Committees

Alaska MEC Government Affairs – February 2016

March 14, 2016 14:47

SECURE OUR SKIES ACT This legislation will save lives

Flight Attendants Achieve Introduction of Legislation Aimed at Stopping Human Trafficking (AFA media report)
Washington, DC (February 2, 2016) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today praised the introduction of the Secure Our Skies Act to fight human trafficking with proper training for aviation workers, led by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10).

“As aviation’s first responders we are charged with the safety, health and security of the passengers in our care,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson. “Traffickers steal lives. But for a window of time, we can see it and report it. Millions of innocent victims are trafficked throughout the world each year, and many are transported on our planes. We are proud to work with Representatives Titus and Comstock to move this important legislation to reality in our workplace. With proper training we can be 100,000 eyes in skies saving lives.”

The bill requires training for flight attendants, pilots and dispatchers of air carriers to to identify and report human trafficking.

“Human trafficking doesn’t happen just on the ground. That’s why members of the airline industry are in a strong position to help stop these crimes,” said Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-01). “The SOS Act will close off the skies to traffickers by providing training to professionals who know their way around aircraft. I thank the nation’s flight attendants for their commitment to fighting these heinous crimes. They know we have to spot the signs to stop the crimes.”

The infrastructure and training mechanisms are already in place through the Department of Transportation’s Blue Lightning Initiative, launched almost three years ago on June 6, 2013. Blue Lightning teaches airline personnel on a voluntary basis about common circumstances with human trafficking in order to recognize and report these instances to law enforcement for swift action. AFA launched a public campaign on June 1, 2015 to promote the provisions of the SOS Act.

“It is critical that we are ever vigilant in the fight against the heinous crime of human trafficking,” said Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10). “Every day, flight attendants see and interact with children on the thousands of flights across our country and throughout the world. They are the eyes and ears in this constant battle, and this legislation will give them the tools

to save the most vulnerable in our society and fight this terrible scourge. I want to thank Congresswoman Titus for working in a bipartisan manner on this important legislation.”

“Everyone immediately recognizes the horror of human trafficking, but we must turn our outrage into concrete action to stop it,” Nelson concluded.

See Rep. Dina Titus introduce the bill on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUhhhCiWWGU

UPDATE ON THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION PROCESS

February saw the introduction of the much awaited FAA Reauthorization bill. I have included Gov Affairs Director Steve Schembs comprehensive update and explanation on the bill as it moves through Congress:

FEB 26, 2016 – The FAA Reauthorization Bill has been introduced in the House, reviewed and adopted by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as amended. Our 10 hours rest between duty periods and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan are included in the bill as well a AFA-promoted issues listed at the end of this update.

Now the Senate is writing its version of the bill, which is expected to be introduced in the coming days. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee “mark-up” will likely be scheduled prior to their Easter recess starting March 18th. This means committee action could take place on the very day of our March 16th Rally for Rest. Regardless, the Rally is well timed and it is assisting us in promoting inclusion of our rest/fatigue language. If you have not already RSVP’d, we encourage you to do that now: https://cdn.afacwa.org/ issues/rest/.

Once both House and Senate bills are introduced and adopted by the respective committees, each full chamber must also vote on the bill. Amendments could also be considered during this process, although sometimes the bill can only be considered as adopted by the committee.

Next, a conference between the House and Senate is held to write common language. This final version of the bill must again be adopted by both chambers before going to the President’s desk for signature. We must remain engaged throughout the process and continue to use the power of our numbers to take action in support of rest and recognition of Flight Attendant fatigue.

The FAA Reauthorization bill is must-pass legislation, although our experience shows this might include several extensions before the long-term bill is passed. Getting our rest provisions in these base bills now sets a foundation for inclusion in the final passage of the bill regardless of when that actually occurs.

This week AFA has ramped up our advocacy to the U.S. Senator’s writing the FAA Bill; Sen. John Thune (ND), Sen. Kelly Ayote (NH), Sen. Bill Nelson (FL), Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Cory Gardner (CO) and all of the members of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Thanks to a massive effort for calls from members, and special thanks to AFA Frontier for relentless efforts in generating calls from Colorado, we are making good progress with the Senate. But we can’t let up for a second. We have to keep up calls next week and right up to the point of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee vote on their version of the bill.

At the Rally for Rest on March 16, hundreds of Flight Attendants will urge members of the Senate to include the 10 hours minimum rest and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan into the Senate bill. We will also go to every House office to encourage support of our rest in the FAA Reauthorization bill and thank members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for recognizing the importance rest plays in supporting our health and the tools necessary to fulfill our duties as aviation’s first responders.

CWA NEXT GEN AT JOBS WITH JUSTICE

Government Affairs Committee members Kris Hall and Drew Lemish were the AFA representatives at the Jobs with Justice Next Generation conference in Washington DC, Feb. 12th and 13th.

JWJ activists joined sessions on organizing, social media, innovations in the labor movement, grassroots fundraising and much more as part of JWJ’s two-day national conference. CWA Next Generation leaders were on hand as former CWA President Larry Cohen was recognized for his years of building JWJ and his commitment to democracy and working families. (CWA Media report).

Kris had this to say about the experience: “I found it profoundly educational- every workshop, every caucus, every conversation. I made so many connections, met and listened to so many stories, discussed so many concerns that would not have been possible without JwJ!”

Respectfully submitted,

Beverly Bullock
MEC Government Affairs Chairperson

MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson Interviews

February 23, 2016 09:00

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to thank Blair Kimball for stepping up and serving as MEC Chairperson of the AFA Inflight Service Committee over the past several years. Under Blair’s leadership, the committee has expanded involvement and helped to advocate for Flight Attendants as management has introduced major service changes. Blair will remain in position during the transition period as the MEC selects and appoints a new MEC Chairperson.

Background

The MEC Chairperson of the Inflight Service Committee is responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee at the airline level. The Chairperson works closely with each Local Committee Chairperson to gather feedback and input and represents the positions of the Committee and MEC in interactions with management.

Additional Information From the MEC Policy Manual

INFLIGHT SERVICE COMMITTEE

1. SCOPE

a. The Inflight Service Committee shall act to support the Union’s interest with respect to inflight service and sales onboard flights. The Committee shall meet with the Company to discuss any change in inflight service or sales, procedures to be followed and other pertinent matters prior to the implementation of such service

2. POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

a. The MEC Inflight Service Committee shall consist of the MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson and the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairperson from each council.

b. It shall be the policy of the Union to make any significant change in inflight service or sales subject to negotiations between the parties. The Union shall always place Flight Attendants’ health and safety as its first priority when considering the feasibility of any inflight service or sales change and the location of inflight service or sales items in galleys or other stowage locations.

c. The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i) Immediately contact the MEC President should the Company override his/her objections and proceed to implement changes in inflight service or sales against his/her recommendation

(ii) Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website.

d. The Committee shall:

(i) Represent the Flight Attendant point of view to the Company in all matters pertaining to onboard sales and service policies, procedures, and practices

(ii) Work with the Scheduling Committee to determine available service time, projected loads and staffing when the Company determines a certain service is required on a flight

(iii) Monitor feedback from all domiciles on flights where services, load, staffing, or flight time cause the Flight Attendants difficulty in completing the standards of performance

Qualifications

Robust working knowledge of inflight service procedures, including all positions and routes (including short haul, Mexico, Hawaii, midcon, and transcon)
Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle on occasion
Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties

Participate in reviews of inflight catering, packing, service, and sales with management
Review Flight Attendant complaints or concerns regarding catering and inflight service. Gather information and work with management to satisfactorily resolve each issue.
Schedule, plan, and conduct quarterly meetings of the committee and other meetings and conference calls as needed
Correspond with the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons and MEC regularly to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

This is position eligible for Flight Pay Loss (FPL) reimbursement by the Company under 27.P Company Business (CB) Flight Pay Loss with a 5% override and “A” pay. CB is compensated at 0.75 TFP per hour of work.
Estimated 8-10 hours per week (24 to 30 TFP per month). Some work may be accomplished remotely. Regularly required to be in Seattle to work on projects and attend meetings.

Working Relationships

With The Inflight Service Committee

Constant interaction with the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons. Frequent interaction with Local Inflight Service Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC Vice President.

With Alaska Airlines Management

Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Manager of Inflight Experience (Matthew Coder) and Director of Catering Operations (Susan Morse)

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the April MEC meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
Interviews will be at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle. Our office is located in the Alaska Airlines Flight Operations and Training Center, Suite 280 at 2651 South 192nd Street, Seattle, WA 98188.
Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Gesch at yvette.gesch@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, April 1, 2016. Yvette will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

Miscellaneous Scheduling Information February 2016

February 11, 2016 17:00

AFA Alaska has compiled the following information for Premium Open Time trading, Open Time trading, Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) during month end overlap, and Sit Pay/Stranded Pay.

Premium Open Time trading

Effective February 1^st, Crew Scheduling now manually processes trades within legalities for trips posted as Premium Open Time. See Inflight Bulletin # 2016-0032 Premium Open Time Trade Update for additional information. The current programming in eMaestro does not allow for automated trading of/with Premium Open Time trips (indicated by dollar signs: $, $$ or $$$).

Management has agreed that Crew Scheduling will manually process the trading of Premium Open Time sequences for Flight Attendants until an updated program or successor system is able to process the “trade” function automatically. Please be aware that the posted premium will not follow the trade unless it is a straight pick up from Open Time by the Flight Attendant. The “pick up” function is fully operational and does not require that you contact Crew Scheduling.

The trade will be day for day or greater on the same date(s) unless the day of departure is open, which is very unlikely if the Company is offering premium pay.

Open Time Trading Helpful Hints

What code allows me to trade my 2-day trip on the 15^th for a turn in OT on the 15^th?

If you have a 2-day trip on the 15^th, and the trip in OT is coded TO/DD/CP, then you can trade down out of your 2-day and into the turn within contractual and/or FAR legalities.

***AFA and Alaska Airlines management have heard your feedback that there are too many codes, which causes confusion. In the replacement to eMaestro/Maestro, Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE), AFA and management have requested to reduce the number of codes–ideally we would like to combine the TO/DD/CP codes into one code (to be determined).***

What if a 2-day trip in OT is a TX (or not coded)?

If a trip in OT is coded TX, then you can trade for trip length of the same or greater number of days and covering the same dates as the trip you are trading off of your line, within contractual and/or FAR legalities.

Month End Overlaps and Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs)

“Whole sequence” minimum pay rules (MPRs)—the Extended Overnight Rule (EOR), Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM) and Average Duty Period Guarantee (ADPG) were being paid at the end of the sequence in the subsequent month when there was month end overlap. However, management has agreed in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that a Flight Attendant may file an Activity Claim Form in order to have a “whole sequence” MPR (e.g. EOR, MSM, ADPG) paid in the preceding month during month-end overlap. Otherwise by default the “whole sequence” MPR is paid in the subsequent month—no paperwork is necessary.

Sit Pay and Stranded Pay

If there is scheduled Sit Pay (sit over 2 hours) and the flight subsequently is delayed over 2 hours more than the scheduled sit (total ground time 4 hours and 2 minutes or more), is the F/A able to retain 1.0 TFP for Sit Pay and then file for 1.0 TFP Stranded Pay?

No. You are eligible for Stranded Pay only when it exceeds Sit Pay. Each occurrence of Stranded Pay is reduced by 1.0 TFP for Sit Pay already paid in that duty period (CBA §21.N.2.c. [Stranded Pay]). In order for Stranded Pay to exceed Sit Pay, the delay causing the stranding must be greater than 6 hours—or in other words, the flight must block out more than 6 hours past scheduled departure time. Total ground time must exceed the scheduled sit time (over 2 hours) plus the subsequent delay/stranding (over 6 hours).

* * *

If you have any additional questions, contact one of your Local Executive Council officers (ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15) or local Scheduling Committee chairperson(s) or committee members.

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

Friends Don’t Let Friends Breathe Oil Fumes on Aircraft: Contribute to Crew and Passenger Health Research Project (GIVE TEN, GET TEN…)

February 11, 2016 09:00

Ever smelled dirty socks onboard? A dirty socks smell in the cabin could be engine oil fumes in the ventilation air. You read that right: the air that comes through the cabin and flight deck vents is first compressed in the engines, and it isn’t filtered before you breathe it on all aircraft except for the Boeing 787. AFA regularly receives reports from members who report dirty socks or musty fumes in the cabin supply air. This exposure can result in problems with memory, balance, speech and other long-lasting symptoms. Nobody thinks it will happen to her or him until it does….

Remember Clean Up Cabin Air and the GIVE TEN, GET TEN campaign? Clean Up Cabin Air is led by volunteer flight attendants—including some of our very own (who wish to remain anonymous)—and their supporters. Clean Up Cabin Air has re-launched its campaign and “re-branded” it as Airline Crew and Passenger Health Research: Blood Test for Oil.

From Clean Up Cabin Air’s campaign page:

We are re-launching our campaign on this important subject, having raised more than $3000 which has already been forwarded to the research team. We are again calling everyone who flies to join our campaign to make air travel healthier. Please GIVE $10 (or something comparable, any currency) to a talented university research team to finish developing an important blood test for airline crews and passengers (more information below). Also, GET 10 more people (Facebook friends, any friends, anybody with a pulse…) to do the same….

Aviation engine oils contain neurotoxic additives, so breathing the fumes can cause lasting damage to your brain. Also, flight safety can be compromised when crews are impaired inflight. You will meet some affected crew members in our video….

Join us. Change the way the industry handles the air you breathe on regular commercial flights. Donate now! Currently, 95% of your donation goes directly to the researchers, and 5% to Indiegogo, per their rules. We have been approved as a non-profit organization, such that contributions (made in the US, at least) will be tax-deductible. EVERY dollar, euro, pound, peso and yen, every bit – however small – helps. Larger contributions are also encouraged… Go ahead, watch our video and add your voice to the people who want clean cabin air now. We thank you.

All flight attendants and pilots need this blood test to be available, so the MEC is encouraging everybody to GIVE TEN, GET TEN. (Helpful hint from your MEC: Remember to confirm that the donation level matches your desired contribution prior to submitting.) As an added incentive and in keeping with the GIVE TEN theme, AFA Alaska will automatically match each member’s donation dollar for dollar up to a maximum of $10,000 total donation. We will work directly with Clean Up Cabin Air to make that happen—it’s easy to contribute, and there is no need for you to do anything for the donation matching!

If you are exposed to oil fumes onboard, then you need to be able to prove it. All of us need the industry to feel more motivated to clean up the cabin air!

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Air Quality Chairperson Karyn Kobe; and AFA-CWA Air Safety, Health and Security Department Industrial Hygienist Judith Anderson

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

Alaska MEC Government Affairs – February 2016

SECURE OUR SKIES ACT This legislation will save lives