Council 19 Scheduling Committee Update

We have recently added a new member to the committee, please welcome Melinda Jorge!!

Your Council 19 LEC Scheduling Chairs, Rita Tillou and Martin Vance attended SME training for JCTE last month. We are looking forward to additional training after modifications to the training mode are complete. Cutover to JCTE is planned for November 1st and base sits will be held during the first two weeks after the cutover.   Please stay tuned for more information in regards to the start date…..

We are receiving a lot of feedback on pairing construction and all concerns/compliments have been forwarded to the AFA Pairing Analyst for consideration. Due to the change in demographics of the Seattle base, we are looking forward to conducting another pairing survey in the first quarter of 2017. Not everyone will always be pleased, but hopefully a nice balance can be found to provide a better quality of life. 

All eyes are on Open Time lately and it appears that Crew Scheduling is still holding trips.  This is an ongoing issue that the MEC is battling during the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) meetings with management. 

The monthly Scheduling Committee meeting on September 29th provided an opportunity for the Scheduling Committee the ability to address the vacation bidding/trading system. Please remember that Seattle’s Vacation Open Time begins on October 28th at 2:00PM. 

Martin, Grant (Manager, Crew Scheduling) & IT are working together to add more preferences to the Open Time text alerts. At minimum, we would like to see pairing length and report time added to the preferences. 

Please remember to email sea.scheduling@afaalaska.org for your scheduling related questions!

Martin Vance – LEC Chairperson

Rita Tillou – LEC Vice Chairperson

http://afaalaska.org/sea

Council 19 Communications Update

 

Did you know that Council 19 has a Facebook page? Like it today to start receiving up to date information through your Facebook feed! Click the link below and like us!

https://www.facebook.com/AFA-Council-19-Seattle-538630496190284/?fref=ts

 

 

Do you have the AFA Application downloaded to your IMD? Its easy to download:

1. Open Safari and type afaalaska.org into the address bar
2. Click the center icon at the bottom of the screen (arrow pointing up inside a square)
3. Click “add to home screen”
4. Click “add” in the right corner

 

LEC President Quarterly Update

July 2016 – September 2016

Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,

Welcome to Council 19’s LEC President 3rd quarter update. This update is designed to inform and educate the members of the work done by their elected AFA Officers and volunteer committee members. We hope you find this update to be helpful and informative.

This quarter Council 19 is updating how the local AFA committees communicate their updates to you. Starting this week each LEC committee chair will share their updates via the newsletter system and post on Council 19s page at afaalaska.org. For Facebook users, this information will also publish to the Council 19 Facebook page. To find the Council 19 Facebook page follow the link:

https://www.facebook.com/AFA-Council-19-Seattle-538630496190284/

To invite your friends, go to your own personal page, on top you will see the “search” field and type AFA Council 19 Seattle (after you have liked it). On the right side you will see “Invite People to Like this Page” and you can invite people from your friends list.

3rd Quarter Update

The dates below list various meetings, trainings, and local council work performed by one or more of the LEC Officers, Council Representatives, Grievance Chairs, and local committee members.

July 11 ADR:

  What is ADR?

            Alternate Dispute Resolution is a meeting established to review concerns with management on a variety of issues that affect Flight Attendants. The desire is to resolve the issues and alleviate filing grievances.

July 11 AFA 101

Training provided by MEC Vice President, Brian Palmer, for new committee members.

July 14 Grievance meeting

  What is a Grievance meeting?

 Grievance Committee member attends a meeting with FA and management

July 18/19 MEC meeting

  What is an MEC meeting?

The Master Executive Council (MEC) is comprised of the 3 MEC Officers, MEC President, MEC Vice President, and MEC Secretary and the 5 elected Local Executive Council Presidents (LEC) from each base. Each month the MEC meets to address concerns, discuss current topics affecting each base and the AFA committees, and review latest updates/issues from management.

July 19 Inflight Service Committee (ISC) quarterly meeting

MEC/LEC ISC Chair(s) meet with management to discuss current concerns and address issues.

July 21 Scheduling meeting/ASHSC meeting/Grievance meeting

MEC Scheduling meeting: MEC/LEC Scheduling Chair(s) meet with management to discuss current concerns and address issues.

Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) meeting: MEC/LEC Safety, Health, and Security Chair(s) meet with management to discuss current concerns and address issues.

July 22/23 LEC President flying

July 25 ADR

July 26 LEC P/Leadership development conference call.

LEC President is a member of the AFA International Leadership Development Committee

July 27 AFA introduction to New Hire Class

MEC President, Jeff Peterson, and MEC Reserve Chair, Jarod McNeill meet with the new hire class and introduce/explain AFA to them.

July 28 SEA Benefits committee meeting

Members of the Seattle benefits committee and LEC Officers met to discuss current topics and issues.

July 28 MEC Conference Call

Members of the MEC connect on various issues via conference calls when issues arise last minute.

Aug 3 Grievance meeting

Aug 4 Grievance meeting

Aug 8 ADR

Aug 15/16 MEC meeting/Labor Leaders

For this MEC meeting LEC Secretary, Linda Christou, attended due to LEC President’s vacation.

What is Labor Leaders?

AFA, and other AS labor groups, meet with Alaska executive management to discuss current and upcoming trends/issues/changes.

Aug 17 Grievance meeting/FA graduation

Members of the Reserve committee and LEC Officer group attend the graduation ceremony.

Aug 18 Scheduling meeting/New Hire Orientation

New Hire Graduation and Seattle Base Orientation. SEA Council Rep, Adam Clarey, and LEC Reserve Chair, Carole Babcock, (or designee) attend new hire orientation.

Sept 1 Grievance meeting

Sept 6 ADR

Sept 9 Quarterly Reserve meeting

MEC/LEC Reserve Chair(s) meet with management to discuss current concerns and address issues

Sept 12-15 Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) Baltimore, Maryland

LEC President, LEC Secretary, and EAP committee attend conference. 43 total Alaska employees attended, including Ron Calvin. Alaska and AFA are discussing the creation of a “return to work” program for FAs who have drug/alcohol work related issues.

Sept 19-21 AFA Leadership Conference, Orlando, Florida

LEC President and LEC Secretary attend conference. The purpose of the conference to is train officers in multiple areas: Conflict resolution, emerging technologies, and mentoring, public speaking, facilitating effective meetings, and fighting empathy.

Sept 21 AFA introduction to New Hire Class

Sept 22 ADR

Sept 26 SEA LEC Officer and LEC Chair meeting

Seattle LEC Officers and LEC Chairs meet quarterly to discuss current committee issues, trends, and concerns.

Sept 27 SEA Government Affairs base walk/Semi Annual Hotel meeting

Get out the Vote campaign led by LEC Government Affairs Chair, Kris Hall, and attended by committee members Adam Clarey and Bev Bullock along with MEC Government Affairs Chair, Krystle Berry.

Members of the AFA Hotel committee, including MEC Chair Laura Hinojosa and MEC Vice Chair/LEC Chair Jodi Snow, meet with management and API to discuss hotel issues.

Sept 28-29 MEC meeting

This packed MEC agenda included meetings with the scheduling committee and management to review/discuss vacation-bidding problems. The MEC also met with Andy Schneider and Ron Calvin to discuss current concerns.

Sept 29 Scheduling meeting

Members of the scheduling meeting worked with management to address vacation-bidding issues. The committee was very helpful addressing the problems with the system and expressing flight attendant concerns with the new program.

LEC President, Laura Masserant, travel schedule for this quarter:

In Greece July 1-14, August 1-14.

Vacation August 15-30.

In Seattle July 14-August 1, September 7 through November 10^th.

As always, if you have any questions please contact any of your LEC Officers, Council Representatives or Committee Chairs.

The LEC President, Laura Masserant, does not bid a line, but attempts to fly on weekends when her schedule allows, and spends most days running the council’s day-to-day* business. The Vice President, Jake Jones, who is also the MEC Scheduling Chair, does not bid a line but does pick up flying on the weekend, on days off, when his schedule allows. He spends the majority of his time at the Flight Ops building between the AFA office and his desk upstairs with Crew Scheduling management.

Secretary/Treasurer, Linda Christou, bids a line and attends to AFA work during and between trips. Council Representative, Adam Clarey bids a full line of time and attends to AFA work during and between trips. Council Representative Stephanie Adams is currently off on no bid due to her MEC Grievance Representative position and work she attends on behalf of Council 19. When the LEC President is unavailable the Vice President and Secretary attend meetings, if necessary. Most of the work done on behalf of the LEC Officers is via emails, phone calls, and text messages.

            *Please note that each Officer, on a daily basis, can receive up to 20 emails, multiple phone calls, text messages, and visits in the AFA office from Flight Attendants with questions, comments, and concerns in addition to the meetings we attend. The LEC President can receive more than 30 emails per day from various sources.

Council 19 Members,

Your LEC Officers would like to notify you that the Local Officer Election process for the next term of office begins January of 2017.

If you are interested in running for a local council office you can find information located in the AFA Constitution and Bylaws under Article III and Article VIII.C,  http://www.afacwa.org/constitution_bylaws.

You can also reach out to any of your LEC Officers or Council Representatives for more information:

LEC President Laura Masserant

LEC Vice President Jake Jones

LEC Secretary Linda Christou

Council Representative Stephanie Adams

Council Representative Adam Clarey

Also, if you are interested in shadowing any of the positions your LEC Officers are happy to schedule this time with you.The chart below explains the election process for Council 19~ ALA 19.

In accordance with Article VIII of the Constitution & Bylaws, all Local Councils in Election Category II must nominate and elect officers for the term beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 31, 2020 (three year term).  Article IX of the Constitution & Bylaws and Union Voting Procedures (Section IX of the Policy Manual) shall govern nominations and elections.

Attached you will find the nomination and election schedule for Category II.  For all domestic Councils the process will commence in January and finish by late April.

All active Flight Attendants, regardless of dues standing will be mailed the voting instructions and activation code. In addition, apprentice members completing their first 4 full months of active membership on or before the count date will receive a ballot packet.   

New activation codes are issued for each nomination, election, and contract ratification ballot.

Step-by-step instructions, for both the nomination and election process, can be found on the AFA-CWA Election website www.afacwa-elections.org along with the Category II Election schedule. The AFA-CWA Election Handbook and the Commitment to Serve form can also be found on the AFA Election website.

Council 19 is extremely excited to introduce our newest committee members. We spent the summer building up our committees in Seattle to adjust for the growth of our base. Volunteering on a committee takes a lot of time and dedication and we sincerely thank all or our newest members for the hard work and their commitment to our flight attendant group. Benefits: Terry Taylor – Flying since 1973 (also currently the MEC Chairperson) LeAnne Canton – Flying since 2013 Celia Romero – Flying since 2006 (LEC Chairperson Kathy O’Malley) If you have questions regarding maternity leave please contact Benefits Committee members Celia Romero or Laura Masserant. ISC: Chris King – Flying since 1998 Ross Dejong – Flying since 1991 (LEC Chairperson Linda Christou) Hotel: Olivia Borrows – Flying since 2011 (LEC Chairperson Jodi Snow ) ASHSC: Marikay Paulson – Flying since 2014 Janice Sidwell – Flying since 1983 (LEC Chairpersons Susan Lee & Steven Vincent) Scheduling: Melinda Jorge – Flying Since 2000 (LEC Chairpersons Martin Vance & Rita Tillou) For a complete list of your Council 19 AFA committee members: http://afaalaska.org/sea/committees If you are interested in joining a committee we still have open position on our Government Affairs Committee.  For information on what an AFA Committee member does or a description on our various committee please visit: http://afaalaska.org/committees