What is the Joint Advisory Council (JAC)?
As National prepares for the upcoming JAC meeting, held in San Diego, CA on September 30, we would like to refresh our members' minds as to what the JAC is and to what purpose it is intended. Brought forth as a proposal to amend the Constitution at the 2004 National Convention, the JAC was designed for two distinct purposes: one, to provide a forum where National and the locals could discuss issues of mutual interest; and two, to allow AMFA's locals the ability to provide direction to the National Executive Council (NEC) in pursuing the objectives and goals of the Association.
The JAC is currently made up of the NEC, Local Presidents, and one Airline Representative from each carrier, which has recently amounted to a total of thirteen meeting attendees. The National Director chairs the meeting and the National Secretary/Treasurer writes the minutes. A JAC meeting is held at least two times a year at a location determined by the previous JAC attendees, and seats are made available for observers as the meeting room allows. Typically, a meeting has fixed items on the agenda, such as a Pledge of Allegiance, National Financial Report, and a local report from each Local President. Any JAC attendee can propose an item for the agenda under New Business, and the attendees get a chance to prioritize those items before the meeting occurs.
There have been many important issues discussed at various JAC meetings, some causing lengthy debate and deliberation. Recent agenda items have included strategic planning goals, officer training, a grievance database system, our AEI affiliation, legal representation at negotiations, video conferencing membership meetings, and much more. These discussions are enlightening and helpful as each Local can bring their unique perspective to the table as they help National identify issues and offer solutions. For example, the Association has been involved in bringing forth a database solution for our grievances. Because of the mutual cooperation and consensus built with the JAC and continued by the working group, AMFA will soon release our grievance database system (GrievTrac) to the contractual representatives of our Association.
AMFA is proud to encourage debate at all levels of leadership, and takes even more satisfaction that JAC meetings occur in an open forum comprised entirely of leadership that was democratically elected by the membership. If you want to learn more about the JAC, contact a member of your Local Executive Council (LEC) or an NEC officer. You can also check out Article XIII of the AMFA Constitution for further details.