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Winter Storm Jonas Update January 22, 2016 @ 1225 PDT

AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to extend the provisions of 8.S. [Natural Disasters…] to Philadelphia (PHL) due to Winter Storm Jonas.

 

Currently covered under 8.S. [Natural Disasters…] for Winter Storm Jonas: JFK, EWR, PHL, BWI, IAD and DCA.

 

Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council officers or Scheduling 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 Chairperson Jake Jones

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Winter Storm Jonas Update January 22, 2016 @ 1030 PT

AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to extend the provisions of 8.S. [Natural Disasters…] to the greater New York metro area (EWR & JFK). Crew Scheduling is arranging for all crews either currently in rest or scheduled to overnight in EWR or JFK to be turned out of Newark tonight. The provisions of 8.S. [Natural Disasters…] now include BWI, IAD, DCA, JFK and EWR.

 

If you have any questions, contact your Local Executive Council officers or Scheduling Committee members.

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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 Chairperson Jake Jones

Winter Storm Jonas 2016

Effective immediately, AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to enact the provisions of Section 8.S. [Natural Disasters…] in order to remove crews laying over in the Washington, DC (DCA and IAD), and Baltimore, MD (BWI), areas due to Winter Storm Jonas 2016.

 

Crew Scheduling is currently working on contacting and re-routing the affected crews.

 

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact your LEC president.

 

In solidarity,

 

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

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Open Time Trial

AFA wants to clear up any confusion regarding the open time trial. CBA §12.F.10. [Trial Period], states that, “Minimum trial period of twelve (12) months from the month of initial implementation (unless canceled earlier pursuant to F.9., above), which will be determined in the Contract Implementation Schedule. The trial period may be extended by mutual agreement.”

AFA and management agreed when all or most programming is updated the trial period will begin. AFA wants the trial period to commence when all contractual open time features are available and programmed.

The purpose of the trial is, “to create a better more equitable trading system that increases Flight Attendants’ flexibility in modifying their schedules and to improve predictability of staffing and limit the impact of sequence drops to OT on reserve coverage.” CBA §12.F.

In order to fulfill the purpose of the trial, the system must be completely programmed allowing the Flight Attendants and management to utilize it under real conditions. “If the trial creates a liability that cannot be supported, either the Association or the Company may decide to end the Open Time Trial prior to twelve months provided the parties have attempted to modify the Threshold Sequence Number pursuant to §12.F.8.” CBA §12.F.9.

During the trial period, AFA will survey Flight Attendants regarding their satisfaction with Open Time trading on a monthly basis per §12.F.8.d.5. The Master Executive Council (MEC) will continuously review all available information—including the survey—in order to determine if the Open Time trial is working for the Association. The voting members of the MEC (the LEC president of each base) will decide on behalf of the Association whether or not to end the Open Time trial pursuant to §12.F.9.

eMaestro is currently being reprogrammed with the correct contractual applications for the Open Time trial. Once the new code has been properly tested and approved, it will go live. Based on the latest estimates, we are anticipating the Open Time trial to officially begin in the next month or so.

If you have comments, concerns or suggestions 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

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Temporary Waiver to Allow Crew Scheduling to Withhold Trips from Open Time for Assignment to Reserves at Noon

Temporary contractual waiver in order to minimize Junior Assignment

In order to minimize Junior Assignment for tomorrow, the Master Executive Council (MEC) has granted the temporary ability for Crew Scheduling to pull trips from Open Time for Christmas Eve assignment to Reserves effective immediately (approximately 12:30 PM PT at the time the waiver was granted).

 

Therefore Section 10.E.d [Open Time] should be temporarily interpreted as the following:

 

Crew Scheduling may remove sequences from OT no earlier than 2:00 12:00 PM PT for reserve assignments for the following day except as provided for in Section 7.F.1.a. [“Job Familiarization” Flights…]. Any sequence not assigned to a Reserve by 6:00 PM PT will be returned to OT. Any sequences that become available after 2:00 12:00 PM PT will be subject to the withholding provisions of 1.d., below.

 

Any other contractual citations that refer to the withholding of trips at 2:00 PM PT for assignment to Reserves should be temporarily interpreted as noon. Example of 10.E.1.c [Open Time]:

 

Crew Scheduling may withhold a sequence from OT for up to fifteen minutes (:15) when necessary to determine a Like Sequence pursuant to Section 10.R. [Reassignments] and 12.J. [Crew Scheduling Trading Errors], or a Reserve or JA assignment. This includes sequences that become available between 2:01 12:01 PM PT and 6:00 PM PT the day prior to report. If Crew Scheduling does not assign the sequence within fifteen minutes (:15) but neglects to return it to OT, a Flight Attendant may contact Crew Scheduling and request the trade/pickup on a first-come, first-served basis. If the Flight Attendant then flies the sequence, s/he will be paid one (1.0) TFP in addition to all applicable compensation.

 

Although the contractual time is 2 PM under the current contract, trips could be pulled at noon in the previous contract. Therefore, the MEC does not anticipate a significant impact compared to the benefit received by minimizing JA.

 

“Premium” Premium Open Time

 

Inflight management has agreed to start widely using “premium” Premium Open Time, so we are appreciative of the step in the right direction. Crew Scheduling has posted double time (2x or $$ in eMaestro), but AFA will continue to strongly advocate for the use of additional premiums in order to further minimize JA and protect the operation.

 

Premium pay

 

Any premiums are paid on flights flown and not on Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) or Sit Pay. All TFP is credited at straight time towards your 480 TFP thresholds, Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) and other similar provisions. For example, a 5.0 TFP trip at 2x premium is paid at double your trip rate but still credited at 5.0 TFP towards your thresholds. It is somewhat of a flight attendant urban legend that “the trip is worth 10.0 TFP.” It is true that the trip is worth the equivalent of 10.0 TFP at straight pay, but it’s really not paid out that way.

* * *

 

We apologize in advance if anybody is inconvenienced by this temporary departure from the norm.

 

In solidarity,

 

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

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Joint Contract Negotiations Session 10 – December 2025

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met with management this week to continue bargaining sessions in Seattle, WA. Discussions focused on narrowing issues in Leaves of Absence, Association General, and reviewing vacation provisions as part of the joint contract process.

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2025

On Monday, December 8, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to raise awareness and create positive change within our workplace and community. Your representatives attending the meeting included Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Trista Vanta (SFO), and Yan Yan Teague (SEA). MEC Human […]

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