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Celebrating Black History Month

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Human Rights Committee

  • February 1st marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States.  This tradition dates back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson first introduced a week-long event to build awareness of the contributions made by Black individuals.
  • Read more about Black History Month, learn about the accomplishments of Black Americans, and find out about events that you can take part in using the resource links below.
  • Join the celebration by wearing your Black History Month AFA Pin during the month of February.  If you need a pin, check with your Local Council for more information.

February 1st marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States.  The celebration has a long tradition that can be traced back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson introduced “Negro History Week”, which sought to raise awareness of the contributions made by Black individuals to society and the world.  It was expanded to its current form in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford when it became Black History Month.

Learn More About Black History

You can learn more about the accomplishments of Black Americans through some of the dedicated websites and resources below.

Celebrate with a Black History Month AFA Pin

In 2019, the AFA Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution in recognition of February as Black History Month.   The resolution established a special commemorative pin for AFA Members to wear throughout the month of February.

For more information about the pin, contact your Local Human Rights Committee.  Also be on the lookout for a communication from your Local Council or contact your LEC Officers to determine pin availability.

LOSA Observations Are Underway

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • The first set of observations under the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) program begin today (January 27) and will continue through February 28.
  • Similar to the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), participation in LOSA is entirely voluntary and identifying information such as Flight Attendant names, dates, and flight numbers are never associated with observation data.
  • If you have any questions about the LOSA program, please don’t hesitate to contact the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee.

As previously communicated, AFA and management agreed to conduct a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) to help improve safety for Flight Attendants, other crewmembers, and passengers.  The LOSA program is jointly administered by AFA and management as outlined in the Inflight Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program letter of agreement. The information collected from LOSA observations will help us better understand how Flight Attendants manage threats and errors, evaluate compliance with standard operating procedures and gain valuable insight into our day-to-day line operations from a safety perspective.

LOSA Observers are line Flight Attendants trained by an independent third party, the LOSA Collaborative. They are prohibited from recording Flight Attendant names, flight numbers, or dates, as confidentiality is critical to this process. Any data collected is sent directly to the LOSA Collaborative, which evaluates and analyzes the information. AFA and management will receive a final report outlining what went well and what can be better, identifying procedures that should be modified or re-emphasized.

Over the next month, you may have a Flight Attendant LOSA Observer ask to join your flight to conduct an observation. Participation is entirely voluntary; however, we encourage you to participate in this valuable effort. You also will have the opportunity to submit any safety-related feedback in an anonymous questionnaire during the flight.

Questions?

More information about LOSA can be found in the January 16, 2023 bulletin bundle (AAG sign-on required). If you have any other questions about the LOSA program, please reach out to the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee at losa@afaalaska.org.

Operational Safety Debriefs

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • AFA and management recently agreed to a defined process for when a debrief meeting with management needs to be conducted following an operational safety event.
  • The agreement ensures protections for Flight Attendants while guaranteeing pay, duty day limitations, and AFA representation.
  • Details can be found in the Operational Safety Debriefs Letter of Agreement (LOA).

In 2019, AFA filed grievance number 36-99-2-170-19, which alleged management’s violation of section 19.A of the collective bargaining agreement. The violation was related to an incident where management conducted a debrief meeting with Flight Attendants while they were still on duty following a slide deployment incident. As there was no contractual basis for management to conduct a meeting to investigate a work-related event with Flight Attendants outside of the procedures outlined in 19.A, the grievance alleged that contractual rights to AFA representation and investigatory meeting pay were violated.

The grievance was denied by management and subsequently scheduled for arbitration in June 2020. As the arbitration date approached, management indicated they were interested in settling the grievance in lieu of arbitration. Discussions between AFA and management ensued and a settlement-in-concept was reached, which the MEC approved at the time.

Following the conceptual agreement, AFA proposed a letter of agreement (LOA) that codified the settlement in detail. Unfortunately, turnover in a number of key management positions resulted in setbacks as new managers needed to brought up to speed with the history of the settlement and background of what had been discussed. To compound the situation, the aircraft evacuation of flight 751 in Seattle on August 23, 2021 revealed some unforeseen issues with the debrief process that required further discussion and incorporation into the proposed settlement.

Operational Safety Debriefs Letter of Agreement (LOA)

AFA and management were recently able to reach consensus on the details of the LOA, which serves as final settlement of the original grievance.  AFA LOA 2023-01-17 (Operational Safety Debriefs) establishes a process for management to speak directly to Flight Attendants who have been involved in a significant safety-related event while providing benefits and protections to Flight Attendants, including:

  • Minimum pay of 4 TFP for participating in an Operational Safety Debrief, in addition to any Minimum Pay Rules and pay protection due. 
  • Limitations on how long Operational Safety Debriefs are, when they must begin, and maximum duty day.
  • Guarantee that any conversations are non-disciplinary in nature and any information obtained cannot be used in disciplinary actions (including protections under ASAP if an ASAP report is filed timely).
  • The right to AFA representation and involvement in conversations.
  • An established process to handle any follow-up training.

For complete details, please click here to view the complete LOA.  You can also find the LOA on your IMD in GoodReader in the ASFA Supplemental > Collective Bargaining Agreement folder.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Operational Safety Debriefs LOA, please contact your LEC President.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2023

Scheduling Committee

  • Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, January 24 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
  • Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Tuesday, January 24, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Natalie Codd (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz, and MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson Julie Thornton. The committee met with Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Crew Planning Mike Ostler, Director of ITS Product Management Jacki Varela, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and other management representatives from Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

  • A Winter Storm debrief meeting was held with management on January 9, 2023.  Most of the AFA Alaska Online Support Center tickets that were filed were resolved.  There are a few outstanding issues related to compensation that need to be reviewed.  Tickets included, but were not limited, to hotels/transportation, day rooms, over-duty, FDTY (FAR Flight Attendant on-duty time), reassignment, pre-cancelation, holiday pay, pyramiding premiums and long wait times on the phone. 
  • Stranded pay calculations and filing Rainmaker inquiries.  Many Flight Attendants do not realize there is compensation for stranding into days on and days off, but the pay applications are different.  If you need help understanding the pay, please open a ticket through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center and include screenshots of your inquiry, the response from payroll, your paystub and your Rainmaker detailed buckets.  
  • Issue with Crew Access filters still showing in UTC time.  The Committee addressed this with ITS and asked for expediting a fix.  The next Crew Access update is tentatively scheduled for February 28, 2023. 
  • Testing resources will be allocated to NavBlue to enhance future user experiences and accessibility. The Committee knows there are reports of slow logins and will continue to monitor progress. 
  • Crew Scheduling is reviewing with our phone vendor the artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to wait times.  The system was taking into consideration each phone call, even when the caller was disconnecting. There were also instances of multiple users asking for several callbacks and tying up the queue.  
  • Day Rooms will be provided in out stations if the ground time exceeds 4 hours. This is not automated.  Crew Schedulers will continue to monitor the alert system, but please be proactive in calling Crew Scheduling at the earliest opportunity if you require a day room when the ground time is showing in excess of 4 hours. It could take several minutes to hours to request a hotel depending on the location, events, and other mitigating factors. 
  • Crew Scheduling is adding three new Crew Schedulers next week who will start their training for the next several weeks. 
  • Sick leave is trending downward and per management this allows more personal drops, increasing the threshold sequence number (TSN) for dropping and flexibility.
  • Crew Planning wants to discuss alternatives to providing Flight Attendants with an application that provides hotel, transportation, van times and other pertinent information related to layovers. The Committee believes this will reduce calls to Crew Scheduling. 
  • Crew Planning is looking at the cost analysis of 3-position and 4-position pairings, versus the 3-position and 1-position pairings we currently operate. The change would have A/B/C positions paired together on 3-position aircraft and A/B/C/D positions paired together on 4-position aircraft. 
  • Crew Planning will be offering more staffing leaves in March. The winter storm pushed back pilot training and the number of block hours they planned to execute during this time of year.  We should continue to see increases as the training requirements to fly aircraft are fulfilled in the next few months. 
  • Internal audits of Crew Systems are being reviewed and management is researching continuity plans. Departments are ensuring the systems are strong, adequate and technology is advancing.  This is in light of the technology breakdowns that some other carriers experienced during the holiday season. 

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Scheduling a meeting with Network Planning.  The Committee would like to meet with Network Planning in 2023 to discuss our contract, legalities and suggestions. We want to provide management with the Flight Attendant perspective and in an effort to improve our quality of life. 
  2. Review of JCTE/Crew Access transaction performance.  Each month, ITS provides the Committee with data on performance and transactions within JCTE/Crew Access.  The Committee reviews these reports to ensure our service levels are maintained at the appropriate thresholds.
  3. Scheduling Quality of Life Improvements.  Reviewing ways to improve Trip Length Distribution (TLD) and other quality of life factors.  Working with management to develop a quality of life survey to determine Flight Attendant scheduling priorities. 
  4. Review of user guides and links of Flight Attendant website.  Ensuring information is still accurate in existing resource materials, links are still active and working, etc.
  5. Updating Crew Access videos.  Working with management and ITS to update the Crew Access instructional videos to reflect updates and changes to the user interface.

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local Scheduling Committee is your voice to management.  You can open a support request on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or contact us directly using the information on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2023

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, January 5 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
  • Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever given the challenges we are currently facing as a work group.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed through Report It!  Please contact a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Thursday, January 5, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace.  Representing you at the meeting were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Blair Kimball (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN).  Also present were MEC ASHSC Air Quality Representative Yvette Satterlee and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.  The committee met with Cabin Safety Manager Cari Smith-Allen, Director of Inflight Training & Standards Thomas Kaminski, Inflight Reporting Coordinator Kevin Weatherbie, Director of Inflight Safety & Compliance Corey Chestnut, Interim Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, and Senior Inflight Safety & Data Specialist Claudia Modl from management.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items when meeting with management.  Some items discussed include:

  • Announcements changed from
    “must” to “should” when telling passengers to unplug from seat power. Management agreed to change this back to “must”.
  • Requested more timely notification of possible air quality events so AFA can provide timely support.
  • Location of the onboard wheelchair. The Company won’t be able to change the location of the onboard wheelchair, but management has agreed to look at the feasibility of moving liquid supplies out of the centerline overhead bin so possible leakage doesn’t damage other supplies and soak the onboard wheelchair case.
  • Boarding should be at D-40, but SEA boards at D-43. Inflight management has been working with the SEA station on this issue. Company policy is that boarding starts at D-40 at all stations and SEA is not an exception. The ASHSC has asked Inflight to change the prebuilt replies in Block2Block team messaging to the “Are you ready to board” question to state “we are ready to board at D-40”, so is no confusion about the intent responding.
  • Flying after an inflight emergency or medical. When a situation occurs where Section 15 of the contract applies, management who are in contact with Flight Attendants after the event should clearly communicate that a trip drop with pay protection, but without points, is available.  This allows Flight Attendants to make the safest choice for themselves and the operation without having to worry about personal consequences.
  • ANC Airport parking lot and ice removal. Inflight safety and compliance management will reach out to ANC base management to see if they can help address the issues.
  • Immediate assistance during irregular ops/emergencies. Inflight needs to utilize additional resources to help with hotels and transportation and other issues which can be handled outside of scheduling so Flight Attendants are not waiting in situations that may not be safe.
  • Trash odors in Galley 1 on the 737 MAX. The trash compartments are supposed to be cleaned on every RON. The Committee has asked for an audit of this process as there are still reports of issues with odors in trash areas caused by the design of the F/C trash opening/chute, which allows some waste placed in the receptacle to fall outside of the trash can.
  • Trays in Galley 4-2 continue to be in the wrong location. Trays can fall out and cause injury. A fix was implemented on December 6 by Catering, but it needs more attention since there are reports of the issue still occurring.
  • Tray tables on the A321 can block access to the B Flight Attendant jumpseat. Even if this is an allowable configuration, the Committee doesn’t believe it is safe and would like it addressed.
  • Ice cleats. Concerns with passengers wearing them onboard the aircraft as they could damage the aircraft interior.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. Bed Bug Exposure Protocol.  Together with the Hotel Committee, working towards the adoption of an exposure protocol so Flight Attendants and management will know how to respond when bed bug exposure has been confirmed.
  2. Time for Equipment Checks and Briefings. The ASHSC continues to advocate for an adequate amount of time to complete checks and briefings prior to passenger boarding.
  3. Launching the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program.  Continuing to work with the other members of the LOSA Steering Committee to launch the LOSA Program.  A total of 36 peer LOSA Observers have been selected, representing all the bases. The first round of observations will occur from January 27 to February 28. We expect the deidentified data generated from the observations will result in improvements to policy and procedure, the safety of our work environment, and the quality of our training. 

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt!  If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Celebrating Black History Month

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Human Rights Committee February 1st marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States.  The celebration has a long tradition that can be traced back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson introduced “Negro History Week”, which sought to raise awareness of the contributions made by Black individuals to society and the […]

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000

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Master Executive Council (MEC) Twenty-three years ago today, we tragically lost Alaska Airlines Flight 261, flying between Puerto Vallarta and San Francisco, when it went down in the Pacific Ocean between Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island off the coast of Southern California. We will never forget Flight Attendants Kristin Mills, Craig Pulanco and Allison Shanks; […]

LOSA Observations Are Underway

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) As previously communicated, AFA and management agreed to conduct a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) to help improve safety for Flight Attendants, other crewmembers, and passengers.  The LOSA program is jointly administered by AFA and management as outlined in the Inflight Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program letter of agreement. The […]

Operational Safety Debriefs

Master Executive Council (MEC) In 2019, AFA filed grievance number 36-99-2-170-19, which alleged management’s violation of section 19.A of the collective bargaining agreement. The violation was related to an incident where management conducted a debrief meeting with Flight Attendants while they were still on duty following a slide deployment incident. As there was no contractual […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2023

Scheduling Committee On Tuesday, January 24, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Natalie Codd (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also […]

Response to the November 18th Inflight Town Hall Webcast

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California meal & rest breaks Management’s continued scare tactics and speculative “what-if’s” as put forward during the Inflight Town Hall webcast today regarding California meal & rest breaks are unnecessary and extremely disappointing. Although it is true there are some challenging aspects of compliance with California meal & rest break laws for commercial aviation, AFA […]

ALPA Alaska Approves Tentative Agreement for Pilot Ratification

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Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Alaska Airlines leadership recently announced they approved a tentative agreement (TA) with Alaska Airlines management for pilot ratification. Click here for the Alaska Airlines Pilots TA Quick Guide (September 2022) > At a quick glance, the TA contains impressive improvements to scope, […]

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