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Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – March 28, 2020

In This Edition

  • Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
  • Staffing Adjustment Leave, Low Bid Option or …?
  • Pre-Cancellations Due to COVID-19 Schedule Changes (Section 10.S)
  • Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) Sequences During COVID-19 Schedule Disruptions

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

The AFA-CWA International Officers sent out an AFA Interactive message yesterday regarding the House of Representatives passing vote on the CARES Act, the hard work that went into achieving the relief package, and the upcoming work that will need to be done to implement the bill.  You can read the entire message by clicking here.

What Happens Next?

Now that the CARES Act has been passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, the work begins to implement the bill.  The language within the CARES Act is extensive and both AFA and management are conducting an extensive review to ensure that there is a full understanding of the contents.   

AFA representatives have received many questions about how the relief package will apply to Flight Attendants, how management intends to manage staffing, how unemployment benefits might apply to the various leaves of absence available, and many more. It is critical that your AFA leaders understand how the CARES Act, our collective bargaining agreement (CBA), state and federal benefits and any other significant factors interact.  We thank you in advance for your patience while we work through the answers to these and other questions over the coming week.

Staffing Adjustment Leave, Low Bid Option or …?

Many of you are looking to AFA for guidance whether to take one of the approximately 2700 (!) 30-day Staffing Adjustment Leaves or one of the approximately 205 Low Bid Options for May or to hold out for potentially something else. The Master Executive Council (MEC) completely understands. You have our commitment to be as transparent as possible and to keep you informed regarding the latest information and developments. There is a lot of material to absorb, so we are taking a few days to educate ourselves before we communicate more to the Membership.

In the meantime, management has agreed to extend the deadline for applying for a Staffing Adjustment Leave or Low Bid Option to Monday, April 6, 2020 at 0900 PT. This will give everyone more time to consider their options.

Additionally, management has agreed to work with AFA to potentially revisit the COVID-19 Staffing Adjustment Leaves and the other COVID-19 leaves already in effect in order to provide maximal benefit to Flight Attendants and to the Company depending on the implications of the CARES Act. Because of this commitment, we do not have concerns with Flight Attendants submitting an application for any of the leaves at this time.

Pre-Cancellations Due to COVID-19 Schedule Changes (Section 10.S)

Scheduling Committee

Due to the unprecedented number of flight cancellations on a daily basis, Flight Attendants have reported difficulty in achieving timely assistance from Crew Scheduling and receiving phone calls for non-urgent issues at all hours of the night. Crew Scheduling is overwhelmed with the sheer number of cancellations, pairing modifications and associated follow-up.

AFA and management have agreed to temporarily modify the notification procedures under Section 10.S [Pre-Cancellations] from Sunday, March 29, 2020 at midnight PT (Saturday night tonight) to April 30, 2020 at 2359 PT.

*** Crew Scheduling will continue to give notice of cancellation per contract but not until the departure date of the sequence is within 7days. ***

For sequences more than 7 days out:

  • To waive pay protection: If FA wishes to waive pay protection for a sequence containing one or more legs of cancelled flying, please email CrewSked.FADesk@alaskaair.com. Crew Scheduling will process timely per the LOA but no more than 24 hours after submission.
  • To not waive pay protection: If FA wishes to review alternative options and not waive pay protection, please wait to call Crew Scheduling until it is one day prior to the departure date of the sequence.

For sequences 2 to 7 days out:

  • To waive pay protection: If FA wishes to waive pay protection for a sequence containing one or more legs of cancelled flying, please email CrewSked.FADesk@alaskaair.com. Crew Scheduling will process timely per the LOA but no more than 24 hours after submission.
  • To not waive pay protection: If FA wishes to review alternative options and not waive pay protection, please wait to call until it is one day prior to the departure date of the sequence.

For sequences 1 day out: (i.e. the day prior to the departure date of the sequence):

  • Call Crew Scheduling per contract

More details can be found in the Pre-Cancellations Due to COVID-19 Schedule Changes Letter of Agreement.

Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) Sequences During COVID-19 Schedule Disruptions (Section 10.DD)

Scheduling Committee

AFA and management would also like to reduce the number of unnecessary mid-continental (“mid-con”) remain overnights (RONs) for Flight Attendants resulting from schedule disruptions related to COVID-19.

AFA and management have agreed to temporarily allow Crew Scheduling to build additional Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) sequences that are not already in the bid packet (i.e. following bid awards) under Section 10.DD.11 [Pre-Cancellations] from Sunday, March 29, 2020 at midnight PT (Saturday night tonight) to April 30, 2020 at 2359 PT.

More details can be found in the Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4k”) Sequences During COVID-19 Schedule Disruptions Letter of Agreement.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – March 21, 2020

In This Edition

  • URGENT: Tell Congress to Put People First
  • Applying for COVID-19 Related Temporary Leaves of Absence
  • COVID-19 Resources

URGENT: Tell Congress to Put People First

A person standing in front of a crowd Description automatically generated

Government Affairs Committee

The coronavirus pandemic is decimating our aviation industry. It is a public health crisis and it is creating a financial catastrophe that dwarfs the economic cost of the Great Recession and September 11th combined.

We’ve seen catastrophe before. We know what didn’t work before and we won’t let those things happen again. We need relief that focuses on real people. And we have a plan for that.

Flight Attendants and other aviation workers have been on the frontlines of the coronavirus emergency from day one. Before most Americans knew what COVID-19 meant, we were calling for government action to keep it from disrupting our lives and our economy.

Our plan is focused on keeping people on the payroll and stopping furloughs. Airlines are burning cash so quickly they will not be able to meet payroll within a few months, if not a few weeks. You will see furlough announcements that reflect this, but know this: we are working with airlines to get relief that keeps the paychecks going without furloughs.

Washington is gearing up to save aviation. But we cannot accept another “no strings attached” government bailout for corporations and their executives that leaves Flight Attendants and aviation workers behind. This time it will be a RELIEF package focused on workers first with no stock buybacks or dividends and no executive bonuses.

Send a letter to your members of Congress to demand that any public relief plan be a People First plan with legally-binding rules, including (but not limited to):

  1. Paycheck continuation without furloughs/layoffs
  2. No stock buybacks
  3. No executive bonuses
  4. No dividends
  5. No breaking union contracts
Click here to take action now

Amplify Your Message with a Call

Call your Senators now and tell them to support our position on a People First relief package for aviation.

Call (855) 973-4213 and tell your Senator:

“Airline relief must put workers first. I am a Flight Attendant. Congress needs to keep us in our jobs by providing the airlines with the money to keep our paychecks going. That keeps us connected to our healthcare too. We need to stay in our jobs so we can restart our economy quickly once the virus is contained. Stop mass furloughs that will hurt us now and long after the virus is gone. Any package must include direct assistance to aviation companies to keep us on the job and our paychecks going”

Read more about our plan in this article >

Applying for COVID-19 Related Temporary Leaves of Absence

Benefits Committee

Information about new COVID-19 related temporary leaves of absence (LOAs) was communicated in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update on March 13, 2020 and in a corresponding email from former Vice President of Inflight Ron Calvin.  These temporary LOAs include:

  • Educational Disruption Leave of Absence (EDLOA) – for Flight Attendants who cannot fulfill their scheduling obligations due to the closure of their minor child’s school or childcare provider due to COVID-19.
  • Voluntary Quarantine Leave of Absence (VQLOA) – for Flight Attendants who are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 as determined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Flight Attendants who reside in the same household as increased risk individuals, and Flight Attendants who wish to remove themselves from the workplace due to suspected exposure to COVID-19 (no diagnosis or symptoms are required)
  • COVID-19 Workplace Exposure Leave of Absence (CEWLOA) – for Flight Attendants who are recommended or required to go into isolation/monitoring or quarantine due to work-related exposure to COVID-19.  The recommendation or requirement for isolation/monitoring or quarantine must be from the Company, the Flight Attendant’s physician or other qualified healthcare provider, the CDC, the local Department of Health, or other applicable government agency.

More details about these LOA options, including eligibility and documentations requirements, can be found in the COVID-19 Leaves of Absence and Related Mitigations Memorandum of Understanding.  In addition, other contractual leave options including medical leaves of absence and FMLA remain available for those who qualify.

How Do I Apply for a COVID-19 Related Temporary LOA?

Management has created a specific Alaska’s World page with information and links to apply for the various COVID-19 related LOAs.  You can access the page by clicking here.  If you have already contacted Matrix or the HR/People Resource telephone line to apply for a non-medical leave (EDLOA or VQLOA), you MUST also complete the corresponding form on this page.

Note: management’s “school closure leave” form (corresponds with EDLOA) indicates that the LOA may only be used for minor children aged 0-14.  This references is incorrect as the COVID-19 Leaves of Absence and Related Mitigations Memorandum of Understanding defines minor children as “children under the age of 18 who have not yet graduated from high school”.  AFA representatives have requested that management update this form as soon as possible to reflect the correct, agreed-upon definition.

Questions?

If you have any questions about leaves of absence, please contact your Local Benefits Committee.

COVID-19 Resources

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – March 13, 2020

In This Edition

  • Continuing to Advocate for Flight Attendant Protections
  • COVID-19 Related Temporary Leaves of Absence
  • Company COVID-19 Resources
  • Maternity Roundtable Cancelled
  • COVID-19 PST Cancellation Exception
  • Managing Your Anxiety Around Coronavirus

Continuing to Advocate for Flight Attendant Protections

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

An AFA communication from March 3 (Coronavirus [COVID-19] Update) contained a comprehensive list of the requests that AFA had made of management at the time.  AFA Alaska officers and representatives have been in constant communication with management since that time to continue to advocate for these requests along with additional protective measures and changes to company policy/procedures to protect our Flight Attendants.  AFA has requested that management post a copy of this list along with the current status of each request.  Once management posts the list, we will provide a link to the information.

COVID-19 Related Temporary Leaves of Absence

Benefits Committee

AFA and management have agreed to the implementation several temporary leaves of absence (LOAs) and other mitigations to offset the impact of COVID-19.  These temporary LOAs include:

  • Educational Disruption Leave of Absence (EDLOA) – for Flight Attendants who cannot fulfill their scheduling obligations due to the closure of their minor child’s school or childcare provider due to COVID-19.
  • Voluntary Quarantine Leave of Absence (VQLOA) – for Flight Attendants who are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 as determined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Flight Attendants who reside in the same household as increased risk individuals, and Flight Attendants who wish to remove themselves from the workplace due to suspected exposure to COVID-19 (no diagnosis or symptoms are required)
  • COVID-19 Workplace Exposure Leave of Absence (CEWLOA) – for Flight Attendants who are recommended or required to go into isolation/monitoring or quarantine due to work-related exposure to COVID-19.  The recommendation or requirement for isolation/monitoring or quarantine must be from the Company, the Flight Attendant’s physician or other qualified healthcare provider, the CDC, the local Department of Health, or other applicable government agency.

All of these temporary LOA options provide the ability for Flight Attendants to purchase and maintain health insurance at active employee rates even if you do not have enough sick leave and/or vacation/Longevity PTO to coordinate with an approved Medical Leave of Absence or other LOA directly related to COVID-19.

More details about these LOA options, including eligibility and documentations requirements, can be found in the COVID-19 Leaves of Absence and Related Mitigations Memorandum of Understanding. 

How Do I Apply For One of These LOAs?

Please contact Matrix at 1-888-205-2590 to apply for one of the COVID-19 temporary LOAs.

Questions?

If you have any questions about leaves of absence, please contact your Local Benefits Committee.

Company COVID-19 Resources

Management has created a subsite of Alaska’s World that contains the latest company news and updates on COVID-19 along with a list of actions being taken by management, several FAQ pages, and a resources page.  To access the subsite, click the Coronavirus (COVID-19) banner above the Water Cooler link on Alaska’s World or click here.

Maternity Roundtable Cancelled

Benefits Committee

The Maternity Roundtable event scheduled in Seattle on Friday, March 27 has been cancelled.  Assistance with maternity-related questions is always available from the Local Benefits Committee.

COVID-19 PST Cancellation Exception

Management has announced a temporary exception for cancellation of positive space travel (PST) reservations due to COVID-19.  Effective March 12, 2020, any PST reservations canceled within 14-days of departure will be returned to the Employee’s Fly account.  In order to have your credits returned to you, you will need to submit a request through the Fly website.  From the Fly home page, click on the “Contact Us” tab in the menu bar and choose the subject “Positive Space Travel”. In the message box, indicate that you would like to cancel your reservation due to COVID-19 and be sure to include your confirmation code. Employee Travel will cancel your PST reservation for you and redeposit the credits back to your Fly account.

Managing Your Anxiety Around Coronavirus

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new risk, not a familiar one.  Its status as a new health problem with which we are unfamiliar contributes to our heightened anxiety.  Remember, anxiety is a protective measure.  It’s signaling you to scan for risks and find methods to safeguard yourself.  Embrace your anxiety for what it is…. a “pay-attention” signal.   However, ensuring that your anxiety doesn’t exceed your ability to continue functioning is important.  Below are some suggestions that may help you modulate worry so it remains in the healthy response range for you and your family. 

Get The Facts

Find credible sources of information about protective measures from sources you can trust.  This might include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, your local or state public health agencies, your family physician and AFA. 

Assess Your Vulnerability to Continuous News

Although you will want to keep informed, limit worry and agitation by lessening the time you spend watching or listening to upsetting media coverage. Remember to take a break from watching the news and focus on the things that are positive in your life and things you have control over. 

Take Action

Engage in protective measures recommended by reliable sources so you can continue to function.   Taking effective action steps not only protects you physically but emotionally.  Action provides us with a sense of control.  It reduces or “grounds” our anxiety.  You may have discovered some action steps that were particularly effective for you when past national health alerts occurred.  Borrow what worked for you then and use those techniques now.   

Keep Connected

Maintaining social networks can foster a sense of normalcy and provide valuable outlets for sharing feelings and relieving stress. Remain flexible in your methods of connecting with others especially if vulnerable friends and family have chosen to engage in social distancing. 

Communicate With Your Children

Discuss the news coverage of the coronavirus with age-appropriate information. Parents can help allay distress by focusing children on routines and schedules. Remember that children will observe your behaviors and emotions for cues on how to manage their own feelings during this time.

Seek Additional Help

If your worry begins to amplify beyond the protective range and into the overwhelming range seek assistance.   Your AFA EAP can help you identify local professional help.  If you are already under professional care for an anxiety disorder stay in close communication with your treating provider. Virtual therapy sessions may even be available to you.  AFA EAP can be contacted at (949) 470-0493.

AFA Update – February 7, 2020 *REVISED*

**Revised with new information as of February 7, 2020 6 PM PST**

In This Edition

  • Recurrent Training 2020 – Interim Update
  • Flight Attendants Call for Responsible Halt to China Flights
  • Maternity Roundtable Event

Recurrent Training 2020 – Interim Update

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Since last week’s AFA update on Recurrent Training (RT), management has been working to make changes to the program based on feedback from Flight Attendants and our AFA representatives.  Several AFA officers and representatives have been observing and auditing this process to ensure contractual compliance and to advocate for positive changes to the program for all Flight Attendants.

Management has advised the Master Executive Council (MEC) that they will be releasing several communications over the next few days related to the status of the RT program and the timeline for classes to be relaunched.  The MEC plans to release an additional update early next week in response to management’s communication.

Flight Attendants Call for Responsible Halt to China Flights

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

AFA International issued this statement following last night’s travel advisory change by U.S. State Department to “do not travel to China” and the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the coronavirus is a “global health emergency”:

“AFA is calling for clear direction from our government to U.S. airlines to pull down all travel to China until the spread of coronavirus is contained. The government must work with our airlines to discontinue all service, with consideration for evacuation of flight crew, and with consideration to service that facilitates efforts by public health officials to contain spread of the virus,” stated Sara Nelson, AFA-CWA International President.

“The coronavirus may be spread by infected persons not yet displaying symptoms. For this reason, it is critical that any crew potentially infected through travel to and from China not be assigned to any additional flights until safely through the fourteen day incubation period. These crews must be pay protected for any scheduled flights and provided with the means to get food and other supplies while remaining out of public contact. This action is also on the AFA communicable disease checklist provided to all of our airlines again on January 21, 2020.

“We need responsible leadership from our government and we need it now. We will continue to work with our airlines, who have been exceeding precautions suggested by the administration – albeit now these actions are clearly not enough. This must end now. This is an emergency and our government must take a leadership role, in consultation with all stakeholders, in order to end this public health threat and protect American workers.”

Maternity Roundtable Event

Benefits Committee

Are you having a baby in 2020 or just thinking about it?  AFA Council 19 (Seattle) will be hosting a Maternity Roundtable event on March 27 from 11 to 3 PM.  Come have your questions answered related to maternity leaves, benefits, and other work-related considerations.  Though the event will be held in Seattle, it is open to all Flight Attendants regardless of base.

Location

SeaTac Office Center South Tower
18000 Pacific Highway South 
Earhart Conference Room, Lower Plaza Level 
SeaTac, WA 98188

The building is a short walk from the airport, located in the same building as 13 Coins Restaurant (between the Hilton and Radisson hotels).  Free parking is available.

Conference Call Option

For those who are interested in participating but are unable to attend in person, a conference call option will be available.  Please indicate your interest in participating by conference call when sending your RSVP and the call-in information will be provided to you.

RSVP

Please RSVP to SEA Local Benefits Committee Chairperson Kathy O’Malley by email at benefitsassist@hotmail.com or by text at (425) 238-8219 if you are interested in attending.

[L-AS] Maternity Grievance Settlement

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants

This information applies to Legacy Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants who were on a maternity leave of absence any time from December 2014 to approximately December 2017.

Most, if not all affected Flight Attendants, have received an email from AFA requesting information related to their maternity leave of absence.  Based on information received from the Company and these surveys, the MEC Grievance Committee has put together documentation containing proposed restitution affected Flight Attendants may be entitled to, if any.

Affected Flight Attendants may be entitled to restitution if:

  • They were forced to maximum coordinate (use 70 TFP) when they requested minimum coordination (9 TFP); or
  • They were removed from active payroll/paid leave status which also barred them from continuing to purchase active employee rate health insurance.

If an affected Flight Attendant purchased COBRA or other outside insurance, the last day to provide full documentation is Monday, May 28, 2018.

If you are an affected Flight Attendant and are curious to what AFA determined your personal proposed restitution to be or if you have any questions, please contact MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams at stephanie.adams@afaalaska.org.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2024

Scheduling Committee On Tuesday, September 24, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons/Representatives 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), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes & Russel Rivinius (PDX), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty […]

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2024

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) On Tuesday, September 10, 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 in person were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin […]

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2024

Inflight Service Committee On Thursday, September 17, our AFA Inflight Service 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 Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX), and Andrew Malone […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2024

Reserve Committee On Thursday, September 12, representatives from our AFA Local Reserve Committees met to discuss their ongoing work to advocate for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Brandi Urban (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Meghan Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Adrian Alcantara (SAN). Also present was MEC Reserve […]

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2024

Uniform Committee On Wednesday, August 7th, the AFA Local Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Present at the meeting were Dana Butchen (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), David Jelinek (PDX), Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather Holmes (LAX), JP Perina (SAN), and MEC Uniform […]

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