AFA News Now – Page 30

Celebrating Black History Month

February 1, 2024 09:00

Human Rights Committee

February 1 is the beginning of Black History Month in the United States. This tradition was initiated by a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, in 1925. He introduced a week-long event to raise awareness about the contributions made by Black individuals.
Discover resources to learn more about Black History Month, celebrate the achievements of Black Americans, and find events to participate in by using the links below.
Wear your Black History Month AFA Pin this month and join the celebration. Contact your Local Council if you need a pin.

February 1 marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States. This tradition has a rich legacy that dates back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson introduced “Negro History Week” to bring attention to the achievements and contributions of Black individuals. It was expanded to its current form in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford when it became Black History Month. Today, we celebrate the incredible achievements and contributions of Black Americans and honor their legacy and profound impact on our society and the world.

Learn More About Black History

You can learn more about the accomplishments of Black Americans through some of the dedicated websites and resources below.

Celebrate with a Black History Month AFA Pin

In 2019, the AFA Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution recognizing February as Black History Month. The resolution established a unique commemorative pin for AFA Members to wear throughout February.

For more information about the pin, contact your Local Human Rights Committee. If you need a pin, check with your Local Council or contact your LEC Officers to determine availability.

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000

January 31, 2024 16:22

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Today marks the 24th anniversary of a tragic event that deeply affects us all to this day. On this day, we lost Alaska Airlines Flight 261, flying between Puerto Vallarta and San Francisco, when it went down in the Pacific Ocean between Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island off the coast of Southern California. Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones on that fateful day, and we honor the memory of everyone who was on board.

We will always remember and honor the memory of Flight Attendants Kristin Mills, Craig Pulanco, and Allison Shanks; Captain Ted Thompson; First Officer William Tansky; Sheri Christensen, Rachel Janosik, Ileana Ost, Sarah Pearson, Anjesh Prasad, James Ryan, and Stacy Schuyler.

Photo Credit: Alaska Airlines

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2024

January 29, 2024 09:00

Scheduling Committee

On January 23, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling.
The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

On Tuesday, January 23, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kamako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones.

The committee met with Managing Director Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Director of Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and other management representatives from Crew Planning/Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on February 20, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

JCTE Update

Release 23.5 was released in prod, 23.7 is in UAT.
Trades: 92.1% of 57,580 trades had a response time of less than 10 seconds.
JCTE release coming in February.

Block2Block (B2B)

Version 2.5 is in progress.
Tap to pay feature.

Crew Planning Update

March block hours increased by almost 19k compared to February.
Staffing adjustment leaves offered for March: 173.
Reserve staffing: Bases around 17% except Seattle around 20%.
Review of trip length distribution, consistent with previous months.
Commutability in March: SEA/ANC have the best commutability, LAX and PDX are the most challenging.

Teaming And IROP Mitigation

Teaming FAs together and with pilots helped minimize cancellations.
In and backs strategically scheduled to assist with recovery of cancellations.
Teaming is not being used in spring/summer as the cost is too great.

MAX Cancellations And Advanced Bookings

MAX cancellations ongoing, no adjustments made for March pairing selection.

Updates From Crew Scheduling Management

Reserve utilization in January around 77%.
Breakdown of reserve usage: 48% covering line holder sick trips, 15.9% reserve absences, 22% unused.
Inflight YOY absence rate trending up, LAX/SAN trending down by domicile.
Premium not issued since MAX fleet grounded, FAs picking up trips to cover operation.
Flexibility impacted by unknown factors, no increases in TSN.
Personal drops: 90 in January, 7 Bulletin board drops.

PDX SWGCO And Crew Scheduling

26 FAs couldn’t get to work and have FNS, each case will be reviewed.
Efforts made for process improvement, high hold times during pre-cancellations.

Layover And Transportation Issues

LAX crew had issues getting back to the hotel, will review and try to accommodate crews closer.
Issues with single transportation and long wait times in CUN/GDL, to be reviewed by Crew Planning.
Confusion about layovers at domicile vs hotels being provided prior to trips, clarification needed.

Withholding Trips, Pre-Cancellations, And FNS

Trips withheld from OT, efforts to address the issue and ensure compliance.
Discussion on pre-cancellation processes and FCR footprint, modifications planned.
We are seeing an Increased number of FNS, clarification needed on contactability and communication procedures.

CHS-RDU Limo Times

Request to review extensively long limo times in all locations.

What the Committee is Working on

NavBlue. The PBS Committee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose. There are dates and times scheduled February 2024 for in person and virtual meetings to assist with bidding.
Pairings Survey. There is a discussion about conducting a survey on pairing construction, and there is a possibility of organizing a virtual session or town hall. A meeting with management occurred June 5, 2023, with a follow-up meeting to be arranged. However, there is no update or estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the moment.
Teaming. Crew Planning is currently reviewing pairing construction and optimizing teaming strategies to minimize costs and ensure that crews (pilots and Flight Attendants) can stay together for multiple segments. Currently, the system teams around 10-15% of crews, but enhancements were made to increase this to 20-35% for winter operations. The changes were reflected in December pairings. Management provided communication regarding teaming. In December 2023, approximately 23% of sequences were teamed together, while 52% of duty periods were teamed. We didn’t receive any teaming information for January during the meeting today. For March 2024 pairing selection we did not utilize teaming.
Chime Communications. Flight Attendants may chat with crew scheduling via app/Microsoft Teams to reduce phone calls. Flight Attendant-initiated contact. Early stages of development, to be discussed with AS Labor Relations and AFA. Testing and implementation to occur in the next few weeks. We are working on a letter of agreement for implementation. This is still pending review.
Crew Scheduling. There was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
Crew Planning. Similar to Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that cover subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items.
ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block 2 Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases.

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Update on the 737-9 MAX

January 26, 2024 14:45

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The FAA grounded 737-9 MAXs on January 6th, following the Alaska Flight 1282 accident. This week, the FAA issued required inspection and maintenance protocols for airlines to return the aircraft to service. Alaska will return the aircraft to service Friday and United will return the aircraft to regularly scheduled service on Sunday.

FAA Administrator Whitaker’s leadership has been stellar through this process. Our union is confident in the FAA’s required action before returning these aircraft to service. It is clear that this isn’t where this issue ends though. We’re supportive of increased oversight and investigations into Boeing’s quality control.

Safety is our first priority always. We will continue to work with our airlines and the FAA to ensure the safety of crew and passengers, and participate in the NTSB’s investigation of Flight 1282.

The grounding of the 737-9 MAX has also caused economic impact to Alaska and United Flight Attendants. While some of the economic harm is covered by pay protections included in our contracts, there remains losses due to decreased flying opportunities, less open time, increased commuting challenges and costs, and other loss of income. These losses are directly related to the initial accident on January 5, 2024 and the grounding of the 737-9 MAX that followed.

AFA sent letters to Alaska and United CEOs informing the airlines that “economic harm to Flight Attendants must be included in the Boeing settlement discussions, and we expect the company to seek redress of the economic harm to Flight Attendants in any settlement. The harm to Flight Attendants is every bit as real as other economic damage to the rest of the company and we are a beneficiary of the Boeing contract.”

Read the full letter here >

We continue to support the crew of Alaska 1282 and other Flight Attendants affected by this. AFA EAP is always available to Flight Attendants at (949) 470-0493.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Update – 1st Quarter 2024

January 23, 2024 13:00

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, January 4, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants’ interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.
The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants face onboard the aircraft.
Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever, given the challenges we currently face as a workgroup. Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed using ReportIt! Please get in touch with a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Thursday, January 4, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting in person were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN). Also present was MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

The Committee met with Director of Inflight Safety & Compliance Geri Jarrett, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, Inflight Regulatory Compliance Safety Analyst Danette Thomas, Inflight Policy & Procedure Specialist Kevin Weatherbie, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Claudia Modl, Director of Inflight Training & Standards Thomas Kaminski, and Senior Project Manager for Food & Beverage Jessica Johnston.

The next scheduled Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee meeting is Thursday, March 4.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Passenger Service Coordinators (PSCs). PSCs are not on all GDL flights. Inflight will check into the status of the program and assess the need for PSCs on all GDL flights and other routes.
Crew parking and parking shuttle safety. The ASHSC provided Inflight with the status of all parking and shuttles at all the bases. The ASHSC asked Inflight to develop standards that they will work for in meetings at all bases. This will be an ongoing effort as Alaska works with the ports that control these facilities and services. Most of the work coordinating with ports on parking and bus issues happens locally.
No AC power resulting in no working PA/Interphone during boarding. Concerns were raised about not being able to communicate with passengers or between crewmembers. The company responded that we are to use the megaphone in an emergency when there is no PA. However, work is being done so we encounter less AC without power.
Coffee “explosions”. There have been four incidents of coffee erupting from brew baskets. We discussed the incidents and possible mitigations with the company. There has since been a bulletin bundle item that covered the topic.
Flight Attendant familiarity with removing passenger life vests. We received a concern from a Flight Attendant who did not feel familiar enough with how we would remove or instruct a passenger to remove a life vest from under a passenger seat as we do not see a video of this or have hands-on experience in training. Inflight will look at changing the announcement to provide clearer directions on life vest removal to passengers and putting additional information in a quarterly CBT.
Pointing to life vest on MAX. Many of us are pointing to the location of the life vest on the MAX during the demo. It feels natural to do this since we point out the oxygen in the same location. However, since we don’t point out life vests under seats on other AC types, the decision was made not to point to the overhead life vests for consistency.
Announcement about taking valuables when deplaning on a through flight. This recommendation is being made after a recent incident of theft which occurred when a passenger deplaned at a stop and left their bag onboard. Inflight will consider adding this announcement with the next FAM revision.
Number and size of carry-on bags. The ASHC is concerned about passengers being cleared to board with more than one plus one and with bags which are oversized. This is not in compliance with Alaska’s carry-on baggage program and dealing with these bags can result in injuries. We encourage you to file FAIRs when you need to deal with these kinds of bag issues on a flight.
QX baggage signs. QX has added signs near gate areas instructing passengers to place their one small item under their seat and one larger item overhead. Inflight will look at the feasibility of adding something to the Alaska gates Alaska operates out of as well.
Announcements on charters. Announcements on charter flights (RDB and others) are not available in B2B. Until they can be added to B2B we are to use the announcements found in Goodreader.
Compliance checks on flights that do not go above 10k. There is confusion about what is requested in terms of announcements and compliance checks on short flights that do not go above 10k. Inflight will work with Flight Ops to better understand the system and ensure we have clear guidance about how these flights should be managed. We do know that compliance checks should be occurring prior to landing on all flights unless it is unsafe to do so.
Hand wipes. The ASHSC and Inflight Service Committees continue to advocate for quality hand wipes available on all flights. Although they are no longer catered, alcohol based Purell wipes should be boarded by fleet forward and aft. If you do not find them please request them while at a Fleet supply station, and file a FAIR. Reporting their absence is the best way to improve provisioning.
Reporting tools. We are encountering errors when using the ReportIt! app, especially inflight. The company is working on replacing our current reporting system which will result in an improved reporting app and web portal.

What the Committee is Working On

MAX10 MED J/S. Many of you have seen the MAX10 MED mockups which have been installed at our training facilities. The ASHSC notified the Company the layout represented by the mockups does have enough space for us to safely access the MED J/S while passengers are seated. The Company has acknowledged that the layout will not work in the operation and is working on a solution with input from the ASHSC before the A/C goes into service.
LOSA. We are working with the Company members of the LOSA Steering Committee to ramp up and refine the Continuous LOSA program. We know it has been a long time coming, but we expect to have some results to share by the end of the quarter.
NTSB Investigation of Flight 1282 accident. AFA is a party in the NTSB investigation of this accident. The AFA party is composed of members of the ASHSC at Alaska. This allows us to assist the NTSB in the investigation as subject matter experts.

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report. Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt! If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management. You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website.