February 12, 2024
Participants for AMFA
Earl Clark – Region I Director
Chuck Clum – Horizon Air Airline Representative
James Lambert – Negotiating Committee Member
Peter Manikowski – Legal Counsel
Participants for Alaska Airlines
Cheri Ruger – MD, People & Labor Relations
Audrey Kahawai-Kekipi – Sr. Labor Relations BP
Baron Converse – MD, Maintenance Operations
Joe Wonderly – Outside 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 Air met in Seattle, WA on February 5-7, 2024, to begin work in earnest towards a successor CBA.
Day 1 began with the parties reviewing tentative agreements (TAs) that were reached back in the 2022 Section 6 negotiations, as well as researching the progress that had been made on other articles.
We discussed the 2022 prior TAs on Article 6 – Workweek and Hours of Work; Article 10 – Shift Realignment; and Article 21 Health, Safety, and Standards. Your Committee and the Company jointly decided those prior TAs needed further negotiations in this round of Section 6 negotiations.
Over the next few days, the parties reviewed and cleaned up articles requiring no changes or other minor changes. We also worked on several articles with a few changes, as discussed below.
On Day 2, the parties TA’d:
- Article 1 – Purpose of the Agreement (no substantive changes)
- Article 6 – Workweek and Hours of Work (added paid lunch; trade days practices brought into the CBA; grace period for punching in before/after shift [the requirement to be on time for work unchanged])
- Article 10 – Shift Realignment (article reorganized; no substantive changes)
On Day 3, the Company made a counter proposal to Article 21 which concerned your Committee with respect to what would happen after you stop work because of safety concerns or unsafe circumstances. Safety is your Committee’s highest priority, and we want to be sure the CBA and the Company reflect this in every respect.
The parties TA’d additional articles:
- Article 4 – Seniority (minor revisions to re-entry from a temporary management job)
- Article 12 – Holidays (Veterans Day added)
- Article 16 – Management Rights (no substantive changes)
- Article 17 – Union Business (AMFA will no longer have to reimburse the Company for Union negotiators under some circumstances)
- Article 19 – No Strikes or Lockouts (no substantive changes)
Article 21 remains open with AMFA preparing a counter proposal.
We are hopeful the cooperative approach the parties have shown thus far continues into future sessions.
We then agreed on negotiation session dates as follows:
February 27 - 29 in Seattle, WA
March 12 - 14 in Seattle, WA (tentative)
March 26 - 28 in Seattle, WA (tentative)
Lastly, we want to extend an invitation to all Horizon members to attend and watch the process of negotiation. Space will be limited to room capacity; please contact AMFA-Horizon Air Airline Representative (ALR) Chuck Clum if you are interested in attending.
Fraternally,
Your AMFA Negotiating Committee
