Archives for 2024

• Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines Merger
• December Solidarity Event Recap
• Membership Meeting Recap
• Spotlight on the Contract
• Fact or Fiction
• CBT Reminder
• AFA International HRE Committee
• Membership Dues
• Workplace Wellness
• Social Media

Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines Merger

Historic news of the Alaska-Hawaiian merger has left many with questions.  We encourage all to stay abreast with factual information from our MEC, with items pertaining to a unionized workforce. Here is the last and latest from our MEC: https://afaalaska.org/mec/alaska-hawaiian-announce-merger-what-flight-attendants-need-to-know

The days ahead will be a journey for all, as we welcome our fellow AFA Hawaiian Flight Attendants into one strong united workforce, with compassion and open arms. 

December Solidarity Recap

We would like to take this opportunity and thank everyone who attended our Solidarity event on December 19th. It was a resounding success with almost 400 Flight Attendants present!

We realize that you have a lot of questions in regards to negotiations and our strike authorization vote. We ask that you continue to watch for communications from AFA for the most up to date information. More will come soon!

Save the Date:

In an unprecedented show of solidarity, we are locking arms with our fellow Flight Attendant unions (AFA, APFA and TWU) across the country for a #OneCrew Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action! Scheduled to coincide with the conclusion of our Strike Authorization Vote, you don’t want to miss this on February 13th as we demand our respective airlines to show the love and that we are ready to fight for the contract we have earned. Plan to bid the day off and stay tuned for more information.

Council 19 Membership Meeting Recap

Thanks to those who were able to attend our Membership meeting following the Solidarity event. A special thank you to MEC President, Jeff Peterson for speaking and giving us a great overview of negotiations, and what the strike authorization vote means. 

Spotlight On the Contract

On rare occasion, our company provided hotel transportation may be running late. If so, please familiarize with the following contractual provision for timelines and reimbursement if needing an alternate source of transport (Section 22.B)

TRANSPORTATION

Company will provide dependable transportation from the airport to layover point and return. When transportation is not provided within thirty-five minutes (:35) from block-in or within ten minutes (:10) of the scheduled departure time from the hotel, Flight Attendants will be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred for transportation to or from the airport. 

It is important to reach out to your AFA Representative if you have questions about the above language, as there are areas that can be confusing and “gray”. 

Fact or Fiction

Have you heard of rumors and not sure of the truth? We’re going to be featuring a new running segment in our SEA base newsletter. Please send in your questions to sea.communications.chair@afaalaska.org  and your fact or fiction question could potentially be featured here. We look forward to hearing from you. Please note that we may not legally be able to address all of the questions we have come in, but we will do our best!

CBT Reminder

Do not forget to complete your CBT (Annual Compliance Training) by the end of the year deadline. It is important to remember if you do not complete the required training, the discipline is progressive. If you are already in steps of discipline, failure to complete your CBT will move you up the steps, up to and including discharge. If you encounter any technical issues, please contact the ITS Help desk. To verify your CBT is complete, check that your Cornerstone transcript lists under “Completed” and check your email for a confirmation. 

AFA International HRE Committee

The AFA Human Rights and Equity Committee is committed to providing the broadest possible representation of our members regardless of age, disability, marital status, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and gender expression. We honor and celebrate the shared humanity of the members in our care. We shall at all times endeavor to promote the principles of tolerance, fairness, equity, justice, respect and inclusion within our Union. It is only when we all work together we can tear down the walls of division and create a progressive culture that values social & economic justice for all working people. 

Membership Dues

In addition to the upcoming strike authorization vote, we will be planning solidarity events in the new year, so it is important to make sure that you are up to date on your membership dues, as you are required to be current in order to take part. Also, please remember that when a tentative agreement is reached with the company, you must be up to date in order to vote! If you have questions about your dues status, please reach out to our LEC Secretary, Adam Clarey at adam.clarey@afaalaska.org. 

There is a great article on the AFA Website, “Dues & Voting: What You Need To Know To Make Sure You Can Vote”. We suggest taking a look at that for some helpful information. 

LEC Secretary Adam Clarey and Council Representative Jerry Sinclair will be doing a base sit at SEA on January 2nd and January 4th from 10am-6pm. They would be happy to help you understand all things membership related including your standing, how to update your contact info with AFA, and confirm that you are current on your dues.

Workplace Wellness

Yoga for Health

Yoga is a great tool to help us stretch, release and relax. Here’s one easy pose you can do in a hotel room to help release any tension in the back, shoulders and neck.  Please be mindful of any limitations. 

Supine twist (Jathara Parivartanasana) 

• Turn onto your back. Lie flat. Bring your arms out wide. 
• Let your palms face down. Bend your right knee. 
• Drop your right knee gently over to the left side of your body. At this point you’ll feel a gentle twist in your spine. 
• You can use a pillow to help support your bent leg, or if at home you can utilize a block or bolster. Gaze toward your left arm and fingers. 
• You may close your eyes, whatever feels comfortable for you. 
• Hold for several breaths, return to neutral, repeat on the other side. 

Here’s a YouTube video to give a visual with instructions and with some alternative ways to accomplish this restorative pose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRSPMMYOXZI

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up to date information on our Council 19 Facebook Group. Click below to join our group and stay connected. We have also launched a new Council 19 Instagram page, which you will find a link for below as well. Our communication team is researching other social media platforms, more information will come soon!

Our solidarity and resolve to attain an industry leading contract will lead us to new heights. The days may be long, but our resolve never to dwindle, our solidarity never to dim. We simply could not do this without one another; together we achieve, together we enrich all of our lives and to those of tomorrow. Stand strong, stand in solidarity, stand with resolve. Here are to bright tomorrows…

We hope each and every one of you were able to enjoy the holiday season, whether flying or home. All of us at Council 19 wish you, your family, your friends, and your loved ones a Very Happy Holiday Season, and a Happy New Year!

In Solidarity,

Your Council 19 Officers and Committees

ASHSC Committee

October and November were very busy for the Seattle ASHSC. We have continued our body of work representing members safety concerns and working with the company to continue our focus on safety.

The LOSA program resumed observations in November and the data is being analyzed to determine trends and areas where we can improve safety.

The Base Safety Meeting was held on November 30, 2023. We addressed a number of issues submitted by our workgroup and they have been assigned to Alaska leadership for follow-up. We will continue to bring safety issues forward and get them addressed by the company. We also had Jon Sites, the Director of Flight Operations Safety in attendance to provide us with information on firm/hard landings and how the data from each landing is recorded and analyzed.

Now that we are well into the holiday season, with more flights, shorter routes, and the potential for irregular operations it’s important to get sleep and watch out for signs of fatigue. What is fatigue? It is a complex state that is characterized by a lack of alertness. The main contributors come from three specific areas: 1) Human biology – sleep, our body clock, health, age, etc.; 2) Job demands- workload, shift length, schedule; 3) Life outside work- family/friend obligations, commuting, lifestyle. Sleep is the solution to fatigue and unfortunately it is not something we can store up in advance. Once we are in situations where we are fatigued we need to get sleep to restore our alertness and judgment. The United SteelWorkers (USW) have worked on fatigue issues due to the long shifts that their workers encounter. The USW data shows that fatigue causes impairment that impacts performance: after 17 hours without sleep the brain function is similar to having a BAC of .05% and after 24 hours without sleep this jumps to .10%. While this data is specific to the workgroups represented by USW, it can help us raise our awareness of the issues and make sure we are aware of our fatigue management process and the protections we have in our CBA.

Benefits Committee

These past couple months have been busy for the Benefits/Retirement SEA Committees.  

The company offered Staffing Leaves for October & November. Anytime a leave is offered, there are challenges for Flight Attendants that do not verify their Benefits when they return from the leave. To further complicate that process, the November staffing leaves overlapped Annual Enrollment. As a result, many FA calls were answered explaining the process & in many cases coverages needed to be manually updated by our Corporate Benefits Team. 

During this year’s 2024 Benefits Annual Enrollment, there were 5 base sits. As our Village area is often found with many flight attendants from other bases, we had the opportunity to help many that were not SEA Based. 

We also transitioned from Vanguard to Fidelity this quarter. The transition was well communicated and very few problems were reported. There was also a zoom meeting with the Retirement & Fidelity Team that Terry Taylor our MEC/ Benefits & Retirement was able to attend. 

As a reminder all Flight Attendants should double check their Beneficiaries for Fidelity on the Fidelity website as well for their Company provided and Supplemental Life Insurance and AD&D through the benefits portal. 

Communications Committee

Your Communications Committee members are striving to bring you informative communications via social media and our newsletters. 

If you have any suggestions or requests, please reach out to: sea.communications.chair@afaalaska.org.

EAP Committee

The holiday season is a time when many people are traveling to see family and friends, which can lead to increased stress and anxiety for both passengers and flight attendants. This additional demand, combined with the typical holiday stressors, has led to an increase in requests for counseling services.

Flight attendants often have irregular and demanding work schedules, including working during weekends, holidays, and overnight flights. This disrupts their sleep patterns and can lead to fatigue, which further contributes to the stress they experience

Flight attendants face a wide range of factors that impact their workplace, such as jet lag, solitary hotel living, and dealing with passengers who refuse to comply with safety protocols. These stressors can make individuals more vulnerable to mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression, which are, themselves, triggers for alcohol and drug use/misuse.

Michaela has committed to providing an in-flight counselor again in 2024. Our current counselor Joan Benner will be retiring at the end of the year and has recommended a colleague she thinks the f/a’s will enjoy talking with. The f/a crews can access appointments confidentially through Talia the same way and will be offered dates on the in-flight bulletin page, same as before

During the transition to the new EAP provider in 2024 (Lyra Health) Anyone that is working with a counselor from our current vendor Active Support will be able to continue with the 6 sessions until completed. ComPsych will then refer them to Lyra and/or the medical plan to ensure that they are being treated after the 6 sessions have been utilized. Lyra will be offering 10 free counseling sessions and has its own network of counselors with excellent credentials, and flight attendants will be provided with a dedicated case manager/point of contact.

Employee Assistance Program & Professional Standards Committee

eap@afaalaska.org

949-470-0493 EAP mainline

Hotel Committee

Your hotel committee continues to advocate for the best hotels possible, while maintaining the language in our CBA.

Please remember to continue to send the reports for both complaints and compliments. These reports are essential when we are evaluating markets. The Crew Care reports can be accessed directly on your IMD by clicking the API Icon, or on the Inflight Website, Hotels, Hotel Links, MyCrew Care.

We are wrapping up our site inspections for the year. In the last couple of months, we completed inspections in NAS, GUA, ZIH, IAH, BNA and MSY. Our committee has been busy doing site inspections the last couple of months. Members of the committee have recently conducted inspections in CUN, BWI, DEN, SJC, ONT, EWR & PIT.  Upcoming inspections include NAS, RDU, GUA, ZIH, IAH, and BNA.

Just because we are conducting inspections, it does not mean we are leaving a hotel. It is simply because we need to source a market. This is why it is so important to continue to write up hotels you like or dislike. Please remember, in some instances, even if a hotel is popular among Flight Attendants, it does not mean we will stay there. We could be leaving because of contractual violations, another work group, or a multitude of reasons. 

The company has recently announced new hotels in NAS, GUA, CUN, and BWI. For safety and security reasons, we won’t list the hotel names here, so please review the Hotel Hotline, or the bid packet. 

Our only current scheduled site inspection so far for 2024 is TUS, but there will be several more!

Human Rights Committee

From Yan Yan Teague:

We are happy to announce that we have found a new LEC Chair for the Human Rights Committee. At the end of the year I will be stepping aside as chair but will remain on the committee to continue to support our work. Starting in the new year, Freddy Vega, will be the new chairperson.

Freddy Vega first took to the skies as a flight attendant in 2005, and has accumulated 18+ years of steadfast service within Alaska Airlines. Armed with a Masters in Public Administration, a Master of Science in Cultural and Organizational Communication, and certificates in Women and Gender Studies and Leadership, his academic accomplishments powered his endeavors beyond the passenger cabin.

Transitioning through diverse professional roles, he simultaneously pursued education while accumulating experience at local Community Colleges like Edmonds College and Shoreline Community College, alongside Eastern Washington University (Go Eags!). His career journey led him through various positions across different workplaces, encompassing roles such as Outreach and Recruitment Specialist, Program Manager, Associate Director, and Event Coordinator/Planner. Finally, his career path culminated in a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, a pivotal role he held at a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. As the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Manager, he significantly contributed to fostering an inclusive environment within the organization.

His passionate dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion prompted him to apply for the position of SEA base LEC’s Human Rights Chairperson. Fueled by a profound commitment to racial and social justice, he sees this as an opportunity to be an ally, advocating for human rights within the flight attendant community. In his new role, he aims to foster unity by listening attentively to flight attendants’ needs, collaborating with the LEC and MEC to create an inclusive environment. He seeks to comprehensively understand past endeavors, identify ongoing necessities, and collectively steer efforts to support all flight attendants. On a personal note, his twelve-year marriage to his husband, Ryan Simms, brings him immense joy, and together they relish time with friends and eagerly anticipate future travel adventures, while he remains steadfast in his commitment to driving positive change within Alaska Airlines flight attendant group.

Day of Solidarity

Get ready to unite and stand strong at our Day of Solidarity informational picketing in all six bases and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, December 19! Our support is crucial to demonstrate to management and the public that we firmly stand behind our Negotiating Committee in their efforts to secure the contractual improvements that we have earned and rightfully deserve.

Date: Dec 19, 2023

Time: 12:30PM – 2:00PM

Location: Seattle Tacoma International Airport Flag Pavilion

We realize the weather may not cooperate, so we will have a warming station across the street. Details to come. 

We will also be holding a council meeting on this day as well, so be on the lookout for a communication with this information.

In Solidarity, 

Your Council 19 Committee Chairs and Officers