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Benefits Committee News

In This Edition

  • Leave of Absence Insurance Changes
  • Understanding your Health Savings Account (HSA) and your Limited Use Healthcare (FSAEE) account.
  • How to Get Benefits Help

Leave of Absence Insurance Changes

If you are planning to take a health-related leave of absence, please be advised that management is changing the way health care premiums will be handled.  The process for paying for continuing health care coverage while on such a paid leave of absence will be changing.  We have been advised that leaves will be coded differently in PeopleSoft in the future.  This change in coding will mean that health benefit premiums will no longer automatically be deducted from your paycheck EVEN IF you are coordinating.

If you are coordinating sick leave, vacation or PTO with Short Term Disability or California State Disability, management considers these to be a paid leave.   Under this new policy, you will receive a letter from Cobra Management Services (CMS) with instructions for paying the employee portion of your health benefits premium each month.  Once you have been on a Worker’s Compensation leave of absence for twelve weeks, and begin coordinating sick leave, vacation or PTO with Worker’s Compensation time loss payments, the process will be the same.

This does NOT mean that you are being required to pay for COBRA coverage under this coding change, but you will have to self-pay the employee premium directly to CMS.  It is very important that the premiums be paid on time, or health benefits will end.

If you are already on a leave of absence and are coordinating to keep health benefits in place, we suggest that you double-check your paychecks each month to be sure that premiums have been deducted.  If not, contact your leave coordinator immediately.

Understanding your Health Savings Account (HSA) and Your Limited Use Healthcare (FSAEE) Account

The high deductible PPO comes with a prefunded health savings account (HSA) that was funded on January 1, 2017 with $1000 from Alaska Airlines (and a portion of your designated contributions). Your FSAEE should be completely funded at this time.

Both of these accounts are managed with your Premera Healthcare Payment card.  When you use this card, vision and dental will withdraw from the FSAEE contributions and medical expenses will withdraw from the HSA.  Under our plan, you can roll over $500 each year to the FSAEE while roll over to the HSA is currently unlimited.  This means that your HSA dollars can be used to pay for medical cost after you separate from the company.

This healthcare payment card is used like a credit card and should be treated as such.

You can learn more about these two accounts, your balances, payments and what both accounts can be used for at: www.premera.com.  After logging in, proceed to Member > Member Services > My Account > Personal Funding Account > Manage Your Account (shows balances, how much you can contribute each year, payments, etc.) You will also find a Help and Tools tab here for qualified medical expenses and FAQs.

How to Get Benefits Help

Your Local Benefits Committee is available to assist you.  You can find contact information at http://afaalaska.org/benefits.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC Benefits Committee Chairperson Terry Taylor

Premium Class

The implementation of Premium Class service has led to several concerns from AFA members that the Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to address.

Selling upgrades in-flight

AFA has been in contact with the union representing the Customer Service Agents and Reservations Agents, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), regarding the selling of upgrades in-flight. AFA and IAM are in mutual agreement there is no scope of agreement violation in our respective contracts as long as Flight Attendants sell the Premium Class upgrades in-flight. Please do not sell any Premium Class upgrades while on the ground. Although selling Premium Class upgrades in-flight is not a contractual violation, AFA will definitely remember these additional duties the next time we’re at the bargaining table!

Premium Class training

Did you know there is required computer based training (CBT) for the new Premium Class service? If not, you are in good company because this is a surprise to many. Although there have been a few references to the training in various management communications since it was first mentioned in the Inflight Bulletin Bundle (IBB) posted on December, 14, 2016, the actual notice of the training being required and paid has not been adequate in AFA’s opinion.

According to the IBB, training may be completed via the Premium Class app on your Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) or on a computer by going to aspremiumclass.com. Management states the paid training must be completed by Wednesday, January 18, 2017, which is a deadline that AFA is disputing. The training will be paid at 1.0 TFP pursuant to §30.C.4.

More than four upgrades?

As of this writing, management has yet to provide guidance in a situation in which more than four customers wish to move to Premium Class. AFA has requested management to provide direction on this issue.

Alcohol control procedures

Flight Attendants have asked AFA to seek guidance from management with regard to alcohol control procedures in Premium Class. This is the information we have received from management so far:

  • All Premium Class (PC) customers receive an alcoholic beverage if they want, including non-revenue.  The customer must meet the usual alcohol service protocol according to the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM).
  • PC customers receive up to two drinks per cart if requested (F/As should not offer two).
  • PC customers may request and be served alcohol in addition to the standard service(s) as long as they do not appear to be intoxicated or in danger of becoming so. [Note: There appears to be conflict between emailed policy clarifications issued by management and the guidance stated in our Emergency Interim Bulletins (EIBs) with regard to how much complementary alcohol is provided in addition to the cart service(s). Do we only serve complementary alcoholic beverages during cart service or do we provide them on request as well? AFA would like management to clarify the policy.]

Important: Report all alcohol-related incidents; include the customer’s seat number and class of service in the report so that we may identify any trends related to PC. In addition, document concerns related to selling upgrades in-flight, more than four upgrade requests at a time and incorrect catering.

We thank all of you who have alerted us to the concerns with new Premium Class service. There appears to be several questions left for management to answer regarding Premium Class. AFA will continue to pressure management to provide Flight Attendants with sufficient supplies and accurate information to ensure that you have the resources you need.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee; MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett; and MEC Air, Safety Health and Security Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple

MEC Committee Chairperson Interviews

Updated 02/07/2017

As previously announced on December 9, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the majority of the MEC Committee Chairperson positions in early 2017.

All Candidates Advanced to Final Interviews

As part of the interview process, a series of screening interviews were scheduled to occur on January 4 by videoconference.  The purpose of the screening interviews was to narrow each position to two finalist candidates who would be invited to interview with the MEC in person at the February MEC Meeting.  Since only a few positions yielded more than two candidates, the MEC has decided to bypass the screening interviews and advance all candidates to an in-person interview at the February MEC Meeting.

More Information About the Candidates

Below is a list of candidates for each position.  For positions with more than one candidate, resumes for those candidates who have opted in may be viewed below.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson

Seth Heiple

Benefits Committee Chairperson

Terry Taylor

EAP Chairpersons (2 positions)

Elizabeth Dillon

Jeanne McCleave

Hotel Committee Chairperson

Laura Hinojosa

Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson

Jodi Snow (click here to view resume)

Dori Marron (click here to view resume)

Reserve Committee Chairperson

Jarod McNeill

Retirement Committee Chairperson

Terry Taylor

Scheduling Committee Chairperson

Jake Jones (click here to view resume)

Erik Velez (click here to view resume)

Zac Weeks (click here to view resume)

Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson (PBS Subcommittee Chairperson)

Stephen Poynter (click here to view resume)

Shawn Grill (withdrawn 02/03/17)

PBS Subcommittee Member

Rebecca Asbell (click here to view resume)

Adam Clarey (click here to view resume)

Sheri Rochel (click here to view resume) (clarified intent to be considered for Subcommittee Member position instead of Chairperson, 02/07/2017)

Uniform Committee Chairperson

Bob Moore

Special Consideration for MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson

In accordance with §27.P.2.c.1 of the collective bargaining agreement, the MEC will be soliciting input from Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider regarding the selection of the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson position.  Though Andy is contractually entitled to provide feedback, final selection will be made by the voting members of the MEC.

Feedback

If you would like to provide feedback about the candidates or the MEC Committee Chairperson interview process, please contact your LEC President.  You may contact your LEC President by email at:

ANC Council 30 President Lisa Pinkston – lisa.pinkston@afaalaska.org

SEA Council 19 President Laura Masserant – laura.masserant@afaalaska.org

PDX Council 39 President Cathy Gwynn – cathy.gwynn@afaalaska.org

LAX Council 18 President Tim Green – timothy.green@afaalaska.org

SAN Council 15 President Brice McGee – brice.mcgee@afaalaska.org

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

CourseMill App/Recurrent Training 2017 Homestudy

Happy New Year to all! If you are a January 2017 Recurrent Training (RT) student, the new year may not feel quite so happy as it could be due to problems with downloading the now-infamous courses #2 and #5 on the CourseMill App. AFA has made numerous attempts to get clear direction from Inflight management regarding how to fix the app; unfortunately, they have failed to respond to many of our inquiries or else have given unsatisfactory responses the few times when they have actually gotten back to us. We know it has been the holidays and all, but seriously?!

This is the fix management currently has posted in alerts on the Inflight Webpage under “Training”:

“If you are having trouble downloading your 2017 Recurrent Training mobile courses 002 or 005, please try the following: 

  • Ensure you have good Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Delete the CourseMill app (Hold down icon and tap the “x”)
  • Reinstall the CourseMill app from the Apple App Store
  • Enter your activation code when you re-launch the app (the IT Help Desk or a member of inflight management can look up your activation code)
  • When it prompts you to download all of your courses again, select “No”. Then, click on course 002 and download it individually. Do the same with course 005
  • When downloading the courses, make sure the screen doesn’t turn off, by periodically touching it to keep it “awake”
  • Courses 002/005 may still crash, however if you try deleting and reinstalling the app again, you should be able to get through both courses
  • If you want to view previous courses you’ve already completed, you can then choose to download those courses as well; you won’t lose any saved information of previous courses you’ve already completed

Thank you for your patience as we work on this issue.

Inflight Training”

AFA does not endorse the proposed fix, but we have some anecdotal reports that it has worked for some Flight Attendants. All the excessive time spent uninstalling, reinstalling and downloading is unacceptable. AFA presently has an open grievance regarding this issue, which we are attempting to arbitrate in February.

We have been informed that any Flight Attendant who shows up to Recurrent Training without his or her 2017 RT electronic homestudy completed will be asked to leave class without pay. AFA will continue to advocate for Flight Attendants who are unable to complete training due to a CourseMill app failure.

In the meantime, please email and/or call inflight Training management or the Mobile Help Desk to get your CourseMill app working.

Lisa.McCarroll@alaskaair.com or 206-392-6251

Jennifer.Sovey@alaskaair.com or 206-392-6491

Amanda.Westendorf@alaskaair.com or 253-569-6977

Psalm.Terry@alaskaair.com

Ranjita.Prasad@alaskaair.com

Mobile Help Desk: 1-877-238-1077, option 4 or support@enterprisemobile.com.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams

End of Year Reminders 2016

As we approach the end of 2016, the Master Executive Council (MEC) wants to remind you of a few important items.

AFA EAP

Alaska Flight Attendants are the best in the industry and this is due, in part, to our amazing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Committee! EAP is always available to assist and support you. As we approach the holiday season our jobs become much more difficult and we are away from our families. EAP peers help FAs assess their expectations, troubles, health issues and commitments. Re-evaluating commitments and expectations will help to make the holiday season more manageable and enjoyable. AFA EAP’s greatest tool is the ability to listen, calming the presenting issue. Referring to professional resources appropriate when the FA is unable to find resolution.

You can find EAP contact information here: http://afaalaska.org/eap.

Review Your Personnel File

This is a great time of year to review your personnel file (“p-file”). According to our collective bargaining agreement, you’re entitled to a complete copy of your personnel file with at least seven (7) calendar days’ notice (§24.G).  We recommend that every Flight Attendant take advantage of this contractual right and review your personnel file on a regular basis. To make a request for your copy of your personnel file, contact your performance supervisor.  We recommend doing so in writing via Outlook email.

Employee Choice Travel Credits

Any remaining Employee Choice Travel Credits must be converted by December 31, 2016. Once you convert the credits you have three months to travel or make changes to those credits. These credits do not roll over! You will find your Employee Choice Travel Credits in your Paperless Employee Travel (PET) account.

Uniform Allotments

The current uniform allotment will expire December 31, 2016. You will receive a new $700 allotment on January 1, 2017. Taxes and shipping will be covered through the Land’s End portal. You can find the link to Land’s End on your World of Inflight FA homepage –> Catering & Brand –> Uniforms –> Lands’ End. Make sure you copy your People Soft (PS) number from your homepage, as you will need this number to access the allotment link on the Land’s End homepage and to place uniform orders. If you have questions you can contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Uniform Committee.

December 2016 “No Junior Assignment” Pledge

AFA and Alaska Airlines management agreed to a “No Junior Assignment” Pledge. Flight Attendants who are working trips that originate between December 15, 2016, and December 25, 2016, will not be Junior Assigned (JA’d) off of those trips.

Year End Record Improvement

Any Flight Attendant who has 4.0 or fewer attendance points will have her/his record reduced to 0 points after the end of the year, provided s/he did not accumulate any attendance points since November 1st. In order to qualify for this provision, a Flight Attendant must achieve a minimum of 480 TFP in the calendar year (inclusive of vacation/Longevity PTO but excluding sick leave) in addition to all other requirements outlined in §32.G.4. It usually takes a few weeks into January for the year-end record improvement adjustment to occur.

“DOS +2” Step Rates of Pay

Effective December 17, 2016, all Flight Attendants received a contractual pay raise. “DOS +2” in the step rates of pay chart in §21.A now applies. You can find your individual step rate of pay at the intersection of your step (the steps are listed in the rows on the left) and the “DOS+2” column (the contractual increases are listed in the columns at the top).

Employee Records supposedly sent an email to all Flight Attendants on December 17th via Outlook advising of the contractual increase. However, AFA has received multiple reports from our members that the notification was never received—even after checking “Junk Email” and “Clutter” folders. If you did not receive the email, Inflight management has advised to contact Employee Records (employee.records@alaskaair.com) in order to verify your contractual increase. AFA requested that Inflight management also send out a bulletin regarding this issue.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC S/T-Elect Linda Christou

Council 30 (ANC) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 12 PM PT today for the election of Council 30 LEC Officers, representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants based in Anchorage. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: LeiLauni ScheidemanLEC Vice President: Heather ReierLEC Secretary: Anne Madsen View the certified election results here >> These newly elected officers […]

Apps To Help You Save Money On Food

Our AFA Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee recognizes that Flight Attendants may be facing increasing challenges when it comes to accessing affordable food, whether on the road or at home. We want you to know that you are not alone. In response to these difficulties, we have compiled a list of apps to help […]

What You Need To Know About The FAA Capacity Cuts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced plans for a 10% reduction in flight capacity across 40 markets, starting this Friday. According to news reports, these schedule reductions will begin on Friday and will gradually increase throughout the weekend until they reach the full 10% by the following week. Reports also suggest that all Alaska […]

Council 47 (LAX pmHA) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 12 PM PT today for the election of Council 47 LEC Officers, representing Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants based in Los Angeles. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: Joshua AokiLEC Vice President: Paul IkiokaLEC Secretary: Beth Hayes View the certified election results here >> These newly elected […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Interviews—December 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the terms of office for the MEC Committee Chairpersons and other MEC-level positions align with those of the MEC Officers. Since the current term for the MEC Officers will conclude on December 31, […]

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