May 30, 2023

Participants for AMFA
Bret Oestreich – National President
Pat Amore – National Vice 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 – VP, Labor Relations
Sonia Alvarado – Managing Director of Labor Relations
Don Wright – VP, Maintenance & Engineering
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 bargaining session on May 23-25 outside of Anchorage to continue bargaining toward a successor collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The parties spent the entire three-day session engaged in off-the-record, interest-based bargaining on a handful of different articles. On Day 1, the parties discussed Article 6 – Overtime, with focus on drafting a straightforward process for overtime callout and a selection process to help eliminate grievances and protect overtime earning opportunities. AMFA also spent considerable time in caucus drafting language on this issue for the parties’ review and discussion.

Day 2 continued with an open discussion regarding Article 6 – Overtime. In addition, the parties discussed issues within Article 10 – Vacancies with respect to certain bidding issues. The Company also presented conceptual ideas within Article 9 – Seniority, which required considerable review by the AMFA Committee.

Day 3 began with both parties working in caucus. The Company continued its review of Article 6 – Overtime and the language discussed between the parties during this session. AMFA used the morning on Day 3 to caucus internally on the Company’s Article 9 – Seniority concepts and to review the Article for any necessary cleanups. The parties finished the session with an extended open discussion focused primarily on overtime and seniority issues. 

While no additional tentative agreements were reached, the session proved productive with dialogue that allowed the parties to close the gaps on certain issues within the discussed articles. The next bargaining session is scheduled for June 23-25 in Seattle. Your 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