Our Contract | Search Our Site | Discussion | Online Forms | Calendar | Aloha Newsfeed
Welcome! E komo mai!
Minutes of AFA Membership Meeting
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Meeting began at approximately 12:40p.m.
Welcome and introductions were given by MEC President Gail Kim-Moe. Also leading the meeting were MEC Secretary-Treasurer Robyn Lee and AFA Sr. Staff Negotiator, Mark Littleton.
Purpose of the meeting was to inform flight attendants of events leading up to AQ bankruptcy filing and most recent updates.
History of information from Company: Over the last couple of months the company has shared numerous potential scenarios and outcomes with the MEC. The MEC was required to sign confidentiality agreements and therefore were unable to share specific information with the membership. The information from the company has been very fluid and changed on a continuous basis. At approximately 3:30pm on Thursday, March 20th, the MEC was notified that Aloha Airlines would be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at 4:00pm. There was no previous notice of this intent.
On Friday March 21st, Gail Kim-Moe along with AFA attorney Jay Trumble and Local Counsel Kurt Leong attended a hearing of the Bankruptcy court. A summary of the court proceedings is posted with these minutes.
On Tuesday morning, March 25th, AFA International President Pat Friend facilitated a conference call with Council 54 leadership, AFA legal counsel and staff and International Service Representatives. President Friend committed all available resources to assist the Aloha Flight Attendants through this bankruptcy process. Part of the bankruptcy process is to form a creditors committee. AFA will be represented on this committee by Gail Kim-Moe and AFA attorney Ed Gilmartin.
AFA’s plan going forward is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Members were asked to continue to report to work and do the great job that the Aloha flight attendants are known for. The MEC President reminded the flight attendants that cancellation of flights due to crew shortage could negatively impact the interest of any potential investors.
AFA EAP Representative, Karen Nakaoka shared information of community resources and the preparation of EAP Plans. This information will be posted on the AFA website.
The membership was informed that there have been a few recent instances where the MEC has made exceptions to the contract to best serve the needs of the Flight Attendants and the Company. These exceptions would not normally have been made but in light of the dire situation of the Company were necessary at this time. Flight Attendants were reminded that any exception to our contractual rules must be done solely with MEC approval. If you are asked to make exceptions to your contractual agreement please contact the MEC immediately.
The membership was reassured that the Flight Attendant defined contribution retirement plan is not at risk due to the bankruptcy filing. Those monies are kept in individual accounts under individual flight attendant names and cannot be accessed by the Company for any reason. The MEC is working closely with AFA International to gather information on issues such as unemployment, medical provisions, and retirement accounts. Information will be posted and updated regularly on the AFA website.
In the possible event of a shut down, the Company has committed to return all flight attendants away from base to Honolulu. AFA is also working on a back up plan. Members were advised that if a shut-down happens it could be done destination by destination so if you are on layover and hear that another aircraft and crew are being rescheduled to return to Honolulu you should not assume that the same is true for you. Flight Attendants are advised to stay in contact with SOCC under all circumstances and it is recommended that you share your cell phone numbers with all crew members on layover to best facilitate communication.
The meeting concluded with a series of questions and answers and a copy is attached to these minutes. (Will be posted online as soon as compilation is complete.)
The next scheduled hearing date is on Monday, March 31st. The MEC will attend along with AFA legal representatives.
The meeting concluded at approximately 2:35pm and the MEC met with numerous flight attendants throughout the rest of the day to share the information covered during the meeting.
[ Back to top ]