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AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to expand the provision of 8.S [Natural Disasters…] in response to Hurricane Matthew. Affected cities now include:

  • Charleston (CHS),
  • Orlando (MCO), and
  • Fort Lauderdale (FLL).

The provisions of 8.S remain in effect until such time when Alaska Airlines is able to resume normal operations to the affected areas.

If you have any questions, contact one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers or Scheduling Committee members.

In solidarity,

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Chairperson Jake Jones

Alaska Airlines management has made the decision to turn the crew out of Charleston (CHS) today in response to Hurricane Matthew. AFA and Alaska Airlines have agreed to enact the provision of 8.S [Natural Disasters…] in order to facilitate their removal. The provisions of 8.S remain in effect until such time when Alaska Airlines is able to resume normal operations to CHS.

The parties agree to communicate any further changes if Hurricane Matthew impacts additional cities.

If you have any questions, contact one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers or Scheduling Committee members.

In solidarity,

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Chairperson Jake Jones

Council 19 Members,

Your LEC Officers would like to notify you that the Local Officer Election process for the next term of office begins January of 2017.

If you are interested in running for a local council office you can find information located in the AFA Constitution and Bylaws under Article III and Article VIII.C,  http://www.afacwa.org/constitution_bylaws.

You can also reach out to any of your LEC Officers or Council Representatives for more information:

LEC President Laura Masserant

LEC Vice President Jake Jones

LEC Secretary Linda Christou

Council Representative Stephanie Adams

Council Representative Adam Clarey

Also, if you are interested in shadowing any of the positions your LEC Officers are happy to schedule this time with you.The chart below explains the election process for Council 19~ ALA 19.

In accordance with Article VIII of the Constitution & Bylaws, all Local Councils in Election Category II must nominate and elect officers for the term beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 31, 2020 (three year term).  Article IX of the Constitution & Bylaws and Union Voting Procedures (Section IX of the Policy Manual) shall govern nominations and elections.

Attached you will find the nomination and election schedule for Category II.  For all domestic Councils the process will commence in January and finish by late April.

All active Flight Attendants, regardless of dues standing will be mailed the voting instructions and activation code. In addition, apprentice members completing their first 4 full months of active membership on or before the count date will receive a ballot packet.   

New activation codes are issued for each nomination, election, and contract ratification ballot.

Step-by-step instructions, for both the nomination and election process, can be found on the AFA-CWA Election website www.afacwa-elections.org along with the Category II Election schedule. The AFA-CWA Election Handbook and the Commitment to Serve form can also be found on the AFA Election website.

dates

As reported a few weeks ago on afaalaska.org  (“Open Time Negotiations Survey Suspended Due to a Technical Problem”), the Open Time negotiations survey went offline because of an unforeseen glitch. Shortly thereafter the Master Executive Council (MEC) made the decision to leave the survey down in order to address membership feedback sent to leadership (“Update on Open Time Survey Suspension”). After much consideration AFA is re-posting the survey. Previously submitted surveys are on file, so it is not necessary to re-take the survey unless you wish to revise your responses.

About minimum flying and other undesirable options…

What was the feedback? Members expressed frustration with the last question in particular: “Some changes MAY be required in order to negotiate a better Open Time system. IF that becomes necessary, I would prefer to see them in the following order, with 1 being the change I would be most willing to accept and 8 being the change I would be least willing to accept.” Although there were several concerns, feedback was mostly centered on apprehensions that the survey seems to suggest a monthly minimum is a possibility.

A survey can be used as a communication tool to both membership and management in addition to being an informational tool for the Negotiating Committee and leadership. In this case, the reference to minimum flying in the survey was definitely not intended to communicate AFA’s desire to actually seek or even allow minimum flying. In fact, it was intended to do the exact opposite. Management tends to bring up minimum flying in every negotiation, so we wanted to have additional ‘ammunition’ to respond to such a proposal.

Be assured the entire MEC and the Negotiating Committee are adamantly opposed to a monthly minimum. We know changes to “the 480” were very controversial in this current contract, so we were (and are) highly confident the membership would rank any reference to minimum flying as dead last. It was unintentional and unfortunate that the survey would cause so much controversy. The survey was designed to simply determine priorities in a comprehensive list of possibilities that either the union or management might voluntarily address or be forced to address in one way or another.

The MEC and the Negotiating Committee will go so far as to say that we’re encouraging you to take (or re-take) the survey and rank “minimum flying” last on the list. We will also tell you that we fully understand you do not wish to accept any of the items on the list in that last question, and we will proceed with crafting our opening proposal accordingly. If you are opposed to answering the last question altogether, then you have the ability to completely skip it (just don’t fill in any of the bubbles). There is also a “free form” comments field at the end of the survey if you would like to provide additional feedback.

Take 2

*** Note: Previously submitted surveys are on file, so it is not necessary to re-take the survey unless you wish to revise your responses. ***

Pursuant to AFA Alaska Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.9.b. [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial], AFA and Alaska Airlines management will begin negotiations on a successor Open Time system due to cancellation of the Open Time Trial. AFA is surveying the membership regarding Open Time in order to guide the Negotiating Committee in writing our opening proposal for negotiating a new Open Time system.

Your candid responses are appreciated.

You must enter your Arctic number in order to take the survey. We’re asking for your Arctic number to ensure each Flight Attendant receives one vote and is not for tracking purposes. If a survey is submitted more than once with the same Arctic number, only the last response will be counted.

If you have any creative solutions or ideas regarding Open Time, please share them in the free form comments field at the end of the survey.

The Master Executive Council (MEC) knows that many of you are tired of taking surveys about Open Time, but this is a different survey than the satisfaction surveys that went out during the Open Time Trial. Now that the MEC has canceled the trial, it is extremely important that every Flight Attendant take this negotiations survey. AFA very much wants every voice to be counted regarding a new Open Time system.

>>> To take the Open Time Negotiations Survey click here. <<<

The survey will close at noon Pacific Time on Friday, October 7th.

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to a first-round vacation rebid in order to resolve a valid system-wide vacation bid protest. Why? The new Inflight website allowed Flight Attendants to bid for vacation dates outside of 2017, and the issue was discovered in the awards process.

As reported last night, the good news is that your initial bid will be retained. As a result, you will not need to do anything if you are satisfied with your initial bid. However, you may revise your bid if desired.

New 2017 vacation bidding timeline

The new timeline for the 2017 vacation bids will be as follows:

  • 1st round rebid opens: Friday, September 30, 2016 – by noon PDT
  • 1st round rebid closes: Thursday, October 6, 2016 @ 11:59 PM PDT
  • 1st round awards posted: Tuesday, October 11, 2016
  • 2nd round bidding opens: Wednesday, October 12, 2016 @ 12:01 AM PDT
  • 2nd round bidding closes: Thursday, October 20, 2016 @ 11:59 PM PDT
  • 2nd round awards posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Vacation trading is on schedule

Vacation trading for 2017 opens as originally scheduled on Friday, October 28, 2016, at the previously agreed to times for each domicile.

Instructions for Flight Attendants with illegal vacation bids outside of 2017

Flight Attendants who inadvertently submitted a first-round vacation bid containing days outside the 2017 calendar year are highly encouraged to revise their bid because those bids are illegal. If your initial vacation bid included individual bid lines with start and end dates both outside of 2017 and if you do not adjust your bid prior to the rebid closing, then management will adjust the year of each illegal bid line to 2017 for you.

Again, we strongly suggest that you correct any illegal bid lines yourself to make sure you are bidding for the intended date. Any individual vacation bid lines including 2017 year-end overlap (either January or December) will be removed (i.e. ignored/skipped) prior to the awards process if left unchanged.

Management has agreed to individually contact those affected via email to advise them of the rebid. Management will also contact Flight Attendants who initially submitted a bid completely outside of 2017 at the F/As’ respective primary contact phone number on file with the Company.

* * *

If you have any questions or concerns contact one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

AFA and Alaska Airlines management have been working hard to resolve the technical errors with the first round vacation bids. The parties have agreed to a system-wide rebid. The good news is that your initial bids will be retained, so you will not need to do anything if you are satisfied with your initial bid. However, there will be an opportunity for all Flight Attendants to revise bids if desired. The Master Executive Council (MEC) believes the improved system will have the ability to confirm multiple slots in the same month.

 

We know you may have a number of questions, but be assured that both parties will communicate more information tomorrow.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

The 2017 vacation awards are being pulled by mutual agreement of AFA and Alaska Airlines management in order to investigate the accuracy of the awards. AFA is protesting the awards system-wide on behalf of our members. The Master Executive Council (MEC) believes a complete re-award is in order due to a multitude of technical errors. Considering the system did not receive adequate end-user testing, we are not surprised this “beta” (test) version may be malfunctioning. It is unfortunate that Flight Attendants were forced to test drive the system with their actual vacation bids.

 

Stand by for more information.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Council 19 is extremely excited to introduce our newest committee members. We spent the summer building up our committees in Seattle to adjust for the growth of our base. Volunteering on a committee takes a lot of time and dedication and we sincerely thank all or our newest members for the hard work and their commitment to our flight attendant group.

Benefits:

Terry Taylor – Flying since 1973 (also currently the MEC Chairperson)

LeAnne Canton – Flying since 2013

Celia Romero – Flying since 2006

(LEC Chairperson Kathy O’Malley)

If you have questions regarding maternity leave please contact Benefits Committee members Celia Romero or Laura Masserant.

ISC:

Chris King – Flying since 1998

Ross Dejong – Flying since 1991

(LEC Chairperson Linda Christou)

Hotel:

Olivia Borrows – Flying since 2011

(LEC Chairperson Jodi Snow )

ASHSC:

Marikay Paulson – Flying since 2014

Janice Sidwell – Flying since 1983

(LEC Chairpersons Susan Lee & Steven Vincent)

Scheduling:

Melinda Jorge – Flying Since 2000

(LEC Chairpersons Martin Vance & Rita Tillou)

For a complete list of your Council 19 AFA committee members:

http://afaalaska.org/sea/committees

If you are interested in joining a committee we still have open position on our Government Affairs Committee.  For information on what an AFA Committee member does or a description on our various committee please visit:

http://afaalaska.org/committees

Make Sure You’re Ready to Vote

Are you registered to vote? Are you sure?

vpv300

 

 

National Voter Registration Day is Today, Tuesday, Sept. 27, and it’s a great time to make sure you’re all set to go to the polls.

Members of your AFA Alaska Government Affairs Committee were out canvasing the Sea-Tac airport today!

If you aren’t sure you’re registered to vote at your current address, click here to check.

If you are not registered to vote, click here to register now.

We know that many of you will be working away from home and your polling location on Election Day. To ensure your voice is heard, please plan to vote early or by absentee ballot. For more information on Flight Attendant friendly voting options visit afacwa.org/vote.

 

img_2399 img_2400-4 img_2401

Seniority Integration will be by Competitive Seniority Date

AFA and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the union that currently represents the Virgin America Inflight Teammates (ITMs), signed a seniority integration protocol confirming the two Flight Attendant groups will be merged in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws’ Merger Policy. AFA’s Merger Policy sets forth that seniority integration is by competitive (bidding) seniority date.

>>> Click here to view the TWU/AFA Seniority Integration Protocol document. <<<

What is competitive seniority date?

Competitive seniority date is the date from which each Flight Attendant accrues competitive (bidding) seniority as a Flight Attendant on her/his current seniority list. AFA has previously referred to competitive seniority date as “date of hire,” for simplicity’s sake and because it is a common term in the industry.

Who oversees merging the lists?

The AFA Merger Policy dictates that two merger representatives will be appointed by the MEC for each carrier. The MEC has already selected Sandra Morrow and Marie Maxwell to represent Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants. The Virgin America (VX) merger representatives will be selected after AFA has been certified as the union representing both carriers following single carrier determination by the National Mediation Board (NMB). (For more information see “Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Timeline” on afaalaska.org.) This committee oversees the process of merging the seniority lists in accordance with the Merger Policy. The list will not be given to management until the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement is negotiated and ratified.

Are any adjustments made to the seniority dates before the lists are merged?

In order to make an “apples to apples” merging of the seniority lists into one, the merger representatives will be responsible for appropriately adjusting seniority dates by accounting for training credit while ensuring that no Flight Attendant’s relative seniority moves compared to her/his classmates.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants will receive a “training credit” adjustment to their respective seniority dates because Virgin America ITMs receive their seniority dates on the first day of initial training whereas Alaska Flight Attendants receive their seniority dates following initial training.

Each half of the committee is tasked with sending letters to the Flight Attendants on its respective seniority list so that seniority dates can be verified.

Does the fact that the VX ITMs voted down their Tentative Agreement (TA) impact this process at all?

No. Seniority Integration would occur using competitive seniority date regardless of the outcome of the TA. AFA’s Merger Policy of “merger by competitive bidding seniority” is fair and satisfies the McCaskill-Bond requirement of “fair and equitable.” TWU agreed that AFA’s Merger Policy is the appropriate application under the circumstances prior to finalizing the TWU VX TA.

If you have any merger-related questions, contact your Local Executive Council president.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

twuafaseniorityintegrationprotocol

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