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        You are here: Home / Archives for Committees / Reserve Committee

        AFA Update – August 2, 2019

        August 2, 2019 12:00

        In This Edition

        • Where Do My Dues Go?
        • MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Interviews
        • Withholding Trips from Open Time Grievance Settlement

        Where Do My Dues Go?

        AFA International Secretary-Treasurer’s Department

        The Dues Pie Chart depicts where all funds at AFA are budgeted. About 80% of dues dollars are directly allocated to fund the work at each airline, i.e. Local Councils, Master Executive Councils, Negotiations, and System Board.  The remaining budgets at the International Office support Government Affairs, Air Safety, EAP, and Communications Departments, each of which provides expert services that are Flight Attendant focused and provide resources for the local leaders and committees of Flight Attendants at each airline. 100% of our dues dollars are allocated to priorities that provide Flight Attendant representation.

        There are four distinct areas where dues money is spent:

        1. Local and Airline-Specific

        Each base has a Local Executive Council (LEC) with elected Officers who provide direct representation and deal with local grievances and other issues. These Local Officers will answer your phone calls and make sure member interests are represented in front of management. For example, in the event of discipline or a contract violation, Local Officers will address the issue where it happened and work to get swift resolution. Additionally, elected Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers provide representation at the corporate level. At both the LEC and MEC, there are committees that solve problems in areas such as safety, schedules, hotels, grievances, etc. These committees also enforce the contract specific to their area of expertise, produce newsletters, and participate in union meetings. The role of your LEC and MEC Officers and committee representatives at each airline is to ensure you are represented by Flight Attendants who know your job because they share it with you at your airline. AFA promotes this autonomy at each airline where your representatives, assisted by experts, negotiate with management and develop and maintain the relationship between airline management and the Union.

        2. Negotiations

        Bargaining for pay and working conditions is one of the core representation activities performed by the Union. We start with a membership survey, schedule meetings with management, conduct caucuses with the committee, develop contractual language, support membership engagement and information programs, and we work with AFA-CWA professional negotiators throughout the process including all direct negotiations/mediation with management. The end result is improved contractual language with higher pay, better working conditions, and improved benefits.

        3. System Board (Grievances)

        The first step in any grievance is to try to resolve the matter locally. Some airlines have negotiated an alternative dispute process for a faster, collaborative resolution. If that fails, then the final stage for resolution, whether disciplinary or contractual, is an appeal to a neutral arbitrator. An AFA-CWA attorney will work with our Grievance Committee to present our case to the neutral arbitrator. We defend the contracts we negotiate.

        4. International Office Support

        While your LEC is the face of the Union to local management and the MEC to corporate management, the International Office is the public persona and brand of the Union. Our presence and name recognition can legislate or improve federal regulations, remove obstacles from the bargaining table, better our position in negotiations and improve our experience on the job across the profession. The International Office maintains the professional staff of attorneys, negotiators, and other personnel that provide administration, accounting and membership services to members and elected leaders. We all work together to support the programs that encompasses our profession.

        If you have any questions, please contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers.

        MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Interviews

        With the recent introduction of the Human Rights Committee, the Master Executive Council (MEC) is seeking a Member in good standing to fill the position of MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson. 

        Background

        The MEC Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to promote activities that foster greater understanding of one another and the diversity of our membership in order to build the strength of our Union through our common struggles and goals rather than allowing others to divide us by our differences.

        Additional Information from the MEC Policy Manual

        1.         SCOPE

        a.         The Human Rights Committee will build the strength of our Union through fostering understanding of our shared struggles and goals; building partnerships with progressive community allies; and taking action to promote the ideals of economic and social justice for all workers.

        2.         POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

        a.         The MEC Human Rights Committee shall consist of the MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson and the Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson from each council.

        b.         The Committee will actively work to educate Flight Attendants and the community about the strength of our diverse membership through the sharing of personal experiences and open dialog about racism and discrimination.

        c.         The MEC Chairperson shall:

        (i)         Work closely with the Government Affairs Committee to collaborate on items of mutual interest to both committees

        (ii)        Work with other AFA committees as needed to accomplish assigned tasks and responsibilities

        (iii)       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 MEC electronic communications platforms

        d.         The Committee shall:

        (i)         Act in an advisory role to the MEC on matters related to human rights and worker’s rights

        (ii)        Maintain an involvement in the human rights activities sponsored by local and central Labor Councils with which the MEC is affiliated

        (iii)       Maintain an involvement in the CWA Women’s Committee and Committee on Civil Rights and Equity

        (iv)       Maintain in involvement in AFL-CIO workplace constituency groups

        Qualifications

        • Previous political, legislative, or community activist experience helpful
        • Knowledge of current political climate and issues affecting Flight Attendants and the labor movement
        • Ability to attend meetings as required, including occasionally being present in Seattle
        • Ability and willingness to participate in action events 
        • Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed
        • Strong computer skills.  Excellent working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office.
        • Strong written and verbal communication skills.  Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes.
        • Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks

        Duties

        • Act on and follow through on directives as established in the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws and AFA Alaska MEC Policy & Procedure Manual 
        • Represent the MEC with local and central Labor Councils
        • Coordinate MEC representation with the CWA Women’s Committee and Committee on Civil Rights and Equity.
        • Coordinate committee participation in action events
        • Correspond with the Local Human Rights 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 position is eligible for Flight Pay Loss (FPL) reimbursement by AFA.  Union Business (UB) FPL is compensated at 0.75 TFP per hour when participating in pre-approved meetings or activities.
        • Time commitment is highly variable depending on the work to be completed each week and month. Workload will likely be higher when participating in activism related to key issues.  Most work can be accomplished remotely.  

        Working Relationships

        With The Human Rights Committee

        Regular interaction with the Local Human Rights Committee Chairpersons and Local Human Rights 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 AFA International

        Occasional interaction with AFA-CWA International staff.

        Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

        The MEC will hold interviews during the September MEC meeting on Tuesday, September 17.  Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

        Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/bns2FHqC11PLe3889.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, September 10.  After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

        Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account.  If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

        Withholding Trips From Open Time Grievance Settlement

        AFA reached a settlement with the Company prior to arbitration of grievance 36-99-2-63-17 Withholding Trips from Open Time.  We believe we achieved great benefits for our Reserve Flight Attendants in this settlement. The following are the terms of the settlement:

        For a Reserve Flight Attendant who is on duty (e.g. on a flight), s/he can be converted to ER and assigned a trip if Crew Scheduling sends an email notifying of conversion and assignment (which the Reserve Flight Attendant is required to check upon completion of his/her sequence).

        For a Reserve Flight Attendant who is on call and required to be contactable during her/his reserve availability period (RAP), s/he may be converted to ER in the following ways only:

        • Positive (person to person) contact by phone;
        • Crew Scheduling can send Crew Access notification for ER conversion to the Reserve Flight Attendant, and it must be accepted by the Reserve Flight Attendant prior to Crew Scheduling adding trip to the Reserve Flight Attendant’s line.  If the Reserve Flight Attendant doesn’t answer the phone, it is Crew Scheduling’s obligation to call the Reserve Flight Attendant.  If Crew Scheduling sends a Crew Access notification for ER conversion to the Reserve Flight Attendant, and it is not accepted by the Reserve Flight Attendant, and if Crew Scheduling does not call the Reserve Flight Attendant prior to the end of the RAP to advise of the ER conversion, then the Reserve Flight Attendant is no longer on call until her/his next RAP.  However, ER conversion counts towards the monthly maximum and for pay purposes.

        For a Reserve Flight Attendant who is not required to be contactable (e.g. not on duty and not during her/his RAP or not on duty during her/his RAP but in ’silent rest’ during first nine hours domicile rest, 20:00-23:00 prior to the next RAP, etc.), s/he can be converted to ER with or without a trip assignment:

        • Must be positive contact by Crew Scheduling via phone or by Crew Access notification which may be sent out by Crew Scheduling no earlier than 20:00 the day prior to the conversion.
        • Reserve Flight Attendant is not required to answer the phone or acknowledge the notification from Crew Scheduling but is required to accept the assignment if contact is made.
        • Premium pay applies.  Crew Scheduling will add annotations stating the Reserve Flight Attendant was contacted outside her/his contactable period and s/he will be paid additional compensation as outlined in the CBA.
        • Reserve Flight Attendant will be contacted no more than one time during domicile rest (11:30)
        • Reserve Flight Attendant must receive 9 hours uninterrupted domicile rest or else premium pay applies (pyramids with other premiums, if applicable)
        • Crew Scheduling is not permitted to hold trips longer than 15 minutes as outlined in §12.E.1.d.  The process would not violate this section of the CBA

        Crew Scheduling will no longer hide trips.  And an ER conversion cannot be rescinded once email and/or Crew Access (Crew Access) notification has been generated.

        All currently employed L-AS Flight Attendants who were on Reserve from June 1, 2017 to present, and all currently employed L-VX Flight Attendants who were on Reserve from January 31, 2019 to present, will receive 1 TFP, paid above guarantee, if applicable, at today’s rate.   

        If you have any questions about the settlement, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

        Filed Under: Grievance Committee, Human Rights & Equity Committee, Latest News, Master Executive Council (MEC), Reserve Committee Tagged With: 2019, committee chairperson appointment, dues, grievance, grievance settlement, human rights, Human Rights Committee, MEC Chairperson, Open Time, withholding trips

        Quarterly Reserve Meeting

        June 26, 2019 17:54

        On June 20th, we held the Quarterly Reserve meeting with Crew Scheduling to discuss issues for our Reserve Flight Attendants. Click the link below to view the minutes from the meeting.

        CLICK HERE to view the meeting minutes

        Filed Under: Reserve Committee

        AFA Issue Reporting and Resolution

        May 23, 2018 12:00

        Last year, your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) introduced the AFA Alaska online support center.  The system is designed for you to document and report scheduling and reserve concerns, situations where you might be facing discipline, potential contractual grievances, and any other issue where you might need AFA support.  The system also allows AFA representatives to better track issues that are occurring, identify trends, and address and resolve issues with management.

        You can access the system using the following link:

        Click here to access the AFA Alaska Online Support Center

        Reporting New Issues

        You can report a new issue in the system by opening a ticket, just follow these steps:

        1. Visit http://support.afaalaska.org/
        2. Click the blue “Open a New Ticket” button
        3. Fill in your personal information (including a non-company email address)
        4. Select the help topic that relates to the issue
        5. Fill in the issue-specific information and provide details

        From this screen, you’ll also be able to attach pictures, PDF files, screenshots, and other information that will help your AFA representatives to have more information available about the issue.

        Once you’ve opened a ticket, you’ll receive a confirmation email and with a ticket number.  Behind the scenes, your ticket will be assigned to an AFA representative who will assist you with the issue.

        What Happens Next

        The AFA representative assigned to your case will work with management to determine a resolution.  If management agrees, then the representative will contact you and advise you of the resolution.  If AFA and management do not agree, the AFA representative might escalate the issue.

        What are SRB and ADR?

        When the AFA representative assigned to your case and management are unable to come to a mutually acceptable resolution, the AFA representative might escalate the issue to Scheduling Review Board (SRB) if the issue is related to scheduling or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for all other issues.

        SRB and ADR meetings are typically held every other week. Issues can sometimes take a few months to resolve based on the work and discussion involved between management and AFA. If an issue gets resolved in SRB/ADR, the AFA representative assigned to your case will contact  you and advise you of the outcome.

        Grievances

        If there is no resolution in SRB or ADR and there is a contractual violation, AFA will file a grievance.  Contractual grievances must go through the grievance procedures as outlined in section 19 of the Flight Attendant Contract.  If the grievance is not resolved there, it may be escalated to the System Board of Adjustment, where the case would be heard before a neutral arbitrator.  Information about the System Board of Adjustment can be found in section 20 of the Flight Attendant Contract.

        Checking on Open Issues 

        With your ticket number, you can track the status of the ticket online, add additional information and attachments for your AFA representative to have available.  To check on your ticket:

        1. Visit http://support.afaalaska.org
        2. Click the green “Check Ticket Status” button
        3. Enter your email address and ticket number
        4. Click the “View Ticket” button

        As always, the more information and evidence you attach to the ticket (i.e., screenshots, emails, etc.), the better your AFA representatives can assist you.

        Questions?

        If you have questions about reporting issues to AFA or how issues get resolved, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

        In Solidarity,

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams

        Filed Under: Grievance Committee, Latest News, Reserve Committee, Scheduling Committee Tagged With: 2018, Grievance Committee, online reporting, online support center, Reserve Committee, Scheduling Committee

        [pmAS] Additional Transportation Options Between Domiciles/Co-Terminals/Out Stations

        February 2, 2018 09:00

        This message is for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants

        Due to several recent flight diversions and how crew member transportation was handled in those situations, AFA has worked with management to clarify what options Flight Attendants have for transportation in these situations.  A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed with the Company putting this clarification in writing.

        If your flight is diverted and passengers and crew members are transported by ground, you have the contractual right to be transported separately from the passengers per §22.B of the Flight Attendant collective bargaining agreement.  The new MOU gives you the additional option to use the transportation provided for passengers in such a situation if you choose to do so.

        If you have any questions about the MOU, please contact your Local Council Officers.

        In Solidarity,

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

        Filed Under: Contract, Latest News, Reserve Committee, Scheduling Committee Tagged With: 2018, diversion, ground transportation, MOU, transportation

        Reserve Quarterly Meeting Minutes (9/14/2017)

        September 21, 2017 23:04

        Click the link below to view the minutes from the September 14th 2017 Quarterly Reserve Meeting with Scheduling Management.

         

        9.14.2017 QUARTERLY RESERVE MTG MINUTES

        Filed Under: Reserve Committee

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