December 22, 2021
Participants for AMFA:
Bret Oestreich –National President
Earl Clark – Chairman and Region I Director
Bobby Shipman – Airline Representative, Local 14
Brian Goodwin – GEG Area Representative
Participants for Horizon Air:
Peggy Willingham – VP, People, Labor & Strategy
Jeremy Ellison – Sr. Labor Relations BP
Baron Converse – MD Maintenance Operations
Molly Gabel – Legal Counsel
AMFA and Horizon Air met again in Seattle, WA on December 15-17 and 20-21, 2021, to continue negotiations. The session on the fifteenth started by continuing to work on Article 8, which is to be renamed “Field Work, Rescue/AOG Missions, and Training.” The first task was to rewrite the Field Work language, which included the backfill language. We worked through mock scenarios by selecting the senior bidders by station and limiting it to one individual at a station, if needed. This took most of the morning and a little time after lunch.
We then moved to Rescue Missions language, the second section of the Article, and this moved along well with not a lot of issues. We then discussed increasing the per diem rate, with our figure at three dollars. After some discussion, the Company offered the same rate as the pilots at what they say is one dollar and ninety cents. We inquired of the flight attendant group rate and was informed they get two dollars and twenty-five cents. We explained we need to do some more research on these rates. At the end of the session, the Company asked how technicians would be chosen if there was less than twenty-four hours’ notice to send an individual to fill in for a manpower shortage at a staffed station. We explained that is not currently allowed per the agreement and we have no desire to change our position. We explained they could ask for volunteers, but could not involuntarily assign; however, the Company stated this does not work for them. We ended the day.
On the second day, the committees again discussed the re-written Article 8, with the main topic again being the involuntary assigning an individual to backfill because of a manpower shortage or unexpected workload at a staffed station. Our Committee explained we continue to try to find solutions to the Company’s concerns in the Article, but they are not doing the same with our issues. We asked why they opened Section 6 discussions if they are unwilling to negotiate. We suggested they may want to consider offering our group a one-year contract with a wage increase, update the contract references from Teamsters to AMFA, and then restart negotiations in six months for a longer-term contract. The Company was open to the idea but stated they would need to take some time to see if it would meet their immediate needs. We explained we should continue to negotiate at this time so if the option did not meet their needs, we are still moving forward in the process.
We moved to a Company issue in Article 22, General and Miscellaneous, regarding the implementation of new uniforms. After some discussion, the Company agreed they would provide the same program as at Alaska Airlines, including seven bottoms (pants or shorts), seven tops (shirts), one jacket, and a hat to start the program. For every year after, everyone would be given a two hundred seventy-five-dollar allotment to purchase replacement or additional items; however, we would then be required to laundry our own uniforms, and the Company would provide a cleaning allowance of ten dollars a month. We asked if the Company would provide a washing machine in Portland, with the Company stating they are open to the idea but did not want it in the agreement. We tabled that issue and moved to another Company issue in Article 5, Covered Classification and Qualifications. The Company’s item here is they what to modify qualifications, first, by decreasing the number of years to be an inspector from two years to one and adding borescope to their list; second, in line maintenance, aircraft technician adding both fleet types to Run Taxi, AWR, LLM and adding borescope; third, in base maintenance, aircraft technician adding both fleet types; and fourth, add a new section for engine shop which would include A&P, minimum two years on Horizon fleet type. After that discussion we ended the day with nothing agreed to.
We started the third day late due to other obligations. When we started, we advised the Company our attorney was attending the December 20-21 negotiation session and we would be using this time to discuss Article 2, Recognition and Scope and any of the job security letters. We then offered another option for Article 8, addressing when a need arises to involuntarily assign an individual to backfill because of a manpower shortage or unexpected workload at a staffed station with less than twenty-four-hour notice. Again, the Company did not accept the option and the article was tabled. We then broke for the weekend.
On Monday we convened, and we informed the Company our plans for the session had changed due to our attorney testing positive for COVID, and therefore, we could not talk about Article 2, Recognition and Scope and any of the job security letters at this time. The Company broke to again explore the possibility of a one-year contract for increase in wages. Our Committee spent the day going over the entire agreement and replacing Teamster nomenclature with AMFA and fixing minor grammar errors, we were available for the Company, if needed.
This ended the session.
Scheduled Negotiation Dates: There are no scheduled dates currently, but we did offer second week of January.
Observers are welcomed to attend the next session when scheduled. Please contact Bobby Shipman to make arrangements if you wish to attend as an observer.
Fraternally,
Your Negotiating Committee
