DOT-OST-2016-0021 ALA LAX-HAV AFA Support
SECURE OUR SKIES ACT This legislation will save lives
Flight Attendants Achieve Introduction of Legislation Aimed at Stopping Human Trafficking (AFA media report)
Washington, DC (February 2, 2016) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today praised the introduction of the Secure Our Skies Act to fight human trafficking with proper training for aviation workers, led by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10).
“As aviation’s first responders we are charged with the safety, health and security of the passengers in our care,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson. “Traffickers steal lives. But for a window of time, we can see it and report it. Millions of innocent victims are trafficked throughout the world each year, and many are transported on our planes. We are proud to work with Representatives Titus and Comstock to move this important legislation to reality in our workplace. With proper training we can be 100,000 eyes in skies saving lives.”
The bill requires training for flight attendants, pilots and dispatchers of air carriers to to identify and report human trafficking.
“Human trafficking doesn’t happen just on the ground. That’s why members of the airline industry are in a strong position to help stop these crimes,” said Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-01). “The SOS Act will close off the skies to traffickers by providing training to professionals who know their way around aircraft. I thank the nation’s flight attendants for their commitment to fighting these heinous crimes. They know we have to spot the signs to stop the crimes.”
The infrastructure and training mechanisms are already in place through the Department of Transportation’s Blue Lightning Initiative, launched almost three years ago on June 6, 2013. Blue Lightning teaches airline personnel on a voluntary basis about common circumstances with human trafficking in order to recognize and report these instances to law enforcement for swift action. AFA launched a public campaign on June 1, 2015 to promote the provisions of the SOS Act.
“It is critical that we are ever vigilant in the fight against the heinous crime of human trafficking,” said Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10). “Every day, flight attendants see and interact with children on the thousands of flights across our country and throughout the world. They are the eyes and ears in this constant battle, and this legislation will give them the tools
to save the most vulnerable in our society and fight this terrible scourge. I want to thank Congresswoman Titus for working in a bipartisan manner on this important legislation.”
“Everyone immediately recognizes the horror of human trafficking, but we must turn our outrage into concrete action to stop it,” Nelson concluded.
See Rep. Dina Titus introduce the bill on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUhhhCiWWGU
UPDATE ON THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION PROCESS
February saw the introduction of the much awaited FAA Reauthorization bill. I have included Gov Affairs Director Steve Schembs comprehensive update and explanation on the bill as it moves through Congress:
FEB 26, 2016 – The FAA Reauthorization Bill has been introduced in the House, reviewed and adopted by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as amended. Our 10 hours rest between duty periods and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan are included in the bill as well a AFA-promoted issues listed at the end of this update.
Now the Senate is writing its version of the bill, which is expected to be introduced in the coming days. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee “mark-up” will likely be scheduled prior to their Easter recess starting March 18th. This means committee action could take place on the very day of our March 16th Rally for Rest. Regardless, the Rally is well timed and it is assisting us in promoting inclusion of our rest/fatigue language. If you have not already RSVP’d, we encourage you to do that now: https://cdn.afacwa.org/ issues/rest/.
Once both House and Senate bills are introduced and adopted by the respective committees, each full chamber must also vote on the bill. Amendments could also be considered during this process, although sometimes the bill can only be considered as adopted by the committee.
Next, a conference between the House and Senate is held to write common language. This final version of the bill must again be adopted by both chambers before going to the President’s desk for signature. We must remain engaged throughout the process and continue to use the power of our numbers to take action in support of rest and recognition of Flight Attendant fatigue.
The FAA Reauthorization bill is must-pass legislation, although our experience shows this might include several extensions before the long-term bill is passed. Getting our rest provisions in these base bills now sets a foundation for inclusion in the final passage of the bill regardless of when that actually occurs.
This week AFA has ramped up our advocacy to the U.S. Senator’s writing the FAA Bill; Sen. John Thune (ND), Sen. Kelly Ayote (NH), Sen. Bill Nelson (FL), Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Cory Gardner (CO) and all of the members of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Thanks to a massive effort for calls from members, and special thanks to AFA Frontier for relentless efforts in generating calls from Colorado, we are making good progress with the Senate. But we can’t let up for a second. We have to keep up calls next week and right up to the point of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee vote on their version of the bill.
At the Rally for Rest on March 16, hundreds of Flight Attendants will urge members of the Senate to include the 10 hours minimum rest and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan into the Senate bill. We will also go to every House office to encourage support of our rest in the FAA Reauthorization bill and thank members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for recognizing the importance rest plays in supporting our health and the tools necessary to fulfill our duties as aviation’s first responders.
CWA NEXT GEN AT JOBS WITH JUSTICE
Government Affairs Committee members Kris Hall and Drew Lemish were the AFA representatives at the Jobs with Justice Next Generation conference in Washington DC, Feb. 12th and 13th.
JWJ activists joined sessions on organizing, social media, innovations in the labor movement, grassroots fundraising and much more as part of JWJ’s two-day national conference. CWA Next Generation leaders were on hand as former CWA President Larry Cohen was recognized for his years of building JWJ and his commitment to democracy and working families. (CWA Media report).
Kris had this to say about the experience: “I found it profoundly educational- every workshop, every caucus, every conversation. I made so many connections, met and listened to so many stories, discussed so many concerns that would not have been possible without JwJ!”
Respectfully submitted,
Beverly Bullock
MEC Government Affairs Chairperson
Steps in the right direction…
Inflight management recently revealed changes and clarifications to the Alaska Listens customer feedback process in the February 22nd communication “Customer Feedback.” The Master Executive Council (MEC) has heard you loud and clear that there is much confusion and discontent on the line regarding “red flags,” so any clarifications are a refreshing change to recent experience. According to the communication, management intends to balance the kudos and red flags going forward by treating them more equally than in the past. Although the MEC is not providing a blanket endorsement, generally speaking many of the stated changes to policy appear to be steps in the right direction.
…but…
However, it is disappointing that management did not do more to acknowledge the level of your dissatisfaction and did not even mention AFA’s advocacy on your behalf. The MEC firmly believes management would not have revised the program without the constant negative feedback from the line combined with the persistent pressure from your AFA leaders. Most of the time your AFA leaders are content to simply work in the background, and we do not find it necessary to communicate the details of how we work with management. Although the MEC very much appreciates management’s willingness to make adjustments to this policy based on feedback, in this case it is important for our members to know the full “behind the scenes” story.
The full “behind the scenes” story
From the very beginning, AFA advised management that this program would be received poorly if not administrated in a positive and non-punitive manner. AFA requested that any low level customer feedback simply be sent to the Flight Attendant via email without a required supervisor discussion or documentation. The MEC is pleased to see that the revised customer feedback policy now does just that.
In addition, AFA continued to seek clarification on the specifics of the program and clear communication from management to the Flight Attendant group over the past several months. Management appeared reluctant to clearly spell out the program in writing—until now.
So what changed? The MEC is not saying it was all due to our efforts, but you should know that we’ve had a very critical communication about red flags written and ready to go for some time now. We were strategically holding off on sending it out in order to accomplish miscellaneous business important to our flight attendants—including achieving clarifications and ideally policy changes to the red flag program.
Last week AFA engaged in several discussions with management about red flags and our intent to communicate to our members about our perspective regarding the red flag program. Late last week management requested that the MEC hold off for a few more days in order to have the opportunity to revamp the program prior to AFA communicating on the subject. The MEC reluctantly voted to wait until the new customer feedback policy was released on Monday. The reality is that this policy change was at least partially the result of multiple meetings and numerous back and forth communications between AFA and management over several months. So now here we are.
Red flags and the disciplinary timeline
AFA had made multiple requests for clarification regarding how far into the past management would refer to red flags in a Flight Attendant’s personnel file in order to take disciplinary action. In our opinion, management had been purposefully vague with respect to the timeline up until this latest communication. Management has now clearly stated that they will not utilize red flags that are older than 18 months in order to determine discipline. Upon a cursory review, this timeline appears to be contractually consistent with CBA §19.D. [Grievance Procedures: Disciplinary Eighteen (18) Month Removal], but the MEC will be more thoroughly evaluating the timeline at our monthly meeting this week.
Summary of the customer feedback process as we know it
Effective March 1st, all kudos and most red flags will simply be emailed to Flight Attendants—no response required.
First three general or relatively benign “red flags” in 18 months
Management says that the first two general or relatively benign red flags in 18 months will simply be emailed and will no longer require a conversation. The third general or relatively benign red flag will result in a record of discussion (ROD). For more information about RODs, see “What is a ROD?” below.
After three general or relatively benign “red flags” in 18 months…
After three general or relatively benign flags in 18 months, or if any Alaska Listens comment is deemed serious, then the Flight Attendant will likely be referred directly to his or her performance supervisor. Depending on the severity of the allegation, the Flight Attendant could be given a ROD or issued progressive discipline. If a Flight Attendant attends a performance meeting and there is any type of discipline issued, the contractual grievance process is available to dispute the discipline. For your information, Manager of Inflight Labor and Work Performance Leslee Cabulagan leads the performance group; and the performance supervisors are Michelle Kirschbaum (PDX & SEA: A), Beth Swanson (SAN & SEA: B-I), Tony Nichols (ANC & SEA: J-P) and Natasha Kemp (LAX & SEA: Q-Z).
Why is management not more supportive?
AFA understands the group’s frustration that many of these red flags stem from Flight Attendants’ compliance with FARs and Company policies. Why is management not more supportive of Flight Attendants in upholding the policies that management puts in place? The Association has repeatedly urged management to refocus energy on being supportive and encouraging of Flight Attendants and to recognize the excellent job we do—and we will continue to do so.
What is a ROD?
A ROD is not considered discipline. It is a record of a discussion with an employee outlining a company policy or procedure. A Flight Attendant should be provided a copy of any ROD and s/he may issue a statement in response to the ROD for her/his ROD file. A ROD stays in your file permanently—however, it can only be used to show that you were previously advised of a policy.
Although an ROD is a permanent part of an employees record, AFA stands firm on the fact that any ROD over 18 months old is not to be counted in the red flag total. AFA will file a grievance if management tries to use a red flag older than 18 months.
What can Flight Attendants do?
When flying, we encourage Flight Attendants to write up any incident or concern that they have with a customer. This will provide a record of the Flight Attendant’s side of the interaction. Many are using the notes function on their Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) to take a few notes when an event occurs.
Flight Attendants have the right to access their personnel and ROD files upon request and AFA encourages all to take a look at their files on a regular basis. A Flight Attendant must specifically request both files.
If a Flight Attendant is contacted to speak with a supervisor or manager regarding a red flag, the Flight Attendant may ask, “Is there a possibility of discipline?” If the answer is yes, the Flight Attendant should contact her/his local AFA representative. If the answer is no, ask the supervisor to verify if it will be noted as a ROD. If it is noted as a ROD, then you should be provided a copy. If you would like to add your own statement to the ROD, you may do so.
If, during a conversation with a supervisor, you become concerned and wish to have an AFA rep involved, you can stop the conversation and request one. If you are asked to write a statement, you should consult with an AFA rep before doing so.
* * *
AFA will keep you updated on further developments regarding the new customer feedback policy once it has been implemented on March 1st and we have had an opportunity to evaluate the new rules.
In solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl and MEC Grievance Representative Stephanie Adams
The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to thank Blair Kimball for stepping up and serving as MEC Chairperson of the AFA Inflight Service Committee over the past several years. Under Blair’s leadership, the committee has expanded involvement and helped to advocate for Flight Attendants as management has introduced major service changes. Blair will remain in position during the transition period as the MEC selects and appoints a new MEC Chairperson.
Background
The MEC Chairperson of the Inflight Service Committee is responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee at the airline level. The Chairperson works closely with each Local Committee Chairperson to gather feedback and input and represents the positions of the Committee and MEC in interactions with management.
Additional Information From the MEC Policy Manual
INFLIGHT SERVICE COMMITTEE
1. SCOPE
a. The Inflight Service Committee shall act to support the Union’s interest with respect to inflight service and sales onboard flights. The Committee shall meet with the Company to discuss any change in inflight service or sales, procedures to be followed and other pertinent matters prior to the implementation of such service
2. POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES
a. The MEC Inflight Service Committee shall consist of the MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson and the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairperson from each council.
b. It shall be the policy of the Union to make any significant change in inflight service or sales subject to negotiations between the parties. The Union shall always place Flight Attendants’ health and safety as its first priority when considering the feasibility of any inflight service or sales change and the location of inflight service or sales items in galleys or other stowage locations.
c. The MEC Chairperson shall:
(i) Immediately contact the MEC President should the Company override his/her objections and proceed to implement changes in inflight service or sales against his/her recommendation
(ii) Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website.
d. The Committee shall:
(i) Represent the Flight Attendant point of view to the Company in all matters pertaining to onboard sales and service policies, procedures, and practices
(ii) Work with the Scheduling Committee to determine available service time, projected loads and staffing when the Company determines a certain service is required on a flight
(iii) Monitor feedback from all domiciles on flights where services, load, staffing, or flight time cause the Flight Attendants difficulty in completing the standards of performance
Qualifications
- Robust working knowledge of inflight service procedures, including all positions and routes (including short haul, Mexico, Hawaii, midcon, and transcon)
- Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle on occasion
- Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
- Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks
Duties
- Participate in reviews of inflight catering, packing, service, and sales with management
- Review Flight Attendant complaints or concerns regarding catering and inflight service. Gather information and work with management to satisfactorily resolve each issue.
- Schedule, plan, and conduct quarterly meetings of the committee and other meetings and conference calls as needed
- Correspond with the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons and MEC regularly to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC.
Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement
- This is position eligible for Flight Pay Loss (FPL) reimbursement by the Company under 27.P Company Business (CB) Flight Pay Loss with a 5% override and “A” pay. CB is compensated at 0.75 TFP per hour of work.
- Estimated 8-10 hours per week (24 to 30 TFP per month). Some work may be accomplished remotely. Regularly required to be in Seattle to work on projects and attend meetings.
Working Relationships
With The Inflight Service Committee
Constant interaction with the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons. Frequent interaction with Local Inflight Service Committee Members.
With The Master Executive Council
This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC Vice President.
With Alaska Airlines Management
Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Manager of Inflight Experience (Matthew Coder) and Director of Catering Operations (Susan Morse)
Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling
- The MEC will hold interviews during the April MEC meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
- Interviews will be at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle. Our office is located in the Alaska Airlines Flight Operations and Training Center, Suite 280 at 2651 South 192nd Street, Seattle, WA 98188.
- Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Gesch at yvette.gesch@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, April 1, 2016. Yvette will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt
As many of you know, Seattle open time did not go smoothly~ again. Moving the date of open time to the 17th of the month was supposed to help the on-going issues Seattle faces every month with access to the system: A system that cannot handle the amount of users on a normal day, let alone open time day. However, this month another glitch caused many of you to lose out on your ability to access open time.
I have asked Ron Calvin to address the latest technical issues with Seattle’s access to February open time, but I want you to know I have heard your frustrations and I believe it is important to address this issue with you first hand.
On the morning of February 17th eMaestro, and your ability to access eMaestro, was affected by the release of the must read bulletin for the new manual revision. Specifically, “Alaska IT was able to track the problem to another database inflight uses when issuing bulletins. The slowness occurred while the system was verifying that bulletins had been read.” We all know this was more than a slowness to the system. Flight Attendants were flat out denied access open time or kicked out if they were already in. Moving forward, I have requested management to take appropriate actions during periods of higher volume usage, specifically the commencement of open time, to ease the burden on this outdated and fragile system.
We did not receive any reported issues with January’s open time. So, I believe that we are on the right track, to protect your access to open time, with the decision to move Seattle open time to the 17th. Now we need to ensure that access to open time is not impacted by other systems or IT glitches.
It is extremely frustrating that Seattle continues to experience issues with open time and that Flight Attendants are expected to deal with a substandard system. AFA continues to address these issues with management, but there is no quick fix. We have high hopes for the new JCTE system that comes on line this fall, but as with any new system, it is likely that we will experience a few hiccups along the way.
Also, I want to address some of the concerns I am receiving about the new open time rules. In reviewing the historical data since the changes to open time, AFA notes that many Flight Attendants are successfully dropping trips into open time. So successfully, in fact, that the days are closing within minutes. Remember, all days are open with the commencement of open time and only close when the Threshold Sequence Number, TSN, is met. Once the day is closed you have to be mindful of how you can trade or drop your trips. Remember, the only way the day opens back up is by Flight Attendants picking up enough sequences to drop the TSN number below the threshold~ Currently 11 for Seattle.
The closing of days on open time day is not tied to the IT glitches that plague eMaestro. Days closing in the month are directly tied to your ability to drop trips into open time. And again, Flight Attendants are successfully utilizing this new ability.
The “Open Time Trial” officially begins with February Open Time. Although Seattle experienced a rough start to the trial, it is our hope that you learn how to use the new system and maximize your ability to work your schedule. I will continue to seek your feedback, over the next year, during the open time trial, and place a vote for Seattle based this feedback.
There is a learning curve with the new trading system. We encourage you to review the language in Section 12.F and read the blast emails sent out from AFA that offers helpful hints for successful trading. Also, you can email your scheduling committee, sea.scheduling@afaalaska.org or any of your LEC Officers for advice and assistance.
Thank you for your emails~ It’s important to hear from you so we can address questions, concerns, and comments.
In Solidarity,
Laura Masserant
LEC President Council 19
Seattle
Contracts and Binders Available Soon
After a lengthy formatting and production process, hard copy contracts have finally been published and are being shipped from the printing vendor to each base. The hard copy contracts will be distributed along with a new blue plastic contract binder (similar to your Flight Attendant Manual binder), which is currently still in production. Management has advised that the binders should be shipped within the next 10 days. Once the contracts and binders have been received in each base, we will provide you with more information as to how distribution will be accomplished.
TA2 vs. Final Contract Printed Comparison Documents
As a reminder, a comparison document highlighting the difference between TA-2 and the final contract continues to be available on the AFA Alaska website and can be found here: http://wp.me/a46aMs-1HP. A limited number of hard copies of the comparison document will also be available in the bases with the printed contracts.
In the mean time, you can continue to access the contract online at http://afaalaska.org/contract and on your IMD in the GoodReader app.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
DEADLINE APRIL 10th
Completed Applications must be received by the April 10th deadline at the following address:
AFA Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 56
Hartwood, VA 22471-0056
Applications and more detailed information can be obtained on the AFA-CWA International website: www.AFACWA.org/scholarships.
AFA Alaska has compiled the following information for Premium Open Time trading, Open Time trading, Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) during month end overlap, and Sit Pay/Stranded Pay.
Premium Open Time trading
Effective February 1st, Crew Scheduling now manually processes trades within legalities for trips posted as Premium Open Time. See Inflight Bulletin # 2016-0032 Premium Open Time Trade Update for additional information. The current programming in eMaestro does not allow for automated trading of/with Premium Open Time trips (indicated by dollar signs: $, $$ or $$$).
Management has agreed that Crew Scheduling will manually process the trading of Premium Open Time sequences for Flight Attendants until an updated program or successor system is able to process the “trade” function automatically. Please be aware that the posted premium will not follow the trade unless it is a straight pick up from Open Time by the Flight Attendant. The “pick up” function is fully operational and does not require that you contact Crew Scheduling.
The trade will be day for day or greater on the same date(s) unless the day of departure is open, which is very unlikely if the Company is offering premium pay.
Open Time Trading Helpful Hints
What code allows me to trade my 2-day trip on the 15th for a turn in OT on the 15th?
If you have a 2-day trip on the 15th, and the trip in OT is coded TO/DD/CP, then you can trade down out of your 2-day and into the turn within contractual and/or FAR legalities.
***AFA and Alaska Airlines management have heard your feedback that there are too many codes, which causes confusion. In the replacement to eMaestro/Maestro, Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE), AFA and management have requested to reduce the number of codes–ideally we would like to combine the TO/DD/CP codes into one code (to be determined).***
What if a 2-day trip in OT is a TX (or not coded)?
If a trip in OT is coded TX, then you can trade for trip length of the same or greater number of days and covering the same dates as the trip you are trading off of your line, within contractual and/or FAR legalities.
Month End Overlaps and Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs)
“Whole sequence” minimum pay rules (MPRs)—the Extended Overnight Rule (EOR), Multiday Sequence Minimum (MSM) and Average Duty Period Guarantee (ADPG) were being paid at the end of the sequence in the subsequent month when there was month end overlap. However, management has agreed in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that a Flight Attendant may file an Activity Claim Form in order to have a “whole sequence” MPR (e.g. EOR, MSM, ADPG) paid in the preceding month during month-end overlap. Otherwise by default the “whole sequence” MPR is paid in the subsequent month—no paperwork is necessary.
Sit Pay and Stranded Pay
If there is scheduled Sit Pay (sit over 2 hours) and the flight subsequently is delayed over 2 hours more than the scheduled sit (total ground time 4 hours and 2 minutes or more), is the F/A able to retain 1.0 TFP for Sit Pay and then file for 1.0 TFP Stranded Pay?
No. You are eligible for Stranded Pay only when it exceeds Sit Pay. Each occurrence of Stranded Pay is reduced by 1.0 TFP for Sit Pay already paid in that duty period (CBA §21.N.2.c. [Stranded Pay]). In order for Stranded Pay to exceed Sit Pay, the delay causing the stranding must be greater than 6 hours—or in other words, the flight must block out more than 6 hours past scheduled departure time. Total ground time must exceed the scheduled sit time (over 2 hours) plus the subsequent delay/stranding (over 6 hours).
* * *
If you have any additional questions, contact one of your Local Executive Council officers (ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15) or local Scheduling Committee chairperson(s) or committee members.
In solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones
Ever smelled dirty socks onboard? A dirty socks smell in the cabin could be engine oil fumes in the ventilation air. You read that right: the air that comes through the cabin and flight deck vents is first compressed in the engines, and it isn’t filtered before you breathe it on all aircraft except for the Boeing 787. AFA regularly receives reports from members who report dirty socks or musty fumes in the cabin supply air. This exposure can result in problems with memory, balance, speech and other long-lasting symptoms. Nobody thinks it will happen to her or him until it does….
Remember Clean Up Cabin Air and the GIVE TEN, GET TEN campaign? Clean Up Cabin Air is led by volunteer flight attendants—including some of our very own (who wish to remain anonymous)—and their supporters. Clean Up Cabin Air has re-launched its campaign and “re-branded” it as Airline Crew and Passenger Health Research: Blood Test for Oil.
From Clean Up Cabin Air’s campaign page:
We are re-launching our campaign on this important subject, having raised more than $3000 which has already been forwarded to the research team. We are again calling everyone who flies to join our campaign to make air travel healthier. Please GIVE $10 (or something comparable, any currency) to a talented university research team to finish developing an important blood test for airline crews and passengers (more information below). Also, GET 10 more people (Facebook friends, any friends, anybody with a pulse…) to do the same….
Aviation engine oils contain neurotoxic additives, so breathing the fumes can cause lasting damage to your brain. Also, flight safety can be compromised when crews are impaired inflight. You will meet some affected crew members in our video….
Join us. Change the way the industry handles the air you breathe on regular commercial flights. Donate now! Currently, 95% of your donation goes directly to the researchers, and 5% to Indiegogo, per their rules. We have been approved as a non-profit organization, such that contributions (made in the US, at least) will be tax-deductible. EVERY dollar, euro, pound, peso and yen, every bit – however small – helps. Larger contributions are also encouraged… Go ahead, watch our video and add your voice to the people who want clean cabin air now. We thank you.
All flight attendants and pilots need this blood test to be available, so the MEC is encouraging everybody to GIVE TEN, GET TEN. (Helpful hint from your MEC: Remember to confirm that the donation level matches your desired contribution prior to submitting.) As an added incentive and in keeping with the GIVE TEN theme, AFA Alaska will automatically match each member’s donation dollar for dollar up to a maximum of $10,000 total donation. We will work directly with Clean Up Cabin Air to make that happen—it’s easy to contribute, and there is no need for you to do anything for the donation matching!
If you are exposed to oil fumes onboard, then you need to be able to prove it. All of us need the industry to feel more motivated to clean up the cabin air!
In solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Air Quality Chairperson Karyn Kobe; and AFA-CWA Air Safety, Health and Security Department Industrial Hygienist Judith Anderson
After years of discussion and speculation, Alaska Airlines management has announced the launch of a new brand identity. As part of the rebranding, management has discussed the intent to produce a new “custom” uniform. The production of a custom uniform can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months from initial approval. This means that Flight Attendants will continue to wear the current “interim” uniform for the foreseeable future.
New Ties and Scarves Developed By Management With NO AFA Input
Because a custom uniform is still in the design phase, management has made the decision to produce and issue a new tie and scarf to all uniformed employees to include new brand elements in the mean time. This new piece has been designed and developed exclusively by management, without any input from the AFA Uniform Committee or the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), despite contractual language requiring them do to so. The new piece is not being produced by Land’s End, but by a different vendor whom AFA has not had the opportunity to vet or review. Additionally, we have been given no information about the safety standards employed by this new vendor or any fabric testing performed on these new pieces.
AFA Not Allowed To Wear Test The Final Product
The AFA Uniform Committee has a long history of working with management to wear test new uniform pieces and accessories. Wear testing allows working Flight Attendants the opportunity to trial new uniform items in a real-life environment. Uniform and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Members are able to evaluate fit, function, comfort, and possibly discover whether the combination of fabrics, dyes, and other garment components used will cause adverse reactions. This testing increases the chance that the final uniform will meet our needs and is safer to wear.
In the case of the new uniform scarves and ties, management declined to give AFA the opportunity to conduct a full wear test of the final uniform product. Management instead offered the committees the chance to wear test uniform “blanks”, solid color ties and scarves that did not contain the actual mix of fabric and dyes that Flight Attendants will be expected to wear onboard the aircraft. AFA was told that a wear test of the actual ties and scarves was not possible because it was important that the new pieces remain a surprise for employees and the design not be leaked to the public. Because a test of anything other than the final product would not effectively determine how those actual pieces would react to our work environment, the Uniform Committee and ASHSC declined to participate in a test of “blank” pieces.
We feel that it is important that you are aware that AFA has not participated in the production or design of these new pieces.
If you have any questions, please contact your Local Uniform Committee.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt, MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Bob Moore and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple
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