AFA facts and fiction!

This is from my dear friend Danny Campbell, he has worked closely with AFA, Richard Anderson and the rest of the Northwest leadership that will now be a the new Delta...



AFA is in a fight for it's life. Or more correctly put a fight for OUR money! $6,480,000 a year to be accurate! When you add NWA's $4,320,000 per year comes to a lot of money!

My response: Actually, AFA is in the best financial shape it has ever been in - due to the fact that we have the largest membership we have had in many decades. So, the statement that we are in the 'fight for it's life" is not accurate. Regardless of the financial condition of AFA, organizing new members under the protective umbrella of AFA has little-to-nothing to do with dues income. Think about this; AFA is a 'non-profit' organization, so when it's membership grows only two things happen; 1.) The additional funds brought in go directly to services for those new members and 2.) The larger we are as a national union of flight attendants, the stronger and louder our voice is at the bargaining table and in the halls of Congress. Here is a correlation for you -- for nearly 10 years I joined the Christian Children's Fund and sponsored a girl named "Maria" from Central America. It would have been very cynical of me to view the CCF as motivated by 'greed' - because my contribution of $30.00 per month was needed to provide the services for Maria. Membership in AFA is founded on the same principle. However, ironically, new members (like Delta FAs) wouldn't pay ANY dues until they are working under their first legal contract (negotiated and voted on by Delta FAs). So, the reality of the situation is that all "existing" AFA members would be paying for you - and I think it would be hard to call all of us greedy or financially motivated, don't you think?

But what are they offering us the pre-merger Delta Flight Attendants? Nothing we don't already have!

There are many important things that Delta FAs do not have. And I am sincere when I tell you that some of them you had better consider securing for yourself - now that you have Anderson is a majority of NWA exces at the helm of our new carrier. Among the top is a "Scope", Labor Protective Provisions" and "Job Security Covenant". These guys have a long history of moving our industry into the global "race to the bottom" - and attempted to outsource nearly 45% of our jobs at NWA (to low paid workers in several foreign countries). It was our contract and AFA's power on Capital Hill that stopped them. Without AFA (or a contract), we (you and I) are going to be completely vulnerable to this at the world's largest carrier - and we may very well find our seniority list cut in half over the next few years - and 1,000's of our FAs on the unemployment line. Trust me - having worked with Anderson, I know his "vision" for our industry.

AFA Claims that they will protect our jobs. - Truth,is when a airline decided to furlough, there is nothing that can be done about it. Examples - UAL, and USA. When ATA went belly up, and stranded F/A's who had paid into AFA for years, called for help, the response they got was " We don't represent ATA any longer"!

Your statements are not accurate or well researched. Let's discuss these one at a time... First, the United AFA contract has a wonderful 'furlough' avoidance protection. It requires that United can't furlough ANY FA on the seniority list unless it first lays off "all" flight attendants in Singapore and Bangkok. Secondly, the United, NWA and USAirways AFA contracts all have fantastic contract language spelling out exactly furloughs and base closures take place. Because of this language, we often have the leverage to secure "voluntary" leaves that prevent ANY involuntary furloughs. For example, I negotiated a voluntary leave program with Richard Anderson in 2001 (around 9.11), that saved over 2,400 NWA FAs from being laid off. This package provided; continued medical/dental coverage, passes, no disruption in retirement accrual and the Company further agreed to not contest unemployment benefits for those who took the voluntary package. Finally, your statement about ATA is not true. I have many friends that worked for ATA, and they were extremely proud and appreciative of how AFA stood by them when ATA ceased operations. AFA continued to help them with several legal issues, contractual obligations the company had and even provided personalized EAP and job replacement help to them.

AFA Claims to protect our jobs from outsourcing. - Explain why and how NWA Pacific has foreign based nationals?

The foreign nationals at NWA are part of a 1952 Bilateral Agreement with Japan. In other words, they were here long before we had the ability to negotiate our worklives. However, over the last several bargaining processes, we have negotiated solid language that restricts their use to a small box (by longitude and latitude) that covers the pacific rim. Additionally, we have secured "US based" FAs on all of those flights. 10 years ago, the only US based FA on those aircraft was the Lead/Purser. However, in our 1999 contract, we secured an "additional" position on all these routes - and it has been our goal to eventually negotiate ALL the positions as part of our contract. Now, if Delta FAs reject representation, all our work will be unraveled - and the new Delta (run by the old NWA) will be free to replace us all over the globe.

AFA Claims that they will preserve ALL of our benefit's and improve upon them. - If AFA is voted in, they will have to negotiate for everything. EVERYTHING!

Simple put, that is not how negotiations work. Here, watch this for an explanation; Is it true negotiations begin from 'scratch'? (click the underlined text)

AFA claims to be equal and wants to represent us all. - AFA's perspective on the world is outdated and tilted to a old fashioned purely date of hire system. Examples - When AWA purchased the failing USA, they were both AFA airlines. Both had to merge the seniority lists based on date of hire. Was that fair? No! Number 1 at AWA on the combined list dropped way down to a much lower seniority level. When AWA tried to change the way the two lists were integrated, they were not able to as they had agreed as part of being a AFA airline to restrict them selves to a obsolete date of hire mentality.

What is ironic about your statement above, is that in our current merger, the Delta FAs are the more senior group (i.e, you would be the USAirways FAs in the scenario you cited). Because we (NWA) FAs are the more junior group, it is "me" that stands to lose more seniority in a "date of hire" integration. I would think the Delta FAs would be advocating for date of hire - because if the case goes to arbitration, I think a 'ratio' process of integration is going to benefit the NWA FAs.

Such benefits as Adays and the Delta Jump seat policy would ALL be up for negotiation! Look at AFA airlines as how they do reserve. The outdated and cost prohibitive formula of the bottom 10% being stuck on straight reserve!

Simply put, if the majority of the Delta FAs like the Aday system, then that's what they would support in negotiations, right? Remember, you have the majority of members and therefore the majority of votes FOR or AGAINST any proposals or tentative contract. It is the "members" at a particular carrier who decide things like jumpseat policies or reserve systems.

AFA claims a contract will make work rules enforceable. - Yes they will. but a two way street. Right now at Delta we enjoy a certain amount of flexibility. We have FSM's and base managers, and even Joanne Smith herself that you can talk to and get things done. Our Delta culture allows us to stand up and say "hey this is silly", and it allows for us to have changes made to our rules.

And, with a legal contract and membership in AFA, none of that changes. We still have the ability to deal with workplace issues one-on-one with our management and we have people like Julie Showers who serve in the exact same capacity as Joanne Smith. The only difference is that if we can not get justice with the one-on-one, we have another legal means of submitted the dispute for resolution. And, because we have that means, it gives us more leverage with the one-on-one relationship. I suspect we get a lot more things done for ourselves under the "one on one" relationship at NWA because our management knows we have the power and legal right to process issues. Delta FAs do not have this right or power.

We have a set of rules. The Fly Right Book. Is it prefect? No! But take look at the work rules at AFA airlines. and you will find loopholes, and exceptions for IR-Ops jsut as we have.

I have done a very careful study of the workrules at Delta and compared them to our NWA contract. Personally, while I like a few aspects of things at Delta, your day-to-day operations give you little-to-no resolution process and the most alarming thing I have found is that you aren't given the tools to research whether your seniority or Flight Right rules are being violated. At NWA, we have full access (and a seat at the table) in the selection of flying, the publishing of bid packets, the bidding process, the resolution process, trip swaps, upward adjustments, etc...etc... There is no part of the process that is not transparent and we have the full ability to ensure that we are each being treated fairly and in accordance with our contract.

Most AFA airlines jumpseating is based on seniority, not he first come first serve system that Delta Flight Attendants have enjoyed for many years! Do you want to be wating for a jumpseat trying to get home knowing that you could be 'bumped" off that as well?

Not true. Our AFA contract provides that jumpseats can be booked 10 days in advance - and it is not based on seniority. Again, however, we have transparency in the process and can even see what "time" one of us booked the jumpseat if we both book one 10 days in advance. Then, if there is no jumpseat booked within the 1 hr prior to departure, it is again first come, first served.

AFA also has stated in their constitution/bylaws that if after being represented by AFA, you publicly speak out or negativelyly about AFA they reserve the right to have you terminated from the company! Do you want to be represented by a orginization that opposed the first amemdment right to free speach?

That is frankly a silly argument that the "anti-union" law firms hired by company's like Delta make. It has absolutely no merit or truth to it and is nothing but a scare tactic. Watch this for further clarification; Is it true AFA can fine us for violating our contract?

In closing, I hope you enjoyed your holidays and I wish you the very best in the new year.

Warm Regards,

Danny Campbell, NWA Flight Attendant 18 years
dgcampbell@comcast.net