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        You are here: Home / Archives for Latest News / AFA News Now

        Be Aware of Sexual Assault

        November 14, 2022 17:00

        Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

        Sexual assault is when someone is sexually touched, coerced, or abused without their consent. Statistics show that every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. It can happen to anyone. Perpetrators can be people you know, but also can be people you don’t know as well. In America, 16% of women and 3% of men are sexually assaulted. Signs to look out for include: denial, guilt, self-blame, numbness, fear, anxiety, and nightmares. These are also symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which also occurs as a result of sexual assault.

        What is Consent?

        • Consent is an enthusiastic YES!
        • Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
        • Consent involves two-way communication and should be given before every sexual encounter and every stage.

        How to Protect Yourself

        • Speak up if you notice someone trying to sexually assault you.
        • Do not accept open drinks. Be sure to only consume drinks you’ve opened yourself.
        • Be aware of signs that indicate to others that you’re alone or far away from home/layover hotel.
        • Make sure a friend/flying partner knows where you are at all times. Consider sharing your phone’s location.
        • Do not give out personally identifying information (PII), including lodging information, to people you don’t know.

        What To Do If You’ve Been Sexually Assaulted

        • Contact the confidential AFA EAP helpline at (949) 470-0493.
        • Recognize how you respond. Sexual assault triggers our fight, flight, or freeze response.
        • Get medical care if necessary.
        • Some survivors file a police report and use a rape kit to collect any DNA evidence.
        • Consider seeing a therapist to help you process the traumatic experience. AFA EAP can help you with this referral.

        Confidential Help Is Available

        Remember, confidential help is available through our AFA EAP.  You can find contact information at afaalaska.org or call (949) 470-0493.

        Information for the article is provided by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, EAP/Professional Standards Committee Tagged With: sexual assault

        Inflight Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program

        November 11, 2022 09:00

        Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

        • AFA and management have agreed to implement a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) program to improve safety for Flight Attendants, other crewmembers, and passengers.
        • Similar to the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), participation in LOSA is entirely voluntary and identifying information such as Flight Attendant names, dates, and flight numbers are never shared with management.
        • If you have any questions about the LOSA program, please don’t hesitate to contact your Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) or the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee.

        Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) and management regularly review a wide variety of data that allows us to identify and mitigate potential safety risks at our airline, an essential part of the Company’s Safety Management System (SMS). To supplement the safety data generated from our regular programs, AFA and management have agreed to conduct a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) in the first quarter of next year.

        AFA and management administer the LOSA program jointly as outlined in the Inflight Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program letter of agreement. The information collected from LOSA observations will help us better understand how Flight Attendants manage threats and errors, evaluate compliance with standard operating procedures and gain valuable insight into our day-to-day line operations from a safety perspective.

        When LOSA observations begin next year, a team of two Flight Attendant LOSA Observers may ask to join your flight. Participation is entirely voluntary; however, we encourage you to participate in this vital effort. You also will have the opportunity to submit any safety-related feedback in an anonymous questionnaire during the flight. 

        LOSA Observers are line Flight Attendants trained by an independent third party, the LOSA Collaborative. They do not record Flight Attendant names, flight numbers, or dates, as confidentiality is critical to this process. Any data collected is sent directly to the LOSA Collaborative, which evaluates and analyzes the information. AFA and management will receive a final report outlining what went well and what can be better, identifying procedures that should be modified or re-emphasized.

        ALPA at Alaska is also an enthusiastic supporter of LOSA, and our Pilots have participated in multiple LOSAs over the past 15 years. As a result, they have seen improvements in safety-related procedures. We are pleased to have parity with ALPA by securing a LOSA program and joining United Airlines as one of only two carriers worldwide with an Inflight LOSA program.

        Questions?

        If you have questions about the LOSA program, please reach out to your Local ASHSC or the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee.

        AFA LOSA Steering Committee Members

        Seth Heiple, MEC ASHSC Chairperson
        David Lake, MEC ASHSC LOSA Representative

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Tagged With: Line Operations Safety Audit, LOSA

        AFA Council 30 (ANC) Election Results

        November 10, 2022 13:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

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

        LEC President: LeiLauni Scheideman
        LEC Vice President: Heather Reier
        LEC Secretary: Anne Madsen

        View the certified election results here >>

        These officers will serve a term of office starting January 1, 2023 and concluding on December 31, 2025.

        Our Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the newly elected officers and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Council 30 ANC Tagged With: election results, officer elections

        November 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

        November 3, 2022 17:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, November 1 and Wednesday, November 2 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
        • As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, crew planning, and payroll management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
        • The MEC also conducted MEC Officer elections for the term scheduled to begin on January 1, 2023.

        The November 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, November 1 and Wednesday, November 2.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

        Meeting with Management

        As part of most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants are facing.  Attendees from management this month included Vice President of Inflight Matt Prainito, Associate Vice President of Finance and Resource Planning Ryan St. John, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, and Director of Payroll Leah Ables.

        Some of the topics that were discussed include:

        • Pairing selection process.  Management indicated that they are open to greater collaboration with our AFA Pairing Construction Subcommittee in working to understand what is important to Flight Attendants when it comes to pairing quality.  An additional meeting between respective AFA and management representatives will be scheduled in the near future for further discussion.
        • NAVBLUE PBS performance concerns.  Flight Attendants are continuing to experience performance issues with NAVBLUE PBS.  Our AFA PBS Subcommittee, Scheduling Committee, and MEC have been bringing these issues forward continuously with every level of management and pushing for improvements and a resolution.  Management has in turn taken the issues to management at NAVBLUE and has escalated the issue to the executive level.  NAVBLUE indicates they are working to make improvements but our MEC is looking for tangible results to the ongoing problems.
        • Staffing and growth.  Management provided a review of staffing plans for next year.  The projections are constantly shifting based on anticipated aircraft deliveries and market conditions.  They are currently working to determine if staffing adjustment leaves will be offered in 2023.
        • Revised Initial Training program.  The Flight Attendant Initial Training program was recently increased in duration from 4 to 5 weeks.  Management reports that there has been a corresponding increase in student success rates.
        • IMD replacement project.  Our MEC shared Flight Attendant frustrations with the delay in replacing iPhone 8 IMDs.  The problem is compounded by a lack of replacement devices and accessories which is making it difficult for Flight Attendants to perform basic inflight service duties.  Management indicates that there are challenges in the supply chain and will follow up with more details as to when new devices can be expected.
        • California meal and rest break laws.  Our MEC again requested an update from management regarding their plan to comply with California meal and rest break laws in accordance with the decision in the Bernstein v. Virgin America case.  Management provided the same information that they did last month—they are continuing to lobby for a legislative resolution and did not have any further updates to offer.  

        MEC Officer Elections

        Elections for Alaska MEC Officers were conducted on first day of the meeting.  From among the eligible candidates, the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) elected an MEC President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer for a three year term that begins on January 1, 2023 and concludes on December 31, 2025.  The newly elected MEC Officers are:

        President: Jeffrey Peterson
        Vice President: Brian Palmer
        Secretary-Treasurer: Linda Christou

        For more information about the MEC Officer election results, click here.

        Upcoming MEC Committee Position Interviews & Elections

        In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the term of appointment for the MEC Committee Chairpersons is concurrent with those of the MEC Officers.  As the current MEC Officer term ends on December 31, 2022, the MEC will be conducting a review of all MEC Committee Chairperson and other MEC-level appointed positions at a Special MEC Meeting to be held November 29 through December 1, 2022.

        If you’re interested in learning more about the upcoming interviews, click here.  To submit an expression of interest and resume for a position, click here.  The deadline for submissions is 9 AM Pacific time on Saturday, November 19.

        Questions?

        If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

        MEC Officer Election Results

        November 2, 2022 09:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        As the term of office for the current MEC Officers will end on December 31, 2022, our Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted elections this week for the upcoming MEC Officer term.  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.  The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Master Executive Council (MEC) Officer positions representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants:

        MEC President: Jeffrey Peterson
        MEC Vice President: Brian Palmer
        MEC Secretary-Treasurer: Linda Christou

        These officers will serve a term of office starting on January 1, 2023 and concluding on December 31, 2025.  More information about the duties and responsibilities of each officer position can be found in the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws and the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual.

        Our Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the newly elected officers and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.

        About Our MEC Officers

        Jeffrey Peterson

        Jeffrey Peterson grew up in Anchorage, AK, and graduated from A.J. Dimond High in south Anchorage.  Jeff achieved a Presidential Scholar Award in 1991 and went on to attain a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.  Prior to becoming a Flight Attendant, he spent several years in hotel management working in San Diego and San Francisco for Marriott International and a Marriott hotels franchise company.  He started out his Flight Attendant career in 1999 in the Los Angeles domicile.  Jeff has also been based in Seattle and now San Diego.  He has served as AFA-CWA Alaska MEC President since July 1, 2011.  Jeff currently splits his time between working remotely out of his family’s condo in Puerto Vallarta and the AFA Alaska office in Seattle.

        Brian Palmer

        Brian started his career with Alaska Airlines as a Flight Attendant in 2006.  Initially based in Anchorage, he also spent time based in Los Angeles and Portland, and is currently based in Seattle.  Brian first became involved in AFA work in 2009 as a member of the Council 39 Portland Reserve Committee when he became frustrated with the quality of life that he and other reserve Flight Attendants were experiencing.  He later served as Council 39 Reserve Chairperson and LEC Vice President.  Brian was first elected MEC Vice President in January 2014 and is honored to have been reelected.

        Prior to his career as a Flight Attendant, Brian held various leadership positions in the hotel and retail banking industries.  He currently splits his time between the Philadelphia and Seattle areas.

        Linda Christou

        Linda has been with Alaska Airlines since 1980.  She started out as a Union volunteer and became more involved by joining the Council 19 Seattle Inflight Service Committee and was eventually appointed Local Chairperson of the committee. While serving on that committee, Linda had a desire to do more to help and subsequently ran for and was elected Council 19 LEC Secretary.  Linda served in that role, along with being a Grievance Representative, starting in July 2011.  She is very excited to continue serving as MEC Secretary-Treasurer and looks forward to serving all of our Members.

        Prior to being with Alaska, Linda attended Green River Community College and had an emphasis in Political Science which is what drew her to get involved with Union work.  Outside of work, Linda enjoys spinning and gardening.  She also enjoys cooking, entertaining, and collecting wine with her husband.  Linda also enjoys volunteer work, focusing on raising money for The Eluna Foundation, which is a foundation for children in distress.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: election results, officer elections

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