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Sep 10, 2010
The Hundred-Dollar Question Where does it go? What does it do? What do I get?! What have you done for me lately?
[09.04.06] -- LABOR DAY -- The operation of our Union is not usually visible on a day-to-day basis. Many of us question where our dues dollars go. Some ask why we can't have staff to man the LEC office phone lines at each Council on a full-time basis. The truth? Plain and simple; our dues dollars are not enough to sustain a paid full-time position. Each committee at the local level have Flight Attendants versed in the individual subject matter available to support and assist our coworkers.
The more Flight Attendants we have that take the information to their flying partners, the more informed we all are. Knowledge equals power, and we have the strength and numbers to exercise it - take time to pass information along, and "pay it forward."
No Cost?
Rather than focus on the inability for us to man phone lines 24/7, your LEC Officers created AFALAX.org. How much does the LEC site cost our membership here at LAX? Nothing. Zero. Nada. Zip. Zilch!
Conversely, how many questions are answered on the site, and how many avenues of resource does it provide? PLENTY! The Internet is available from many places; Internet cafes, public libraries, business centers at your layover hotel. The information available is crucial to every F/A's job! Each of us must make it a point to retrieve it.
Be Proud!
The site, content, frequently-updated news & information are all maintained free of charge. Why? Simply because we care about our careers. Ask any webpage designer or webmaster how much time must be invested in the upkeep of a website like ours. You'll be proud to know that fellow flight attendants are at the helm of our website - it's built for flight attendants, by flight attendants.
It's important to remember that the fight for our rights, our representation and our jobs are all maintained because of our membership in AFA. We have Contractual protections and provisions contained within our Contract that our predecessors could only dream of. Still, most of these protections continue to exist despite the company's lumbering three-year bankruptcy marathon. We must continue to work together for the betterment of our collective future.
Apples & Oranges...
Many flight attendants compare our dues dollars to other employee groups. It's easy to compare apples & oranges - but the main focus must be on how AFA activists & volunteers make the limited resources go the furthest. Getting the biggest bang for our dues dollars through dedication and hard work. Come see what happens in our Local Office - you'll be surprised at how much goes on, and how many hours some of your fellow coworkers put in for us all.
Dues at AFA-CWA are $43 per month for every F/A (since 1992) - not only here at United, but for each and every F/A at every AFA-represented carrier. Check with many other Unionized professions and you'll easily find that the representation you receive at AFA stretches much further than you'd ever imagined!
 Be proud to be Union - Be proud to be AFA. Show your solidarity in our profession and wear your AFA pin with pride! Remember: We are the front line, not the bottom line!
© September 2006 AFA-CWA Council 12 Los Angeles. All Rights Reserved
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Information on our site prepares Flight Attendant for Work History Review
"The information provided by AFA LAX regarding review of work history fully prepared me for this meeting. It was easy to maintain a professional attitude when you know what to expect, and how to respond. I remained professional and took notes. Thanks again for the information provided! Be sure to let everyone know to take a deep breath, remain calm, take notes, have the supervisor repeat the information if necessary, and ask lots of questions! Stand up for yourself, and be professional!" -- LAXSW, November 2006
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What Does $43 Do?
January 2006 | By Karrie Forbes, LEC VP/Secretary
 $43.....Some would ask...What do I get for my forty-three dollar dues monies? Here is the answer!
Your $43.00 provides you with a team of the industry's best Flight Attendant negotiators and attorneys dedicated to Flight Attendants working to bring about the best possible contracts for each AFA-represented carrier.
Your $43.00 supports Union Activists as they fight to protect your wages and benefits while continually striving to improve our working conditions.
Your $43.00 allows you a highly-trained team of representatives who, when faced with discipline, Contract violations, and Letters of Charge, will provide a thorough defense against any charges levied against you.
Your $43.00 enables your voice to be heard on Capitol Hill.
Your $43.00 assists AFA lobbyists (along with FlightPAC) who are in contact with members of Congress and the Senate, and who's sole purpose is to see that Flight Attendant issues are included in key legislation.
Your $43.00 brings you up-to-date information from our Communications Departments at the MEC & International levels; they maintain contact with newspaper, media and other venues that are supportive of our issues and communicate our concerns to the public regularly.
Your $43.00 fought the company's efforts to gut Retiree Medical Benefits during the bankruptcy proceedings in 2003. Retirees pay no dues once they are retired - AFA continues to represent F/As in their retirement.
Your $43.00 allows for constant supervision and revision of our hotel & transportation issues and problems.
Your $43.00 helps to support the ever vigilant fight by Union Activists to see that your safety, health and security is a top priority by United Airlines.
Your $43.00 brings you a myriad of information and support in the arenas of Membership, EAP, Reserve, Scheduling, Insurance & Retirement, Occupational Benefits and many other issues unique to our Flight Attendant population - all addressed by your union volunteers, who all share the jumpseat with you.
Your $43.00 is spread throughout each and every one on these avenues and supports the quest for the most powerful, all-encompassing union within the Flight Attendant profession.
Your $43.00 should make you proud to say you belong to the largest, most comprehensive Flight Attendant union in the world.
© January 2006 AFA-CWA Council 12 Los Angeles. All Rights Reserved
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Importance of Union Membership
The logic of the trade union movement is a simple one and is the same everywhere. The main role of a union is to defend the interests of the employee, who by nature of the corporate environment, is the weaker party in an employment contract. For most employees the labor market is generally a buyer's market.
Except in highly specialized occupations, employers have an almost unfettered right and opportunity to choose the employees who get hired and to define the scope of their duties at work.
It is only through mutual cooperation and solidarity that employees can begin to compensate for this natural advantage of the employer. By negotiating collectively with the employer, workers can meet their employers on a more equal footing.
The strength of the Union lies in its members and can be measured by their participation in its affairs and by their awareness of the Union's role in their lives.
Membership participation and awareness don't just grow - they must be cultivated. Workers need to be informed & engaged, get involved and must always be aware of the importance of vigilant enforcement of their Union contract and their rights on the job. |
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