Source: Our Contract Newsletter
This morning, our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and the company came to an agreement on the terms of a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement. This weekend the parties will work to finalize the language for review by the Joint Master Executive Council (MEC), including all (CAL, CMI, UAL) Local Presidents. These directly elected leaders of all 25,000 Flight Attendants, will meet in Chicago on Monday and Tuesday, June 27 & 28. The Tentative Agreement is only official upon approval by the directly elected leaders.
After the review and approval by the Joint MEC, the JNC continues to finalize the summary of the Tentative Agreement and proofing of the agreement language along with all of the other preparations for communications that ensure Members get all questions answered in order to cast an informed vote on the Tentative Agreement. Expect that the Joint MEC meeting review and preparation of communications may take as much as a week before details of the Tentative Agreement are ready for release.
Who Votes on a Tentative Agreement?
In addition to information posted on-line, the Tentative Agreement (TA) summary and balloting instructions will be provided to all Members eligible to vote, including Members who have the opportunity to become eligible during the voting process:
Balloting Information
Balloting will be conducted electronically through VoteNet which may be accessed at OurContract.org. All eligible Members will be notified of the voting timeline and complete instructions will be provided. This voting process will be familiar to all AFA Members – as information becomes available during the ratification AFA Members can access their ballot and recast a vote. Only the last vote cast will be counted by the electronic balloting agency.
Casting an Informed Vote
This Tentative Agreement is unlike any other in our careers. There will be new terms and concepts for everyone. It is imperative that Members make an informed decision as we vote on the contract that will provide access to the entire United route system and provide the basis for future negotiations where we are all working to advance our careers from the same page.
Plan to attend JNC Information Sessions and Local Council meetings, watch informational videos and ask questions. Negotiations Support Activist (NSA) InfoReps will also be available to help collect questions and direct Members to information from our Joint Negotiating Committee.
Stay connected throughout the ratification process at OurContract.org.
The JNC has worked diligently to reach an agreement that we can ratify, including the interests of all 25,000 Flight Attendants while negotiating in contrast to management’s positions.
It is very important that each of us consider the Tentative Agreement, recognizing the collaborative effort by the AFA JNC Members from each pre-merger airline. As each of us considers our own personal vote, we appreciate their efforts for all of us.