In This Edition

• Introducing your MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson
• Introducing your MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative
• MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
• What Happens When You Report a Human Trafficking Tip?
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Introducing Your MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson

Human Rights Committee

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the new MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Chip Hestle to the position.

About Chip

Chip Hestle II is a Seattle-based Flight Attendant with 29 years of service at Alaska Airlines.  During his career, Chip held the position as Chairperson for the first Alaska Airlines CATeam.  In this role, he worked alongside Human Resources to promote diversity and cultural awareness.  He also participated in Flight Attendant Hiring Events. Additionally, Chip served on the AFA Government Affairs Committee and established the Alaska Airlines Drug and Alcohol Infinity Support Group.

Most recently, Chip was one of four keynote speakers at the AT-62nd Area 46 AA New Mexico State Convention.  In January 2018, he was named one of Alaska Airlines Legends in Customer Service.  In October 2017, he received the Alaska Airlines Award of Excellence.  Chip served as co-President of the FADAP Mentorship Program and established “Wings of Sobriety”.  Chip participated in Humanity Chartered Mercy flights to New Orleans, LA, during Hurricane Katrina.  He represented Alaska Airlines at the African American Flight Attendant Convention in New York, NY. And, he participated in lobbying Congressional legislators to protect flight attendant crew rest and duty hours in 2001-2002. 

Chip is very grateful for the opportunity to serve and have received many awards and recognitions, but what he’s most proud of is the wonderful working relationship that he has with Alaska Airlines customers, management and fellow crew members.  

About The Position

The MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to promote activities that foster greater understanding of one another and the diversity of our membership in order to build the strength of our Union through our common struggles and goals rather than allowing others to divide us by our differences.  Additional information about the position and committee can be found by clicking here.

Introducing Your MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the new MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Deb Wallstrom to the position. 

About Deb

Deb Wallstrom is an Anchorage-based Flight Attendant.  She started working for Alaska Airlines in 1998 and has been based in Anchorage, Los Angeles and San Diego.  She believes in a strong safety culture in the workplace and has been a member of the Air Safety, Health, and Safety Committee for the last five years.  She recently joined the Benefits Committee and looks forward to helping others navigate the medical leave of absence process.

While soap making has also become a new hobby, she can be found hiking, camping and enjoying the outdoors in her spare time.

About The Position

The ASHSC Uniform Safety Representative will be responsible for assisting Flight Attendants who experience reactions and health concerns related to wearing the Flight Attendant uniform.  The position will work closely with the Uniform and Benefits Committees to ensure that Flight Attendants have a strong voice to advocate for them in relation to uniform safety.

MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

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 of office will end on December 31, 2019, the MEC will be conducting a review of the MEC Committee Chairperson positions in December 2019.

During this review process, the MEC will be interviewing for the following MEC-level chairperson positions:

• Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson
• Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson – Air Quality
• Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson – Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)
• Benefits Committee Chairperson
• Communications Committee Chairperson
• EAP Committee Chairperson
• EAP Committee Vice Chairperson
• Government Affairs Committee Chairperson
• Grievance Committee Chairperson
• Hotel Committee Chairperson
• Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson
• Inflight Service Committee Chairperson
• Inflight Training Committee Chairperson
• Reserve Committee Chairperson
• Retirement Committee Chairperson
• Scheduling Committee Chairperson
• Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – PBS 
• Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – Pairing Construction
• Uniform Committee Chairperson

Appointment for the Human Rights Committee Chairperson position was made within the last six months.  As a result, this positions will not be reviewed and will continue until the end of the next MEC Officer election cycle.

Additionally, interviews will also be held for the following MEC-level appointed positions:

• Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – ASAP Alternate Representative
• Grievance Committee Assistant
• Grievance Committee – Payroll Representative
• Inflight Training Committee Member (2 positions)
• Scheduling Committee – PBS Subcommittee Member (2 positions)

General Qualifications

The following qualifications apply to all MEC-level Chairperson positions:

• Previous experience as a Committee Member or Chairperson preferred (required for EAP) 
• Previous committee-specific training preferred (required for EAP)
• Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle on occasion
• Strong computer skills. Good working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
• Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties and Responsibilities

Information about the duties and responsibilities of each specific committee can be found in article VII of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, which can be accessed by clicking here.  Additional information about MEC Committee Chairperson duties and responsibilities can be found in this document. 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss for each position will be discussed during each interview.  All positions operate in accordance with AFA’s spirit of volunteerism.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the December MEC meeting from December 9-12, 2019.  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/XWsW9pEgtMRmqhZM6.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Monday, November 25.  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 about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed position duties and responsibilities can be directed to MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

What Happens When You Report a Human Trafficking Tip?

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

In our role as aviation’s first responders, Flight Attendants have the ability to make a substantial impact in the fight against human trafficking.  Education and training about how to identify and report suspected human trafficking has been included in Flight Attendant Recurrent Training for the past several years and additional reminders have been included in various communications from AFA and management.

Flight Attendant procedures for suspected human trafficking involve reporting the event at which point authorities take over and follow up on the tip.  Reports from Flight Attendants and other aviation employees are a part of the Department of Homeland Security—Customs and Border Protection’s Blue Lightning Initiative, which provides a voluntary platform to identify potential human trafficking victims and to notify federal authorities for front line workers at U.S. commercial airlines.  The diagram below provides an overview of what takes place once a report is submitted.

Reporting Human Trafficking

If you suspect a case of human trafficking:

• Call toll-free (866) 347-2423 from anywhere in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
• Call (802) 872-6199 (not toll-free) from any country in the world.
• Report the tip online at www.ice.gov/tips. 
• If in flight, report the situation to the pilots.

Questions?

You can learn more about human trafficking and the Blue Lightning Initiative at https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.  There are about 1.38 million new cases of breast cancer each year.  Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been rising up steadily in the last years due to increase in life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer; therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. Today, in the United States alone, there are over 3.5 million women and men breast cancer survivors. 

Chances are, you know someone with or impacted by breast cancer.  It could even be you.  That’s why this fight is everyone’s fight.  During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people wear pink, including ribbons, to support the progress being made to defeat breast cancer, to honor survivors, and to remember those lost to the disease.  If you would like to get more involved in the fight against breast cancer, visit makingstrides.acsevents.org. Remember, your AFA EAP is available to confidentially assist you with any health related issues.  You can find contact information for your Local EAP Committee at https://afaalaska.org/eap or by calling (949) 470-0493.