Inflight Service Committee

AFA Update – May 7, 2021

May 7, 2021 12:00

In This Edition

Contract Extension Voting through May 12
Take the Flight Attendant Vaccine Status Survey
Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting
Reporting Missing Airbus Oven Inserts and Racks
Concerned About A Loved Who Is Struggling with Alcohol or Drugs?

Contract Extension Voting through May 12

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Voting continues on the contract extension tentative agreement and polls will remain open through Wednesday, May 12 at 9 AM PDT. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to review the tentative agreement, virtual roadshow recordings, and other resources in order to help you cast an informed vote.

Voting or Ballot Questions

If you have not yet received your ballot (voting instructions and 16-digit activation code), please review the information on how to request a new activation code on the Contract Extension Voting Information page of afaalaska.org.

Voting Eligibility Questions

If you have received an error message when attempting to use your activation code to vote or need to verify that your membership status prior to voting, please contact AFA Membership Services for assistance. AFA Membership Services may be reached at (800) 424-2401 and then choosing option 7.

Please note that the AFA International office is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so everyone is working from home. Please leave a voice message with your name, Peoplesoft number and a good callback number. Someone will return your call as soon as possible during regular business hours (Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM EDT).

Take the Flight Attendant Vaccine Status Survey

AFA International

Have you gotten your vaccine yet? Since the first vaccines were approved, we’ve been advocating for Flight Attendants to be included with other essential workers in priority groups. The CDC announced that it’s safe for fully vaccinated (and masked!) people to travel, and we’re already seeing significantly higher passenger volumes. As we work to make sure our planes stay safe, it’s important for us to know whether members are able to receive the vaccine.

All adults in all states are now eligible to receive the vaccine. We are keeping our afacwa.org/vaccine up to date with the latest information on access and Flight Attendant prioritization.

Will you take our quick vaccine survey to help us track access? No personal information will be shared from the survey.

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Our Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 48^th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week virtually using Zoom. This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, May 11 – Wednesday, May 12	May Regular MEC Meeting
Wednesday, May 12	Executive Board Meeting (MEC President from each airline)
Thursday, May 13 – Friday, May 14	Board of Directors Meeting

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Your LEC President represents you and the other members of your Local Council on the Board of Directors and will be casting votes on your behalf at the BOD meeting. Your MEC Officers serve in an ex-officio capacity on the BOD but do not have voting privileges.

Each LEC held a Local Council meeting over the past several weeks to discuss the proposed agenda items and gain your feedback. You can find details about the proposed agenda by contacting your LEC President.

Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or the proposed AFA-CWA budget, please contact your LEC President.

Reporting Missing Airbus Oven Inserts and Racks

Inflight Service Committee

The Inflight Service Committee has recently been working with management to attempt to resolve issues related to missing oven inserts and racks onboard Airbus aircraft. The Committee has received numerous reports of Airbus ovens missing inserts and racks while at the same time management has not received corresponding reports. Oven inserts and racks are considered standard catering equipment on Airbus aircraft and, if not present, should be reported in the same manner as other missing catering items.

To ensure that we have the necessary tools and equipment to safely perform our duties, the Inflight Service Committee is looking for your help in reporting missing Airbus oven inserts and racks. The next time you fly on an Airbus aircraft, please ask the “A” Flight Attendant to check to oven to determine if there is an oven insert and racks present. If not, please report the missing equipment using the catering reporting function within Block2Block. The more reports that management receives on this issue, the more effective the Committee will be in advocating to resolve the equipment shortage.

Questions?

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

Concerned About A Loved Who Is Struggling with Alcohol or Drugs?

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Watching a friend or family member struggle with alcohol or drugs use can be heartbreaking. But, with help, there is recovery.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself about another person’s use of alcohol or drugs. If you answer yes to two or more questions, consider calling your AFA EAP for confidential support and next step options. Remember, many have been where you are.

Do you worry about how much your friend or loved one uses alcohol or drugs?
Do you lie or make excuses about their behavior when they drink or use drugs?
Do they get angry with you if you try to discuss their drinking or drug use?
Have you ever been hurt or embarrassed by their behavior when using drugs or alcohol?
Do you have concerns about how much time and money they spend on alcohol and drugs?
Do your resent having to pick up their responsibilities because they are drunk, high or hungover?
Do you ever get scared or nervous about their behavior when they’re drinking or using drugs?
Do you ever feel like you’re losing it–“going crazy”–just really stressed out?

Here are some important suggestions:

Learn all you can about substance use disorders.
Speak up and offer your support. Talk to the person about your concerns and offer your help, including your willingness to go with them and get help.
Don’t wait for them to “hit bottom.” You may be met with excuses, denial or anger, but be prepared to respond with specific examples of behavior that have you worried.
Don’t expect the person to stop without help. You have heard it before — promises to cut down, to stop — but it doesn’t work. Treatment, support, and new coping skills are needed for recovery.

Contact your AFA EAP for peer support and treatment resources. We have specialized programs that know how to work with Flight Attendants and their families. Call us at (949) 470-0493 or find your Local EAP Committee at https://afaalaska.org/eap.

AFA Special Update – September 9, 2020

September 9, 2020 17:25

In This Edition

Health and Safety Concerns with Onboard Service

Health and Safety Concerns with Onboard Service

Master Executive Council (MEC)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is thought to spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The spread predominantly occurs between people who are in close contact with others (within about 6 feet). Guidance from the CDC also indicates that people who don’t live in the same household should maintain 6 feet of distance from one another and that a mask is not a substitute for social distancing. Though management has implemented a policy requiring the use of face coverings by passengers and employee onboard the aircraft, it is practically impossible for Flight Attendants to maintain physical distancing of 6 feet from other people in the aircraft cabin, especially while conducting onboard service.

On July 16, management rolled out a significant expansion of onboard service which involved the addition of several additional beverage choices, including the return of hot beverages including coffee and tea. This expansion was followed up by further additions on August 16 coupled with the return of ice on the beverage cart. The addition of so many components of onboard service seems counterintuitive during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flight Attendants Are Unnecessarily Being Put At Risk

By requiring unnecessary interactions with passengers that are not related to safety of the flight, management continues to place Flight Attendants at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 by increasing required interactions with passengers and mandating additional time in the aisle to complete the increased service. Though management now allows Flight Attendants to bring and wear their own protective eyewear or face shields from home, this is not a substitute for the CDC recommendation to maintain physical distancing.

These concerns were resoundingly echoed by data collected from the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey. Over 1300 Flight Attendants responded to the survey, which was conducted between July 28 and August 2. Several key points from the survey include:

Only 18% of those surveyed answered affirmatively* that they believe management considered the safety and health of Flight Attendants when adding beverages back to the onboard service
Only 22% of those surveyed answered affirmatively* that they believe the number and type of beverages added back were appropriate given current concerns regarding COVID-19
Over 65% of those surveyed indicate that they have experienced passengers removing their face covering multiple times per flight since the July 16 onboard service expansion

*An affirmative answer is indicated by a response of strongly agree or agree

Comments submitted by Flight Attendants as part of the survey list dozens of reports of passengers removing their face covering to interact with Flight Attendants despite onboard announcements directing passengers to keep their face coverings on. Further reports tell of Flight Attendants observing passengers keeping their face coverings off for extended periods of time as they wait for hot beverages to cool. The results of the survey, as well as a representative selection of comments submitted by Flight Attendants, were shared with management shortly after the survey closed.

Management’s Position: Passenger Satisfaction Matters More

Members of the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Inflight Service Committee, and the MEC have been continually engaging with management to address the risks to Flight Attendant safety and health presented by the expansion of onboard service. These conversations have involved every level of management within Alaska Airlines, and have included management from inflight, labor relations, safety, and marketing. AFA Representatives have repeatedly asked management to “stop the operation” and “own safety” by pulling back the expanded onboard service and returning to the pre-July 16 offering.

Management, however, has a different point of view. In several meetings between management and AFA, management has stated that they believe that there is no evidence to say that there is any incremental risk of transmission due to onboard service. Management has also gone on record to indicate that they believe that the worst credible outcome of a COVID-19 infection to Flight Attendants is “medical treatment beyond first aid”—not hospitalization or death. This position contradicts the fact that the CDC has recorded over 184,000 COVID-19 related deaths in the United States and leading national forecasts continue to predict thousands of new COVID-19 related hospitalizations per day.

Management’s overall response has been that they fully intend to continue offering the expanded onboard service despite AFA’s objections. Their reasoning: an increase in passenger satisfaction scores and a decrease in complaints related to onboard service offerings.

The MEC is equally frustrated and disappointed that management has made the conscious decision to prioritize passenger survey scores over Flight Attendant health and safety by refusing to reconsider the onboard service expansion that they have rolled out over the past several months. The failure to address the concerns related to the unnecessary additional risk for contracting COVID-19 that Flight Attendants are being exposed to speaks volumes to the fact that “Ready, Safe, Go” is only a priority when it is convenient and suits the needs of management. Despite this, the MEC and other AFA representatives will continue our efforts to advocate for onboard service levels that do not put Flight Attendants unnecessarily at risk.

Continue to Document and Report Safety Hazards

Regardless of management’s position, please continue to report any safety hazards that you experience while performing the expanded onboard service. This could include instances of increased exposure to passengers (e.g. passenger removing their mask to speak to you, etc.) or other hazards related to service. You can report these hazards through ReportIt! by submitting either a FAIR and/or ASAP for each flight on which they occur. Include the terms “COVID-19″ and “service” in your narrative to ensure they are correctly categorized by management. This data will help our AFA representatives to advocate for safe levels of service.

AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey

July 28, 2020 05:00

On July 16, management implemented an expansion of onboard service which included the addition of multiple beverage selections and the re-introduction of hot beverages as an option for passengers. During the lead up to the service expansion, members of our Master Executive Council (MEC), Inflight Service Committee, and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) engaged management in multiple discussions with the intent of protecting Flight Attendant safety and health during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the objections raised by AFA and the nationwide increase in COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks, management made the decision to proceed with the rollout of the additional service citing the need to address complaints received through the Alaska Listens platform and improve scores on customer satisfaction surveys. The MEC, Inflight Service Committee, and ASHSC believe that the decision to proceed with an expanded onboard service in the wake of the increase in COVID-19 cases was irresponsible on management’s part.

COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey Launches Today

The MEC fully intends to continue to engage with management on the subject of onboard service, especially surrounding management’s plan for a further expansion next month. In an effort to gather as much direct Flight Attendant feedback as possible to share during those conversations, we have launched the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey. The survey is an opportunity to share your thoughts, feedback, and experiences related to the July 16 expanded onboard service.

Click here to take the survey

You’ll be able to take the survey any time between now and Sunday, August 2 at 5 PM PDT. Please share this link with your flying partners and encourage everyone who has worked since the July 16 onboard service expansion to take part! Even if you have not worked since July 16, you’ll still be able to share any comments you have about the service expansion.

REMINDER: Report Any Safety Hazards

In addition to completing the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey, please also remember to report any safety hazards that you experience while performing the expanded onboard service. This could include instances of increased exposure to passengers (e.g. passenger removing their mask to speak to you, etc.) or other hazards related to service. You can report these hazards through ReportIt! by submitting either a FAIR and/or ASAP for each flight on which they occur. Include the terms “COVID-19″ and “service” in your narrative to ensure they are correctly categorized by management. This data will help our AFA representatives to advocate for safe levels of service.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the AFA COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey, please contact your LEC Officers.

AFA Update – July 24, 2020

July 24, 2020 12:00

In This Edition

REMINDER: Call Congress to Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program
Onboard Service Expansion
Free Online Learning Course—African American History: From Emancipation to the Present
REMINDER: Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey
Grievance Committee Update

REMINDER: Call Congress to Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program

Government Affairs Committee

Keep up the pressure on our lawmakers to do the right thing and extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program. The House of Representatives is scheduled to break for recess on July 31st and the Senate on August 7th. Make your calls today and every day!

House – (888) 907-9365
Senate – (888) 848-4824

Sample Script:

Hello, I am a constituent calling to ask [Representative]/[Senator] to help save my job as an essential worker. Take legislative action in July to extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program for aviation workers in order to avoid massive job loss in October. Keep us connected to our jobs, our paychecks, and our healthcare. Thank you for your urgent attention to this.

Onboard Service Expansion

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Last week, management implemented an expansion of onboard service by increasing beverage choices for passengers and re-introducing hot beverages as an available menu option. This expansion of onboard service took place despite vocal objections by our Master Executive Council (MEC), Inflight Service Committee, and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC). Among these objections are management’s failure to adequately address the increased risk of exposure that our Flight Attendants are facing due to the additional time being spent interacting with passengers to offer the prescribed service. In light of the recent nationwide increase in COVID-19 cases and many jurisdictions postponing or rolling back plans to reopen businesses, the expansion of onboard service seems counterintuitive and does not indicate that management is serious about “owning safety”.

The MEC is currently developing a survey to gather more information about the specifics of how the expanded onboard service has impacted our Flight Attendants. More information will be available in soon in another AFA update.

Free Online Learning Course—African American History: From Emancipation to the Present

Human Rights Committee

Yale University is currently offering a free course on African American history taught by Jonathan Holloway. Professor Holloway was Professor of History, African American Studies, and American Studies at Yale University and Dean of Yale College.

This course represents a unique opportunity to assist in fulfilling our union’s promise to redouble our efforts to seek out, listen to, and amplify the voices of black and brown Flight Attendants within our Union and to address the systemic racism in our Union, our industry and our nation.

Additional information about the course can be found in the excerpt below from the Yale University website. You can access the course directly by clicking here.

About the Course

The purpose of this course is to examine the African American experience in the United States from 1863 to the present. Prominent themes include the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction; African Americans’ urbanization experiences; the development of the modern civil rights movement and its aftermath; and the thought and leadership of Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.

Warning: Some of the lectures in this course contain graphic content and/or adult language that some users may find disturbing.

Course Structure

This Yale College course, taught on campus twice per week for 50 minutes, was recorded for Open Yale Courses in Spring 2010.

REMINDER: Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey

AFA International

As a reminder, AFA International is currently running a Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey to collect Flight Attendants’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential to our work with our airlines, the federal government, and Congress to get your feedback.

Is there available PPE at work? Have you tested positive for COVID-19? How many trips have you worked since March? What’s your experience with aircraft cleaning? Are you on leave?

Click here to take the survey

All individual responses will be de-identified, kept confidential and only utilized publicly in the aggregate.

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 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. 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
- 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
Lost IMD or other required items
Failing to complete CBT—even if FA just forgets to hit the close button within Cornerstone to switch the CBT from in process to complete.

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

Arbitration	April 21	Disciplinary Grievance
Arbitration	May 27	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	June 15	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	June 25	Disciplinary Grievance

Recent Arbitration Awards

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-52-17-Violation of §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 JCTE Denying Unlimited Trading of Reserve Days Due to Classification as a Reserve Block Split. This grievance alleged the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 [Reserve: Reserve Exchange of Days, Pick-Ups and Trades/Reserve Day/Blocks], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system denied unlimited trading of reserve days pursuant to §11.H.4 due to JCA incorrectly classifying such trade as a reserve block split pursuant to §11.H.3.b.

Arbitrator’s Decision: The grievance is denied. Alaska Airlines did not violate Sections 11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 and/or any and all related sections of the collective-bargaining agreement or past practice when its Jeppesen Crew Access trading system denied transactions where Reserve Flight Attendants sought to give away less than an entire block more than once per month. Alaska Airlines properly classified these transactions as a reserve block split pursuant to Section 11.H.3.b.

Recent Grievance Settlements

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-30-19-Violation of §28.G.2 Ground Commuting Policy. This alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §28.G.2 [Domiciles: Commuter Policy/Ground Commuting Policy], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when during the February 2019 Pacific Northwest snowstorms, it did not allow Flight Attendants to use the ground commuter policy because the Company did not consider a snowstorm-related ground commuting failure to be unanticipated.

Details: See the July 13, 2020 AFA Update for more information.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-159-19-Violation of §11.F, §11.F.13 and §11.D.2.c Airport Standby Reserve and On Duty at 4:29 am. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §11.F [Reserve: Airport Standby], §11.F.13 [Reserve: APSB on Duty at 4:29 am] and §11.D.2.c [Reserve: Notice of Time to Report], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to or inconsistently compensated Flight Attendants when they were: 1) Sitting airport standby (APSB) prior to 4:29 am; 2) Sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am and while on said APSB was given a flight assignment prior to 4:29 am; and 3) Sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am and while on said APSB was given a flight assignment after 4:29 am.

Details:

Reserve Flight Attendants sitting airport standby (APSB) prior to 4:29 am local domicile time who do not receive a flight assignment during APSB:
1. Will be compensated pursuant to §11.D.2.c at one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate in that duty period of which one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above guarantee for the APSB assignment if the Flight Attendant receives less than nine (9) hours’ notice of the APSB assignment; or
1. Will be compensated straight time (1.0x) towards the reserve guarantee for the APSB assignment if the Flight Attendant receives at least nine (9) hours’ notice of the APSB assignment.
Reserve Flight Attendants sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am local domicile time and while on said APSB are given a flight assignment prior to 4:29 am will be compensated one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate for all TFP flown or credited or APSB in that duty period of which one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above guarantee.
Reserve Flight Attendants sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am local domicile time and while on said APSB are given a flight assignment after 4:29 am will be compensated one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate for all TFP flown or credited or APSB in that duty period of which one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above guarantee.

Click here to view the complete settlement agreement.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-116-18-Violation of §10.J.4 Bidding Timelines. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 10.J.4 [Scheduling: Bid Packets and Bidding Timelines], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about March 13, 2018, management re-opened its Preferential Bidding System (PBS), NAVBLUE, for a full bid re-award for April 2018 because it was not programmed to match the bid “duty on” preference on the new web application user interface. However, due to system limitations the re-award required the PBS to reopen which allowed access for Flight Attendants to submit new bids after the contractual bid submission deadline.

Details: The Company and AFA will The parties will actively work on installing an administrative lock-out function (or other mutually agreed upon solution) in the NAVBLUE bidding system (or any successor system). The lock-out function will allow the ‘back end’ of the bidding system to be opened for bid protests, technical issues, or other adjustments while locking out Flight Attendants from altering their bids on the ‘front end’. It is unknown whether NAVBLUE can accommodate a lock-out function exactly as described in this paragraph. If it is not possible, the parties will work together and mutually agree on the alternate solution and how it would work. If an alternate solution is not mutually agreed upon, AFA reserves the right to refile this grievance.

Compensatory Settlement: The Company will pay compensation to all Flight Attendants whose adjusted April 2018 bid resulted in a loss of four (4) or more TFP and at least one day of flying from their original April 2018 bid. Approximately 150 Flight Attendants are in this pool, plus two additional Flight Attendants who do not meet the requirements but whose situations present unique circumstances that warrant settlement. The total TFP amount to be paid out is 1130.6 TFP. A list of said Flight Attendants will be provided to the Company by the Association pursuant to this Settlement Agreement. The Company will pay the TFP to all the above-named Flight Attendants no later than on their June 20, 2021, paycheck. For any affected Flight Attendant who is inactive (due to separation or furlough) as of June 20, 2021, the Company will mail a check (less applicable withholdings) to the Flight Attendant’s last known address. The pay will be at the respective rates in effect on the day the Flight Attendant is paid. Payment will be paid above the reserve guarantee if applicable.

Click here to view the complete settlement agreement.

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

None

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-200-20-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 April 3, 2020, it failed to include the Air Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) in a meeting to discuss passengers who were scheduled to travel on Alaska flights after disembarking from a cruise ship which had suffered an outbreak of COVID-19. The company instead opted to brief AFA about the issue after the meeting and decision was made about how to proceed.

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.

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).

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.

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

March 19, 2020 15:30

In This Edition

Ongoing Conversations With Management
FAA & CDC Recommendations for Layovers
Crew-Only Layover Hotel Transportation
Tell Congress: Put Aviation Workers First
KCM Access Point Staffing
Challenges with Onboard Trash Stowage
Taking Control of Your Finances During a Loss of Flying
Telephone Support Group For Flight Attendants Under Self-Quarantine
COVID-19 Resources

Ongoing Conversations With Management

AFA and management are continuing to have active, ongoing discussions regarding a number of issues of importance to our Flight Attendants.

Inflight Service Changes

Yesterday, Executive Vice President and COO Gary Beck sent out an email outlining a series of reductions and changes to inflight service intended as mitigations to COVID-19. Our AFA officers have received resounding feedback that these mitigations do not take enough action to protect our Flight Attendants from possible risks. Discussions between AFA representatives and management to advocate for more drastic service reductions are continuing today.

Recurrent Training

Members of the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Inflight Training Committee, and the MEC have been engaging in conversation with management over the past week to advocate for protective measures related to recurrent training (RT) and the RT facilities. Based on those discussions, management has taken steps to implement measures such as a pre-class briefing on COVID-19 precautions being taken, increased the frequency of training equipment sanitization, provided hand sanitizer to be used before and after touching equipment or door trainers, and provided disposable gloves to be used when conducting door and equipment drills.

AFA representatives have also asked management to take immediate and necessary action to discontinue PBE and CPR drills due to the high potential of exposure to respiratory droplets that are known to spread COVID-19. Management has taken steps to request an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the requirement to complete PBE and CPR drills based on the ongoing spread of the disease. AFA is calling upon management to immediately discontinue these drills as continuing to ask Flight Attendants to perform them is a serious safety and health risk.

Food Availability on Layovers

As a preventive measure to curb the spread of COVID-19, many restaurants in our layover cities are being ordered closed by local and state authorities. Those that remain open are usually limited to take out or delivery only and are operating under limited hours. The AFA Hotel Committee and the MEC are working with management to ensure that food options continue to remain available to Flight Attendants, ideally within the health guidance outlined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) (see “FAA & CDC Recommendations for Layovers” below). Management has been asked to compile a list of food options that remain open and available near each layover hotel and to post the list in a place easily accessible to Flight Attendants.

FAA & CDC Recommendations for Layovers

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued updated COVID-19 health guidance for crew members in conjunction with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). This guidance includes recommendations to protect Flight Attendants from exposure and reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. AFA recommends that Flight Attendants follow this FAA & CDC guidance to the extent that you are able to do so.

While On a Layover In The United States or Internationally

Travel as a group in private transport provided by the air carrier when traveling between the airport and hotel (note: management has started implementing this provision already; see “Crew-Only Layover Hotel Transportation” below).
- Minimize contact with ground personnel and time in public areas while moving between the aircraft and the private transport.
- Do not use public transportation, including when traveling between the airport and hotel.
Stay in your hotel room to the extent possible.
Minimize going out into the general population and use social distancing (maintain a distance of approximately 6 feet, if possible) whenever out in public. Avoid crowds, stores, sporting or mass entertainment events, and other situations likely to attract large numbers of people.
Eat in your hotel room with either room service or delivery service. If in-room dining options are not available, eat at a restaurant located in the hotel. If not available at the hotel, eat at a restaurant located close to the hotel.
Avoid contact with sick people.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Use soap and water when your hands are visibly soiled.
Avoid touching your face.

Crew-Only Layover Hotel Transportation

Hotel Committee

In response to guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), management will be temporarily implementing private, crew-only vans in cities where transportation had been previously provided by the hotel and the van was shared with other passengers.

Management has instructed all transportation providers to adhere to the following criteria:

Vehicles must be sanitized and wiped down as much as possible prior to each pick up (seat belts and buckles, armrests, door handles, any touch points)
If possible, provide wipes and sanitizer in their vehicles
Gloves should be used if handling crew bags
Tipping may be limited due to risk of transfer on cash

This change means that in cities where the hotel provides transportation directly, the hotel will either now be providing “crew only” vans or, if the hotel is unable to provide a vehicle exclusively for crew, management will be arranging for contracted transportation providers to provide this service. Please note that with this change, company provided layover hotel transportation will be limited to crewmembers only for the foreseeable future. Crewmembers who are planning to travel with family or other guests will need to make other arrangements for them to get to the hotel.

Management will be sending emails to those crews where transportation is being switched from hotel-provided to contracted transportation. Pairings are also being updated in Crew Access if the transportation provider has changed. Please be mindful of any emails or Crew Access notifications regarding transportation changes.

Questions?

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

Tell Congress: Put Aviation Workers First

Government Affairs Committee

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paycheck continuation without furloughs/layoffs
No stock buybacks
No executive bonuses
No dividends
No breaking contract

>> Click here to take action now <<

Amplify Your Message with a Call

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

SENATE: 855-973-4213

HOUSE: 877-782-8274

KCM Access Point Staffing

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Due to the rapid changes caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is directing Federal Security Directors to implement measures to maintain continuity of business. These measures could include some changes to the operation of Known Crewmember Program (KCM) access point locations. Crewmembers should expect periodic closures of KCM access points without notice. If KCM access points are closed, the TSA will accommodate crewmembers at TSA PreCheck™ locations where available or at standard passenger screening lanes. The TSA is taking measured steps and following CDC recommended guidance to preserve the health and safety of Transportation Security Officers

More Information

Please check the Known Crewmember website for more information and updates.

Challenges with Onboard Trash Stowage

Inflight Service Committee

Our AFA Inflight Service Committee and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) have been working to advance AFA’s request to discontinue any onboard sorting of trash in the wake of COVID-19. Many Flight Attendants have attempted to collect trash without employing the usual sorting process that would be used for onboard recycling and have come up against numerous challenges based on the lack of adequate trash space. This has become especially challenging on double catered flights, flights in the Florida and Hawaii markets, and flights on A319 and certain A320 aircraft.

These concerns have been brought forward to the onboard food and beverage department, which is part of marketing. Management is reviewing possible solutions to mitigate the lack of appropriate trash space. AFA is continuing to stress the importance of providing adequate space for trash over discretionary provisions such as inflight entertaining tablets. This comes down to safety—the company’s catering procedures should never be prioritized over providing adequate space for Flight Attendants to contain trash in a regulatory-complaint manner.

Have You Experienced Inadequate Trash Stowage Space?

If you are on a flight where you have inadequate trash stowage space, AFA highly encourages every Flight Attendant on the crew to file an Aviation Safety Action (ASAP) report using ReportIt!. More information about ASAP, including a link to file a report, can be found here.

Taking Control of Your Finances During a Loss of Flying

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

It is prudent for all Flight Attendants to assess their personal financial positions in anticipation of income reductions. While every Flight Attendant’s situation will vary, below are some general considerations that can help you begin strategizing how best to weather the financial impact of flying cutbacks on your household.

Assess Your Financial Status

Prepare a household budget and cut any non-essential items.
Prepare a list of all creditors and a contact person. Make minimum payments.
Place your money in a bank in which you have no debt.
Attempt to secure a loan early, so you will have a cash flow.
Assess your tax situation. You may be owed a refund or need to file an extension.
Be proactive. Assess your credit card debt. Look into a temporary reduction or abatement in payments.

Contact Your Creditors

You must communicate with your creditors before any payments become delinquent, and the sooner the better. You can negotiate a lower repayment schedule before you run out of money. Be professional, but assertive. Creditors are easier to work with if they know ahead of time that there’s a problem. Also, it shows ‘good faith’ that you are concerned about your debts and intend to pay.

The goal is to make the amount of money you’ve saved last as long as possible. Pay what you can on a regular basis, even if it is less than expected. Partial payments may keep collection agents away. Follow-up all telephone conversations with a letter and keep documentation. Even in the worst-case scenario, it takes a long time for collections, repossessions and evictions to occur. Contact credit counselors who can help you sort out your financial affairs. Be sure to remember to contact the creditors that are automatically payroll deducted.

Even if you can’t pay creditors the amount they want, make your best effort to pay something regularly. This holds arrears as low as possible and lets the creditor know that you are doing all you can. Partial payment may keep your account from being turned over to a collection agency.

Put your payments in order of importance: this will help you pay first things first when money is short. Generally, your most important payment will be the mortgage or rent payment, followed by utilities, health insurance and car payments.

And after the initial contact, it’s important that you keep in contact with creditors – every two weeks or so. This reassures the creditor, shows a responsible attitude toward your obligation and may keep the creditor from ‘hounding’ you.

Prepare a Household Budget

A budget helps you see where you spend your money and where you can save. Your budgeted expenses should include:

Fixed expenses, including: mortgage, rent, taxes, insurance, loans, installment payments, credit card payments and any other monthly payments.
Monthly expenses, including: food, gas, repairs, dues, recreation, prescriptions.
Future expenses, including: income/property tax and any other outstanding debts.

Your budgeted income should include:

Any remaining income
State disability insurance benefits
Workers’ compensation checks
Savings
Social Security
Unemployment compensation
Other pension funds

Your assets may include:

Cash value of insurance policies
Equity in your home
Prepaid burial or funeral policy
Resale value of vehicles (including boats and snowmobiles)

Now you are ready to adjust your expenses, negotiate with creditors and use assets in the most effective way possible.

Questions?

Contact your Local Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee or call (949) 470-0493.

Telephone Support Group For Flight Attendants Under Self-Quarantine

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

In order to provide additional support to those Flight Attendants who are under self-quarantine, AFA International EAP is sponsoring a bi-weekly telephonic support group meeting. The meetings are facilitated by a confidential mental health professional.

Calls started on Tuesday, March 17 and are scheduled Tuesdays at 12 PM PDT (March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 14) and Sundays at 5 PM PDT (March 22, 29, April 5, 12). Each call will last one hour and can support up to 100 Flight Attendant participants.

Call-In Number

(855) 544-2320 or (401) 648-9218

If outside the U.S., follow the directions here.

In This Edition

Contract Extension Voting through May 12

Voting or Ballot Questions

Voting Eligibility Questions

Take the Flight Attendant Vaccine Status Survey

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

Schedule of Events

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Questions?

Reporting Missing Airbus Oven Inserts and Racks

Questions?

Concerned About A Loved Who Is Struggling with Alcohol or Drugs?

In This Edition

Health and Safety Concerns with Onboard Service

Flight Attendants Are Unnecessarily Being Put At Risk

Management’s Position: Passenger Satisfaction Matters More

Continue to Document and Report Safety Hazards

COVID-19 Onboard Service Survey Launches Today

REMINDER: Report Any Safety Hazards

Questions?

In This Edition

REMINDER: Call Congress to Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program

Onboard Service Expansion

Free Online Learning Course—African American History: From Emancipation to the Present

About the Course

Course Structure

REMINDER: Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey

Grievance Committee Update

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

Recent Arbitration Awards

Recent Grievance Settlements

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

More Information

Questions?

In This Edition

Ongoing Conversations With Management

Inflight Service Changes

Recurrent Training

Food Availability on Layovers

FAA & CDC Recommendations for Layovers

While On a Layover In The United States or Internationally

Crew-Only Layover Hotel Transportation

Questions?

Tell Congress: Put Aviation Workers First

Amplify Your Message with a Call

KCM Access Point Staffing

More Information

Challenges with Onboard Trash Stowage

Have You Experienced Inadequate Trash Stowage Space?

Taking Control of Your Finances During a Loss of Flying

Assess Your Financial Status

Contact Your Creditors

Prepare a Household Budget

Questions?

Telephone Support Group For Flight Attendants Under Self-Quarantine

Call-In Number

COVID-19 Resources

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Top Posts & Pages

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Master Executive Council

Contract

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