Committees

Join the “GIVE TEN, GET TEN” Campaign to Combat Toxic Oil Fumes Onboard

December 10, 2015 17:00

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) encourages you to GIVE TEN dollars to this important cause, and GET TEN friends to do the same in order to combat toxic oil fumes onboard.

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.

As things stand, flight attendants often have difficulty accessing the aircraft maintenance records—if at all—in order to prove that oil contaminated the cabin air. Even when maintenance records are accessed, it can be very challenging to verify after the incident that oil contaminated the cabin air. Additionally, there is no current blood test specific to these fumes. Consequently, airlines often say that “nothing was wrong” and that crews are just imagining their disabling symptoms.

Fortunately, a dedicated research team at the University of Washington is developing a blood test specific to the aviation engine oil. KOMO News ran an article back in September “UW creating test to measure toxic exposure in airplane cabins” in which AFA International President Sara Nelson was quoted. You may be interested to know that Council 19 Seattle and your MEC coordinated to donate $5000 to UW’s Dr. Clem Furlong and his team this past fiscal year.

You can help the effort by visiting GIVE TEN, GET TEN. The GIVE TEN, GET TEN campaign is overseen by Clean Up Cabin Air, which is a group that as of this writing is in the final stages of becoming a non-profit organization. Clean Up Cabin Air is led by volunteer flight attendants—including some of our very own (who wish to remain anonymous)—and their supporters.

From the GIVE TEN, GET TEN campaign page:

“A single person’s TEN DOLLARS won’t fund anything, but our GOAL is to bring ENOUGH people onboard that ENOUGH ten dollar donations are received, that the research will be a success, for the good of crews everywhere. So please, GIVE TEN, GET TEN, and encourage your flying partners, family, friends, people you don’t even like, your dog, your barista, the guy who fixes your car, anyone and everyone, to do the same…

Don’t leave the page until you have given $10 and sent the link to ten people!“

All flight attendants and pilots need this blood test to be available, so the MEC is encouraging everybody to GIVE TEN, GET TEN. 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—no need for you to do anything!

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

Contaminated Cabin Air: Know What To Do

December 4, 2015 05:00

Under normal circumstances, we don’t give the air we breathe onboard the aircraft a second thought. As we’re all taught in initial training, cabin air is bleed air that is taken in through the aircraft engines then cooled and pressurized to make it usable. As with any piece of mechanical equipment, there’s always a possibility of malfunction. As a part of the engines, a malfunction in the cabin air system has the possibility of introducing oil, hydraulic fluid, or other materials into the cabin.

What to do if You Think You’ve Been Exposed to Contaminated Air

Being prepared and knowing what to do in the event of an air quality exposure incident can help you and your crew to the help you need as quickly as possible. Here’s what to do:

1. Identify the Situation

If you encounter unusual fumes (odors), smoke, or haze:

Quickly rule out in-cabin items (e.g. burning food, oven residue, etc.)
Report the situation to the pilots immediately. If the source is the air from the vents in the cabin, there is the possibility of oil/hydraulic fluid contamination.
If no passengers are on board, step off the aircraft, especially if maintenance boards to test systems
Avoid breathing fumes coming from vents

2. Get Help if Sick

If in the air, notify the pilots to call MedLink
If still at the gate, ask the CSA to call paramedics. Deplane if possible.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Most tests that detect exposure are time sensitive; even a few hours can make a difference. Your symptoms can persist, worsen, or return after another incident.
Call AFA for help

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Call First

Karyn Kobe, Air Quality Chairperson
(206) 457-2010, Extension 1101

Backup

Seth Heiple, ASHSC Chairperson
(206) 457-2010, Extension 1100

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Print and begin completing the AFA exposure checklist
Review the AFA International Air Quality website

3. Report & Document

File an I-21 (employee injury report) and ASAP report with the company
Keep printed copies of each report for your records
Send a copy of the completed I-21 form to airquality@afaalaska.org
Ask supervisor to complete their Alaska Airlines air quality checklist with you
If sick, file a worker’s compensation claim and see a doctor as quickly as possible. Claims do not start until you see a doctor.
Keep a symptom diary and document everything with a doctor

Keep This Information With You In Case You Need it

Get Your New Quick Reference Card

New air quality exposure quick reference cards have been printed and will soon be available in your base. These cards replace all old versions of the air quality cards (gold or blue lanyard cards or old black and white folded paper card). When you pick up your new card, please discard any old cards that you have and replace them with the new one. This card fold up to the size of a credit card and will fit easily inside a plastic badge holder or in your purse or wallet. On the card, you’ll find information that you’ll need in the event of an air quality exposure incident as well as links to online AFA resources and contact information for AFA representatives who can assist you.

Print Your Own Quick Reference Card

You can download and print a quick reference card at any time by clicking this link.

Find it on the AFA Alaska Website

This information is also available on a dedicated page of the AFA Alaska website at: http://afaalaska.org/ashsc/airquality/checklist.

From the AFA Alaska mobile website or web app, a quick link is located on the main page of the site. For instructions on how to save the AFA Alaska web app as a desktop icon on your IMD or personal Apple device, click here.

If you have questions, please contact your Local Air Safety, Health, and Security (ASHSC) Committee.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt, Air Quality Chairperson Karyn Kobe and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple

AFA Alaska MEC Pairing Analyst Interviews

November 24, 2015 17:00

Your Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to take this opportunity to thank Sherrijon Gaspard for stepping up to the plate as MEC Pairing Analyst for the last six months. Regretfully, she recently stepped down from her position due to unforeseen family circumstances. The MEC is now in search of qualified individuals interested in becoming the new MEC Pairing Analyst.

Background

The official title in the AFA Alaska MEC Policy Manual for the AFA Pairing Analyst is MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction. The Pairing Analyst is chairperson and sole member of the Pairing Construction Subcommittee, which is a part of the Scheduling Committee. See below for additional information.
Both the Crew Planners and the AFA Pairing Analyst individually use a computer system provided by Jeppesen to construct pairings each month.
The pairings in our bid packets are “optimized” (usually for least cost) and built using a computer program designed by Jeppesen. Inflight management selects the final pairing solution to be used.

Additional Background from the AFA Alaska MEC Policy Manual

PAIRING CONSTRUCTION SUBCOMMITTEE

Scope

(i) The Pairing Construction Subcommittee will work with the company and the Inflight Crew Planning Department to build Flight Attendant pairings

Policy/Responsibilities

(i) The Pairing Construction Subcommittee shall consist of the MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction.

(ii) The Subcommittee shall:

(A) Regularly communicate with and provide updates to the MEC Scheduling Chairperson on the activites of the subcommittee

(B) Meet on a monthly basis with the Company and the Inflight Crew Planning Department to review problems and suggested resolutions regarding construction of Flight Attendant pairings and monthly lines of flying.

(D) Keep the MEC informed on all activities relating to the pairing construction process. When meetings or communications are due to unusual scheduling activities, a written report will be made.

(E) Keep the membership informed of the results of the pairing construction process on a monthly basis through the MEC Communications Committee Chairperson.

(F) Solicit feedback from the membership regarding desired pairings, trip lengths, and types of flying through Local Scheduling Committees and advocate for such during the pairing construction process.

(G) Discuss any problems occurring within the pairing construction process with the Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons on a monthly basis and will provide any suggestions for remedy of problems to the MEC.

Skillset/Requirements

Strong computer skills are a must.
Ability to independently meet several deadlines throughout the month.
Potentially frequent travel to Seattle for training and meetings. However, duties may generally be fulfilled remotely.

Duties

Build pairings solutions using a pairings optimizer computer program (Jeppesen).
Work collaboratively with Crew Planning in regards to pairing building.
Review, validate and comment on the monthly pairing solutions.
Write a monthly pairings report.
Correspond with Local Scheduling Committee chairpersons, the MEC Scheduling Committee chairperson, and LEC presidents regarding pairing solutions and related concerns brought forward by flight attendants.
Advocate for flight attendants in the pairing building process.

Time Commitment and Compensation

This is a paid position compensated 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 16 to 20 hours per month (12 to 15 TFP per month), most of which may be accomplished remotely.

Reporting Structure

Directly reports to the MEC Scheduling Committee chairperson, who in turn reports to the MEC.

Interested?

The MEC will hold interviews on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. Bid around the interview date or arrange to adjust 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 S 192^nd St, 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, January 15, 2016. Yvette will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

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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

New “Temporary” FA to FA and Open Time Trading Schedule

November 17, 2015 05:00

Background

In light of recent technical issues with Open Time, the Master Executive Council (MEC) made a decision at our November meeting last week to temporarily change trading times for all bases. This is a temporary change that should end with an upgrade from eMaestro to the Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE) system next year.

The problem appears to lie with the current system’s inability to handle the amount of users when Seattle Flight Attendants access the system. As many of you know, technical issues with Open Time are not new. However, all trading within a base now starting at the same time has been consistently causing Seattle Flight Attendants to have trouble logging into eMaestro. The system completely shut down for over 30 minutes when Seattle Open Time began in September and, even though management implemented changes to accommodate the traffic for October and again in November, Seattle Flight Attendants experienced problems accessing the system.

Due to the on-going problems and the fact that these problems begin with Seattle’s start time, the MEC has decided to further alter FA to FA trades and Open Time(s) by splitting FA to FA trades and Open Time(s) to different days/times beginning in December for January trading. Again, this is a temporary fix until transition to JCTE. We anticipate the new schedule—which will be in effect in December for January trading and until further notice—will offset the ‘load factor’ to the system that allows every Flight Attendant, in every base, a fair opportunity to access Open Time and FA to FA trades.

NEW TRADING TIME LINE IN PACIFIC TIME

15^{th –}FA to FA Trades

0900: SAN

1000: PDX

1100: ANC

1200: LAX

1300: SEA

16^{th –}OT (Except Seattle)

0900: SAN

1000: PDX

1100: ANC

1200: LAX

17^{th –} 0900 OT SEA

18^{th –} 0900 Out of Domicile (ALL)

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If you have any questions please contact your LEC president.

In Solidarity,

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

2016 Open Enrollment Information

November 1, 2015 18:00

Open Enrollment starts tomorrow (Monday, November 2^nd). Your AFA Benefits and Retirement Committee compiled the following information in order to assist you with navigating Open Enrollment.

General Changes

Mailer will be sent to employee’s home addresses 10/15 to advise that Open Enrollment begins on 11/02/15.
Follow up emails will be sent as reminders through Outlook beginning 10/30.
A new tool will be added to the web portal. It is called “Alex,” and is a user-friendly tool to enter information, which will then enable employees to compare and contrast different health benefits options.
A ‘My Alaska Benefits-Annual Enrollment Tab’ will be added to the Alaskasworld website.
If desired, an employee can enroll or make changes by telephone.
This year, confirmation of changes/enrollment emails will be sent to employees in Outlook. There will be links in these emails directing F/As back to their selections in the portal, and their portal message folder if need be.
Employees may carry over up to $500 in unspent Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds into 2016.

2016 Consumer’s Choice (Health Savings Account/HSA)

In Washington State only, the Premera Network will change from the current Heritage Network to the Premera Prime network. This only affects Washington. In Alaska, the Heritage network will remain in place. All other states use the Blue Shield network, which will not change. F/As should be reminded to check to see that their current health providers are also Premera Prime participants.
The company contribution will remain $1,000 for employee only and $2,000 for a family. This year all enrollees in the plan will receive an additional $500 company contribution to the plan for an individual and $1,000 for a family. This bonus is available during open enrollment only, both for those switching plans and for current Consumer’s Choice plan participants.
A new “HSA On-Demand” feature will be added to the Health Savings Account (HSA) website. It will be called “Click to Pay,” with a sign up and usage explanation. It will automatically draw funds from the employees account to pay bills, similar to an online bill pay service.
A change in the crediting and access to the company contributions will begin in 2016. Similar to a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), the company contributions will be credited at the beginning of the year. IRS regulations require than an employee’s personal contributions cannot be credited until the beginning of the month in which they were actually deducted, and transferred to the HSA account.
If an employee has prior year contributions and/or an investment balance in their account, their cash balance would be used first. Next, they could access their investment balance, and then the company’s contributions. This might prove very beneficial for someone who incurs a large expense in the early part of the year.
The Health Saving Account (HSA) statements will look different this year—more information will be added. A “HSA for Dummies” booklet will be posted on the website.
For prior HSA plan participants who become ineligible (due to Medicare, or other disqualifiers which are listed in the booklet), the Company will contribute $500 to a Special Purpose FSA, which can be used for dental and vision expenses, as well as medical expenses after the relevant deductible is met in one of the other AS plans.
The 2016 HSA limit is $6750 for an individual under the age of 55.

Premera PPO

For 2016 forward, the plan is no longer ‘grandfathered’. The plan will provide 100% preventative health care coverage beginning in January.
Like the Health Spending Account (HSA), the Washington network will be Premera Prime for 2016 forward.
Hospice and palliative care will now be covered even for non-terminal conditions when appropriate.
Over the counter medications in the categories of Flonase, Nexium, and Claritin will no longer be covered, but can be submitted as a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) claim with a doctor’s written prescription.
Up to 90-day prescriptions for maintenance medications can now be filled in retail stores as well as through mail order. There are some exceptions depending on the medication.

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Questions? Contact your local Benefits Committee chairperson.

In solidarity,

MEC Benefits & Retirement Committee Chairperson Terry Taylor and your AFA Benefits Committee

What to do if You Think You’ve Been Exposed to Contaminated Air

1. Identify the Situation

2. Get Help if Sick

3. Report & Document

Keep This Information With You In Case You Need it

Get Your New Quick Reference Card

Print Your Own Quick Reference Card

Find it on the AFA Alaska Website

Background

Additional Background from the AFA Alaska MEC Policy Manual

Skillset/Requirements

Duties

Time Commitment and Compensation

Reporting Structure

Interested?

* * *

Background

NEW TRADING TIME LINE IN PACIFIC TIME

* * *

General Changes

2016 Consumer’s Choice (Health Savings Account/HSA)

Premera PPO

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