February 17, 2023

Participants for AMFA
Bret Oestreich – National President
Earl Clark – Region I Director
Will Abbott – Region II Director
Jarod Mills – Local 14 Airline Representative
Jeff Heard – Local 32 Airline Representative
Lucas Middlebrook – Legal Counsel

Participants for Alaska Airlines
Jenny Wetzel – Vice President, Labor Relations
Sonia Alvarado – Managing Director of Labor Relations
Don Wright – VP, Maintenance & Engineering
Scott Harmon – Director of Maintenance
Kelly Welch – Senior Corporate Counsel
Denise Kliskey – Labor Relations
Karen Themelis – Labor Relations

The AMFA-Alaska Negotiating Committee (the “Committee”) is providing this update to the Membership at Alaska Airlines (Alaska). This is the only official authorized source of negotiating communications by the Committee.

The Parties held a two-day bargaining session on February 15-16 in Seattle to continue bargaining towards a successor collective bargaining agreement (CBA). At the outset of Day 1, the Parties reviewed previously passed articles and confirmed the articles for which tentative agreement (TA) had been reached in the first session. Thereafter, the Company presented proposals on Article 4 – Classification of Work; Article 8 – Field Service & Special Projects; and Article 21 – General & Miscellaneous. The Parties engaged in productive discussion on each article presented by the Company to better understand the issues driving the proposals and attempt to reach common ground. AMFA, in the afternoon on Day 1, presented proposals on Article 18 – Safety and Health; Article 15 – Transportation; and Article 21 – General & Miscellaneous.

On Day 2, AMFA presented a counterproposal on Article 4 – Classification of Work and the Company presented a counterproposal to Article 15 – Transportation. In addition to passing formal proposals and counters, the Parties continued open dialogue on Day 2 regarding the articles passed on Day 1 and related contractual issues. Through these discussions, the Parties were able to reach TAs on the following articles:

Article 4 – Classification of Work: includes general cleanup and license/experience modifications as related to avionics.

Article 15 – Transportation: in addition to general cleanup, introduces new language codifying the ability to commute on the Company system to travel to work outside of the city in which you reside.

Article 18 – Safety & Health: increases the monthly uniform cleaning allowance and annual uniform allotment. Changes in this article also include expanded cold weather clothing language and general cleanup.

Article 21 – General & Miscellaneous: a general cleanup was completed, and a placeholder provided indicating the Parties will discuss a tool allowance in connection with economics.
Following from our first session, the Parties continued their collaborative approach to bargaining in an effort to provide you with a new CBA that rewards your hard work and protects quality of life. The next bargaining session is scheduled for March 28-30 in Seattle. The Committee would like to thank all the observers that attended this session. If you would like to be an observer in future negotiation sessions, please communicate with your ALR.

Remember, stay engaged, remain informed, and continue to provide the Negotiating Committee with ongoing support, which increases the Committee’s ability to bargain a CBA you deserve.

Fraternally,

AMFA–Alaska Negotiating Committee