December 28, 2024
Participants for AMFA
Earl Clark – Region I Director
Will Abbott – Region II Director
Chuck Clum – Airline Representative
James Lambert – Negotiating Committee Member
Lucas Middlebrook – Legal Counsel
Peter Manikowski - Economist
Participants for Horizon Air
Cheri Ruger – MD, People & Labor Relations
Baron Converse – MD, Maintenance Operations
Latrice Lee – Legal Counsel
Kyle Moline – Director, Financial Planning & Analysis
The AMFA-Horizon Negotiating Committee (the “Committee”) is providing this update to the membership at Horizon Air. This is the only officially authorized source of negotiating communications by your Committee.
AMFA and Horizon met in Seattle December 16-18, 2024, to continue bargaining towards a successor CBA. During this session, the parties made progress on individual articles and related issues, reaching tentative agreements (TAs) on Article 13 – Vacation and Article 14 – Sick Leave. In addition, because the parties agreed to move from Extended Leave and Paid Time Off (PTO) to Vacation and Sick Leave, a TA was reached on a Side Letter addressing how PTO will be converted to vacation and sick leave accruals. The parties also reached an agreement in principle on a Side Letter covering phase out of the EL benefit, which should be converted to a TA in the coming weeks.
Article 5 – Classifications had been previously TA’ed but was reopened by the parties for the limited purpose of including language, which addressed On the Job Training Instructor (OJTI) and Designated Trainer (DT) positions. The language included in Article 5 makes clear these are not classifications but rather descriptions of the basic functions of the training positions. Article 25 – Wages, Premiums and Shift Differential will be updated by the parties to include the applicable premiums for these training positions.
Despite the productivity recognized by reaching TAs on these issues, the Company stalled negotiations with its unwillingness to move on crucial economic aspects. The parties exchanged economic term sheet counterproposals throughout Day 1 and the morning of Day 2, which did little to bridge the gap on economics. Therefore, in the afternoon of Day 2, AMFA made a substantial move on wages to bring the parties closer with the goal of providing you with a Tentative Agreement to consider and vote upon. Unfortunately, the Company did not reciprocate.
The Company has not moved on base wages for months. And, when pressed at this most recent session, Horizon negotiators made clear they were done moving on wages. The Company’s obstinance in not moving on wages, despite how close AMFA brought the parties, is disappointing to say the least.
AMFA continues to push back against the Company’s use of geographical premiums to only pay higher wages in certain locations. AMFA has proposed language to address Horizon’s concerns in this respect, which would allow the Company to hire or place employees at a higher step of the scale. According to this language, however, if the Company hired or placed an employee at a higher step, any other employee in that classification system-wide would also be moved to that higher step. The Company has either rejected this concept or countered with language that would render it useless.
The Company continues to propose its questionable ratification bonus structure, which attempts to tie the level of your ratification bonus to the percentage of members that vote yes on a potential TA. AMFA advised the Company, in no uncertain terms, that it finds this proposal to be highly objectionable. A full TA should be voted upon by you based on its substance and not influenced by a questionable ratification bonus structure tied to the percentage of yes votes. AMFA advised the Company it seeks a ratification bonus structure tied to retroactivity, which compensates you for what you would have earned under the terms of a new CBA. AMFA’s economist has calculated this amount, and the Committee has shared it with the Company.
Given the Company’s stubborn unwillingness to move on these crucial economic components, AMFA advised Horizon on Day 3 that it needed time to consider where the parties were and would reconvene at the next scheduled negotiation session. The Committee is committed to securing a TA that your hard work and contribution to Horizon has earned. We implore the Company also to recognize your immense value to the operation and reciprocate AMFA’s movement so that you can be presented with a TA to consider and vote upon.
The next session is scheduled for February 11-13 in Seattle. We want to thank everybody for your continued support and messages of solidarity – together, we will achieve a contract your hard work has earned. If you have any questions or input related to these negotiations, please do not hesitate to contact your ALR.
Fraternally,
Your AMFA Negotiating Committee