Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian
Q. Do the votes have to be postmarked by a certain date?
A. Voting does not occur by mail. Voting is done electronically by phone or internet. When you receive your ballot it includes a 16-digit activation code that you need to vote.
If your voting instructions have not arrived, please contact the AFA Ballot Help Line, Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time at 1-800-424-2401, press 1, and extension 706. For more voting information see the JNC TA Voting Information Page here:
Please note that in order to facilitate clear communication, the JNC will post only questions and answers on the blog. Opinions and/or comments included in questions will be edited to distill to the basic question(s). Duplicative questions may be condensed into a composite question in order to streamline the posts.
You may contact the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.
In Solidarity,
Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
TA documents and other TA-related resources may be found on the Merger TAs & Info page. Please be aware that only AFA members in good standing may vote on the TA, so it is extremely important that pmAS FAs are current on their dues and pmVX FAs have completed an AFA membership application prior to the vote.
If you wish to drop your membership application in the Village dropboxes for voting eligibility, please do so before 3/28/18. The last pick-up in the Villages prior to polls closing is 3/28/18.
If you miss the dropbox deadline and wish to submit a membership application to vote, please contact membership services and the Ballot Helpline:
1-800-424-2401 Press 1 then EXT 706 during normal business hours EST
The Ballot Helpline can provide instructions for updating your membership eligibility and providing a last minute ballot.
Please remember, polls close April 3, 2018, 0900 PDT.
Don’t miss your opportunity! Every vote counts!
Your Council 35 Officers-
Melissa and Jamie
Q. Can you please explain accelerated vesting to me under Sec 29 C. #3? Aren’t you 100% vested after 5 years service as a fa? If so, why is there a need for #3? Unless correct me if I am wrong an example -an FA is in the job for 2 years but worked for the company in a different position for 10 years and at 61 1/2 they would get full vesting but if less than 60 years, or less than 10 years, would only be vested at 40% for her 2 years as a FA. Am I understanding correctly?
A. Section 29 of the L-AS CBA: Profit Sharing and Retirement specifies in 29.C. what is the vesting schedule for a Flight Attendant’s 401(k) company matching contributions. This schedule is based on years of service as a Flight Attendant (often referred to as Occupational Seniority). A Flight Attendant is fully vested (100%) at five (5) or more years of service as a Flight Attendant (of Occupational Seniority).
The language in Section 29.D. references when a Flight Attendant may receive accelerated vesting in their 401(k) company matching contributions. Specifically number three (29.D.3.) states that when a Flight Attendant has prior company service with Alaska Airlines and is either 60 or 611/2 years of age, then s/he would have accelerated vesting and her/his Company Seniority of either (12 or 10 years respectively) would allow her/him to be 100% vested.
A Member will be fully vested and have a non-forfeitable interest in the balance credited to her/his Matching Contributions Account if:
In your scenario above if a Flight Attendant had worked for 2 years (2 years of Occupational Seniority) and had prior company service but was either younger than 60/61 or did not have 12/10 years of Company Seniority then s/he would only be 40% vested in tthe 401k company matching contributions.
Note: A Flight Attendant is always 100% vested in her/his personal 401(k) contributions.
After yesterday’s AFA clarification communication stating the error on the retroactive date for “Block or Better” in the Summary documents, the JNC reached out to management to enquire if they would consider actually making “Block or Better” retroactive to January 1, 2018–the same as it is for TFP and Block Hour pay raises.
Management has agreed to make L-VX “Block or Better” retroactive to January 1, 2018.
The JNC takes full responsibility for the human error that occurred in listing the incorrect date for the “Block or Better” retro pay in the summary document. We also recognize that this was an additional “ask” and management was under no obligation to honor our request. We are thankful for their decision, and that this issue has been resolved.
In Solidarity,
Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Dear Legacy Alaska and Virgin America Flight Attendants:
Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has completed the Merger Agreement roadshows in all domiciles. During the course of the roadshows the committee realized that two clarifications were necessary. The Committee is committed to setting the record straight. Listed below are two points which need clarification.
The Letters of Agreement and the L-VX JCBA Implementation Timetable all correctly state that the provision is retroactive to April 1, 2018.
The Block or Better by Segment retroactive date is incorrectly stated on the Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Agreement summary which was mailed with the ballot instructions, on p.8.
Regarding the Vacation Coordination Bank provision for continued medical insurance at the active employee rate while on a medical leave of absence, the language and examples provided in the following documents are correct:
However, during the roadshows in ANC, SEA and PDX, an unclear example was used which may have indicated that if a Flight Attendant qualified for full paid vacation and took all of her/his paid vacation in the beginning of the year and subsequently went on a medical leave of absence and had no accrued sick leave, then that Flight Attendant would have an unpaid bank of vacation days with which to coordinate for medical insurance. That is not the correct application of the provision. The Vacation Coordination Bank was created to protect Flight Attendants who did not qualify for paid vacation (i.e. did not achieve 480 Worked TFP in the previous year) in the event that they went on a medical leave of absence.
In addition, if a Flight Attendant is eligible for Longevity PTO and did not achieve it in the previous year, s/he would have 7 days in the Vacation Coordination Bank to utilize.
It is important to note that in addition to the above provision in the TA, the Alaska Flight Attendant CBA provides considerable provisions which combine to ensure that Flight Attendants retain health insurance:
Section 16.G – SICK LEAVE ACCRUAL ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE UTILIZING SICK LEAVE
During a leave of absence of thirty (30) days or more granted to a Flight Attendant the following will apply:
1. Sick leave will continue to accrue at a rate of seven (7.0) TFP per calendar month for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days.
Section 15.M – LEAVES WITH COORDINATION OF SICK LEAVE OR VACATION / LONGEVITY PTO
1. Coordination of Sick Leave:
a. Minimum Coordination: A Flight Attendant may choose to coordinate the use of sick leave in conjunction with medical, maternity or parental leave, FMLA, Workers’ Compensation, STD or LTD in order to maintain insurance benefits for her-/himself and her/his eligible dependents, if applicable, at the active employee contribution rate. Sick leave coordination will be allowed during any full or partial bid month on such a leave. S/he may draw three-tenths (0.3) TFP sick leave per day (nine (9.0) TFP in a thirty (30) day bid month or nine and three-tenths (9.3) TFP in a thirty-one (31) day bid month) from the sick leave until depleted. If a Flight Attendant does not have enough sick leave in her/his sick leave bank to maintain continuous health care coverage during the LTD benefits waiting period, the Company will work with the Flight Attendant to allow her/him to draw sick leave at an appropriate rate that will allow the Flight Attendant to maintain coverage throughout this period. In no circumstances will a Flight Attendant be provided a less favorable application of this practice than is extended to the Alaska Airlines pilots.
If a Flight Attendant is going on a medical leave of absence, it is important to contact AFA to obtain guidance on managing the medical leave and to contact the Alaska leave analysts to ensure that medical insurance is continued. Being proactive is the best course of action to take.
The JNC urges everyone to VOTE. Polls close on April 3 at 9 AM Pacific Time. Due to a U.S. Department of Labor rule change, once cast, a VOTE CANNOT BE CHANGED. Any questions about the Merger TA can be emailed to jnc@afaalaska.org and the JNC will respond.
The JNC has recorded “webinar” topic videos on the Merger Tentative Agreement (TA). You can view all the Merger TA videos at http://afaalaska.org/merger/jnc/ta/webinar.
In Solidarity,
Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Q: Please clarify the ppp payment for the block of 8 months,,,,do we have to meet the criteria every month to be paid the total $1100 payout for the 8 month block period. If we miss one of those 8 month do we forfeit the entire $1100 payout. Also if we get a vacation payout do we still need to pick up during the assigned month of vacation to make-up that tfp
A: The additional 5 TFP allotment each month (for a total of 40 TFP for the 8-month block) can be credited in any month(s) of the block. A Flight Attendant does not have to be credited the additional 5 TFP in each month. If a Flight Attendant cashes out her/his vacation, the value of the vacation in the assigned month will be included in the PBS award and does not have to me made up (unlike the current QPP), even if it is unpaid.
Vote closes, April 3, 2018 at 9am PST. Don’t wait until the last minute!
No. This is due to a change in Department of Labor voting guidelines, requiring all votes to be de-identified in the voting system.
Flight Attendants who do not receive their voting instructions with the 16-digit activation code must call the AFA Ballot Helpline. Call (800) 424-2401, option 1, extension 706. Help is available during normal business hours EST.
Summaries of the TA documents are included in your ballot mailer. Printed copies of the TA documents are available in SFO and LAX Villages (file/bag rooms). In addition all TA documents can be found online at: http://afaalaska.org/merger/jnc/ta
For additional information on the TA, please visit the JNC Blog or watch the TA Webinar. For more information on voting, please visit the AFA Voting Information Page, where you will find the AFA Vote Tracker which shows progress of all eligible votes cast.
Your Council 35 Officers-
Melissa and Jamie
Q: The specific language “Pre-Merger Legacy AS FA” and “Pre-Merger Legacy VX FA” concerns me because it leads me to believe there could be room for yet another pay scale for those hired “post merger,” which we all know will create a divide in our group for the next negotiations.
A: The terms pre-merger/Legacy AS FA and pre-merger/Legacy VX FA are used throughout the Merger TA in order to provide clarity with respect to which Flight Attendant group (Airbus vs. Boeing) is being being referenced. “pmAS”/”L-AS” and “pmVX”/”L-VX” are simply ‘shorthand’ references to the respective Flight Attendant groups. Any Flight Attendant hired prior to, during or after ratification would be covered under all the provisions of the JCBA–including compensation. There is no possibility for a separate post-merger pay scale.
Q: If the JCBA does not pass, then will both L-AS and L-VX FAs start getting cross trained this summer and will Full Implementation occur in March 2019 as shown on the timeline that MEC President Peterson explained in the Implementation segment of the Merger TA roadshow webinar?
A: If the Merger TA does not ratify, Flight Attendant cross training will continue as scheduled. Additionally, training for both aircraft types will be incorporated into 2019 Recurrent Training, so L-AS and L-VX Flight Attendants will remain current on both aircraft types. However, Full Implementation will not happen if the Merger TA does not ratify. Management cannot integrate both groups without an Integrated Seniority List, and AFA will not release the ISL to management without a ratified JCBA.
The JNC has been actively negotiating key sections of the contract, focusing on vacation, sick leave, and temporary duty assignments. A tentative agreement was reached on Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments), ensuring financial protections and fair treatment for Flight Attendants during temporary assignments. These ongoing discussions demonstrate a commitment to integrating the best benefits from both Alaska and Hawaiian CBAs for all members.
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