We, the undersigned Flight Attendants of Local 135, respectfully bring to your attention our concerns regarding the handling of the COB grievance (#103588-Cote). Our goal is to ensure that our union continues to effectively protect the rights of all members under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and Local 135 bylaws.

Our Concerns:

1. Grievance Filing Timeliness:The CBA mandates that grievances be filed within 30 calendar days from when the union or affected Flight Attendants knew or reasonably should have known about the events leading to the grievance. In January 2023, the Scheduling Chairperson, Jen Elzinga, was informed of a potential violation of Article 22.N.8 concerning COB Flight Attendants. Sufficient data and proof were available by April 2023, but the grievance was not filed until October 2023, far beyond the 30-day requirement. This delay resulted in the grievance being denied on procedural grounds, potentially harming the affected members.

2. Collective Responsibility and Leadership Accountability: Soon after Jen Elzinga became aware of the issue, both Business Agents and the Chief Steward were also informed. Despite this collective awareness, no timely action was taken to file the grievance, raising concerns about the effectiveness and responsiveness of our union leadership in protecting member rights.

3. Duty to Uphold Members’ Rights:According to our Local 135 bylaws, union leaders are obligated to act in the best interests of the members and to ensure that their rights under the CBA are protected. The failure to file the grievance promptly, despite having all necessary information, suggests a breach of this duty and undermines the trust that members place in the union.

Our Request:

We, the undersigned, respectfully request the following actions be taken to address our concerns:

• Review and Strengthen Grievance Handling Processes: We ask that the union review its current processes for handling grievances to ensure that all union officials are fully aware of the importance of acting swiftly when a potential violation is identified. This may include establishing clearer communication protocols and timelines for filing grievances.

• Evaluate Leadership Accountability: We believe it is necessary to assess the roles and responsibilities of the Scheduling Chairperson, Business Agents, and Chief Steward in this situation to determine whether changes are needed to prevent similar issues in the future.

• Implement Preventative Measures: We suggest the implementation of training for union officials on the grievance process and the significance of adhering to the CBA’s timelines to ensure that such delays do not recur.

Signatories:

By signing below, we express our support for the above requests and urge the union leadership to take the necessary steps to address these concerns for the benefit of all Flight Attendants.