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AFA Alaska News in Review – February 18, 2022

In This Edition

February 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Originally posted February 16, 2022

Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met last week on Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.  As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.  The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 8.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

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We’re Looking For Our Next MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson

When it comes to contract negotiations, solidarity means success.  Our Mobilization Committee is a critical component to our collective power and provides our Negotiating Committee with an advantage at the bargaining table.  Members of the Mobilization Committee are responsible for actively sharing information about negotiations, gathering feedback about key issues, and calling others to action through support in organized solidarity activities.

Preparations for contract negotiations are underway and our Mobilization Committee is starting to organize.  We’ve reached the point in the process where we’re looking for candidates for the position of MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson.  The MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson is responsible for organizing and coordinating the work of the committee across all six bases and building our solidarity.

Interviews for the position will take place by video conference on April 13. Find out more about the role or how to express your interest on the Contract 2022 website at https://contract2022.afaalaska.org/news/mec-mobilization-committee-chairperson-interviews/.

February 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met last week on Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
  • As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
  • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 8.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

The February 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held last on Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9.  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 EVP & COO Constance von Muehlen, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow, Vice President of Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, and other management employees from inflight, labor relations, crew administration, and payroll.

Some of the topics that were discussed include:

  • Flight Attendant hiring update and staffing plans.  Management plans to increase the size of upcoming initial training classes to 90 people per class beginning in April.
  • Uniform policies and updates that are being planned by management.
  • Open inflight management positions and what progress the company is making to fill them.  Management indicated that they are also planning to increase the number of supervisor positions in SEA as well as add new base admin positions to provide support in designated locations.
  • COVID-19 policies and contact tracing protocols.  There is still a lack of clear information posted and accessible to Flight Attendants.  AFA has asked inflight management to put out an FAQ document offering additional clarification with real life examples.  AFA also provided management with a list of questions to help expedite the development of the FAQs.
  • IMD connectivity issues in the State of Alaska related to the changeover of the company’s cellular service provider.  

Questions?

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

AFA Alaska News in Review – February 11, 2022

In This Edition

  • Before It Becomes a Grievance: Understanding ADR and SRB
  • New Medical Billing Protections For You

Before It Becomes a Grievance: Understanding ADR and SRB

Originally posted February 8, 2022

When AFA and management disagree on a contractual issue, it doesn’t necessarily become a grievance right away.  Most times, there is an intermediate step taken to try to resolve the issue.  Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) brings together decision makers from AFA leadership, inflight management, and labor relations management to try to work the issue out.  Scheduling Review Board (SRB) is a similar process that involves AFA Representatives and Crew Scheduling management.  If everyone can’t agree on a resolution, our AFA Grievance Committee can still file a formal grievance and address the issue through the contractual grievance process.

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New Medical Billing Protections For You

Originally posted February 9, 2022

New rules that went into place on January 1, 2022 will provide new billing protections related to some medical care expenses.  The new rules provide expanded protections against the practice of “balance billing” by providers in certain instances.  You can read more about these new protections at www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers.

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New Medical Billing Protections For You

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

  • New rules that went into place on January 1, 2022 will provide new billing protections related to some medical care expenses.
  • The new rules provide expanded protections against the practice of “balance billing” by providers in certain instances.
  • You can read more about these new protections at www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers. 

Starting January 1, 2022, consumers will have new billing protections when getting emergency care, non-emergency care from out of network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers. Through new rules aimed to protect consumers, excessive out-of-pocket costs will be restricted, and emergency services must continue to be covered without any prior authorization, and regardless of whether or not a provider or facility is in-network. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 contains many provisions to help protect consumers from surprise bills starting in 2022, including the No Surprises Act under title I and Transparency under title II. 

What are surprise medical bills?

If you have health insurance and get care from an out-of-network provider or at an out-of-network facility, your health plan may not cover the entire out-of-network cost. This can leave you with higher costs than if you got care from an in-network provider or facility. In the past, in addition to any out-of-network cost sharing you might owe, the out-of-network provider or facility could bill you for the difference between the billed charge and the amount your health plan paid, unless banned by state law. This is called “balance billing.” An unexpected balance bill from an out-of-network provider is also called a surprise medical bill.

What are the new protections if I have health insurance?

If you get health coverage through your employer, the Health Insurance Marketplace®, or an individual health insurance plan you purchase directly from an insurance company, these new rules will:

  • Ban surprise bills for emergency services, even if you get them out-of-network and without approval beforehand (prior authorization).
  • Ban out-of-network cost-sharing (like out-of-network coinsurance or copayments) for all emergency and some non-emergency services. You can’t be charged more than in-network cost-sharing for these services.
  • Ban out-of-network charges and balance bills for supplemental care (like anesthesiology or radiology) by out-of-network providers who work at an in-network facility.
  • Require that health care providers and facilities give you an easy-to-understand notice explaining that getting care out-of-network could be more expensive and options to avoid balance bills. You’re not required to sign this notice or get care out-of-network.

Are there exceptions to these protections?

Some health insurance coverage programs already have protections against high medical bills. You’re already protected against surprise medical billing if you have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, Indian Health Services, Veterans Affairs Health Care, or TRICARE.

If you would like to learn more about protections for consumers, understanding costs in advance to avoid surprise bills, and what happens when payment disagreements arise after receiving medical care go to www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers.

Before It Becomes a Grievance: Understanding ADR and SRB

Grievance Committee

  • When AFA and management disagree on a contractual issue, it doesn’t necessarily become a grievance right away.  Most times, there is an intermediate step taken to try to resolve the issue.
  • Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) brings together decision makers from AFA leadership, inflight management, and labor relations management to try to work the issue out.  Scheduling Review Board (SRB) is a similar process that involves AFA Representatives and Crew Scheduling management.  
  • If everyone can’t agree on a resolution, our AFA Grievance Committee can still file a formal grievance and address the issue through the contractual grievance process.

As we know, our collective bargaining agreement provides many protections related to our working conditions, pay, and benefits.  Our AFA Grievance Committee and other AFA Representatives work constantly to ensure that management is doing right by our Flight Attendants according to the language in the contract.  Sometimes, however, disagreements arise between AFA and management about how a particular provision in the contract should be applied or whether or not a contractual violation occurred in the first place.

Our contract provides an established process for handling disagreements such as these.  Section 19 [Grievance Procedures] and section 20 [Board of Adjustment] of our CBA, often referred to collectively as the contractual grievance process, outline the procedures for how disputes about contractual language and interpretation are handled.  But before a matter is referred to the grievance process, there is often an intermediate step taken to try to work the issue out with management.

Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process is intended to give AFA Representatives and management the opportunity to resolve issues more quickly and with more flexibility while saving on the expenses related to processing a grievance.  ADR meetings are held every two weeks and include the AFA MEC Grievance Committee and management counterparts in Inflight management and the Labor Relations department.  During these meetings, the group reviews each case and attempts to work through issues that would otherwise be forced to the grievance process directly.

Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

Alongside ADR is a parallel process that specifically addresses scheduling-related issues.  The Scheduling Review Board (SRB) meets once per month and includes representatives from our AFA MEC Grievance, Scheduling, and Reserve Committees along with Crew Scheduling management.  The goal of SRB is the same—work to resolve issues more quickly than the grievance process would allow while achieving the best possible outcome for Flight Attendants.

How Do I Know If My Issue Has Been Referred to ADR/SRB?

If you’ve reported a concern to AFA and the issue has been referred to ADR or SRB, the status of your ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center will show as “escalated to ADR” or “escalated to SRB” accordingly.  The AFA Representative assigned to your case will continue to be your point of contact and provide you with updates following ADR/SRB meetings.  Our MEC Grievance Committee also maintains a log of current and past ADR items that can be viewed on the Grievance Committee page of the AFA Alaska website (click the “view the ADR log” button under the ADR process heading).   

What If We Can’t Work it Out?

While an issue is being addressed through ADR or SRB, the time limitations outlined in the contract for when a grievance must be filed are placed on hold.  This ensures that the Flight Attendant and our contractual rights are protected as we try to resolve the issue.  If we aren’t able to reach an agreement with management that is acceptable to everyone involved, our AFA Grievance Committee maintains the right to address the issue by filing a formal grievance.

Questions?

If you have questions about the ADR process, don’t hesitate to contact your Local Grievance Committee Chairperson.  For any questions about the SRB process, contact your Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson or Local Reserve Committee Chairperson.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – April 2026

On Monday, April 13, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met virtually to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Barry Spitzer (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), […]

Single PSS Is Coming: What It Means For You

Tonight, the Alaska and Hawaiian merger will reach another major milestone—the integration of both airlines into a single passenger service computer system (PSS). While this change will affect Flight Attendants less than other groups—like Customer Service Agents and airport staff—there are still important updates you should know. Block2Block App and Onboard Service Pre-merger Hawaiian Flight […]

Navigating Acute & Delayed Stress As A Flight Attendant

Stress is an inherent aspect of the Flight Attendant profession, often stemming from the demanding nature of responsibilities and the unpredictable nature of air travel. It’s essential for Flight Attendants not only to understand the different types of stress they may encounter but also to recognize the warning signs of acute and delayed stress for […]

Protect Yourself From Potential Discipline on Social Media

Our Grievance Committee would like to provide background on social media, protected classes, and discipline. Federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or transgender status), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.  Alaska’s People Policy says: Personal Conduct22. Threatening, intimidating, or discourteous behavior, including abusive, profane, or obscene language, acts, […]

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 […]

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