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| IT'S YOUR FUTURE |
The CAL MEC has never made a secret of the fact that the IAM CBA was the preferred contract for s-CO f/a's. The priority of the elected leadership since then has been to maintain the pay, flexibility and efficiency inherent in it. Though many s-UA f/a's, and sadly, far too many s-CO f/a's, bought into the Afa propaganda that the representation vote was about the perceived quality of one union over another, and not about the merits of one contract over another, what remains in the aftermath of the vote is that one's contract is clearly superior over another and continues to be preserved and administered by the CAL MEC.
The June 9, 2012 letter to their membership issued by the CAL MEC reiterates that commitment to their IAM negotiated contract and rightfully refers to it as "an industry leading contract." There is no apology for the concessionary, company management friendly terms that Davidowitch's UAL MEC claims make up the CAL CBA, (an inferior document, we are told at s-United), yet the CWA itself calls it "industry leading".
The first paragraph of their letter starts with CAL MEC's commitment to the CAL membership that the s-UA f/a's are denied by the UAL MEC. In referring to the process of sending the TA out to the membership for a vote, the CAL MEC reaffirmed it as "a formality for us under the (CWA-afa) Constitution" and "that the (CAL)MEC would never deny the membership their right to vote." This is a quantum shift away from the UAL MEC policy that has consistently refused to permit the UAL membership the right to vote on issues affecting us; which has DIRECTLY led us to the precarious position we at s-United find ourselves in today.
In other words, if the Company has presented a proposal to the CAL MEC, the CAL MEC has committed to treating its work force like thinking adults in allowing them to vote on it. The CAL MEC may make a recommendation on that vote and advises its membership what it thinks the benefits or consequences may be, unlike the arrogance and condescension of the UAL MEC which does as it sees fit and invariably what it feels is "in the best interest of the Association", (AFA C&B), NOT the membership.
The former United management offered a CAL-like contract in April 2010, and the UAL MEC refused to allow
s-UA f/a's to vote or even consider it. A crossover program, identical to the one offered post-representation election, was offered in May 2011 to preclude the necessity to begin the massive hiring that is now going on at s-Continental and the UAL MEC again refused to allow the membership a choice. This is not the MEC's role as our representatives. The CAL MEC has correctly and forcefully identified their role as a conduit of information in regards to a vote for or against a TA and recognizes that a final decision rests with the people doing the job themselves, (the membership), and not the political hacks picking and choosing what is sent to the membership for a vote based on their own personal political agendas.
HIGHER UP THE MOUNTAIN
s-UA f/a's have seen THREE contracts ratified in the past thirty years (1987-1996, 1996-2010, 2010-2016). CAL's tentative agreement marks the second contract in just over a year, and is presented well in advance of its Sept 2012 amendable date. The UAL MEC and indeed the entire CWA-afa represented flight attendant sector has NEVER achieved that kind of timeline. In addition to the incentive pay increase (in hours), improvements in flexibility (including for reserves), protections for sub-domicile transfers and continuation of profit sharing participation, there is the all important FURLOUGH protection that will ensure new hire flight attendants and crossovers are protected from furlough through the new contracts amendable date of December 31, 2014.
This should be a great concern to s-United flight attendants still believing the AFA myth machine. There is now a clear timeline for when Company and union management expects the integration to be completed. The UAL MEC's acceptance of a 2016 amendable date with the tacit understanding that, of course, even THAT date will be extended well beyond AS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE WITH UA MEC AFA.
The tight, compact and short term agreements struck on behalf of the CAL f/a's with the IAM and now the CAL MEC reflect the volatile and rapidly changing circumstances in which we find ourselves, and the CAL MEC has positioned its membership to adapt, change and benefit. Yet the UAL MEC found it acceptable to lock its membership into yet another long term contract (2010-2016) unable to adapt to changing circumstances and making it far easier for Company management to draw down the number of s-UA flight attendants through attrition and continued furloughs.
The CAL MEC "made it (their) first priority to ensure the security of (Continental) Flight Attendants during the Joint Contract Negotiations (and has) produced improvements to what is already a contract that leads all other legacy carriers for pay and pension." There is a reason a buyout was offered at s-United and not s-Continental, just as there is a reason s-United has flight attendants on furlough and continues to offer thirty day ANP and s-Continental does not. Yet the UAL MEC, led by a President on a TWELVE YEAR LEAVE OF ABSENCE for "union" business with FULL SENIORITY RETENTION AND ACCRUAL, blithely asks s-UA flight attendants to ignore reality until 2016 and beyond for something really good--"we promise!"
A tough decision lies ahead for CAL f/a's in regards to this tentative agreement and what the future consequencses of the vote, pro or con, will be. The future of your careers, at least for the next 2 years, will depend on the outcome of this vote.
Attend your MEC's roadshows, make an informed, unemotional decision, bring your AFA dues up to date and make certain you are eligible to vote. Then vote!
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