways – if they were “neutral” in the Delta flight attendant election. He refused to answer honestly her questions. (Let me tell you – Delta is running a ruthless anti-union campaign to keep the flight attendants from voting for AFA).
 
After their testimony, all of the PAID Delta employees, including the uniformed Delta flight attendants, left the hearing. Too bad they couldn’t stick around to hear our side of the story. I was on the second panel accompanied by the President of the IAMAW, President Tom Buffenbarger (who represents many workers at NWA), a representative from the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Winston, a Senior Fellow Economist from the Brookings Institute. 
We had each prepared written testimony for the record, but are limited to five minutes of oral testimony. I was last – which was probably a good thing – this was my first hearing and I was a bit nervous. My testimony focused on the facts that:
  1. during this merger process we have been completely left out of the discussion
  2. Delta is engaging in voter suppression during the flight attendant union election
  3. the “New Delta” executives are trying to make sure AFA loses at Delta so they can try and strip the bargaining rights of Northwest flight attendants.
 
I was asked several questions and it was truly my honor to give voice to the thousands of flight attendants at both Delta and Northwest who have been absent from this critical discussion.
 
If you would like to learn more about the Delta campaign, visit www.DeltaAFA.org and if you are an AFA member and would like to help the Delta flight attendants join our great union, email gotv@deltaafa.org
 
Veda


 Reality Bites

Published 4/16/2008 6:38:00 AM - VP

Reality Bites
 
Do any of you remember the movie? It was about the struggle of my generation to find itself after college. Here I am a 17 year flight attendant for Alaska Airlines and also the International Vice President of AFA-CWA – the world’s largest flight attendant union. I remember five years into my job wondering what in the heck I was doing with my life; shouldn’t I be doing “more”? “More” of what? A good friend of mine at the time helped me to understand that I already had more of many things of which millions of other Americans would like to have: a good job, decent wages, excellent benefits and “intangibles” such as a job that I really enjoy(ed), a flexible schedule and the ability to work with great people. Right around the time of the Reality Bites premiere, I realized that, in fact, I had a job worthy of a career. The question became not what do besides being a flight attendant but what to do to preserve being a flight attendant and all the benefits it entailed and that was when I started to get involved in my union.
 
Fast forward to now: today my generation doesn’t have the luxury of having a good job and thinking about a better one. Our economy is at the breaking point and good jobs with good benefits no longer seem the norm. If we’re lucky enough to have decent employment, we pray it lasts and continually try to find ways to stretch our deflated dollar as the price of milk, eggs and, most importantly to this topic, fuel continue to rise.
 
The price of oil is well over $100 barrel today. Talk about a new normal! What is the airline executives’ fix: make passengers pay more now in fuel surcharges and pay more down the road in the form of consolidation. By combining carriers, these executives are planning on reducing market share of seats available so they can drive up prices. Oh yes, I remember that from college – it’s simple supply and demand economics. But wait, who benefits from this? The passengers? No. Airline workers? For some the answer is already No as four airlines have filed for bankruptcy in just the last month. For others, this remains to be seen. Airline executives clearly have a plan and so must we, as workers. As the true stakeholders of these airlines, we have a vested interest in seeing our companies succeed, but we must not sacrifice further while executives continue to line their already busting wallets. 
 
Furthermore, as flight attendants and members of AFA, the looming Delta/Northwest merger means that the Delta flight attendants’ vote for our union is more relevant than ever.  If these two airlines want to combine, then they must also convincingly partner with their workforce. Delta management needs to be neutral while their flight attendants make their choice whether or not to join AFA as their voting begins on April 23 and continues through May 28. So far, Delta Air Lines has run a ruthless, shameless anti-union campaign: spinning lies and distortions aimed at alienating, confusing and causing conflict with its work force. To date, over 1,200 activists are signed up to volunteer on this historic campaign – that is 10% of the group. Anywhere else in the world, these flight attendants would already have a union, but management knows that if the flight attendants come together to form their own association and secure a legally binding contract, then management will have a level playing field. Today, they call all the shots. In this time of unanticipated instability with our industry and our economy, Delta flight attendants deserve some security. Management knows this or they wouldn’t be fighting their effort so mercilessly.
 
Hopefully, we’ll have a brighter future together and Reality won’t bite!


 Member Organizer Training March 13, 2008, Atlanta

Published 3/14/2008 3:54:00 PM - VP

A full day of campaign basics was the focus of our most recent Member Organizer Training – with a new twist of inviting Delta flight attendants to join us. I facilitated the training along with Patrick Scott from the Atlanta AFL-CIO office. Flight attendants joined us as current member organizers helping on the Delta campaign, new volunteers as well as Delta activists in addition to our ISRs Deb Wilk and George Donahue. We had members from Air Tran, Alaska, USAirways, United and Northwest. It was a great mix of fabulous people and I am thrilled with the level of enthusiasm and participation in this event. When we have the opportunity to tell the truth about the benefits of being in a union, flight attendants are inspired to share the story. We look forward to working more closely with our newest volunteers!


 Delta World Wide Webcast Town Hall Meeting – March 12, 2008

Published 3/14/2008 3:41:00 PM - VP

Thousand of Delta flight attendants will be able to watch the taped version of our AFA-CWA Town Hall Meeting that we had this week. Delta flight attendants invited their peers to come to a town hall meeting with a Delta AFA activist panel and guests AFA International President Pat Friend as well as AFA General Counsel David Borer. Delta flight attendants from across the country were able to have their questions answered and get the facts before they make the important upcoming decision to vote YES for AFA representation. Questions were submitted in advance, live from the audience and live from the internet. As moderator of the event, I fielded these questions from the panel. Questions centered on central themes of seniority protections in the event of a merger, benefits of a legally binding contract and the “AFA difference”. Check it out!: www.deltaafa.org


 Atlanta Visit Shines – Highlights

Published 3/14/2008 3:29:00 PM - VP

This week was a very eventful one for me – professionally and personally.
 
When the Delta Air Lines flight attendants filed for an election to be represented by AFA on February 14, 2008 we put the wheels in motion to schedule a Town Hall Visit (webcasted) in Atlanta. Once that was on the calendar, and continuing our goal to support our leadership in the field and build coalitions with our flight attendant groups, we worked with local Air Tran (ATR) and Atlantic Southeast (ASA) leadership to schedule local meetings as well as a Member Organizer Training. 
 
Scheduling meetings is the easy part – the planning for events is much more work!*
 
So – here is my week in a nutshell:
Monday           Delta conference call to discuss logistics for Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday           11:00am          travel to Atlanta
                           4 – 8pm           Delta activists and Member Organizer Strategy Meeting
                           9 – 10pm         Planning for Member Organizer Training
                          10 – 11pm       Dinner with Delta Activists
Wednesday     9am                 Prep for Webcast (Town Hall meeting) with panel of Delta flight attendants, President Pat Friend, AFA General Counsel David Borer and Bill McGlashen, John Cornelius and other Member Organizers and Delta activists in audience. 
                        10 – noon        Webcast moderator
                        1 – 2pm           Debrief from webcast
                        2 – 4pm           Air Tran Local Council Meeting (I did not stay entire event because…)
                        3 – 5pm           Agenda planning for Member Organizer Training
                        5 – 7pm           ASA Local Council and Negotiations update Meeting
                        8pm - ??          dinner with Nancy Lenk, former AFA Organizing Director (as well as friend, mentor and inspirer!)
Thursday       9am – 5pm      Member Organizer Training – including Delta Activists
                        7:20 – 9pm      Flight home; draft blog
 
*Lots and lots of legwork goes into pulling off events like we were just a part of. I would especially like to thank Bill McGlashen, America West/US Airways flight attendant and Executive Assistant to International Pat Friend. Bill was amazingly helpful in securing all of the logistics for our meeting with the help of Darlene Dobbs and Corey Caldwell from our Communications department, Georgeanne Wiggin (Pat Friend’s assistant) and my assistant, Wanda McCall. Thanks as well to the ASA & ATR leadership; Member Organizers Kim Kaswinkle, Joshua Freeze, Deborah Volpe USAirways; Cynthia Gober, Paula Carlson, Shriver Lenox, United; and John Cornelius, Alaska;  Patrick Scott from the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute; and AFA ISRs Deborah Wilk and George Donahue. What an amazing team!!
  
This concludes the work part…..Read on if you want the other part of my exciting week!
Thursday         <husband Brian’s Birthday!>
                        7:30am – receive the call that my sister-in-law is having a baby today!
                        Flight home – still no baby….
                        ~10pm – baby Josie Nicole is born – healthy and well!
Friday              7am                 make the frosting for the cupcakes that Isabelle and Dad made last night

9am – 12:30pm   Coop in daughter Isabelle’s school and have her birthday party (her Birthday is St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th. She’ll turn five this year.)


 Delta Flight Attendants for AFA-CWA Election!

Published 2/22/2008 4:34:00 AM - VP

We filed!
 
This was an historic moment as flight attendants from Delta Air Lines presented thousands of cards to the National Mediation Board on February 14, 2008 – I can’t think of a better way to spread the love! http://www.afanet.org/default.asp?id=989
 
Delta flight attendants have remained committed for more than a decade to find their home in AFA-CWA. Over the past year the campaign really heated and this past week we are pleased to report that a majority of Delta flight attendants signed cards requesting a union election.
 
What does this mean for us as members? It means that when Delta flight attendants vote in AFA that they will join us on OUR side of the bargaining table. Currently, Delta flight attendants have no voice at work – their management makes all the decisions FOR them – not WITH them – and certainly not in the form of a legally binding contract. Put differently, their shadow is at our negotiations sessions – on management’s side of the table. Every work rule cut that has taken place at Delta presents itself at our bargaining tables. Only when all flight attendants are under one umbrella family do we have real power and real leverage to improve our contracts and our profession.
 
As Delta and Northwest Executives contemplate a merger their ONLY interest is in lining their already fat wallets. They have no interest in a combined flight attendant work force having a union contract. This isn’t just about Delta joining AFA – it is also about preserving our legally binding agreement at Northwest.
 
Delta flight attendants have taken the steepest pay cuts, steepest work rule changes and have the most draconian policies. They deserve better and they deserve our support. 
 
Join me as we support our fellow flight attendants at AFA.


 Negotiations/Mobilization Training

Published 2/20/2008 11:53:00 AM - VP

Negotiations Training Capped off by Mobilization Training
 
Last week dozens of Leaders from Air Tran, ATA, Horizon, America West (USAirways), Alaska, Midwest, PSA, Piedmont and United spent the week at our AFA-CWA headquarters in Washington, DC to complete Negotiations Training. New this year was an additional day and a half of Mobilization Training. Clare Burt, Manager of Collective Bargaining headed up the Negotiations Training and welcomed the idea of adding Mobilization Training. 
 
Over the next two years almost all of our AFA contracts will be up for negotiations. While we need skilled flight attendants at the bargaining tables negotiating our contracts, we also need thousands of our members behind us at the table to give us leverage to improve our contracts. Let’s face it: management has lots of money to spend to defeat our best interests – what we have is people power! We have it in abundance – we just need the skills and plans to engage our membership. Our leaders learned about why we mobilize, important mobilization skills and the importance of having a structure that will best facilitate two way communications between our AFA members and leaders.
 
Kudos to all who participated and thanks to the ISRs for planning the training and for their willingness to help all AFA carriers develop mobilization structures.


 Past, Present, Future

Published 1/31/2008 2:28:00 PM - VP

While our blog is about current events, we should remember our past and take lessons from it to prepare for our future.
 
Today marks the 8th anniversary of the Alaska 261 crash off the California Coast into the Pacific Ocean. While the crew made a valiant effort to save the plane that day, the NTSB later concluded that this accident could have been prevented with proper maintenance procedures and proper FAA oversight. We lost many flight attendants and employees that day – both working and pass riding: 
 
So, why bring up an old wound? Because of corporate greed and what happens behind closed doors at corporations and the government and, especially, when the two get together.
 
Two days ago flight attendants from a new carrier, Compass, finally had their union vote – after filing for election on August 22nd. They were not successful. Why? Because each and every step of the way their management fought their right to a vote. They tampered and harassed at every turn. And the government was complicit. Turns out that one of the Bush appointed NMB members was also an employee of Northwest, the parent company of Compass.
 
Speaking of Northwest – they just reported a profit of a quarter of a Billion Dollars. “Wow!”, you say, “How is that possible, especially with the price of fuel?”. It’s possible because they forced concessions upon their workers including our AFA represented flight attendants. “How could they do that?”, you continue. Well, it’s simple when the Executives at Northwest called upon their buddy Read Van de Water - http://www.nmb.gov/directory/vandewater-bio.html -  who was able to ensure that flight attendants were not released into cooling off periods under bargaining procedures. 
 
Below are a couple of links and one of the comments from the NTSB investigation. Take care and fly safely.
 
Veda
 
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Airlines_Flight_261
 
In NTSB board member John J. Goglia's statement for the final report, which was concurred with by all three other board members,[2] he wrote:
"This is a maintenance accident. Alaska Airlines' maintenance and inspection of its horizontal stabilizer activation system was poorly conceived and woefully executed. The failure was compounded by poor oversight...Had any of the managers, mechanics, inspectors, supervisors or FAA overseers whose job it was to protect this mechanism done their job conscientiously, this accident cannot happen...NTSB has made several specific maintenance recommendations, some already accomplished, that will, if followed, prevent the recurrence of this particular accident. But maintenance, poorly done, will find a way to bite somewhere else."[2]


 Welcome to our Blog

Published 1/22/2008 5:47:00 AM - VP

Thanks for visiting our blog.  This page will be updated regularly with information from me and our ISRs.  If you have any information that you would like to share - that you think would be useful for our fellow leaders - let us know.