Dear Members:

Our membership celebrated liberty and gratitude last week as our membership observed Canada Day on July 1 and Independence Day on July 4. We hope your festivities were safe and glorious.

As many of our members are currently participating in votes and/or surveys as well as seeking information related to our many negotiating activities, please heed this friendly yet important reminder – DO NOT use your company email address for any union-related communications; please use a personal email address.

AMFA representatives had the opportunity to meet with WestJet Airlines (WJA) employees in Edmonton on June 14-15 and Calgary on June 18-19. We want to thank everyone who participated in these Q&A sessions. The AMFA-WJA Member-at-Large Negotiator Election closes on July 11. Thank you to the candidates in this election for wishing to contribute to the negotiations and crafting the group’s very first collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Your ALR and Member-at-Large Negotiator are the two voting members of your AMFA Negotiating Committee. The next step in preparation for negotiations is to conduct an employee survey to prioritize the recently submitted contract proposals. Be on the lookout for this survey in the coming weeks. AMFA has been in communication with the Company to secure dates to commence Section 50 negotiations. The Company has been receptive to the AMFA process and is eager to meet, which we anticipate to start after the survey concludes.

We are also discussing options related to the Section 18 process and how we move forward with the WestJet-SunWing merger and subsequent integration of the maintenance bargaining units. We will keep you updated as developments unfold.

At L3 Harris MAS (L3), we are in exploratory discussions on how to best represent a new station opening in Ottawa, ON aimed to maintain two new A330 aircraft, while the Trenton, ON membership will continue maintaining the A310 fleet. We will keep you informed as we move forward in this process. 

AMFA and Alaska Airlines (AS) Negotiating Committees held bargaining sessions on June 27-29 in Seattle and our next scheduled session is on July 10-12 in Seattle. We want to thank the observers for their time and engagement in this collective bargaining process. AMFA and the Company have come to an agreement on notification before hiring new technicians; there will be an unfilled bid within 30 days of the Company’s decision to hire off the street. The following stations continue to have unfilled vacancies and will begin hiring off the street: SFO, SEA, JFK, KTN, SAN, and ANC.

AMFA and Sun Country Airlines (SCA) Negotiating Committees held a bargaining session on June 13-15 in Minneapolis.  The AMFA Committee presented a comprehensive package with all articles, and we are scheduled to meet on July 18-20 in Minneapolis in preparation for the Company’s response.

AMFA and Spirit Airlines (NKS) held Section 6 Negotiations on June 20-22 in Dallas and the AMFA Committee presented the Company with a comprehensive package. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

On Friday, June 2, the Southwest Airlines (SWA) Negotiating Committee agreed to an Agreement in Principle (AIP) and on June 22 it became a Tentative Agreement (TA).  The AMFA-SWA Contract Extension TA Referendum will end at 10 am et on July 27, 2023, the day of the tally. If you have not received your voting credentials, please email elections@amfanatl.org. If you are looking for your AMFA #, please visit “What’s My AMFA #?” to obtain your number. This is the AMFA-SWA AMT membership’s opportunity to make their own decision on their futures.

AMFA-Horizon Air (QX) ALR Chuck Clum, has been actively preparing for Section 6 negotiations, including starting the contract proposal form process. Please stay engaged in this negotiation process and participate in your career at Horizon.

AMFA is asking our carriers and aircraft maintenance operations to provide valuable, routine aircraft training and proceed with greater caution. Just because the demands of the industry are growing, management should not push shortcuts in safety protocols or demand too much of inexperienced AMEs/AMTs. The carriers’ maintenance programs dictate what scheduled and unscheduled aircraft maintenance staffing levels should be and how task cards are packaged. We believe that safety in the air begins with quality maintenance on the ground, and safety must be every airline’s priority.

I ask you to remain vigilant and engaged with your union and officers. In doing so, monitor your respective carrier page on the AMFA National website for airline-specific details. Our most determined efforts will only succeed with your support and participation – please stay engaged and informed.

Sincerely,

Bret Oestreich
National President