PROBLEM WITH CABIN AIR QUALITY?

WHO TO CALL – HOW TO REPORT – WHERE TO GET MORE INFO

AFA continues to collect reports of problems with cabin air quality at Alaska Airlines. Some incidents involve exposure to electrical smoke, engine exhaust, or deicing fluid. For many, the source of the problem is never conclusively identified. Nonetheless, Flight Attendants have reported health-related symptoms associated with several recent air quality incidents. Often, symptoms are temporary and resolve by themselves. Other times, symptoms caused by exposure to airborne chemicals can be serious and long-lasting. AFA is particularly concerned with the possibility of exposure to oil or hydraulic fluid fumes that could enter the cabin via the aircraft air supply. To answer your questions and provide practical information, your Master Executive Council (MEC) is providing these two important publications (click on the link to open file):

“Answers to frequently asked questions: Onboard exposure to smoke/fumes”

“What your doctor needs to know”

If a chemical contaminant is in the air, people usually notice a peculiar odor (e.g. dirty socks, wet dog, oil/chemical/electrical, etc.). In a minority of cases, there may be a smoke or a mist.

Regardless of the phase of flight, rule out non-ventilation in-cabin sources of odors as quickly as possible and promptly report the problem to the pilots. If you notice an unusual odor before passengers board, step off the aircraft at the earliest opportunity. Provide as much information as possible (nature of odor, location in cabin, suspected source, any symptoms, etc.). Maintenance needs to check and address the source of the problem. In all cases, notify your supervisor as soon as possible to initiate the company’s investigation process.

To remind you of what to do if you are exposed to oil/hydraulic fluid fumes, your MEC is also distributing this updated [AIR QUALITY INFORMATION CARD] for you to print, cut, fold, and carry, either behind your airline ID or in your purse/wallet. It is important to have the information at your fingertips if you have a problem with air quality in the cabin. If you are exposed to onboard smoke/fumes, you may also find this [AIR QUALITY INCIDENT CHECKLIST] useful.

• The AFA Air Quality Information Card tells you who to call at the union, what company paperwork you need to complete, and what resources are available. It is very important that you document exposure to fumes by filing both I-21 and ASAP reports.

• If you get sick, the AFA Air Quality Information Card directs you to see a doctor to document your symptoms and seek relief. In very serious cases, a trip to the emergency room or urgent care clinic may be necessary, but more often than not a doctor’s visit will suffice. Know that your claim doesn’t start until you see a medical doctor, so if you are sick, don’t postpone getting medical care. Many doctors have not heard about oil or hydraulic fumes on aircraft making people sick, so make sure you provide a copy of the FAA-funded guide for health care providers titled “Exposure to Aircraft Bleed Air Contaminants Among Airline Workers” and the engine oil/hydraulic fluid safety data sheet. All information is athttp://alaskamec.org/committees/air-quality/.

AFA is here to help.

Be aware of your environment, report problems, and put your health and safety first.

Dear Flight Attendants,

The term for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers ends December 31, 2013.  In accordance with our Constitution and Bylaws, we will be holding interviews for MEC President, MEC Vice-President and MEC Secretary-Treasurer at our MEC meeting on November 19-20, 2013.  The interviews will take place in Seattle.  The new term will run from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016. 

Resumes may be faxed or emailed to our Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Gesch at:  206-246-4752 or ygesch@alaskamec.org.  Resumes must be submitted by Friday November 15, 2013.  Yvette will contact you to schedule your interview.

If you are interested in serving and have additional questions, please fell free to ask any MEC or LEC Officer.  The officers’ contact information can be found online at www.alaskamec.org.  All officers of the MEC must be active and in good standing.

MEC President Responsibilities 

The President shall be the official union spokesperson and chief executive officer for the Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines as the representative to management and shall therefore have the authority and duty to:

1. Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board.
2. Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances.
3. Be available to attend various meeting with Alaska management in Seattle, Washington.
4. Be available to travel to attend meetings with members and management in other domiciles, MEC meetings as well as other meetings required of the Association, such as the annual meetings of the AFA-CWA Executive Board and the AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
5. Steer committees at the request of the MEC.
6. Be a member of the Negotiating Committee.
7. Be a member of the Executive Board.
8. Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President.
9. Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union at Alaska Airlines.
10. Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer.
11. Ballot the MEC if necessary or when required.
12. Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.
13.  Maintain the Union’s files and property, and then transfer them to his/her successor promptly.

MEC Vice President Responsibilities

The Vice President shall:

1. Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the MEC.
2. Perform the duties of the President at his/her request or in the absence of the President.
3. Be granted the privilege of the floor at all MEC and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.
4. Steer MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
5. Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
6. Attend monthly MEC meetings; quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company; quarterly Labor Coalition meetings; and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

MEC Secretary Treasurer Responsibilities 

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

1. Assist the President in administering MEC funds
2. Maintain MEC records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.
3. Be responsible to the President and MEC.
4. Oversee membership information and records.  Receive monthly membership reports from Alaska and send copies to AFA International.
5. Be responsible for the general record keeping and accounting of the MEC budget and any funds, including but not limited to:

·         Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company

·         Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss

·         Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International

·         Review and approve expense reports

·         Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports

6. Provide a quarterly statement on expenditures to the MEC.
7. Solicit monthly agenda items from the MEC for the monthly MEC meetings
8. Create a monthly meeting schedule and agenda
9. Provide overnight accommodations and meal arrangements for MEC officers
10. Reserve meeting rooms as necessary
11. Schedule conference calls
12. Take minutes at each monthly MEC meeting and provide approved copy of the minutes to the MEC, MEC Committee Chairs, and the International Secretary-Treasurer
13. Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meeting of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President.
14. Attend monthly MEC meetings; quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company; quarterly Labor Coalition meetings; and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

In solidarity,

The Associations of Flight Attendants-CWA, Alaska Airlines

Dear Alaska Flight Attendants,

Your Alaska EAP committee would like to share the following important information with you concerning the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program, FADAP.  Also, please read the following information about the Employee Assistance Fund, EAF.

National Recovery Month

           For the 24th year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is proud to sponsor National Recovery Month (Recovery Month).  This year’s theme is “Pathways to Wellness”, which encourages us to walk along side family, friends and neighbors who are struggling to break free of addiction.

This long-standing observance spreads the message that prevention works, treatment is effective and people recover from mental and/or substance use disorders. September is National Recovery Month and a wonderful opportunity to highlight recovery.

SAMHSA has developed a Toolkit to help you plan events for National Recovery Month to increase awareness of the power of recovery. This kit assists in planning Recovery Month events and has resources to distribute in communities and during local events that support people with substance use disorders and mental illness.

To find an event in your area go the SAMSHA webpage

http://www.recoverymonth.gov/Community-Events/Find-an-Event.aspx

FADAP- Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program

            FADAP is a substance-abuse prevention program, created and promoted for and by the flight attendant profession and funded by the FAA. FADAP’s mission is to support a culture of safety which will be able to assist flight attendants in meeting their personal and professional goals through substance-abuse awareness, combined with self and peer referrals for assistance, and the implementation of a flight-attendant-specific recovery support system.

The advancement of the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program has been endorsed by your flight attendant peers and managers from 25 carriers during a March 2009 “Return to Cabin” Summit This year members of the MEC, along with Alaska Management are attending the 3^rd Annual FADAP conference in Maryland Oct 1-3. AFA is seeking a “return to the cabin” program for our Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines and has been working hard to promote this program. Andy Schneider is among the guest on the panel at this year’s FADAP conference.

For more information on FADAP please visit the website: http://www.fadap.org/

FADAP Mentor Program

Are you interested in the FADAP Mentor program? The FADAP mentor program is open to flight attendants who have at least two years of active recovery.  FADAP mentors are available to assist & support flight attendants in new recovery and/or returning from initial inpatient treatment. Periodically, FADAP mentors also play a role in developing and advancing specific recovery programs available through FADAP. Alaska Airlines was the first to initiate the FADAP Mentor Program, which now has been extended to other carriers. We currently have FADAP mentors in SEA, PDX & LAX (most residing in SEA). FADAP mentors also play a role in assisting and supporting each other as a group.

 Interested flight attendants can contact:

Deb McCormick, FADAP Coordinator, 401-225-1459 or email dmccormick@fadap.org.

 For more information, flight attendants can visit http://www.fadap.org.

 EAF- Employee Assistance Fund

          It has been brought to the attention of your AFA leadership that some members believe EAF is sponsored by AFA, leading to the misconception that AFA has a say in whom is eligible for funding.  We would like to clarify that AFA supports EAF but is not a sponsor.   Therefore AFA has no involvement in the decision making or approval process for providing assistance to those requesting it.

The Employee Assistance Fund was conceived in 1992 by Alaska Airlines Captain Al Brunelle. Al wanted to help fellow employees who may be suffering financial hardship due to a medical or catastrophic event.

The Fund is not a part of the Alaska Airlines Company or Air Group. It is a separate, non-profit organization made up of employees who volunteer to serve on the Board of Directors, representing all divisions of Alaska Airlines.

The goal is for every Alaska Airlines employee to donate $1 per paycheck. 100% of all contributions go towards assisting fellow employees at Alaska Airlines. The EAF is a 501(c)3, charitable organization and all contributions are tax-deductible.

All employees are eligible to apply, whether or not they donate to the EAF. Applications are strictly confidential. Assistance granted is a gift, not a loan and is not required to be repaid.

Last year, about 30 percent of employees gave to the EAF through payroll deduction. The EAF raised approximately $286,000, which was used to help about 73 employees pay their mortgages, COBRA insurance, car payments and insurance, and medical and grocery bills while they recovered from injury or illness.

Besides payroll deductions, we have several fundraising events: EAF Online Auction in Oct/Nov, the Golf Tournament in Aug, and the Left on Board (LOB) sale. Many employees have also undertaken their own projects to raise money for the EAF. One such activity is the Gold Coast Center piñata auction, held in early May each year. We have also had a pilot design study cards to sell with the proceeds donated to the EAF, and many others have done charity hikes/swims/runs; with all proceeds going directly to the EAF.

The Mission of The Employee Assistance Fund, as a non-profit organization, is to provide financial support to qualifying Alaska Airlines employees who need assistance due to catastrophic or medical reasons. For more information on the EAP program please visit this website: www.alaskaeaf.com

You can also contact Flight Attendant Tobe VanOs:

Tjvanos3@gmail.com

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

Dear Flight Attendants,

Your AFA leadership will take this opportunity to respond to the August 20^th intranet message from Alaska Airlines Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider and Vice President of Customer Service – Airports and Cargo Jeff Butler regarding the Company’s most recent uniform testing (“New Uniform Testing”). For your information, AFA was not involved in the testing process referred to in the email. Nor were we involved in selecting toxicologist Bruce Kelman. Consequently, we would encourage you to contact Andy directly with your questions and concerns since she is your best source for clarification.

With regard to Bruce Kelman’s credentials, many of you have expressed concern that he is not a medical doctor. That is correct. He is a certified toxicologist and has a PhD in that discipline but he is not a physician. Andy’s suggestion that you contact Dr. Kelman for a second opinion has proven to be a bit troublesome for many of you as well. Since he is not a treating physician, AFA would encourage you to contact a specialist with a MD regarding your health concerns. However, if you would like to discuss the testing methods used or the conclusions reached by Dr. Kelman during this latest round of laboratory testing, then he could certainly speak to those issues.

We are providing you with an updated Uniform Reaction Database and Uniform Reaction Statistics (see the links below), which indicate approximately twenty five percent (25%) of our membership have reported an adverse reaction to the TwinHill uniform. Fortunately, we are just a few months away from a complete change over to the new Land’s End Business Outfitters (LEBO) interim uniform. In the meantime if you feel you are experiencing a reaction to the TwinHill uniform, please follow the guidelines in the attached document, “Your Uniform, Your Health” (also linked below).

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

“Five Bases, One Voice”

alaskamec.org

References:

AFA Uniform Database Membership Copy 2013-08

AFA Uniform Stats Membership Copy 2013-08

Your Uniform Your Health 2013-09