FLIGHT ATTENDANT UNION’S ENDURING EFFORTS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH PROTECTIONS in THE CABIN BECOME REALITY
AFA Commends OSHA, FAA for Finalizing Cabin Workplace Safety and Health Policy

Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today hailed the release of Occupational Safety and Health protections for Flight Attendants working on commercial aircraft. Following AFA’s tireless advocacy to improve safety and health standards for Flight Attendants in the workplace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finalized a policy statement that corrects a nearly four-decade old exclusion of OSHA in the passenger cabin.

“AFA looks forward to continuing our work with the FAA and OSHA to protect the safety and health of our nation’s Flight Attendants, whose duties in the cabins of commercial aircraft subject them to potential workplace hazards, including noise, bloodborne pathogens, and toxic chemicals. AFA welcomes the opportunity, as the voice for Flight Attendants, to ensure full implementation of these critical protections,” said Veda Shook, AFA International President. “AFA Flight Attendants have been forceful advocates for OSHA protections. We appreciate the efforts of FAA and OSHA to bring workplace safety and health standards into the cabin. This change will improve the working conditions of tens of thousands of Flight Attendants while benefiting the millions of passengers who travel on commercial flights every day.”

In 1975, the FAA issued a notice claiming exclusive jurisdiction over workplace safety and health for all crewmembers, preventing OSHA from protecting Flight Attendants while working on board commercial flights. Since then, AFA has pursued multiple legal and regulatory solutions to extend OSHA safety and health protections to airline workers. Today’s final policy statement resulted from years of aggressive AFA advocacy for inclusion of Flight Attendant safety and health protections, a memorandum of understanding signed between the FAA and OSHA during the Clinton administration, and follow through by the Obama administration. This final policy statement was issued after the FAA and OSHA thoroughly reviewed comments submitted by AFA, individual AFA members, and various industry stakeholders.

Moving forward, AFA will continue to work with the FAA, OSHA, and key aviation industry stakeholders to ensure that Flight Attendants are provided sufficient information to understand their rights to safe, healthy cabin workplaces, and that airlines comply with all relevant aspects of the applicable OSHA standards, including Flight Attendant training requirements.

The FAA/OSHA final policy statement will be posted later this week.

The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 67 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions.  Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.

082213 OSHA BECOMES REALITY
__________________

Corey Caldwell
AFA Communications
ccaldwell@afanet.org
202-434-0586 (w)
202-550-5520 (c)

August 1, 2013

Dear Flight Attendants,

Back in early June, AFA and Alaska Airlines management settled Grievance No. 36-99-2-03-13. The grievance alleged that management violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement (“Contract”) by allowing Flight Attendants to give check-rides to probationary Flight Attendants. The grievance was somewhat complex in the sense that it encompassed several concerns for AFA:

• Was it appropriate for a Flight Attendant (non-management employee) to conduct check-rides for probationary Flight Attendants;
• If so, under what circumstances would be acceptable for these duties while ensuring the Flight Attendant conducting the check-ride did not determine another Flight Attendant’s (probationary or otherwise) employment status;
• How would such a Flight Attendant be selected and compensated (including wages and benefits) for the check-rides; and
• If a Flight Attendant transferred into management in order to accomplish these check-rides and then returned to the collective-bargaining unit shortly thereafter, how would that transfer be accomplished?

During the months of discussions leading up to the settlement, Flight Attendant trainers presented a very compelling case advocating the benefit to all parties if they were allowed to conduct probationary check-rides. AFA and Alaska Airlines management ultimately agreed, which resulted in the June settlement. A sideletter of agreement amending the Contract was part of the settlement. Most provisions of the settlement dealt with administrative concerns and were effective immediately upon date of signing in June. However, the accompanying sideletter went into effect today.

The language of the sideletter does not directly affect the vast majority of Flight Attendants, but in order to be as transparent as possible AFA is providing a public version of the settlement agreement and the sideletter for review, linked below. Please note that going forward AFA will draw a distinction between a “check-ride” and a “probationary observation.” A check-ride is a performance audit conducted by Inflight management while observing a probationary or non-probationary Flight Attendant performing her or his duties on the aircraft. The practice defined by the settlement will henceforth be known as a probationary observation and shall be conducted by a Flight Attendant trainer (or “probationary observer”). Probationary observers are not supervisory personnel and do not have the ability to discipline another Flight Attendant. In order to minimize confusion amongst the customers and crew, a probationary observer will not wear the Flight Attendant uniform while conducting a probationary observation. However, all probationary observers will remain Flight Attendants and shall retain the ability to bid for a schedule and fly in addition to all the other rights afforded them under the Contract.

The Master Executive Council (MEC) officers wish to thank the Flight Attendant trainers who have performed probationary observations while the grievance was active. It is an understatement to say that it was not always easy for these probationary observers while AFA and Alaska Airlines management worked through the issues. The MEC lodged a contractual grievance with management in order to reach clarity regarding the practice of probationary observations by collective-bargaining unit members. The grievance was never about those who chose to perform this valuable function for probationary Flight Attendants. The MEC officers have been and remain fully supportive of our Flight Attendant trainer sisters and brothers—whether performing probationary observations or other training-related work.

AFA acknowledges Megan Brown, Robyn Garner, Chris Ratowski, Lyn Montague, Maya Anderson, and Sally Rudolphi for their dedication and patience. AFA also wishes to highlight Megan Brown’s invaluable assistance with negotiating the settlement. Megan, Robyn, Chris, Lyn, Maya, and Sally have laid a very solid and now contractually-supported foundation for future probationary observers. Thank you, ladies!

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

2013-06-06 Probationary Observation Settlement Agreement public

2013 Probationary Observation Sideletter

July 29, 2013

Dear Flight Attendants,

Although the Master Executive Council (MEC) is extremely pleased with management’s decision to replace the TwinHill uniform with an interim Land’s End uniform, we are still several months out from implementation. For those of you who experience adverse reactions to the TwinHill uniform, please be assured that the same procedures prior to the announcement are still in effect and will remain so until the rollout of the interim uniform.

If you are currently wearing the TwinHill uniform and experiencing an adverse reaction, please click on the following link to the document “Your Uniform, Your Health” (http://alaskamec.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/YOUR-UNIFORM_YOUR-HEALTH-1.pdf) which walks you through the process of transitioning into the M&H alternate uniform.

Approximately three months ago AFA posted the uniform database with identifying information redacted as well as a statistical summary of reported symptoms. We have since received a significant number of new cases and will be posting an updated database and statistics shortly. For those of you who may have missed the broadcast, KING 5 news in Seattle ran a story on July 26^th, 2013, at 6:30pm “Alaska Air replaces uniforms after attendants say it sickened them” (http://www.king5.com/news/aerospace/Alaska-Airs-new-uniforms-are-for-more-than-just-looks-217173661.html) . AFA Alaska MEC President Jeffrey Peterson and Alaska Airlines Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider were both interviewed for the piece.

If you are based in Seattle and have any questions or concerns regarding the current uniform contact:

Shannon Hyde at sbrown1982@gmail.com / 206-850-6371, or

Susan Lee at slee@alaskamec.org.

If you are based in ANC/PDX/LAX/SAN contact:

Yvette Gesch at ygesch@alaskamec.org / 562-209-3473.

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