Grievance Committee

AFA Update – March 25, 2020

March 25, 2020 17:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

In This Edition

Contacting AFA Representatives for Support
Pre-Cancellations (JCBA Section 10.S)
REMINDER: Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity
Grievance Committee Report

Contacting AFA Representatives For Support

As always, AFA representatives remain available to provide assistance during the current situation. In order to provide you with the best possible support, we ask that you continue to reach out using the following methods of contact:

AFA Online Support Center. Contractual concerns, scheduling or reserve problems, and payroll issues can all be reported using the AFA Online Support Center. Once you open a ticket, your concern will be assigned to a specific AFA representative who will assist you in resolving the issue. Click here for more information about the AFA Online Support Center.

E-Mail. Your Local Committee Members, Chairpersons, and LEC Officers can all be contacted by email. Please refer to your Local Council’s committee roster for contact information for each of your committees. Your LEC Officers can also be easily be contacted as a group using by email addresses below. Using the group email address ensures that your question or concern can be addressed as soon as possible by the first available officer.

ANC	anc@afaalaska.org
SEA	sea@afaalaska.org
PDX	pdx@afaalaska.org
SFO	sfo@afaalaska.org
LAX	lax@afaalaska.org
SAN	san@afaalaska.org

When making contact by email, please use your personal email address and not your company-provided Outlook email account. Company-provided email accounts are subject to monitoring by management and there is no expectation or guarantee of privacy.

Telephone Call. Telephone numbers for most Local Committee Members, Chairpersons, and LEC Officers can also be found on your Local Council’s committee roster. If you receive a voicemail prompt, please leave a message that includes your full name, PeopleSoft number, and contact telephone number. Voicemail messages will be returned as soon as possible and within 24 hours.

In order to ensure that your request, question, or concern is properly documented and receives the appropriate follow-up, please limit contact to one of the methods outlined above when reaching out to AFA representatives. Text messages, messages sent to personal social media accounts, and other methods of contact may not necessarily be regularly monitored for AFA-related communications and could cause a significant delay in response.

Pre-Cancellations (JCBA Section 10.S)

Scheduling Committee

Pre-cancellations occur prior to your trip, while reassignments occur same day. Currently, trips are being pre-cancelled, and you may have more than one trip that is affected. Crew Scheduling may offer more than one alternate trip if multiple awarded trips are cancelled when you call.

If you have a pre-cancellation, a CR code will be placed on your roster. You may acknowledge your cancellation on your roster, however the JCBA requires you to call Crew Scheduling. If you fail to contact Crew Scheduling prior to your trip, you must report to work as scheduled. If you are flying during your pre-cancellation, then you are required to call Crew Scheduling no later than release at domicile if the trip reports the next day.

If you do not report at the original show time and you have not contacted Crew Scheduling, you will be subject to the attendance policy and will receive a no-show under Section 32 of the JCBA. Crew Scheduling will send you an email via Outlook and leave a message for you to call them back using your PeopleSoft phone number on file, so ensure your numbers are up to date. You may be offered an alternate assignment (the footprint of which can begin or end 2 hours beyond original footprint of the trip) or you may decline the alternate assignment and waive pay protection. If the flight you are offered has a check in and/or release time outside of the footprint described above, you will have a third option to contact Crew Scheduling the night prior to that assignment. Pay protection may apply depending on the options available at the time you contact Crew Scheduling. Please refer to sections 10.S.2 and 10.S.3 for your contractual options prior to calling Crew Scheduling. Please always remember you are able to decline the alternate assignments and waive pay protection.

The Scheduling Committee has compiled a “cheat sheet” on the pre-cancellation process and section 10.S language that you can access by clicking here.

Questions?

If you have any questions about pre-cancellations or reassignments, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee.

REMINDER: Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews with several Negotiating Committee candidates during the March Regular MEC Meeting. The candidates interviewed in March ranged from less than one year to eight years of Flight Attendant seniority. All candidates who met the original deadline of March 3 to express interest will be given the opportunity to interview and will be included in the candidate pool that the MEC will elect the Negotiating Committee from.

It is important to the MEC that the candidate pool is representative of the entire Flight Attendant group. As such, the MEC has re-opened the expression of interest process for Negotiating Committee Members. Additional interviews will be conducted at the April Regular MEC Meeting. The MEC is specifically seeking additional candidates with 25 years or more of Flight Attendant seniority and/or those with previous negotiating experience. Other candidates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Our current Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) becomes amendable on December 17, 2021 but also contains an early opener clause for the negotiating process to begin as early as December 2020. In anticipation of early openers, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the Negotiating Committee during the April Regular MEC Meeting, to be held April 7 and 8, 2020. All three Negotiating Committee positions are up for interview and consideration. Per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, the MEC President is the chairperson of the Negotiating Committee and rounds out the Committee as the fourth member.

The Negotiating Committee is charged to negotiate and institute the needs and desires of the Flight Attendants into an effective collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Committee should have a good working knowledge of the current CBA and be willing to devote their full time to the Committee during negotiations. The members of this Committee shall serve as the CBA Interpretation Committee until a new agreement is completed.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Flight pay loss (FPL) reimbursement will be provided to Negotiating Committee Members at the rate of 6 TFP at “A” pay for 8 hours of work. FPL is not reimbursed for days that solely contain travel to/from an activity.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the April Regular MEC meeting from April 7-8, 2020. Please plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/YGCUtxVETB3z9aZW7. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Friday, March 27. 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?

Any questions regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

Grievance Committee Update

Grievance Committee

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf. The contract requires a minimum of 13 arbitration dates yearly to dispute discipline/termination cases and contractual issues. AFA typically prioritizes termination cases in order to return a Flight Attendant back to work as soon as possible; however, we seek a balance between discipline and contractual cases. AFA and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate next based on many factors.

Steps of discipline are confirmation of oral warning (COW), written warning (WW), suspension (varied number of days) to termination. COWs, WWs, and suspensions remain in the Flight Attendant’s file for 18 months, and then are removed. If a Flight Attendant is in a step of discipline and gets another violation, the new violation will build on the previous violation. Management doesn’t always progressively travel up the steps of discipline. If management investigates a Flight Attendant for theft or abuse of sick leave, for example, management will terminate the Flight Attendant if there is evidence to support its findings; if there is no evidence, then the Flight Attendant will most likely be issued a record of discussion (ROD). A ROD is not considered discipline. There is no middle ground for certain violations.

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

In order to keep terminations low, we want to give you an idea of what areas management has recently focused on in regard to disciplining (including terminating) Flight Attendants. See below:

Theft. Anything other than an opened/used bottle of water, unused pilot crew meal or purchased food removed from the aircraft will result in termination. (Temporarily there are Covid-19 exceptions).
Sick leave and FMLA abuse—Terminations on the rise due to travel audits among other things. Anything written in the comments posting of trip trades and personal drops can be seen, even if eventually deleted. If management determines abuse it results in termination.
Timecard fraud—For example: Holding the door open to obtain sit pay. Management has terminated for this violation.
Drug/Alcohol violations
Harassment
Reserves commuting during reserve availability period even if self-assigned a trip. Management has terminated for this reason several times.
Social media violations Including “friending” passengers on FB from information gained from the IMD
Commuter Violations-1. Flight Attendant released from DHD and used D8Y home; 2. Flight Attendant used D8Y when they picked up out of base; 3. Flight Attendant used D8Y to/from incorrect cities; and 4. Flight Attendant used D8Y for pleasure travel.
Lost IMD or other required items
Failing to complete CBT—even if Flight Attendant just forgets to hit the close out x at the top to switch it from in process to complete.

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

Arbitration	Thursday, January 30	Disciplinary Grievance
Mediation	Tuesday, March 3	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	Tuesday, March 31 (postponed)	Disciplinary Grievance

Recent Settled Grievances

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-5-16- Non-Negotiated Compensation. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 21 [Compensation] and Section 32 [Attendance Policy], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Railway Labor Act when it awarded, without prior consistent notice, policy and application, $5 gift cards to all Anchorage based Flight Attendants for meeting the daily attendance goal.

Settlement: The Company will issue one $5.00 (five dollar) Starbucks gift card to Flight Attendants who were employed by Alaska Airlines as Flight Attendants as of 12/31/15, except for those based in ANC as of that date. Management agrees not to issue non-negotiated compensation related to the contractual attendance policy. This is not intended as an agreement that non-negotiated compensation is or is not permissible in other circumstances.

Note: The settlement will be distributed when management can obtain the correct information regarding which FAs were based outside of ANC at that point in time.

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-161-19- Violation of §12.E Withholding Trips from Open Time. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.E [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) failed to immediately place all uncovered sequences or portions of sequences including but not limited to sick calls, Management Drop(s), Personal Drop(s), leaves of absence, jury duty, bereavement leave.

Management’s Response: On September 24^th, during a scheduled JCTE release, a bug was unknowingly, and regrettably, introduced to JCTE that caused long delays (up to 10 minutes at times) in trips showing up in Open Time if a scheduler made a change to the sequence. Although the company did not intentionally delay these trips from showing up in Open Time immediately, the bug in the system did cause a delay. For this reason, this grievance is sustained. This issue was resolved with the November 8^th JCTE release.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-20-20-Violation of §25.C.1 Failure to Include ASHSC in Safety Meeting. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.C.1 [Air Safety Health and Security: Safety Meetings], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about January 13, 2020, it failed to include the Air Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) in a reactive safety risk assessment (SRA) meeting regarding unaccompanied minors who are sent to the wrong destinations.

Management’s response: After investigation, I agree with you that we did not appropriately include the ASHSC in the SRA meeting regarding unaccompanied minors who are sent to the wrong destinations. Going forward, the ASHSC will be included in all inflight safety meetings that the Cabin Safety Manager is invited to attend. As such, this grievance is sustained.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-27-20-Violation of §12.F.3 Threshold Sequence Number Determination for Seattle Domicile February 2020. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.3 [Exchange of Sequences: Threshold Sequence Number Determination], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about January 16, 2020, it was discovered Crew Planning did not review and increase the Threshold Sequence Number (TSN) for the Seattle domicile from 12 to 13 for February 2020.

Management’s response: After investigation, I agree with you that we did not appropriately increase the TSN for the Seattle domicile from 12 to 13 for February 2020, prior to Open Time commencing on January 16, 2020. For this reason, this grievance is sustained and the Director of Crew Planning and the Director of Crew Scheduling commit to working together to develop a documented process to ensure this does not happen again in the future.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-30-20-Violation of §30.C.1 Training Pay. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.C.1 [Training: Training Pay/Recurrent Training], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its 2020 Recurrent Training (RT) home study exceeded five (5) hours; per the agreed upon computer based training (CBT) run time test process, the run time was calculated to be six hours and twenty six minutes (6:26).

Management’s response: After investigation, I have found the above referenced information to be true and therefore the grievance is sustained. Our agreed remedy is that each Flight Attendant that completes the 2020 Recurrent Training (RT) home study will receive a flat pay out of $125.00 versus the $75.00 flat pay out referenced in Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.C.1.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-37-20-Violation of §30.A.2 Training Hours. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.A.2 [Training: Hours], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about January 24, 2020, Flight Attendants attending Recurrent Training (RT) in SEA were released at approximately 5:08pm, eight (8) minutes past the contractual release time of 5:00pm.

Management’s response: After investigation, I have found that on the date referenced above, that the class did in fact release at 5:08pm. This class ran late due to the addition of the flashlight exercise at the end of the day. For this reason, the grievance is sustained. The agreed upon remedy is 1 TFP for all Flight Attendants who attended this class.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-125-20-Violation of §30.A.2 Training Hours. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.A.2 [Training: Hours], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about February 14, 2020, Flight Attendants attending Recurrent Training (RT) in ANC were released at approximately 5:28pm, twenty-eight (28) minutes past the contractual release time of 5:00pm.

Management’s response: After investigation, I have found that on the date referenced above, that the class did in fact release at 5:28pm. The R2 training door was not airworthy and had to be re-built late the night before, pushing hands-on and drill evaluations to the second day. For this reason, the grievance is sustained. The agreed upon remedy is 6 TFP for all Flight Attendants who attended this class.

Grievances Recently Filed and Awaiting Response from Management

None

More Information

For more information, including the status of previously filed grievances, please visit the Grievance Committee Activity Page.

Questions?

Please contact your Local Grievance Committee if you have any questions about the Grievance Committee update.

AFA Update – March 6, 2020

March 6, 2020 12:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

In This Edition

COVID-19 Continuing Developments
Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity
Never Refuse a Drug or Alcohol Test
MEC Meets with FAA to Discuss Recurrent Training

COVID-19 Continuing Developments

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), in conjunction with our AFA counterparts at Horizon Air and AFA International, continue to closely monitor the situation in regard to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). A meeting was conducted between AFA Alaska and Horizon leaders on Wednesday to have further discussion about AFA’s requests to improve Flight Attendant protections. This meeting will be followed up by an additional meeting between all Alaska and Horizon labor leaders and management from across Alaska Air Group (AAG) to further discussions about the impact of the virus and the steps that need to be taken to protect Flight Attendants, other employees, and passengers.

AFA Alaska released a communication earlier this week with more detailed information about the requests that we have made of management to improve protections for all of us on the job. In addition to this communication, you can find the most up-to-date, pertinent information about COVID-19 and its impact on Flight Attendants on the Coronavirus Outbreak page of the AFA International website. The page contains the latest news on the outbreak, resources for Flight Attendants to guard against the spread of infection, and links to additional governmental resources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC.

Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity

Master Executive Council (MEC)

[Note: The MEC has become aware of chatter elsewhere on social media that we’re discriminating against junior and/or Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) FAs. This is due to the reposted opening for the Negotiating Committee that is soliciting for 25+ years occupational seniority and/or prior negotiations experience. This is definitely a misunderstanding about intent. The MEC has already received approximately 20 applications from both Legacy Alaska (L-AS) and L-VX FAs. We have full intention of interviewing all of them for the NC.

With a few exceptions, nearly all applicants have less than 15 years of occupational seniority and no formal negotiations experience. It is the MEC’s desire to have a representative NC, so we are looking to fill in the applicant pool with more senior FAs so that we have a representative sampling of the Membership. Additionally, Section VI.A.1 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws specifically states “The Negotiating Committee selected should include a member, or members, who have had previous experience, insofar as is practicable.”

It is regrettable that some FAs have misconstrued the call for additional applicants with specific qualifications to mean the NC will be exclusively comprised of FAs with 25+ years of seniority and therefore all L-VX will be locked out of representation on the NC. This is absolutely not true.With only three members on the NC (plus the MEC president as chair), the MEC must consider each appointment very carefully. There are no guarantees who will ultimately be appointed because it will depend on each applicant’s qualifications and interview(s), but the MEC has a strong desire to choose a NC that is representative of all members and all constituencies as much as possible (e.g. seniorities, domiciles, legacy carriers, etc.). ^jtp 03/06/2020 @ 17:50 PT ]

The Master Executive Council (MEC) is currently in the process of scheduling interviews for prospective Negotiating Committee candidates who submitted expression of interest forms prior to the March 3 deadline. In order to provide an additional opportunity, the MEC has decided to re-open the expression of interest process for Negotiating Committee Members. Additional interviews will be conducted at the April Regular MEC Meeting. The MEC is specifically seeking candidates with 25 years or more of Flight Attendant seniority and/or those with previous negotiating experience. Other candidates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the April Regular MEC meeting from April 7-8, 2020. Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Questions?

Any questions regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

Never Refuse a Drug or Alcohol Test

Grievance Committee

As Flight Attendants, we are all aware that we are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. This requirement is contained in 49 CFR part 40 and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. At Alaska Airlines, the Drug Abatement department, which is part of the Safety Division, is responsible for administering the testing program and ensuring that the company remains compliant with all applicable rules and regulations pertaining to drug and alcohol testing.

At the end of a duty period, many of us eagerly await block in and the opening of the boarding door to see whether or not a drug/alcohol tester is waiting for us. The Drug Abatement department has told AFA that their expectation of the drug testers is that they will be present in the jet bridge when the door is opened. Unfortunately, this does not always happen for a variety of reasons.

In order to prevent any misunderstanding and protect yourself, it is critically important that you never refuse a request to be tested. Failing to cooperate with any part of the testing process is also considered a refusal to test. Alaska Airlines drug and alcohol policy states that refusing to take a test is considered to be the same as failing a test.

Reporting any Drug or Alcohol Testing Irregularities to AFA

If you are notified of a drug or alcohol test and experience any irregularities with the process, fully cooperate with the tester but make a mental note of anything unusual. Irregularities could include:

The tester is not present in the jet bridge prior to aircraft block in
The test is conducted in a public restroom that is not closed off to public access

* Please note that even though these items could be considered irregularities, they are not prohibited under DOT regulations. Do not refuse a test based on a suspected irregularity.

Once the test is complete, please report any suspected irregularities to AFA as soon as possible. These reports should be filed as a ticket through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center. Be sure to include the date and time of the test, the name of the tester (if known), the flight number you worked immediately prior to the test, and any details of the irregularity. An AFA representative will follow up with you based your report.

Questions?

If you have questions about drug and alcohol testing or possible test irregularities, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

MEC Meets with FAA to Discuss Recurrent Training

Master Executive Council (MEC)

On Wednesday, February 26, members of the Master Executive Council (MEC), including many Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, met with representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Cascadia Certificate Management Officer (CMO) as well as various members of Alaska Airlines inflight, flight operations, and labor relations management. During the meeting, the MEC was able to engage in direct dialog with both FAA and management representatives in an attempt to gain clarity surrounding the considerable changes made to the recurrent training (RT) program over the past several months. The MEC plans to have additional discussion about RT at next week’s Regular MEC Meeting and will provide another update within the next several weeks.

AFA Update – January 30, 2020

January 30, 2020 17:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

In This Edition

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
Black History Month AFA Pin
Negotiating Committee Interviews
Uniform Returns & Packing Materials
REMINDER: Contractual Supporting Documents
Managing Negativity

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

The novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019, is creating growing concern for air travel. The first known case has now been confirmed in the United States. AFA is contacting our airlines in an effort to put in place information and precautions for crewmembers. We are sharing what we know about the virus now, although health officials are still determining the full implications of the virus and how it is spread.

NOTE: It is important that crew redouble efforts to take the best steps against spread of communicable disease. Review personal safety and universal precautions in section 4.200 of the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Situation Summary for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus remains a good source of up-to-date information on the rapidly changing situation.

AFA is calling on all airlines to institute emergency measures immediately, including providing crew members the latest information regarding the 2019-nCoV outbreak, identification of signs/symptoms of illness (in oneself and others), and procedures to manage potentially ill persons – utilizing information from relevant U.S. authorities including the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and international authorities including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). We are also encouraging airlines to adopt AFA recommendations from our Communicable Disease Incident Response Checklists.We will provide additional updates as more information is available. We will continue to press airlines for action on this as we work to keep aviation’s first responders, our counterparts in the flight deck, and our passengers safe and healthy.

Black History Month AFA Pin

Master Executive Council (MEC)

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

Our Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers have been provided with a limited supply of these special edition pins and will soon be making them available to you. Please be on the lookout for information directly from your LEC Officers with instructions on how you can obtain your own Black History Month AFA pin!

Negotiating Committee Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Our current Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) becomes amendable on December 17, 2021 but also contains an early opener clause for the negotiating process to begin as early as December 2020. In anticipation of early openers, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the Negotiating Committee during the March Regular MEC Meeting, to be held March 10 and 11, 2020. All three Negotiating Committee positions are up for interview and consideration. Per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, the MEC President is the chairperson of the Negotiating Committee and rounds out the Committee as the fourth member.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the March Regular MEC meeting from March 10-11, 2020. Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/6vj5XPxDwv9x54eb9. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, March 3. After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Questions?

Any questions regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

Uniform Returns & Packing Materials

Uniform Committee

Our Uniform Committee has recently received reports that some Flight Attendants have been told that their uniform return shipments were improperly packed when dropping them off at FedEx shipping locations. Some Flight Attendants have been told by FedEx personnel that they would be required to purchase additional packing supplies including “fill” material to prevent the contents in the package from shifting.

According to paragraph B.7 of the Flight Attendant Custom Uniform 2020 Letter of Agreement, Inflight management will assist Flight Attendants with uniform returns and provide appropriate packing supplies at no cost to the Flight Attendant upon request. If you experience a problem with FedEx personnel accepting your return shipment due to the way it is packaged, it is recommended that you bring the package to an inflight supervisor at any base and ask them to provide the necessary packing materials and assist you with sending the shipment back to Unisync.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact your Local Uniform Committee.

REMINDER: 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.

Managing Negativity

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Many work environments have at least that one negative person whose only way of communicating is through a string of complaints. Escaping that individual at 30,000 feet is difficult. Relentless negativity tears away at our resiliency and ability to ignore the behavior. While we cannot change the way other people behave, we can change the way we react. Below are suggestions which may help you manage our own responses to negative communication and limit its impact.

Don’t Take it Personally

Negative individuals tend to find something wrong in almost every situation. Being negative may also be one’s main way to engage or connect with others. Negativity is sometimes correlated with self-esteem and inter-generational communication patterns. A person who chronically finds problems with other people may truly be unhappy with themselves and/or demonstrating the strong influences of familial communication.

“You” and “I”

Replace “you” statements with “I” statements. People feel attacked when their behavior is directly pointed out. Feeling attacked causes the person to become defensive and may create unnecessary conflict. For example, instead of “You always complain about working with her, and it gets old.” try “I feel uncomfortable when people discuss their feelings about our co-workers with me.”

Make it a Challenge

Try to say something like “We always seem to have something to talk about, but it is usually negative. Let’s only talk about cheerful situations today.” Beginning with a positive comment increases the probability your listener will be receptive. Giving feedback in this manner may also allow you to point out the negative tone of conversation of which the complainer maybe unaware.

Offer or Seek Assistance from Your AFA EAP

Allowing a person to bombard you with their negativity may actually reinforce that behavior. Everyone manages some negativity in their lives. It is important for your own mental health to limit the accumulation of others’ issues. If someone is clearly struggling, remind her/him that AFA EAP offers confidential assistance. Say something like “You know it sounds like it might be helpful for you to give our EAP a call. I think they might be a good listener and resource for you.” Then, give them AFA EAP’s number: (949) 470-0493. Remember, AFA EAP is also available to you to help you maintain your resiliency in dealing with negativity.

AFA Update – November 22, 2019

November 22, 2019 12:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

In This Edition

Changes to 2020 Recurrent Training
Violation of Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book Grievance Sustained
FINAL REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Changes to 2020 Recurrent Training

Master Executive Council (MEC)

On Wednesday, November 20, management announced changes to how Recurrent Training (RT) will be conducted in 2020. For many years, RT has been conducted in a single day and was supplemented by home-based study in the form of a workbook and, more recently, a computer-based training (CBT). Based on new FAA guidance, management has determined that they are unable to contain all of the required elements of RT in a single day and will begin conducting RT as two full, 8-hour days of training in 2020.

Though this change is a shift in practice, it is intended to allow more time to address the necessary regulatory and safety components required by the FAA. Management has also stated that they will be including some additional service-related content in RT including a follow-up module to the company’s latest Flight Path training held in 2018.

PBS Bidding Credit

Since the inception of PBS in 2007, Recurrent Training has always carried a credit of zero (0) toward PBS line awards. This means in a bid month containing RT, PBS views RT as having a value of 0 TFP and builds your line accordingly. Under the language in the collective bargaining agreement, RT carries a value of zero without mention as to the number of days the class itself covers.

We are happy to announce that your Master Executive Council (MEC) was able to reach an agreement with management to provide partial credit for RT for the purposes of line construction. For RT 2020, the first day of RT will continue to credit toward your line in PBS at 0 TFP, but the second day will credit at the full value of 6 TFP. During a month that you have RT, PBS will read the 6 TFP value for RT and credit that toward your line award accordingly.

Hotels

The MEC is calling on inflight management to “own safety” and “do the right thing” by providing each Flight Attendant with a hotel room during RT in 2020.

During Transition Training (TT) in 2018, many of us experienced having to attend two full days of training and then deal with the associated logistics of braving multiple rush hour commutes in some of the worst cities for traffic in the nation. Those who commute were left to fend for themselves and find a place to stay for the evening as TT did not allow for any possibility of same-day commuting. Your AFA leaders received reports of exhaustion, fatigue, and stress from numerous Flight Attendants in relation to these and other factors from TT.

These issues fresh in mind, your MEC is extremely disappointed and outraged to hear that management has refused to provide hotels for Flight Attendants between the two days of RT. Even when not contractually required to do so, the Company has previously provided Flight Attendants with hotels during multi-day training activities such as Beyond Service in 2015. Just as we are constantly told to use the “service framework” to assess each situation when dealing with passengers and make a decision accordingly, management has the opportunity to live up to their own expectations and do the same in this case.

The MEC is calling on inflight management to “own safety” and “do the right thing” by providing each Flight Attendant with a hotel room during RT in 2020. Just like when we are out flying, we need a training environment that sets us up for success by allowing us to get proper rest and focus on safety. The responsibility for providing this environment falls on the shoulders of management and it’s time for them to step up and act on the same values they expect us to live by every day that we come to work.

Questions?

If you have questions about the changes to Recurrent Training in 2020, please contact your LEC Officers.

Violation of Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book Grievance Sustained

Grievance Committee

On October 31, 2019, your MEC Grievance Committee filed grievance number 36-99-2-163-19, for the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 12.F.9.a [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial], past practice, its sustained response to grievance 36-99-2-35-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on July 7, 2017, it sustained grievance number 36-99-2-35-17 (Violation of §12.F.9.a Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book); however it has continually failed to provide sufficient Information Technology (IT) resources for reverting to the Open Time System in place in the 2006-2010 Flight Attendant Agreement as modified by the arbitration award (AFA No. 36-99-2-18-11) [“Withholding Open Time” award]).

In summary, the Company sustained (admitted to the violation) the original grievance (number 36-99-2-35-17) and should have prioritized with IT to program the back to book language, but it did not. Management has admitted that the current system stayed in place rather than prioritizing resources within IT to make the necessary programming changes to revert to the language outlined in Section 12 as back to book. Since it failed to prioritize the IT resources, AFA filed the present grievance, which the Company also sustained.

As a result of your MEC Grievance Committee filing the grievance, the Company is now making immediate efforts to program the back to book trading rules with IT. The project kicked off on November 4, 2019, and IT is currently developing the technical requirements for the system to provide to Jeppesen by early January 2020. Jeppesen will then be providing a timeline for implementation by mid to late January 2020.

As of right now, your MEC is presuming that we will have more information regarding Open Time back to book programming to pass along to you by late January 2020.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact your LEC President with any questions that you might have about this grievance or Open Time back to book programming.

FINAL REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

As a reminder, the term for those currently serving in MEC Committee Chairperson roles and other appointed positions will end on December 31, 2019. Your MEC, of which the six directly elected Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents are voting members, will be conducting interviews for these positions during the December MEC meeting. The October 4, 2019 AFA Update contained the initial announcement of these upcoming interviews including a list of positions, information about qualifications and duties, and a link to the online expression of interest form. The deadline to submit an expression of interest is Monday, November 25, 2019 at 5 PM Pacific time.

If you have questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed positions or the interview process, please contact MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

AFA Update – November 8, 2019

November 8, 2019 12:00 By Brian Palmer (MEC Vice President)

In This Edition

MEC Officer Election Results
Council 30 (ANC) LEC Officer Election Results
REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
Grievance Committee Update
Dues – Know Your Obligation
At Risk Drinking–How Much is Too Much?
AFA Statement on Boeing 737 MAX Hearings
We Support Delta Flight Attendant Efforts to Join AFA

MEC Officer Election Results

Master Executive Council (MEC)

As the term of office for the current MEC Officers will end on December 31, 2019, your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews this week for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We would like to thank the candidates who expressed a willingness to serve and interviewed for the positions.

In accordance with the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws, each of the six Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents is afforded one vote for each officer position. After thorough deliberation, the LEC Presidents have elected the following candidates:

MEC President	MEC Vice President	MEC Secretary-Treasurer
Jeffrey Peterson	Brian Palmer	Linda Christou

The newly elected MEC Officers will serve a three-year term of office from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. More information about their duties and responsibilities can be found in the AFA Constitution and Bylaws and the AFA Alaska MEC Policy Manual.

Council 30 (ANC) LEC Officer Election Results

Local Council 30 (Anchorage)

The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Local Council Officer positions representing the Flight Attendants based in Anchorage:

LEC President	LEC Vice President	LEC Secretary
Matthew Cook	Karen Ferrell	Lisa Pinkston

View the certified election results here >

These officers will serve a term of office from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022.

The Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the officers-elect and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.

REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

If you have questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed positions or the interview process, please contact MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

Grievance Committee Update

Grievance Committee

Your MEC and Local Grievance Committees have been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf. AFA filed several contractual grievances in response to the recent Open Time trading and Vacation Open Time trading systems crashes.

The Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) increased the number of arbitration dates from 10 to 13. Terminations are usually prioritized in order to return a Flight Attendant back to work as soon as possible. However, we seek a balance between discipline and contractual cases. AFA and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate based on many factors.

Many of our disciplinary grievances come about from Flight Attendants writing up and/or turning in other Flight Attendants for behavior they may find undesirable. We know that many of you have friendly relationships with managers or supervisors, but if you mention an issue to a manager/supervisor, s/he has an obligation to move the concern forward. This could result in discipline or termination when that was not your intent of discussing the issue with management. Some disciplinary cases are ultimately escalated to arbitration; if you turn in someone who is suspended or terminated, you will most likely be required to testify at an arbitration hearing. A more preferential option is to utilize AFA Professional Standards, who will reach out to the Flight Attendant to try and help solve the problem without involving management and the possibility of discipline.

Rumor Control

Rumor: Around 200 to 300 Legacy Virgin America Flight Attendants have been terminated since ratification of the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA).

Truth: The rumor is false. Since we ratified our JCBA on April 3, 2018, there have been approximately 60 terminations to date including both Legacy Virgin America and Legacy Alaska Flight Attendants. This number is slightly higher than prior years, however given the increase in the overall number of Flight Attendants it isn’t entirely disproportionate.

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

In order to keep terminations low, we want to give you an idea of what areas management has recently focused on in regard to disciplining (including terminating) Flight Attendants. See below:

Sick leave and FMLA abuse. Terminations on the rise due to travel audits among other things. Anything written in the comments posting of trip trades can be seen, even if eventually deleted. If the company determines abuse, it results in termination.
Drug/Alcohol violations
Social media violations. This includes sending friend requests and/or following passengers on social media using personal information gained from Block2Block.
Required item violations. This includes lost or forgotten IMDs or other required items.
Theft. Anything other than an opened/used bottle of water, unused pilot crew meal or purchased food removed from the aircraft will result in termination.
Harassment

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration & Mediation

Arbitration	Wednesday, September 25	Disciplinary Grievance
Arbitration	Tuesday October 22	Disciplinary Grievance
Arbitration	Thursday November 14	Disciplinary Grievance
Arbitration	Tuesday December 17	Contractual Grievance

Recently Settled Grievances & Mediations

None

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

None

Grievances Recently Filed and Awaiting Response from Management

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-161-19- Violation of §12.E Withholding Trips from Open Time. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.E [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) failed to immediately place all uncovered sequences or portions of sequences including but not limited to sick calls, Management Drop(s), Personal Drop(s), leaves of absence, jury duty, bereavement leave.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-162-19- Violation of §12.C.1 Real-Time Trading Procedures Grievance 36-99-2-28-17 Mediated Settlement. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.C.1 [Exchange of Sequences: Trading Procedure], past practice, its mediated settlement of grievance 36-99-2-28-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it agreed but failed to adhere to its July 5, 2017, mediated settlement of grievance 36-99-2-28-17: To have AFA and Alaska representatives meet with Jeppesen to explore the capabilities of the system and how to align the front-end with the “real time” experience of the back-end user. This is a continual violation as such meeting did not take place in a reasonably timely manner, and sufficient action was not taken to rectify the underlying system issues.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-163-19- Violation of §12.F.9.a Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.9.a [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial], past practice, its sustained response of grievance 36-99-2-35-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on July 7, 2017, it sustained grievance 36-99-2-35-17 Violation of §12.F.9.a Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book; however it has continually failed to provide sufficient IT resources for reverting to the Open Time System in place in the 2006-2010 Flight Attendant Agreement as modified by the arbitration award (AFA No. 36-99-2-18-11) [“Withholding Open Time” award]).

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-165-19- Violation of Vacation Trading Past Practice. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement § 14 [Vacation], an established past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it violated an established past practice for a real-time, electronic vacation trading system and the subsequent failure of that system to allow SEA-based Flight Attendants to access and trade vacation at the established start time.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-170-19-Violation of §19.A Investigatory Meetings. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement § 19.A [Grievance Procedures], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about October 29, 2019, at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), it conducted an investigatory meeting related to a slide deployment with all Flight Attendants assigned to work flight 623 (IAD-SFO) while they were on duty, without providing adequate opportunity to obtain Union representation in the form of an AFA Grievance Representative, and without providing the option of conducting the meeting on their day off with accompanying pay of four (4.0) TFP.

More Information

For more information, including the status of previously filed grievances, please visit the Grievance Committee Activity Page.

Questions?

Please contact your Local Grievance Committee if you have any questions about the Grievance Committee update.

Dues—Know Your Obligation

Membership Committee

Each of us has an obligation to ensure that our AFA dues payments are current and up-to-date. Section 26 of our collective bargaining agreement outlines the requirement for each of us to pay dues as a condition of employment. If you receive a notice that dues are past due, it is important to remedy the past due amount immediately. Failure to remedy a past due amount may result in termination of employment.

How Do I Know If I Have a Past Due Amount?

If you have a past due amount, you will receive a statement from the AFA International Membership Services Department sent to your mailing address on file with AFA. The statement will show for which month(s) dues have not been paid.

What To Do If You Receive a Past Due Notice for AFA Dues

If you receive a statement indicating that you owe dues, the easiest way to make a payment is through the AFA Membership Services website. You can also contact the Membership Services Department to discuss options for a payment plan if you are unable to pay the owed amount immediately. More information about payment options can be found here.

What If I Don’t Pay The Amount I Owe?

If you don’t pay the amount you owe within 15 days of receiving final notice from AFA, AFA will provide notice to the Company that you have not made the required payment. At that point, the Company will terminate your employment in accordance with Section 26.D of our collective bargaining agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about dues, please contact your Local Membership Committee or AFA International Membership Services at (800) 424-2401, ext. 707.

At Risk Drinking–How Much is Too Much?

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

How much alcohol is too much? It could mean drinking too much at one time, drinking too often, or both. It’s important to be aware of how much you are drinking, whether your drinking pattern is risky, the harm that some drinking patterns can cause, and ways to reduce your risks.

Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink. In the United States, a “standard” drink is any drink that contains about 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of “pure” alcohol.

What is “Low Risk” Drinking?

“Low risk” is not “no risk.” Even within these limits, alcohol can cause problems if people drink too quickly, have health problems, or are older (both men and women over 65 are generally advised to have no more than 3 drinks on any day and 7 per week). Based on your health and how alcohol affects you, you may need to drink less or not at all.

What is “at risk” or “heavy drinking”?

For healthy adults in general, drinking more than these below single-day or weekly limits is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking: remember too much + too often = too risky.

Men: More than 4 drinks on any day or 14 per week

Women: More than 3 drinks on any day or 7 per week*

Remember, as safety sensitive professionals, Flight Attendants must also comply with company policy that requires no alcohol use 10 hours before duty and no BAC above a 0.00%. If at an international destination, Flight Attendants must also comply with the myriad of laws dictated by other countries. Any use of alcohol within these restricted parameters should be considered “too risky” for your personal wellness, flight safety and career retention. If you are questioning your drinking and have concerns, please contact your AFA EAP thru the confidential helpline at (800) 424-2406 or the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program at (855) 333-2327. Help is available 24/7.

*Alcohol use impacts women differently than men due to physiological differences such as lower body weight and having lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes in the stomach that help eliminate alcohol. Consuming more than one drink per day places women at risk for health concerns such as heart disease, breast cancer, and, for pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. For some women, no alcohol use is recommended.

AFA Statement on Boeing 737 MAX Hearings

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) issued the following statement following hearings in the Senate and House last week with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg:

As AFA President Sara Nelson testified in June before the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, “Flight Attendants continue to receive questions from the traveling public about the 737 Max. There remains confusion about the progression of 737 aircraft models. It is common for crew to receive questions when working the 737NG about whether the aircraft is safe. This signals a fundamental question about the progression of the 737 aircraft models and whether or not the Max should have been designed as an entirely new aircraft type. This is an example of questions that will need to be answered within the process to safely return the 737 Max to flight and regain public confidence.”

“We have been clear throughout this process and repeatedly in public forums, that we will not work the 737 MAX until and unless we have full assurance from regulators around the world, our colleagues in the flight deck, engineers, and our airlines that the 737 MAX is safe,” Nelson said. “This week took a step backward in this process, not forward.”

We Support Delta Flight Attendant Efforts to Join AFA

Last Friday, AFA launched a new effort to help Delta Flight Attendants become AFA Members! Thousands of Flight Attendants at Delta Air Lines have asked AFA to join them in efforts to become full members of our union. Now is the time to affirm our full support of their efforts to join AFA. Watch the welcome video from AFA International President to Delta Flight Attendants by clicking here.

As long as Delta management retains control of pay, benefits and working conditions at the industry’s most profitable airline, our bargaining power at each of our airlines is cut short. As long as Delta can claim to speak for the 25,000 Flight Attendants at the airline, our efforts to achieve proper staffing, rest, job security, and safety standards through government regulations are undermined.

Right now, we can start to correct this by helping to lift the voices of Delta Flight Attendants and protect their rights under the Railway Labor Act as they organize. And, when Delta Flight Attendants vote to join AFA we will strengthen our voice, our bargaining power, and our standing in every issue that affects our jobs like never before.

AFA Endeavor Flight Attendants are a Delta wholly-owned regional airline, and this effort directly affects their representation too as we address issues like concerns about toxic uniforms and the ability to share in Delta’s success.

Already, talk of AFA at Delta has encouraged management to improve the wage scale, announce plans to implement 10 hours minimum rest by February 2020, and promise to implement certain provisions of the United contract that produce more compensation for Flight Attendants. But, as long as Delta Flight Attendants are without a contract like management at Delta has for themselves, promises can change and our ability to move our careers forward will not reached its full potential.

AFA has a long history with Delta Flight Attendants, and we have always thought of all Flight Attendants as part of our AFA family. Interestingly, over 40 percent of the seniority list has been hired at Delta since the last union vote nine years ago. The energy and excitement for our Flight Attendant union is palpable. Help us welcome Delta Flight Attendants to our union today as we work together to build power for aviation’s first responders. Visit afacwa.org/deltawelcome to learn more about how you can support Delta Flight Attendants.

Show Your Support!

It’s easy to show your support for Flight Attendants at Delta Air Lines who are working to earn representation through our Flight Attendant union. Put on your AFA pin, take a pic, and post it with a brief note of support and the hashtag #SelfiesForSolidarity

In This Edition

Contacting AFA Representatives For Support

Pre-Cancellations (JCBA Section 10.S)

Questions?

REMINDER: Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity

Selection of Committee Members

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

Grievance Committee Update

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

Recent Settled Grievances

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

Grievances Recently Filed and Awaiting Response from Management

More Information

Questions?

In This Edition

COVID-19 Continuing Developments

Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity

Selection of Committee Members

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

Never Refuse a Drug or Alcohol Test

Reporting any Drug or Alcohol Testing Irregularities to AFA

Questions?

MEC Meets with FAA to Discuss Recurrent Training

In This Edition

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

Black History Month AFA Pin

Negotiating Committee Interviews

Selection of Committee Members

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

Uniform Returns & Packing Materials

Questions?

REMINDER: Contractual Supporting Documents

Questions?

Managing Negativity

Don’t Take it Personally

“You” and “I”

Make it a Challenge

Offer or Seek Assistance from Your AFA EAP

In This Edition

Changes to 2020 Recurrent Training

PBS Bidding Credit

Hotels

Questions?

Violation of Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book Grievance Sustained

Questions?

FINAL REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

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