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    You are here: Home / Archives for Contract

    [pmAS] Additional Transportation Options Between Domiciles/Co-Terminals/Out Stations

    February 2, 2018 09:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

    This message is for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants

    Due to several recent flight diversions and how crew member transportation was handled in those situations, AFA has worked with management to clarify what options Flight Attendants have for transportation in these situations.  A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed with the Company putting this clarification in writing.

    If your flight is diverted and passengers and crew members are transported by ground, you have the contractual right to be transported separately from the passengers per §22.B of the Flight Attendant collective bargaining agreement.  The new MOU gives you the additional option to use the transportation provided for passengers in such a situation if you choose to do so.

    If you have any questions about the MOU, please contact your Local Council Officers.

    In Solidarity,

    Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

    Filed Under: Contract, Latest News, Reserve Committee, Scheduling Committee Tagged With: 2018, diversion, ground transportation, MOU, transportation

    AFA Online Issue Reporting Is Here!

    June 13, 2017 15:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

    Your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) is excited to introduce the new AFA Alaska online support center.  This new system is designed for you to document and report scheduling and reserve concerns, situations where you might be facing discipline, potential contractual grievances, and any other issue where you might need AFA support.  The system will also allow AFA representatives to better track issues that are occurring, identify trends, and address and resolve issues with management.

    You can access the system using the following link:

    http://support.afaalaska.org

    Reporting New Issues

    You can report a new issue in the system by opening a ticket, just follow these steps:

    1. Visit http://support.afaalaska.org/
    2. Click the blue “Open a New Ticket” button
    3. Fill in your personal information (including a non-company email address)
    4. Select the help topic that relates to the issue
    5. Fill in the issue-specific information and provide details

    From this screen, you’ll also be able to attach pictures, PDF files, screenshots, and other information that will help your AFA representatives to have more information available about the issue.

    Once you’ve opened a ticket, you’ll receive a confirmation email and with a ticket number.  Behind the scenes, your ticket will be assigned to an AFA representative who will assist you with the issue.

    Checking on Open Issues 

    With your ticket number, you’ll be able to track the status of the ticket online, add additional information and attachments for your AFA representative to have available.  To check on your ticket:

    1. Visit http://support.afaalaska.org
    2. Click the green “Check Ticket Status” button
    3. Enter your email address and ticket number
    4. Click the “View Ticket” button

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about the AFA online support center or need assistance with an issue, you can always contact your LEC Officers.

    In Solidarity,

    Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

    Filed Under: Contract, Featured, Grievance Committee, Latest News, Master Executive Council (MEC), Reserve Committee, Scheduling Committee Tagged With: 2017, contract, grievance, issue reporting, online support center, Reserve, Scheduling

    Zika Letter of Agreement

    March 31, 2017 15:00 By Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President)

    AFA and Alaska Airlines management have entered into a letter of agreement (LOA) to facilitate eligible Flight Attendants to avoid flying to areas affected by the Zika virus. The provisions of this agreement are voluntarily available to Flight Attendants who are pregnant, attempting to become pregnant or whose partner is attempting to become pregnant.

    The AFA Alaska contract page has been updated to include the Zika LOA, which is now in effect.

    If you have any questions, contact your LEC president.

    In Solidarity,

    Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

    Filed Under: Contract, Latest News Tagged With: 2017, letter of agreement, LOA, Zika

    Flight Attendant Check-In App and Elimination of Scanners Sideletter of Agreement

    January 26, 2017 13:30 By Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President)

    Collective Bargaining Agreement sections modified:

    • 8.D. [Hours of Service/Check-In and Debrief];
    • 24.L. [General and Miscellaneous/Company Provided Inflight Mobile Device (IMD)];
    • 28.I. [Domiciles/Company Provided Commuters, Printers and Scanners at Domicile(s)];
    • 32.C. [Attendance Policy/Attendance Policy Definitions]; and
    • 32.E. [Attendance Policy/Control Procedure]

    Your AFA Master Executive Council (MEC) and Alaska Airlines management entered into a side letter of agreement that requires Flight Attendants to check-in exclusively via the company-designated app on their IMD beginning no later than January 31, 2017.

    >>> Click here to view the Flight Attendant Check-in App and Elimination of Scanner Sideletter of Agreement <<<

    Why did the MEC agree to this? First, we are keeping pace with advancing technology and the overwhelming trend in our group away from utilizing the hard-wired scanners. Less than 7% of Flight Attendants check in via the scanners as of this writing. Secondly, we secured several improvements to our contract, including but not limited to the following:

    • If a Flight Attendant unsuccessfully attempts to scan in while s/he is in the approved geographical area, s/he may call Crew Scheduling to be checked in; Crew Scheduling will report this as an “Inability to Remotely Scan In.” Only in the case of three or more instances of an Inability to Remotely Scan In within a bid month will such an event be considered a performance issue and handled under the Company’s progressive discipline policy. However, any instances of an Inability to Remotely Scan In that are due to circumstances beyond the Flight Attendant’s control (e.g., such as but not limited to a malfunctioning application or IMD, or atmospheric conditions causing interference with the IMD or GPS location function) will not be considered for the purpose of progressive discipline.
    • Management will provide sufficient training for the use of the IMD and related Company-required applications.
    • We created an Information Technology (IT) Review Process that provides Alternative Dispute Resolution committee members to review all claims brought forward by a Flight Attendant and allows for the possibility of compensation at one (1.0) TFP if the parties agree that IT support was provided by the Flight Attendant over and above reasonable maintenance.

    This side letter establishes a significant improvement over the previous policy that did not allow Crew Scheduling to check-in Flight Attendants; now Flight Attendants who attempt to check in via the app may be checked in by calling Crew Scheduling if they are having trouble with the app, and s/he will be checked in with no questions asked.

    Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) president if you have any questions or concerns.

    In Solidarity,

    Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams

    Filed Under: Contract, Latest News Tagged With: 2017, IMD, scanners, sideletter

    Open Time Negotiations Survey – Take 2

    October 3, 2016 15:00 By Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President)

    As reported a few weeks ago on afaalaska.org  (“Open Time Negotiations Survey Suspended Due to a Technical Problem”), the Open Time negotiations survey went offline because of an unforeseen glitch. Shortly thereafter the Master Executive Council (MEC) made the decision to leave the survey down in order to address membership feedback sent to leadership (“Update on Open Time Survey Suspension”). After much consideration AFA is re-posting the survey. Previously submitted surveys are on file, so it is not necessary to re-take the survey unless you wish to revise your responses.

    About minimum flying and other undesirable options…

    What was the feedback? Members expressed frustration with the last question in particular: “Some changes MAY be required in order to negotiate a better Open Time system. IF that becomes necessary, I would prefer to see them in the following order, with 1 being the change I would be most willing to accept and 8 being the change I would be least willing to accept.” Although there were several concerns, feedback was mostly centered on apprehensions that the survey seems to suggest a monthly minimum is a possibility.

    A survey can be used as a communication tool to both membership and management in addition to being an informational tool for the Negotiating Committee and leadership. In this case, the reference to minimum flying in the survey was definitely not intended to communicate AFA’s desire to actually seek or even allow minimum flying. In fact, it was intended to do the exact opposite. Management tends to bring up minimum flying in every negotiation, so we wanted to have additional ‘ammunition’ to respond to such a proposal.

    Be assured the entire MEC and the Negotiating Committee are adamantly opposed to a monthly minimum. We know changes to “the 480” were very controversial in this current contract, so we were (and are) highly confident the membership would rank any reference to minimum flying as dead last. It was unintentional and unfortunate that the survey would cause so much controversy. The survey was designed to simply determine priorities in a comprehensive list of possibilities that either the union or management might voluntarily address or be forced to address in one way or another.

    The MEC and the Negotiating Committee will go so far as to say that we’re encouraging you to take (or re-take) the survey and rank “minimum flying” last on the list. We will also tell you that we fully understand you do not wish to accept any of the items on the list in that last question, and we will proceed with crafting our opening proposal accordingly. If you are opposed to answering the last question altogether, then you have the ability to completely skip it (just don’t fill in any of the bubbles). There is also a “free form” comments field at the end of the survey if you would like to provide additional feedback.

    Take 2

    *** Note: Previously submitted surveys are on file, so it is not necessary to re-take the survey unless you wish to revise your responses. ***

    Pursuant to AFA Alaska Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.9.b. [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial], AFA and Alaska Airlines management will begin negotiations on a successor Open Time system due to cancellation of the Open Time Trial. AFA is surveying the membership regarding Open Time in order to guide the Negotiating Committee in writing our opening proposal for negotiating a new Open Time system.

    Your candid responses are appreciated.

    You must enter your Arctic number in order to take the survey. We’re asking for your Arctic number to ensure each Flight Attendant receives one vote and is not for tracking purposes. If a survey is submitted more than once with the same Arctic number, only the last response will be counted.

    If you have any creative solutions or ideas regarding Open Time, please share them in the free form comments field at the end of the survey.

    The Master Executive Council (MEC) knows that many of you are tired of taking surveys about Open Time, but this is a different survey than the satisfaction surveys that went out during the Open Time Trial. Now that the MEC has canceled the trial, it is extremely important that every Flight Attendant take this negotiations survey. AFA very much wants every voice to be counted regarding a new Open Time system.

    >>> To take the Open Time Negotiations Survey click here. <<<

    The survey will close at noon Pacific Time on Friday, October 7th.

    Thank you in advance for your feedback!

    In Solidarity,

    Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

    Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

    Filed Under: Contract Tagged With: 2016, negotiations, Open Time, OT, survey

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    Merged Seniority List FAQ

    April 6, 2018 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

    Thanks for your patience as the Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) collected and compiled responses to your most frequently asked questions (FAQ).  We have posted a document with these questions and answers. You can find the link to the FAQ document in the email version of this article.  Please check your personal email for a […]

    Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

    April 5, 2018 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

    Your Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 46th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level. Schedule […]

    JCBA Quick Reference Guide: What Takes Effect Now?

    April 4, 2018 By Jennifer Wise MacColl (Joint Negotiating Committee Member)

    Now that the Merger Agreement has been ratified, negotiated changes will start to go into effect.  The JNC is publishing a quick reference guide to indicate provisions that go into effect immediately or that will be phased in shortly which impact line Flight Attendants.  Until both Flight Attendant groups are combined, some provisions will be […]

    Merged Seniority List

    April 3, 2018 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

    The separate, pre-merger seniority lists for AS and VX have been merged and we now have a single Integrated Seniority List. The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) completed this monumental task over the course of the previous 10 months.  The SMIC consists of representatives from each of our pre-merger airlines: AS members Sandra Morrow and […]

    Merger TA Voting Results

    April 3, 2018 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

    Polls closed today at 9 AM Pacific Time for voting on the Merger Tentative Agreement reached by the Joint Negotiating Committee in February 2018.  The results of the vote are as follows:   Voting FOR the agreement 3094 75% Voting AGAINST the agreement 1011 25% Total Votes 4105 Participation Rate of Eligible Voters 76.34% As […]

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