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        You are here: Home / Archives for Council 35 SFO

        Council 35 News – January 2022

        January 31, 2022 11:45


        Important Dates

        • Jan 31:Temporary NavBlue Outage at 06:00 PST for 2 Hours for Programming Update
        • Feb 5-9: PBS Base Sits SFO Village
        • Feb 10: ACT CBT Due

        SFO Employee COVID Testing

        Information provided by FlySFO

        As a result of new CA State legislation, one of SFO’s COVID-19 testing sites will now accept insurance (including Kaiser) and has set up a dedicated Employee Testing portal for all Airport workers. Links to the portal for employee registration at this site offering molecular testing is below. Advance registration is required via the Employee Portal. Employees who are symptomatic or are known to be in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should use Worksite Labs if possible.

        Location: Adjacent to the Long-Term Parking Lot and Cell Phone Waiting Lot by San Bruno Avenue

        Testing Offered: Drive-Thru Only, RT-PCR with results in 12 or 24 hours

        Employee Testing Hours: Daily 0700-1900 

        Note: Operating hours and location are subject to change. 


        Sunsetting of NavBlue Classbid After the March 5-12, 2002 Bid Period

        by Virginia Fritz, Scheduling Committee Chair

        NavBlue is sunsetting the old Classbid interface and FAs will need to use the updated WebApp interface for the March 5-12 bid period. Base Sits for SFO are scheduled on the dates below, and will be held in the SFO Village.  

        • Feb 5th 0900-1700
        • Feb 6th 1000-1800
        • Feb 7th 0700-1800
        • Feb 8th 0700-1700
        • Feb 9th 0900-1700 

        Representatives from our Scheduling, Benefits, and Reserve committees will be on hand to assist and answer any questions. If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, please contact pbs.qa@alaskaair.com for assistance. WebApp virtual training dates are expected to be announced next month.

        To get the most out of your time with a trainer at a Base Sit, you should have some familiarity with WebApp. If you have not already done so, please review the links below.  We strongly suggest beginning with the WebApp Tutorial.

        •  WebApp Tutorial Video
        •  WebApp Program Guide
        •  WebApp Quick Reference
        •  Basic Line Bidding Video
        •  Basic Reserve Bidding Video 
        •  Additional WebApp Videos

        Pairing Update for March 2022

        by Virginia Fritz, Scheduling Committee Chair, PBS Subcommittee Member

        The company has been trying to find ways to mitigate their operational risk of cancellations due to crew staffing shortages. They have found that the average sick call on a 4 day can take 2 or 3 reserve flight attendants to staff because of reserve legalities and days-on availability. This has led the company to significantly reduce 4 days in all bases for March. 

        We have let crew planning know that we are very unhappy with this as it relates to the SFO base, and stressed that the quality of pairings is an issue, not quantity. If you have any feedback please reach out to sfo.scheduling@afaalaska.org so that we can relay any feedback to management.

        Many in our base rely on longer trips. There are some tips to try and create your own longer pairings should you want to attempt it. You can attach one trip to another by adding a base turn (JCBA 8.T) to the beginning or end of another trip. A base turn isn’t necessarily a ‘turn’ but is “two (2) sequences combined in the same duty period that contain no less than one hour and forty-five minutes (1:45) block-to-block between the last flight of the previous sequence and the first flight of the subsequent sequence. The scheduled ‘base turn duty period’ cannot exceed fourteen (14) hours on duty according to CFRs.” Additionally, some trips have a SIP (JCBA 12.G),(a Sequence Interruption Point [SIP] will be any arrival of the aircraft at the Sequence Home Domicile). You can pick up a trip out of open time that in its entirety may not be legal to add, but with a SIP in base could create a legal combination. With many of the pairings we have, these tools may not always be applicable but we wanted to make sure that this information was available to you should you want and be able to use it.

        Inflight Service Committee (ISC) Reminders

        by Raymond Ramirez, ISC Chair

        Create Success

        Please help your fellow crew members by returning items to their originally catered galley positions.

        Current Substitutions

        Canned OJ replaces boxes-please pour.  SEA will cater Fruit & Cheese with 2 slices each of cheddar and Beechers due to a shortage of Brie cheese.          

        F/A Feedback

        Your comments have brought back mixer drawers to the FC beverage cart–coming March 02.  Current focus: carafes and lids are missing on many flights so please use B2B to report. THANK YOU!

        Service

        Feb 07, will see the reinstatement of many service items.  This service increase will be monitored and adjusted as necessary in partnership with AFA leadership.  Please reach out to your AFA SFO Inflight Service Committee, Raymond Ramirez (chair), Matt Voges and Renee Waggener with your service comments. 

        Grievance Summary 2021

        The following chart summarizes grievances filed for SFO for the year 2021.  This does not represent all of the performance meetings (investigations) that occurred and mitigated disciplines from Grievance Reps with management.  These numbers strictly represent grievances filed after discipline had been issued.  Of grievances filed, 3 of them were mitigated through the grievance process which resulted in either disciplines reduced and/or dropped.

        ViolationCases% Total
        Appearance of Sleeping12%
        Intentional Flying with COVID12%
        Breaking Quarantine/Insubordination12%
        Lost IMD12%
        Mask Non-compliance12%
        Comping Non-Revs12%
        Theft from Aircraft12%
        Uniform12%
        Last Chance Agreement12%
        12+ Points12%
        Reserve Out of Base24%
        Late to Plane/Delay/Missing Required Item611%
        CBT Missed Deadline1426%
        Commuter Policy2139%
        Total Grievances54100%

        Calling in Sick and Wellness Calls

        As everyone knows, thanks to the many reminders from management, sick leave usage is at an all time high.  Considering there’s a world-wide pandemic occurring this is not surprising.  One way management has taken steps to attempt to curb sick leave usage is to carefully monitor sick calls.  Many of the “suspect” cases are brought to the performance team for investigation from Crew Scheduling.  When an FA calls in sick and offers more information than what is needed, this often will trigger a “red flag” and get passed along for an investigation.  Best practice is to say only what is necessary to crew scheduling when calling in to report an absence.  “Hi this is FA (name)  Peoplesoft number (1234567) calling in sick for (trip number or reserve day).”  Nothing more is needed.  If schedulers are asking for more information, you are not required to divulge any health information.  

        The same guidance is also true for Wellness calls.  Management has a process in place to follow up with Flight Attendants when they reach certain absence point levels.  Normally each discipline level triggers a wellness call and/or email from base supervisors. Wellness calls with management do not require a response, however it is recommended that the FA provide a confirmation of the message.  In recent investigations with FAs with high point levels, one of the questions from the performance supervisor is “did you receive the wellness calls from base leadership?  And did you respond?”  Best practice would be to respond via email only to any wellness calls and/or emails to avoid having a conversation with management without Union representation.

        Member Question: How to use sick family

        Flight Attendants can use sick leave to tend to a serious or emergency health condition of a family member.  If you report sick for a qualified family member and do not have enough sick leave to cover the entire sequence or reserve day(s), the absence(s) will be converted to a Management Drop and attendance points will be assessed at a half-point per day. To see your sick leave balance log into Rainmaker for the most current balance. If you need time away from work to care for a sick family member and you do not have sufficient sick leave available, contact an Inflight Supervisor to request a Management Drop. For more information please review Bulletin 2021-0059.

        Membership Links for Payment or Personal Contact Updates

        by James Ikehara, Secretary and Membership Committee Chair

        If you are coming back from a leave of absence and need to catch up on dues payments, this link will take you directly to AFA’s Membership Services website to schedule an on-line payment. Should you need to update your personal contact information (e.g., address, phone number, email, etc.), use this link.

        Fly safe and stay healthy!

        Melissa, James and Brad


        Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
        James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
        Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

        Filed Under: Council 35 SFO Tagged With: bidding, COVID, COVID-19, grievance, Grievance Committee, New Members, Newsletter, Scheduling Committee, sick leave, sick leave abuse

        Council 35 – News November

        December 8, 2021 13:35


        Important Dates

        • Dec 1-15:  Travel Open Enrollment
        • Dec 31:   Dependent Verification
        • Dec 31:  Current Uniform Allotment ends
        • Dec 31:  Annual Compliance Training (ACT) CBT due
        • Jan 1:  Contractual Uniform Allotment added

        COVID-19 Points Forgiveness

        Per the new agreement with management, Flight Attendants can once again submit for points forgiveness for COVID-19 related absences with corresponding documentation.  The time limits for submitting have been suspended.  If you’ve had a previous submission denied due to timeliness, please resubmit for points removal.  This process is manual, so allow some time for the adjustment to show on the attendance record. To request a points review, visit:

        Alaskasworld>>Inflight >>Administration>>Performance>>COVID-19 Absence Reporting Form

        Reporting Service Safety Hazards

        by Brad Young, Council 35 ASHSC Chair/Council Rep

        Please remember to report any safety hazards that you experience while performing the expanded onboard service.  This could include examples of increased exposure to passengers (e.g. passenger removing their mask to speak to you, etc.) or other hazards related to service.  Please also report any trash stowage concerns or issues (e.g. trash was stowed under the last row, in the LAV or in the O/H bin) due to the lack of dedicated ‘trash cart’ space or lack of galley trash bin space in the aircraft.    Please fill out both an FAIR and ASAP report in those events.  You can report these hazards through Block2Block and/or ReportIt! by submitting either a FAIR and/or ASAP for each flight on which they occur.  It is important to include the terms “COVID-19″ and “service” in your narrative to ensure they are correctly categorized by management.  This data will help our AFA representatives (Inflight Service and Safety Committees) to advocate for safe levels of service and/or further reduce onboard service again. 

        Dependent Verification

        If you were in the group of selected employees in the dependent audit, the deadline to provide documentation for dependents receiving health care coverage is 12/31/21.

        New Reserve Committee Members

        Council 35 is happy to announce and welcome not only one new committee member, but two!  Meg Casey and Camile Caldwell have stepped forward to co-chair the Council 35 Reserve Committee and the timing couldn’t be more perfect with all the hiring expected next year.  Get to know these wonderful volunteers by reading their bios in their own words:


        Meg Casey

        Meg grew up as an Army brat and served for several years in the Coast Guard which ultimately led to her love of travel and meeting new people.  It was with this in mind that she decided to pursue a career as a flight attendant with Virgin America in 2017 and now she’s not sure why she didn’t become a flight attendant sooner.  She has been SFO based since she started flying and has bounced back and forth between reserve and having a line for the last 4 years.  Meg knows how tough it can be to be on reserve, especially now, and she wants to serve as an advocate for our SFO reserves.  She’s excited to serve in her new role and would like to invite you to reach out with any questions or concerns about reserve life or the reserve portion of the contract.  Meg lives in the North Bay, and when she’s not flying, she enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, and trying all the food.

        Camile Caldwell

        Camile began her Flight Attendant career in October of 2017 with Virgin America, and quickly discovered her love of travel and the airline industry as a whole. She has been on and off reserve for her entire career, adapting to whatever crew scheduling throws her way, and holds a reserve line currently. With the drop off in flying due to COVID she took a voluntary furlough, which only made her realize how much she missed working and, upon returning to work, how much she wanted to get more involved within the FA workgroup. Camile is extremely eager to become a resource for all SFO reserves, work to help them better understand their contract, and be a voice for reserves within the union and to management. Before becoming a Flight Attendant Camile graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a BS in Geology. She currently lives in Sacramento and enjoys spending time with friends and family whenever she can.

        Have a question for SFO Reserve?  Both Meg and Camile can be reached at sfo.reserve@afaalaska.org.

        Year End Reminders

        Uniform Allotment-Use it or Lose it

        In January 2022 a new set of funds will be allotted to all Flight Attendant that meet the criteria (JCBA §13.D.6), however none of the funds from this year will roll-over (JCBA §13.D.1).  If you want to make any last minute orders (even for backordered items), now is the time to do it.

        Record Improvement

        JCBA § 32.G.4. Flight Attendants meeting the following conditions will have attendance points reduced to zero:

        • 4 or less attendance points at the end of the year
        • achieves 480 TFP for the year
        • does not accumulate any attendance points for the months of November and December

        The manual adjustment occurs mid-January which will be reflected on FAs attendance point records.

        480

        Flight Attendants must achieve 480 TFP for the year to maintain the following benefits:

        • Uniforms §13.D.6
        • Vacation §16.L.4
        • Health Insurance §33.B.1-4
        • Attendance year-end record improvement §32.G.4 

        To see your TFP accruals for the year, please visit:


        Alaskasworld>>Inflight Page>>Administration>>Calculators

        We’re Here to Help:  Online Support Center

        The best way to contact us for support is by submitting an online support ticket.  By selecting the type of concern you have, the best rep for your situation can assist you.  The online support ticket system is for AFA use (not management) and is confidential, so please use a personal email address to open a request.  Direct emails and contact info can also be found on the SFO Committee Page.

        Want More News?  
        The Alaska MEC (of which Council 35 is a part) is proud to announce a new communication strategy called “AFA Alaska News Now,” which can be found on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Additionally a recap of the news will be published in an “AFA Alaska News In Review” weekly digest.  Don’t like social media?  No problem!   “AFA Alaska News in Review” will be sent to personal email addresses on file, so those of you who do not have social media and do not check the AFA Alaska websites regularly will still receive the information.  Use this link if you need to make a change or update to your personal email address.

        Happy Holidays and Fly Safe!

        In solidarity,

        Melissa, James and Brad


        Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
        James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
        Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

        Filed Under: Council 35 SFO Tagged With: ASHSC, Council 35, COVID, COVID-19, Inflight Service, Newsletter, points, Reserve Committee, uniform

        Council 35 News October 2021

        November 3, 2021 20:36

        Council 35 News-October 2021


        Important Dates

        • Oct 31: Q3 CBT due soon!
        • Nov 17:  Alaska Benefits Open Enrollment ends
        • Nov 18: CA Membership Meeting

        New Committee Members

        Council 35 would like to send out a warm welcome to our newest volunteers!  Two members have stepped up to fill in the recently vacated Hotel Committee chair position and to join our Air Safety Health and Security Committee. Introductions are provided in their own words:


        ASHSC: Stephanie Garnett

        Stephanie started her career with Alaska Airlines in February of 1999.  She likes to refer to herself as a recycled FA having worked as a stewardess for Pan American World Airways back in the glory days.  As a member of the SEA ASHSC for many years,  she has earned 2 Soars awards.  In addition, Stephanie serves as the AFA MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson.  Safety is always paramount with any service decisions.  Becoming tired of Seattle weather Stephanie moved to Honolulu almost two years ago with her two Pixie Bob cats.  She has family on Oahu as well as the Bay area and enjoys spending time with them.  Stephanie would like to invite you to reach out with any safety concerns you might have and would be willing answer some service questions as well. She is pleased  to start a new chapter in her flying career by joining the SFO base and having the opportunity to be a member of the  SFO ASHSC.

        Hotel: Cassie Dole

        Cassie began her career in the airline industry over 15 years ago. Starting as a gate agent with JetBlue in 2004, she quickly realized her real drive was in being a flight attendant. After a year with United Airlines, she was hired on with Virgin America in 2007. She quickly transitioned to the training department, and it was there that she found her next role as instructor, preparing flight attendants for life out on the line. Being a part of the cadre team for Virgin America’s international flight certification solidified her love of international travel.  In 2010, she was able to partake in a crew exchange with Virgin Australia and was based in Sydney for a year. Traveling and overnight work trips are a passion of hers, she’s excited to channel that motivation, along with her desire to assist fellow flight attendants, in her new role. When not flying the line, Cassie can be found in the recurrent training office instructing, exploring local San Francisco restaurants, or traveling the world.

        Reserve Committee Opportunity

        Council 35 has a chair opening in the Reserve Committee.  Please review the duties and responsibilities which can be found on our website. If you are interested in volunteering, please submit a letter expressing your interest to sfo@afalaska.org. 

        Annual Benefits Enrollment

        The Alaska Benefits Open Enrollment period for 2022 benefits ends November 17, 2021. Changes will become effective January 1, 2022.  To see plan options, visit:

        Alaskasworld>>Benefits/Pay>>Benefits>>Healthcare

        Have additional questions?  Please reach out to the SFO Benefits Committee chair, Julie Pearson, for more assistance.

        California Local Council Membership Meeting

        The next membership meeting for Council 35 members will be Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 1100 via Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss news and events happening in California bases at Alaska.  This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) members in good standing (up-to-date on dues).  Deadline to submit agenda items is 11/15/21.  To attend, please register here.

        Year End Reminders

        Record Improvement

        JCBA § 32.G.4. Flight Attendants meeting the following conditions will have attendance points reduced to zero:

        • 4 or less attendance points at the end of the year
        • achieves 480 TFP for the year
        • does not accumulate any attendance points for the months of November and December

        The manual adjustment occurs mid-January which will be reflected on FAs attendance point records.

        PPP

        JCBA §21.R. November is the last of the collective block months in the Flight Attendant Productivity Premium Program (PPP).  Payout for the block months will be December 20th.  To see your accruals, please visit:

        Alaskasworld>>Inflight Page>>Administration>>Calculators

        480

        Flight Attendants must achieve 480 TFP for the year to maintain the following benefits:

        • Uniforms §13.D.6
        • Vacation §16.L.4
        • Health Insurance §33.B.1-4
        • Attendance year-end record improvement §32.G.4 

        Got a question?

        Contact information for Council 35 committee members can be found on our website.  You can also open an online support ticket and the appropriate rep will respond.

        In solidarity,

        Melissa, James and Brad


        Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
        James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
        Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

        Filed Under: Council 35 SFO Tagged With: Benefits, Council 35, Newsletter, Reserve Committee

        Council 35 News – September 2021

        October 1, 2021 12:44


        Important Dates

        • September 30:  Last day of COVID Points Forgiveness-today!
        • October 1:  Vacation Round 2 opens
        • October 15: Last day to submit vaccination record for $200
        • October 18:  Vacation Round 2 closes
        • October 25:  Vacation Round 2 Awards posted
        • Various dates (see below):  How-To Series

        Hotel and Reserve Committee Opportunities

        Council 35 has chair openings in the Hotel and Reserve Committees.  Please review the duties and responsibilities of each position which can be found on our website. If you are interested in volunteering, please submit a letter expressing your interest to sfo@afalaska.org.  

        How-To Series Starts October 1st

        Council 35 is happy to announce a new learning series to help Flight Attendants navigate a variety of scheduling and reserve activities.  In collaboration with Inflight Base Managers Cierra Lewis and Benito Pasia-Garcia, our very own Virginia Fritz, SFO Scheduling Chair, is hosting these events along with PDX Reserve Chair, Anthony Eskander.  Each event will include a short lesson about a scheduling or reserve topic followed by live Q&A.  These short live events will be held throughout the month of October via Teams.  Can’t make the event you want?  No problem!  All live events will be recorded and posted for FAs unable to attend.  To view live events, past recordings or more information, visit the How-To website on Alaskasworld. Schedule and details can be found in the following links:

        October 1: Personal and Management Drops
        October 4:  Bidding Strategies for your Seniority
        October 13:  Splitting and Advertising Reserve Days  
        October 14:  Trading Reserve Days
        October 15:  Posting and Shifting Reserve Days and Understanding Coverage
        October 15:  TO and Non-TO Days and Open Time
        October 26:  Lineholder’s Picking up Reserve Days  
        October 28:  Precancellations

        COVID MOU Sunsets

        The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated to remove points for COVID related absences will sunset today, September 30.  AFA requested that management extend the MOU however the suggestion was not accepted and management will discontinue the COVID points forgiveness program as planned.  Please be sure to submit for COVID related absences according the guidelines in the MOU.  Flight Attendants returning from leave on October 1 have 14 days to submit documentation.  Additionally, any FA that has a continuous absence that begins in September but carries over into October will also be considered for point forgiveness if reported in a timely manner.  Please review the COVID Points Forgiveness MOU for more information.  Reminder to CA based Flight Attendants:  Please review the State Laws Part 3 communication for information on CA COVID laws.

        Call to Action:  Possible Government Shutdown

        Transportation is one of the many industries that will be affected by a government shutdown.  Join other AFA members and let your state’s representatives know that avoiding the shutdown is important to Flight Attendants.  For more information and how this impacts our jobs, please read No More Shutdowns and take part in this important mobilization effort.

        Save the Date: California Local Council Membership Meeting

        The next membership meeting for Council 35 members will be Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 1100 via Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss news and events happening in California bases at Alaska.  This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) members in good standing (up-to-date on dues).  Agenda, time and registration details will be sent in a separate communication.

        AFA Membership Dues – Update

        by LEC Secretary and Membership Chair, James Ikehara
        Approximately 300 Council 35 members are in arrears with their monthly AFA dues based on the September 2021 report from AFA International’s Membership Services department.  Although the amount of months in arrears vary widely, a member that is only one month late ($50) can fall into a “Bad Standing” status if the amount owed is more than 90 days delinquent; there are approximately 102 members that fall into this category. A delinquency may have been caused by the following

        • A type of leave of absence you incurred in the past and were not coordinating enough sick leave or vacation to cover your dues
        • You flew low TFP’s in any given month and there was not enough money for an auto-deduction
        • When you are on any type of leave and you are completely off payroll (not coordinating any sick leave or vacation time) you are obligated to pay the first 3 months during your leave according to the AFA-CWA, Constitution & Bylaws.  Once the 3 months have been fulfilled you have met your obligation and you do not owe union dues until you return to work. 

        If your delinquency is not corrected, the following is the progression of steps taken for non-payment based on AFA International’s bylaws:

        • Standing 2 (S2) – this letter indicates you are now in bad standing and this is the first stage of the AFA-CWA delinquency process.  A flight attendant goes into S2 when you have ONE or more dues billings that are over 90 days old and remain unpaid.
        • Standing 3 (S3) – this letter indicates that the FA remains delinquent after receiving the initial “Bad Standing” warning letter.  You now receive your S-3 letter via certified mail return receipt (if AFA International has an incorrect address on file, the LEC President or Secretary will put it into your co-mail file at work and it is treated as if it was sent via certified mail).  Nonpayment could result in discharge per our FA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Section 26 C & D.
        • Standing 4 (S4) – this is a pending status which means your International Membership Services department is researching your account for you.
        • Standing 5 (S5) – this is your final warning and this becomes very serious.  After receiving your S-2 and S-3 letters for nonpayment, our International AFA office in Washington, D.C. sends a letter to Alaska Airlines requesting discharge for nonpayment and a copy of this letter is also sent to your LEC President.

        If you have received a text or email from me, or a letter from AFA International’s Membership Services department about your dues, it is important you contact AFA-CWA Membership Services by calling them directly at 844-232-2228, extension 3 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Eastern), or by submitting an online inquiry via this link to verify the amount owed on your account. If you were on any type of leave, ensure you note the dates of your leave in the comments section and they will investigate and make the necessary changes. Debit and credit card payments can be made via this link.  

        If you need to complete a Dues Check Off (DCO) form to ensure your dues are automatically deducted from your account, you can access the form here. After printing and signing the DCO, mail it to the Washington, D.C. address at the bottom of the form. Please note the following: the paycheck you receive on the 20th of each month (Advice Date) pays you for all of your flying for the previous month. However, the AFA dues that are payroll deducted from this check pays for the month it was deducted (i.e., the $50 deduction for October 20th will be for October dues, not for the previous month). For those returning to work from one of the mitigated leaves of absence, your dues may not be deducted since you were not active in the previous month.

        If you are not able to pay your balance in full, payment options are available and can be coordinated with the Membership Services office. We are here to offer assistance in ways of paying your obligation so it is very important that we work together to ensure that Section 26 C, D & E of our Collective Bargaining Agreement are not applied for non-payment of dues which could result in termination once you have reached a Standing 5 status. We want to ensure the status of your AFA membership stays current and appreciate your prompt attention to correct this issue.

        In solidarity,

        Melissa, James and Brad


        Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
        James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
        Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

        Filed Under: Council 35 SFO Tagged With: Council 35, COVID, COVID-19, dues, Hotel Committee, Newsletter, vacation bidding

        Council 35 News – August 2021

        August 31, 2021 17:51


        Important Dates

        • September 7:  Vacation Bidding Opens
        • September 13:  Supplemental Insurance Open Enrollment Begins
        • September 21:  Vacation Bidding Closes 
        • September 24:  Supplemental Insurance Open Enrollment Ends 
        • September 28:  Vacation 2022 Awards Posted

        Never Forget

        It’s hard to believe the tragedy of 9/11/01 occurred 20 years ago…an event that changed our lives and industry forever.  To commemorate the milestone, AFA and APFA (representing American Flight Attendants) collaborated to create a new 9/11 pin.  Council 35 has enough pins for everyone, so please stop by the SFO Village supervisor’s office and pick one up.  

        Alone in Mexico

        Did you know our JCBA provides protection to Flight Attendants flying outside the US?  The JCBA§34.A.5.a states that no F/A will travel to a hotel outside the US by themselves.  There was a recent incident involving a Flight Attendant who was left behind in SJD after a scheduling change occurred.   This F/A was aware of the contract and reached out to AFA for assistance during the event.  This is a great example of why it’s important to know your contract, and when something goes wrong, AFA is here to help!

        Trending Discipline

        from the Grievance Committee

        Reserve Not at Base

        Reviewing the JCBA§11 which defines the AS reserve rules, the company expects that a reserve Flight Attendant will be within 2 hours of base at the beginning of the assigned reserve availability period (RAP). Commuting into base or being more than 2 hours aways from base at the start of RAP would be considered time card fraud and normally results in termination with the first offense.  Lineholders picking up reserve days should be aware of the reserve rules found in JCBA§11 in order to be familiar with the expectations.  Any reserve F/A or lienholder picking up reserve days who are interested in extra support or guidance, please reach out to the SFO Reserve Committee for assistance.

        Delays

        When a delay is caused by a Flight Attendant, either due to tardiness or forgotten required item, management typically initiates an investigation.  If it is confirmed that the delay was caused by the FA, discipline will most likely be issued. A first offense can expect a Confirmation of an Oral Warning (COW), unless other discipline is on file, which would increase to the appropriate step based on previous occurrences.

        Supplemental Insurance Open Enrollment

        from the Benefits Committee
        National Group Protection (NGP) announces the open enrollment period for supplemental benefit plans for AFA members.  

        NGP offers services to include:

        • Accident Insurance
        • Hospital Indemnity
        • Critical Illness Coverage
        • Whole Life Insurance

        NGP offers the following options:

        • Supplemental – these plans supplement any existing coverage
        • Voluntary – members choose to participate
        • Limited Underwriting – no medical or physical exams required
        • Family Coverage – available with all of the plans
        • Portable – members can continue coverage if they leave the company
        • Payroll Deduction – premiums are paid through payroll deduction

        The Virtual Enrollment for Alaska AFA members is open from September 13-24, 2021.  

        Reminder:  COVID-19 MOU, Section 32 and CA Law

        COVID absences are still a regular event for members.  Your Council 35 officers encourage F/As to submit for points forgiveness and follow up with CA state claims to seek additional benefits.  For more information, please revisit July’s Newsletter.

        Celebration of Life for Tim Krailo

        A message from SFO Chief Pilot Kat Pullis

        I wanted to pass along the invitation for the Celebration of Life planned for our dear Tim Krailo and his wife Karen.  Please RSVP as the family is planning on serving dinner around 6:30pm.  If you’d like to attend in uniform to show support from our Alaska family, please feel free to do so.  His family sends a huge thank you to our team for the successful Go Fund Me that we did for their children.  It has been such a challenging year for their family as Tim’s only sister also passed away last month.  Sending all our thoughts and support their way.  

        Thank you Majo!

        Council 35 extends a warm thank you to Majo Tanco, LAX Benefits Committee, for all the help she provided since COVID-19 emerged on the scene.  Majo was kind enough to fill in and help Council 35 members while we looked for an SFO-based committee member.  We are happy to announce that our new Benefits Chair, Julie Pearson, is now ready to take over where Majo left off.  For inquiries regarding anything benefits related, such as FMLA, medical LOAs and Worker’s Compensation, SFO-based FAs should now reach out to Julie at sfo.benefits@afaalaska.org.  And thank you Majo for letting SFO “borrow” you while we searched to fill the vacancy!

        In solidarity,

        Melissa, James and Brad


        Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
        James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
        Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

        Filed Under: Council 35 SFO Tagged With: AFA Pin, Council 35, COVID-19, Grievance Committee, Newsletter, September 11th, supplemental

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        Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

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        Vacation Survey Closing Soon

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        There’s just 1 DAY LEFT to complete the crucial vacation survey that will help shape future provisions—your insights are essential for advocating the best outcomes for all Flight Attendants. The survey is currently open and will remain available until Wednesday, September 24 at 12 PM PT.

        Recent Posts

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