Source: ourcontract.org

This afternoon the National Mediation Board informed AFA that mediator Cathy McCann has been assigned to our joint contract negotiations. The first mediation session will be held on October 20-22 in Washington, DC and will be convened by Mediator McCann and Senior Mediator Patricia Sims.  The second mediation session will be November 3-5 in Chicago.  The NMB has also given clear instruction to the parties on preparation work necessary for efficient work during mediation sessions.

Your Joint Negotiations Committee met this week in Chicago to further develop our proposal in preparation for our mediated session. Typically in advance of mediation there is work required to meet the more intense focus required by the mediators. As we transition from the Facilitated Problem Solving to negotiations under mediation, it is crucial the negotiations committee come in prepared and unified. This week the committee was joined by Randy Hatfield, the CAL MEC Secretary Treasurer, who is filling the position vacated by Cindy Commander upon her retirement at the end of last month. Suzanne Hendricks, the CMI MEC President, also rejoined the JNC.  

The committee made considerable progress this week in developing strong, unified Flight Attendant positions to present at our mediation sessions. Now that we are in Federal mediation under the Railway Labor Act, the timing and location of mediation sessions are under the control of the National Mediation Board. Although mediated sessions are typically more concentrated than what we have been used to over the last several months, with the sessions under the control of the National Mediation Board we hope to see a curtailing of the Company stall tactics. 

Filing for mediation was critical to move us out of black hole of merged contract talks to a legally defined process under the Railway Labor Act.  Under this process, the mediators will control the time and location of negotiations and direct the subjects to be discussed. The Railway Labor Act has a defined process to reach conclusion of negotiations. We will be providing more information in the next few days about the process under the Railway Labor Act and how you can participate in the process to reach an agreement we can ratify. 

At the Joint MEC meeting on August 20, the Local Executive Council Presidents passed a resolution authorizing continued actions to support the JNC in getting a contract which represents our interests as Flight Attendants. Please watch for more information shortly about the mobilization campaign and the next Flight Attendant actions.