Recurrent Training 2022

Inflight Training Committee

The 2022 Recurrent Training (RT) program is underway at all training locations. Read on for information about preflight oral evaluations and acceptable deviations to emergency evacuations commands.
For those who are attending RT in Seattle, be aware that the training facility has moved this year. Check the RT website for information about the new location, directions, and parking.
Safety measures such as continued social distancing and HEPA filtration systems in RT classrooms will be in place as a result of AFA advocacy. These measures should be in place as of January 12.

Preflight Oral Evaluations

Management is continuing this year with the requirement to verbally review the preflight for emergency exits and equipment as part of RT evaluations. Similar to last year, preflight oral evaluations do not need to be performed verbatim, can use conversational language, and do not need to be performed in any specific order. If you have questions about the requirements for preflight oral evaluations, we encourage you to seek clarification from your RT instructors in the classroom prior to the start of evaluations.

Acceptable Deviations to Emergency Evacuation Commands

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Lunch Is Not Provided

Please note that lunch is not being provided by the Company at RT at this time. Management had initially planned to provide lunch on day 1 of RT to Flight Attendants in Seattle in conjunction with a management-led “listening session”. Our AFA Representatives brought forward the concern that Flight Attendants in ANC, PDX, SFO, and LGB were not receiving company-provided lunch as well. Shortly after AFA shared this concern, management indicated that they would be temporarily suspending company-provided lunch at RT in SEA, citing COVID transmission concerns. Should management decide to resume providing lunch during RT, it is AFA’s expectation that it will be provided at all training locations.

Change to SEA Training Facility Location

With the high volume of Flight Attendant Initial Training (IT) classes that are scheduled to take place in 2022, classroom space at the Flight Operations & Training Center (FTC) in Seattle has been reallocated solely to the IT program for the time being. RT and RQ classes in Seattle will now be held at the Stinson Building, located just a few miles south of the FTC. For more information about the new location, including the address, maps, and parking information, please refer to the Recurrent Training website (sign on required).

Safety & Social Distancing

Last year, management made the decision to eliminate social distancing in training environments starting in January 2022. As 2022 approached it became clear to the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC) and Inflight Training Committees that this move was premature as the pandemic is still raging. The AFA ASHSC and Inflight Training Committees approached Managing Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow with AFA’s concerns. We reiterated a previous request for HEPA filtration systems for classrooms and to maintain classroom seating with six feet of separation for social distancing.

Management responded by ordering air filtration units and began working on making the needed adjustments to provide social distancing for classroom seating. We expect all of these changes to be in place by the end of the day on January 12. Thank you to Manager of Inflight Training Delivery Amanda Westendorf, Inflight Training Resource Manager Shaunda Groce, and the entire Inflight Training Team for quickly implementing these changes once the decision was made to change course for safety.

Questions?

If you have questions about RT 2022, please contact the MEC Inflight Training Committee or your LEC President.

As an AFA and CWA Member, you and/or certain eligible dependents have the opportunities for at least three different scholarships. An additional opportunity, the Union Plus Free College Benefit, offers the ability to earn a degree with no out of pocket expense for tuition, fees, and e-books. Check out the links below for eligibility requirements, application information, and other important details for each opportunity.

Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, January 13 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft. Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever given the challenges we are currently facing as a work group. Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed through Report It! Please contact a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

Our Grievance Committee works to protect all Flight Attendants from arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and to uphold our collective bargaining agreement. This update provides a short summary of the committee’s work over the past two quarters. Management has issued discipline lately for a variety of reasons. Read on for more information about the reasons why management is disciplining and terminating Flight Attendants. If you’ve faced a situation that you believe might be a contractual violation, please report the issue through the AFA Online Support Center. AFA Representatives review each report submitted and will follow up to help you determine options and a course of action.

The 2022 Recurrent Training (RT) program is underway at all training locations. Read on for information about preflight oral evaluations and acceptable deviations to emergency evacuations commands. For those who are attending RT in Seattle, be aware that the training facility has moved this year. Check the RT website for information about the new location, directions, and parking. Safety measures such as continued social distancing and HEPA filtration systems in RT classrooms will be in place as a result of AFA advocacy. These measures should be in place as of January 12.

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