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AFA Update – November 8, 2019

In This Edition

  • MEC Officer Election Results
  • Council 30 (ANC) LEC Officer Election Results
  • REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
  • Grievance Committee Update
  • Dues – Know Your Obligation
  • At Risk Drinking–How Much is Too Much?
  • AFA Statement on Boeing 737 MAX Hearings
  • We Support Delta Flight Attendant Efforts to Join AFA

MEC Officer Election Results

Master Executive Council (MEC)

As the term of office for the current MEC Officers will end on December 31, 2019, your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews this week for the upcoming MEC Officer term.  We would like to thank the candidates who expressed a willingness to serve and interviewed for the positions.

In accordance with the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws, each of the six Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents is afforded one vote for each officer position.  After thorough deliberation, the LEC Presidents have elected the following candidates: 

MEC PresidentMEC Vice PresidentMEC Secretary-Treasurer
Jeffrey PetersonBrian PalmerLinda Christou

The newly elected MEC Officers will serve a three-year term of office from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022.  More information about their duties and responsibilities can be found in the AFA Constitution and Bylaws and the AFA Alaska MEC Policy Manual.

Council 30 (ANC) LEC Officer Election Results

Local Council 30 (Anchorage)

The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Local Council Officer positions representing the Flight Attendants based in Anchorage:

LEC PresidentLEC Vice PresidentLEC Secretary
Matthew CookKaren FerrellLisa Pinkston

View the certified election results here >

These officers will serve a term of office from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022.

The Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the officers-elect and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.

REMINDER: MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

As a reminder, the term for those currently serving in MEC Committee Chairperson roles and other appointed positions will end on December 31, 2019.  Your MEC, of which the six directly elected Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents are voting members, will be conducting interviews for these positions during the December MEC meeting.  The October 4, 2019 AFA Update contained the initial announcement of these upcoming interviews including a list of positions, information about qualifications and duties, and a link to the online expression of interest form. 

If you have questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed positions or the interview process, please contact MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

Grievance Committee Update

Grievance Committee

Your MEC and Local Grievance Committees have been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf. AFA filed several contractual grievances in response to the recent Open Time trading and Vacation Open Time trading systems crashes.

The Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) increased the number of arbitration dates from 10 to 13. Terminations are usually prioritized in order to return a Flight Attendant back to work as soon as possible. However, we seek a balance between discipline and contractual cases.  AFA and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate based on many factors.

Many of our disciplinary grievances come about from Flight Attendants writing up and/or turning in other Flight Attendants for behavior they may find undesirable.  We know that many of you have friendly relationships with managers or supervisors, but if you mention an issue to a manager/supervisor, s/he has an obligation to move the concern forward.  This could result in discipline or termination when that was not your intent of discussing the issue with management.  Some disciplinary cases are ultimately escalated to arbitration; if you turn in someone who is suspended or terminated, you will most likely be required to testify at an arbitration hearing.  A more preferential option is to utilize AFA Professional Standards, who will reach out to the Flight Attendant to try and help solve the problem without involving management and the possibility of discipline.   

Rumor Control

Rumor: Around 200 to 300 Legacy Virgin America Flight Attendants have been terminated since ratification of the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA).  

Truth: The rumor is false.  Since we ratified our JCBA on April 3, 2018, there have been approximately 60 terminations to date including both Legacy Virgin America and Legacy Alaska Flight Attendants.  This number is slightly higher than prior years, however given the increase in the overall number of Flight Attendants it isn’t entirely disproportionate.

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

In order to keep terminations low, we want to give you an idea of what areas management has recently focused on in regard to disciplining (including terminating) Flight Attendants.  See below: 

  • Sick leave and FMLA abuse.  Terminations on the rise due to travel audits among other things.  Anything written in the comments posting of trip trades can be seen, even if eventually deleted.  If the company determines abuse, it results in termination.  
  • Drug/Alcohol violations
  • Social media violations.  This includes sending friend requests and/or following passengers on social media using personal information gained from Block2Block.
  • Required item violations.  This includes lost or forgotten IMDs or other required items.
  • Theft.  Anything other than an opened/used bottle of water, unused pilot crew meal or purchased food removed from the aircraft will result in termination.  
  • Harassment

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration & Mediation

ArbitrationWednesday, September 25Disciplinary Grievance
ArbitrationTuesday October 22Disciplinary Grievance
ArbitrationThursday November 14Disciplinary Grievance
ArbitrationTuesday December 17Contractual Grievance

Recently Settled Grievances & Mediations

None

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

None

Grievances Recently Filed and Awaiting Response from Management 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-161-19- Violation of §12.E Withholding Trips from Open Time.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.E [Exchange of Sequences:  Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) failed to immediately place all uncovered sequences or portions of sequences including but not limited to sick calls, Management Drop(s), Personal Drop(s), leaves of absence, jury duty, bereavement leave.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-162-19- Violation of §12.C.1 Real-Time Trading Procedures Grievance 36-99-2-28-17 Mediated Settlement.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.C.1 [Exchange of Sequences:  Trading Procedure], past practice, its mediated settlement of grievance 36-99-2-28-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it agreed but failed to adhere to its July 5, 2017, mediated settlement of grievance 36-99-2-28-17:  To have AFA and Alaska representatives meet with Jeppesen to explore the capabilities of the system and how to align the front-end with the “real time” experience of the back-end user.  This is a continual violation as such meeting did not take place in a reasonably timely manner, and sufficient action was not taken to rectify the underlying system issues. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-163-19- Violation of §12.F.9.a Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.9.a [Exchange of Sequences:  Open Time Trial], past practice, its sustained response of grievance 36-99-2-35-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on July 7, 2017, it sustained grievance 36-99-2-35-17 Violation of §12.F.9.a Cancellation of Open Time Trial and Back to Book; however it has continually failed to provide sufficient IT resources for reverting to the Open Time System in place in the 2006-2010 Flight Attendant Agreement as modified by the arbitration award (AFA No. 36-99-2-18-11) [“Withholding Open Time” award]).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-165-19- Violation of Vacation Trading Past Practice.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement § 14 [Vacation], an established past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it violated an established past practice for a real-time, electronic vacation trading system and the subsequent failure of that system to allow SEA-based Flight Attendants to access and trade vacation at the established start time.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-170-19-Violation of §19.A Investigatory Meetings.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement § 19.A [Grievance Procedures], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about October 29, 2019, at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), it conducted an investigatory meeting related to a slide deployment with all Flight Attendants assigned to work flight 623 (IAD-SFO) while they were on duty, without providing adequate opportunity to obtain Union representation in the form of an AFA Grievance Representative, and without providing the option of conducting the meeting on their day off with accompanying pay of four (4.0) TFP.  

More Information

For more information, including the status of previously filed grievances, please visit the Grievance Committee Activity Page.

Questions?

Please contact your Local Grievance Committee if you have any questions about the Grievance Committee update.

Dues—Know Your Obligation

Membership Committee

Each of us has an obligation to ensure that our AFA dues payments are current and up-to-date.  Section 26 of our collective bargaining agreement outlines the requirement for each of us to pay dues as a condition of employment.  If you receive a notice that dues are past due, it is important to remedy the past due amount immediately.  Failure to remedy a past due amount may result in termination of employment.

How Do I Know If I Have a Past Due Amount?

If you have a past due amount, you will receive a statement from the AFA International Membership Services Department sent to your mailing address on file with AFA.  The statement will show for which month(s) dues have not been paid.

What To Do If You Receive a Past Due Notice for AFA Dues

If you receive a statement indicating that you owe dues, the easiest way to make a payment is through the AFA Membership Services website.  You can also contact the Membership Services Department to discuss options for a payment plan if you are unable to pay the owed amount immediately.  More information about payment options can be found here.  

What If I Don’t Pay The Amount I Owe?

If you don’t pay the amount you owe within 15 days of receiving final notice from AFA, AFA will provide notice to the Company that you have not made the required payment.  At that point, the Company will terminate your employment in accordance with Section 26.D of our collective bargaining agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about dues, please contact your Local Membership Committee or AFA International Membership Services at (800) 424-2401, ext. 707.

At Risk Drinking–How Much is Too Much?

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

How much alcohol is too much? It could mean drinking too much at one time, drinking too often, or both. It’s important to be aware of how much you are drinking, whether your drinking pattern is risky, the harm that some drinking patterns can cause, and ways to reduce your risks.

Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink. In the United States, a “standard” drink is any drink that contains about 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of “pure” alcohol.

What is “Low Risk” Drinking?

“Low risk” is not “no risk.” Even within these limits, alcohol can cause problems if people drink too quickly, have health problems, or are older (both men and women over 65 are generally advised to have no more than 3 drinks on any day and 7 per week). Based on your health and how alcohol affects you, you may need to drink less or not at all.

What is “at risk” or “heavy drinking”?

For healthy adults in general, drinking more than these below single-day or weekly limits is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking: remember too much + too often = too risky. 

Men:               More than 4 drinks on any day or 14 per week

Women:          More than 3 drinks on any day or 7 per week*

Remember, as safety sensitive professionals, Flight Attendants must also comply with company policy that requires no alcohol use 10 hours before duty and no BAC above a 0.00%.  If at an international destination, Flight Attendants must also comply with the myriad of laws dictated by other countries.  Any use of alcohol within these restricted parameters should be considered “too risky” for your personal wellness, flight safety and career retention.  If you are questioning your drinking and have concerns, please contact your AFA EAP thru the confidential helpline at (800) 424-2406 or the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program at (855) 333-2327.  Help is available 24/7. 

*Alcohol use impacts women differently than men due to physiological differences such as lower body weight and having lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes in the stomach that help eliminate alcohol. Consuming more than one drink per day places women at risk for health concerns such as heart disease, breast cancer, and, for pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. For some women, no alcohol use is recommended.

AFA Statement on Boeing 737 MAX Hearings

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) issued the following statement following hearings in the Senate and House last week with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg:

As AFA President Sara Nelson testified in June before the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, “Flight Attendants continue to receive questions from the traveling public about the 737 Max. There remains confusion about the progression of 737 aircraft models. It is common for crew to receive questions when working the 737NG about whether the aircraft is safe. This signals a fundamental question about the progression of the 737 aircraft models and whether or not the Max should have been designed as an entirely new aircraft type. This is an example of questions that will need to be answered within the process to safely return the 737 Max to flight and regain public confidence.”

“We have been clear throughout this process and repeatedly in public forums, that we will not work the 737 MAX until and unless we have full assurance from regulators around the world, our colleagues in the flight deck, engineers, and our airlines that the 737 MAX is safe,” Nelson said. “This week took a step backward in this process, not forward.”

We Support Delta Flight Attendant Efforts to Join AFA

Last Friday, AFA launched a new effort to help Delta Flight Attendants become AFA Members!  Thousands of Flight Attendants at Delta Air Lines have asked AFA to join them in efforts to become full members of our union.  Now is the time to affirm our full support of their efforts to join AFA.  Watch the welcome video from AFA International President to Delta Flight Attendants by clicking here.

As long as Delta management retains control of pay, benefits and working conditions at the industry’s most profitable airline, our bargaining power at each of our airlines is cut short. As long as Delta can claim to speak for the 25,000 Flight Attendants at the airline, our efforts to achieve proper staffing, rest, job security, and safety standards through government regulations are undermined.

Right now, we can start to correct this by helping to lift the voices of Delta Flight Attendants and protect their rights under the Railway Labor Act as they organize. And, when Delta Flight Attendants vote to join AFA we will strengthen our voice, our bargaining power, and our standing in every issue that affects our jobs like never before.

AFA Endeavor Flight Attendants are a Delta wholly-owned regional airline, and this effort directly affects their representation too as we address issues like concerns about toxic uniforms and the ability to share in Delta’s success.

Already, talk of AFA at Delta has encouraged management to improve the wage scale, announce plans to implement 10 hours minimum rest by February 2020, and promise to implement certain provisions of the United contract that produce more compensation for Flight Attendants. But, as long as Delta Flight Attendants are without a contract like management at Delta has for themselves, promises can change and our ability to move our careers forward will not reached its full potential.

AFA has a long history with Delta Flight Attendants, and we have always thought of all Flight Attendants as part of our AFA family. Interestingly, over 40 percent of the seniority list has been hired at Delta since the last union vote nine years ago. The energy and excitement for our Flight Attendant union is palpable. Help us welcome Delta Flight Attendants to our union today as we work together to build power for aviation’s first responders. Visit afacwa.org/deltawelcome to learn more about how you can support Delta Flight Attendants.

Show Your Support!

It’s easy to show your support for Flight Attendants at Delta Air Lines who are working to earn representation through our Flight Attendant union. Put on your AFA pin, take a pic, and post it with a brief note of support and the hashtag #SelfiesForSolidarity

AFA Update – August 2, 2019

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.

MEC Grievance Update – Quarter 2, 2019

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf.  The ratified Joint CBA increased our arbitration dates from the previous 10 to 13 dates yearly to argue discipline/termination cases and contractual issues.  AFA typically prioritizes termination cases in order to return a Flight Attendant back to work as soon as possible, however we seek a balance between discipline and contractual cases.  AFA and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate next based on many factors. The following is a list of open contractual grievances. 

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

  • Sick leave abuse (there has been a noted increase in terminations due to travel audits and comments associated with posted trips)
  • Drug/alcohol violations
  • Social media violations (recent increase in terminations due to initiating contact with passengers based on information obtained from Block2Block) 
  • Lost IMD or other required items
  • Theft
  • Harassment
  • Cell phone usage on duty

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

ArbitrationApril 4, 2019Disciplinary Grievance
ArbitrationApril 24, 2019Disciplinary Grievance
ArbitrationMay 16, 2019Disciplinary Grievance
ArbitrationJune 18, 2019Contractual Grievance #36-99-63-17
(Withholding Sequences From Open Time)
ArbitrationJuly 17, 2019Disciplinary Grievance

Recently Settled Grievances/Mediations

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-3-17-Violation §30.A.3.c. Failure to Pay for Lodging for Recurrent Training. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 30.A.3.c. [Reserve/Reserve Exchange of Days, Pick-Ups and Trades], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to pay for a Flight Attendant’s lodging when she came to Seattle to attend required Recurrent Training.

Details:  Management paid FA a portion of her hotel room bill.

Grievances 36-99-2-137-17, 36-99-2-205-17, 36-99-2-104-18, 36-99-2-133-18, 36-99-2-351-18 & 36-99-2-22-19 (Computer Based Training Contractual Grievances) and 36-99-2-4-19 (Missing Required Items Grievances).

Details:  Management will ensure all CBT can be taken on a computer as well as IMD; make best effort to give FAs 60 days to complete; and make CBT due on the last day of the quarter as best practice, though it won’t be required to do so.  If FA doesn’t complete CBT by due date or reports to work without a required item:  FA will receive an email from management with AFA included, notifying of discipline and asking FA to respond with an explanation no later than 7 days from the date of the email.  Management will issue all oral warnings or written warnings by 5:00pm PST on the day of deadline via email and certified mail.  If the disciplinary action is a suspension or termination an in- person meeting will occur.

Grievances Filed and Awaiting a Response from Management

None

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

None

Grievances Previously Filed, Denied by Management and Currently Awaiting Arbitration Dates

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-22-14-Violation of Required Maternity Leave.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 15.D. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to require Flight Attendants to begin Maternity Leave after the 28thweek of pregnancy.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-41-15- Section 34.C.3. Alternative Hotel Selection/Site Visit.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 34.C.3. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to include the hotel committee in the selection of alternate hotels; and when it failed to provide site visits on alternate hotels.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-5-16- Non-Negotiated Compensation.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 21 [Compensation] and Section 32 [Attendance Policy], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Railway Labor Act when it awarded, without prior consistent notice, policy and application, $5 gift cards to all Anchorage based Flight Attendants for meeting the daily attendance goal.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-1-17- Violation of §32.C.5. Assessing Short Sick Call Points to Flight Attendant on FMLA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §32.C.5 [Attendance Policy:  Short Sick Call], past practice, all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Federal Law when it assessed short sick call points (2 ½) to Flight Attendants on qualified Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) status when they called in sick within two hours of scheduled check-in. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-52-17-Violation of §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 JCTE Denying Unlimited Trading of Reserve Days Due to Classification as a Reserve Block Split.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 [Reserve:  Reserve Exchange of Days, Pick-Ups and Trades/Reserve Day/Blocks], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system denied unlimited trading of reserve days pursuant to §11.H.4 due to JCA incorrectly classifying such trade as a reserve block split pursuant to §11.H.3.b. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-54-17-Violation of §23.A.1 Flight Attendants Incurring a 3% Fee for Online Payments to COBRA Management Services.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §23.A.1 [Insurance Benefits:  Flight Attendant Insurance Plans], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when for the convenience of the Company it used a third-party vendor to administer collection of healthcare premiums for Flight Attendants on leaves of absence; and the Company allowed their third-party vendor to charge the Flight Attendants a 3% fee for online payments to COBRA Management Services (CMS). 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-55-17-Violation of §21.V Winds Aloft Adjustment of Sit Pay in JCTE.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21.V [Compensation:  “Scheduled” or “Actual” For Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) and/or Sit Pay], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system displayed each posted trip as a static ‘snapshot’ taken at the time of posting rather than a ‘live’ view, thus denying the Flight Attendant the ability to determine whether a trip is eligible for 1.0 TFP of Sit Pay due to an automated scheduling adjustment (e.g. by the Winds Aloft program).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-56-17-Violation of §15.C.4 Medical Leave of Absence.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §15.C.4 [Leaves of Absence:  Medical Leave of Absence], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when in December 2016 it denied [a Flight Attendant’s] medical leave of absence (MLOA) because she did not also qualify for FMLA and because the MLOA was less than 10 days in duration.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-63-17 Violation of §11.C.3.c & §12.E.1.c-d Withholding Sequences From Open Time. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §11.C.3.c [Reserve: Classifications of Reserves/number of Extended Days (ER) and Conversion to ER/ER Conversion Contactability] & §12.E.1.c-d [Exchange of Sequences:  Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it removed pairings from Open Time and placed them on Reserve Flight Attendants’ lines for more than 15 minutes, outside of the time period 2pm-6pm, and hid the pairings from view on the Reserves’ schedules until the Reserves became available for contact or Extended Reserve (ER) conversion.    

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-64-17 Violation of §27.P.1.f-h Company Business Flight Pay Loss.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §27.P.1.f-h [General-Association:  Company Business Flight Pay Loss (CB)/Company Meetings], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it requested Flight Attendants attend an Inflight Announcement Focus Group on or about August 7, 2017, without compensating for company meeting pay nor the five percent (5%) override and “A” pay, and without regard to contractual duty day applications; alternatively it provided non-negotiated compensation.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-159-17-Violation of §12.A & §12.E Withholding Trips from Open Time and Suspended all Trading due JCTE Issues.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.A & E [Exchange of Sequences:  Unlimited Trading/Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about September 30, 2017, to October 1, 2017, for approximately 8 hours, it either withheld all trips in open time or suspended all trading due to an issue with its Jeppesen Crew Tracking system.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-116-18-Violation of §10.J.4 Bidding Timelines.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 10.J.4 [Scheduling:  Bid Packets and Bidding Timelines], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about March 13, 2018, management re-opened its Preferential Bidding System (PBS), NavBlue, for a full bid re-award for April 2018 because it was not programmed to match the bid “duty on” preference on the new web application user interface.  However, due to system limitations the re-award required the PBS to reopen which allowed access for Flight Attendants to submit new bids after the contractual bid submission deadline.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-303-18-Violation of Airbus Transition Training Letter of Agreement CBT Pay.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.C.4 [Training:  Training Pay/Computer Based Training (CBT)], Airbus Transition Training Letter of Agreement (2.8.18), principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Transition Training CBT was allocated for four (4) hours, however based on initial feedback, the Association believes it likely takes longer than four (4) hours to complete, and therefore Flight Attendants will need to be paid accordingly.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-321-18-Violation of §§21, 24, 30 & 34 Hotel at Domicile for Transition Training.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21 [Compensation], §24 [General and Miscellaneous], §30 [Training] and §34 [Hotels], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when some Flight Attendants requested and were provided hotel rooms at base for Transition Training while others who requested a room were not provided one.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-361-18-Violation of §24.A Jury Duty and Trip Trading.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §24.A [General and Miscellaneous:  Jury Duty], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on several occasions management argued it did not have to pay the TFP actually scheduled on Flight Attendants’ lines when they were scheduled for jury duty.  These Flight Attendant subsequently traded their trip for another trip on the same days, and the trip ultimately dropped from the Flight Attendants’ schedules due to the Flight Attendant performing jury duty service.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-7-19-Violation of VX Grievance Procedure and SBA LOA Failure to Conduct a Full Investigation with Union Representation, Contractual Pay Provisions for Failing to Provide Doctor’s Notes.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of VX Grievance Procedure and System Board of Adjustment LOA, and all related sections of the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement when beginning approximately January 2019 it issued progressive discipline to Flight Attendants for failing to provide doctor’s notes without conducting an investigation, providing Union Representation or honoring related contractual pay provisions.    

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-30-19-Violation of §28.G.2 Ground Commuting Policy.  This alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §28.G.2 [Domiciles:  Commuter Policy/Ground Commuting Policy], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when during the February 2019 Pacific Northwest snowstorms, it did not allow Flight Attendants to use the ground commuter policy because the Company did not consider a snowstorm-related ground commuting failure to be unanticipated.  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-40-19-Violation §25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace. This alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.B [Air Safety, Health and Security:  Safe and Healthy Workplace], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to provide a safe and healthy workplace when it installed new bulkheads on the retrofitted Airbus (“Aura”) aircraft that effectively renders the aft assist handles near doors L1/R1 as unusable and unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-41-19-Violation of §25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision.This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.D.2 [Air Safety, Health and Security:  Safety Information], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and when it failed to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design. 

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

Commuter Boarding Priority Arbitration

On October 25, 2018, the Company and AFA arbitrated Grievance 36-99-2-29-15 (Section 28.G.6 Commuter Boarding Priority). This grievance alleged the Company’s violation of the collective bargaining agreement when management allowed Company employees (and their dependents) on pleasure travel to be given higher boarding priority than commuting Flight Attendants. AFA is very pleased to inform you that a neutral arbitrator has found in favor of AFA’s position. 

Background

In 2015, AFA became aware that management had made changes to the employee travel program giving management employees at the director level and certain IT employees a boarding priority of D2 for space-available pleasure travel. D2 is above the boarding priority of D8 for space-available registered commuter travel and well above the boarding priority of E1 that most employees receive for space-available pleasure travel. Contract 2014-2019 Section 28.G [Commuter Policy] states that registered commuters will be given boarding priority over Company employees (and dependents) on pleasure travel and over all employees of other airlines on Alaska Airlines mainline flights. 

The Award

The parties recently received the final award, which specifies:

  1. The grievance was timely filed.
  2. The Company violated Section 28.G.6 of the 2014-2019 Agreement when it allowed Company employees and their dependents on non-revenue pleasure travel to be given higher boarding priority than commuting Flight Attendants.
  3. The Company is prohibited from granting Company employees and their dependents on non-revenue pleasure travel to be given higher boarding priority than commuting Flight Attendants.

The Remedy

Management estimates it will take approximately eight weeks to implement the required changes to Fly in order to become contractually compliant. When the changes are complete, the D2 boarding priority will be deactivated for Directors (and their dependents), and they will use the E1Y space-available pleasure travel boarding priority instead. This award decision is a very satisfying resolution for AFA. This award decision is a very satisfying resolution for AFA. The award restores the proper boarding priority for space-available registered commuter travel relative to all other employees on space-available pleasure travel. It also sends a clear message to management that proper notice must be given to the union for changes to Company Policy and that unilateral changes to policy in conflict with contract language doesn’t fly!  

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

MEC Grievance Committee Assistant Interviews

Background

The MEC Grievance Committee Assistant is responsible for providing administrative support to the MEC Grievance Committee and Local Grievance Committees.  The Assistant works closely with the MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson, Local Grievance Committee Chairpersons, Scheduling Committee, and Reserve Committee to ensure Flight Attendant receive the best possible representation.

Qualifications

  • Robust working knowledge of the Flight Attendant collective bargaining agreement, specifically the scheduling, reserve, grievance procedures, board of adjustment, and compensation sections.
  • Ability to maintain office hours in Seattle during the business week and attend meetings as required.
  • Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA), Google email, osTicket, and Microsoft Office preferred.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, track issues, prepare reports, and plan meeting agendas and take minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks.
  • Previous Grievance, Scheduling, or Reserve Committee experience strongly preferred.

Duties

  • Provide procedural assistance and administrative guidance to Local Grievance Committees in handling Flight Attendant concerns.
  • Maintain the grievance log.  Assign grievance numbers when requested and log appropriately.  File grievances as requested.  Ensure copies of all filed grievances are received and filed appropriately.  
  • Oversee the Scheduling Review Board (SRB) process.  Facilitate SRB meetings.  Maintain the SRB agenda, keep and distribute meeting minutes, update osTicket records with meeting outcomes, and post meeting notes for member review. 
  • Participate in the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process as a notetaker.  Maintain the ADR agenda, keep and distribute meeting minutes, update osTicket records with meeting outcomes, and post meeting notes for member review.
  • Serve as system administrator of the osTicket system.  Set up new users, maintain user accounts, and conduct all new user training. Conduct daily and weekly reviews of the system to ensure all tickets are receiving proper follow-up.  Coordinate with corresponding Committee Chairpersons or Officers to address and resolve open issues.
  • Maintain grievance files.  Ensure each file contains all necessary documentation.  Handle all requests for retrieval of files by authorized Committee Members, Officers, or AFA staff and provide requested files within established timeframes.  Oversee and maintain electronic file system.
  • Maintain records of all memorandums of understanding, letters of agreement, and labor memorandums.  Post newly executed documents to the AFA website and arrange for inclusion on the IMD. 
  • Maintain the Grievance Committee calendar.  Schedule and plan meetings and conference calls as needed.
  • Participate in meetings with management at the request of the MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson or MEC Officers.
  • Develop, write, and edit correspondence and other communications.  Assist in preparation of monthly committee reports to the MEC and quarterly committee reports to the Members.
  • Other duties as assigned by the MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson or MEC Officers.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 60 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month, paid with a 5% override.
  • Time commitment is approximately two days per week in Seattle with additional work completed remotely or in the office as necessary.  No relocation or accommodation expense is provided for this position.
  • The MEC Grievance Committee Assistant will have two pre-arranged, pre-planned absences (at 6.0 TFP credit per day) loaded into her/his schedule each work week for bidding purposes. Alternatively, s/he may be placed on “no bid” status with MEC approval.

Working Relationships

With The MEC Grievance Committee

This position works directly on a day-to-day basis with the MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson and Payroll Representative. Frequent interaction with Local Grievance Committee Members.

With Other MEC Committees

Frequent interaction with the MEC Committee Chairperson and Local Committee Chairpersons of the Scheduling and Reserve Committees. Occasional interaction with Local Committee Members of each committee.

With The Master Executive Council

This position reports to the Master Executive Council through the MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC President.

With Alaska Airlines Management

Constant interaction with management, particularly the Managing Director of Labor Relations—Inflight (Carmen Williams), Manager of Labor Relations (Mike Link), and Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling (Denia Pisia).  Occasional interaction with Inflight Crew Scheduling Duty Managers and other members of management.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

  • Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Linda will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.
  • Initial interviews will be conducted by telephone or videoconference from January 28-30, 2019.  Linda will contact eligible candidates to arrange a timeslot for an interview.
  • Final candidates will be invited to interview with the MEC by telephone or videoconference on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

Questions?

Please direct any questions about the position to MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams at stephanie.adams@afaalaska.org.

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


Protect Yourself From Potential Discipline on Social Media

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Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, March 25, 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), Nyachan Chuar (ANC), and Yan Yan Teague (SEA). MEC Human […]

Pre-Merger Hawaiian Inflight Service Committee Update – March 2026

Editor’s Note: Our MEC Inflight Service Committee now represents both pre-merger airlines, but management still makes service decisions that affect each group of Flight Attendants differently. This update covers changes for both Hawaiian- and Alaska-branded flying, but is specific to aircraft flown by pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines crews. As the work of the merger progresses, we […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 13 – March 2026

Our JNC met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC focused on clarifying questions about moving expenses and presented a proposal for Sick Leave, using feedback from Flight Attendants to guide improvements. The Committee is working to incorporate the strongest elements from both contracts to ensure better support for all members.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, March 24, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

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