Latest News – Page 105

July 10, 2020 20:00

Furlough mitigation resources

AFA has compiled the following furlough mitigation resources for easy reference.

Company resources (AAG SSO required)

All furlough mitigation options
- Alaska Flight Attendant early-out & leave options
- Compare all Flight Attendant furlough mitigation options (grid)
Early Out (EO)
- FA Early Out Program Guide (aka FA Early Out Plan Document)
- Early Out Q&A
Extended Leaves of Absence (ELOAs) and Enhanced Voluntary Furloughs (EVFs)
- ELOAs and EVFs Q&A (aka Leaves Q&A)

AFA resources

Combined resources – “Early Out and Leave Options” informational sessions

Management is hosting and AFA will also be co-participating in upcoming “Early Out and Leave Options” informational sessions in which all furlough mitigations will be addressed: Early Outs, Extended Leaves of Absence and Enhanced Voluntary Furloughs.

Available Sessions – An individual calendar invite has been sent by management for each event. Please join us if you have questions!

Tue 7/14 @ 12pm – 1pm PT

Thu 7/16 @ 4pm – 5pm PT

Tue 7/21 @ 2pm – 3pm PT

“The Numbers”

Everyone wants to know the target numbers for the Early Out program, Extended Leaves of Absence and Enhanced Voluntary Furloughs. The MEC shared that feedback with management prior to publication of yesterday’s email announcing the EOs and other furlough mitigation options. According to the Company’s Early out Q&A (AAG SSO required), management estimates needing approximately 600 Flight Attendants to take the Early Out.

In our June 5^th “A Message About Current Events, and Planning for the Future” communication, the MEC projected that Alaska Airlines will possibly need 35%-50% less Flight Attendants systemwide—at least temporarily—beginning on October 1. We now project the impact to be fairly significantly less, but the MEC cannot say more due to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). However, the MEC will continue to press management to be more forthcoming with projections as soon as possible.

Company Early Out

Management has now released the details of the Company Early Out program (AAG SSO required). As mentioned in the June 30^th edition of the AFA Update, AFA did not negotiate this Early Out package. AFA approached management back in March regarding our interest in negotiating an Early Out, but management declined our offer.

AFA’s assessment is that the Company’s EO package will not attain even close to the desired number of takers. Candidly, the Master Executive Council (MEC) is disappointed in the Company’s EO; we had hoped the Company’s EO would be more in line with industry leading Flight Attendant EOs like at Southwest Airlines. However, the EO will interest some Flight Attendants who were already considering retirement or who are interested in early retirement.

Involuntary Furlough (IVF) Mitigations

No lower line averages

Pursuant to §18.A [Involuntary Furlough Mitigation], AFA and management have been working on furlough mitigations over the past two weeks. After careful consideration and in consultation with industry experts, AFA has declined to lower the line averages or adjust the line value range. AFA already lowered the minimum domicile average line value from 78 TFP to 75 TFP in the 2014-2019 CBA, which allows individual lines to be built up to 10 TFP lower at 65 TFP. Our analysis is that the scale of anticipated reduced staffing is so great and the duration of lower lines so uncertain that these mitigations would be unacceptable to the majority and seen as a concession.

October 2020 Furlough Mitigations Letter of Agreement

Click here for the October 2020 Furlough Mitigations Letter of Agreement >

Furlough mitigation enhancements and clarifications that are in addition to Extended Leaves of Absence and Voluntary Furlough provision in Section 18.A [Involuntary Furlough Mitigations]:

Extended Leaves of Absence of 12-month duration (ELOA-12) -> No change to contract
- COBRA-eligible for healthcare
- Regular 480 unpaid credit of 1.333 TFP per day
- Base guarantee
- See contract for additional details
“Enhanced” Voluntary Furloughs of 6-, 9-, 12- and 15-month durations (EVF-6, EVF-9, EVF-12 and EVF-15)
- Company-paid healthcare premiums
- Double 480 credit
- Base guarantee on EVF-6 & EVF-9 (contractual voluntary furloughs have no base guarantee)
- No base guarantee on EVF-12 or EVF-15 unless recalled June 2021 or earlier
Productivity Premium Program eligibility on ELOA & EVFs (and on IVF via separate email acknowledgement from management)
Recall procedures
- Order of recall clarified: IVF followed by EVF (followed by ELOAs requested but not required)
- “Live” recall or bypass form
- Full-time student bypass for the remainder of the term while on ELOA, EVF or IVF (proof of enrollment in accredited college or university required)
Staffing Adjustment Leaves (SALs) -> Enhancement to §15.B [Staffing Adjustment…]
- Offered one month at a time (in order to avoid the perception of seniority violations) but may be awarded consecutively
- Double 480 credit
- Company-paid healthcare premiums
FAs on involuntary furlough may choose to remain current by attending regulatory training (RT/RQ)
- Company-paid healthcare premiums during the month of training
- Out of domicile provisions if FA is required to take training out of domicile (e.g. SANFAs)
- Positive space Company Business travel provided to and from domicile if required
Unemployment insurance (UI)
- Company will not contest UI
- Company will provide support letter to the FA
“Reconvene clause” in case legislation (e.g. potential extension to the CARES Act) is subsequently passed that prevents IVFs

Reduction in Force 2020 Sideletter of Agreement

Click here for the Reduction in Force 2020 Sideletter of Agreement >

AFA and management recognized that references to “seniority” in §18.A [Involuntary Furlough Mitigations] and §18.K [Involuntary Furlough Seniority Retention] required clarification to reflect intent and established practice:

Occupational Seniority always accrues: FAs always receive scheduled pay increases and are not negatively impacted in bidding seniority or relative seniority while on any type of leave or furlough.
Company Seniority always accrues: FAs always receive scheduled vacation accrual increases and are not negatively impacted for non-rev seniority while on any type of leave or furlough.
Longevity: 401(k) vesting and retirement eligibility are ‘frozen’ (i.e. retained but not accrued) while on certain types of leave or while on furlough.

The parties clarified the procedures for returning from an Extended Leave of Absence under §18.A:

Domicile protection while on ELOA and recall in Occupational Seniority order

The parties will allow Flight Attendants to conduct Union Business (UB) or Company Business (CB) while on a voluntary furlough under §27.AA [Union Business and/or Company Business…]:

Flight Attendants who routinely conduct UB and/or CB work may be potentially willing to take voluntary furloughs, and this provision would allow them to do so while continuing to provide necessary services to the Company and/or to the Association.
Examples: Inflight Training Instructors, Special Project work Flight Attendants and union reps

Tell Congress: Extend the CARES Act

If not enough Flight Attendants voluntarily take the Early Out, Extended Leave of Absence or Enhanced Voluntary Furlough, then at least some of our sisters and brothers will be involuntarily furloughed starting in October. Consequently, it is vitally important that each and every one of you help AFA-CWA, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556 achieve a six-month extension to the CARES Act in order to protect Flight Attendant jobs. Tell Congress to keep our industry intact by extending the CARES Act!

These are extremely difficult and stressful times. Please remember that your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Committee is always available as a support resource. As your direct representative on the MEC, your LEC president is available to answer questions or concerns that you may have about all the information presented here. Contact information for your respective LEC president can be found by clicking here. We hope to see you at one of the upcoming “Early Out and Leave Options” informational sessions on 7/14, 7/16 or 7/21!

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Matt Cook, Terry Taylor, Steve Maller, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

July 2, 2020 12:00

In This Edition

Tell Congress: Extend the Payroll Support Program
Substance Use During COVID-19 Pandemic
Vanguard Retirement Webinar—Coming Soon
Union Plus Program Hardship Benefits
Updated Board of Directors Information
The Dues Pie Chart – Where Do My Dues Go?

Tell Congress: Extend the Payroll Support Program

AFA International

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556 are calling for a six-month aviation Payroll Support Program (PSP) extension through March 31, 2021, to protect our jobs, extend the restrictions on stock buybacks, dividends, and executive compensation, and maintain service to all of our communities. Tell Congress to keep our industry intact to ensure aviation can help fight the virus and contribute to economic recovery as opposed to adding to an economic depression.

Amplify Your Voice With a Call

In addition to sending a letter, you can amplify your voice by following up with a phone call to your Members of Congress. Call your Representative and Senators and say:

Hello, I am a constituent calling to ask [Representative]/[Senator] to help save my job as an essential worker. Take legislative action in July to extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program for aviation workers in order to avoid massive job loss in October. Keep us connected to our jobs, our paychecks, and our healthcare. Thank you for your urgent attention to this.

AFA COVID Relief House – (888) 907-9365
AFA COVID Relief Senate – (888) 848-4824

Substance Use During COVID-19 Pandemic

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Historically, crisis events tend to trigger increased drug and alcohol abuse. Post 9/11, for example, the National Institutes of Health raised concerns about increased substance use by those impacted by the tragedy. Meanwhile, after Hurricane Katrina, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that hospitalization for alcohol use disorders rose by 35 percent in New Orleans. Experts fear that we will see similar trends this time, but on a national scale. People frequently self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to cope with feelings of stress and anxiety. Uncertainty about the future, loneliness, lack of routine, economic dislocation, job loss and fear of death by disease, can all be triggers for those who are vulnerable to substance abuse, including those in recovery – even after long periods of abstinence. Meanwhile, stay-at-home orders in effect for COVID-19, limit access to support systems such as friends, neighbors, therapists, church, family and recovery groups. Early indications aren’t good. Researchers are seeing spikes in alcohol sales, marijuana use, and anti-anxiety and pain medication prescriptions.

If you are concerned about substance abuse for yourself, a family member or flying partner, now is the perfect time to consider treatment, especially if you are on a voluntary leave. Your AFA EAP Committee can discuss and coordinate all treatment options while maintaining your right to privacy. If you are getting ready to return from a leave and would like to discuss preventing safety risk associated with drug and alcohol testing violations, contact your AFA EAP Committee for a confidential conversation. Contact information for your Local EAP Committee can be found at afaalaska.org/eap.

Vanguard Retirement Webinar—Coming Soon

Retirement Committee

As the company will be offering early out packages, your AFA Retirement Committee, in conjunction with Vanguard, the company’s 401(k) plan administrator, will be conducting an online webinar to provide information and answer questions about the planning process for retirement. Meeting date, time, registration information, and information about how to submit questions in advance will be posted to the Retirement Committee page of the AFA Alaska website and communicated in an AFA update email once finalized.

Retirement Plan Resources

In addition to the upcoming retirement webinar, a list of retirement plan resources and links to these online tools can be found on the retirement resources page of Alaska’s World (AAG sign-on required).

Union Plus Program Hardship Benefits

AFA International

Many of the Union Plus programs, which are an AFA Member benefit, provide hardship benefits.

Members who currently have a Union Plus Mortgage, Credit Card, Personal Loan, or Supplemental Insurance programs may be eligible for additional hardship assistance through the Mortgage Assistance Program and Union Plus Hardship Help. The Union Plus Mortgage Assistance Program provides interest-free loans and a $1000 grant to help eligible members make mortgage payments when disabled, unemployed, furloughed, locked out or on strike.

Union Plus Credit Card holders are eligible for a $300 job loss grant if they have been laid-off or furloughed for 45 days or more due to COVID-19. The eligibility criteria and application process can be found at www.unionplus.org/hardship-help/union-plus-hardship-help-benefits.

The MetLife Legal program is making available additional resources including free consultation and document review and access to a self-help library so members can get questions answered and also review and complete Wills, Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Directives and similar documents for free through July 31, 2020. Additional info, including the instructions to reach the self-help document library, is available here: https://www.unionplus.org/blog/consumer-tips/free-legal-document-review-and-consultations-through-july-31-2020.

The Free College program is making available additional financial aid to students who may need additional assistance for education-related expenses due to COVID-19. Info on Free College is here: https://www.unionplusfreecollege.org.

Updated AFA Board of Directors Information

AFA International

The Board of Directors were scheduled to meet in-person during May 2020, but due to the pandemic conditions, that meeting was cancelled. The BOD met virtually via a Zoom Meeting on May 20, 2020. The purpose of this meeting was to address the 2020-2021 Proposed Annual Budget.

Visit the AFA International Board of Directors resource page for updated meeting documentation that includes the single Agenda Item (Annual AFA Budget), the four Resolutions that were considered and other useful material.

The Dues Pie Chart – Where Do My Dues Go?

AFA International

The Dues Pie Chart depicts where all funds at AFA are budgeted. About 80% of dues dollars are directly allocated to fund the work at each airline (i.e. Local Councils, Master Executive Councils, Negotiations, and System Board). The remaining budgets at the International Office support Government Affairs, Air Safety, EAP, and Communications Departments, each of which provides expert services that are Flight Attendant focused and provide resources for the local leaders and committees of Flight Attendants at each airline. 100% of our dues dollars are allocated to priorities that provide Flight Attendant representation.

There are four distinct areas where dues money is spent:

Local and Airline-Specific

Each base has a Local Executive Council (LEC) with elected Officers who provide direct representation and deal with local grievances and other issues. These Local Officers will answer your phone calls and make sure member interests are represented in front of management. For example, in the event of discipline or a contract violation, Local Officers will address the issue where it happened and work to get swift resolution. Additionally, elected Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers provide representation at the corporate level. At both the LEC and MEC, there are committees that solve problems in areas such as safety, schedules, hotels, grievances, etc. These committees also enforce the contract specific to their area of expertise, produce newsletters, and participate in union meetings. The role of your LEC and MEC Officers and committee representatives at each airline is to ensure you are represented by Flight Attendants who know your job because they share it with you at your airline. AFA promotes this autonomy at each airline where your representatives, assisted by experts, negotiate with management and develop and maintain the relationship between airline management and the Union.

Negotiations

Bargaining for pay and working conditions is one of the core representation activities performed by the Union. We start with a membership survey, schedule meetings with management, conduct caucuses with the committee, develop contractual language, support membership engagement and information programs, and we work with AFA-CWA professional negotiators throughout the process including all direct negotiations/mediation with management. The end result is improved contractual language with higher pay, better working conditions, and improved benefits.

System Board (Grievances)

The first step in any grievance is to try to resolve the matter locally. Some airlines have negotiated an alternative dispute process for a faster, collaborative resolution. If that fails, then the final stage for resolution, whether disciplinary or contractual, is an appeal to a neutral arbitrator. An AFA-CWA attorney will work with our Grievance Committee to present our case to the neutral arbitrator. We defend the contracts we negotiate.

International Office Support

While your LEC is the face of the Union to local management and the MEC to corporate management, the International Office is the public persona and brand of the Union. Our presence and name recognition can legislate or improve federal regulations, remove obstacles from the bargaining table, better our position in negotiations and improve our experience on the job across the profession. The International Office maintains the professional staff of attorneys, negotiators, and other personnel that provide administration, accounting and membership services to members and elected leaders. We all work together to support the programs that encompasses our profession.

Questions?

If you have questions about AFA dues, please contact your LEC President.

June 30, 2020 15:00

In This Edition

Tell Congress: Extend the Payroll Support Program
Pandemic Response
Fraudulent Face Mask Exemption Card
Management Provides Contractual Furlough Notice
Company “Early Out”
CARES Act Additional $600 Ends Soon

Tell Congress: Extend the Payroll Support Program

AFA International

Amplify Your Voice With a Call

In addition to sending a letter, you can amplify your voice by following up with a phone call to your Members of Congress. Call your Representative and Senators and say:

Hello, I am a constituent calling to ask [Representative]/[Senator] to help save my job as an essential worker. Take legislative action in July to extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program for aviation workers in order to avoid massive job loss in October. Keep us connected to our jobs, our paychecks, and our healthcare. Thank you for your urgent attention to this.

AFA COVID Relief House – (888) 907-9365
AFA COVID Relief Senate – (888) 848-4824

You may also receive a phone call over the next several days from AFA Government Affairs Committee Members or other AFA volunteers to ask for your support in making these calls.

Pandemic Response

Master Executive Council (MEC)

AFA remains dedicated to our mission to protect the safety and health of our members, and we continue to do so on multiple fronts during this pandemic. Representatives from the Master Executive Council (MEC); the Air Safety, Health and Security Committee; and the Inflight Service Committee meet multiple times per week with management to advocate on your behalf. AFA recently met with an infectious disease expert from the University of Washington on more than one occasion to discuss our questions and concerns.

We echo your concerns about diminishing social distancing onboard, mask compliance, personal protective equipment (PPE) and increasing service levels. Be assured we will continue to work with management to maximize the safety of our Flight Attendants. See the Company’s Listening & Acting: Actions we are taking in partnership with AFA resource page (AAG sign-on required) for the latest updates.

Fraudulent Face Mask Exemption Card

Master Executive Council (MEC)

AFA Interactive (June 26, 2020) reported that a Facebook group dubbed the Freedom to Breathe Agency, or FTBA, is promoting fake face mask exemption cards featuring an eagle image reminiscent of the Department of Justice (DOJ) seal. Images of the laminated cards have been circulating on social media and were recently deemed fraudulent by the DOJ. Read more >

The MEC has requested that management take the following actions:

Alert Flight Attendants and CSAs that the card is fake and what to do about it and similar exemption cards if presented.
Communicate what documentation is required by passengers to substantiate medical or religious exemptions for wearing a face mask while travelling.

Management Provides Contractual Furlough Notice

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Pursuant to Section 18.G of the JCBA, management provided notice to the MEC President last Thursday (June 25) that the Company intends to use a Reduction of Force of Flight Attendants effective October 1, 2020. The contract requires that the parties meet for a period not to exceed fourteen (14) days from the date of notice “to consider… programs to help mitigate a reduction in force.” We are meeting every day this week to negotiate on the terms of additional and/or enhanced furlough mitigations.

Company “Early Out”

Retirement Committee

Management recently indicated that “Early Out” program details and application processes will be communicated over the next few weeks “depending on union agreements and company timelines.” Management has stated, “[W]e are still finalizing details with union and operational leaders,” and that “options may be different depending on union representation, current CBA language and operational needs.” However, AFA did not negotiate this Early Out package.

AFA approached management back in March regarding our interest in negotiating an Early Out, but management declined our offer. Although management has provided AFA with the opportunity for limited feedback, the Company developed its own version of an Early Out for all represented work groups rather than engaging each union—including AFA—in direct negotiations. The MEC would like to level-set the expectations of our members by being clear this is a management-developed Early Out package. More information to come once management has publicly released the details.

CARES Act Additional $600 Ends Soon

The additional $600 in weekly unemployment insurance benefits provided by the federal government is officially set to end July 31, but all states except New York will pay it only through the week ending Saturday, July 25. Read more >

June 30, 2020 12:24

Reminder: Deadline to complete Q2 CBT today June 30!

Trending Discipline

Layovers and the Alcohol Policy

Previously AFA provided a list of “What the company knows about me.” For layovers and hotels, this includes key swipes, hotel video images, and bar receipts that show times orders were placed and when paid. When a violation of the alcohol policy is suspected, the company can collect all of this information to provide evidence in support of the suspicion. Additionally, any “disruption” to a hotel property by an FA puts the company crew hotel contract at risk, and normally discharge to the offending FA is the result of these incidents.

RAP Violations

Management has been monitoring reserves and their location during the reserve availability period (RAP). FAs that are not within the base area during the entire RAP or reserves that leave base during airport standby have been discovered and this violation normally results in discharge. This includes commuting delays. If your commute flight arrives after your RAP begins, this would be considered a violation. Your Council 35 officers recommend that those FAs new to reserve, be sure to familiarize yourself with §11 of the JCBA to understand the rules regarding availability and contactability.

SFO Air Safety, Health & Security Committee (ASHSC) Update

By Brad Young, ASHSC Chair and Council Representative

ASAP: When can we use it? When should we not use it?

An ASAP is created specifically to provide a means for employees to report safety-related events or concerns. All individual ASAP reports are clearly labeled as such. Each ASAP report must contain sufficiently detailed information about a safety event so that it can be evaluated by the ASAP ERC (Event Review Committee).

Two types of reports are that are to be submitted under the ASAP:

Safety-related reports that appear to involve one or more violations of the regulations (e.g., deviating from routine flight duties (Policy and Procedure)-skipped part of the regulatory demo in announcement).
Reports that identify a general safety concern, but do not appear to involve a violation of the regulations (e.g., flight attendant concerns that the design of a galley cart configuration could lead to an on the job injury).

Flight Attendant reports that would be excluded for ASAP that involve:

Possible criminal activity
Substance abuse
Controlled substances
Intentional falsification or disregard for safety

Accidental ingestion of a possible controlled substance is not eligible for ASAP. If you find yourself accidentally ingesting something that could result in a positive drug test, please notify your Council 35 officers or EAP for guidance.

September Leaves

Crew planning recently offered Staffing Adjustment Leaves (SAL) of both 30 and 60 day durations. The MEC heard from many FAs disappointed with the offer and the inability to secure a leave for September if already on a SAL. Although the leaves offered were contractually compliant, the company recognized the challenge with how this would affect FAs already on a leave. As a result, an updated bulletin was posted indicating that SALs have been converted to 30-day only for August and bidding for September will be open in a few weeks to provide the fairest option to all FAs interested in remaining on a continuous leave.

Recurrent Checklists

A recent audit of recurrent training (RT) completion packets revealed that many didn’t have the appropriate check marks to indicate a completed drill. This caused many FAs to be recalled to attend RT a second time to prevent dequal status. As a result of the audit, the instructors have been extra fastidious with paperwork review, however it is recommended that FAs monitor their own completion packets to ensure the proper checks have been made after completing a drill.

Council 35 Committee Update: Welcome New Members!

Human Rights: Sejal Patel

In 2016, Sejal fulfilled a childhood dream when she earned her wings with Virgin America. Fueled by her love of travel and desire to switch industries and careers, she fell in love with flying and more importantly, the people she has worked with and met. She quickly learned that a good crew can turn even the most hideous pairing into one of your favorite trips and believes in that to this day. Sejal sought out to join the Human Rights Committee because she wanted to make a change at our airline and do the hard work to make Alaska Airlines a better, more inclusive, place for our flight attendants. This is not going to be an easy task and will require heavy lifting, difficult conversations and uncomfortable situations, but it’s the only way to create meaningful, lasting change and she is committed to the goal.

Interested in joining a committee? Please review the committee page and send your expression of interest to sfo@afaalaska.org.

Membership Dues

by James Ikehara

As a reminder, Article II.C.1.b of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws require that AFA dues continue to be paid during any leave of absence less than 90 days. If you currently pay your dues through payroll deduction, dues payments will continue to be deducted as long as you continue to receive a paycheck with sufficient funds for all other payroll deductions plus your AFA dues. If you are no longer receiving a paycheck or your paycheck does not cover all of your payroll deductions, AFA dues will not be deducted and you will instead receive an invoice from AFA International Membership Services. If you receive an invoice or statement indicating that you owe AFA dues, payment can be made in one of two ways:

By credit card-Online
By mailing a check directly to AFA International Membership Services

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?

Using a personal email address, the preferred methods of contact are:

Open an Online Support Request ticket
Officer group email sfo@afaalaska.org (if one officer is flying /unavailable other officers can respond)
Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 officers please avoid the following methods:

Sending to/from alaskaair email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least one business day for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President • Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
Aladrian Hillmon, LEC Vice President • Aladrian.hillmon@afaalaska.org • 415-991-3791
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary • James.ikehara@afaalaska.org • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

June 12, 2020 12:00

In This Edition

Black Lives Matter
Onboard Fume Events – How To Recognize and Respond
AFA EAP Support Services

Black Lives Matter

By Chip Hestle, MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson

Three words at the center of conversations, not only in the United States of America, but throughout the world. So just what does Black Lives Matter (BLM) mean? BLM is an international human rights movement, founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tomet, in July 2013. The BLM movement originated from the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. BLM is a global organization focused on annihilating white supremacy and stepping in to support black citizens who are victims of systemic racism and violence because of the color of their skin.

Systemic racism is deep-rooted discrimination that has repeated itself again and again, becoming more and more ingrained in society during a span of generations.

As it was stated by Mr. Strickland, senior legal analyst and special assistant to the director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, at the Ohio State University, “Systemic racism permeates within our institutions, its within our laws, our policies and our practices that have this founded foundation of biases, discrimination where you have barriers that place certain races above others. It permeates so much that people see it as normal, and it’s kind of normalized, that’s how, the way things are, when, in fact, these structures have been set up to the place certain races above others.”

As Flight Attendants, we have the privilege of working side-by-side with diverse colleagues and passengers aboard our aircrafts. Our paramount responsibility as Flight Attendants is to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Have you witnessed or experienced racism while inflight? Think about it.

Let me be clear—saying or hearing BLM doesn’t mean that non-black lives don’t matter. BLM has provided a platform for the black community and for people of color to draw attention to the need for change.

How can we effectively make change? Together, we can have healthy productive conversations with our family, friends and crew members. A discussion around race is not easy. But, if you desire to be a part of the solution and not the problem, I encourage you to try. As Flight Attendants we have the gift of navigating difficult conversations. We have the innate ability to express our feelings and, even more importantly, listen.

During this time of unparalleled crisis with COVID-19 and civil unrest, I encourage you to reach out to your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson or your Local Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee. Your AFA Human Rights Committee is here for you.

Onboard Fume Events – How To Recognize and Respond

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) – Air Quality Subcommittee

Everyone knows that the cabin can smell. Most of the time, the smells are unpleasant but should not make you sick. But when you notice an unpleasant, unusual smell sourced to the air supply vents – “fumes” – you should pay attention.

The design and maintenance of aircraft systems means that, sometimes, engine oil and hydraulic fluid fumes contaminate the air supplied to the cabin for ventilation. Ever noticed a dirty sock smell coming from the vents, maybe associated with APU usage or engine start? That smell can be engine oil fumes and the chemicals in those fumes can make you sick. Similarly, an acrid smell from the vents can be hydraulic fluid fumes. Other types of chemicals can get into the ventilation system, too, like deicing fluid and exhaust fumes. It’s important to know how to recognize and respond to the presence of these fumes in the cabin.

To assist our Members, AFA has created a video training tool to teach Flight Attendants how to recognize and respond to the presence of fumes onboard. The entire training takes approximately 40 minutes to complete and is built in modules that run for about 5 to 10 minutes each and can be completely individually. There is no password or login required to access the material. Check it out – listen to the stories of crewmembers who have been affected by fumes and learn about what you need to notice, plus the various AFA resources you can access.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please refer to the Air Quality Subcommittee page of the AFA Alaska website or email airquality@afaalaska.org.

AFA EAP Support Services

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

AFA EAP has put together several resources to help Flight Attendants manage their personal mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 outbreak. All services are available in either a telephone or online format. For a complete list of support services being offered, schedules, and access information, please click here.

June 5, 2020 15:00

A Message About Current Events

Nearly constant bombardment of disturbing news lately

The Master Executive Council (MEC) recognizes there has been a nearly constant bombardment of disturbing news lately. The COVID-19 pandemic and the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have touched every one of us in some way or another, and we are all struggling to process the enormity of the situation. Flight Attendants are feeling understandably anxious about their safety, health and financial security and for those they care about.

Impact of recent events on our Black sisters and brothers

We would be remiss as union leaders if we did not acknowledge that our Black sisters and brothers are understandably feeling particularly impacted by recent events. An injury to one is an injury to us all, and AFA will continue to defend our members’ rights, safety and freedom. We can and must do better as a society to achieve true racial equality. Black Lives Matter!

Juneteenth and Pride Month

June brings the celebration of Juneteenth and also is Pride Month. AFA’s mission is to unite Flight Attendants and promote equality for all regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. We also recognize the increased discrimination that Black and brown LGBTQ+ Flight Attendants face.

Discrimination undermines our country

Discrimination of any kind undermines the strength of our country. We must work together to protect the rights that should belong to every human being. We stand up for fairness and equal opportunity for all.

Planning for the Future

Future staffing discussed by management

Alaska Airlines management hosted an all-employee webcast yesterday morning (AAG SSO required) during which the subject of future staffing was discussed. CEO Brad Tilden and President Ben Minicucci also sent an email message (“An update on our airlines from Brad and Ben”) to all employees shortly thereafter. Flight Attendants want to know how the data translates into implications for future staffing, and we’re here to help.

Disclaimer

All indications are that management has been very transparent with the entire employee group, but keep in mind that any projections for future demand, revenue, capacity, block hours, etc., are all based on continually shifting data. These figures are potentially highly variable depending upon numerous factors that are too complex to anticipate with absolute certainty, and the forecasts become less certain the further into the future one goes. The following analysis is the MEC’s “worst-case” assessment based on management’s projections, so actual results may vary.

We’re going to cut through all the statistics, underlying assumptions and calculations by going straight to our assessment. The MEC does not feel at liberty to explain our methodology at this time because we do not wish to disclose data that could unintentionally provide a competitive advantage to other carriers. All that being said, we have vetted our calculations and feel confident in our conclusions—or as confident as we can be given all the caveats.

Q4 2020 staffing

Beginning on October 1, Alaska Airlines will possibly need 35%-50% less Flight Attendants systemwide—at least temporarily.

Summer 2021 staffing

Alaska Airlines will possibly need 20% less Flight Attendants through summer 2021 and for an indefinite period of time thereafter. Presumably, the other 15%-30% of Flight Attendants (i.e. from the initial reduction of 35%-50% in Q4 2020 above) would be brought back to active service by next summer if the 20% holds true.

Potential furlough mitigations

However, that does not mean the aforementioned percentages of Flight Attendants will be involuntarily furloughed. The number of actual involuntary furloughs could be much less depending on potential furlough mitigations such as extended leaves of absence, voluntary furloughs, et cetera. For example, there are more than enough Flight Attendants currently on Staffing Adjustment Leaves—over 3400 FAs and 55+% in June—to prevent involuntary furloughs if the staffing reduction were to be applied today.

AFA and management began discussions regarding early retirement back in March, and the parties have scheduled regular meetings starting next week in an effort to achieve an attractive “Early Out” package and explore other furlough mitigations as soon as possible. AFA will also continue to press Congress for additional payroll support programs and other legislative relief.

“Worst-case” assessment

The following “worst-case” assessment is based on the assumption of no furlough mitigations, which is quite simply not in the realm of possibility. At least some Flight Attendants will inevitably take extended leaves, voluntary furloughs and perhaps early retirement (if the parties agree to an Early Out package), all of which will reduce the potential number of involuntary furloughs. This information is provided only in order to give everyone a better sense of the theoretical scale of anticipated staffing reductions.

A forced 20% staffing reduction would hypothetically affect system seniority numbers 4780 to 5975 and occupational seniority dates March 2017 to August 2019. A 35% forced staffing reduction would hypothetically affect up to system seniority number 3884 and an occupational seniority date of March 2015. A 50% forced staffing reduction would hypothetically affect up to system seniority number 2988 and an occupational seniority date of May 2012. Again, AFA will work with management to mitigate the number of Flight Attendants who may be involuntarily furloughed.

Section 18 Reduction in Force

One of the key provisions that will potentially benefit Flight Attendants is the right to recall under Section 18 Reduction in Force. Flight Attendants are kept on the seniority list and have the right to be recalled in seniority order for up to five years. The MEC encourages Flight Attendants to familiarize themselves with Section 18 over the coming months.

Contract negotiations

Some Flight Attendants have asked about the status of upcoming contract negotiations. The contract is amendable in December 2021, but negotiations may start one year prior to the amendable date if notice is served by either party (AFA or management) at least 60 days prior to December 17, 2020. The MEC completed first round interviews with potential Negotiating Committee candidates in March and April. However, the bargaining ‘landscape’ has significantly changed in the past few months. In consultation with AFA Collective Bargaining, the MEC has decided to hold off on moving forward with second round interviews for now. We will provide another update on the issue no later than August.

Lots of sobering information to absorb! As your direct representative on the MEC, your LEC president is available to answer questions or concerns that you may have. Contact information for your respective LEC president can be found by clicking here.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Matt Cook, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

June 1, 2020 10:54

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

July 30/60-day SAL bidding closes: June 1
Request to cancel SAL for Life Insurance deadline: June 2 (more info below)
August PBS Bidding opens: June 5 (back to normal schedule)
Q1/Q2 CBT deadline: June 30

Trending Discipline

Sick Leave Abuse

Although many Flight Attendants are on some sort of leave, there still seems to be a trend with sick leave abuse investigations. When calling in sick, whether protected under FMLA or normal sick, the company’s expectation is that the Flight Attendant is taking the time to recover from an illness which is preventing them from being able to work. If evidence is discovered that shows a Flight Attendant using sick leave that doesn’t appear to be recovering, the company will investigate. Recent investigations have included travel audits, scheduling requests and social media posts that the company believes may contradict a Flight Attendant’s alleged sick status. From the company’s perspective, calling in sick for any other reason than sick, is considered time card fraud. In all cases, the investigations concluded in termination when proof of illness is not substantiated by evidence (i.e. hospital/doctor/medical receipts) and when conflicting evidence of apparent wellness is presented.

Reserve Issues

With new reserves on the roster, performance management is also focused on reserve compliance. Some of the trends include commuting into base after RAP begins, or leaving base early before RAP is completed. Reserve F/As not available in base for their reserve availability period (RAP) have received discipline, even on first offense. Just one occurrence can lead to discharge. Any Reserve F/A interested in extra support or guidance, please be sure to reach out to the SFO Reserve Committee. The committee has recently re-opened the Reserve Buddy program and is accepting requests to have an SFO Buddy assigned for help.

CBTs Due Soon

The Q1 and Q2 CBTs have been published to the Learn App (replaces Cornerstone) on the IMD. Both CBTs are due 6/30/20.

Q1 CBT: Uniforms and 9Max
Q2 CBT: Minimum Crew, CD-0 Cabin Management, CARES Restraint and Introduction to Threat and Error Management

Air Safety, Health & Security Committee Update

by Brad Young, ASHSC Chair and Council Representative

Masks

SFO continues to be stocked with surgical, light blue and dark blue (adjustable) facial masks. A third type of fabric mask will start testing next week and will be adjustable around the ears (the loop) for further comfort and better fit. Your ASHSC and Inflight Service Committee (ISC) members will be conducting wear and fit tests. Distribution of masks occurs in the SFO Village by supervisors from 0500-1500 daily and after hours by CSA supervisors. Flight Attendants will receive two (2) masks each and must sign for them. F/As may also email SFO supervisors to coordinate pick-up through the V-file system.

Onboard Sanitizing Supplies

All aircraft should have 16oz bottles of alcohol-based sanitizer onboard for use when soap and water aren’t readily accessible. Onboard Antiseptic Wipes (Clean-4-Sure) are provisioned on the A/C to wipe down IMDs, A/C surfaces, interphone, and demo kit contents. When using the IMD and interphone, avoid openings such as the earpiece and mouthpiece, as sanitizing liquid may enter and cause damage.

IMPORTANT: Please fill out an Irregularity/ASAP Report if the sanitizing supplies are not available or insufficient for flight. This will ensure the company provides the necessary tools to work in a safe and healthy workplace.

Social Distancing Inflight

AFA has worked closely with the company to help increase social distancing for F/As, which resulted in a temporary procedure change to allow F/As to sit in a guest seat during the cruise phase of flight. This policy is for F/As who are working a flight and on duty, however does not apply to F/As who are deadheading or on a crew rest break (HNL turn flight). While in a passenger seat, F/As must adhere to PED/IMD policy. As a reminder, this allowance is only applicable during the cruise phase of flight therefore F/As are expected to be in assigned jumpseat locations for taxi, takeoff, and landing.

First Virtual Membership Meeting a Success!

Thank you everyone for attending the first Council 35 Virtual Meeting on May 19! The agenda for this meeting was to discuss the AFA Proposed 2020 Budget. The following day on May 20, a Special Meeting of the AFA Board of Directors took place, at which an interim budget was approved for fiscal year 2020-2021. This was also a videoconference meeting and AFA’s first ever virtual BOD Meeting. The AFA International Office is currently updating the relevant documentation and will publish for review by members in the near future. The success of these meetings using new technology will provide councils with the opportunity to host more meetings in the future to reach members with valuable news and information happening in the Union.

Life Insurance While on SAL

Flight Attendants on Staffing Adjustment Leave (SAL) lose their company-sponsored life insurance after the first partial or full bid month on SAL. This is consistent with past practice, however the current insurance company is processing the cancellations faster than in the past, which is causing a burden to some Flight Attendants. In response, the company made the decision to offer a one-time opportunity for F/As to cancel their SAL beginning the month of July. To cancel and take advantage of this offer, F/As need to email Inflight Crew Planning no later than 1159pm (PST) Tuesday, June 2. Reference Bulletin Bundle #2020-0051 for additional information.

Recurrent 2020

It’s unfortunate, but even this late in the year we are still encountering challenges with Recurrent (RT) 2020. A recent training audit exposed administrative errors that have resulted in Flight Attendants de-qualing and returning for additional training. Your Council 35 officers understand how frustrating the RT program has been this year and empathize with F/As that are on the receiving-end of the disagreeable consequences. Be assured that AFA will continue to advocate for a fair resolution to these issues.

Membership Dues While on Leave

by James Ikehara, Secretary

Payment Options

If you receive an invoice or statement indicating that you owe AFA dues, payment can be made in one of two ways:

Online by credit card here.
By mailing a check directly to AFA International Membership Services

More information about payment options can be found on the payment options page of the membership services section of the AFA International website. This page also contains information about payment plan options if you have a past due account and are unable to pay your entire balance at once. Should you need further information about the status of your account, you can use this link and a representative from AFA International’s Membership Services department will be able to assist.

Updating Personal Information
You can update your contact information (street address, phone number, email address, last name) with this AFA link.

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?

Using a personal email address, the preferred methods of contact are:

Open an Online Support Request ticket
Officer group email sfo@afaalaska.org (if one officer is flying /unavailable other officers can respond)
Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 officers please avoid the following methods:

Sending to/from alaskaair email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least one business day for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian, James and Brad

May 29, 2020 18:00

In This Edition

AFA President Sara Nelson Statement on Justice for George Floyd, Attacks on Protesters and Press
AFA Board of Directors Special Meeting – May 20, 2020
COVID-19 Agreements Extension – June 2020
Life Insurance Coverage While on a Staffing Adjustment Leave

AFA President Sara Nelson Statement on Justice for George Floyd, Attacks on Protesters and Press

AFA International

Washington, DC (May 29, 2020) – Responding to violent clashes between police and protestors demanding accountability for police violence, especially for the killing by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis, AFA International President Sara Nelson released the following statement…

Click here to read President Nelson’s statement >

AFA Board of Directors Special Meeting – May 20, 2020

AFA Board of Directors

A Special Meeting of the AFA Board of Directors (BOD) took place on May 20, 2020, at which an interim budget was approved for fiscal year 2020-2021 (July through June). This was AFA’s first ever virtual BOD Meeting. The AFA International Office is currently updating documentation and writing a Compilation of Actions that will be posted online for review by the Board and Members in the near future. We will send notice when this information is available.

COVID-19 Agreements Extension – June 2020

Master Executive Council

The Master Executive Council (MEC) and Alaska Airlines management have previously executed several agreements that temporarily modify the administration of specific contractual provisions in order to mitigate the burden to Flight Attendants and the Company during the COVID-19 pandemic. The parties agreed to extend the duration of some of those agreements that were scheduled to expire on May 31; the agreements are now extended through June 30.

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)

Temporary Waiver of Discipline Delivery Confirmation (04/14/2020) – Notifications of confirmation of oral warnings and written warnings will continue to be sent via Company email rather than by US Mail with delivery confirmation.

Letters of Agreement (LOAs)

Commuter Policy and Utilizing Other Airline (OAL) Carriers During COVID-19 Schedule Disruptions (04/07/2020) – Registered air commuters may continue to utilize other airline (OAL) carriers to satisfy the “two consecutive scheduled flights from the registered air commuter’s designated registered commuter city to the domicile/co-terminal” requirement in the Commuter Policy.
JCBA §10.Z Personal Drops During COVID-19 Schedule Disruptions (04/14/2020) – Personal Drop(s) will continue to be administered two days prior to the day requested to be dropped rather than one day prior.
COVID-19 Schedule Changes (04/17/2020) – Re-times, flight routing changes and other schedule changes that occur in advance of the day of departure of a sequence will continue to be treated just like pre-cancellations with the exception of §10.S.1.c. Continue to email Crew Scheduling up until the day prior if you wish to drop a pre-cancellation without pay protection, and wait to call Crew Scheduling regarding pre-cancellations until the day prior.

Reference: COVID-19 Agreements Extension June 2020 Letter of Agreement (05/29/2020 – 06/30/2020)

Life Insurance Coverage While on a Staffing Adjustment Leave

Master Executive Council

Some of you who took a COVID-19 Staffing Adjustment Leave (SAL) were extremely surprised and angered to learn that your life insurance coverage may have terminated while on leave. Apparently, your Company-sponsored life insurance is cancelled after the first partial or full bid month on a COVID-19 SAL.

This MEC was also surprised to learn that cancellation of coverage has evidently always occurred while on SALs. We confirmed that a reference to this has been in the Alaska Airlines Employee Benefits Handbook for Flight Attendants (AAG SSO required) for many years. Regardless, Inflight management agrees that the disclosure was not included in the original leave materials and related Q&A. Consequently, management is offering a one-time opportunity for Flight Attendants to change their minds and cancel their SAL for July and beyond.

Flight Attendants must email Inflight Crew Planning no later than 11:59 PM PT on Tuesday, June 2 in order to cancel their SAL for July and beyond and bid for the month of July.
Flight Attendants who decide to stay out on a SAL may find useful information regarding life insurance portability and conversion options by clicking here (AAG SSO required).

As your direct representative on the MEC, your LEC president is available to answer questions or concerns that you may have about the information above. Contact information for your respective LEC president can be found by clicking here.

May 14, 2020 17:46

The yearly in-person Board of Directors meeting which was to have taken place in Cleveland in early June has been cancelled. To replace the Board of Directors meeting, a special virtual meeting will take place on 5/20, to approve the proposed AFA 2020/2021 Budget. No other agenda items will be considered.

You may recall that each year, prior to the Board of Director’s meeting, we hold an in-person Joint Local Council meeting with Horizon, and United (when they have flight attendants based in Seattle) to review the Advanced Agenda items for this meeting. We answer questions about the proposed Agenda items, and review the proposed budget. We had scheduled this Local Council Meeting, but due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements, this meeting has also been cancelled.

The Finance and Budget Committees have been holding virtual meetings to assess and revise the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. As a member of the Finance Committee, Terry Taylor has been very involved in this process. If you have questions about this process, or other budget related questions, please feel free to contact her at Terry.Taylor@afaalaska.org, or by phone at 425-941-7579.

In solidarity,

Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan

May 13, 2020 10:57

Membership Meeting to Review 2020-2021 AFA Proposed Annual Budget

The next membership meeting for Council 35 members will be Tuesday, May 19, 2020 from 1100-1200 on Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss the AFA Board of Director’s Budget Proposal 2020. The Board will be voting on this budget during the special AFA Board of Director’s Virtual Meeting on May 20, 2020, so this is the opportunity for members to ask questions and provide feedback to their LEC President on voting preferences.

This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 35, 18 and 15 members in good standing (up-to-date on dues). The only agenda item for this meeting will be the budget. Stay tuned for future meetings to allow members the opportunity to discuss a variety of topics with a full agenda.

You may review the agenda prior to this meeting. The full budget document will be shared during the Zoom meeting by the host. Special Guest Terry Taylor from the AFA Finance Committee will be present to answer specific questions.

If you wish to attend, please register by May 18, 2020. Once registered, you may submit budget questions to your LEC and the question will be answered during the meeting. No anonymous questions will be accepted.

Your AFA Alaska California Council Officers-

Melissa, Aladrian, James and Brad (SFO@afaalaska.org)

Tim, Kelese, Martin and Bryan (LAX@afaalaska.org)

Brice, Melanie and JR (SAN@afaalaska.org)

Furlough mitigation resources

Company resources (AAG SSO required)

AFA resources

Combined resources – “Early Out and Leave Options” informational sessions

“The Numbers”

Company Early Out

Involuntary Furlough (IVF) Mitigations

No lower line averages

October 2020 Furlough Mitigations Letter of Agreement

Reduction in Force 2020 Sideletter of Agreement

Tell Congress: Extend the CARES Act

In This Edition

Tell Congress: Extend the Payroll Support Program

Amplify Your Voice With a Call

Substance Use During COVID-19 Pandemic

Vanguard Retirement Webinar—Coming Soon

Retirement Plan Resources

Union Plus Program Hardship Benefits

Updated AFA Board of Directors Information

The Dues Pie Chart – Where Do My Dues Go?

Local and Airline-Specific

Negotiations

System Board (Grievances)

International Office Support

Questions?

In This Edition

Tell Congress: Extend the Payroll Support Program

Amplify Your Voice With a Call

Pandemic Response

Fraudulent Face Mask Exemption Card

Management Provides Contractual Furlough Notice

Company “Early Out”

CARES Act Additional $600 Ends Soon

In This Edition

Black Lives Matter

Onboard Fume Events – How To Recognize and Respond

Questions?

AFA EAP Support Services

A Message About Current Events

Nearly constant bombardment of disturbing news lately

Impact of recent events on our Black sisters and brothers

Juneteenth and Pride Month

Discrimination undermines our country

Planning for the Future

Future staffing discussed by management

Disclaimer

Q4 2020 staffing

Summer 2021 staffing

Potential furlough mitigations

“Worst-case” assessment

Section 18 Reduction in Force

Contract negotiations

In This Edition

AFA President Sara Nelson Statement on Justice for George Floyd, Attacks on Protesters and Press

AFA Board of Directors Special Meeting – May 20, 2020

COVID-19 Agreements Extension – June 2020

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)

Letters of Agreement (LOAs)

Life Insurance Coverage While on a Staffing Adjustment Leave

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