MEC Employee Assistance Program/Professional Standards Committee Vice Chairperson Interviews – June 2024

Master Executive Council (MEC)

• Our MEC thanks Elizabeth Dillon for the significant role she played in supporting Flight Attendants through her service as MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson.
• MEC Committee Vice Chairperson Lisa Haugen will succeed Elizabeth as the new MEC Committee Chairperson, with the Vice Chairperson position becoming vacant.
• Interviews for a new Vice Chairperson will be conducted at the June Regular MEC Meeting.

Our EAP/Professional Standards Committee has evolved incredibly the past few decades, thanks in part to the hard work and dedication of MEC Committee Chairperson Elizabeth Dillon. During her term, she helped develop new programs supporting and advocating for our Flight Attendants, such as the Flight Attendant Addiction Support (FAAS) program, while also coordinating the expansion of EAP and Professional Standards during the growth of our Flight Attendant group and the Alaska/Virgin America merger. We are grateful for Elizabeth’s service and commitment to our Flight Attendants.

As of this month, current MEC Committee Vice Chairperson Lisa Haugen will take over as the new MEC Committee Chairperson. Our MEC is confident that she will continue to provide strong leadership and support for our Flight Attendants. With the transition, this leaves the MEC Committee Vice Chairperson position vacant. Given this position’s significant role and the importance of continued representation, our MEC will conduct interviews for the position at the June Regular MEC Meeting.

Background

The MEC Committee Vice Chairperson of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee is responsible for assisting and working collaboratively with the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson to assist Members, their families, and partners with personal and work-related problems that could affect or are affecting their health and well-being, on and off the job. 

Additional Information from the MEC Policy Manual

1. SCOPE
   • The Committee exists to assist any Flight Attendant in any area that affects professional performance by means of a personal discussion, and has a responsibility to those submitting reports, those voluntarily seeking assistance and those brought to their attention by their peers.
   • The Committee will assist members experiencing emotional / psychological, marital/family, alcohol/other drug related, legal or financial problems which are affecting their health and well-being on and off the job.
   • The EAP committee will also address the maintenance of Professional Standards of the airline and serve in an advisory capacity in handling all career-related problems of a professional and ethical nature.  The Committee shall understand Company procedures and encourage people to work through AFA-CWA channels.  The Committee will conduct investigation of problems brought to the Committee and recommend a course of action for the disposition of cases as required.  
2. POLICY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
   • The MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee shall consist of the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson and the Local EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson from each council.
   • EAP/Professional Standards Committee members will function in accordance with International EAP/PS Committee guidelines.
   • The EAP Resource Manual and EAP Handbook are the written guidelines for Committee structure and functioning. 
   • All matters brought to the Committee’s attention will be handled with utmost confidentiality.
   • AFA-CWA EAP/PS will coordinate and promote cooperation with other employee-represented groups in attempting to resolve conflicts that may arise out of working relationships.
   • EAP/PS will be available to assist any Flight Attendant prior to, or following, a disciplinary process.  The MEC and International EAP/PS discourage a Committee Member from being present in any grievance hearing.
   • EAP/PS does not evaluate performance, accuse or judge, punish, preach nor threaten.
   • EAP/PS will help troubled Flight Attendants when problems affect their personal and professional lives, including referral to appropriate treatment resource or self-help group, and assistance in gaining necessary leave of absence.
   • EAP members are knowledgeable of health and welfare plans as pertains to medical and psychiatric benefits as well as substance abuse issues.
   • EAP members participate in CIRP crew debriefings and operational debriefings when EAP issues are involved.
   • The committee will conduct ongoing education of the membership as to the function, scope and operation of the committee.
   • Each Flight Attendant has a responsibility to exercise reasonable personal efforts to resolve a problem prior to contacting this committee for assistance.
   • Flight Attendants are expected and encouraged to go to EAP/PS to attempt resolution of a conflict through peer efforts, rather than to request action from management.  

Qualifications

• Current EAP/Professional Standards Committee Member or Chairperson.
• Adherence to EAP policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information.
• Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Google Workspace and Microsoft Office. Ability to use and manage cloud-based telephone platform for call routing and answering.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes.
• Ability to meet deadlines, delegate tasks to others as needed, and follow up on assigned tasks.
• Ability to participate in all required conference calls and video meetings.
• Ability to attend meetings and in-person activities as required.
• Ability and willingness to plan, coordinate, participate in, and provide active leadership for committee meetings and training activities.
• Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed.
• Ability to remain publicly apolitical on internal AFA matters.
• Maintenance of member-in-good-standing status.
• Ability to remain in good standing with the company.

Duties

• Coordinate with the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Committee. Collaboratively create and execute a plan that ensures full coverage and equitable distribution of all committee duties and responsibilities on an ongoing basis.
• Perform the duties of the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson when requested or in their absence.
• Act on and follow through on directives as established in the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws and AFA Alaska MEC Policy & Procedure Manual. 
• Working with the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson, ensure that Local Committee Chairpersons’ responsibilities are fulfilled. Coordinate with applicable LEC Presidents to provide necessary support, resources, and tools to enable them to perform their duties effectively.
• Communicate regularly with the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly activity report to the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson for inclusion in the monthly committee report to the MEC.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

• This position is eligible for up to 75 TFP per month of Company Business (CB) Flight Pay Loss (FPL) reimbursement, per the contractually negotiated allocation for the MEC EAP Chair/designee (§27.P.3.a).
• This role involves sharing the responsibility for administrative tasks of the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee with the MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson on a rotating basis. When on call as the MEC EAP/Professional Standards designee, 24/7 availability and responsiveness are required. Most work can be accomplished remotely.

Working Relationships

With Local EAP/Professional Standards Committees

Frequent interaction with the Local EAP/Professional Committee Chairpersons and Committee Members.

With AFA International EAP

Regular interaction with the AFA International Director of EAP and staff.

With The Master Executive Council           

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The designated MEC Officer responsible for the committee is the MEC Vice President.

Term of Appointment

The selected candidate will serve the remainder of the unexpired term coinciding with the MEC Officer election cycle, beginning immediately upon selection and concluding on December 31, 2025.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews of eligible candidates during the June Regular MEC Meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. If you’re interested in interviewing, plan to bid around this date or adjust your schedule accordingly to accommodate. All interviews will be conducted in person or using Google Meet videoconferencing at the candidate’s discretion.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume using the online expression of interest form. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. After the submission deadline, an MEC representative will contact eligible candidates to arrange a specific interview time.

Please note that to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account.  If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the position itself or any of the associated duties and responsibilities, please contact MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at mecvp@afaalaska.org.

If you have any questions about the expression of interest form or interview process, please contact MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at mecst@afaalaska.org.