Latest News – Page 224

The iPhone 6+ will be distributed as our new Inflight Mobile Device

March 5, 2015 18:53

Distribution begins on Monday

Alaska Airlines management will begin distributing the iPhone 6+ as our Inflight Mobile Device beginning on Monday, March 9, 2015. Distribution will continue over the next six weeks. There will be no less than twenty-one days available per domicile to pick up the device with additional accommodations made for the Los Angeles co-terminals. Management will provide dedicated staff to distribute the device.

Flight Attendants will be compensated 0.5 TFP for picking up the iPhone 6+

AFA and management have agreed to pay and credit flight attendants one-half (0.5) TFP for simply picking up the iPhone 6 Plus. The 0.5 TFP will serve as a “bonus” towards achieving the Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) in whatever quarter the device is picked up (Q1 for March, Q2 for April). The estimated amount of time to pick up the device is between five and fifteen minutes. However, flight attendants should allot up to a half-hour. The pay will be reflected in the flight attendant’s next adjustment check associated with the date of device pick up. “Early adopters” who have already received the iPhone 6+ will likewise be paid and credited one-half (0.5) TFP.

Arrangement for pick up

Flight attendants may pick up the iPhone 6+ either on or off duty. A Flight attendant who does not have scheduled flying or airport standby during the scheduled pick up dates must make arrangements with Inflight supervisor to receive her or his device at a mutually agreed-upon time and place. Nobody will be disciplined for not picking up the iPhone 6+ during the required period but everybody will be issued a device and are expected to make a good faith effort to facilitate this process.

Los Angeles co-terminal arrangements

For Los Angeles-based flight attendants who wish to pick up her or his iPhone 6+ in a co-terminal, she or he must pre-arrange to do so through a sign-up process. No less than two days will be available in Burbank (BUR), two days in Ontario (ONT) and five days in Orange County (SNA). Each co-terminal session will be no less than six hours and targeted around scheduled crew check-in times.

Pick up does not constitute training

This is not training. Nobody is expected to start using the Inflight Mobile Device for a couple months. For now, the iPhone 6+ is being issued simply in order to familiarize flight attendants with the device. Additional training will occur at a later date prior to any required use.

More information about the Inflight Mobile Device

A copy of the Inflight Mobile Devices Distribution Letter of Agreement is here. We know many of you will have additional questions. More information regarding the Inflight Mobile Device will be forthcoming in the next few days.

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In solidarity,

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

Management Rejects AFA Recommendation for IAD Hotel

February 27, 2015 20:00

Many of us are excited to soon resume service to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), but for the crew who are laying over there, their stay in suburban Virginia may not be so exciting. Despite an official recommendation by the AFA Hotel Committee for another property, management has selected an inferior hotel for crew accommodations.

How Hotel Selection Works

When a layover hotel in a new city needs to be selected or a hotel contract is up for renewal in an existing city, members of management and the AFA Hotel Committee visit the prospective hotels. Each hotel is evaluated for safety, cleanliness, quality, and to ensure it will meet the needs of our Flight Attendants. The Hotel Committee issues their official recommendation to management, who makes the final decision.

Management Isn’t Listening

The message that has been sent to our Flight Attendants is clear: sorry, you’re just not worth it.

Despite an official recommendation from the Hotel Committee and the urging of the MEC, management has decided to ignore the AFA recommendation for the IAD layover hotel. Under the new contract, when management selects a hotel that the Hotel Committee disagrees with, the MEC can request a written explanation from the division leader detailing the reason why the hotel was chosen (§34.A.1.c)

In an email from the MEC, Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider was asked to provide her detailed explanation in accordance with the contractual language. The response, provided by Director of Crew Strategy & Administration Chad Koehnke, cited cost savings, payment discounts, and contractual terms that favored the company as the reasons for choosing the selected hotel over the preferred hotel recommended by AFA. The message that has been sent to our Flight Attendants is clear: sorry, you’re just not worth it.

Have Hotel Problems? Write It Up!

If you happen to be flying an IAD trip and have feedback to provide about the new layover hotel (or any layover hotel in any city), be sure to share it by writing a feedback report in CrewCare. Reports submitted through CrewCare are automatically routed to the ALPA and AFA Hotel Committees as well as management—they will hear what you have to say. You can access CrewCare by following the link on the main page of the Flight Attendant website or by visiting http://www.alaskaaircrew.com.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

Note: To protect crewmember privacy, hotel names are not mentioned in this post as this article is posted on the AFA Alaska website. Information about crew hotels is available in the FA Crew Hotel Info conference in FirstClass.

Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study Survey

February 25, 2015 20:00

Researchers from Harvard University are continuing their study of Flight Attendant health and need your help in collecting information. You’ll find a letter below regarding the study and what you can do to help. Your participation matters; please take a moment to take the survey now if you haven’t already.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple

Dear Flight Attendant,

We keep climbing, but we are only 50% towards our goal for participation, so we extended our deadline to March 8th. Get your survey completed by 3/8/15 11:59 PM PST and you will automatically be entered into a raffle for an Apple Watch. We need YOU! We’ve doubled our numbers in the last few days, so we know you can do it.

Our results will only be as strong as our participation. The more flight attendants who tell us about their health, the better our knowledge will be. Have you retired or changed jobs? Have you participated in other flight attendant studies? Have you started the survey, but haven’t had time to complete it? Do you only have time to take it on your phone or tablet? Great, you’re still eligible to participate—the only requirement for participation is that you worked as a flight attendant in the past.

Take 15 to 20 minutes of your time to inform our understanding of flight attendant health for YEARS to come. Join us at Harvard University School of Public Health by

Following this link to the Survey: www.fahealth.org/harvard-study

Also, please let your friends know that ALL flight attendants are welcome to participate. We’ve heard some flight attendants have not received an email from us or maybe our email was caught in spam, so please spread the word that ANY former or current flight attendant can take the survey at www.fahealth.org.

Sincerely,

Dr. Eileen McNeely, Principal Investigator, Flight Attendant Health Study
Dr. Sara Gale, Project Manager, Flight Attendant Health Study

Harvard School of Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Research
Landmark Center, Room 3-098
401 Park Drive, P.O. Box 15697
Boston, MA 02115 617-384-8861
www.fahealth.org

An Introduction to the Scheduling Committee

February 24, 2015 08:00

With the recent ratification of our new contract, your Master Executive Council (MEC) has started the process of forming a Scheduling Committee as outlined in section 27.P.2. Many other carriers, both AFA and non-AFA, have a Scheduling Committee responsible for reviewing and discussing scheduling concerns with management. The Scheduling Committee will ensure that our Flight Attendants have strong representation when it comes to any scheduling-related concerns.

The Committee Structure

At Your Base (LEC Level)

Within each domicile, the Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers will be responsible for appointing a Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson and Committee Members. Your Local Scheduling Committee will be responsible for collecting and researching concerns related to scheduling, hours of service, and trading. They will work with management to resolve concerns and potential contractual violations presented by Flight Attendants. In addition, local committees will gather feedback regarding bidding and pairing construction from Flight Attendants and share this information with the PBS and Pairing Construction Subcommittees.

At the Airline (MEC Level)

The MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson will coordinate the activities of the Local Scheduling Committees across the airline. The MEC Chairperson is responsible for supporting the Local Committee Chairperson and Local Committee Members in their interactions with management and providing any necessary resources. In addition, the MEC Chairperson will coordinate and lead the Scheduling Review Board, a meeting between AFA and management to be held every two weeks to address and resolve scheduling related issues before referring them to the grievance process.

PBS and Pairings

The Scheduling Committee also contains the PBS Subcommittee and Pairing Construction Subcommittee. The two subcommittees, each led by an MEC Vice Chairperson, represent Flight Attendant interests in their areas of expertise. Each Local Scheduling Committee will work closely with the subcommittees to share Flight Attendant feedback and help improve these systems and our quality of life.

Who Will I Contact?

Once appointed by your LEC Officers, your Local Scheduling Committee will be your point of contact for any concerns you have. Each Local Scheduling Chairperson and Committee Member will help Flight Attendants to address and resolve concerns or potential contractual violations. Contact information will be posted at http://afaalaska.org/scheduling after committee appointments have been made.

Scheduling Committee Communication Flow

How Do I Get Involved?

Local Scheduling Committees will soon be formed in each base. Within each base, the LEC Officers will appoint a Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson and Committee Members. If you’re interested in serving on the Scheduling Committee, please contact your LEC President. You can find contact information at http://afaalaska.org/locals, then by clicking on the link for your base.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

Introducing the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson

February 13, 2015 12:00

At a meeting held earlier this week, your Master Executive Council (MEC) interviewed candidates for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson. In total, six candidates interviewed for the position (five Seattle-based Flight Attendants and one Anchorage-based Flight Attendant). The MEC would like to thank those candidates for stepping forward in the spirit of Union service. After much discussion, the MEC has appointed Jake Jones to the position.

About Jake

Jake Jones is currently serving a second term as vice president of AFA-CWA Council 19 Seattle. Jake is a Seattle-based Flight Attendant and joined the company in 2006. Recently, he served as a Negotiating Committee Member for the past three years on our new collective bargaining agreement. He holds an AA in Business Administration and Management. Prior to working for Alaska Airlines, he was in the banking industry for seven years. His partner Jeff is an Alaska CSA and they live in Auburn, WA with their two dogs Shanti and Houston.

Local Scheduling Committees Forming Soon

More opportunities for involvement are coming up, as Local Scheduling Committees will be forming soon within each domicile. If you are interested in serving on the Local Scheduling Committee, contact your LEC President. You can find contact information for your LEC President through the Local Councils page of the AFA Alaska website at http://afaalaska.org/locals.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

The iPhone 6+ will be distributed as our new Inflight Mobile Device

Distribution begins on Monday

Flight Attendants will be compensated 0.5 TFP for picking up the iPhone 6+

Arrangement for pick up

Los Angeles co-terminal arrangements

Pick up does not constitute training

More information about the Inflight Mobile Device

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