Learn about Bidding, Trading/Dropping/Swapping, and our new JCBA

The Council 35 and Crew Systems Integration (CSI) team will be present in the SFO Village to answer questions about NavBlue Preferential Bidding (PBS), the contract (JCBA) and the open-time/trading (JCTE) systems. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn these new programs prior to full integration planned for January 2019.

Base sits are scheduled for the following dates in 2018:

• Nov 5-7
• Nov 15-17
• Dec 5-9
• Dec 14-15

For specific times, please visit the Council 35 Facebook page. 

The Council 35 CSI Support Team

The Council 35 CSI team includes your Council 35 officers and the following members:

• Virginia Fritz
• Jaqui Bellenie
• Krystle Kehrli
• Julie Pearson
• Rachel Sebastian
• Jose Alarcon

Support will also be provided by the Master Executive Council (MEC) Scheduling and PBS Committee members:

• Jake Jones 
• Bianca Dew
• Steve Poynter
• Sheri Rochel
• Conner Gallagher

Please visit Alaskasworld for a self-study of the new systems.  Having a basic understanding of the programs will make it easier for the team to provide you with guidance on your specific questions during base sits.

For a complete list of tutorials and guides on PBS bidding, JCBA provisions and JCTE, please visit:

Alaskasworld>Inflight Webpage>Training.  Select tab “Crew System Integration (CSI)” for a list of available resources.

Mock Bids

Don’t forget to participate in the mock bids for December and January. To practice bidding for your schedule with the NavBlue system prior to bidding live, please select the “NavBlue PBS Training Site” which is found within the  “Crew System Integration (CSI)” tab referenced above.  Your Peoplesoft number will be your username and password the first time you enter the site.

Dates of mock bidding practice:

• Nov 5-10 (for December practice bid)
• Dec 5-10 (for January practice bid)

Practice or mock bid awards will be published by the 13th of each month.

Live bidding dates:

• January 5-10, 2019 (for live February bid)

Your February bid will be published by January 13 and will be your actual flying schedule for February 2019.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Council 35 officers at sfo@afaalaska.org or the SFO Scheduling committee at sfo.scheduling@afaalaska.org.

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian and James

The Alaska Airlines Annual Benefits Enrollment opened this week.  This year the enrollment period is from October 29th – November 14th. This is your once-a-year opportunity to choose the right coverage for you and your family. Learn more and enroll at http://myalaskabenefits.com. If you want to talk with someone about your options, you can call the Benefits Center at 1-844-231-3476.

The Council 35 Benefits Committee Chair Robert Fung is planning a base sit in the SFO Village to provide additional assistance on the following date:

• November 4th: 0930 – 1330

More base sits may be scheduled, so please check the Council 35 Facebook Pagefor more potential dates and times.

In Solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian and James

Dues Check Off Forms Still Needed!
Approximately 60% of SFO-based flight attendants have submitted their forms, which leaves approximately 400 forms outstanding.  Falling into arrears for failing to pay dues could result in separation from the company, as payment of dues is a condition of employment (which can be referenced in §26 of the JCBA). Those that have been identified as past due have received notices in their V-files and via email.  To pay late dues, please visit the AFA Online Payment Center. The dues requirement for AFA members is currently $50 per month.  The dues obligation for L-VX Flight Attendants began July 2018.

Sign up for Automatic Payroll Deduction
The easiest and recommended method to pay dues is through payroll deduction.  You can sign up for automatic payroll deduction of dues by completing a Dues Check Off form.  This form can be downloaded from the AFA Alaska website or you can pick up a copy in the file room in the SFO Village.  Once you’ve completed the form, mail it to AFA International Membership Services (the address is on the bottom of the form) or place it in the AFA lock box (located in SFO file room) and we’ll mail it in on your behalf.  For more information about dues please see our April 30 communication AFA Dues for Legacy Virgin America.

AFA Alaska Online Support Center
To contact AFA and the most appropriate committee for your concerns, please submit an Online Support request.  By submitting a “ticket” and designating a department, this ensures the fastest response from the appropriate committee member.  You may also upload files to your ticket to help provide the most detailed information to the reps assigned to your case.

Alaska Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and AFA EAP—What’s the Difference?
The Alaska Airlines Employee Assistance Program (Active) is a company-wide benefit and a valuable resource for employees who encounter a personal situation that requires  specific support.  In addition to Active, Flight Attendants also have the added benefit of an AFA sponsored EAP. AFA EAP is a peer support program and committee members are Flight Attendants that volunteer to participate in an extensive training program to be qualified in the role.  If you experience an event at work or have personal challenges that are effecting your work life, you may reach out to AFA EAP for support and assistance.

Professional Standards—What is it??
A sub-program of AFA EAP is Professional Standards.  This is a peer support resource that facilitates mediated de-escalation discussions between Flight Attendants that have encountered a challenge in their work relationship.  Rather than “turn in” a fellow Flight Attendant, you may contact AFA EAP/Professional Standards and request a mediated conversation to resolve the issue.  This program is also available at ALPA, the pilot Union, therefore mediation for pilot/Flight Attendant disputes can also be arranged. AFA EAP/Professional Standards provides an opportunity for Flight Attendants to resolve disputes without company Human Resources (HR) and/or management involvement, which could potentially lead to discipline. All information brought to AFA EAP/Professional Standards is held confidentially.

Scheduling vs. Reserve Committees
AFA has two committees to assist Flight Attendants with scheduling challenges.  If you are a line-holder, the scheduling resource would be the Scheduling committee.  However for Flight Attendants on reserve, The Reserve committee would be the most appropriate resource for assistance with scheduling difficulties.  The Reserve committee is also a source for probationary and new-hire Flight Attendants with questions and concerns about their new careers as a Flight Attendant. To contact the appropriate scheduling committee, please submit on Online Support request or contact to the committee members directly:

• SFO Scheduling Committee (line holder scheduling issues):  Virginia Fritz (chair); Jaqui Bellenie
• SFO Reserve Committee (reserve scheduling issues, probationaries and new hire support):  Rachel Sebastian(chair)

New Council 35 Committees Members
Please welcome the following committee members and chairs into the following Council 35 SFO committees:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards:  Denice Perez-Lopez
Denice started working as a Flight Attendant in 2006 with Air Wisconsin Airlines. In 2015 she started with Virgin America. When the opportunity to serve her fellow Flight Attendants as an EAP rep emerged she didn’t think twice. Her purpose is to help her peers achieve a suitable work-life balance.  Denice likes to spend her time off hiking and camping with her husband Scott and their rescue dog, an Australian Shepherd named Murphy.

Grievance:  Shannon Dessert
Influenced by her family’s passion for travel Shannon began her career in the airline industry as a Customer Service Agent with Alaska Airlines in 1995.  After a few years she moved to the training department where she realized her love of helping others to achieve their goals.  Ten years later, opportunities came knocking and Shannon moved on to JetBlue Airways and eventually Virgin America as a Flight Attendant in San Francisco in 2010.  Again, looking to help others she became a member of the Rule Book Review, Peer Review, Fatigue Review and Inflight Service Representative Committees.  Shannon did a Special Assignment helping FAA compliance in the Drug and Alcohol Department in 2014.  She was an Infight Team Lead and an Air Transportation Supervisor working with the new hire training classes as well as conducting Service Training Flights and IOE’s. Shannon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and is currently exploring Master’s programs to continue her own personal growth.  In her spare time, she enjoys volunteer work, visiting family and friends and scrapbooking her many travels.  With her experience at both Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, Shannon looks forward to working hard to support her fellow teammates on the Grievance Committee.

Grievance:  Ashley Toles
Ashley became a flight attendant with Virgin America in 2015. She has been at the SFO base since then and has enjoyed meeting and working with some of the best people she has ever met.  Ashley completed her undergraduate education at University of California, Santa Barbara and earned a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Early Modern British Literature. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law where she developed her passion for fighting for justice.  Before becoming a flight attendant, Ashley was Co-President of the General Assistance Advocacy Project, a local San Francisco drop-in legal clinic for the homeless. She advocated on behalf of indigent San Franciscans at both state and county hearings, defending her clients’ rights to retain their public benefits, including SSI, county welfare, food stamps, and Medi-Cal. Ashley also interned at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office where she represented indigent people who were accused of crimes. Ashley enjoys helping people and has always been a fierce advocate for her clients. Ashley feels very excited and fortunate to be able to represent her fellow flight attendants with the grievance process. Her goal is to protect flight attendants against arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and make sure that management is upholding and abiding by the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Advocating for people is one of Ashley’s favorite things to do and she is elated to be able to serve her fellow flight attendants in this capacity.

Scheduling:  Jaqui Bellenie
Jaqui’s fascination with planes began at a very early age in England with annual family outings to air displays.  She began her Flight Attendant career with Virgin America in June 2008, upgrading to the Inflight Team Leader position in late 2009. In 2013 Jaqui trained to be part of the Rulebook Dispute Resolution team, hearing scheduling issues and helping to resolve them in a group setting.ETOPS and A321 cadre followed in 2015 and 2017. Amazing experiences for her, working alongside the FAA, understanding their policies and procedures and breaking an aviation record along the way.  The first A320 ETOPS to fly from SFO to HNL.With 10 years as a Flight Attendant under her belt Jaqui feels she has sufficient bidding and scheduling experience to be an asset to the scheduling committee.In her spare time Jaqui can be found in the East Bay working on her fixer upper house, and growing vegetables in her back garden. She enjoys running and cycling whenever she can.

Retirement:  Ed Alcantara (chair)
After what he described as “one of the hardest, yet rewarding endeavors he has done in his entire life”, Ed Alcantara earned his wings in 2011, with then, Virgin America.  While with Virgin, Ed was proud to serve his fellow teammates under the Care to Share Program from 2015, until its dissolution.  He also quietly worked with other work groups within the company under the 401k focus group wherein they worked to transfer the guardianship of the account to Fidelity Investments. As the AFA Retirement Committee Chair, he hopes to help make sure that his fellow employees are aware and knowledgeable of everything that would help them work towards retirement.  Also a small business owner, he often times spends his free time travelling, trying to outsmart Flica, hosting karaoke parties or gushing (or ranting) about the Golden State Warriors.

Uniforms:  Lisa Mueller (chair)
Lisa got her start in the airline industry with Virgin America in Chicago where she wore many different hats including operations, guest services, Green Team Lead and creating the Vsis/Vbro mentoring program. She then joined the inflight team based in JFK, and then transferred to SFO and became an Inflight Team Leader. Lisa also has a passion for design. Outside of the airlines, she is an architect with a focus on sustainability, and a makeup artist working many high fashion shows.

More Opportunities to Serve
If you are interested in participating in a committee or getting involved, please visit the volunteer page of the AFA website for more information about each committee and their responsibilities or reach out to the chairperson of the committee you are interested in to answer your questions. To see a list of committees and chair contact information, please visit the SFO Committee List.

Are You an AFA Member?
As of today, only a small percentage of L-VX F/As have not signed up to become members.  As a reminder, the Membership Application cannot be completed online.  The hard copy paper form must be submitted directly to an AFA representative or mailed to the AFA International Office in Washington D.C. You can download and print an application, or pick one up from the bag/file rooms the next time you pass through the SFO Village.   Only AFA members may attend Membership Meetings, vote for officers, hold a position as an AFA officer or committee member or vote on Tentative Agreements (TAs).  It’s important to note that at Alaska Airlines, you are obligated to pay AFA dues regardless of your membership status and becoming a member is a condition of employment, referenced in §26 of the JCBA.

New Email Address for Council 35
As of July 31, 2018, Council 35 will be representing SFO-based Flight Attendants only. All L-VX F/As based in LAX are now represented by Council 18. Therefore the previous email address vx@afaalaska will be retired.  To contact Council 35 officers in SFO, please email us at sfo@afaalaska.org.  To contact Council 18 officers in LAX, please email lax@afaalaska.org.

FAQs 

How do I report hotel issues?
API is the hotel vendor responsible for hotel selection and assignment at Alaska Airlines.  API offers Crewcare as the platform to report any challenges you have experienced with any of our hotel properties on a layover.  On your first visit to the site you will need to register your Alaska email address.  Once registered, please document any incidents that you have with a hotel in Crewcare. This feedback provides hard data of issues and trends we can address with the vendor to remedy.  Positive feedback is also welcome, so please send any compliments via Crewcare as well.  For more information, please visit the Hotel & Stationsection of the inflight page on Alaskasworld. You will find the depository for all relevant layover information regarding hotel transport, phone numbers, food and beverage discounts and hotel amenities that are offered onsite.  Please reach out to the Council 35 Hotel Committee Chairperson, James Bozanich for more information and assistance with hotel concerns.

When can I submit for transportation reimbursements?
According to the JCBA §22.B which went into effect at date of ratification (DOR), Flight Attendants may submit for travel reimbursement 35 minutes after block-in or within 10 minutes from the scheduled departure from the hotel.  Additionally, the company has agreed to pay for reimbursements for transportation to/from hospital/medical facility when an Flight Attendant encounters a medical issue on a layover or is selected for a drug test and the scheduled crew transportation has departed.

How do I contact Council 35 officers?
The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email.  Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information.  Using your personal email account, please know that  concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence, and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender.  Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org.  All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources.  Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa, Aladrian & James