February 8, 1999
ALPA, Intl
Committees
Flight
Attendant Negotiations at Impasse
Translating the legalese, a “proffer of arbitration” is the NMB’s suggestion
that the parties settle their differences through binding arbitration. If both parties
accept the proffer of arbitration, each side would present its case to a
government-appointed arbitrator who would render a binding resolution to the contract
dispute. Alternatively, if either party rejects the proffer, the NMB would immediately
declare a “30-day cooling-off period.” We consider this scenario to be likely,
and anticipate that a 30-day cooling-off period may begin within the next few days.
During a 30-day cooling off period, the NMB will schedule intensive negotiations under
“super-mediation” in an effort to effect a settlement. By law, neither side may
engage in self help such as a strike, a chaos campaign, or a lockout until the NMB
releases the parties at the end of the 30-day period.
Your MEC continues to support the flight attendants’ efforts to achieve a fair
contract. We encourage the parties to approach the next phase of the process — whether an
arbitration or continued negotiations in a 30-day cooling-off period — with the paramount
goal of reaching a fair agreement. If the parties opt not to arbitrate, 30 days is ample
time to resolve differences. To arrive at an agreement during the 30-day cooling-off
period is not uncommon, and we are hopeful that company management and the flight
attendants will work concertedly toward that outcome.
We’ll provide more information via this hotline regarding the responses to the proffer
of arbitration and any other developments in the flight attendants’ collective-bargaining
effort.
Revised Pilot Seniority List
New Update from ALPA President Duane Woerth
The next scheduled hotline update will be Thursday, February 11th, or sooner
as news develops. Fly safe; fly your contract; and wear your pins and green ribbons.
Thanks for listening.
| MEC Hotline Interim update |
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| Don Steinman for the MEC: This afternoon the National Mediation Board declared America West’s negotiations with its flight attendants at impasse and extended a proffer of arbitration to AFA and to company management. This action places our flight attendants’ contract negotiations into the next phase in the normal progression of collective bargaining under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act (RLA).
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