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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

Your AFA ASHSC (Air Safety, Health and Security Committee) has been working for some time to find ways to address injuries attributed to push up style overhead bins and passengers carry-on bags.

With the encouragement and support of the ASHSC the company has been successful in getting Boeing to develop a lift assist mechanism for the Space Bins which the company is in the process of installing. This is helpful, but we know more needs to be done since push up style bins will be with us for the foreseeable future.

To that end we have partnered with Inflight Safety & Compliance and Alaska Air Group Safety to conduct a safety risk assessment of the boarding process focusing on overhead bins and carry-on bags.

To support that effort, we encourage all F/As who have been injured operating overhead bins or by handling or being struck by carry-on bags to fill out the anonymous survey sent out Friday in Andy’s What’s Happening. For convenience we have provided a link to that survey below.

Click here to access the Overhead Bin & Carry-on Bag Related Injuries Survey

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple

Background

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a notice that it is proposing to add four (4) commonly prescribed medications to its testing program.  These 4 medications fall under a category of drugs known as opioids.   They include:

  • Hydrocodone (example: Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, Maxidone, Norco, Zydone)
  • Hydromorphone (example: Diluadid, Exalgo, Hydromorph Contin, Palladone)
  • Oxycodone (example: Percocet, Percodan, OxyContin, Roxicodone, Endocet, Xtampza, OxylR)
  • Oxymorphone (example: Opana, Numorphan)

Opioid medications are typically prescribed for the management of pain after injury, surgery, dental procedures and diagnosis of a medical illness with painful symptoms.  The new DOT rule is projected to take effect sometime after October 1, 2017.

Issue

Once DOT expands testing to include these prescribed pain killers, Flight Attendants on valid and non-expired opioid prescriptions will have their test results verified by a medical review officer (MRO) as “negative”.  However, under DOT rule 49 CRF Part 40, Section 40.327, Flight Attendants who use these medications could be at risk of being reported to the company as a “safety risk” under the below DOT rule.  After a Flight Attendant’s employer is informed that a Flight Attendant’s use of a medication poses a “safety risk”, DOT regulation does not specify what actions the employer must or may follow thereafter.  DOT regulation also does not currently define for MROs what constitutes a valid and non-expired prescription.

DOT Rule 49 CFR Part 40 Section 40.327

(a) As the MRO, you must, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, report drug test results and medical information you learned as part of the verification process to third parties without the employee’s consent if you determine, in your reasonable medical judgment, that:

(1) The information is likely to result in the employee being determined to be medically unqualified under an applicable DOT agency regulation; or

(2) The information indicates that continued performance by the employee of his or her safety-sensitive function is likely to pose a significant safety risk.

(b) The third parties to whom you are authorized to provide information by this section include the employer, a physician or other health care provider responsible for determining the medical qualifications of the employee under an applicable DOT agency safety regulation, a SAP evaluating the employee as part of the return to duty process (see §40.293(g)), a DOT agency, or the National Transportation Safety Board in the course of an accident investigation.

(c) If the law of a foreign country (e.g., Canada) prohibits you from providing medical information to the employer, you may comply with that prohibition.

Resources to Help You Balance Safety and Medication

There are a number of resources under the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol (FADAP) Website (www.FADAP.org) to help you balance safety and the use of prescription medications including the proposed 4 new medications for which DOT will test.

Medication Safety Film for Flight Attendants

Preview this short film to understand the safety issues and best practices around medication use by Flight Attendants.

Medication and Flying Article “What Medications Can I Take While Flying?

Read this 3-page article to get a more rounded understanding of the issues surrounding medication use by Flight Attendants and best practices.

“Flight Attendant Essential Job Functions” Wallet Card

There is no list of DOT banned prescriptions for flight attendants, other than prescription marijuana. The decision of what medications (including dosage, frequency and timing of use in relation to your work schedule) which you can take and safely perform your Flight Attendant duties is generally determined by your health care provider. To help you inform your provider of your safety sensitive duties, provide your health care provider with your job description for incorporation into your medical file. You can also download wallet size lists of Flight Attendants’ essential job functions for your provider’s quick reference each and every time a medication is discussed.

Health Care Provider’s Medication Note

Should your health care provider prescribe a medication containing an opioid or amphetamine (both of which are detectable under DOT testing and could subject you to Section 40.327) have your provider sign this note for your submission just in case you are challenged about the safe use of the medication.

Questions?

Your AFA Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Committee can provide confidential assistance around substance use related concerns.  You can find contact information on the EAP Committee page at afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC EAP Co-Chairs Elizabeth Dillon and Jeanne McCleave

Flight Attendants Helping Flight Attendants

The Disaster Relief Fund provides a means for AFA members to assist other members and retirees who have suffered significant damage to their primary residence and/or faced relocation as a result of a disaster.  Since its beginning in the fall of 2001, the AFA Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) has provided financial support in the aftermath of many large-scale disasters including the September 11th terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and other natural and/or man-made disasters.

AFA is committed to ensuring funds are available when the need arises so we are raising funds so that we may help more members in need.  AmazonSmile has been selected as a simple and automatic way to raise funds for our cause.  When you shop at smile.amazon.com – Amazon donates a portion of the sale to the DRF.

When shopping at Amazon, your next purchase could support the AFA Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) at no cost to you.  The exact same low prices and selections are available as at Amazon.com.  When you make your purchase through AmazonSmile, 0.5% of your purchase price will automatically be donated to the DRF each and every time you shop.

To begin helping other Flight Attendants through AmazonSmile:

  1. Go to http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-2341209
  2. Use your same log-in information as you use for Amazon
  3. Shop
  4. Bookmark AmazonSmile so you use this instead of the regular Amazon website

In Solidarity,

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

It has come to the attention of the Master Executive Council (MEC) that some Virgin America Members have concerns with the appointment of Lynne Voigtsberger as Merger Representative.   The concerned members have suggested that Lynne crossed a union sanctioned picket line while she was a TWA Flight Attendant in the ‘80s.  The MEC asked Lynne to provide her perspective on the allegations.  The MEC subsequently discussed the situation and reaffirmed that it would be in the best interest of the membership for Lynne to remain in her role as Merger Representative for Virgin America.

In response to these concerns, Lynne has prepared a statement:

First of all, I would like to thank all of you that have supported me the past few weeks with the appointment to be one of the Merger Representatives for Virgin America.  I have personally experienced the turmoil of an unfair seniority integration and I am determined to see that we have a fair and equitable integration as we merge with Alaska.

For those of you that don’t know me, I was a Flight Attendant at TWA when they merged with American in the early 2000s.  Our merger was infamous, as TWA F/As were “stapled” to the bottom of the American Flight Attendant seniority list that caused us to lose all our seniority.  That merger resulted in legislation to protect Flight Attendants in all future mergers, which we know as the McCaskill-Bond Act.  This legislation requires seniority to be merged fairly.  Going through that experience at TWA made me passionate to never see that happen again to another Flight Attendant. I am especially grateful for this opportunity to represent my Virgin family to ensure a fair merging of seniority takes place.

With that said, there is more to my history that I would like to shed light on.  It has been brought to my attention that many of you are concerned about my union relationship while I was employed at TWA.  Upon hearing that rumors have been surfacing, I feel it is important to explain my history and call out the “white elephant” in the room so to speak.  Although it surprised me to hear that something that happened over 30 years ago is causing concern, I want to address the issue openly in order to clear the air and set the rumors to rest.

I was hired at TWA in January 1986.  I was a young 25-year-old and excited to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a Flight Attendant for one of the most respected airlines in the world. I was trained in Kansas City and housed with all the other new-hire trainees nearby.  During training, we were essentially isolated from the rest of the world, and had no idea of the rising unrest that was occurring within the ranks of TWA Flight Attendants and management, due to failed negotiations. 

I began flying in February and less than a month into my probationary period, TWA Flight Attendants went on strike.  As a probationary Flight Attendant, I was an At Will employee and not covered by union protection, so participating in any work stoppage activity was strictly forbidden.  The company made it clear to all the probationary F/As that if we participated in the strike, we would be fired.  On top of that, the union would not be able to protect us if we were terminated.  I was given essentially no choice but to work or lose my job.  I chose to work. 

The strike lasted for 3 months, and was only the beginning of trouble at TWA. Relationships suffered as many broken friendships and divorces took place and people couldn’t pay their mortgages and lost their homes. It was a difficult time. The company made it next to impossible for anyone that participated in the strike to come back to work, so a lot of resentment built up and caused division within the work group that lasted for many years. 

Having experienced that and later experiencing one of the worst mergers in history, I feel I am more than well equipped to represent Virgin during this merger with Alaska. My past has offered me a wealth of experience and knowledge.  Those difficult times made me stronger and made me who I am today, and I feel that with this history I am the best choice to represent us in this merger.

I understand that my past at TWA may cause some to form a less than positive opinion of me, and I respect that. It will not be an easy job; however I am more than willing to take on the responsibility and challenges that come with the position of Merger Rep. I have chosen to look forward and take the lessons from my experiences to heart. I am committed to represent all of you to the best of my abilities, and I sincerely thank all of you for your understanding and support.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at lynne.voigtsberger@afaalaska.org.

In solidarity,
Lynne

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your Council 35 officers at vx@afaalaska.org.

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

The Master Executive Council (MEC) announces a vacancy for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee chairperson. On Thursday afternoon, Zac Weeks offered and the MEC accepted his resignation as MEC Scheduling Committee chairperson, effective immediately. The MEC wishes Zac the best in his future endeavors and thanks him for his service to AFA.

The MEC is currently determining a succession plan for the position, and we will provide an update once a decision has been made. In the meantime, continue to utilize your local Scheduling Committee members or Local Executive Council officers for scheduling-related issues.

In Solidarity,

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

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

The Master Executive Council (MEC) announces a vacancy for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee chairperson. On Thursday afternoon, Zac Weeks offered and the MEC accepted his resignation as MEC Scheduling Committee chairperson, effective immediately. The MEC wishes Zac the best in his future endeavors and thanks him for his service to AFA.

The MEC is currently determining a succession plan for the position, and we will provide an update once a decision has been made. In the meantime, continue to utilize your local Scheduling Committee members or Local Executive Council officers for scheduling-related issues.

In Solidarity,

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

Newly elected Council 19 Seattle and Council 39 Portland Local Executive Council (LEC) officers began their term of office on July 1, 2017. Nominations and elections for these positions were held this spring. These officers will serve a three-year term from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020, consistent with AFA Election Category II.

Council 19 Seattle

Incoming Council 19 SEA LEC officers are President Terry Taylor, Vice President Jake Jones, Secretary Adam Clarey, Council Representative Megan Brown and Council Representative Melinda Jorge. Congratulations to Jake Jones for reelection to the office of LEC vice president and to former Council Representative Adam Clarey for election to the office of LEC secretary. Biographies for each can be found on the Council 19 officers page at afaalaska.org.

The MEC recognizes outgoing LEC President Laura Masserant, Secretary Linda Christou and Council Representative Stephanie Adams for their work and dedication in their previous roles. Linda Christou continues to serve as Master Executive Council (MEC) secretary-treasurer and Stephanie Adams continues to serve as MEC Grievance Committee chairperson.

Council 39 Portland

Incoming Council 39 PDX LEC officers are President Mario de’Medici, Vice President Krystle Berry and Secretary Alan Sousa. Biographies for each officer can be found on the Council 39 officers page at afaalaska.org.

The MEC recognizes outgoing LEC President Cathy Gwynn, Vice President Steven Maller and Secretary Bob Moore for their work and dedication in their previous roles. Bob Moore continues to serve as MEC Uniform Committee chairperson.

In Solidarity,

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

The first item of business was to review the proposed AFA budget for 2017/2018 which is to be voted on at this years AFA BOD meeting in PHX.

Those present asked Brice, to represent us with a vote he believes to be in the best interest of the members.

Committee Reports

Uniform – Denise Sheldon

  •     Uniform wear testing is scheduled Oct/Nov 2017
  •     Proposed fashion show media blitz – waiting on date
  •    T-shirt distributing starting now through June 30
  •    Wear dates July 1-4 through Labor Day weekend on the weekends (Friday-Sunday)
  •    Next quarterly meeting in SEA is Aug 9.

​Air Safety, Health & Security – Ken Hawkins

  •  Lots of feedback regarding the new F/D guard procedure, F/A’s and Pilots generally feel this is a reduction in security. Many pilots instructing F/A’s to follow old procedures inflight
  • Committee sent complaint letter to Andy regarding the (lack of) communication with the pilots.
  • Feedback received regarding the use of catering cart blocking forward jump seat – to be discussed at next BSM.
  • Trash management via Mexico – reports of F/A’s from other bases filling aft lav’s with trash due to lack of trash management.
  • Positive feedback received from F/A’s regarding crew briefings – this is a focus item on 2017 Recurrent Training and it is resulting in more required briefings being done.
  • SAN Gate 16 trip hazard reported to Claudia who had the Airport Authority replace the rubberized flooring, solving the problem.
  • The F/A manual VX/AS merge process in ongoing and is should be completed by year-end
  • A new Space Bin assist lever, called “BAM” (bin assist mechanism) is being installed which will make it easier to close the new bins (similar to the assist lever on the original bins.)
  • New on-line injuries report form, which will replace the paper based I-21 will be rolled out shortly. It should improve the flow of information to/from management and committee is working to improve the first version of it.
  • Numerous reports of bed bugs have finally resulted in a change in layover hotel for HNL.
  • New FC champagne being boarded with a screw off top that is actually a plastic cork –(unlike the Salmon Creek brand) the pressurization will cause the cork to fly off as it’s being opened unless you keep a hold on it.
  • Air contamination continues to be a problem with several reported each month – crews are reminded to keep the AFA Air Quality quick reference card with them and to report AQ issues to pilots immediately.
  • New uniform wear testing to begin in October 2017 – uniform committee members and ASHSC chairs to be wear testers.

​Benefits – Sonia Quackenbush

  • There are some important things to remember when going on a medical leave.
  • First, never let your sick bank go below 60 TFP.  This minimum amount will ensure you can remain on payroll for up to six months and maintain your health insurance until you qualify for long-term disability.
  • Second, if you are on a medical leave and need to maintain your health insurance you must send in a check for the premiums, they are no longer taken out of your paycheck.  Watch for correspondence from Cobra Management Services.
  • Third, there is currently an issue over the ability to use minimum TFP while on maternity leave/parental leave.  A grievance has been filed and hopefully a resolution will be reached soon.  I wish I had more/better information but there is nothing more to say at this time.
  • Lastly, if you have any questions, concerns, need guidance please reach out to me.  I am here to help.

​

Sonia Quackenbush

Cell: 951-252-5707

Email: squack22@gmail.com

​

Scheduling – Jacob Rahn

  • JCT is still having problems. Many grievances have been filed that are being worked on and more coming in.
  • There is a big update scheduled for next week and then every six weeks another update.
  • SAN needs to increase by another 300 FA’s in order for the TCN to increase. Will be staying at 3 for a while.
  • Navtech is working on an update, called Navblue, and we will probably not see it until 2018.
  • Personal Drops and Charter Bids are moving to Sharepoint next week.
  • Still having issues with Payroll and inconsistencies. Meeting scheduled with Denia soon to discuss and hopefully, work on solutions to the problems.
  • Denia has asked for a scheduling manager, someone who can monitor the floor in scheduling.
  • Some VX schedulers are coming to SEA and we are sending some of our schedulers down to SFO.

​

Inflight Service– Chase Vandergrift

  • Frustration with feeling that nothing is being done. This is a combination of Inflight not knowing what Marketing is doing vice versa. That being said, then the AFA Committee Chair and members cannot accomplish anything.
  • Having issues with SAN catering as well as BOS.
  • Hawaii flights are running out of supplies.
  • Not aware of any major changes coming down the pike.
  • Hoping that the test flights working on the FC pre-order service are successful.

​

Hotel – Kanani Vallot

  • New Hotel in HNL. Starting August 1st, going to a Hilton in Waikiki Beach.
  • Renewals coming up in CUN/YVR/GEG.
  • There is frustration that the site inspections are not being doled out more fairly. Would like to see the “nice” destination property inspections be given to others beside Laura and Jodi.
  • Issues with API and new Company Representation. The company is starting to disregard our hotel standards such as restaurant amenities and basic safety issues. Pushing Holidays Inns and like properties.
  • Having transportation issues at some properties for late arriving crews. Some hotels discontinue airport shuttle service later in the evening and this leaves some crews without rides to their hotel.
  • Make sure to write up EVERYTHING through Crew Care! If you just tell a supervisor or send a regular email to someone, it does not count!

​

EAP – Jean Sharrock

  • EAP in San Diego consists of Jean Sharrock, Shari Clark, Lisa Rhodes, and Ava McWilliams.  They have been busy addressing the needs of our SAN flight attendants.
  • FADAP is a conference-teaching mentors to deal with Flight attendant drug and alcohol addiction. This year it will be in Baltimore with Jean and Ava In Attendance.
  • If you think a co-worker may need assistance with addiction please call them. If flight attendants are having problems at work or at home, it affects the whole workgroup. Please don’t be afraid to seek help.
  • The committee has had many opportunities to further their education via trainings and webinars.

​

Reserve – Kristen Yermakov

  • We just had our Quarterly Reserve Meeting on the 15th and although there weren’t too many SAN specific issues, generally they’ve identified a few glitches now that reserve posting and trading has been added to Crew Access. Any glitches were noted, including lineholders trading trips for reserve days and inability to grab reserve days etc. Grant said he would get together with Zac for further testing of the functionality of some of these concerns.
  • One SAN specific issue I brought up was our Last Base Flight Daily report being inaccurate Mon-Fri. It lists the last base turn being Seattle, which lands at 11:48 pm. With the debrief this would not be legal for a one day reserve. This prevents reserves good for one day from being released after the 3:25 report PDX which is the correct base turn to commute home etc. They are looking into adjusting it.
  • We also had a broader picture discussion regarding Crew Scheduling’s ability to process manual trades for legal grabs, trades, splits etc. Depending on the scheduler, when a reserve or LH for that matter contacts scheduling about a legitimate trade or split that crew access isn’t allowing, the scheduler will say that they can’t do it and tell them to open a ticket. Since most of these transactions are time sensitive, it is of course very frustrating to the FA. While there are some work arounds for these issues, they are not consistently followed by all schedulers. Grant expressed genuine concern in being fair with the FAs, while not overwhelming his schedulers with tons of manual trades. We’re hoping they’ll be a shift so that schedulers are able to accommodate these legal trades and grabs until crew access adequately reflects our contract

​

Important to know – Melanie Buker

  • Reporting Workers Compensation and filing an i-21 will change around July 17th, look for more information in a bulletin being issued soon.
  • The most accurate place to see your TFP flown is in your Status Report. While logged into JCT, look at the upper left hand drop down, click on Reports>Reports on Demand > Published Rosters>Put in the date and hit generate. It will show you everything flown to this date. Always make sure to cross check your pay sheet to this information.
  • We created a bulletin board in Inflight crew room with the most common questions we are asked, be sure to check it out and snap shot anything of interest.

​

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Upcoming Elections for Local Council President and Secretary

It’s been two months since the appointment of the Council 35 Local Council president and secretary, and the time has come for Council 35 members to participate in the Local Council officer election process.  Initially, the AFA International president appoints officers to facilitate the transition of a newly organized carrier.  Within 60 days of the initial appointment of officers, active members in good-standing are provided an opportunity to nominate and vote for the Local Council officers.  For Council 35, the Local Council officer term will last until there is a ratified merged agreement or through June 30, 2019, whichever is sooner.  During this term, the offices of Local Council president and Local Council secretary will encompass a wide variety of responsibilities (AFA Constitution and Bylaws Article III.A.2, III.C.3.a, and III.C.3.c).  As there will be no other committees and officers available as a resource until a ratified contract is achieved, the elected Local Council president and Local Council secretary will be responsible for duties to include attending to all aspects of the grievance process, act as contractual administrators to the Letters of Agreements (LOAs) recently negotiated, providing regular updates to members of progress, and signing up Flight Attendants as AFA members to ensure they can exercise their voting rights.   With over 1000 Flight Attendants at Virgin America, it will require a level of commitment that is significantly higher than an established Local Executive Council that enjoys a full complement of officers and committees.

Please don’t miss your opportunity to nominate your candidates for Council 35 Local Council president and Local Council secretary.  The deadline to submit nominations is July 12, 2017 at 12 PM EDT (9 AM PDT).  If you have not received a ballot in the mail, please contact the AFA Ballot Help Line at 800-424-2401, press 1 and dial extension 706.  The Ballot Help Line is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time.

Become A Member and Have the Right to Vote!

Although the National Mediation Board has ruled that AFA is our collective bargaining representative, you are not automatically considered an AFA member.  Every VX Flight Attendant must complete and submit a membership application to become an official member.  Please be aware that this form cannot be completed online.  The hard copy form must be submitted directly to an AFA representative or mailed to the AFA International Office in D.C. You can download and print one by clicking here. Completing an application ensures that you have the right to vote in officer elections and on tentative agreements.

Grievance Letter of Agreement: Just Cause vs. At Will Employment

The newly negotiated Letter of Agreement (LOA) that defines the Virgin America grievance process has been in effect for a month now and has been a great improvement for Virgin America Flight Attendants. It provides a guideline for Flight Attendants and management to process all discipline and contractual violations in a timely manner and within certain parameters.  The LOA includes language that provides Flight Attendants the right to representation, and the ability to obtain representation within a reasonable time.  Virgin America Flight Attendants are now under a Just Cause employment contract, which is a great improvement to the At Will employment relationship of the past.  No longer will management be able to discipline and/or terminate a VX Flight Attendant without satisfying Just Cause—which requires management to sufficiently prove their case.  Before administering any discipline, management will be required to “filter” the issue through the Just Cause list of requirements and respond within the designated time frame.

What does all this mean?  In a nutshell, Virgin America cannot discipline or terminate a Flight Attendant at their own discretion, nor can they wait an excessive amount of time to address a concern or issue.  This is a great improvement for VX and it should provide Flight Attendants the assurance that discipline and terminations will be administered fairly, consistently and within a timely manner.  If you have any questions about Just Cause and what it means for you, please reach out to your Council 35 officers for assistance.

Flight Locator by Crew

Last week, the “Flight Locator by Crew” function was removed from Crew Web without notice.  AFA has already responded to management and members about this issue and will continue to advocate for a reasonable solution or alternative.

Don’t Forget to Wear Your AFA Pin

The AFA pin is an approved uniform piece and should be worn on the left collar.  If wearing both your AFA pin and anniversary pin, the anniversary pin should be placed closest to the tip of the collar.

Your AFA pin represents our combined strength and unity as we work toward achieving improvements for all of us and should always be worn with your uniform.  If you have completed a membership application and didn’t receive an AFA pin, you can request one from an AFA representative or by contacting your Council 35 officers at vx@afaalaska.org.

FAQs

I don’t feel the changes in boarding procedures are safe.  What should I do?

Since the launch of the new boarding procedures, many members have reached out expressing skepticism that the new policy does not promote safety.  In addition, the tension between GSTs and ITMs have increased as the new set of goals has elevated responsibility for each side. Ben Minicucci has responded to AFA’s concern and has reiterated that safety comes first and will always be the priority.  If at any time you feel unsafe while performing these new procedures or any other of your duties, please feel empowered to stop and notify proper authorities.  If you follow these “safety first” procedures, and receive negative feedback from supervisors or managers, please contact your Council 35 officers for support.

Being assigned to a 321 Differences (DFR) training session doesn’t respect seniority. Why weren’t we allowed to bid for sessions like we did for ETOPs?

Because of the requalification requirement involved with 321(DFR) training, management created a training program that maintained Flight Attendants qualification, reduced the number of times teammates would need to travel to SFO for training and lessened the impact on the operation.  The training for 321 needs to be renewed during a Flight Attendant’s recurrent (RGS), so attending DFR early would change an F/A’s requalification timeline and require a permanent change to their RGS base month. Disrupting the requalification schedule would be a logistical challenge and potentially disappoint many Flight Attendants having to change their recurrent schedule. Although this method made the most sense at the time of implementation, management has agreed to engage AFA in discussions regarding how to best honor seniority prior to planning future training activities.

I’ve been on WC since the pay raise went into effect but haven’t seen the increase.  When will I get my retro pay?

Virgin America’s insurance carrier Gallagher Bassett is responsible for calculating the wage adjustments. Gallagher Bassett has been given the updated hourly rates for all employees with injuries that occurred between 01/01/17 and 05/01/17. Temporary Total Disability rates are two-thirds of an employee’s average weekly wage for the 52 weeks preceding the date of injury. The account manager at Gallagher Bassett responsible for Virgin America Flight Attendants confirmed that adjustments should have been finalized by Friday 6/30/17 and adjustment checks will be mailed to the affected employees this week.

I have questions for Melissa and James, how can I reach them?

Please refrain from sending messages to VX email accounts and/or via Facebook messenger.  Your questions will be answered faster if you send them to the Council 35 email vx@afaalaska.org.  Being available to you is important to your AFA leadership team and by following the prescribed methods of communication, your leaders can better assist with your questions, suggestions and concerns.  Thank you for understanding!

I am not getting any emails from AFA Alaska Council 35. What can I do?

Please be sure to subscribe to Council 35 emails using a non-Virgin America email account.  You can subscribe online at http://afanewsletters.org/subscribe/.  If you encounter any problems with the online subscription page, please email us at vx@afaalaska.org.

Please let us know if you have any questions or thoughts!  You can reach us at vx@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & James

On July 1, 2017, Mario, Krystle, and Alan began our three-year term.  We completed New Officer Training in June at the AFA-CWA headquarters, and look forward to advocating on your behalf.

We join the PDX Flight Attendants in thanking Cathy Gwynn, Steven Maller, and Bobby Moore for their tireless support of Council 39.

You currently have 25 Committee Members in addition to the three officers available to you.  To better assist you, when contacting a committee member or an officer, please provide:

  • Name
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • People Soft Number
  • Sequence/Pairing Number
  • Snap Shots/Copy of Sequence
  • Crew Members Involved
  • A Brief Description of the Situation (only facts)

We will need an email with the above information even after speaking to an AFA Representative. A reminder to use a non-Alaska email.  Do not send your questions/concerns via Facebook or Outlook (your work email).

Flight Attendants may also report issues or request support at http://support.afaalaska.org/

Your AFA Portland Committee Members (click on link)  http://afaalaska.org/pdx/committees

AFA Portland Officers Contact Information

Mario de’Medici, LEC President         (503) 575-6369           mario.demedici@afaalaska.org

Krystle Berry, LEC Vice President      (206) 218-7480           krystle.berry@afaalaska.org

Alan Sousa, LEC Secretary               (360) 567-8162           alan.sousa@afaalaska.org

For those of you that have ongoing situations that have involved AFA, we are your new point of contact.  Please call us to touch base.  We are available to assist all flight attendants, and probationary flight attendants are encouraged to call.

In Solidarity,

Your PDX LEC Officers, Mario de’Medici, Krystle Berry, and Alan Sousa

Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

As part of Membership Engagement Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to spotlight one of our core missions: empowering you with knowledge and confidence to participate more fully in our Union. When we understand how our Union works, we strengthen our collective voice and create a more engaged community. To help you on this journey, we’re […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, July 21, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Global Training Center to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 17 – July 2026

This session, the JNC focused on refining the Reserve survey to ensure a comprehensive representation of member concerns. Significant progress was also made on Section 23 (Insurance Benefits), with proposals aimed at enhancing Flight Attendant protections and securing tailored insurance provisions. Additionally, productive discussions continued on Section 30 (Training). Further improvements are anticipated pending management’s response to our latest proposal.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

On Wednesday, July 15, our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) representatives met virtually to discuss ongoing safety concerns, operational challenges, policy updates, and workplace improvements impacting Flight Attendants across the operation. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Bradley Young (SFO and MEC ASHSC Vice […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

On Monday, July 13, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and […]

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