Source: ourunited.org

The Joint Negotiations Committee (JNC) has just concluded two weeks of negotiations in Chicago. 

The week before Thanksgiving the negotiations subcommittees worked on a short list of subjects. 

• The subcommittee working on Hours of Service addressed Domestic Duty Day and completed work on the previously deadlocked subject of Check-In Time. 
• Another subcommittee finished up its work on JobShare & Partnership and took up the subject of Leaves of Absence. 
• A third subcommittee continued working on the subject of Family Medical Leave.
• A fourth subcommittee continued work on the subject of Onboard Leader (ISM/Purser).

After the Thanksgiving break everyone returned to Chicago and began the two week session we have just concluded. 

• The Hours of Service subcommittee split into two smaller groups and started work on International Duty Day and Legal Rest. 
• The subcommittee working on Leaves of Absence finished that subject and moved on to Vacations. 
• The Family Medical Leave subcommittee finished their work and moved on to Sick Leave. 
• The Onboard Leader subcommittee finished their work.
• A new subcommittee began working on Language Qualified.

The JNC has met with the company for three of the last four weeks.  Along with our subject matter experts who have joined us in this facilitated problem solving process we have met with the company two weeks a month since July.  We have been working with members of the National Mediation Board throughout this process and they have helped all of us, Company and Union, get past a number of roadblocks.  The facilitators have had very positive comments regarding the efforts both sides are putting into the work. 

The JNC and the company will be meeting with National Mediation Board (NMB) in Washington DC on January 8th to hear their assessment on how well the parties are doing (or not).  While facilitators have told everyone that they can see we are working hard, they also pointed out the NMB measures progress in the number of Contract sections that have been "closed," or the number of topics that have been completed.  As we conclude our last session of the year, we can report that a number of topics have been completed, but the parties have still not completed an entire Contract section.  We will have to wait until next month to hear what the NMB's view is regarding how well this "process" has worked and if they believe we should continue in this manner or implement some kind of mid-course correction.

All of us on the JNC would like to thank the Flight Attendants who have joined us over the last five months.  We would not have made it as far as we have without your involvement. 

Following our meeting with the NMB on January 8th, we will begin another two week negotiations session in Houston on January 12th.  In the mean time we'd like to wish everyone and their families a safe and peaceful holiday season.  If you are going to be at home, enjoy your time off; and if you will be at work, fly safely.

In Solidarity,