Council #19

May Base update

Pairings

We are well aware that many Seattle Flight Attendants are extremely unhappy with the pairings for May schedules. Some of you have included LEC Officers in emails sent to Inflight Management expressing your frustration. Management has responded to some of these emails, and they have indicated that they are looking into solutions. We hope that some much-needed improvements to the quality of Seattle pairings will be forthcoming. 

Base Safety Meeting

The semi-annual meeting was held on April 25th. Details of that meeting will be on the AFA website soon. 

Catering Update

In an effort to accommodate several different Airbus galley configurations, the ISC has been working tirelessly with management to implement catering and packing changes that will better and more safely provide us with the tools that we need to accomplish the prescribed levels of service. We recognize that all the changes are difficult to keep up with, but please know that an incredible amount of behind-the-scenes work by the ISC Committee is ongoing. The many catering irregularity reports that you have been submitting have been instrumental. Please continue to report catering issues via the Report It App. 

Hotels

Reporting hotel issues just got much easier! Use the new Crew Care icon on your IMD to report problems with hotels. If you arrive at a layover hotel, and are forced to wait to check in to your room, call Crew Scheduling to report that your room is not yet available. When you are finally provided a key, call them back to let them know. Please open a ticket at support.afaalaska.org, to document the issue, as well. Do you love a hotel? You can also provide positive feedback about the hotels you love and this information will also go to the Hotel Committee and they can use it when the hotel contract is up for review in that city!

Computer Based Training (CBT)

The current CBT (Cornerstone Training) is due by June 9th. If not completed by that date, the company intends to issue discipline. 

Council #19 LEC Base Meeting

We will be holding a Council #19 LEC Base meeting on June 20th from 1pm-4pm. More information on location will come in the near future, however we wanted to get the date out for June bidding purposes.  

Open Time Tentative Agreement

Everyone should have received information about the alternate Open Time Trading proposal. Polls open today, Thursday, May 2 at 9AM PST and close on Thursday, May 23 at 9AM PST. Once your ballot is cast, you may not change your vote. Both the Tentative Agreement and the videos of the Open Time Presentation will be available on the AFA website. More information can be found at: http://afaalaska.org/negotiations/ot-ta-2019.

New Flight Attendants

As most people have heard, Alaska has increased the hiring for 2019, by adding a 5th class. Currently, Class 2 is in training and will be graduating on May 7th. Classes 3 and 4 will be following shorty and online prior to summer, with class 5 starting in the fall. Please welcome these new Flight Attendants to our family when you see them out and about! Seattle does not currently anticipate receiving any of these new hires directly out of training, however many are hoping to transfer to Seattle soon!

Are You Up to Date? 

Does AFA have all of your current information? Have you moved recently? Did you know that changing your address in PeopleSoft with Alaska Airlines does not also change your address on file with AFA? With different elections happening around the system, its more important than ever to ensure that AFA has your current address, etc. To update your information in the AFA system, go to: https://www.afacwa.org/change_of_address.

Stay In “The Know”

Follow AFA Council #19 on Facebook by clicking HERE

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In Solidarity, 

Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan

Have You Taken the AFA Census?

It has been many years since AFA has updated our information. It is important moving forward that we have the most updated information when fighting for the issues that are important to us all. 

How many airlines have you worked for? How many hours do you fly on average? Do you commute to work? 

These are just some of the questions in the AFA 2019 Census. The Census is a project to better understand the demographic make up of our union, including your aspirations, needs, and preferences. We also want to know what areas of your community you may already be engaged in making a difference for you, your family, and the place where you live. All of this will help us build power together so we can continue to advance our Flight Attendant careers. 

This census will take no more than 15 minutes to complete. We  recognize that most people are already  overwhelmed  with the many emails we receive  in our already busy lives, but Council #19 believes this is extremely important to complete! Please CLICK HERE to take the census and partner with AFA to  better all of our careers and our position at the table!

In Solidarity, 

AFA Council #19 Officers and Representatives

Council #19 – April Base Update

Upcoming Flight Attendant Census

The AFA-CWA International Office will be sending out links to a Flight Attendant Census Survey, conducted by the University of New Hampshire to all those who have email addresses filed with AFA. We strongly encourage all of you to participate. The email will come from Sara Nelson via the University, with the subject line “AFA Census – Response Requested.”

It has been years since the last survey was conducted. Our group has changed over the years. In order to provide all members with the best possible representation, we need up to date information as to the current make-up of our membership. If you do not receive AFA emails, please send your email address to adam.clarey@afaalaska.org, and we can add you to the list. There is more information at https://www.afacwa.org/afa_2019_census.

The individual information received is strictly confidential. Please take 15-minutes to complete the survey.

AFA-CWA Board of Directors

The annual Board of Directors meeting was held in Denver on March 20th. This was a one-day meeting, with the sole Advance Agenda Item consisting of the 2019/2020 AFA Budget. We were able to achieve a balanced budget, with no dues increase. LEC Presidents, and the MEC Officers from all AFA carriers attended. Adam Clarey, Council #19 LEC Secretary was also in attendance. 

Service and Catering Changes

As a result of a large number of Flight Attendant concerns which have been submitted regarding catering issues, such as difficult to complete service standards, and missing catering items; as well as a great deal of work and input from the Inflight Service Committee, significant changes to service standards and catering are coming soon. We appreciate your feedback. Please keep filling out catering discrepancy reports. They really do make a difference. 

Back to Book – Open Time

A tentative agreement has been reached regarding an alternative proposal for Open Time. The road show is scheduled for April 30th in Seattle. The road show will be streamed live and also recorded for later viewing. Look for a tentative agreement summary soon. 

New Classes

Class 19-1 started on March 18th and will start flying in SFO and ANC on May 1st. Class 19-2 started on April 1st and will start flying on June 1st (bases to be assigned the last week of April). The 3rd and 4th classes will start flying on July 1st, and the 5th class will start flying on October 1st. If you see new members of our Alaska Flight Attendant Family, please make sure to say hello!

Are you keeping in touch? 

There are several ways to keep in touch with Council #19. CLICK HERE to go to our Facebook page, CLICK HERE for our Council #19 Reserves Only page, and CLICK HERE to sign up to receive text message updates (we limit what we send out via text, just the most important information!).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2019
Contact: Taylor Garland, press@afacwa.org
Selene Saavedra Roman Statement After Release from ICE Detention
Washington, DC (March 22, 2019) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) is overjoyed that after 6 weeks in ICE custody, Mesa Flight Attendant Selene Saavedra Roman was released this evening.

“Being released is an indescribable feeling. I cried and hugged my husband and never wanted to let go,” stated Selene Saavedra Roman. “I am thankful and grateful for the amazing people that came to fight for me, and it fills my heart. Thank you to everyone that has supported. I am just so happy to have my freedom back.”
The union issued a statement earlier this evening as well.
View Online
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The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 73 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 50,000 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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 2019

AFA CONTACT: Taylor Garland, press@afacwa.org, 202-550-5520

MESA AIRLINES CONTACT: Brian Gillman, media@mesa-air.com, 602-685-4051

Flight Attendant Union and Mesa Airlines Seek Release of Selene Saavedra Roman

Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2019) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) and Mesa Airlines are calling on the Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to immediately review the case of DREAMer Selene Saavedra Roman, release her from detention, and drop all charges against her after she was detained during while working as a certified flight attendant. 

“We are deeply sorry Selene and her husband have had to endure this situation. It is patently unfair for someone to be detained for six weeks over something that is nothing more than an administrative error and a misunderstanding,” said Mesa Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ornstein. “We are doing everything in our power to ask the administration to release Selene, and drop all charges stemming from this horrible situation.”

“Our union is mobilizing and we will not stop fighting until Selene is returned home and all charges dropped,” said Sara Nelson, AFA President. “We will fight with every tool at our disposal until justice is done, Selene is reunited with her husband and cleared of these outrageous charges.”

Selene came to the United States as an undocumented child from Peru at 3 years old. She grew up in Texas, graduated from Texas A&M, attained legal status under Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA), and married a U.S. citizen. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have already granted her I-130 Petition, which puts her on the path to lawful permanent residency.

Despite the fact that she is lawfully in this country with the ability to work and has a pathway to permanent residence, Selene has been held since February by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a privately-run detention facility in Conroe, Texas. She is threatened with deportation to Peru, a country she has never known. 

“She has followed the rules, paid taxes, and is currently in process to citizenship,” said Nelson. “The United States is her country and we need to bring her home.”

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The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 73 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 50,000 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.

About Mesa Air Group, Inc. – Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Mesa Air Group is the commercial aviation holding company of Mesa Airlines, a regional air carrier providing scheduled passenger service to 121 cities in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas. As of February 28, 2019, Mesa operated a fleet of 145 aircraft with approximately 605 daily departures and 3,400 employees. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle or United Express flights pursuant to the terms of capacity purchase agreements entered into with American Airlines, Inc. and United Airlines, Inc.