Collective Bargaining at Magic Carpet Airlines: a Union Perspective 2 - What Did the Union Do to Prepare for Negotiations? How Did the Preparation Impact the Negotiation?
Collective Bargaining at Magic Carpet Airlines: A union perspective
2 - What did the union do to prepare for negotiations? How did the preparation impact the negotiation?
PREPARATION * Set a negotiating team * The spokesperson (NBR): Dixie Lee has 14 years experience in negotiation and assisted with the previous contract negotiation in 1994. * The chairman: Ruth Boaz is president at LFA MEC at MCA * The other members of the team: Peggy Hardy, Marie Phillips, Jody Rogers, local LFA union presidents
Dixie Lee will be the only one to talk, to avoid any emotional reactions from the other team members, who are directly concerned with the issues and may be more sensitive. * Collect relevant information * Mailed a survey to the 115 LFA members to be aware of their main requests * Picked up data from government sources (Monthly Labor Revue) to know what were the industry standards and labor conditions in similar companies * Grabbed information concerning MCA: its financial health but also the working conditions of the other employees within MCA and some arbitration cases The main issues raised by the survey are direct wages, job security and working conditions.
In comparison to other regional airline industries, MCA’s ranks concerning wages and working conditions is low.
MCA has no financial problems. Other employees (pilots, mechanics, etc.) already have the issues to be discussed in their contracts. * Determine objectives * Increasing wages via a duty rig provision * Improving job security: settle a seniority protection (making sure that in case of a merger the FA have their seniority with the carrier continued in the new company) and protection from layoffs in case of a merger
Establish conditions in line with the company’s financial performance and industry standards
The team will propose those new clauses but also two throwaway clauses (concerning expensive health care package and
2 - What did the union do to prepare for negotiations? How did the preparation impact the negotiation?
PREPARATION * Set a negotiating team * The spokesperson (NBR): Dixie Lee has 14 years experience in negotiation and assisted with the previous contract negotiation in 1994. * The chairman: Ruth Boaz is president at LFA MEC at MCA * The other members of the team: Peggy Hardy, Marie Phillips, Jody Rogers, local LFA union presidents
Dixie Lee will be the only one to talk, to avoid any emotional reactions from the other team members, who are directly concerned with the issues and may be more sensitive. * Collect relevant information * Mailed a survey to the 115 LFA members to be aware of their main requests * Picked up data from government sources (Monthly Labor Revue) to know what were the industry standards and labor conditions in similar companies * Grabbed information concerning MCA: its financial health but also the working conditions of the other employees within MCA and some arbitration cases The main issues raised by the survey are direct wages, job security and working conditions.
In comparison to other regional airline industries, MCA’s ranks concerning wages and working conditions is low.
MCA has no financial problems. Other employees (pilots, mechanics, etc.) already have the issues to be discussed in their contracts. * Determine objectives * Increasing wages via a duty rig provision * Improving job security: settle a seniority protection (making sure that in case of a merger the FA have their seniority with the carrier continued in the new company) and protection from layoffs in case of a merger
Establish conditions in line with the company’s financial performance and industry standards
The team will propose those new clauses but also two throwaway clauses (concerning expensive health care package and