AFA Update – March 6, 2020

March 6, 2020 12:00

In This Edition

COVID-19 Continuing Developments
Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity
Never Refuse a Drug or Alcohol Test
MEC Meets with FAA to Discuss Recurrent Training

COVID-19 Continuing Developments

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), in conjunction with our AFA counterparts at Horizon Air and AFA International, continue to closely monitor the situation in regard to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). A meeting was conducted between AFA Alaska and Horizon leaders on Wednesday to have further discussion about AFA’s requests to improve Flight Attendant protections. This meeting will be followed up by an additional meeting between all Alaska and Horizon labor leaders and management from across Alaska Air Group (AAG) to further discussions about the impact of the virus and the steps that need to be taken to protect Flight Attendants, other employees, and passengers.

AFA Alaska released a communication earlier this week with more detailed information about the requests that we have made of management to improve protections for all of us on the job. In addition to this communication, you can find the most up-to-date, pertinent information about COVID-19 and its impact on Flight Attendants on the Coronavirus Outbreak page of the AFA International website. The page contains the latest news on the outbreak, resources for Flight Attendants to guard against the spread of infection, and links to additional governmental resources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC.

Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity

Master Executive Council (MEC)

[Note: The MEC has become aware of chatter elsewhere on social media that we’re discriminating against junior and/or Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) FAs. This is due to the reposted opening for the Negotiating Committee that is soliciting for 25+ years occupational seniority and/or prior negotiations experience. This is definitely a misunderstanding about intent. The MEC has already received approximately 20 applications from both Legacy Alaska (L-AS) and L-VX FAs. We have full intention of interviewing all of them for the NC.

With a few exceptions, nearly all applicants have less than 15 years of occupational seniority and no formal negotiations experience. It is the MEC’s desire to have a representative NC, so we are looking to fill in the applicant pool with more senior FAs so that we have a representative sampling of the Membership. Additionally, Section VI.A.1 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws specifically states “The Negotiating Committee selected should include a member, or members, who have had previous experience, insofar as is practicable.”

It is regrettable that some FAs have misconstrued the call for additional applicants with specific qualifications to mean the NC will be exclusively comprised of FAs with 25+ years of seniority and therefore all L-VX will be locked out of representation on the NC. This is absolutely not true.With only three members on the NC (plus the MEC president as chair), the MEC must consider each appointment very carefully. There are no guarantees who will ultimately be appointed because it will depend on each applicant’s qualifications and interview(s), but the MEC has a strong desire to choose a NC that is representative of all members and all constituencies as much as possible (e.g. seniorities, domiciles, legacy carriers, etc.). ^jtp 03/06/2020 @ 17:50 PT ]

The Master Executive Council (MEC) is currently in the process of scheduling interviews for prospective Negotiating Committee candidates who submitted expression of interest forms prior to the March 3 deadline. In order to provide an additional opportunity, the MEC has decided to re-open the expression of interest process for Negotiating Committee Members. Additional interviews will be conducted at the April Regular MEC Meeting. The MEC is specifically seeking candidates with 25 years or more of Flight Attendant seniority and/or those with previous negotiating experience. Other candidates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Our current Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) becomes amendable on December 17, 2021 but also contains an early opener clause for the negotiating process to begin as early as December 2020. In anticipation of early openers, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the Negotiating Committee during the April Regular MEC Meeting, to be held April 7 and 8, 2020. All three Negotiating Committee positions are up for interview and consideration. Per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, the MEC President is the chairperson of the Negotiating Committee and rounds out the Committee as the fourth member.

The Negotiating Committee is charged to negotiate and institute the needs and desires of the Flight Attendants into an effective collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Committee should have a good working knowledge of the current CBA and be willing to devote their full time to the Committee during negotiations. The members of this Committee shall serve as the CBA Interpretation Committee until a new agreement is completed.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Flight pay loss (FPL) reimbursement will be provided to Negotiating Committee Members at the rate of 6 TFP at “A” pay for 8 hours of work. FPL is not reimbursed for days that solely contain travel to/from an activity.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the April Regular MEC meeting from April 7-8, 2020. 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/YGCUtxVETB3z9aZW7. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Friday, March 27. 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.

Questions?

Any questions regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

Never Refuse a Drug or Alcohol Test

Grievance Committee

As Flight Attendants, we are all aware that we are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. This requirement is contained in 49 CFR part 40 and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. At Alaska Airlines, the Drug Abatement department, which is part of the Safety Division, is responsible for administering the testing program and ensuring that the company remains compliant with all applicable rules and regulations pertaining to drug and alcohol testing.

At the end of a duty period, many of us eagerly await block in and the opening of the boarding door to see whether or not a drug/alcohol tester is waiting for us. The Drug Abatement department has told AFA that their expectation of the drug testers is that they will be present in the jet bridge when the door is opened. Unfortunately, this does not always happen for a variety of reasons.

In order to prevent any misunderstanding and protect yourself, it is critically important that you never refuse a request to be tested. Failing to cooperate with any part of the testing process is also considered a refusal to test. Alaska Airlines drug and alcohol policy states that refusing to take a test is considered to be the same as failing a test.

Reporting any Drug or Alcohol Testing Irregularities to AFA

If you are notified of a drug or alcohol test and experience any irregularities with the process, fully cooperate with the tester but make a mental note of anything unusual. Irregularities could include:

The tester is not present in the jet bridge prior to aircraft block in
The test is conducted in a public restroom that is not closed off to public access

* Please note that even though these items could be considered irregularities, they are not prohibited under DOT regulations. Do not refuse a test based on a suspected irregularity.

Once the test is complete, please report any suspected irregularities to AFA as soon as possible. These reports should be filed as a ticket through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center. Be sure to include the date and time of the test, the name of the tester (if known), the flight number you worked immediately prior to the test, and any details of the irregularity. An AFA representative will follow up with you based your report.

Questions?

If you have questions about drug and alcohol testing or possible test irregularities, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

MEC Meets with FAA to Discuss Recurrent Training

Master Executive Council (MEC)

On Wednesday, February 26, members of the Master Executive Council (MEC), including many Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, met with representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Cascadia Certificate Management Officer (CMO) as well as various members of Alaska Airlines inflight, flight operations, and labor relations management. During the meeting, the MEC was able to engage in direct dialog with both FAA and management representatives in an attempt to gain clarity surrounding the considerable changes made to the recurrent training (RT) program over the past several months. The MEC plans to have additional discussion about RT at next week’s Regular MEC Meeting and will provide another update within the next several weeks.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

March 3, 2020 05:00

As the reports of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread throughout the United States it is important to remain informed about the situation and take appropriate precautionary measures. We are saddened to hear that there have now been several confirmed deaths in the U.S. from the virus. Despite these cases, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the overall number of confirmed cases and risk of contracted the virus remain low.

Keep Up-To-Date With Reliable Resources

You can find the most up-to-date, pertinent information about COVID-19 and its impact on Flight Attendants on the Coronavirus Outbreak page of the AFA International website. The page contains the latest news on the outbreak, resources for Flight Attendants to guard against the spread of infection, and links to additional governmental resources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC.

Guidance from the CDC continues to recommend the following actions as being the best preventive measures to avoid exposure:

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (including PA handsets and IMDs) using sanitizing wipes.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
- CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
- Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Advocating for Flight Attendant Protections

AFA Alaska representatives have been engaging with management daily to advocate for protective measures and policy/procedure changes to protect our Flight Attendants in the wake of the outbreak. As of today, AFA Alaska has made the following requests of management:

Any individual who chooses to protect themselves by wearing mask or gloves should be permitted to do so at any time.
Eliminate water walks until we have equipment or product (individual water bottles) which allow it to be delivered in a sanitary manner.
Provide passengers with individually wrapped hand sanitizing wipes approved for use on our aircraft surfaces and on human skin.
Provide an announcement about changes to service made to provide a safer announcement to the passenger.
Work on getting N95 masks of all adult sizes added to UPKs and provide adequate training for their use when dealing with a passenger suspected of having a communicable disease.
Review aircraft cleaning guidelines and provide audit information by showing adherence levels. Provide better means for crew to submit aircraft cleaning feedback for flights
Enhanced cleaning procedures for aircraft which carried a passenger with known or suspected contagion.
Develop training on safe food and beverage handling, assessing passengers for COVID-19, and onboard response to suspect or identified case.
Discontinue hot towels in F/C and replace with individually wrapped hand sanitizing wipes.
Discontinue onboard sorting of used service items
Discontinue placing contaminated items in the same cart as unused service items.
Add disposable temperature gauges to aircraft equipment.
Change to disposable cups in First Class.
Make UPKs and hand sanitizer required, no-go items on the aircraft
Reduce MELs on lavatory water systems.
Make surgical masks available to passengers and crew so that those who show symptoms of infection may wear masks and reduce the risk of spreading disease. Take steps to ensure adequate supplies now.
Provide accommodations for those who have or live with those who have compromised immune systems or are pregnant.
Provide support for infected or quarantined employees.
Provide support for employees who are forced to stay at home to care for an infected or quarantined family member.
Provide support for employees who are forced to stay at home to care for a child due to extended cancellation of classes.

Management has responded and made procedural and policy changes to many of the requests made by AFA, but there are still many items that have not yet been satisfactorily addressed. A full list of actions that are being taken by management are listed in an article on Alaska’s World (AAG sign-on required). Management also released a required bulletin (bulletin #2020-0010, Special Edition Bulletin Bundle-March 2, 2020) with additional details on how these changes are to be implemented.

Additionally, AFA International released additional guidance today entitled Immediate Operational Actions to Stop Spread of COVID-19. Many of the points in this guidance were included in AFA Alaska’s original request to management. AFA Alaska representatives have called for a special meeting with management as soon as possible to address items from the original AFA request that management has not already provided a satisfactory response to as well as new items contained in the additional guidance from AFA International.

Daily Conversations with Management Ongoing

While we applaud management for taking meaningful steps to reduce risks, we simultaneously call upon them to continue taking necessary action to protect Flight Attendants and passengers alike. Regular conference calls between leaders from all Alaska and Horizon union groups and management from Inflight, Safety, and Labor Relations have been scheduled for the foreseeable future and will continue as long as outbreak remains a potential threat. AFA representatives will persist in continuing to address concerns with management during these calls and other venues to address the issues important to Flight Attendants.

Questions?

If you have questions that are not addressed in any of the resources provided above, please reach out to your LEC Officers or Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee

AFA Update – February 21, 2020

February 21, 2020 12:00

In This Edition

REMINDER: Negotiating Committee Interviews
AFA Dues FAQs
Department of Transportation Warning About CBD Products

REMINDER: Negotiating Committee Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Our current Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) becomes amendable on December 17, 2021 but also contains an early opener clause for the negotiating process to begin as early as December 2020. In anticipation of early openers, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the Negotiating Committee during the March Regular MEC Meeting, to be held March 10 and 11, 2020. All three Negotiating Committee positions are up for interview and consideration. Per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, the MEC President is the chairperson of the Negotiating Committee and rounds out the Committee as the fourth member.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the March Regular MEC meeting from March 10-11, 2020. 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/6vj5XPxDwv9x54eb9. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, March 3. After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Questions?

Any questions regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

AFA Dues FAQs

Membership Committee

How Often Are Dues Deducted?

Dues are deducted once per month on the 20th of the month and represent that months dues.

What If I Have a Past Due Amount?

Alaska Airlines will not deduct past due amounts from your paycheck. If you have a past due amount owing, the AFA International Membership Service department will send you an invoice. All past due amounts must be paid directly to AFA.

Do I Owe Dues If I Am On a Leave of Absence?

If you are on a leave of absence and coordinating any type of pay (sick leave or vacation), you are considered on payroll and you must pay your union dues.

If you are not coordinating enough to have your dues deducted (this is the last priority for payroll deductions) then you will receive an invoice from the AFA International Membership Services department. This is a bill and the amount must be paid.

If you are not receiving any pay, you are obligated to pay dues for the first 3 months of your leave. After the three months period has passed, you do not have any further dues obligation until you return from your leave.

Where Can I Access Dues Check Off and Membership Forms?

You can access the Dues Check Off (DCO) form used for automatic payroll deduction of AFA dues and the AFA membership application on the membership page of the AFA Alaska website.

Questions?

If you have any questions about AFA dues, please contact your Local Membership Committee.

Department of Transportation Warning About CBD Products

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance issued a compliance notice regarding the use of cannabidiol (CBD) products for employees in safety-sensitive positions who are subject to drug testing per 49 CFR part 40 (which includes Flight Attendants). You can view the notice by clicking here.

In summary, the notice states:

The Department of Transportation requires testing for marijuana and not CBD.
The labeling of many CBD products may be misleading because the products could contain higher levels of THC than what the product label states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently certify the levels of THC in CBD products, so there is no Federal oversight to ensure that the labels are accurate. The FDA has cautioned the public that: “Consumers should beware purchasing and using any [CBD] products.” The FDA has stated: “It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement.” Also, the FDA has issued several warning letters to companies because their products contained more CBD than indicated on the product label.
The Department of Transportation’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulation, Part 40, does not authorize the use of Schedule I drugs, including marijuana, for any reason. Furthermore, CBD use is not a legitimate medical explanation for a laboratory-confirmed marijuana positive result. Therefore, Medical Review Officers will verify a drug test confirmed at the appropriate cutoffs as positive, even if an employee claims they only used a CBD product.

This information is consistent with other guidance on CBD previously communicated by AFA.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the AFA Alaska EAP Committee. You can find contact information on the EAP Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. Any contact made to AFA EAP is completely confidential.

Recurrent Training 2020 – Part 7

February 14, 2020 20:00

The Master Executive Council (MEC) was planning to meet with one of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Cabin Safety Inspectors assigned to Alaska Airlines this week during the regular February MEC meeting. The intent of the meeting was to allow the MEC to gain a better understanding as to how the FAA interprets and applies the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) and other guiding documents to Flight Attendant recurrent training. More specifically, the MEC is seeking more information about what drove the changes that were made to Recurrent Training 2020 when it initially launched in January.

Unfortunately, not all of the required representatives from the FAA’s Certificate Management Office (CMO) could be available for the scheduled meeting last Wednesday and the meeting was canceled. The MEC is actively working with the FAA to reschedule the meeting to another time as soon as all required attendees from both AFA and the FAA are available. More information will be communicated once the meeting is able to be rescheduled.

In Solidarity,

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

Update on Open Time Back to Book

February 11, 2020 12:00

Contractual Modification Approved by Roll Call Vote

By majority roll call vote, the Master Executive Council (MEC) has approved a contractual modification that will maintain the current open time trading rules inclusive of Section 12 Exchange of Sequences. This modification will remove the requirement to program back to book trading rules and the application of Section 12 Exchange of Sequences: Back to Book.

Not an Easy Decision

This was not an easy decision to make because there are valid arguments for and against granting a contractual waiver. The MEC voting procedure outlined in the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws, Article VII.D.5.b [Master Executive Councils –> Master Executive Council Meetings –> Voting], allocates each voting member (LEC President or designee holding proxy) of the MEC one vote on any issue before the MEC. A majority determines the outcome, unless a roll-call vote is requested. During a roll call vote, each voting member of the MEC casts one vote for each member in good standing s/he represents.

Roll Call Voting Record on Back to Book

The motion put forward was to direct the MEC President to draft a side letter of agreement to strike out all of Section 12 Exchange of Sequence: Back to Book and execute the sideletter with management. During the roll-call, votes were cast as follows:

Council number, number of active members in good standing, name of voting delegate, votes for the motion, votes against the motion

Council	Delegate	Total Votes	Votes For	Votes Against
15 SAN	McGee	392	299	93
18 LAX	Richardson	1070	535	535
19 SEA	Taylor	2308	2058	250
30 ANC	Cook	367	96	271
35 SFO	Osborne	783	765	18
39 PDX	de’Medici	620	520	100
	*Total*	*5540*	*4273*	*1267*

Based on the votes of the LEC Presidents (and proxy holders), the motion was adopted by a vote of 4273 votes for the motion and 1267 votes against the motion.

Interested in more information regarding Back to Book?

We are aware that nearly half of our Flight Attendants have never worked under the trading rules contained in Back to Book, nor do they have any familiarity with eMaestro. Background information is available below.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Open Time, back to book, or the MEC vote, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

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

Back to Book – What Does it Mean?

On May 1, 2006, Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants ratified a Collective Bargaining Agreement through May 1, 2010. In 2010 during an economic downturn, Alaska Flight Attendants ratified a contract extension through May 1, 2012, with an early opener clause in 2011.

The 2006 CBA contained negotiated and ratified open time provisions that were incorporated into the system known as E-maestro, the predecessor to Crew Access. Alaska Airlines management and AFA disagreed on the application of the rules and trading when Crew Scheduling violated our agreement by withholding trips from open time. The parties agreed to utilize the grievance process, and AFA filed grievance #36-99-2-18-11. A neutral third-party arbitrator ruled against AFA in the final and binding arbitration award and provided a decision to both Alaska Airlines management and AFA on how to incorporate and interpret the agreed language. This arbitration award is consistent with the 2018-2021 Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement, which may be found in Section 12 Exchange of Sequences: Back to Book.

In November 29, 2011, AFA and Alaska management met to discuss early openers and begin the negotiation process of Section 6 negotiations under the Railway Labor Act. The parties agreed on December 12, 2013, to put forward a tentative agreement for membership consideration that subsequently failed. This required another round of negotiations that began on June 25, 2014.

When the second tentative agreement passed it contained an open time trial period with a cancellation clause, Section 12.F Exchange of Sequences. The open time trial was negotiated due to feedback from members who were unhappy with the trading rules combined with the arbitration award. This required the negotiating committees to look for ways to improve the arbitration award and bring flexibility back to our schedules.

On July 8, 2016, we selected our Joint Negotiating Committee, and began working towards a joint collective bargaining agreement to combine Alaska Airlines and Virgin America into a single carrier. On July 21, 2016, we cancelled our Open Time trial with Alaska management. The cancellation of the Open Time Trial is pursuant to Section 12.F.9 and required the parties to begin negotiations on a successor system.

In the midst of this, on January 30, 2017, we transitioned from E-Maestro to Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA).

Negotiations for a successor system deadlocked in 2019 due to implementation penalties and a disagreement on the proposal with Alaska management. This required the MEC to compare our current system with the rules that applied to back to book. We reviewed the trading rules, TFP, open days, adequate reserve coverage, 25% funding, day for day trading, implementation, dropping, threshold sequence numbers and other components. After reviewing the two systems our MEC made the decision that it was in the best interest of the members to maintain the current system and spend our time preparing for early openers of contract negotiations in the fall of 2020.

In This Edition

COVID-19 Continuing Developments

Negotiating Committee Interviews – Additional Opportunity

Selection of Committee Members

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

Never Refuse a Drug or Alcohol Test

Reporting any Drug or Alcohol Testing Irregularities to AFA

Questions?

MEC Meets with FAA to Discuss Recurrent Training

Keep Up-To-Date With Reliable Resources

Advocating for Flight Attendant Protections

Daily Conversations with Management Ongoing

Questions?

In This Edition

REMINDER: Negotiating Committee Interviews

Selection of Committee Members

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

AFA Dues FAQs

How Often Are Dues Deducted?

What If I Have a Past Due Amount?

Do I Owe Dues If I Am On a Leave of Absence?

Where Can I Access Dues Check Off and Membership Forms?

Questions?

Department of Transportation Warning About CBD Products

Questions?

Contractual Modification Approved by Roll Call Vote

Not an Easy Decision

Roll Call Voting Record on Back to Book

Interested in more information regarding Back to Book?

Questions?

Back to Book – What Does it Mean?

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