TWU Local 556 Negotiation Update #18
Our session this week marked one year of negotiations with the Company. This session was productive and resulted in the teams exchanging multiple proposals and reaching a Tentative Agreement on Article 34 – Passports and LODO Program. This session saw the teams collectively pass thirteen proposals and/or counterproposals across the table.
On the first day of bargaining, the Company presented a counterproposal to Article 17 – Medical Examinations. The Company also presented Article 27 – General – Union Information, Article 20 – Board of Adjustment, Article 32 – Attendance Policy, and a counterproposal to Article 19 – Grievance Procedures. We were pleased with the discussions surrounding Article 17 – Medical Examinations, as the Company finally agreed to update outdated terminology. The parties engaged in fruitful discussions on this topic. The Company presented Article 20 – Board of Adjustment, in order to connect a stipulation contained in the proposal to an item previously proposed by the Company in Article 17 – Medical Examinations. The Company also presented Article 19 – Grievance Procedures, with only a few proposed changes regarding timeframes in which a Board of Adjustment will be held after an appeal, and agreed to codify the practice of allowing a Flight Attendant the right to respond in writing to any material in her/his file. Before presenting their proposal for Article 32 – Attendance Policy, the Company provided another presentation regarding sick calls, attendance points, and cases of perceived sick leave abuse. Once the presentation was complete, we received the Company’s proposal which sought significant concessions in our Attendance Policy. Some of the Company’s asks included switching to trimesters instead of quarters, attaching a minimum amount of flying in order to record improve, and taking away the personal illness note (PIN). While we respect the Company’s position that it needs to address perceived abuses of our Attendance Policy, your Negotiating Team believes the changes proposed are overreaching and will adversely affect the majority of our workgroup. The Company also presented Article 27 – General – Union Information, with the only substantive change being the removal of the Company’s obligation to provide a printed copy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to a Flight Attendant if requested. Your Negotiating Team presented our counterproposals for Article 34 – Passports and LODO Program, and Article 16 – Productivity Pay, which resulted in constructive dialogue between the parties around these two Articles.
On day two, your Negotiating Team took the morning to caucus and work on counterproposals. We met with the Company in the afternoon and presented a counter to Article 17 – Medical Examinations. We were encouraged by the tone of the conversation and the questions asked about the changes we are seeking.
Your Negotiating Team began day three with counterproposals for Article 19 – Grievance Procedures, and Article 20 – Board of Adjustment, seeking to keep the grievance and arbitration procedures closer to what exists within our current CBA, while also trying to find areas we could agree upon. The Company then presented Article 28 – Scheduling Policy, and counterproposals for Article 34 – Passports and LODO Program, and Article 16 – Sick Leave/On the Job Injury. The Company proposed very few changes to Article 28 – Scheduling Policy; however, it did include language to define what is considered an AM pairing versus a PM pairing, for planning and scheduling purposes. In Article 16 – Sick Leave/On the Job Injury, the Company still maintained its ask for a more difficult way to earn sick bank, but did come off their ask of lowering our maximum accrued sick leave. After productive discussions on these issues, the Company provided its counterproposal to Article 34 – Passports and LODO Program. Your Negotiating Team asked for a caucus, and after deliberating, agreed to the changes, which included language that details how a passport exemption is obtained and clarifies that any changes to the Language of Destination/Origin (LODO) program must be made with mutual agreement between the parties. We are encouraged at the level of productivity and tone of the discussions at the table this week. We made it known to the Company that we would like to address some of the current outstanding Articles before either side opens additional articles to focus the discussion and facilitate the process more efficiently.
We look forward to returning to the table and continuing the tone and productivity of this last session. The next bargaining session is scheduled for December 3-5.
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