August 21, 2023
Participants for AMFA
Bret Oestreich – National President
Pat Amore – National Vice President
Earl Clark – Region I Director
Will Abbott – Region II Director
Jarod Mills – Local 14 Airline Representative
Jeff Heard – Local 32 Airline Representative
Lucas Middlebrook – Legal Counsel
Peter Manikowski – Economist
Participants for Alaska Airlines
Jenny Wetzel – VP, Labor Relations
Sonia Alvarado – Managing Director of Labor Relations
Don Wright – VP, Maintenance & Engineering
Scott Harmon – Managing Dir. of Maintenance
Kelly Welch – Senior Corporate Counsel
Denise Kliskey – Labor Relations
Brett Jacobs – Dir. Divisional FP&A
The AMFA-Alaska Negotiating Committee (the “Committee”) is providing this update to the Membership at Alaska Airlines. This is the only official authorized source of negotiating communications by the Committee.
The Parties held a three-day bargaining session August 15-17 in New York to continue bargaining towards a successor collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The Parties spent the first portion of the session focused on bargaining towards an Appendix to the CBA for contractual issues specific to the Maintenance Control group. The Maintenance Control Appendix includes, among other items, seniority, hours of service, filling of vacancies and training language unique to Maintenance Control. The Parties were able to reach tentative agreement on the Maintenance Control Appendix at conclusion of Day 2. The Committee worked closely with our Maintenance Control subject matter experts, Carlos Rosada Santini and Lance Garrett, and would like to thank both for their hard work helping secure the Appendix for their group.
Following TA on the Maintenance Control Appendix, AMFA presented its economic term sheet to the Company. The economic term sheet included items from multiple articles connected to compensation and benefits. The economic proposal presented to the Company would provide you with an industry-leading package of compensation and benefits. The Company pressed for multiple sessions to receive our economic proposal and made numerous comments regarding its desire to reward your hard work in this contract. However, when presented with our industry-leading package, the Company’s response at the table was, at best, lukewarm. The Company did not respond to our economic proposal during this session and spent most of Day 3 working internally. We expect to receive an economic counterproposal from the Company at the outset of our next session in Seattle.
We are committed to negotiating and delivering you a contract to consider that is worthy of your hard work and continued contributions to Alaska Airlines. We will see, when the Company presents its first economic counterproposal next session, whether it shares our goal of rewarding your tireless commitment to Alaska Airlines.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for September 5-7 in Seattle. If you would like to be an observer in future negotiation sessions, please communicate with your ALR. And remember, stay engaged, remain informed, and continue to provide the Negotiating Committee with ongoing support, which increases the Committee’s ability to bargain a CBA you deserve.
Fraternally,
AMFA–Alaska Negotiating Committee
