Latest News

February 8, 2022 17:00

Grievance Committee

When AFA and management disagree on a contractual issue, it doesn’t necessarily become a grievance right away. Most times, there is an intermediate step taken to try to resolve the issue.
Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) brings together decision makers from AFA leadership, inflight management, and labor relations management to try to work the issue out. Scheduling Review Board (SRB) is a similar process that involves AFA Representatives and Crew Scheduling management.
If everyone can’t agree on a resolution, our AFA Grievance Committee can still file a formal grievance and address the issue through the contractual grievance process.

As we know, our collective bargaining agreement provides many protections related to our working conditions, pay, and benefits. Our AFA Grievance Committee and other AFA Representatives work constantly to ensure that management is doing right by our Flight Attendants according to the language in the contract. Sometimes, however, disagreements arise between AFA and management about how a particular provision in the contract should be applied or whether or not a contractual violation occurred in the first place.

Our contract provides an established process for handling disagreements such as these. Section 19 [Grievance Procedures] and section 20 [Board of Adjustment] of our CBA, often referred to collectively as the contractual grievance process, outline the procedures for how disputes about contractual language and interpretation are handled. But before a matter is referred to the grievance process, there is often an intermediate step taken to try to work the issue out with management.

Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process is intended to give AFA Representatives and management the opportunity to resolve issues more quickly and with more flexibility while saving on the expenses related to processing a grievance. ADR meetings are held every two weeks and include the AFA MEC Grievance Committee and management counterparts in Inflight management and the Labor Relations department. During these meetings, the group reviews each case and attempts to work through issues that would otherwise be forced to the grievance process directly.

Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

Alongside ADR is a parallel process that specifically addresses scheduling-related issues. The Scheduling Review Board (SRB) meets once per month and includes representatives from our AFA MEC Grievance, Scheduling, and Reserve Committees along with Crew Scheduling management. The goal of SRB is the same—work to resolve issues more quickly than the grievance process would allow while achieving the best possible outcome for Flight Attendants.

How Do I Know If My Issue Has Been Referred to ADR/SRB?

If you’ve reported a concern to AFA and the issue has been referred to ADR or SRB, the status of your ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center will show as “escalated to ADR” or “escalated to SRB” accordingly. The AFA Representative assigned to your case will continue to be your point of contact and provide you with updates following ADR/SRB meetings. Our MEC Grievance Committee also maintains a log of current and past ADR items that can be viewed on the Grievance Committee page of the AFA Alaska website (click the “view the ADR log” button under the ADR process heading).

What If We Can’t Work it Out?

While an issue is being addressed through ADR or SRB, the time limitations outlined in the contract for when a grievance must be filed are placed on hold. This ensures that the Flight Attendant and our contractual rights are protected as we try to resolve the issue. If we aren’t able to reach an agreement with management that is acceptable to everyone involved, our AFA Grievance Committee maintains the right to address the issue by filing a formal grievance.

Questions?

If you have questions about the ADR process, don’t hesitate to contact your Local Grievance Committee Chairperson. For any questions about the SRB process, contact your Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson or Local Reserve Committee Chairperson.

February 4, 2022 17:00

In This Edition

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000
Celebrating Black History Month
Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2022
Introducing Our Negotiating Committee
Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 1^st Quarter 2022

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000

Originally posted January 31, 2022

Today we reflect on the tragic loss that occurred on January 31, 2000, when Alaska Airlines Flight 261, flying between Puerto Vallarta and San Francisco, went down in the Pacific Ocean between Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island off the coast of Southern California.

We will never forget Flight Attendants Kristin Mills, Craig Pulanco and Allison Shanks; Captain Ted Thompson; First Officer William Tansky; Sheri Christensen, Rachel Janosik, Ileana Ost, Sarah Pearson, Anjesh Prasad, James Ryan and Stacy Schuyler.

Read More >

Celebrating Black History Month

Originally posted February 1, 2022

February 1^st marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States. This tradition dates back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson first introduced a week-long event to build awareness of the contributions made by Black individuals. Read more about Black History Month, learn about the accomplishments of Black Americans, and find out about events that you can take part in using the resource links below. Join the celebration by wearing your Black History Month AFA Pin during the month of February. If you need a pin, check with your Local Council for more information.

Read More >

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2022

Originally posted February 2, 2022

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, January 25 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding. Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Read More >

Introducing Our Negotiating Committee

Originally posted February 2, 2022

Our Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted final interviews this week for three Negotiating Committee Member positions who will represent us in upcoming contract negotiations with the Company. Our MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants.

After thorough deliberation, the voting members of your MEC, consisting of the six directly-elected LEC Presidents, have appointed Sandra Morrow, James Bozanich, and Kiara Jenkins to the positions.

Read More >

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 1^st Quarter 2022

Originally posted February 3, 2022

Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, February 1 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are reporting related to uniform quality, wearability, and availability. If you are experiencing any issues with uniform quality or construction, please report the issues to Unisync as soon as possible. Please include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson on the email so they can help track any issues or trends that might be developing.

Read More >

February 4, 2022 10:12

Bidding Reminders

Top, Down

When bidding, please remember that the program reads your bid from the top, down, starting at line 1. Each bid line may impact those below it, but not those above it.

Example: At line 10 you Prefer Off March 7 & 8. If honored, you will not be awarded trips or reserve days touching those dates from Line 11 – 150 (provided your bid is not affected by denial or coverage awards). Bid lines 1 through 9 would not be affected by this request.

Bid Groups

Bid Groups should only be used by expert bidders that are requesting very specific schedules. We frequently see bid protests when members use Bid Groups incorrectly Click here for more information on using Bid Groups.

Which Bid will determine my award?

The system will always award from your Current Bid if anything is entered. If you bid using your Default Bid, please ensure there are no accidental entries on your Current Bid.

While we encourage you to become familiar with WebApp. We are aware that some members may use both versions during the learning phase. When switching between Classbid (older) and WebApp (newer) versions of PBS, remember that the last bid submitted will be used by the system to award your schedule.

Questions?
Please reach out to the AFA PBS Committee atpbs@afaalaska.org.

T Mobile Sim and IMD Usage

You should have received via UPS a T-Mobile Sim card, it was sent to your address on file with the company. if you have not updated your address since you moved please do so in Peoplesoft.

The Sim comes in a big padded envelope with instructions on how to change it out along with a little metal tool that’s easy to miss. This process takes maybe 5 minutes at the most to do. Make sure you change your SIM card out as soon as you receive it. If you have not received one, please reach out to base management,

Most of you know that T-Mobile offers 1 hour of free internet on flights for their customers, Keep in mind the IMD is company property. if you add a personal Apple ID to your work device you have now given the company access to your personal information, they can check your IMD at anytime remotely for Apps that have been added, conversations via text or 3rd party apps, Photos, Videos ETC ETC.

Advice from your Local AFA Officers, use your IMD for work ONLY, People have been called into meetings and disciplined for content found on the device and usage of their devices both on personal time and during work hours that is not work related.

Sunset of ClassBid

ClassBid, the older version of our PBS bidding program will no longer be supported by NavBlue after the March 2022 bid period (for April schedules).

WebApp, also known as the newer version of the program (https://asapbs.navblue.aero/webapp) has been available to all Flight Attendants for several years now. If you are still unfamiliar with the newer version, you may wish to start reviewing the online training materials sooner rather later. The program is accessible outside of the bid period, so you may log-in and practice using the system under your Default Bid.

Your local AFA Scheduling, and Reserve Committee’s will be hosting Base Sits during the bid period over the next few months. Dates for February and March are listed below, April dates will be published in time for bidding. Base Sits are intended to help you fine tune your knowledge and ask questions one-on-one. Please bring the tablet, laptop or mobile device you normally bid on. Computers are available in SAN. If you would like a more formal approach, the AFA PBS Committee will be hosting another round of virtual on-line classes in March and April. Virtual Training will be on Microsoft Teams. You must belogged into your AAG account to attend. Please review the training materials available on-line prior to attending a virtual class or a base sit.

SAN Crew Room

Feb 8 10AM to 3PM
Feb 9 10AM to 3PM
March 5 6AM to 11AM
March 6 10AM – 3PM
March 7 6AM – 11AM
March 8 10AM – 3PM
March 9 10AM – 3PM

Virtual Training – Online Class

Online Mar 8 10AM -11AM
Online Mar 9 1PM – 2PM
Online April 5 1PM – 2PM
Online April 7 10AM – 11AM

Available WebApp Training Resources

WebApp Quick Reference Guide

WebApp Tutorial Video

Q&A from WebApp Virtual Trainings (May – July 2021)

WebApp Program Guide

Basic Line Bidding Video

Basic Reserve Bidding Video

Additional WebApp Videos

401K Matching

Are you losing out on free money? The company match for your 401K is 7.5%. We have noticed there are many people still at 7%, make sure you sign into your Vanguard.com account and increase yours to at least 7.5% if you are able so that you are getting the full company match.

CBT Due Date: February 10, 2022

The Annual Compliance Training (ACT) CBT due date has been extended to February 10, 2022. Please ensure you have completed this required training. It was initially due late last year. Please see Bulletin 2022-0013 for more information. Failure to complete your CBT by this date will result in steps of discipline.

Personal Emails for AFA Updates

With Negotiations on the Horizon, it’s very important to stay current with AFA newsletters and updates. Make sure you have your Personal Email on file with AFA. We do not use the company email. to Register your personal email click here: https://afanewsletters.org/subscribe/

February 3, 2022 17:00

Uniform Committee

Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, February 1 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms.
The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are reporting related to uniform quality, wearability, and availability.
If you are experiencing any issues with uniform quality or construction, please report the issues to Unisync as soon as possible. Please include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson on the email so they can help track any issues or trends that might be developing.

On Tuesday, February 1, our AFA Local Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), David Jelinek (PDX), Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather Milner (LAX), and Denise Sheldon (SAN). Also present were MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Todd Scarlett; MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative Deb Wallstrom; and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer. The committee met with Director of Fuel* Lauren Kriegler, Marketing Product Delivery Manager Kelly Cuthill, and PDX Base Manager Kristie Stafford from management.

* Within the company’s supply chain management division, fuel and uniforms are managed by the same group of people.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Results from the recent wear test of a prototype warm weather/Aloha shirt that was conducted by the Uniform Committee and ASHSC.
Concerns that management does not involve the Uniform Committee early enough in the process of developing new uniform components and policies, resulting in unnecessary time and/or expense when problems are identified by Flight Attendants after initial development is in progress or complete.
Proposal by AFA to expand the ability to wear boots in order to improve Flight Attendant health and safety.
Status of backordered uniform items and projected availability.
Ongoing uniform quality issues, specifically about recent reports of zippers breaking off.
Concerns about sweaters in the female uniform collection being perceived as too thin and not providing enough warmth.
Requests for pockets in maternity uniform pieces.
Requests for improvements to the transition jacket, specifically increased warmth and wind resistance.
Concerns regarding inconsistent enforcement of uniform policies and standards by management.
Continued requests to simplify uniform policies and guidelines to improve clarity and make compliance easier for Flight Attendants.
Status of AFA request for non-binary/gender non-conforming uniform and appearance standards.
Possible expansion of crew luggage program to include a spinner-type suitcase.

What The Committee Is Working On

Improving the Uniform Boot Policy. Working with management and the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) to allow for a broader range of Arctic boots, to allow Arctic boots in Alaska any time there is snow or ice on the ground, and to allow boots outside of terminals and the aircraft anytime there is inclement weather (policy not yet in effect).
Simplification of Uniform Policies. Advocating for an overall simplification of company uniform policies through clearer guidelines, removal of excessive or unrealistic restrictions, and other common sense changes.
Uniform Wear Testing. Participating in wear testing of new or modified uniform pieces under consideration by management, including providing in-depth feedback and promoting changes that make pieces easier to wear and care for.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please help our Uniform Committee by taking the time to email Unisync at alaskaservice@unisyncgroup.com with any quality issues you are experiencing. When sending an email, please describe the issue with as much detail as possible and include photos if you can. Please CC your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson on the email so that the Uniform Committee can track the issues as well.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Uniform Committee is your voice to management. You can find our contact information on the Uniform Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

February 2, 2022 09:00

Scheduling Committee

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, January 25 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling.
The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Tuesday, January 25, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Virginia Fritz (SFO), Brie Donoghue (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, and MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Adam Clarey. The committee met with Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Denia Pisia, Manager of Crew Planning Mac Patterson, and other management representatives from Crew Scheduling and Crew Planning.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Snow Operations – Precancellation, reassignments, diversions, stranded and hotel/transportation concerns reported by Flight Attendants through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.
Regional aircraft flying within the State of Alaska and the lower 48. How it affects our bases and block hours.
Filing Activity Claim Forms within Rainmaker to assist Flight Attendants with pay related questions. Scheduling representatives do not have access to individual Flight Attendant Rainmaker profiles and need to request screenshots when assisting with pay.
Contactability requirements of Section 8.Q. Reviewed when Flight Attendants are required to be contactable and return calls to scheduling. Also being available for ground time while on duty.
El Paso flying locked in SEA base March through May 2022.
Sick Leave and staffing, if sick leave is reduced could potentially add more line holders and reduce the overall reserve staffing system wide.
Flight Attendants with ground time on more than 4 hours need to request day rooms. Scheduling will wait to book the room until the Flight Attendant makes contact.
Pyramiding Pay – premium, holiday, over duty, winter incentive

What The Committee Is Working On

Information Technology Improvements. Including, but not limited to, Block2Block/Inflight Mobile, Flight Attendant website performance, JCTE performance, Open Time statistics and trade processing times, JCTE releases, and Crew Scheduling/Crew Admin items (non-JCTE).
Reassignment Flow Chart. Developing an easy-to-follow flow chart to help explain how reassignments work, similar to the pre-cancellation flow chart.
Scheduling Quality of Life Improvements. Reviewing ways to improve Trip Length Distribution (TLD) and other quality of life options. Working with management to develop a quality of life survey to determine Flight Attendant scheduling priorities.
Sunset of NAVBLUE ClassBid PBS. Conducting PBS base sits to help support Flight Attendants in preparation for the cutover.

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Scheduling Committee is your voice to management. You can open a support request on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or contact us directly using the information on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

February 1, 2022 09:00

Human Rights Committee

February 1^st marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States. This tradition dates back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson first introduced a week-long event to build awareness of the contributions made by Black individuals.
Read more about Black History Month, learn about the accomplishments of Black Americans, and find out about events that you can take part in using the resource links below.
Join the celebration by wearing your Black History Month AFA Pin during the month of February. If you need a pin, check with your Local Council for more information.

February 1st marks the first day of Black History Month in the United States. The celebration has a long tradition that can be traced back to 1925 when Harvard trained-historian Carter G. Woodson introduced “Negro History Week”, which sought to raise awareness of the contributions made by Black individuals to society and the world. It was expanded to its current form in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford when it became Black History Month.

Learn More About Black History

You can learn more about the accomplishments of Black Americans through some of the dedicated websites and resources below.

Celebrate with a Black History Month AFA Pin

In 2019, the AFA Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution in recognition of February as Black History Month. The resolution established a special commemorative pin for AFA Members to wear throughout the month of February.

For more information about the pin, contact your Local Human Rights Committee. Also be on the lookout for a communication from your Local Council or contact your LEC Officers to determine pin availability.

January 31, 2022 16:22

Master Executive Council (MEC)

January 31, 2022 11:45

Important Dates

Jan 31:Temporary NavBlue Outage at 06:00 PST for 2 Hours for Programming Update

Feb 5-9: PBS Base Sits SFO Village

Feb 10: ACT CBT Due

SFO Employee COVID Testing

Information provided by FlySFO

As a result of new CA State legislation, one of SFO’s COVID-19 testing sites will now accept insurance (including Kaiser) and has set up a dedicated Employee Testing portal for all Airport workers. Links to the portal for employee registration at this site offering molecular testing is below. Advance registration is required via the Employee Portal. Employees who are symptomatic or are known to be in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should use Worksite Labs if possible.

Location: Adjacent to the Long-Term Parking Lot and Cell Phone Waiting Lot by San Bruno Avenue

Testing Offered: Drive-Thru Only, RT-PCR with results in 12 or 24 hours

Employee Testing Hours: Daily 0700-1900

Note: Operating hours and location are subject to change.

Sunsetting of NavBlue Classbid After the March 5-12, 2002 Bid Period

by Virginia Fritz, Scheduling Committee Chair

NavBlue is sunsetting the old Classbid interface and FAs will need to use the updated WebApp interface for the March 5-12 bid period. Base Sits for SFO are scheduled on the dates below, and will be held in the SFO Village.

Feb 5th 0900-1700
Feb 6th 1000-1800
Feb 7th 0700-1800
Feb 8th 0700-1700
Feb 9th 0900-1700

Representatives from our Scheduling, Benefits, and Reserve committees will be on hand to assist and answer any questions. If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, please contact pbs.qa@alaskaair.com for assistance. WebApp virtual training dates are expected to be announced next month.

To get the most out of your time with a trainer at a Base Sit, you should have some familiarity with WebApp. If you have not already done so, please review the links below. We strongly suggest beginning with the WebApp Tutorial.

Pairing Update for March 2022

by Virginia Fritz, Scheduling Committee Chair, PBS Subcommittee Member

The company has been trying to find ways to mitigate their operational risk of cancellations due to crew staffing shortages. They have found that the average sick call on a 4 day can take 2 or 3 reserve flight attendants to staff because of reserve legalities and days-on availability. This has led the company to significantly reduce 4 days in all bases for March.

We have let crew planning know that we are very unhappy with this as it relates to the SFO base, and stressed that the quality of pairings is an issue, not quantity. If you have any feedback please reach out to sfo.scheduling@afaalaska.org so that we can relay any feedback to management.

Many in our base rely on longer trips. There are some tips to try and create your own longer pairings should you want to attempt it. You can attach one trip to another by adding a base turn (JCBA 8.T) to the beginning or end of another trip. A base turn isn’t necessarily a ‘turn’ but is “two (2) sequences combined in the same duty period that contain no less than one hour and forty-five minutes (1:45) block-to-block between the last flight of the previous sequence and the first flight of the subsequent sequence. The scheduled ‘base turn duty period’ cannot exceed fourteen (14) hours on duty according to CFRs.” Additionally, some trips have a SIP (JCBA 12.G),(a Sequence Interruption Point [SIP] will be any arrival of the aircraft at the Sequence Home Domicile). You can pick up a trip out of open time that in its entirety may not be legal to add, but with a SIP in base could create a legal combination. With many of the pairings we have, these tools may not always be applicable but we wanted to make sure that this information was available to you should you want and be able to use it.

Inflight Service Committee (ISC) Reminders

by Raymond Ramirez, ISC Chair

Create Success

Please help your fellow crew members by returning items to their originally catered galley positions.

Current Substitutions

Canned OJ replaces boxes-please pour. SEA will cater Fruit & Cheese with 2 slices each of cheddar and Beechers due to a shortage of Brie cheese.

F/A Feedback

Your comments have brought back mixer drawers to the FC beverage cart–coming March 02. Current focus: carafes and lids are missing on many flights so please use B2B to report. THANK YOU!

Service

Feb 07, will see the reinstatement of many service items. This service increase will be monitored and adjusted as necessary in partnership with AFA leadership. Please reach out to your AFA SFO Inflight Service Committee, Raymond Ramirez (chair), Matt Voges and Renee Waggener with your service comments.

Grievance Summary 2021

The following chart summarizes grievances filed for SFO for the year 2021. This does not represent all of the performance meetings (investigations) that occurred and mitigated disciplines from Grievance Reps with management. These numbers strictly represent grievances filed after discipline had been issued. Of grievances filed, 3 of them were mitigated through the grievance process which resulted in either disciplines reduced and/or dropped.

Violation	Cases	% Total
Appearance of Sleeping	1	2%
Intentional Flying with COVID	1	2%
Breaking Quarantine/Insubordination	1	2%
Lost IMD	1	2%
Mask Non-compliance	1	2%
Comping Non-Revs	1	2%
Theft from Aircraft	1	2%
Uniform	1	2%
Last Chance Agreement	1	2%
12+ Points	1	2%
Reserve Out of Base	2	4%
Late to Plane/Delay/Missing Required Item	6	11%
CBT Missed Deadline	14	26%
Commuter Policy	21	39%
Total Grievances	54	100%

Calling in Sick and Wellness Calls

As everyone knows, thanks to the many reminders from management, sick leave usage is at an all time high. Considering there’s a world-wide pandemic occurring this is not surprising. One way management has taken steps to attempt to curb sick leave usage is to carefully monitor sick calls. Many of the “suspect” cases are brought to the performance team for investigation from Crew Scheduling. When an FA calls in sick and offers more information than what is needed, this often will trigger a “red flag” and get passed along for an investigation. Best practice is to say only what is necessary to crew scheduling when calling in to report an absence. “Hi this is FA (name) Peoplesoft number (1234567) calling in sick for (trip number or reserve day).” Nothing more is needed. If schedulers are asking for more information, you are not required to divulge any health information.

The same guidance is also true for Wellness calls. Management has a process in place to follow up with Flight Attendants when they reach certain absence point levels. Normally each discipline level triggers a wellness call and/or email from base supervisors. Wellness calls with management do not require a response, however it is recommended that the FA provide a confirmation of the message. In recent investigations with FAs with high point levels, one of the questions from the performance supervisor is “did you receive the wellness calls from base leadership? And did you respond?” Best practice would be to respond via email only to any wellness calls and/or emails to avoid having a conversation with management without Union representation.

Member Question: How to use sick family

Flight Attendants can use sick leave to tend to a serious or emergency health condition of a family member. If you report sick for a qualified family member and do not have enough sick leave to cover the entire sequence or reserve day(s), the absence(s) will be converted to a Management Drop and attendance points will be assessed at a half-point per day. To see your sick leave balance log into Rainmaker for the most current balance. If you need time away from work to care for a sick family member and you do not have sufficient sick leave available, contact an Inflight Supervisor to request a Management Drop. For more information please review Bulletin 2021-0059.

Membership Links for Payment or Personal Contact Updates

by James Ikehara, Secretary and Membership Committee Chair

If you are coming back from a leave of absence and need to catch up on dues payments, this link will take you directly to AFA’s Membership Services website to schedule an on-line payment. Should you need to update your personal contact information (e.g., address, phone number, email, etc.), use this link.

Fly safe and stay healthy!

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President • Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary • James.ikehara@afaalaska.org • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

January 28, 2022 17:00

In This Edition

MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson Interviews
2022 College Scholarship Opportunities
Shared on Social

MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson Interviews

Originally posted January 28, 2022

As preparations for contract negotiations continue, our MEC is seeking candidates for the position of MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson. The Mobilization Committee works to provide support to the Negotiating Committee through coordinated solidarity activity and two-way communication between the membership and the committee. The MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson is responsible for coordinating the activities of the Mobilization Committee across all six bases. Interviews will be held during the April Regular MEC Meeting on April 13, 2022. Interested candidates should complete the online expression of interest form and submit a resume by Tuesday, April 5 at 5 PM Pacific time.

Read More >

2022 College Scholarship Opportunities

Originally posted January 28, 2022

As an AFA and CWA Member, you and/or certain eligible dependents have the opportunities for at least three different scholarships. An additional opportunity, the Union Plus Free College Benefit, offers the ability to earn a degree with no out of pocket expense for tuition, fees, and e-books. Check out the links below for eligibility requirements, application information, and other important details for each opportunity.

Read More >

Negotiating Committee Final Interviews

On Wednesday, January 26, our Master Executive Council (MEC) met to conduct final interviews with the candidates for the three Negotiating Committee Member positions who will represent us during upcoming contract negotiations with the Company. Our MEC would like to express their appreciation for all of the candidates who stepped forward and expressed a desire to serve our Flight Attendants. Given the importance of the decision, the MEC agreed to take additional time over the weekend to consider the candidates and will meet again on Tuesday, February 1 to continue with the selection process.

January 28, 2022 15:00

AFA International

As an AFA and CWA Member, you and/or certain eligible dependents have the opportunities for at least three different scholarships.
An additional opportunity, the Union Plus Free College Benefit, offers the ability to earn a degree with no out of pocket expense for tuition, fees, and e-books.
Check out the links below for eligibility requirements, application information, and other important details for each opportunity.

As an AFA and CWA Member, you and/or certain eligible dependents have the opportunities for at least three different scholarships, and the ability to earn a degree with no out of pocket expense for tuition, fees, and e-books. The time for applying is now!

Brought to you by our Union, these benefits of union membership have become very popular with members. Please see the respective links for detailed information, and good luck in obtaining financial assistance.

AFA Scholarship Fund

The Association of Flight Attendants Scholarship Fund is intended to provide financial assistance to dependents of our active members who will be attending a college or university. The deadline for applications is April 10. Details are available on the AFA International website at http://www.afacwa.org/scholarships.

CWA Joe Beirne Scholarship

The Joe Beirne Scholarship is offered by CWA. The deadline for applications is April 30. Details on this scholarship are on the CWA website at http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/beirne.

Union Plus Scholarship Program

Union Plus provides a suite of scholarships, educational discounts, and loans available for union members. You can find information at https://www.unionplus.org/college-education-financing. One additional “click” brings up the scholarship applications that may be submitted online by the deadline of January 31.

Union Plus Free College Benefit

In addition, there is a free college benefit available through Union Plus for active and retired Members and their families with the opportunity to earn an associate degree completely online – for FREE. Details and an application are online at https://www.unionplusfreecollege.org. This benefit can save you thousands of dollars.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact your LEC Officers.

Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

How Do I Know If My Issue Has Been Referred to ADR/SRB?

What If We Can’t Work it Out?

Questions?

In This Edition

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000

Celebrating Black History Month

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2022

Introducing Our Negotiating Committee

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2022

Topics of Discussion

What The Committee Is Working On

We Want to Hear From You!

Topics of Discussion

What The Committee Is Working On

We Want to Hear From You!

Learn More About Black History

Celebrate with a Black History Month AFA Pin

Important Dates

Pairing Update for March 2022

Grievance Summary 2021

Membership Links for Payment or Personal Contact Updates

In This Edition

MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson Interviews

2022 College Scholarship Opportunities

Shared on Social

Negotiating Committee Final Interviews

AFA Scholarship Fund

CWA Joe Beirne Scholarship

Union Plus Scholarship Program

Union Plus Free College Benefit

Questions?

Recent Posts

Local Councils

Master Executive Council

Negotiations

Contract

Committees

News By Month

News By Category

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Connect With AFA

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 1^st Quarter 2022