March 31, 2017

Dear Members:

The National Executive Council (NEC) has continued our efforts to achieve the best communication practices to reach you. Communication has been a top priority for the past several months, and a system-wide quest to update member contact information at both the Local and National levels is ongoing. The tools are in place for our members to acquire updates and notifications regarding current events throughout the Association. We are also using social media to increase visibility via Facebook and Twitter. Negotiation updates and other news are archived on the carrier specific pages of the National website at www.AMFANational.org.

I would like to express my gratitude for the patience and focus by our Alaska Airlines (ASA) Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs). It is clear by the 76.25% majority vote that the membership thought it was the right decision for themselves and their families to accept the Tentative Agreement. It represents a much needed increase in pay and benefits. The increases are earned as compensation for the importance and responsibilities performed by our AMTs on a daily bases. The Negotiating Committee and the Company worked extensive hours during the last negotiation sessions to achieve this Agreement at the bargaining table. The official signing of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by AMFA and the Company will be on Monday, April 3, 2017, in Seattle, WA.

The NEC continues to conduct station visits throughout the system at both Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines (SWA) locations. We visited with SWA members at Milwaukee and Chicago in February, and Houston, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa in March. We would like to thank everyone who helped in the transportation to the station and escorts from area to area.

SWA filed a lawsuit against AMFA National, Local 11, and several individual officers and contract negotiators in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleges that AMFArepresented mechanics initiated an overtime boycott, and that AMFA and the other defendants failed to make “every reasonable effort” to prevent the boycott and/or bring it to an end. Currently, the Company has requested to transfer AMFA’s case filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to the Northern District of Texas, where their lawsuit was filed. AMFA has requested to transfer the Company’s Northern District of Texas case to the District of Arizona, where the AMFA lawsuit was filed. Both transfer motions are fully briefed and awaiting decision by the respective courts.

We are currently suing SWA in federal court for its failure to negotiate in good faith and respect our contractual rights. We served SWA on February 15, 2017, to pursue our filed lawsuit in the District Court of Phoenix, AZ. We continue to be actively engaged with legal to address the Company’s unilateral outsourcing of your protected C-Check work and current/recent AIR21 filings. Remember, watch what the Company does, not what they says. Discouragement twists the truth. Discouragement builds fear and doubt. Discouragement brings a sense of defeat and hopelessness. Please stay informed and thank you for your continued full support of your Negotiating Committee.

SWA AMT negotiations continued this month in Dallas, Texas with Maintenance Technical Instructors; negotiation updates for all sessions have been posted to the National Website. Our next negotiation session for AMT is scheduled for April 18, 19, and 20.

The NEC has called for a survey of the membership at SWA regarding contract negotiations, and personalized voting instructions were mailed to eligible participants on March 30, 2017. Any eligible member who has not received instructions in the mail or to their personal email address by April 6, 2017, should contact the Administration Director at 720-744-6629.

Sincerely,

Bret Oestreich
National Director