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Adjoining Rooms: What You Need to Know

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A message from your Hotel Committee

We all know that being assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door is a common occurrence at many hotels throughout our system.  But did you know that adjoining and connecting rooms are not supposed to be assigned to Flight Attendants unless the room next door is occupied by another Alaska crew member?  While this isn’t specifically part of our collective bargaining agreement, Alaska includes this language in every contract between the company and our crew hotels.

Don’t Hesitate to Speak Up

If you are assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door, we encourage you to ask the front desk staff for a different room.  Request to speak to the hotel manager on duty to help resolve the situation if necessary. If the hotel is full or unable to provide an alternate room, respectfully advise the hotel staff that you’ll be reporting the issue to Alaska management.

Take Action: Report Each and Every Situation

If you are assigned an adjoining and connecting room, even if you are able to switch rooms, please make note of the hotel, room number and date and file a CrewCare report on the situation.  CrewCare reports are automatically routed to Alaska management, API (Accommodations Plus International, the company’s hotel contractor), and your AFA Hotel Committee Members.  Representatives from API and management use the data from the reports to follow up on each situation with the corresponding hotel.

How to File a CrewCare Report
1. Log-in to the inflight website
2. Open the menu
3. Click “Hotel, Travel, & Station”
4. Click “Hotel Links”
5. Click “My Crew Care”
6. Open the menu
7. Click “Feedback”
8. Click “Provide Feedback”

Management has asked that we report these situations each and every time that they occur.  The more information that we are able to provide, the more effectively each hotel can be held accountable.

Have Questions?

Your Local Hotel Committee can help!  You can find contact information on your Local Council’s committee page or on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson Laura Hinojosa and Vice Chairperson Jodi Snow

Council 35 News-March 2019

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Welcome to SFO!

On behalf of your Council 35 officers, we would like to offer a warm welcome to all new SFO base transfers!  Please keep an eye open for a welcome letter which contains resources for SFO.

Don’t Forget to Vote!

It’s election season again, and don’t forget to exercise your right to vote!  SFO will be selecting officers and a newly created Council Representative position which was voted in by members at the August 6, 2018 Membership Meeting.  All Council 35 voting instructions and guidelines can be found on the AFA Elections Page. 

Council 35 Election Dates

Ballots Mailed:                                  April 3, 2019

Polls Open:                                       April 5, 2019

Polls Close /Results:                      May 2, 2019

Term Date Start:                              July 1, 2019

Term Date End:                                June 30, 2022

Commuter Policy

With the transition of the L-VX Commuter Policy to the Commuter Policy outlined in the JCBA, Council 35 has received many questions about how to use the policy.  To list as D8Y you must be traveling to/from work and only between registered cities. That means if you pick up out of domicile you cannot use D8Y commuter status to reposition for the assignment if the city is not the registered city on file. The booking or listing can be multiple legs; however, the final destination should be your registered city. For example, to commute out of PHX which has no regular service between PHX and SFO, you can use D8Y to book travel for a commute however it would include a connection in SEA or PDX.   For more information please review the commuter policy in §28.G of the JCBA. To register as a commuter, submit a completed commuter form on Alaskasworld inflight page:

Administration>>Commuter Form

D-Pairings and Reassignments

There seems to be some confusion about which Flight Attendant gets reassigned or offered a deadhead (DHD) when there is a down-grade of aircraft or a crew complement over minimum crew is assigned to a sequence.  The JCBA defines reassignments to go in seniority order, allowing the most senior person to decide if they would like a reassignment or be offered the deadhead.  This applies to crews on the same sequence (or pairing number) and does not apply to sequences where a D-position F/A is assigned. The D-position has a separate sequence (pairing) number and whenever present, the D will be the F/A that will be removed, reassigned or may choose to DHD. Guidelines for reassignments can be found in §10.R of the JCBA.

No 480 Requirement for L-VX in 2019


As a reminder, the transition agreement outlines the 480 requirements for Legacy VX Flight Attendants.  L-VX will not be held accountable for the 480 requirements until 2020, which means that for 2019, L-VX F/As do not have to maintain 480 hours to receive the benefits associated with the program.  For more information please reference the L-VX Transition Agreement.

Flight Attendant Wish List Items 

Now that L-VX Flight Attendants are represented by AFA, we are lucky to have a professional group of Union negotiators that formally approaches management with AS Flight Attendant needs.  The contract dictates when we discuss “wish list” items, which is normally reserved for §6 negotiations (when the contract becomes amendable) or occasionally AFA and management find opportunities to resolve individual issues through side Letters of Agreements.  These Letters of Agreements have the full force of the contract and are binding.  An example of this is the upcoming Bay Area Co-Terminal Negotiations.  Per the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) the company does not have the ability to unilaterally implement a Co-terminal without negotiating AFA’s agreement. Management asked AFA to enter negotiations and we organized a group of negotiating committee members to participate in those discussions.  

To approach the company outside of agreed upon discussions with a wish list is not the current practice and will not normally be successful.  It is important strategically to allow the appointed negotiating committees to speak directly with management regarding the desires and wishes of the Flight Attendant group as a whole.  This is the art of negotiation and for many F/As at L-VX this process is new.  Rather than sending management your “wish list,” please remember to reach out to your Council 35 officers for input on future items for the bargaining table.  You may even be approached by management at certain times of negotiations and asked about your views.  If this happens, please let them know your negotiating committee speaks for you! For more information about contract negotiations, please visit the Negotiation Process on our webpage.

FAQs

How do I contact Council 35 officers?

The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email.  Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information.  Using your personal email account, please know that concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender.  Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org.  All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources.  Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.

In Solidarity,

Melissa Osborne

LEC President
Alaska Airlines Council 35, San Francisco

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org
415.215.1322

Aladrian Hillmon

LEC Vice President
Alaska Airlines Council 35, San Francisco

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

aladrian.hillmon@afaalaska.org

415.991.3791

James Ikehara

LEC Secretary

Alaska Airlines Council 35, San Francisco

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

james.ikehara@afaalaska.org
206.457.2010 ext. 7002

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

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Your Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 47th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week in Denver, Colorado.  This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, March 19Executive Board Meeting (MEC President from each airline)
Wednesday, March 20Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, March 21March Regular MEC Meeting

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Your LEC President represents you and the other members of your Local Council on the Board of Directors and will be casting votes on your behalf at the BOD meeting.  Your MEC Officers serve in an ex-officio capacity on the BOD but do not have voting privileges.

This year, as in all odd numbered years, the only advanced agenda item for consideration by the Board is the annual AFA-CWA budget. Each LEC held a Local Council meeting over the past several weeks to discuss the proposed budget and gain your feedback.  You can find details about the proposed 2019-2020 AFA-CWA budget at http://afa-bod.org/index-of-agenda-items.

Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or the proposed AFA-CWA budget, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

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

Safety Concerns with the Reconfigured Airbus “Aura” Cabins

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The AFA Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) has brought forward a member’s safety concerns regarding the interior aft assist handles at the L1 and R1 exit doors on the reconfigured Alaska (“Aura”) Airbus 319, 320 and 321. AFA is also reviewing the placement of seats with relation to the L2 and R2 mid-cabin exits and the potential for those seats to interfere with the expeditious activation of the exits and to impede egress in an emergency evacuation. To keep this communication shorter, we will focus on the L1 and R1 aft assist handles but be assured that AFA is working both issues.

What are the concerns?

The reconfigured Aura bulkheads that are immediately aft of L1 and R1 (separating 1AC from the forward jumpseats on aircraft left and 1DF and the forward galley on aircraft right) have been relocated farther forward than the bulkheads on Legacy Virgin America (“Red”) aircraft.

Why is this a concern?

The bulkheads are now very close to the aft assist handles, effectively rendering the handles unusable.

This is significant because many if not most Flight Attendants cannot maintain a grip on the forward assist handle while simultaneously pulling the inflation handle at the exit. In such circumstances, Flight Attendants have been trained to ‘monkey’ over to the aft assist handle in order to maintain a protected position while pulling the inflation handle. The Flight Attendant is then supposed to ‘monkey’ back over to the forward assist handle prior to commanding abled bodied persons (ABPs) to initiate the evacuation. If a Flight Attendant cannot use the aft assist handle, it is more likely the FA will be pushed out of the aircraft while pulling the inflation handle. This situation unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

What is being done?

Management’s response

Once management was alerted to the issues by AFA, it has been very responsive. On Wednesday, March 6, management and AFA conducted a joint site visit to an Aura A320 during the aircraft’s turn time in Seattle in order to better understand AFA’s concerns. Management posted the following alert on the Inflight webpage later that evening:

AFA has brought forward concerns to Inflight management that the new Aura retrofit interior on A320 and A321 aircraft have a narrow space between the bulkhead wall and the aft assist handle at the L1/R1 exits.

Although the Aura retrofit interior is FAA approved, we are currently working with Maintenance & Engineering and the vendor who installed the interior to determine improved functionality. In the next several days, management will be holding cross-divisional meetings to explore alternate options.

We want you to be safe. Our advice is if you cannot use the aft assist handle, secure yourself by any means necessary to ensure you are protected. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Management conducted a follow-up safety risk management (SRM) assessment on the issues earlier today (March 8, 2019). In the SRM meeting, management pledged to actively explore long-term solutions to the concerns. More meetings are scheduled next week.

AFA’s response

Besides AFA bringing the issue to management’s attention over the past week, the Master Executive Council (MEC) filed two contractual grievances yesterday:

  • Grievance 36-99-2-40-19 Violation of Section 25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace alleges that management 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 36-99-2-41-19 Violation of Section 25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision alleges that management failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design.

AFA ASHSC representatives participated in the SRM meeting earlier today, and AFA will continue to actively interface with management on these issues until long-term solutions to our concerns have been implemented.

In the meantime, AFA recommends that Flight Attendants submit a confidential Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) report in order to document their safety concerns. These confidential reports are tracked and actioned upon by the FAA, the Company and AFA.

Be assured your safety is of paramount importance to us and stay tuned for further developments!

In Solidarity

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee; MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams; MEC Air Safety Health and Security (ASHSC) Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple and ASHSC Vice Chairperson-Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Brad Young

Update: Outside Employment Request Form

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AFA is pleased to report that management has announced it is “pushing pause” on the revised Outside Employment Request Form and policy until management can “thoughtfully review the concerns brought forward.” Inflight management notes that it received “significant feedback” from Flight Attendants and AFA leaders on the revised form and policy. This information was formally disclosed in an email from management to the Master Executive Council (MEC) and it was posted as an alert on the Inflight webpage.

The MEC applauds management’s responsiveness on this issue and its decision to reconsider the policy in the short term. The alert states that “More information will be forthcoming,” so be assured AFA will actively monitor any additional developments and remains committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring contractual compliance.

In Solidarity,

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

Latest News

Adjoining Rooms: What You Need to Know

By

A message from your Hotel Committee We all know that being assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door is a common occurrence at many hotels throughout our system.  But did you know that adjoining and connecting rooms are not supposed to be assigned to Flight Attendants unless the room next door is occupied by another […]

Council 35 News-March 2019

By

Welcome to SFO! On behalf of your Council 35 officers, we would like to offer a warm welcome to all new SFO base transfers!  Please keep an eye open for a welcome letter which contains resources for SFO. Don’t Forget to Vote! It’s election season again, and don’t forget to exercise your right to vote!  SFO will […]

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

By

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 47th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week in Denver, Colorado.  This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level. Schedule of Events […]

Update: Outside Employment Request Form

By

AFA is pleased to report that management has announced it is “pushing pause” on the revised Outside Employment Request Form and policy until management can “thoughtfully review the concerns brought forward.” Inflight management notes that it received “significant feedback” from Flight Attendants and AFA leaders on the revised form and policy. This information was formally […]

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