December 31, 2014

Dear Members:

The last month of the year started off with the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the National Office in Denver, Colorado. We worked on a variety of issues including the National Budget for 2015, the Safety Initiative, and concerns presented from the Southwest Airlines (SWA) Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Representative. Another important topic of discussion was the Aircraft Engineers International (AEI) Annual Congress for 2015. Previously, the AEI Delegates have expressed an interest in requesting AMFA to host the Annual Congress. At the recent Congress I responded to the delegates that I would present the idea to the NEC for consideration, and during our meeting in Denver the NEC concluded that we would be honored to host the AEI Annual Congress for 2015 in Seattle, Washington next fall. This will provide an opportunity for each local, if they choose, to send an observer to the Annual Congress and learn more about AEI’s activities and how we are working collectively to promote and protect the interests of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians worldwide.

Later in the month of December, the NEC made the determination to end our relationship with our current legislative lobbying firm and switch these responsibilities over to The Keelen Group. You can learn more about The Keelen Group on their website at www.KeelenGroup.com . It is worth noting that one of their clients is the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association so they have partners who are deeply involved in aviation legislative efforts; this will be important in 2015 as the FAA Reauthorization Bill is up for renewal and AMFA will have official comments to submit for the record.

The SWA Facility Maintenance Technician (FMT) and the Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) negotiations continued this month in Dallas, Texas. The negotiation updates (video and written) for all sessions have been posted to the AMFA National Website. The next scheduled session for the AMTs is January 14-15, 2015, and the next session for the FMT negotiations has not yet been scheduled.

At Alaska Airlines (ASA), the Region I Director and ASA Airline Representatives from Locals 14 and 32 have been working on a timeline for submitting contract proposals for the upcoming Section 6 Contract Negotiations. The contract proposal process will likely start in January and negotiations can start as early as October 2015.

For more carrier specific updates and further information regarding AMFA and the airline industry, please visit the AMFA National Website at www.AMFANational.org. Our most determined efforts will only succeed with your continued support and participation – please stay informed.

Have a happy and safe New Year’s Eve, and I wish you the very best for 2015!

Sincerely,

Louie Key
National Director