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        You are here: Home / Archives for Committees

        What You Need To Know About New Ties & Scarves

        February 2, 2016 12:00

        After years of discussion and speculation, Alaska Airlines management has announced the launch of a new brand identity. As part of the rebranding, management has discussed the intent to produce a new “custom” uniform. The production of a custom uniform can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months from initial approval. This means that Flight Attendants will continue to wear the current “interim” uniform for the foreseeable future.

        New Ties and Scarves Developed By Management With NO AFA Input

        Because a custom uniform is still in the design phase, management has made the decision to produce and issue a new tie and scarf to all uniformed employees to include new brand elements in the mean time. This new piece has been designed and developed exclusively by management, without any input from the AFA Uniform Committee or the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), despite contractual language requiring them do to so. The new piece is not being produced by Land’s End, but by a different vendor whom AFA has not had the opportunity to vet or review. Additionally, we have been given no information about the safety standards employed by this new vendor or any fabric testing performed on these new pieces.

        AFA Not Allowed To Wear Test The Final Product

        The AFA Uniform Committee has a long history of working with management to wear test new uniform pieces and accessories. Wear testing allows working Flight Attendants the opportunity to trial new uniform items in a real-life environment. Uniform and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Members are able to evaluate fit, function, comfort, and possibly discover whether the combination of fabrics, dyes, and other garment components used will cause adverse reactions. This testing increases the chance that the final uniform will meet our needs and is safer to wear.

        In the case of the new uniform scarves and ties, management declined to give AFA the opportunity to conduct a full wear test of the final uniform product. Management instead offered the committees the chance to wear test uniform “blanks”, solid color ties and scarves that did not contain the actual mix of fabric and dyes that Flight Attendants will be expected to wear onboard the aircraft. AFA was told that a wear test of the actual ties and scarves was not possible because it was important that the new pieces remain a surprise for employees and the design not be leaked to the public. Because a test of anything other than the final product would not effectively determine how those actual pieces would react to our work environment, the Uniform Committee and ASHSC declined to participate in a test of “blank” pieces.

        We feel that it is important that you are aware that AFA has not participated in the production or design of these new pieces.

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

        In Solidarity,

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt, MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Bob Moore and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple

        AFA Alaska Logo Transparent Background

        Filed Under: Latest News, Uniform Committee Tagged With: brand refresh, scarves, ties, uniforms

        IAH Layovers for March 2016

        February 1, 2016 11:18

        We will resume layovers in IAH starting in March.  Please be advised that some of the trips in IAH had to be moved to a new secondary  layover hotel.  Management was only able to contract a limited number of rooms at both properties.  There were also some short layovers that needed to be moved out of the long layover hotel.

        Unfortunately, the bid packets will still show the primary layover hotel for the trips that were moved.  The hotel information will be updated in eMaestro (in the notes sections) and the trips that have been moved are listed under the news and announcements section on the hotel tab of the Flight Attendant websites.  Specific hotel information for both hotels is also listed on the hotel tab of the Flight Attendant website.

        A direct link to management’s information about the move can be found here (AS log-in required)

        Filed Under: Hotel Committee

        Be On Guard: Hotel Scams on the Rise

        February 1, 2016 10:46

        A new scam where con artists try to get credit card numbers out of hotel guests is on the rise.  Always be alert on your layovers and never give your credit card number out to anyone who calls your room.  If hotel staff need to get payment information for your incidental charges, they will always ask you to come down to the front desk and will never ask for your credit card number over the phone.  Alternately, you can hang up and then call back down to the front desk so that you know exactly who you’re talking to.

        A recent NBC news story provides some more background on the scam.  You can read the story here: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43662080/ns/business-consumer_news/t/summer-travel-alert-scammers-target-hotel-guests

        Filed Under: Hotel Committee

        Open Time Programming Changes

        January 27, 2016 19:00

        eMaestro update tonight

         

        There will be an eMaestro outage beginning at 11 pm Pacific Time tonight (Wednesday, January 27th) for a system update.  This update should bring the programmed Open Time (OT) trading rules into contractual compliance with the language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) §12.F [Open Time Trial]. Changes to trading rules will be effective when eMaestro is brought back online.

         

        Pairing codes and trading rules

         

        The new OT system will include codes displayed next to the pairings.  The codes will be TO (“Trading down is Open”) / CP (“CouPon Drop”) / DD (“Direct Drop”) / TX (“Trading down is eXcluded”)—or the code may be blank.  Each pairing with the code TO, CP or DD on a particular day of departure together make up the Threshold Sequence Number (TSN), which determines if the day is “limited” (closed).  Any trip with the TO/CP/DD code may be traded up or down regardless of the number of days as long as the trip exchanged reports on the same day.

        Day for day trading!

         

        With this update there will be additional trading capabilities regarding day for day trading, including multiple sequence trades in Open Time! The multiple sequence trading rules are more favorable than the language currently in §12.F [Open Time Trial], which was a pleasant surprise to AFA when discovered earlier this week. Management has agreed to incorporate these multiple sequence trading rules into the OT Trial. Due to the short lead-time, the parties were unable to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to supplement the language of §12.F prior to the programming patch going live. However, we will publish that MOU as soon as possible.

        Single or multiple sequence trade: TX or uncoded

         

        If a pairing in Open Time is labeled TX (“Trading down is eXcluded”) or it has a blank designation, then that pairing can be traded for one or more pairings on your line as long as the trips being traded off of your line cover the same dates as the trip being picked up in OT even if there is a gap between the trips being traded off of your line. The trip(s) on your line does not necessarily have to report on the same date of report as the trip in OT as long as the trip(s) being traded off of your line covers the same dates as the trip in OT or more.

         

        Example: Two turns on your line starting on the 1st and 2nd can be traded for a 2-day in OT starting on the 1st that is coded TX and the 1st is “limited” (closed).

         

        Example: A turn starting on the 1st and a 2-day starting on the 3rd on your line can be traded for a 4-day in OT starting on the 1st that is coded TX and the 1st is “limited” (closed)—even though there is a gap between the trips being traded off of your line.

         

        Single sequence trade: TO/CP/DD

         

        No change to current trading rules.

        Multiple sequence trade: TO/CP/DD

         

        If a pairing in Open Time is labeled TO/CP/DD, then that pairing can be traded for one or more pairings on your line as long as the trips being traded off of your line cover the same dates as the trip being picked up in OT—even if there is a gap between the trips being traded off of your line; none of the days of departure of the trips being traded off of your line can be “limited” (closed) in OT. Again, the trip(s) on your line does not necessarily have to report on the same date of report as the trip in OT as long as the trip(s) being traded off of your line covers the same dates as the trip in OT or more.

         

        Example: Two turns on your line starting on the 1st and 2nd can be traded for a 2-day in OT starting on the 1st that is coded TO/CP/DD if both the 1st and the 2nd are open.

         

        Example: A turn starting on the 1st and a 2-day starting on the 3rd on your line can be traded for a 4-day in OT starting on the 1st that is coded TO/CP/DD if both the 1st and the 3rd are open—even though there is a gap between the trips being traded off of your line. In this case, it does not matter whether the 2nd and the 4th are “limited” (closed) or open.

         

        * * *

         

        More information can be found in §12.F [Open Time Trial]. Because so much of this is new to everybody, naturally there will be questions. Use your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers or Scheduling Committee members as resources but please be patient while everyone familiarizes themselves with the new rules. We’ll have several weeks to play with the new trading rules prior to March Open Time opening on February 17th for Seattle and February 16th for all other bases. The Open Time Trial as referenced in §12.F.10 will officially commence on those dates.

         

        In solidarity,

         

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

        AFA-Alaska-Logo-Transparent-Background

        Filed Under: Latest News, Scheduling Committee Tagged With: 2016, eMaestro, Open Time, OT

        Introducing AFA Pairing Analyst Karen Ferrell

        January 27, 2016 17:00

        At the January meeting of the Master Executive Council (MEC) earlier this week, your MEC interviewed candidates for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson for Pairing Construction, commonly referred to as the AFA Pairing Analyst.  In total, four candidates interviewed for the position (one Anchorage-based flight attendant, two Seattle-based flight attendants and one Los Angeles-based flight attendant).  The MEC sincerely thanks the candidates for stepping forward.  After much discussion, the MEC has appointed Karen Ferrell to the position.

        About Karen

        Karen has worked for Alaska Airlines for over 37 years in various job capacities. Currently she is an Anchorage-based flight attendant and has been for 17 years. Karen is also the AFA Council 30 Anchorage vice president and Local Executive Council (LEC) co-chair of the Scheduling Committee.

        Karen says, “I have always been interested in the scheduling aspect of our job, and before the current system sat with [Anchorage based flight attendant and former AFA line builder] Anita Davis on a few occasions to try to learn and understand what was then ‘line building.’ …Over the last several years, the quality of our pairings has continued to deteriorate. And though I understand there are many variables to consider, it is my hope that there is a solution that will satisfy the Company’s desire to save money AND create a variety of pairings that can satisfy the diverse needs of our work group.”

        * * *

        The MEC thanks MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones for continuing to run pairing solutions on behalf of AFA until Karen can be brought up to speed. She is scheduled to attend training at a Jeppesen training facility in Montreal in early April. Congratulations, Karen!

         

        In Solidarity,

         

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones; and AFA Pairing Analyst Karen Ferrell

        AFA-Alaska-Logo-Transparent-Background

        Filed Under: Latest News, Pairing Construction Tagged With: 2016, pairing analysis, Pairing Analyst, pairing building, pairing construction

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