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Coping with Reaction to Terrorism

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Acts of terrorism and threats of continued attacks are purposefully designed to scare people and to disrupt lives. For most people, it is common and normal to experience feelings of anxiety, sadness, grief and anger. It is important to remember, however, that everyone may react differently. Some people may have a more profound reaction to these events than others because each of us has our own tolerance level for difficult feelings. To cope with these emotions, the National Mental Health Association offers you and your family some tips to help manage distress and build resilience.

Take a News Break

Find your personal balance between staying informed and listening to or watching too much coverage of terrorism. Excessive exposure can negatively impact your ability to cope. This includes social media sites that can also be a source of distress.

Maintain Daily Routines and Connections

Make time for your own tried and true stress management techniques which could include regular exercise, social outings, favorite pastimes and spiritual services. Routines provide a sense of “normalcy”, comfort and stability. They are helpful in diverting us from anxious thoughts and worries. Our social connections can also serve as valuable outlets for sharing feelings and relieving stress.

Have A Plan

In times of uncertainty, take control of what you can reasonably control. Having an emergency plan in place will make you feel more in control and prepared for emergencies. Establish a clear plan for how you, your family, friends and flying partners will respond and connect in the event of a crisis.

Seek Out Professional Care If You Are Having Trouble Coping

If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed and unable to use the tips listed above, you may want to consider talking to a professional. Professional guidance may help you strengthen your resilience and perseverance through difficult times. Your local AFA EAP committee representatives can provide you with peer support and help you locate a professional referral. You can find the roster and contact numbers of your local committee representatives at http://www.afacwa.org/eap under “Your Local EAP Rep”.  You can also call (800) 424-2406 for your local EAP committee representatives’ phone numbers.

“Wings of Sobriety” Telephonic Meetings

A message from your AFA Alaska EAP Committee

Wings of Sobriety telephonic meetings for Flight Attendants in recovery or wishing to explore their substance use concerns are scheduled for:

  • Wednesdays at 3 PM EST
  • Saturdays at 9 AM EST

Each meeting will last up to one (1) hour.  The conference call in number is 1-855-544-2320.  For International dialing Instructions, please hit the link below or visit our website at http://www.fadap.org/wingsofsobriety.

Flight Attendant Recovery Story

A former Flight Attendant shares her personal journey into recovery.  Click here to read the story.

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Mental Health Resolutions for the New Year

 

A message from your AFA Alaska Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

The New Year is not just a ritual. It is the celebration of new hopes and dreams. It is an opportunity to start with a clean slate. Typically, New Year resolutions tend to focus on weight, general health and finances.   But, what might the new year offer us if we used it as an opportunity to commit to improvements in our emotional and mental well-being. Below are seven positive mental health resolutions that you can borrow for your new year.

  1. “I will treat myself with respect and speak nicely about myself.” Try taping a list of positive characteristics about yourself in various places throughout the house to remind you of these affirmations.
  2. “I will be physically active on a daily basis.” Multiple studies show a link between exercise and improved mental health.
  3. “I will act and not react.” Many times we feel like everyone is “pushing our buttons”. When this happens, we are caught up in a reaction cycle. If you know you’ll be around someone who says negative things, plan for this and have a list in your head of disarming statements. You might even consider modifying your plans to limit exposure to negative people.
  4. “I will learn to relax and enjoy.” Many times we become so busy we forget how or even when to take care of ourselves. Find or “re-discover” an activity that is relaxing and enjoyable to you. Dedicate time to this daily or at a minimum, weekly.
  5. “I will be mindful.” Being mindful is about staying in the moment. We cannot change yesterday and we cannot predict tomorrow. We do, however, have control over our attentiveness in the here and now. So, commit to being aware in the moment, and enjoy that moment.
  6. “I will work towards being the person I want to be.” When we see life as a journey and a time to continue to be the person we desire to be, we find hope and fulfillment in our tomorrows.
  7. “I will resolve to be mentally healthy”. There is still a stigma about seeing a mental health professional. However, it is truly one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves. A therapist gives us an unbiased ear and can also help us to understand why we do the things we do … think of seeing a therapist as a mental health oil change. If you need assistance finding a referral, give your AFA EAP a call. Your local AFA EAP committee members are listed at www.afacwa.org/eap.   We are just a phone call away.

These suggestions have been adapted from an email written by Chip Coffey, the Director of Outpatient Services at St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center.

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Personal Strategies for Approaching the Fourteenth Anniversary of September 11th

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Personal Strategies for Approaching the Fourteenth Anniversary of September 11th

From Your AFA EAP

 

 

Here we are, fourteen years after. We don’t need to ask ’after what?’ We all remember. Like life in general, fourteen years can seem like an eternity and, at the same time, like the blink of an eye.

 

Looking back, how many of us would have predicted the resiliency that our profession has shown since September 11, 2001? Resiliency, the positive capacity to cope with and adapt to stress and adversity, sometimes means returning to a previous state of functioning. But for Flight Attendants, returning to the familiar was not an option. As we watched the events of that day unfold, we knew that our industry and our profession had changed forever. But where and how did our profession find a new way to cope?

 

As our numbness cleared in the months that followed, we reached inward to our own professionalism and outward to our flying partners to begin shaping our new norm. From the scars of September 11th, our profession found its voice.

 

Resilient populations believe that they have the power to take action that will positively affect their situation and their future—that they have an “internal locus of control.” The power of resiliency isn’t a trait; it is the result of taking action. Fighting for enhanced security training, certification, and safer working conditions are examples of our resiliency. Our ability to pick up the pieces and take control, however, relies on our ability to heal. Anniversaries offer an opportunity for healing—a time for acknowledging our memories and experiences; for connecting with others who share in them, and for paying tribute to our individual and collective journeys.

 

Whether you mark this September 11th with private personal gestures such as observing a moment of silence, spending quiet time reflecting, dedicating your flying to our profession, or with collective activities such as ceremonies and memorial services, know that there is no right or better way to recognize the anniversary. The following 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.
  • Don’t compare yourself to how others around you appear to be dealing with the September 11th
  • 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. Isolation can often amplify difficult feelings. Pre-plan now to be with family or friends if you know you have this tendency.
  • Think through in advance how much and the type of anniversary media coverage you can comfortably absorb. Actively monitor and control what news coverage enters your personal space.
  • If you are interested in attending scheduled anniversary events, check local community websites . You can plan your own commemorative good deed for the day or volunteer with others at activities listed at 911day.org
  • Ask for help, support, and opportunities to talk. Your AFA EAP is here to listen. Telephone numbers of your local EAP committee members are listed at afacwa.org under the EAP Section or at afaalaska.org/eap. You can also call the AFA Alaska EAP at 1-949-470-0493 or AFA International EAP at 1-800-424-2406.

Whether you choose to fly on this anniversary or to recognize the day in another way, know that you are part of a Flight Attendant population that celebrates resiliency.

 

Your AFA EAP is here to support you. We are Members helping Members.

 

In tribute to all first responders,

 

Your AFA EAP

AFA Alaska

“Alcohol Policy Revisited”

Alaska Airlines management has postponed implementation of the “same calendar day cutoff” alcohol policy

 

In case you missed the big news in Bulletin 2015-0103 “Alcohol Policy Revisited,” Alaska Airlines Inflight management has postponed implementation of the recently announced “same calendar day cutoff” alcohol policy! The Master Executive Council (MEC) thanks management for taking the additional time to understand the impact of such a policy on our flight attendants. We are also so appreciative of our members’ efforts to engage management regarding this important issue.

AFA research indicates there is no FAA recommendation justifying the proposed policy

 

There are a few points of clarification that we would like to make in regards to the “same calendar day cutoff” policy. All along management has been referencing a nebulous FAA “recommendation” as justification for the same calendar day policy. AFA research indicates that no such recommendation exists.

 

Background on alcohol consumption CFRs and Company policy

 

It is true that at one point in history (prior to the mid-‘90s) Alaska flight attendants operated under such a rule, which currently is applied only to the Alaska pilots, Horizon flight attendants and Horizon pilots. However, 14 CFR 91.17 clearly indicates that pilots are prohibited from consuming alcohol within 8 hours of operating or attempting to operate an aircraft. Flight attendants and dispatchers are also prohibited from consuming alcohol within eight hours of duty. Mechanics may not consume alcohol within four hours of duty. (Yes, four!) You may find it interesting that current Company policy for pilots is the greater of same calendar day or ten hours, flight attendants and dispatchers is ten hours (two hours more than CFRs) and mechanics is eight hours (four hours more than CFRs).

 

FAA’s “suggestion” of 24 hours free from alcohol

 

Inflight writes in Bulletin 2015-0103 “the FAA suggests 24 hours free from alcohol.” This is the only reference that AFA could verify as actually coming from the FAA. Check out the pilot safety brochure entitled “Alcohol and Flying: A Deadly Combination.” This document in no way references flight attendants and also is not specifically targeted at commercial aviation. You will notice it is in the same list of brochures as “Sunglasses for Pilots: Beyond the Image.” The actual “recommendation” is as follows:

 

General Recommendations

As a minimum, adhere to all the guidelines of FAR 91.17:

  • 8 hours from “bottle to throttle”
  • do not fly while under the influence of alcohol
  • do not fly while using any drug that may adversely affect safety

A more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying. This is especially true if intoxication occurred or if you plan to fly IFR. Cold showers, drinking black coffee, or breathing 100% oxygen cannot speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body.

 

As safety professionals, AFA supports the concept that pilots should err on the side of caution. However, we do not believe this “more conservative approach” is an official mandate from the FAA that all crewmembers in commercial aviation should abstain from alcohol use for 24 hours prior to duty. Taken in context, the FAA is simply telling pilots to adhere to the CFR and to use alcohol responsibly.

 

AFA is committed to developing a better reporting system for alcohol-related concerns and vehemently opposes further tightening of the current “10 hour cutoff”

 

Now you have all the facts, as we know them. Going forward, AFA is committed to working with management on developing a better reporting system for alcohol-related concerns that both maximizes our culture of safety and recognizes the modern understanding of substance abuse and addiction. We also remain vehemently opposed to any further tightening of the current “10 hour cutoff.” The MEC has reevaluated our initial conclusion that we cannot grieve a Company policy and AFA will definitely file a grievance on this issue if the situation warrants.

 

* * *

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC EAP/CIRP/PS co-chairpersons Elizabeth Dillon and Jeanne McCleave

AFA Alaska

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

AFA Never Forget Website United Flight 175 Robert J. FangmanAmy N. JarretAmy R. KingKathryn LaBorieAlfred G. MarchandMichael C. TarrouAlicia N. TitusCaptain: Victor SaraciniFirst Officer: Michael HorrocksCustomer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez United Flight 93 Lorraine G. BaySandra BradshawWanda A. GreenCeeCee LylesDeborah WelshCaptain: Jason DahlFirst Officer: Leroy Homer American Flight 11 Barbara AresteguiJeffrey CollmanSara […]

Vacation Survey Now Open

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working diligently to understand and improve the vacation benefits for our Flight Attendants at Alaska and Hawaiian. Your input is essential in ensuring that the vacation provisions we adopt reflect your needs and preferences. To gather your perspectives, […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Negotiations Update The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management.  The SEA NC met with management on September 3 to September 5 in Honolulu. At the negotiating table for this session were: Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants   […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Interviews—October 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the terms of office for the MEC Committee Chairpersons and other MEC-level positions align with those of the MEC Officers. Since the current term for the MEC Officers will conclude on December 31, […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Interviews—October 2025

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants The integration of our Master Executive Councils (MECs) is progressing steadily. Our first group of committees successfully merged on June 1, and we are now planning for another group of committees to merge on November 1. As part of the committee merging process, our […]

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