Mediation Update - February 2010
AFA and United are in Mediation. This means the National Mediation Board (NMB) is overseeing our negotiations. The mediator assigned by the NMB, Mr. John Livingood (Mr. Livingood’s bio), may determine when and where we meet for mediation sessions along with the agenda for the mediation session. This does not mean the parties are banned from meeting outside mediation, but to date management has refused to accept AFA’s offer to meet any time – 7 days a week, 24 hours a day – to discuss the issues Flight Attendants have determined are important.
Due to all of the airline worker negotiations currently underway in our industry, the NMB is extremely busy. A second mediator has been assigned to take part in our negotiations on occasion. Mr. Iannone joined the National Mediation Board in September of 2009 with 23 years of labor relations experience in the railroad industry as a labor advocate. Prior to joining the NMB, he served in elected local, general and international positions with the United Transportation Union.
We will take part in our fifth mediation session the week of February 22nd. In addition to discussing new Sections of the Contract the mediator has requested a review of all of the Sections already introduced at the negotiating table in order to have a full understanding of each party’s position.
We are in the mediation process earlier than ever before in negotiations because a provision in our 2005-2010 Agreement provides for both parties to jointly petition the National Mediation Board (NMB) for assistance, which we did on August 7, 2009. Our Contract required Negotiations for a new Agreement to begin nine months early and continue to progress with this joint filing to the NMB in support of reaching a new Agreement by the amendable date, January 7, 2010.
Management continues to present concessionary proposals in an effort to get Flight Attendants to work harder for less and as a means to delay negotiations for a new Contract. Our Negotiating Committee remains focused on achieving the pay, healthcare, work rules and retirement security improvements you determined were necessary and a priority when we created our Opening Proposal.
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