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October Base Update
Council #19 – Seattle
Local Council Meeting:
WHEN: November 12th, 1-5PM
WHERE: Sea Tac Office Complex – South Tower (the same building as 13 Coins), Lower Level, Earhart Room. Parking is behind the building. Bring your ticket with you and we will validate.
AGENDA: Officer and Committee Reports – bring your questions
Informational TidBits:
- When will base transfers into/out of SFO be available? The latest (but not set in stone) information that we have is May 1st. Openings will be posted as they become available.
- Transition Training classes will be available after November for those who have been unable to attend. We do not yet have firm details.
- There will be Flight Attendant hiring next year, tentatively 360. This number is of course subject to change.
- The Seattle base Inflight Office will be moving into two new spaces, one with seating available next to the Spot On office, and another space in the former Virgin Village space behind Fireworks which will be largely administrative. The precise move dates have not yet been announced.
- Need assistance after the base closes? A new procedure is in place. You will no longer be able to reach a supervisor after the Inflight Offices close. Instead, management has created a system of duty managers in Crew Scheduling. This is a new procedure, we are not sure what to expect.
- There is a significant shortage of IMD replacements. Some flight attendants who’s devices are no longer working have been told by IT support and by Spot On that there are no replacements available. They have been told that they must check out loaners before each trip, and return them after each trip. This is unacceptable. The latest information from Inflight management is that all IMD’s will be replaced by the first of the year.
Annual Benefits Enrollment:
Annual Enrollment will open for additions and changes on October 19, 2018, for changes to take effect on January 1, 2019. There are new benefits available. The AFA Benefits Committee will be conducting Base Sits in Inflight if you have questions, or need assistance. All changes and additions to your current benefits will be completed online through the Benefits Portal. As a reminder, since Short Term Disability coverage is offset by Social Security, if you are receiving your own Social Security benefits, it makes sense to discontinue supplemental Short Term Disability coverage. We will send out base sit schedules, later this week.
November Scheduling Issue:
Most of you are aware, or will undoubtedly hear about, the problem with some pairings not being entered by the company into the NavTech program for bidding. We did not find out about this until Friday, October 12th. Bids had already been awarded.
There were more than 1,200 single segments, which were to have been single positions (D positions). In addition to the segments not having been awarded, nor bid for, no hotels had been assigned for the pairings that were created after the fact. Since it was too late on Friday to reach out hotel vendor (API) we were made aware that it was likely that hotels would not be assigned until ‘some time’ on Monday, October 15th.
If a re-bid were to have occurred, it could not have begun prior to October 16th. This would mean that it would have been closed on October 21st, with awards final no earlier than October 23rd. It would have been October 25th before trading or open time pick-ups could begin.
In Seattle, there are 148 of these pairings (not bid lines, but individual pairings). All but a few only operate on one date. The pairings will be placed into open time for trading or pick up. If the stay in open time, they will be assigned to reserves or offered as premium trips.
Our current base size is 2,317 active Flight Attendants. After weighing all available information, Council 19 decided that due to the late notice and the fact that we’re bidding for a holiday month, this was a terrible time for delayed open time and trading to occur. Further, we considered the likelihood that there would be those who were unavailable and did not hear about the rebid. Since this is unprecedented, those on vacation would have had no idea that this was going on.
We were torn between the clear contractual violation, and the effect a delay of this magnitude would have on our base. After much discussion, the MEC voted NOT to have a re-bid. This was not an easy nor a unanimous decision. This was truly a ‘rock and a hard place’ situation for your officers. I am sure that this will be unpopular with some, just as a rebid with all associated delays would have been.
Are you “Connected”?
AFA Council 19 Website: http://afaalaska.org/sea
AFA Council 19 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AFA-Council-19-Seattle-538630496190284/
AFA Text Alerts: https://www.remind.com/join/sea19
AFA Reserve only Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/afacouncil19reserve/
In Solidarity,
Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan
This message is for Legacy Alaska Airlines (L-AS) Flight Attendants
Trouble with the November 2018 PBS bid award
The Master Executive Council (MEC) was informed on Friday, October 12, 2018, that the wrong one-position (“D”) pairing file was loaded into NAVBLUE PBS. That file did not contain all the one-position flights—in excess of 1000—requiring staffing coverage. Management and AFA were initially going to pursue a re-award under the usual contractual procedure.
However, management advised AFA that a longer than normal lead time would be required to re-open bidding because the correct D position pairing file had to be sent to API for hotel assignments prior to loading into NAVBLUE. Neither party was confident that API would be able to turn the file around over the weekend, so the conservative estimate was for API to finish processing the file on Monday 10/15, bidding to open Tuesday 10/16, bidding to close Sunday 10/21, bid awards to post Tuesday 10/23 and trading to finally open on Thursday 10/25.
Such an extensive delay to first round awards in order to accommodate the re-award would have been unprecedented. The MEC was even more apprehensive because November is a holiday month. However, the MEC was also extremely concerned that Flight Attendants would not be able to exercise their seniority to bid on all known flying if a re-award were to not occur; this would be in violation of Section (§) 10.E.5, which reads, “All known flying, including scheduled and confirmed 14 CFR part 121 charters, will be placed in the PBS program for bid.”
The MEC voted against a re-award via roll call
After vigorous discussion about all the implications, the MEC voted three to two for a re-award (For: C15 SAN/McGee, C18 LAX/Green and C30 ANC/Pinkston; Against: C19 SEA/Taylor and C39 PDX/de’Medici; Abstaining: C35 SFO/Osborne). As is her right under the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (C&B), Council 19 Seattle President Terry Taylor requested a roll call vote, in which an issue may be voted on using the number of members in good standing in each council. The MEC ultimately voted 2934 to 1899 against a re-award (For: C15 SAN/McGee @ 377 + C18 LAX/Green @ 1141 + C30 ANC/Pinkston @ 381 = 1899; Against: C19 SEA/Taylor @ 2317 + C39 PDX/de’Medici @ 617 = 2934; Abstaining: C35 SFO/Osborne @ 821). Council 35 SFO President Melissa Osborne abstained from both votes because the issue did not impact her members; all C35 member are currently Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendants and bidding under the L-VX work rules and related systems.
Implications
Consequently, November 2018 bid awards are now final and trading will commence on schedule. The tradeoff is that the MEC has waived the provisions of §10.E.5 specific to the ‘missing’ D position pairings for the month of November 2018; therefore any potential grievances pursued under that provision would have no standing in these narrow circumstances. Here is the breakdown by domicile of the missing one-position (D) pairings that will go into Open Time prior to the commencement of Open Time trading: 56 in ANC, 148 in SEA, 21 in PDX, 35 in LAX and 5 in SAN.
The MEC knows many Flight Attendants will be glad that November 2018 trading was not delayed until late October, but it is also possible that just as many will be upset by the award and the waiver to §10.E.5. This was truly a no-win situation for AFA and for all L-AS Flight Attendants. However, be assured that your elected leaders will continue to advocate for you under the democratic processes of the AFA C&B to the best of our ability.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2018
Contact: Taylor Garland, 202-550-5520
Flight Attendants Cheer 10 Hours Rest, No Calls or Knives on Planes, Air Quality Initiative, and Numerous Other Safety Priorities in FAA Reauthorization Bill
Washington, DC — The 50,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines represented by the Association of Flight Attendants–CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA), today cheered the passage of a five-year FAA Reauthorization Bill including a 10 hour minimum rest provision to combat Flight Attendant fatigue. The bill includes more Flight Attendant safety priorities including forever banning knives on planes, no voice calls on planes, and extending the smoking ban to e-cigarettes. AFA International President Sara Nelson issued the following statement:
“Flight Attendants cheer the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 with a provision to combat Flight Attendant fatigue by increasing minimum rest from 8 hours to 10 hours. This bill closes a safety loophole while improving Flight Attendant health and achieving equal minimum rest with our flight deck counterparts.”
“We applaud Chairman Shuster (R-PA), Ranking Member DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman LoBiondo (R-NJ), Ranking Member Larsen (D-WA), Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), for their leadership in writing this legislation so important for a safe and dependable U.S. aviation system.”
The final bill received overwhelming bipartisan support. AFA especially notes Congressional champions for Flight Attendant 10 hours minimum rest:
House – Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA), Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Rep. Michael Bost (R-IL), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL).
Senate – Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) originally introduced the language when she was in the House and continued advocacy in the Senate. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) have all since worked hard to ensure the rest language would be included in a final FAA bill. We thank Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) for weighing in when it especially counted to help us get our rest.
“Over 100,000 Flight Attendants from around the country made calls, signed postcards, rallied, repeatedly visited congressional offices and took other actions to achieve this outcome today. This bill lifts standards for Flight Attendants across the industry and addresses serious safety, health and security issues in our workplace – the passenger cabin,” Nelson concluded.
Summary of AFA safety priorities included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018:
- 10-hours Minimum Rest and a FRMP for Flight Attendants
- No Knives on Planes Ever Again
- Ban of Voice Calls on Planes
- Emotional Support and Service Animal Standards
- Air Quality: Technologies to Combat Contaminated Bleed Air
- Protect Customer Service agents from Assaults
- Cabin Cyber Security Vulnerabilities
- Secondary Cockpit Barriers
- Safe Transport of Lithium Batteries
- Study on Cabin Evacuation Certification (including cabin configuration)
- Increase Civil Penalties for Crew Interference from $25,000 to $35,000
- Banning Electronic Cigarette Smoking on Planes
- Congressional Focus on Addressing Sexual Misconduct on Planes
- Establish National Inflight Sexual Misconduct Task Force
- Require DOJ to Establish Reporting Process for Sexual Misconduct
- Prioritize Support for Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP)
- Requiring Privacy for Nursing in the Airport
- Evaluation and Update of Emergency Medical Kit Contents
- Oxygen Mask Design Study
- Develop Guidance for Non-Toxic Prevention of Transporting Insects
- Exit Row Evaluation and Verification
- Required Notification of Insecticide Use
- Promoting Women in Aviation
- TSA Authorization
- Continue Crewmember Self-Defense Training
- NTSB Reauthorization
- Expanded Human Trafficking Training for Airline Personnel
- Authorization of Essential Air Service
Dues Check Off Forms Still Needed!
Approximately 60% of SFO-based flight attendants have submitted their forms, which leaves approximately 400 forms outstanding. Falling into arrears for failing to pay dues could result in separation from the company, as payment of dues is a condition of employment (which can be referenced in §26 of the JCBA). Those that have been identified as past due have received notices in their V-files and via email. To pay late dues, please visit the AFA Online Payment Center. The dues requirement for AFA members is currently $50 per month. The dues obligation for L-VX Flight Attendants began July 2018.
Sign up for Automatic Payroll Deduction
The easiest and recommended method to pay dues is through payroll deduction. You can sign up for automatic payroll deduction of dues by completing a Dues Check Off form. This form can be downloaded from the AFA Alaska website or you can pick up a copy in the file room in the SFO Village. Once you’ve completed the form, mail it to AFA International Membership Services (the address is on the bottom of the form) or place it in the AFA lock box (located in SFO file room) and we’ll mail it in on your behalf. For more information about dues please see our April 30 communication AFA Dues for Legacy Virgin America.
AFA Alaska Online Support Center
To contact AFA and the most appropriate committee for your concerns, please submit an Online Support request. By submitting a “ticket” and designating a department, this ensures the fastest response from the appropriate committee member. You may also upload files to your ticket to help provide the most detailed information to the reps assigned to your case.
Alaska Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and AFA EAP—What’s the Difference?
The Alaska Airlines Employee Assistance Program (Active) is a company-wide benefit and a valuable resource for employees who encounter a personal situation that requires specific support. In addition to Active, Flight Attendants also have the added benefit of an AFA sponsored EAP. AFA EAP is a peer support program and committee members are Flight Attendants that volunteer to participate in an extensive training program to be qualified in the role. If you experience an event at work or have personal challenges that are effecting your work life, you may reach out to AFA EAP for support and assistance.
Professional Standards—What is it??
A sub-program of AFA EAP is Professional Standards. This is a peer support resource that facilitates mediated de-escalation discussions between Flight Attendants that have encountered a challenge in their work relationship. Rather than “turn in” a fellow Flight Attendant, you may contact AFA EAP/Professional Standards and request a mediated conversation to resolve the issue. This program is also available at ALPA, the pilot Union, therefore mediation for pilot/Flight Attendant disputes can also be arranged. AFA EAP/Professional Standards provides an opportunity for Flight Attendants to resolve disputes without company Human Resources (HR) and/or management involvement, which could potentially lead to discipline. All information brought to AFA EAP/Professional Standards is held confidentially.
Scheduling vs. Reserve Committees
AFA has two committees to assist Flight Attendants with scheduling challenges. If you are a line-holder, the scheduling resource would be the Scheduling committee. However for Flight Attendants on reserve, The Reserve committee would be the most appropriate resource for assistance with scheduling difficulties. The Reserve committee is also a source for probationary and new-hire Flight Attendants with questions and concerns about their new careers as a Flight Attendant. To contact the appropriate scheduling committee, please submit on Online Support request or contact to the committee members directly:
- SFO Scheduling Committee (line holder scheduling issues): Virginia Fritz (chair); Jaqui Bellenie
- SFO Reserve Committee (reserve scheduling issues, probationaries and new hire support): Rachel Sebastian(chair)
New Council 35 Committees Members
Please welcome the following committee members and chairs into the following Council 35 SFO committees:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards: Denice Perez-Lopez
Denice started working as a Flight Attendant in 2006 with Air Wisconsin Airlines. In 2015 she started with Virgin America. When the opportunity to serve her fellow Flight Attendants as an EAP rep emerged she didn’t think twice. Her purpose is to help her peers achieve a suitable work-life balance. Denice likes to spend her time off hiking and camping with her husband Scott and their rescue dog, an Australian Shepherd named Murphy.
Grievance: Shannon Dessert
Influenced by her family’s passion for travel Shannon began her career in the airline industry as a Customer Service Agent with Alaska Airlines in 1995. After a few years she moved to the training department where she realized her love of helping others to achieve their goals. Ten years later, opportunities came knocking and Shannon moved on to JetBlue Airways and eventually Virgin America as a Flight Attendant in San Francisco in 2010. Again, looking to help others she became a member of the Rule Book Review, Peer Review, Fatigue Review and Inflight Service Representative Committees. Shannon did a Special Assignment helping FAA compliance in the Drug and Alcohol Department in 2014. She was an Infight Team Lead and an Air Transportation Supervisor working with the new hire training classes as well as conducting Service Training Flights and IOE’s. Shannon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and is currently exploring Master’s programs to continue her own personal growth. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteer work, visiting family and friends and scrapbooking her many travels. With her experience at both Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, Shannon looks forward to working hard to support her fellow teammates on the Grievance Committee.
Grievance: Ashley Toles
Ashley became a flight attendant with Virgin America in 2015. She has been at the SFO base since then and has enjoyed meeting and working with some of the best people she has ever met. Ashley completed her undergraduate education at University of California, Santa Barbara and earned a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Early Modern British Literature. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law where she developed her passion for fighting for justice. Before becoming a flight attendant, Ashley was Co-President of the General Assistance Advocacy Project, a local San Francisco drop-in legal clinic for the homeless. She advocated on behalf of indigent San Franciscans at both state and county hearings, defending her clients’ rights to retain their public benefits, including SSI, county welfare, food stamps, and Medi-Cal. Ashley also interned at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office where she represented indigent people who were accused of crimes. Ashley enjoys helping people and has always been a fierce advocate for her clients. Ashley feels very excited and fortunate to be able to represent her fellow flight attendants with the grievance process. Her goal is to protect flight attendants against arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and make sure that management is upholding and abiding by the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Advocating for people is one of Ashley’s favorite things to do and she is elated to be able to serve her fellow flight attendants in this capacity.
Scheduling: Jaqui Bellenie
Jaqui’s fascination with planes began at a very early age in England with annual family outings to air displays. She began her Flight Attendant career with Virgin America in June 2008, upgrading to the Inflight Team Leader position in late 2009. In 2013 Jaqui trained to be part of the Rulebook Dispute Resolution team, hearing scheduling issues and helping to resolve them in a group setting.ETOPS and A321 cadre followed in 2015 and 2017. Amazing experiences for her, working alongside the FAA, understanding their policies and procedures and breaking an aviation record along the way. The first A320 ETOPS to fly from SFO to HNL.With 10 years as a Flight Attendant under her belt Jaqui feels she has sufficient bidding and scheduling experience to be an asset to the scheduling committee.In her spare time Jaqui can be found in the East Bay working on her fixer upper house, and growing vegetables in her back garden. She enjoys running and cycling whenever she can.
Retirement: Ed Alcantara (chair)
After what he described as “one of the hardest, yet rewarding endeavors he has done in his entire life”, Ed Alcantara earned his wings in 2011, with then, Virgin America. While with Virgin, Ed was proud to serve his fellow teammates under the Care to Share Program from 2015, until its dissolution. He also quietly worked with other work groups within the company under the 401k focus group wherein they worked to transfer the guardianship of the account to Fidelity Investments. As the AFA Retirement Committee Chair, he hopes to help make sure that his fellow employees are aware and knowledgeable of everything that would help them work towards retirement. Also a small business owner, he often times spends his free time travelling, trying to outsmart Flica, hosting karaoke parties or gushing (or ranting) about the Golden State Warriors.
Uniforms: Lisa Mueller (chair)
Lisa got her start in the airline industry with Virgin America in Chicago where she wore many different hats including operations, guest services, Green Team Lead and creating the Vsis/Vbro mentoring program. She then joined the inflight team based in JFK, and then transferred to SFO and became an Inflight Team Leader. Lisa also has a passion for design. Outside of the airlines, she is an architect with a focus on sustainability, and a makeup artist working many high fashion shows.
More Opportunities to Serve
If you are interested in participating in a committee or getting involved, please visit the volunteer page of the AFA website for more information about each committee and their responsibilities or reach out to the chairperson of the committee you are interested in to answer your questions. To see a list of committees and chair contact information, please visit the SFO Committee List.
Are You an AFA Member?
As of today, only a small percentage of L-VX F/As have not signed up to become members. As a reminder, the Membership Application cannot be completed online. The hard copy paper form must be submitted directly to an AFA representative or mailed to the AFA International Office in Washington D.C. You can download and print an application, or pick one up from the bag/file rooms the next time you pass through the SFO Village. Only AFA members may attend Membership Meetings, vote for officers, hold a position as an AFA officer or committee member or vote on Tentative Agreements (TAs). It’s important to note that at Alaska Airlines, you are obligated to pay AFA dues regardless of your membership status and becoming a member is a condition of employment, referenced in §26 of the JCBA.
New Email Address for Council 35
As of July 31, 2018, Council 35 will be representing SFO-based Flight Attendants only. All L-VX F/As based in LAX are now represented by Council 18. Therefore the previous email address vx@afaalaska will be retired. To contact Council 35 officers in SFO, please email us at sfo@afaalaska.org. To contact Council 18 officers in LAX, please email lax@afaalaska.org.
FAQs
How do I report hotel issues?
API is the hotel vendor responsible for hotel selection and assignment at Alaska Airlines. API offers Crewcare as the platform to report any challenges you have experienced with any of our hotel properties on a layover. On your first visit to the site you will need to register your Alaska email address. Once registered, please document any incidents that you have with a hotel in Crewcare. This feedback provides hard data of issues and trends we can address with the vendor to remedy. Positive feedback is also welcome, so please send any compliments via Crewcare as well. For more information, please visit the Hotel & Stationsection of the inflight page on Alaskasworld. You will find the depository for all relevant layover information regarding hotel transport, phone numbers, food and beverage discounts and hotel amenities that are offered onsite. Please reach out to the Council 35 Hotel Committee Chairperson, James Bozanich for more information and assistance with hotel concerns.
When can I submit for transportation reimbursements?
According to the JCBA §22.B which went into effect at date of ratification (DOR), Flight Attendants may submit for travel reimbursement 35 minutes after block-in or within 10 minutes from the scheduled departure from the hotel. Additionally, the company has agreed to pay for reimbursements for transportation to/from hospital/medical facility when an Flight Attendant encounters a medical issue on a layover or is selected for a drug test and the scheduled crew transportation has departed.
How do I contact Council 35 officers?
The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email. Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information. Using your personal email account, please know that concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence, and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender. Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org. All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources. Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.
In Solidarity,
Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa, Aladrian & James
Q3 CBT: Inflight Service Updates Due September 30, 2018
Approximately 250 SFO-based Flight Attendants have not completed the 3rd Quarter Computer Based Training (CBT) Q3 CBT: Inflight Service Updates.
Failure to complete the required CBT by the deadline may result in steps of progressive discipline and a meeting with management. If you have completed the Q3 CBT, please disregard this message.
Instructions to complete the CBT
To Access the ‘Q3 CBT: Inflight Service Updates’ on IMD:
- Open/Log-in – Cornerstone App
All Uncompleted/Assigned courses will show on the main page.
- To Verify Completion
Click on the 3 dots in the upper right-hand corner.
Select ‘Completed’ to display a list of completed courses.
Select ‘Active’ to display a list of all uncompleted courses.
- To Access the ‘Q3 CBT: Inflight Service Updates’ on Computer/Tablet:
Log-in – Flight Attendant Page> Training> General Training (Boeing/Airbus specific)> Cornerstone
‘Active’/uncompleted courses should show on the main page. - To Verify Completion:
Click on Transcript and Locate the Drop-down Menu:
Select ‘Completed’ to display a list of completed courses.
Select ‘Active’ to display a list of all uncompleted courses.
Suggestion: Take screen shots of your completed courses.
If you have any concerns or issues regarding the CBT, please contact your assigned SFO supervisor.
GDOs and 2019-2020 Year-End Overlap Vacation Days
Vacation bidding for Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendants opens on Friday, September 28, 2018. There are a few changes to how Guaranteed Days Off (GDOs) and year-end overlap 2019-2020 vacation days will be handled in preparation for transition to Alaska Airlines systems and contractual coverage under the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). You may reference Informational Bulletin 2018-0098 “Airbus 2019 Vacation Bidding” on the Inflight Webpage or the updated “Airbus FA Vacation Bidding 2019” email from Willie Bell (dated 9/20/2018) for more information.
Click here for the Transitioning L-VX GDOs and Year-End Overlap Vacation Days MOU >
Virgin America Inflight Teammate Work Rules v5 Amendments
L-VX Flight Attendants are currently working under “Virgin America InFlight Teammate Work Rules v5” (“Work Rules v5”) as modified by other letters of agreement. AFA and management acknowledged that some disparities existed between the work rules reflected in Work Rules v5 and the work rules in actual practice as of the date of ratification of the AFA Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Agreement on April 3, 2018.
In order to memorialize all known work rules that were previously communicated by various historical Work Rule Amendments, InFlight Reviews or standalone email communications to all L-VX Flight Attendants, the parties agreed to targeted amendments of Work Rules v5.
Click here for the Virgin America Inflight Teammate Work Rules v5 Amendments >
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee
We have 66 SAN Flight Attendants that have not completed the 3rd Quarter CBT (Computer Base Training). The title of the required training is Q3 inflight service updates.
The current training is due September 30, 2018.
Failure to complete the required quarterly trainings by the deadline can result in discipline of an Oral Warning and meetings with Management.
Open your Cornerstone App on your IMD. After logging in all uncompleted courses will show on the main page. Remember its always a good idea to take screen shots of your completed courses as backup.
If your main screen is blank you can double check your completed courses by clicking on the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner and choosing the completed tab. All completed trainings will be visible there. All non completed courses will be under the Active tab.
If you have any concerns regarding the current trainings contact any of the SAN Supervisors.
Fly Safe.
AFA Meeting Oct 8th 12:00 to 3:00
AFA Constitution and Bylaws require that local councils hold a membership meeting twice per calendar year. Our first meeting of the year was held in May to discuss the AFA Board of Directors Meeting Agenda.
This meeting is open to all Council 15 members in good standing. The purpose of the meeting will be to provide members the opportunity to meet your Officers. Please come ready to ask questions and participate in the discussions regarding merger negotiations, bidding and the latest issues impacting Council 15 members. The meeting will be in the Volunteer Conference Room located above the USO across from Terminal 2 East.
Scheduling Chair JR will be attending to discuss scheduling issues and our Uniform Chair Denise Sheldon will be there with her uniform pieces and will discuss the second round uniform testing.
If you have an agenda item that you would like to discuss at the local meeting or any issues or concerns you would like us to discuss with management, please send them no later than OCT 4th, to LEC Secretary/Treasurer Stephen Couckuyt at Stephen.Couckuyt@afaalaska.org
We hope to see you there!
Going Away Party/Happy Hour for Melissa
We are looking for a fun venue for the happy hour following the Base Meeting, someplace close to the airport. If you know of a place please, contact Melanie Buker @ 208-890-1849 and continue to send photos, videos, quotes, etc so that we can create a nice going away video. Mail to: melanie.buker@gmail.com
Committee Updates:
We welcome Norma Dorman, Rex Hampton and Holly Mozzone to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Professional Standards Committee.
These 3 bring diverse backgrounds, work experience and many varied skills in areas such as peer support, working with addiction and volunteer work.
They have just recently completed the EAP initial training, so please help us in welcoming them to the EAP peer support program.
We have one opening on the uniform committee and with the second round of wear testing upcoming, we think it’s important to add a male to the committee. If interested, please send an email to: SAN@afaalaska.org.
We are also looking for someone to assist with Workers Comp if you would be interested and have knowledge in this area please send an email to: san@afaalaska.org
To look at the complete list of our SAN committee’s go to http://afaalaska.org/committees
Pairing Changes
After many talks with management regarding our high percentage of 4-day trips in SAN. They heard us loud and clear: 4-day pairings for SAN significantly dropped to 14.7% for OCT. However, please know that though Crew Planning was able to make this adjustment from SEP to OCT, they may not always make adjustments like this. The reality on trip distributions is that it needs to be assessed on a month-by-month basis across all bases as Crew Planning tries to balance safety, quality, cost, and productivity.
Until we are fully integrated, scheduled for February 2019, we may see many changes. Flying that we’re missing now should return and you’ll have the ability to fly on both Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Also, this is when all bases are planned be aligned and transfers will be allowed for both Airbus and Boeing into all 6 bases as staffing permits.
Professional Standards
Conflicts and/or issues with Coworkers
In San Diego we are lucky to have a great team of supervisors and management staff.
Please keep in mind that many personal conflicts should be taken to your Professional standards team and not taken immediately to management. Often AFA EAP/ Professional Standards can resolve the problems or issues without Management becoming involved. Once management is aware of the situation that could lead to someone’s discipline and or possibly even termination.
Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Chair and Reps can be found here: http://afaalaska.org/san/committees
Reminder: Calling out Sick or Sick Family
Less is more
When calling in sick, the only thing that scheduling needs to know is that you are calling in either sick, sick family, FMLA or Workers Comp period. They do not need to know why, what symptoms or anything else related to the illness. You don’t need to apologize, and you don’t need to explain.
Reminder: Contacted by Management?
Know Your Rights
If you receive a call from any Inflight Supervisor, it is best to first clarify if the conversation could lead to disciplinary action. If the answer is “Yes,” at this point you can request that the union be involved in any further conversations. However, even if the supervisor states that the conversation won’t lead to any discipline, if at any time you feel the questions to be leading or uncomfortable you can once again end the conversation by saying you will only continue with a union rep present.
Having a union rep there is insurance. It is an advocate and a second set of ears to ensure that your point is understood clearly by the company and not misinterpreted.
Keeping Current with AFA Information
There are several ways to keep up to date with your Council #15 news! In addition to your regular email updates, the information can be found at: afaalaska.org/san
Are you on Facebook?
Like the Official Council #15 page at: https://www.facebook.com/AFA-Council-15-San-Diego-249262698862442/
We also have the SAN AFA page that is not public and you need to ask one of your friends who is in the group already, or one of the Officers to add you.
Receive the most important information via text (we do not send out all communications via text, just the ones that are the most important!). Register for texts at: https://www.remind.com/join/afalec15
We also have an App exclusive to SAN. The App give you easy access to jump seat agreements, KCM Locations, Air Quality and much more. The App is not searchable in play store you need to either click on this link: http://m.magmito.com/inva/
Or ask one of your officers and we can assist you with downloading.
In Solidarity,
Brice, Melanie and Stephen
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