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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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Before It Becomes a Grievance: Understanding ADR and SRB

Grievance Committee

  • When AFA and management disagree on a contractual issue, it doesn’t necessarily become a grievance right away.  Most times, there is an intermediate step taken to try to resolve the issue.
  • Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) brings together decision makers from AFA leadership, inflight management, and labor relations management to try to work the issue out.  Scheduling Review Board (SRB) is a similar process that involves AFA Representatives and Crew Scheduling management.  
  • If everyone can’t agree on a resolution, our AFA Grievance Committee can still file a formal grievance and address the issue through the contractual grievance process.

As we know, our collective bargaining agreement provides many protections related to our working conditions, pay, and benefits.  Our AFA Grievance Committee and other AFA Representatives work constantly to ensure that management is doing right by our Flight Attendants according to the language in the contract.  Sometimes, however, disagreements arise between AFA and management about how a particular provision in the contract should be applied or whether or not a contractual violation occurred in the first place.

Our contract provides an established process for handling disagreements such as these.  Section 19 [Grievance Procedures] and section 20 [Board of Adjustment] of our CBA, often referred to collectively as the contractual grievance process, outline the procedures for how disputes about contractual language and interpretation are handled.  But before a matter is referred to the grievance process, there is often an intermediate step taken to try to work the issue out with management.

Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process is intended to give AFA Representatives and management the opportunity to resolve issues more quickly and with more flexibility while saving on the expenses related to processing a grievance.  ADR meetings are held every two weeks and include the AFA MEC Grievance Committee and management counterparts in Inflight management and the Labor Relations department.  During these meetings, the group reviews each case and attempts to work through issues that would otherwise be forced to the grievance process directly.

Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

Alongside ADR is a parallel process that specifically addresses scheduling-related issues.  The Scheduling Review Board (SRB) meets once per month and includes representatives from our AFA MEC Grievance, Scheduling, and Reserve Committees along with Crew Scheduling management.  The goal of SRB is the same—work to resolve issues more quickly than the grievance process would allow while achieving the best possible outcome for Flight Attendants.

How Do I Know If My Issue Has Been Referred to ADR/SRB?

If you’ve reported a concern to AFA and the issue has been referred to ADR or SRB, the status of your ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center will show as “escalated to ADR” or “escalated to SRB” accordingly.  The AFA Representative assigned to your case will continue to be your point of contact and provide you with updates following ADR/SRB meetings.  Our MEC Grievance Committee also maintains a log of current and past ADR items that can be viewed on the Grievance Committee page of the AFA Alaska website (click the “view the ADR log” button under the ADR process heading).   

What If We Can’t Work it Out?

While an issue is being addressed through ADR or SRB, the time limitations outlined in the contract for when a grievance must be filed are placed on hold.  This ensures that the Flight Attendant and our contractual rights are protected as we try to resolve the issue.  If we aren’t able to reach an agreement with management that is acceptable to everyone involved, our AFA Grievance Committee maintains the right to address the issue by filing a formal grievance.

Questions?

If you have questions about the ADR process, don’t hesitate to contact your Local Grievance Committee Chairperson.  For any questions about the SRB process, contact your Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson or Local Reserve Committee Chairperson.

Grievance Committee Update – 3rd and 4th Quarters 2021

Grievance Committee

  • Our Grievance Committee works to protect all Flight Attendants from arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and to uphold our collective bargaining agreement.  This update provides a short summary of the committee’s work over the past two quarters.
  • Management has issued discipline lately for a variety of reasons.  Read on for more information about the reasons why management is disciplining and terminating Flight Attendants.
  • If you’ve faced a situation that you believe might be a contractual violation, please report the issue through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.  AFA Representatives review each report submitted and will follow up to help you determine options and a course of action. 

Our Grievance Committee 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.  Termination cases are usually given first priority 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 a 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

  • Theft.  Removing anything from the aircraft other than an opened/used bottle of water, unused pilot crew meal or purchased food removed will result in termination.  
  • Sick leave and FMLA abuse.  Terminations are on the rise due to travel audits among other things.  Anything written in the comments/remarks on posted trip trades and personal drops can be seen, even if eventually deleted.  If management determines abuse it results in termination.  
  • Timecard fraud.  Examples: Intentionally delaying boarding door closure to obtain sit pay.  Management has terminated for this violation.
  • Reserve “Roulette”.  Not being within two hours of base for your Reserve Availability Period (RAP) and calling in sick only once given an assignment.  The Company considers this a terminable violation.  Management regularly reviews the trip trade postings and history related to sick calls.  Even deleted trade history or postings can be seen by management.
  • Lying in an investigation
  • Drug/Alcohol violations
  • Harassment
  • Reserves commuting during Reserve Availability Period (RAP) even if self-assigned a trip and/or not being in base for the entirety of reserve period.  Management has terminated for this reason several times.  Management regularly reviews commuting history and whether a FA is in base for her/his RAP period.  If not, they will terminate on a first offense.
  • Social media violations including sending friend or follow requests to passengers on social media based on information gained from Block2Block.
  • Commuter Violations
    • Flight Attendant released from DHD and used D8Y home
    • Flight Attendant used D8Y when they picked up out of base
    • Flight Attendant used D8Y to/from incorrect cities
    • Flight Attendant used D8Y for pleasure travel.  Commuter audits are being used for researching whether commuting
  • Lost IMD or other required items
  • Failing to complete CBT—even if FA just forgets to hit the close out x at the top to switch it from in process to complete.
  • Uniform Issues—Flight Attendants can and have been pulled from working their flights without pay for uniform non-compliance.

Recent Arbitration/Mediation

May 2021Disciplinary Grievance
June 2021Disciplinary Grievance
July 2021Disciplinary Grievance
August 2021Disciplinary Grievance
September 2021Disciplinary Grievance
October 2021Contractual Grievance
November 2021Contractual Grievance
December 2021Disciplinary Grievance

Recent Contractual Arbitration Awards

None

Recent Grievance Settlements

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-64-17 Violation of §27.P.1.f-h Company Business Flight Pay Loss.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §27.P.1.f-h [General-Association: Company Business Flight Pay Loss (CB)/Company Meetings], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it requested Flight Attendants attend an Inflight Announcement Focus Group on or about August 7, 2017, without compensating for company meeting pay nor the five percent (5%) override and “A” pay, and without regard to contractual duty day applications; alternatively it provided non-negotiated compensation.   

Details:  

  1. On or about August 7, 2017, approximately 24-30 Flight Attendants attended a Flight Attendant announcement focus group.  The above-referenced grievance was filed on their behalf.   The names of the Flight Attendants are not currently known. The Company will exercise all avenues to identify them  If they become known at any time, each of those Flight Attendants will be paid 4 TFP for their attendance at a work event.  
  2. On a go forward basis, the Company will follow the best practice of alerting AFA prior to publicizing work and/or volunteer opportunities to the Flight Attendants.  The Company will inform AFA whether the Company will compensate Flight Attendants who attend the event, or if the event is intended as a volunteer opportunity only.  If the parties disagree, AFA may file a grievance based on that event.   

Grievances Recently Mediated 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-56-17-Violation of §15.C.4 Medical Leave of Absence.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §15.C.4 [Leaves of Absence: Medical Leave of Absence], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when in December 2016 it denied [a Flight Attendant’s] medical leave of absence (MLOA) because she did not also qualify for FMLA and because the MLOA was less than 10 days in duration.  

Details:

  1. When a Flight Attendant applies for a medical leave, the Company will process all such leaves according to the same criteria, regardless of the requested length of such leave. 
  2. FMLA will be granted if all applicable requirements are met. If the leave qualifies for FMLA, FMLA and contractual medical leave will run concurrently to the extent required by law. 
  3. If the Flight Attendant otherwise meets the requirements for having a serious health condition but the condition is not expected to meet the minimum number of days of incapacity as required by the FMLA definition of continuing treatment in 29 CFR § 825.115(a), the Company will grant a contractual medical leave. 
  4. If the Flight Attendant has a serious health condition as defined by the FMLA or by Paragraph 3 but does not qualify for FMLA for any other reason (e.g., the Flight Attendant has exhausted their FMLA; the Flight Attendant does not have enough qualifying hours for FMLA, etc.), the Flight Attendant will be granted a contractual medical leave. 
  5. If Matrix (or successor leave administrator) denies a contractual medical leave because the Flight Attendant does not supply adequate medical information to determine if the Flight Attendant has a serious health condition, the Company will review the request for a medical leave under Section 15.C.1 of the collective-bargaining agreement (“CBA”) and either grant the leave or exercise its rights under Section 17 of the CBA. 

Grievances Recently Granted by Management 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-1-17- Violation of §32.C.5. Assessing Short Sick Call Points to Flight Attendant on FMLA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §32.C.5 [Attendance Policy: Short Sick Call], past practice, all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Federal Law when it assessed short sick call points (2½) to Flight Attendants on qualified Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) status when they called in sick within two hours of scheduled check-in. 

Details:  As June 15, 2021, I am amending the prior grievance response on behalf of the Company. The prior grievance response dated March 10, 2017, is still accurate with respect to the Company’s position as of today, except for one small caveat. The caveat is as follows – if a Flight Attendant makes it known to the Company at the time of the short sick call that unusual circumstances related to their FMLA qualifying medical condition occurred such that they couldn’t have reasonably complied with the normal two-hour notice requirement for their sick call, the company will evaluate that information. If Employee Medical Relations determines that the unusual circumstances are consistent with the Flight Attendant’s FMLA qualifying medical condition, the Company will reduce the point value of the short sick call to zero. This is consistent with 29 C.F.R. 302(d) which requires employees on FMLA to “comply with an employer’s usual and customary notice and procedural requirements for requesting leave, absent unusual circumstances.” This small portion of grievance 36-99-2-1-17 is now sustained; however, the rest of grievance 36-99-2-1-17 is still denied for the original reasons dated March 10, 2017. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-201-20-Violation of §10.Q & §11.E.4.d Violation of Reserve Assignment List Order.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.Q [Scheduling: Low-Bid Option] and §11.E.4.d [Reserve: Order of Assignment, Assignment of Open Sequences/Assignments], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) scheduling system places low-bid option and no-bid lineholder Flight Attendants who pick up reserve days and opt out of the Reserve Assignment List (LTFA) at the top of the list rather than listing them in inverse seniority order following all other Reserves within the same classification (AM/PM/ER) and with the same number of days of availability.

Details:  As of today’s, date [June 18, 2021], I am amending the prior grievance response on behalf of the Company and sustaining the violation of §11.E.4.d [Violation of Reserve Assignment List Order]. The parties continue to work the issue through a mutually agreeable manual workaround that has been implemented and the “Known Crew Access Issues” document. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-41-20-Violation of §30.A.2 Training Hours Over Eight 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 and 25, 2020, it required at least three Flight Attendants to attend Recurrent Training (RT) in Long Beach (LGB) in excess of eight hours.  

Details: One TFP for two Flight Attendants who released after 4pm.

Grievances Recently Withdrawn

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-320-20-Violation of §30.C.4 Computer Based Training (CBT).  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.C.4 [Training: Training Pay/Computer Based Training (CBT)], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about September 28, 2020, it added a 5th Computer Based Training for Flight Attendants to complete for 2020.  Prior to adding the 5thCBT, it issued Quarter 1 CBT, training videos CBT, Quarter 2 CBT and Quarter 3 CBT.  

Grievances Recently Filed and Awaiting Management Response

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-1-22-Violation of §8.D Check-In and Release.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §8.D [Hours of Service:  Check-In and Release], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Block to Block (B2B) check-in system doesn’t allow a Flight Attendant to check-in if they have an unacknowledged trip change requiring them to report as originally scheduled.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-3-22-Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellations.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.S [Scheduling: Pre-Cancellations], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about December 26, 2021,  it did not accept or process Flight Attendant calls in a timely manner thereby usurping the Flight Attendants’ ability to utilize the contractual pre-cancellation language allowing them to receive and decline an alternate assignment; and it allowed the Company to reassign Flight Attendants. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-4-22-Violation of §8.D Check-In and Release.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §8.D [Hours of Service:  Check-In and Release], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its designated check-in application (Block2Block) on the Flight Attendants’ Infight Mobile Device (IMD) displayed cancelled trips that were not cancelled in Crew Access thereby inhibiting check-in for their trips and assessing them a No Show and 3 (three) attendance points.  Flight Attendants were unable to check in manually via a call to Crew Scheduling as it had excessive wait times.

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-230-21- Violation of §16 Sick Leave/On the Job Injury.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §16 [Sick Leave/On the Job Injury], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it announced beginning on or about August 31, 2021, that it would grant pay protection per §21.M [Compensation: Pay Protection…] to vaccinated symptomatic and/or COVID+ Flight Attendants for scheduling obligations removed due to Company-directed quarantine in response to high-risk COVID-19 workplace exposures and deny pay protection under similar or the same circumstances for unvaccinated Flight Attendants or for Flight Attendants who decline to disclose their vaccination status and would instead require them to be removed from their scheduling obligations by forcing them onto sick leave and paid through their sick leave bank or accrued vacation pay if the sick leave bank was depleted. Neither §16 nor §21.M contains any exceptions or distinctions based on vaccination status, yet the Company failed to bargain with the Association and unilaterally implemented such non-contractual exceptions or distinctions inequitably across the collective bargaining unit.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-234-21-Violation of §21 Non-Negotiated Compensation.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21 [Compensation], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it announced on or about September 2, 2021, that it would pay $200.00 to each vaccinated Flight Attendant who provides proof of vaccination to the Company by October 15, 2021.   Section 21 does not contain any exceptions or distinctions based on vaccination status, and the Company failed to bargain with the Association and unilaterally implemented such a non-contractual exception inequitably across the collective bargaining unit.

Grievances Previously Filed, Denied by Management and Currently Awaiting Arbitration Dates

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-22-14-Violation of Required Maternity Leave.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 15.D. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to require Flight Attendants to begin Maternity Leave after the 28th week of pregnancy.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-55-17-Violation of §21.V Winds Aloft Adjustment of Sit Pay in JCTE.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21.V [Compensation: “Scheduled” or “Actual” For Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) and/or Sit Pay], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system displayed each posted trip as a static ‘snapshot’ taken at the time of posting rather than a ‘live’ view, thus denying the Flight Attendant the ability to determine whether a trip is eligible for 1.0 TFP of Sit Pay due to an automated scheduling adjustment (e.g. by the Winds Aloft program).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-159-17-Violation of §12.A & §12.E Withholding Trips from Open Time and Suspended all Trading due JCTE Issues.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.A & E [Exchange of Sequences: Unlimited Trading/Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about September 30, 2017, to October 1, 2017, for approximately 8 hours, it either withheld all trips in open time or suspended all trading due to an issue with its Jeppesen Crew Tracking system.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-321-18- Violation of §§21, 24, 30 & 34 Hotel at Domicile for Transition Training.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21 [Compensation], §24 [General and Miscellaneous], §30 [Training] and §34 [Hotels], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when some Flight Attendants requested and were provided hotel rooms at base for Transition Training while others who requested a room were not provided one.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-40-19-Violation §25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace.  This alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.B [Air Safety, Health and Security: Safe and Healthy Workplace], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to provide a safe and healthy workplace when it installed new bulkheads on the retrofitted Airbus (“Aura”) aircraft that effectively renders the aft assist handles near doors L1/R1 as unusable and unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-41-19-Violation of §25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.D.2 [Air Safety, Health and Security: Safety Information], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and when it failed to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design. 

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.:  36-99-2-36-20-Violation of §25.B ANC Training Facility.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.B [Air Safety, Health and Security: Safe and Healthy Workplace], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it conducted Recurrent Training (RT) drills in Anchorage, Alaska in the Ross Aviation Hanger, and on or about February 16-19, 2020, the external temperature ranged from 18 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit and when the hanger door opened, frequently without notice, the internal hanger temperature dropped to as low as 46 degrees.  After the external hanger door opened it took approximately two hours with a loud heater to get the internal temperature back up to the low to mid 60s.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-207-20-Violation of §10, §11.D & §24.L Bundled Scheduling Notifications.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10 [Scheduling], §11.D [Reserve:  Scheduling/Notice of Time to Report] and §24.L [General and Miscellaneous: Company-Provided Inflight Mobile Device (IMD)], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) scheduling system sent bundled scheduling notifications to Flight Attendants on their Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) or directly in Crew Access, requiring Flight Attendants to batch acknowledge or ignore such notifications and thereby resulting in Flight Attendants potentially waiving multiple contractual protections via an extra-contractual point of contact (i.e. Crew Access scheduling notifications).  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-301-20-Violation of §3.D Scope of Agreement.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §3.D [Scope of Agreement:  Scope], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it announced beginning October 2020 through July 2021, it will operate flights with cargo in cabin seats; although such flying will occur without passengers, the Company intends to staff the flights with non-Flight Attendant employees, who will be trained to perform Flight Attendant duties, specifically including but not limited to:  Firefighting duties, cargo stowage in the passenger cabin and aircraft door operation in normal and emergency mode.    

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-384-20-Violation of §10.S Scheduling Notifications.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.S [Scheduling :  Pre-Cancellations], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it used non-contractual scheduling notifications sent to Flight Attendants via the Crew Scheduling system in order to communicate and assign alternate flying or an obligation to call Crew Scheduling within a specific window of time.  If a Flight Attendant accepts such non-contractual scheduling notification(s), which is neither contact by Crew Scheduling via Company email nor via primary phone contact as defined in §10.S.1.a, the scheduling notification(s) violates the contract by abrogating the Flight Attendant’s ability to: (1) decline the alternate assignment and waive pay protection (§10.S.2.b), (2) decline the “out of original footprint by more than two hours” alternate assignment and call Crew Scheduling between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM (local domicile time) the night prior to the start of the original sequence (§10.S.2.c), or (3) waive pay protection and be relieved of any further scheduling obligation (§10.S.3). 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-386-20-Violation of §8.Q & §8.R Contactability and Notification of Delay or Cancellation. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §8.Q [Hours of Service: Contactability] and §8.R [Hours of Service: Notification of Delay or Cancellation], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it used non-contractual scheduling notifications sent via the Crew Scheduling system in order to communicate and assign revised flying to Flight Attendants who were off-duty on a remain overnight (RON). Such scheduling notifications are in violation of the contractually defined means of contact and/or the Flight Attendant’s obligation to respond pursuant to these provisions.

December 2021 Pacific Northwest Snowstorm

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • The snowfall that occurred over the last several days in the Pacific Northwest has caused operational havoc throughout the Alaska Airlines system. Many Flight Attendants are being impacted by cancelled flights, reassignments, and other scheduling issues.
  • Your contract is one of the best resources to help answer questions about pre-cancellations, reassignments, duty times, and rest. The AFA Scheduling Committee has also put together an updated quick reference guide with some key contractual information.
  • If your flying has been impacted by the snowstorm and you have contractual questions or concerns, please open a support ticket using the AFA Alaska Online Support Center. AFA Representatives are working to resolve issues as expeditiously as possible.

This week’s snowstorm and continued winter weather have had a significant impact on Alaska Airlines operations in Seattle and Portland.  Hundreds of flights have either been delayed or cancelled which has had a ripple effect throughout the system leaving virtually no Flight Attendants unimpacted.  AFA Representatives are actively working to try to resolve Flight Attendant concerns that have been reported, but management’s availability has been limited as they focus on fixing the operation.

If Your Flight Cancels

  • If your flight has been cancelled, you must still report as scheduled unless contacted by Crew Scheduling or you accept a cancellation notification in Crew Access.
  • If contacted by Crew Scheduling regarding a pre-cancellation, know your options.  Review section 10.S of the contract or the pre-cancellation flowchart.
  • If you have already reported for duty and your flight cancels, you must remain at the airport until released by Crew Scheduling.  Your duty period will run continuously until released.

Difficulty Making it to the Airport

Significant Weather Ground Commuting Operations (SWGCO) have been declared for Seattle and Portland.  SWGCO provides additional ground commuter protections for Flight Attendants who may have difficulty reporting on time due to the inclement weather.  In order to receive protections under SWGCO, you must notify Crew Scheduling at least one hour prior to report that you won’t be able to report on time due to the weather.  Please review pages 3 and 4 of the full side letter of agreement for more information.

Management is also offering hotel rooms near the airport in SEA and PDX for those who are reporting for trips the following day.  Please fill out this form to request a hotel room.  They have also authorized any F/A to expense $100 for Uber/Lyft transportation to/from the airport in order to get to work.  No advance approval is required and your base management can provide assistance with reimbursement.  Questions about in-base hotels or transportation reimbursement should be directed to the Inflight Snow Ops Command Center at InflightSnowOps@alaskaair.com.  

Hotel or Transportation Issues While Flying

If you are currently flying and are having issues with hotels or ground transportation, you may be able to receive a quicker response from the Inflight Snow Ops Command Center by emailing InflightSnowOps@alaskaair.com.  Requests that go through the command center, especially ones that are not time sensitive, will free up Crew Scheduling to attend to other operational duties.  The command center is open from 08:00-20:00 Pacific time.  Outside of these hours Crew Scheduling will be your point of contact.

Pay Questions & Rainmaker

If your flying has been impacted by irregular operations, be sure to monitor Rainmaker closely to ensure that your pay is reflected accurately.  Any pay questions should be submitted directly in Rainmaker as a pay query. 

Contractual Questions, Issues, and Concerns

Your contract is your best resources to answer scheduling and pay-related questions.  You can access the contract on the AFA Alaska website or on your IMD in Goodreader > ASFASupplemental > Collective Bargaining Agreement > Contract.  The AFA Scheduling Committee has also put together an updated irregular operations quick reference guide with key contractual information that may be helpful. 

If you have a contractual concern or issue that has come up and need assistance from an AFA representative, please open a support ticket using the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.  Members of the AFA Grievance, Reserve, and Scheduling Committees are working through submitted tickets as quickly as possible, but resolution may be delayed in some cases as management’s immediate focus is on operational issues.

For additional support, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee (lineholders), Local Reserve Committee (reserves), or your LEC Officers. 

Recent Changes to COVID-19 Policies – Part 4

Recent Changes to COVID-19 Policies – Part 4

Master Executive Council (MEC) and Grievance Committee

Click here for Part 1 >

Click here for Part 2 >

Click here for Part 3 >

In This Update

  • No §32 Attendance Policy Points for Workplace Exposure Quarantines
  • Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” Withdrawn
  • Reports of Bullying and Harassment

No More §32 Attendance Policy Points for Workplace Exposure Quarantines

In Inflight Bulletin 2021-0071 (AAG SSO required), Alaska Airlines management updated Company policy with regard to Section 32 Attendance Policy points assessed for unvaccinated  and “prefer not to state” Flight Attendants on a Company-directed COVID-19 workplace exposure quarantine.

A few facts:

  • Management began implementing a policy to assess attendance points to such Flight Attendants effective August 30, 2021.
  • AFA pushed back and reached an agreement with management by the end of September to retroactively forgive points assessed under that policy change.
  • Management once again implemented a policy to assess attendance points to such Flight Attendants effective October 1, 2021.
  • AFA preemptively filed Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” on September 30, 2021, in anticipation of the policy change.
  • In the early days of October, MEC President Jeff Peterson brought forward concerns to management that assessing attendance points to unvaccinated employees who also have approved accommodations on file is discriminatory and therefore very likely illegal. This is because the accrual of attendance points can lead to discipline and potentially termination, and there is disparate treatment compared to vaccinated employees who do not receive attendance points for the same circumstances. Management was “looking into it.”
  • Buried under the heading “COVID-19 Vaccination Points” in the November 1st Bulletin Bundle, management quietly announced a revised policy retroactive to October 1st that rescinds the previous attempts to assess attendance points to such Flight Attendants.

Coincidence? Absolutely not! Not one word from management about AFA’s advocacy here, but we’re going to take credit for this one.

Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” Withdrawn

AFA has subsequently withdrawn Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” because management’s policy change resolved the contractual dispute.

AFA will continue to pursue a remedy for Grievance No. 36-99-2-230-21 “Violation of §16 Sick Leave/On the Job” because of the disparate treatment of unvaccinated and “prefer not to state” Flight Attendants, who are forced to use sick leave for a Company-directed COVID-19 workplace exposure quarantine.

Reports of Bullying and Harassment

Several Flight Attendants have contacted MEC leadership to report that they have felt bullied due to their COVID-19 vaccination status and/or their opinion about the Company’s COVID-19 policies. This goes both ways—we have received emails from both vaccinated and unvaccinated Flight Attendants. In general, the perceived bullying is not specific to an individual but rather to the groups of vaccinated or unvaccinated Flight Attendants. We wanted to take a minute to remind everyone that we are, first and foremost, all Flight Attendants. Our job is tougher than ever right now, and we need to be respectful of each other, both on the line and on social media.

Many Flight Attendants have applied for and received valid religious or medical exemptions to the vaccination mandate. Alaska Airlines management creates, controls, and monitors the process for applying for and approving or denying such exemption requests. This process is mandated by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prevent religious discrimination and by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to prevent discrimination due to a medical condition. No Flight Attendant should be bullied or made uncomfortable because of exercising or not exercising their rights under the law. Since vaccination status in these cases is tied to a legally protected class, these laws prohibit discrimination and pervasive harassment against such individuals.

On the flip side, some vaccinated Flight Attendants report being bullied about voicing their questions, concerns, frustrations, and general opinions about working conditions: specifically, management’s accommodations process and testing protocol. Federal courts have upheld employees’ rights to openly discuss such concerns. For example, employees are legally allowed to state that they believe the accommodations process is too easy to manipulate or that management should place all employees with approved exemptions on unpaid leaves. Similarly, other employees may express support for the existing process.

These are potentially divisive issues with passionate opinions on both sides, but we need to be kind to each other regardless. We may vehemently disagree with someone, but that does not mean a discussion about it—even if legally protected—is welcome or is not hurtful. Life during the pandemic has been extremely rough, but with less than a year to go to contract negotiations, we need to look out for one another now more than ever and to find strength in our solidarity.

AFA Alaska Update – October 15, 2021

In This Edition

  • System Board of Adjustment Interviews
  • Reminder: Zika Letter of Agreement
  • Understanding Panic Disorder

System Board of Adjustment Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for one (1) member to serve on the AFA System Board of Adjustment.

Scope

Members are to serve on the System Board of Adjustment for the purpose of arbitrating any disputes or grievances that may arise under the terms of the Agreement between Alaska Airlines and its Flight Attendants.

Policy/Responsibilities

  • There shall be two members selected by the MEC from active members in good standing to represent the Association.  Members will be selected at-large without regard to Local Council or domicile. 
  • Any person seeking a position as a System Board of Adjustment Member must submit a resume.  Candidates must interview with the MEC.
  • System Board Members shall be selected for a two (2) year appointment period in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws.  At least one appointment will be reviewed in June of each year.  Selection shall be made, insofar as possible, to ensure that both members will not be new at the same time.  
  • The System Board Members will act in the best interest of the membership and the Association and will be consistent with the Agreement between the Flight Attendants and Alaska Airlines.
  • The MEC President shall have the ability, in the event of an emergency, to appoint a qualified member in good standing to fill an ad hoc position on the Board, should the alternate not be available.
  • The MEC on an ad hoc basis, by majority vote, may appoint an expert as a substitute for one member of the System Board of Adjustment.

Qualifications

  • Current Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant
  • Willingness to attend the requisite grievance training(s)
  • In depth knowledge of the contract
  • Understanding of the principles of just cause
  • Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information
  • Maintenance of member-in-good-standing status
  • Ability to remain in good standing with the company
  • Ability to analyze written data and information with high attention to detail
  • Strong written and communication skills
  • Strong computer skills.

Term of Appointment

The selected candidate will serve the remainder of a term of appointment that concludes on June 30, 2023.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews of eligible candidates during the December Regular MEC Meeting on December 7, 2021.  If you’re interested in interviewing, plan to bid around this date or adjust your schedule accordingly to accommodate.  All interviews will be conducted using Google Meet videoconferencing.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume using the online expression of interest form.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.  After the submission deadline, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact eligible candidates to arrange a specific interview time.

Please note that 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 position or application process should be directed to MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams at stephanie.adams@afaalaska.org.

Reminder: Zika Letter of Agreement

Grievance Committee

In 2017, AFA and management signed a letter of agreement (LOA) establishing protections for Flight Attendants who are pregnant, attempting to become pregnant, or whose partner is attempting to become pregnant and are scheduled to fly to a Zika-affected area.  The LOA outlines the protective provisions and associated procedures that eligible Flight Attendants are responsible for following.

As Alaska Airlines is beginning service to Belize in November, it is timely that we offer a reminder that this LOA is still active.  Belize is considered a Zika affected area by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) which triggers the protections outlined in the LOA.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Zika LOA or the procedures associated with using the protective provisions of the LOA, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

Understanding Panic Disorder

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

What is Panic Disorder?

Panic disorder is a psychological condition that shows up in the form of sometimes serious physical symptoms. These symptoms, called panic attacks, can literally make the victim feel as though he or she is dying: rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating, dizziness, trembling, intense anxiety, a feeling of loss of control, and helplessness. Imagine what it would be like to jump out of an airplane only to find your parachute won’t open – that’s pretty close to what panic attack victims are feeling in the moment.

When the attacks occur regularly or appear to be caused by a specific set of circumstances, then panic disorder is the cause. There is no specific treatment for a panic attack, per se. But the underlying condition, panic disorder, can be treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy.  

What Causes Panic Disorder?

Like many psychological conditions, panic disorder can originate in many different ways, some of them making little logical sense. A person with a phobia such as fear of heights or enclosed places might experience a panic attack if he or she is in this situation. Alcohol, drugs, and trauma can trigger it.   But the cause itself has no bearing on the reaction to it because the threat felt by the victim is one entirely of perception rather than reality.

What to Do if You Have a Panic Attack

The only way to stop a panic attack is to allow it to end, and the only way to do that is to diminish the underlying fear that causes the symptoms. If you allow yourself to experience the symptoms, with a clear realization that there is no real danger, then the attack may be shortened. Breathe deeply and don’t give in to dangerous impulses such as running away or jumping off something. Know that the effects will pass. The more you experience even the smallest triumph of logic over fear, the less intense your attacks will become.  If the attacks continue, seek help from a medical professional.

What to Do if You See Someone Having a Panic Attack

You may feel pretty helpless when encountering someone having a panic attack.  Tell them to keep breathing and assure them that there is no danger.  The problem here is that the victim will tell you that they are having a heart attack, can’t breathe, or feels like they are about to pass out, and odds are good that you aren’t qualified to assess the reality of that perception. Call for help quickly and do your best to calm the victim until help arrives. The best thing you can do when it’s over is offer comfort, assure the person that professional help is available and encourage them to seek that assistance.

Questions or Need Help?

Our AFA EAP Committee is available to provide assistance with referrals.  Please call (949) 470-0493 or visit afaalaska.org/eap for contact information.

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