Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

AFA Update – September 13, 2019

September 13, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

Contractual Supporting Documents
Reminder: New KCM Identification Requirements
FAA Responds to AFA Advocacy to Move on 10 Hours Rest Implementation

Contractual Supporting Documents

Contract Committee

When there is a disagreement or difference of opinion regarding the intent of contractual language or how a contractual provision should be applied, AFA and management work through an established process to attempt to resolve the dispute. Depending on the issue at hand, the resolution might be documented in one of several forms: a letter of agreement, memorandum of understanding, labor memorandum, or contractual settlement agreement. Regardless of the format, these documents are contractually enforceable and supplement the provisions of our collective bargaining agreement.

To allow for the easiest possible access, these contractual supporting documents can easily be accessed from the contract home page of the AFA Alaska website at https://afaalaska.org/contract. You can also access them on your IMD through the Good Reader app by tapping ASFASupplemental > Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about contractual supporting documents, please contact your LEC President.

Reminder: New KCM Identification Requirements

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

As a reminder, new crewmember identification requirements for KCM, went into effect on Friday, September 6, 2019. The requirements are:

If the crewmember is wearing a uniform, the crewmember must present, as they do now:

A non-expired government-issued photo ID (such as a passport or driver’s license); and
An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID (crew ID)

If the crewmember is not wearing a uniform, the crewmember must present:

A non-expired government-issued photo ID;
An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID; and
A third form of identification, either:
- A valid FAA Airman’s Certificate
- A valid FAA Flight Attendant Certificate of Proficiency; or
- A second non-expired government-issued photo ID

This means that out of uniform you must plan to present a passport and driver’s license/government ID card or one of these items and your FAA Certification card.

At some airports Flight Attendants have been improperly directed to passenger screening if not in uniform, and in addition, that new KCM electronic randomizer function is selecting a very high percentage of crewmembers for passenger screening. AFA continues to work with TSA to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Your reports have been instrumental in our ability to address these issues and correct discrepancies.

Please continue to respectfully question when given instruction that is not consistent with reported procedures. If the TSA Officer or manager persists with the instruction, comply and then document the incident through our reporting form.

KCM Questions and Reporting Form

We fought hard to be included in KCM program. It is both a privilege as trusted crewmembers and a responsibility as part of aviation security. We all need to work together to ensure it continues to promote security and compliments our work as aviation’s last line of defense.

Please continue to follow all KCM program requirements.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding KCM, please submit your question using the above form or contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officersfor assistance.

FAA Responds to AFA Advocacy to Move on 10 Hours Rest Implementation

Government Affairs Committee

Last year we successfully achieved 10 Hours minimum rest free from duty under the law. According to the legislation timeline and past practice on implementation of new rules, airlines should have had to comply with the law by the beginning of June 2019. Instead, a few airlines mounted significant opposition to the implementation and argued it would be too costly and difficult to implement. The Government Shutdown and the Boeing 737 MAX grounding further delayed the implementation of hundreds of provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Flight Attendants made our rest a top priority and it’s because of all of you that we were able to achieve this legislative win. We have been working diligently on several fronts to remove obstacles to getting our rest implemented. We have worked directly with Chairman DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman Larsen (D-WA) and several other members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As we did with the original bill, we had both Republicans and Democrats from the Committee speaking up and pushing for implementation with FAA and DOT. We also have worked with our airlines to remove obstacles and specifically negotiated and implemented the 10 hours rest at Frontier and PSA. This also helped to demonstrate to regulators that the implementation should not be as difficult as they had been told by some airlines.

Recently confirmed FAA Administrator Steve Dickson assured AFA and lawmakers he would make implementation of 10 hours rest a priority. Today, under his leadership the FAA took an official and public step forward announcing a rulemaking process for implementing the 10 hours minimum rest. Within hours, Delta announced they would implement the rest with the February bid month – demonstrating the truth that all airlines can do this within a few months time. We will keep the heat on and press for full federal implementation as soon as possible. This is about safety, health, and equality.

Questions?

Please reach out to your Local Government Affairs Committeeif you have any questions.

AFA Update – August 30, 2019

August 30, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

Where to Find Our Contract on the IMD
The Latest on KCM
Personal Strategies for Approaching the Anniversary of September 11
Election Notice: MEC Officer Elections

Where to Find Our Contract on the IMD

Contract Committee

Having easy access to our collective bargaining agreement empowers you to ensure that you are always able to reference your contractual rights and responsibilities in a given situation. Section 27.T of our collective bargaining agreement requires that the Company provide access to an electronic version of the contract on the IMD. Management has complied with this contractual requirement by housing an electronic version of the contract in the GoodReader app.

To access the contract on your IMD, follow these steps:

Open the GoodReader app
Tap on ASFASupplemental
Tap on Collective Bargaining Agreement
Tap on Contract
Tap on the contract file

Questions?

If you have any questions about accessing the contract on your IMD, please contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers.

The Latest on KCM

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

On Saturday, August 24, an update was posted to the KCM website indicating program changes related to unpredictable screening procedures (USP) and uniform requirements that were to take effect several days later. This update was posted with no advance notice and a very short implementation schedule. After receiving notice of these proposed changes, AFA promptly engaged the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), Airlines for America (A4A), and the TSA to have additional conversations about these program changes and discuss alternatives.

Unpredictable Screening (USP) Changes

Additional measures related to USP (commonly referred to as “random selection”) went into effect on Tuesday, August 27 as announced. With this change, if you are selected for USP at a KCM access point you will continue to be flagged as a selectee at all KCM access points at that airport for a pre-determined amount of time. If you are referred for USP that involves re-direction to the passenger screening lanes, please remember that you are subject to the same requirements as passengers if you are not in uniform. Only crewmembers in uniform are exempt from TSA limitations on liquids, gels, and aerosols.

Uniform Requirement

As a result of discussions with AFA, ALPA, and A4A, the TSA made the decision not to change the uniform requirement for KCM screening, meaning that crewmembers continue to be able to use KCM access points while out of uniform.

Compliance and Reporting

It is important that we continue to comply with procedures and instructions at KCM access points and security checkpoints if selected for unpredictable screening. If you are given an instruction by a TSA Officer that differs from communicated procedures, please respectfully question the instruction. If the Officer does not change the instruction, comply and then report the issue immediately to AFA.

The only way to address concerns with individual TSA Officers or airports carrying out KCM screening differently from communicated procedures is to report the issue. Posts on social media about individual issues will not only fail to resolve the concern but could also unintentionally share sensitive security information (SSI) related to the KCM program. Please use the reporting form below to report any issues as soon as possible so that they can be addressed directly with the TSA.

KCM Reporting Form and Questions

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding KCM, please submit your question using the above form or contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers for assistance.

Personal Strategies for Approaching the Anniversary of September 11

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

As we approach the anniversary of September 11th, many of us will begin to plan how we’ll recognize this day. Anniversaries offer an opportunity to acknowledge our memories and experiences, to connect with others who share in them, and to pay tribute to our individual and collective journeys. They can also serve as personal and professional milestones of our healing and resiliency. For some, September 11th will be marked with private personal gestures such as observing a moment of silence, spending quiet time reflecting, or dedicating our flying to our profession. For others, it will be marked with collective activities such as ceremonies and memorial services.

There is no right way or better way to recognize the anniversary; but, there are some suggestions that may prove helpful as we approach the anniversary of September 11th.
Observe the anniversary in a way that’s comfortable for you. Say no to events or activities that you sense may flood you with too many feelings. Find more gentle ways of honoring the anniversary.
Don’t compare yourself to how others around you appear to be dealing with the September 11th anniversary.
Acknowledge that we all heal at different rates, in different ways, and with different outcomes.
Give yourself permission and time to be affected. Though uncomfortable, anticipate and plan for having a stress reaction as the anniversary approaches. Trust that if you have moments of difficulty, you’ll be able to pull yourself back together.
Try not to isolate yourself. Pre-plan now to be with people if you know you have this tendency.

However you choose to structure your day this September 11th or however it just naturally unfolds, please remember that your AFA EAP Committee Members welcome being a part of it. If you or a flying partner needs a confidential ear, please call us at (949) 470-0493 or find your local EAP contact information on the EAP Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. Remember, we’re just a phone call away.

Election Notice: MEC Officer Elections

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The term of office for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2019. The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the regular November MEC meeting. This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with article III.C.1 of the MEC Policy Manual.

Background

The MEC Officers consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer. These officer positions are responsible for serving as the coordinating council for the membership of the airline and carrying out the decisions of the MEC. These officer positions are elected by the Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, who are the voting members of MEC.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the MEC Officers are defined in article VII.C.2 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

MEC President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.a)

The President shall be the official Union spokesperson and chief executive officer for that airline and shall have the authority and duty to:

(1) Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board.

(2) Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances.

(3) Be the Union representative on that airline for the purpose of furthering and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board.

(4) Coordinate and compile Master Executive Council policy, review reports and recommendations and submit such material to the appropriate committees of the Union.

(5) Be a member of the Negotiating Committee.

(6) Be a member of the Executive Board.

(7) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President.

(8) Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union on that carrier.

(9) Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer.

(10) Ballot the Master Executive Council if necessary or when required.

(11) Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(12) Inform all Master Executive Council Officers and committees that all files, correspondence, documents and other materials resulting from the work of such committees are the property of the Union, not the personal property of individuals, and are to be safeguarded.

(13) Maintain the Union’s files and property, then transfer them to her/his successor promptly.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

This position is contractually provided 130 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle to attend meetings and as needed. Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
No relocation or accommodation reimbursement is provided for this position.
The MEC President is on-call to respond to critical incidents and situations.

MEC Vice President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.b)

The Vice President shall:

(1) Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the Master Executive Council.

(2) Perform the duties of the President at her/his request or in the absence of the President.

(3) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

Serve as executive sponsor of MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, MEC committee meetings, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
Coordinate and participate in the MEC Duty Officer program

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

This position is budgeted for 120 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle to attend meetings and as needed. Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
No relocation or accommodation reimbursement is provided for this position.
The MEC Vice President is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President during vacation and as needed.

MEC Secretary-Treasurer

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.c)

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

(1) Assist the President in administering Master Executive Council funds.

(2) Maintain Master Executive Council records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.

(3) Be responsible to the President and Master Executive Council.

(4) Be responsible for general record keeping and accounting of the Master Executive Council budget and any funds.

(5) Distribute a quarterly statement on expenditures to the Master Executive Council.

(6) Assist in preparation of the Master Executive Council annual report to the membership.

(7) Exhibit at all reasonable times the general records to any Officer or active member in good standing upon application.

(8) Maintain Master Executive Council records and record all meetings of the Master Executive Council.

(9) Deliver to her/his successor all monies and other property of the Master Executive Council. On demand of the International Office, s/he shall make available all books and records for examination and audit.

(10) Submit a copy of all Master Executive Council meeting minutes and nomination notices to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(11) Be responsible for distributing a list of Master Executive Council committees’ flight pay loss to the Master Executive Council and the International Office each month; this list will include, but not be limited to, hours and ID(s) missed, days on projects, and projects charged.

(12) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

Maintain the MEC agenda; solicit agenda items from members of the MEC
Reserve meeting space and other meeting resources as needed
Make arrangements for MEC hotel accommodations and meals
Perform month-end financial reconciliation activities including:
- Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company
- Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss
- Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International
- Review and approve expense reports
- Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports
Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

This position is budgeted for 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle to attend meetings and as needed. Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
No relocation or accommodation reimbursement is provided for this position.
The MEC Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC Vice President during vacation and as needed. S/he is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President if the president and vice president are simultaneously unavailable.

Working Relationships

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

Constant interaction with the LEC Presidents, other LEC Officers, and other MEC Officers

With MEC Committees

Constant interaction with MEC Committee Chairs and Committee Members.

With Management

Constant interaction with Alaska Airlines management, particularly within the inflight and labor relations departments

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA international officers and staff members

Term of Office

The regular term of office is for three years, beginning on January 1, 2020 and concluding on December 31, 2022.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews and conduct elections during the regular November MEC meeting on Tuesday, November 5 and Wednesday, November 6, 2019. Bid around these dates or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/DoRD4akQcakcuWRn9. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, October 29. After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account. If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

If you have any questions about MEC duties and responsibilities or the election process, please email officers@afaalaska.org.

AFA Update – August 16, 2019

August 16, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

Hotel Crew Room Blocks Card Now Online
REMINDER: Human Rights Committee Forming
TAKE ACTION: Stop Toxic Fumes!
Cabin Air Quality Resources

Hotel Crew Hotel Room Blocks Card Now Online

Hotel Committee

Your AFA Hotel Committee has succeeded in their effort to have the Crew Hotel Room Blocks card uploaded to an easily accessible location on both the Inflight website and the IMD. The Crew Hotel Room Blocks card (commonly known as the “purple card”) is a quick reference card that provides information about appropriate hotel room features and room locations. This card can be shown to hotel staff when you are assigned a hotel room that does not meet the requirements of the company’s contract with the hotel in order to hopefully remedy the situation on-the-spot.

Going forward, the Crew Hotel Room Blocks card will be published on the first page of the monthly Hotel Hotline document. The Hotel Hotline can be found on the Flight Attendant website under Hotel, Travel & Station > Hotel Hotline. On the IMD, you can find the Hotel Hotline under ASFASupplemental > Hotel Hotline.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Local Hotel Committee.

REMINDER: Human Rights Committee Forming

Human Rights Committee

In 2018, the AFA Board of Directors approved the creation of Human Rights Committees across AFA, with committees to be formed at each Local Council and MEC. Members of the Human Rights Committee will work to promote activities that foster greater understanding of one another and the diversity of our membership in order to build the strength of our Union through our common struggles and goals rather than allowing others to divide us by our differences. This work will involve close coordination with local community and CWA allies to engage in efforts that advance both human rights and worker’s rights.

As part of the formation of the Committee, volunteer involvement opportunities are available both at the local level (Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson) and the airline level (MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson). If you are interested in filling the role of Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson, please refer to recent communications from your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers or contact your LEC President.

MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson

Information about the MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson can be found in the August 2, 2019 AFA Update.

The MEC will hold interviews for the position of MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson during the September MEC meeting on Tuesday, September 17. Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/bns2FHqC11PLe3889. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, September 10. After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account. If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

TAKE ACTION: Stop Toxic Fumes!

Government Affairs Committee

The Cabin Air Safety Act of 2019 aims to protect airline passengers and crew from the harmful effects of toxic cabin air.

“Our workspace is the public’s travel space and in that space today, crews and passengers are breathing toxins and it has to stop,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson.

Call your Representative and Senators today and tell them to cosponsor the Cabin Air Safety Act. The House bill is H.R. 2208 and the Senate bill is S. 1112.

Call Your Representative: 866-937-4359

Call Your Senators: 877-750-7411

“Hi, my name is_________. As a constituent and a Flight Attendant, I am calling to ask you to cosponsor the Cabin Air Safety Act of 2019. Flight Attendants and passengers can be exposed to toxic fumes in the cabin. We need the FAA to intervene and implement protections. Support clean air onboard for passengers and Flight Attendants!”

AFA’s efforts to improve the cabin environment span the last three decades, from advocating for smoke-free skies to stopping poisonous pesticide spraying to addressing the dangers of contaminated bleed air. We advocate that the airline industry either end the use of engine bleed air for cabin air supply like on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or mitigate the circulation of contaminated air. In 2015, AFA was an active member of the ICAO task group that published Circular 344, which advises airlines to enhance their operational procedures to minimize onboard exposure to smoke and fumes. This led to an FAA Safety Alert published in 2018. This is progress, but it doesn’t go far enough.

“Most Americans go to work with the expectation of breathing clean air. Flight Attendants don’t have this guarantee, and it is past time for that to change,” AFA President Sara Nelson said.

Cabin Air Quality Resources

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Air Quality Subcommittee

Your AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) and Air Quality Subcommittee have worked with AFA International to put together a number of tools and resources to use in the event of a cabin air fume event. Some of the resources available are listed below.

Air Quality Fume Event FAQs

The Committee has compiled a comprehensive question and answer document to help provide information about many of the questions and concerns that have been received about cabin air fume events.

You can access the Q&A document by clicking here.

Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card

The Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card is a wallet sized card that explains what to do in a contaminated cabin air exposure event. The card can be kept in a badge holder behind your company ID or in your wallet.

The card was recently updated by the Committee and now includes information about the Airbus fleet. If you currently have an older version of the card, please destroy your old card and replace it with a newly updated one. The updated cards are currently being distributed to each domicile.

Look for more information from your Local Council about where to pick one up at your base. You can access and print the card on the AFA Alaska website by clicking here.

AFA Alaska Website

Additional air quality information, including a flow chart that describes what to do in a cabin air fume event, can be found at afaalaska.org under Committees > Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC) > Air Quality.

Questions?

If you have additional questions about cabin air quality or the AFA resources available, please email airquality@afaalaska.org or contact a member of your Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC).

AFA Update – July 19, 2019

July 19, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

Cabin Air Quality Reporting Form
Air Quality Fume Event Q&A
Let’s Talk It Out–AFA Professional Standards

Cabin Air Quality Reporting Form

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) – Air Quality Subcommittee

On June 10, 2019, management issued Emergency Interim Bulletin (EIB) 19-11 regarding Cabin Air Quality. This EIB was subsequently incorporated into the FAM with revision 51, which became effective July 10, 2019. The information is contained in section 2.700, pages 1-5.

Along with this update, management launched the new Cabin Air Quality Reporting Form (form 2-5366). This form can be found onboard in the Stationery Kit on all aircraft and should be used in a suspected cabin air quality event.

The form is an excellent resource which was developed with input from your AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC). It provides step-by-step guidance to identify and describe the indicators of the event (type of odor/location/source/phase of flight, etc.). The completed form is then used to concisely relay the information to the Flight Deck in a timely manner, allowing the pilots to take the possible steps to mitigate the situation and communicate to maintenance. Both pilots and maintenance are familiar with the new form and look to Flight Attendants to use the form to report possible events.

The Cabin Air Quality Report Form should not be confused with the AFA Onboard Air Quality Checklist. The AFA form was previously developed by AFA to help provide Flight Attendants with a tool to use in a suspected cabin fume event. As there is no longer a need to use the AFA Onboard Air Quality Checklist, please discontinue using the checklist and destroy any copies that you may have. Going forward, the company’s Cabin Air Quality Reporting Form should be used in any suspected cabin fume events.

In a suspected fume event, it is recommended that you work with your fellow crew members to quickly complete the form, take a picture of the form with your IMD for your records, and notify the Flight Deck as well as hand off the form to the Flight Deck. By taking a picture of the completed form (and sharing it with your crew), the information can be used to help with any subsequent debriefings and to complete the required FAIR (Flight Attendant Incident Report) and voluntary ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program Report).

Air Quality Fume Event Q&A

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) – Air Quality Subcommittee

To better understand Air Quality Fume Events, your AFA Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) strongly recommends you read the AFA Air Quality Fume Event Q&A document, which can be accessed by clicking here. This resource is specific to procedures at Alaska Airlines and was created in collaboration with the AFA International Air Safety, Health, & Security Department and your AFA Alaska ASHSC.

Let’s Talk It Out—AFA Professional Standards

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) & Professional Standards Committee

AFA encourages the use of Professional Standards whenever a member is experiencing a concern about or a conflict with a flying partner. Professional Standards provides members with an informal and confidential process to disclose and resolve such problems.

Professional Standards offers:

An opportunity for involved parties to maintain control over the outcome of a conflict
Acts as an alternative to the supervisory-discipline model
Reduces expenditure of resources in the grievance process

Professional Standards does not monitor or evaluate work performance, “fix” or “change” others’ behaviors or “investigate” the activities of its members.

Professional Standards exists to help members resolve co-worker conflicts/concerns involving or stemming from:

Personality clashes
Differences in communication and/or interaction style
Work and/or personal habits
Offensive conduct
Physical and/or emotional health

Professional Standards will not accept complaints involving:

Issues addressed by corporate policy, federal aviation regulations or inflight handbooks
Issues where management is actively involved
Training or skill deficiencies
Contract issues
AFA political matters

Professional Standards contact information can be found on the EAP/Professional Standards Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Safety Concerns with the Reconfigured Airbus “Aura” Cabins

March 8, 2019 19:00

The AFA Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) has brought forward a member’s safety concerns regarding the interior aft assist handles at the L1 and R1 exit doors on the reconfigured Alaska (“Aura”) Airbus 319, 320 and 321. AFA is also reviewing the placement of seats with relation to the L2 and R2 mid-cabin exits and the potential for those seats to interfere with the expeditious activation of the exits and to impede egress in an emergency evacuation. To keep this communication shorter, we will focus on the L1 and R1 aft assist handles but be assured that AFA is working both issues.

What are the concerns?

The reconfigured Aura bulkheads that are immediately aft of L1 and R1 (separating 1AC from the forward jumpseats on aircraft left and 1DF and the forward galley on aircraft right) have been relocated farther forward than the bulkheads on Legacy Virgin America (“Red”) aircraft.

Why is this a concern?

The bulkheads are now very close to the aft assist handles, effectively rendering the handles unusable.

This is significant because many if not most Flight Attendants cannot maintain a grip on the forward assist handle while simultaneously pulling the inflation handle at the exit. In such circumstances, Flight Attendants have been trained to ‘monkey’ over to the aft assist handle in order to maintain a protected position while pulling the inflation handle. The Flight Attendant is then supposed to ‘monkey’ back over to the forward assist handle prior to commanding abled bodied persons (ABPs) to initiate the evacuation. If a Flight Attendant cannot use the aft assist handle, it is more likely the FA will be pushed out of the aircraft while pulling the inflation handle. This situation unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

What is being done?

Management’s response

Once management was alerted to the issues by AFA, it has been very responsive. On Wednesday, March 6, management and AFA conducted a joint site visit to an Aura A320 during the aircraft’s turn time in Seattle in order to better understand AFA’s concerns. Management posted the following alert on the Inflight webpage later that evening:

AFA has brought forward concerns to Inflight management that the new Aura retrofit interior on A320 and A321 aircraft have a narrow space between the bulkhead wall and the aft assist handle at the L1/R1 exits.
Although the Aura retrofit interior is FAA approved, we are currently working with Maintenance & Engineering and the vendor who installed the interior to determine improved functionality. In the next several days, management will be holding cross-divisional meetings to explore alternate options.
We want you to be safe. Our advice is if you cannot use the aft assist handle, secure yourself by any means necessary to ensure you are protected. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Management conducted a follow-up safety risk management (SRM) assessment on the issues earlier today (March 8, 2019). In the SRM meeting, management pledged to actively explore long-term solutions to the concerns. More meetings are scheduled next week.

AFA’s response

Besides AFA bringing the issue to management’s attention over the past week, the Master Executive Council (MEC) filed two contractual grievances yesterday:

Grievance 36-99-2-40-19 Violation of Section 25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace alleges that management failed to provide a safe and healthy workplace when it installed new bulkheads on the retrofitted Airbus (“Aura”) aircraft that effectively renders the aft assist handles near doors L1/R1 as unusable and unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.
Grievance 36-99-2-41-19 Violation of Section 25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision alleges that management failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design.

AFA ASHSC representatives participated in the SRM meeting earlier today, and AFA will continue to actively interface with management on these issues until long-term solutions to our concerns have been implemented.

In the meantime, AFA recommends that Flight Attendants submit a confidential Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) report in order to document their safety concerns. These confidential reports are tracked and actioned upon by the FAA, the Company and AFA.

Be assured your safety is of paramount importance to us and stay tuned for further developments!

In Solidarity

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee; MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams; MEC Air Safety Health and Security (ASHSC) Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple and ASHSC Vice Chairperson-Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Brad Young

AFA Update – September 13, 2019

AFA Update – August 30, 2019

AFA Update – August 16, 2019