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Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2022

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, April 14 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, April 14, 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), Bethany Gilbo (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Felicia Porter (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN).  Also present were MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple, MEC ASHSC Vice Chairperson—Air Quality Yvette Satterlee, and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee met with Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow, Cabin Safety Manager Cari Smith-Allen, and Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Joevanni Camacho and other representatives from inflight management.

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:

  • Lack of onboard experience being provided to our newest Flight Attendants during Initial Training. The ASHSC believes that more onboard experience during Initial Training is better.
  • Timeline for retiring legacy Virgin America carts and discussion about general cart maintenance.
  • Lack of availability of replacement luggage for Flight Attendants.
  • New IMD device and timeline for replacement of current IMD and electronic FAM (GoodReader).  Also discussed the desire/need to have a bigger screen on the next IMD.
  • Update on request to establish a dedicated time prior to boarding to perform emergency equipment checks and Flight Attendant briefings.
  • The risk of irregular operations, such as reopening the boarding door after departure to enplane passengers.
  • Wild fire season preparedness; there will be an accommodation process for those with health conditions increasing their risk of being exposed to poor air quality.
  • Preparation for the eventual ending of the mask mandate. Note: unfortunately, many of the needed discussions and preparations did not take place prior to the abrupt ending of the mandate and associated company policy on April 18.
  • Airbus L1 & R1 assist handle is not usable by all due to the placement of the divider. We have been working with the company for three years to address the issue. Although not ideal, an extension strap will be installed to the bottom of the current assist handle for Flight Attendants to hold in an emergency while pulling the manual inflation handle.
  • Some of the mockups in training facilities have platforms which require Flight Attendants to step down and back up to get into their protected position during drills. This is a safety hazard. The platforms will be expanded to provide more space.
  • LEOs have been using body cameras to record interviews with/take statements from Flight Attendants involved in significant events. These interviews can be obtained by the public via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The ASHSC asked management to update company post event protocols and training to account for this.
  • Update on transition to T-Mobile. Company reports that service had been upgraded at most stations which had inadequate service at the start of the rollout.
  • The need for brighter lighting during compliance checks.
  • The adoption of the ASHSC’s recommendation to have the D-position Flight Attendant in a dedicated boarding position at L1 as part of the boarding position changes.
  • Inflight management and AFA representatives not being notified of disruptive passenger and other significant events so appropriate response and support can be provided to crew.
  • Report It! app to receive update to turbulence reporting section and the ability to submit EIRs (Employee Injury Reports)
  • Inflight has agreed to take the ASHSC’s recommendation to add “in an emergency leave everything” to the safety demo in a future FAM revision.
  • ASHSC is still advocating for updates to EMK/EEMK to include a pulse oximeter and glucometer among other improvements and standardization across kits.
  • High quality hands on training of safest body mechanics to use when performing Flight Attendant duties.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Improved Restraint Devices.  Advocating for replacement of current restraint devices with an improved product.
  2. Conducting Prior to Landing Compliance Checks Earlier.  Advocating for a change to the timing of the prior to landing compliance check announcement. The ASHSC believes it is safer to make the announcement at 18,000 feet so we can be seated for landing closer to 10,000 feet.
  3. Reducing Carry-On Bag and Overhead Bin Injuries.  Working with management to identify and implement mitigations for injuries caused by carry on bags and closing overhead bins. 

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. 

COVID Exposure: Differences in Company and CDC Guidance

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Management has developed guidance on how to deal with COVID-19 exposure that uses different terminology, definitions, and recommendations than the guidance currently offered by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
  • To most effectively manage your personal risk in the event of an exposure, it’s helpful to understand how management’s definitions and guidance compare to the CDC guidance.
  • More information about CDC guidance for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals can be found on the CDC website.

Fortunately, we are in a period of relatively low COVID-19 transmission and reported hospitalizations and deaths continue to trend downward. Despite low case counts, there is the possibility that another spike in COVID-19 cases could occur if new variants emerge and precautions like mask mandates and social distancing are reduced.

To help understand and manage your personal risk as we enter this next phase of the pandemic, it is helpful to know how the Company handles and communicates known COVID-19 exposures and how that differs from current CDC guidance.  The Company has created two categories of exposure, “low risk” and “high risk”. 

Company Defined “Low Risk Exposure” – It is AFA’s understanding that the Company’s “low risk exposure” is essentially the same as the CDC’s “close contact”.  This occurs when you were less than 6 feet away from an infectious person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.  A person is considered infectious starting 2 days before they have any symptoms, or if asymptomatic 2 days before taking a test which came back positive for COVID-19.

Company Defined “High Risk Exposure” – This differs significantly from the CDC’s definition of “close contact”.  To qualify as “high risk exposure”, the person you were less than 6 feet away from for a cumulative 15 minutes over a 24-hour period must also have symptoms of COVID-19 while (or within two days of the time that) you were with them. One of you must also have been without a mask.  If the exposure was to an asymptomatic COVID-19 positive individual or you were both wearing a mask, it will not be classified as “high risk”. As you can see, this greatly reduces the chance of an exposure being categorized as “high risk”.

To manage risk, we recommend that you treat notifications of “low risk” exposure from the Company as “close contact” as defined by the CDC.

If you are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations or have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the past 90 days, it is not necessary to quarantine.  However, the CDC still recommends that you take certain precautions.  Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had CDC defined “close contact” with (or Company defined “high risk” or “low risk” exposure to) someone with COVID-19. Until 10 days after that contact/exposure you should also watch for symptoms, isolate if you develop symptoms, wear a well-fitted mask any time you are around others, and avoid being around people who are at high risk.

Check out this link for additional CDC guidance for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals who have had “close contact”.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2022

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, January 13 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 13, 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), Felicia Porter (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN).  Also present were MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple, MEC ASHSC Vice Chairperson—Air Quality Yvette Satterlee, and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee met with Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow, Cabin Safety Manager Cari Smith-Allen, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Joevanni Camacho, and Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder from management.

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:

  • Request for increased sanitization of galley areas between flights.
  • Concerns with MedLink clearing passengers who appear to be ill.
  • Concerns about the perceived lack of sufficient signage in airports regarding mask requirements.
  • Overall inadequate communication of mask requirements to passengers.
  • Concerns about perceived inadequate lighting outside of new ANC RT facility.
  • Concerns about connectivity with change in cell service provider for IMDs.
  • Ensuring we have adequate procedures when we do not have the ability to use B2B due to lack of connectivity.
  • Requested update to soft blocks on A321 to better protect the B F/A and reminder to CSAs to honor soft seat blocks when possible.
  • Request for brighter cabin lighting during compliance checks.
  • Ongoing lack of adequate trash stowage space.
  • Double vs. single chamber life vest and how to properly demo.
  • Airbus assist handle.
  • Making COVID testing more readily available.
  • “New” boarding positions and challenges with safety and compliance.
  • Closing the loop on disruptive passenger and yellow card events by taking company and FAA response and reporting it back to submitter.
  • Trend of catering provisioning the entire aircraft from the aft galley only.
  • Looking for improvements to the Report It! App.
  • Request to add “in an emergency leave everything” to safety demo announcement.
  • Need for better guidance in the FAM about when passenger tattoos and clothing should be considered inappropriate and how to handle.
  • Requests for improvements to onboard medical equipment, including adding a pulse oximeter, adding a glucometer, and improving sizing of the blood pressure cuff.
  • Request for management to provide additional clarification on policies related to lifting and stowing passenger carry-on bags.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Time in Motion Studies. Working with management and the AFA Inflight Service Committee to assess how long it takes to perform each F/A duty. For example, performing preflight checks or doing a full beverage service on a A320. It is our hope that this information will support changes like providing time for preflight checks prior to boarding and ensuring inflight service is not scheduled unless it can be consistently and safely accomplished on legs like SFO-PSP or ANC-BET.
  2. Improving the Uniform Boot Policy. Working with management and the AFA Uniform Committee to allow for a broader range of Arctic boots, to allow Arctic boots in Alaska any time there is snow or ice on the ground, and to allow boots outside of terminals and the aircraft anytime there is inclement weather (policy not yet in effect).
  3. COVID-19 Mitigations. The ASHSC stays up to date on the pandemic by reviewing CDC guidance, TSA orders, FAA recommendations etc.; working with the ASHSD (Air Safety Health & Security Department) at AFA International; and coordinating with AFA ASHSC’s at other airlines. This information is used to continually advocate for appropriate COVID-19 mitigations in our work environment.

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. 

AFA Special Update – September 9, 2020

In This Edition

  • Health and Safety Concerns with Onboard Service

Health and Safety Concerns with Onboard Service

Master Executive Council (MEC)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is thought to spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.  The spread predominantly occurs between people who are in close contact with others (within about 6 feet).  Guidance from the CDC also indicates that people who don’t live in the same household should maintain 6 feet of distance from one another and that a mask is not a substitute for social distancing.  Though management has implemented a policy requiring the use of face coverings by passengers and employee onboard the aircraft, it is practically impossible for Flight Attendants to maintain physical distancing of 6 feet from other people in the aircraft cabin, especially while conducting onboard service. 

On July 16, management rolled out a significant expansion of onboard service which involved the addition of several additional beverage choices, including the return of hot beverages including coffee and tea.  This expansion was followed up by further additions on August 16 coupled with the return of ice on the beverage cart.  The addition of so many components of onboard service seems counterintuitive during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Flight Attendants Are Unnecessarily Being Put At Risk 

By requiring unnecessary interactions with passengers that are not related to safety of the flight, management continues to place Flight Attendants at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 by increasing required interactions with passengers and mandating additional time in the aisle to complete the increased service.  Though management now allows Flight Attendants to bring and wear their own protective eyewear or face shields from home, this is not a substitute for the CDC recommendation to maintain physical distancing. 

These concerns were resoundingly echoed by data collected from the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey.  Over 1300 Flight Attendants responded to the survey, which was conducted between July 28 and August 2.  Several key points from the survey include: 

  • Only 18% of those surveyed answered affirmatively* that they believe management considered the safety and health of Flight Attendants when adding beverages back to the onboard service
  • Only 22% of those surveyed answered affirmatively* that they believe the number and type of beverages added back were appropriate given current concerns regarding COVID-19
  • Over 65% of those surveyed indicate that they have experienced passengers removing their face covering multiple times per flight since the July 16 onboard service expansion  

*An affirmative answer is indicated by a response of strongly agree or agree

Comments submitted by Flight Attendants as part of the survey list dozens of reports of passengers removing their face covering to interact with Flight Attendants despite onboard announcements directing passengers to keep their face coverings on.  Further reports tell of Flight Attendants observing passengers keeping their face coverings off for extended periods of time as they wait for hot beverages to cool.  The results of the survey, as well as a representative selection of comments submitted by Flight Attendants, were shared with management shortly after the survey closed.

Management’s Position: Passenger Satisfaction Matters More

Members of the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Inflight Service Committee, and the MEC have been continually engaging with management to address the risks to Flight Attendant safety and health presented by the expansion of onboard service.  These conversations have involved every level of management within Alaska Airlines, and have included management from inflight, labor relations, safety, and marketing.  AFA Representatives have repeatedly asked management to “stop the operation” and “own safety” by pulling back the expanded onboard service and returning to the pre-July 16 offering.  

Management, however, has a different point of view.  In several meetings between management and AFA, management has stated that they believe that there is no evidence to say that there is any incremental risk of transmission due to onboard service.  Management has also gone on record to indicate that they believe that the worst credible outcome of a COVID-19 infection to Flight Attendants is “medical treatment beyond first aid”—not hospitalization or death.  This position contradicts the fact that the CDC has recorded over 184,000 COVID-19 related deaths in the United States and leading national forecasts continue to predict thousands of new COVID-19 related hospitalizations per day.

Management’s overall response has been that they fully intend to continue offering the expanded onboard service despite AFA’s objections.  Their reasoning: an increase in passenger satisfaction scores and a decrease in complaints related to onboard service offerings.

The MEC is equally frustrated and disappointed that management has made the conscious decision to prioritize passenger survey scores over Flight Attendant health and safety by refusing to reconsider the onboard service expansion that they have rolled out over the past several months.  The failure to address the concerns related to the unnecessary additional risk for contracting COVID-19 that Flight Attendants are being exposed to speaks volumes to the fact that “Ready, Safe, Go” is only a priority when it is convenient and suits the needs of management.  Despite this, the MEC and other AFA representatives will continue our efforts to advocate for onboard service levels that do not put Flight Attendants unnecessarily at risk. 

Continue to Document and Report Safety Hazards 

Regardless of management’s position, please continue to report any safety hazards that you experience while performing the expanded onboard service.  This could include instances of increased exposure to passengers (e.g. passenger removing their mask to speak to you, etc.) or other hazards related to service.  You can report these hazards through ReportIt! by submitting either a FAIR and/or ASAP for each flight on which they occur.  Include the terms “COVID-19″ and “service” in your narrative to ensure they are correctly categorized by management.  This data will help our AFA representatives to advocate for safe levels of service. 

AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey

On July 16, management implemented an expansion of onboard service which included the addition of multiple beverage selections and the re-introduction of hot beverages as an option for passengers.  During the lead up to the service expansion, members of our Master Executive Council (MEC), Inflight Service Committee, and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) engaged management in multiple discussions with the intent of protecting Flight Attendant safety and health during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the objections raised by AFA and the nationwide increase in COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks, management made the decision to proceed with the rollout of the additional service citing the need to address complaints received through the Alaska Listens platform and improve scores on customer satisfaction surveys.  The MEC, Inflight Service Committee, and ASHSC believe that the decision to proceed with an expanded onboard service in the wake of the increase in COVID-19 cases was irresponsible on management’s part.  

COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey Launches Today

The MEC fully intends to continue to engage with management on the subject of onboard service, especially surrounding management’s plan for a further expansion next month.  In an effort to gather as much direct Flight Attendant feedback as possible to share during those conversations, we have launched the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey.  The survey is an opportunity to share your thoughts, feedback, and experiences related to the July 16 expanded onboard service.  

Click here to take the survey

You’ll be able to take the survey any time between now and Sunday, August 2 at 5 PM PDT.  Please share this link with your flying partners and encourage everyone who has worked since the July 16 onboard service expansion to take part! Even if you have not worked since July 16, you’ll still be able to share any comments you have about the service expansion.

REMINDER: Report Any Safety Hazards

In addition to completing the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey, please also remember to report any safety hazards that you experience while performing the expanded onboard service.  This could include instances of increased exposure to passengers (e.g. passenger removing their mask to speak to you, etc.) or other hazards related to service.  You can report these hazards through ReportIt! by submitting either a FAIR and/or ASAP for each flight on which they occur.  Include the terms “COVID-19″ and “service” in your narrative to ensure they are correctly categorized by management.  This data will help our AFA representatives to advocate for safe levels of service.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey, please contact your LEC Officers.

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2022

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Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Wednesday, May 25 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft. Management continues to experience challenges in many locations that are affecting the correct loading on onboard catering supplies and retail products.  Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!  

AFA Council 35 (SFO) Election Results

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Master Executive Council (MEC) The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Local Council Officer positions representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants based in San Francisco: LEC President: Melissa OsborneLEC Vice President: Virginia FritzLEC Secretary: James IkeharaCouncil Representative: Brad Young View the certified election results here >> These officers will serve a term of office starting July 1, 2022 and […]

May 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

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Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, May 24 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants. As part of the meeting, our MEC joined the May 24th Negotiating Committee Listening Session to hear directly from our Flight Attendants about experiences, thoughts, and ideas for upcoming contract negotiations. The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

AFA Council 15 (SAN) Election Results

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Master Executive Council (MEC) The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Local Council Officer positions representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants based in San Diego: LEC President: Brice McGeeLEC Vice President: Melanie BukerLEC Secretary: Stephen Couckuyt View the certified election results here >> These officers will serve a term of office starting July 1, 2022 and concluding on […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2022

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Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, May 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!

December 2021 MEC Meeting Recap

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December 2021 MEC Meeting Recap Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson Just wrapped up chairing our monthly MEC meeting yesterday and today. As usual, your AFA committee chairs and reps provided written reports to the MEC about the latest developments in their areas, and we received live briefings regarding dispute resolution & grievances, scheduling, […]

Inflight Leadership Change and the Path Forward

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Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson Now that is has been officially announced that Travis will be stepping away as leader of the Inflight division, I thought Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants might want to hear from their MEC president. I may not always be at liberty to communicate the details of every conversation advocating […]

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