Sisters and Brothers,
Yesterday, April 6, 2017, the National Mediation Board (NMB) issued its single carrier determination for IAM represented Clerical, Office, Fleet and Passenger Service (COFPS) Alaska Airlines and Virgin America employees. This determination is in response to the IAM application requesting this action. Yesterday’s NMB decision is a procedural step on the road to final IAM representation certification on the New Alaska Airlines for the blended IAM workforce.
Fleet Service (Ramp) employees are included in this determination because the previous 1974 NMB certification included that classification as COFPS Alaska Airlines workers. Both Fleet and Stores classifications on Alaska have no Virgin counterparts; therefore, no new certification is required for Stores representation.
The certification will be issued after a 30 day waiting period. This step, together with the negotiated Merger Transition Agreement for IAM represented employees are all building blocks to a single merged workforce. The final step of producing an integrated seniority list is in process. Reports of that progress will be issued over the coming months.
All of these actions not only create a single workforce at the merged airline, they also create a unified membership as we head into contract negotiations. Keep your solidarity – it is the power that will be used to achieve the best contracts possible.
Fraternally,
Dave Supplee
PRESIDENT & DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIR
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