June 9, 2021 23:39

Important Dates

June 30: Q2 CBT Due

COVID-19 Points Forgiveness

The Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19 MOU provides Flight Attendants an opportunity for points adjustment for the following COVID-19 related activities:

Non-work related exposure
Vaccine appointments
Side effects of the vaccine

Management has agreed to review all points related to COVID-19 with documentation. Details of the MOU can be found on our website. Your council 35 officers encourage members to submit the form for any absences related to COVID-19. To request a points review, visit:

Alaskasworld>>Inflight >>Administration>>Performance>>COVID-19 Absence Reporting Form

It is recommended that F/As save all receipts and appointment confirmations. F/As may be required to send evidence to the performance supervisor for conversion. This process is manual, so allow some time for the adjustment to show on the attendance record.

Call to Action: New California COVID-19 Law

The state of California has recently enacted a law to protect employees from COVID -19 activities. The basics of the law provides.

Protection from penalties (points)
Requires employers to offer a special COVID-19 sick leave bank (including employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement)
Requires employers to notify employees of the new CA provisions.

So far Alaska has taken a position that F/As are not eligible for these CA benefits, however AFA does not agree with Alaska. Your Council 35 officers encourage all CA-based Flight Attendants to file a wage claim with the state and/or file a labor law violation. For more information, please see the AFA June 2, 2021 communication.

PBS WebApp Training

The next training sessions on Microsoft Teams are Tuesday June 8, 1pm-2pm Pacific and Wednesday, June 9, 10am-11am Pacific. Links will only be live during the training period. If you miss these training dates, there will be more dates in July. This is the same technology used for the all-employee webcasts. If you have any issues installing Microsoft Teams or viewing the training sessions, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 1-877-238-1077 or email ITS.Service.Desk@alaskaair.com.

Welcome New Council 35 Committee Members

Benefits Committee Chair: Julie Pearson

Julie began her Flight Attendant career with Virgin America in April 2010, upgrading to the Inflight Team Leader position in early 2011. In October 2018, Julie joined the Council 35 Crew Systems Integration team where she took on the task of helping her teammates during the Alaska systems integration, conducting base sits and helping train flight attendants in the NavBlue PBS and Crew Access systems, as well as answering questions regarding the JCBA. Prior to becoming a flight attendant Julie received her BA in Communications from Saint Mary’s College of California. After college she moved to London, where she stayed for 5 years and worked in content licensing. In her free time you’ll find her exploring San Francisco and hiking the Bay Area with her husband and 5 year old son.

Inflight Service Committee: Matt Voges

Coming from a long time airline family, Matt realized his passion for travel very early in life, but only fully recognized his love for the Aviation Industry in 2008 when he was hired at Virgin America. After earning his wings, he realized he had more to offer by lending his restaurant and event catering experience with the on-board service team and moved in to a role from Inflight Team Leader to Service Coach and later Air Transportation Supervisor. With these roles, he worked closely with the LSG kitchen and on-board Service Manager to help develop and teach the onboard experience to new hires. He hopes to continue this path in moving forward with the AFA to help provide a better and more seamless on-board experience for both Flight Attendants and Guests. Matt currently resides in San Francisco and spends his spare time traveling the world experiencing new cultures, food and languages. He is also active in playing softball, learning to race cars and everything to do with cooking (including eating).

June Pride Month

Help celebrate June Pride with an AFA pride pin or an AFA Pride luggage tag. A limited supply is available now at the supervisor’s office in the SFO Village.

Free COVID-19 Vaccinations in SFO

SFO is offering 2 free vaccination programs for the public, including arriving and departing passengers, on domestic and international flights. More information about the programs can be found here. The J&J single-dose vaccine for people aged 18 and older is available on a walk-up, first-come, first-served basis.

Location: SFO Medical Clinic, International Terminal Departures Hall, A-Side
Days/Times: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm

In partnership with Safeway Pharmacy during the month of June, the J&J vaccine, for people aged 18 and older and Pfizer, for people ages 12 and older will be available.

Location: International Terminal, Level 3, Departures Hall, between Aisles 6 & 7 (at the back of the building)
Days/Times:

Tuesday, June 8, 10:00am – 6:00pm

Walk-ups are available however an appointment is recommended.

In solidarity,

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

June 9, 2021 17:33

SAN Updates

Base Staffing and July Bidding

Approximately 80 SAN based Flight Attendants will be returning from EVF-9 on July 1, 2021. Please be aware of the impact this may have on your July bid award. If you are currently a line-holder bidding just above the reserve “cut-off”, you may find yourself on Reserve for July. Each month the anticipated number of Lineholders and Reserves is posted in the Bid Packet Cover Letter.
Inflight Page> Scheduling& Bidding> Line Bidding> Bid Packets

If you need assistance bidding, you may reach out to the AFA PBS Committee or your local Reserve or Scheduling Committees.

June is Pride Month

AFA-CWA supports all LGBTQ+ Flight Attendants and workers as we fight for protections on the job and in our communities. AFA’s mission is to unite all Flight Attendants and promote equality and employment for all, regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. This has been codified in our Constitution since 1976.

Discrimination of any kind undermines the strength of our country. We must work together to protect the rights that should belong to every human being. We stand up for fairness and equal opportunity for all American workers.

AFA is a longtime supporter of Pride At Work, the AFL-CIO diversity organization working towards full equality for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace.

Show your support! Wear your AFA Pride Pin during the month of June. We have a very limited number of Pride pins available, please request one by emailing san@afaalaska.org.

SAN Parking

Effective Monday June 7th parking was moved to the Terminal 2 West Lot. Parking for the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza will be turned off. The new parking area is approximately a 7 minute walk to TSA. Make sure you allow enough time to Park and walk to the terminal.

If you are a commuter and have your car in the old parking, you need to make arrangements to move your vehicle ASAP.

Access the Terminal 2 West Lot from Harbor Drive by turning right on McCain Rd, then turn right into the parking lot. Address of the lot is 2395 McCain Rd, San Diego, CA 92101. Please park west of the exit plaza, Please check your company email for a PDF map and pictures.

Recent AFA Communications

Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19 June 2, 2021
Information regarding points forgiveness for absences related to COVID-19.

Settlement: Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellations and Schedule Changes May 29, 2021
This settlement agreement requires that all pre-cancellations, retimes, flight routing changes, and aircraft downgrades (i.e., from a four-position aircraft to a three-position aircraft) that occur in advance of the day of departure of a sequence will be handled under JCBA §10.S [Pre-Cancellations].

AFA Alaska Update May 28, 2021
Grievance Committee Update, Delta AFA Campaign, UNCF Commitment Aircraft, Mental Health Awareness Month

Important Reminders

Remember to check by the end of each quarter to see if you have any CBTs you have not finished. there is 1 every quarter that needs to be completed by the end of that quarter unless you are on leave. failure to complete your CBT on time will result in Progressive Steps of Discipline.

Q2 CBT is due June 30

June 7, 2021 09:00

Blue Cross Blue Shield Class Action Settlement

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Legal Disclaimer

The following information is being provided as a courtesy to our members because enrollment in some of the Company-provided healthcare plans subject to specific provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement may have made you eligible for a class action settlement. However, AFA is neither a party to the class action nor has been involved in the settlement agreement discussions. If you have specific questions or concerns about the terms of the class action settlement, then you need to consult with the Claims Administrator or Co-Lead Counsel as described in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement or with your own attorney.

Class Action Settlement is Legitimate

Many Flight Attendants have received notice via USPS or email about a class action settlement involving the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) companies, including Premera Blue Cross. For reasons unknown, the delivery of the notices has been all over the map in terms of timing, and many Flight Attendants have reported that they have not received any notice whatsoever. Regardless, these notices are legitimate, and you may be eligible for a settlement payment pursuant to this cause of action if you enrolled in the Company-funded traditional or high-deductible PPO healthcare plans administered by Premera Blue Cross during the eligibility period (see “Settlement Details” below).

Alaskasworld Notice Posted

AFA requested that management post a notice to employees on Alaskasworld (AW), and management agreed to do so. See AW “For your information: Blue Cross Blue Shield notices” (May 27, 2021) for the article (AAG SSO required).

Settlement Details

Website: http://www.BCBSsettlement.com
Alaska Airlines employees would potentially belong to the “self-funded employees” category under “self-funded accounts”
Self-funded net settlement fund: 6.5% of the estimated $1.9 billion “net settlement fund” = ~$120 million.
Self-funded eligibility period: September 1, 2015 – October 16, 2020
Default payment option for employees is a portion of total administrative fees paid during the eligibility period: 18% for “single coverage” (employee only) and 25% for “family coverage (employee + spouse or employee + family), with the remainder going to the employer. In our opinion, this is a favorable calculation relative to the proportion of our contribution rate compared to the Company’s actual cost for healthcare.
Opt-out or objection deadline is July 28, 2021
You must submit a claim in order to be eligible to receive a payment.
Claim deadline is November 5, 2021
Minimum payment is $5

Minimum Payment

In our estimation, the minimum payment of $5 is likely to exclude any Alaska employees from receiving a payout under this settlement. However, there really is no way to know for certain. We are recommending that all eligible Flight Attendants who are interested in participating in the terms of the settlement should submit a claim by November 5, 2021.

Premera Blue Cross Third Party Administrative (TPA) Fees

This information is not necessary to know in order to submit a claim. However, some Flight Attendants have expressed an interest in potentially submitting for an alternative payment option instead of the default 18% for single coverage and 25% for family coverage. Some of those Flight Attendants have inquired about the third party administrative (TPA) fee paid to Premera Blue Cross by the Company for each enrolled employee on a monthly basis during the eligibility period.

Please refer to the emailed version of this communication for the TPA fees paid per employee (enrolled) per month (PEPM).

Questions?

Website: www.BCBSsettlement.com
Email: info@BCBSsettlement.com
Call: (888) 681-1142
Write to: Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement c/o JND Legal Administration, PO Box 91390, Seattle, WA 98111

If you have questions specifically for AFA, contact your LEC president.

June 2, 2021 16:00

Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19

Grievance Committee

AFA and management recently agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19. This MOU is now in effect through September 30, 2021. Related information can be found in Bulletin Bundle 2021-0030 dated April 12, 2021; however, there are several out of date or incomplete details, so AFA will request that management update the bulletin and/or issue a new one.

Click here for the Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19 MOU (5/28/2021) >

Details

To apply for points forgiveness for absences related to COVID-19:

Go to the Inflight website –> Administration –> Performance to complete a COVID-19 Absence Reporting Form for each qualifying ‘single continuous occurrence’ (SCO) related to COVID-19;
Submit the form for each SCO absence related to COVID-19 no later than the end of your next scheduled sequence; and
In addition to the form, you must submit a positive COVID-19 test result for yourself or for someone in your household, or proof of your COVID-19 vaccination, either of which must be provided to the Inflight Performance Team’s confidential email address no later than the end of your next scheduled sequence,

If returning from a leave of absence, you must submit the form and documentation within 14 days of returning from the leave of absence.

For more details, please see the MOU.

About Certain State Laws…

In the midst of drafting the MOU, and after management published the above Bulletin Bundle, a new California COVID-19 law was enacted. The new law is retroactive to January 1, 2021, and in effect through September 30, 2021. CA 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave provides that California employees are entitled to a separate bank of paid sick leave in certain circumstances related to COVID-19, in addition to other record-keeping and paystub requirements.

Alaska Air Group management and the other Airlines for America (“A4A”) member carriers continue to argue that many state laws, including the CA 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, are not applicable to Flight Attendants and Pilots because those laws are preempted by federal law (e.g., the Railway Labor Act). Various parties, including AFA, have been litigating the broader claim of preemption against A4A and/or AAG management in federal and state court for 10+ years. However, management continues to appeal the cases they lose, so their claim that certain state laws do not apply to aircrew continues.

Stay tuned for more details regarding which state laws management is blatantly refusing to apply to aircrew, what you can do to help in the effort to fight back, and how to exercise your rights to these state laws. In the meantime, we encourage California-domiciled Flight Attendants to familiarize yourselves with the various provisions of the CA 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law. AFA strongly suggests that any communications with management about the law should be in writing, and it is best practice to copy in a union rep. Covered California employees who are denied the provisions of the law may file a claim or a report of a labor law violation with the CA Labor Commissioner’s Office, which is the state agency charged with enforcement.

If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact your LEC president for assistance.

May 29, 2021 12:00

AFA Alaska Settlement Agreement 36-99-2-45-17 “Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellations and Schedule Changes”

Grievance Committee

After several years of periodic settlement discussions, AFA and management have settled Grievance No. 36-99-2-45-17 “Violation of §10.S Precancellation and Schedule Changes.” This settlement agreement becomes effective Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 12:01 AM Pacific Time.

Click here for AFA Settlement Agreement Grievance No. 36-99-2-45-17 “Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellation and Schedule Changes” >

Some History

AFA filed Grievance No. 36-99-2-45-17 “Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellation and Schedule Changes” back in June 2017 regarding retimes of between 15 and 21 minutes that were pushed to schedules in advance of the day of departure (prior to the first day) of a sequence. (Read the July 2017 Grievance Report for more details.) Management sustained the grievance (meaning they agreed the contract was violated) shortly thereafter in July 2017. However, AFA disagreed with management’s remedy (i.e., the “fix”) for the violation, and the parties have been in negotiations over the remedy since then.

We were somewhat close to achieving a mutually agreeable solution when the pandemic began, which delayed our progress. However, the pandemic did provide an opportunity to test drive a proposed remedy to the dispute starting on April 18, 2020, via the temporary COVID-19 Schedule Changes Letter of Agreement (LOA), which was extended through June 30, 2020. Please note that most but not all aspects of that temporary LOA were incorporated into this grievance settlement agreement.

Details

This settlement agreement requires that all pre-cancellations, retimes, flight routing changes, and aircraft downgrades (i.e., from a four-position aircraft to a three-position aircraft) that occur in advance of the day of departure of a sequence will be handled under JCBA §10.S [Pre-Cancellations]. This will apply to Lineholders and to Reserves who pick up on days off. The language in §10.S Pre-Cancellations remains the same but will be interpreted to encompass the agreed-to definitive parameters around retimes, flight routing changes and aircraft downgrades.

The settlement makes it very clean in defining when the provisions of §10.S Pre-cancellations are used. Essentially any schedule change that occurs for Lineholders (and for Reserves who pick up on days off) prior to the first day of a sequence, except for a simple flight numbering change, will now always be handled as a pre-cancellation under §10.S. A simple flight numbering change in the absence of a retime or a flight routing change may occur at any time and does not trigger the contractual provisions of §10.S.

Summary of §10.S Pre-Cancellations

Note: The following is a summary of pre-cancellation provisions under §10.S. Please refer to the contract for a comprehensive description.

Alternate Assignment Offered During Initial Contact (§10.S.2)

If there is a schedule adjustment involving a pre-cancellation, retime flight routing change or aircraft downgrade on the day(s) prior to the first day of a sequence, then Crew Scheduling will make initial contact and may offer an alternate assignment made up of one or more sequences with a check-in up to two hours prior to scheduled check-in and/or with a release up to two hours later than scheduled release. The two options are to (1) accept the alternate assignment (§10.S.2.a) or (2) to decline the alternate assignment and waive pay protection (§10.S.2.b). If Crew Scheduling does not have an alternate assignment available that meets the required criteria of falling within the scheduled footprint plus two hours on either side (before or after) when they first make contact with the Flight Attendant, then the Flight Attendant can opt to call Crew Scheduling between 6 PM and 8 PM local domicile time the evening prior to the sequence (§10.S.2.c).

No Alternate Assignment Offered During Initial Contact (§10.S.3)

If Crew Scheduling does not offer an alternate assignment when they make initial contact with the Flight Attendant, then the Flight Attendant can either (1) waive pay protection and be relieved of further obligation (10.S.3.a), or (2) they can opt to call Crew Scheduling between 6 PM and 8 PM local domicile time the evening prior to the sequence (§10.S.3.b).

Calling Back Between 6 PM and 8 PM the Evening Prior (§10.S.2.c and §10.S.3.b) or no Later Than Release Time if on Duty (§10.S.7)

When the Flight Attendant calls back between 6 PM and 8 PM local domicile time the evening prior to the sequence, either (1) an alternate assignment that operates within the exact footprint of the original sequence must be available (§10.S.2.c.1 or §10.S.3.b.1) or (2) the Flight Attendant is pay protected (§10.S.2.c.2 or §10.S.3.b.2). A Flight Attendant must call back no later than release time if on duty during those hours (§10.S.7).

Reassignments (§10.R) – Same Day and/or Sequence in Progress Schedule Changes

Same day and/or sequence in progress schedule changes are covered under §10.R Reassignments. Please note AFA and management have on multiple occasions confirmed their mutual understanding that Flight Attendants will neither be required nor offered to report earlier than scheduled for the first duty period of a sequence under §10.R Reassignments. The parties continue to work their way through several contractual disputes related to reassignments that are currently active, and AFA will keep you updated on any developments.

If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact your LEC president for assistance.

May 28, 2021 12:00

In This Edition

Grievance Committee Update
Join the Delta AFA Campaign
UNCF Commitment Aircraft
Mental Health Awareness Month

Grievance Committee Update

Grievance Committee

Our Grievance Committee has been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf. The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) requires a minimum of 13 arbitration dates yearly to dispute discipline/termination cases and contractual issues. AFA typically prioritizes termination cases to return a Flight Attendant back to work as soon as possible; however, we seek a balance between discipline and contractual cases. AFA and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate next based on many factors.

Steps of discipline are confirmation of oral warning (COW), written warning (WW), suspension (varied number of days) to termination. COWs, WWs, and suspensions remain in the Flight Attendant’s file for 18 months, and then are removed. If a Flight Attendant is in a step of discipline and gets another violation, the new violation will build on the previous violation. Management doesn’t always progressively travel up the steps of discipline. There is no middle ground or progressive discipline for certain violations. If management investigates a Flight Attendant for theft or abuse of sick leave, for example, management will terminate the Flight Attendant if there is evidence to support its findings; if there is no evidence, then the Flight Attendant will most likely be issued a record of discussion (ROD). A ROD is not considered discipline.

For Your Information – Block2Block Team Messaging

Everything that Flight Attendants and other employees type in the team messaging feature of Block2Block is recorded, saved, and regularly reviewed by management. Anyone in the company who has access to the system can log on to a flight and use the system to communicate or just see what is being said. Also, if they choose, they can go back and review conversations from past flights.

Subjects of Most Recent Discipline

Sick leave and FMLA abuse—terminations on the rise due to travel audits among other things. Anything written in the advertising comments on trip trades and personal drops can be seen, even if later deleted. Also, recorded telephone conversations with Crew Scheduling can be referenced for use by management in discipline. If management determines abuse it results in termination. The Company will be looking at sick leave patterns around holidays as well. This means, for example, if a Flight Attendant has called in sick for 3 of the last 3 Mother’s Days, s/he may be called in for a sick leave abuse meeting.
Timecard fraud—for example: delaying boarding door closure to obtain sit pay. Management has terminated for this violation.
Drug/alcohol violations
Theft. Anything other than an opened/used bottle of water, unused pilot crew meal or purchased food removed from the aircraft will result in termination.
Harassment and discrimination
Reserve Flight Attendants commuting during the reserve availability period (RAP) even if self-assigned a trip and/or not being in base for the entirety of the RAP (except as provided for in §11.C.5 on the last day of the block). Management has terminated for commuting during the RAP several times.
Commuter Violations
- Flight Attendant released from DHD and used D8Y home
- Flight Attendant used D8Y when they picked up out of base
- Flight Attendant used D8Y to/from incorrect cities
- Flight Attendant used D8Y for pleasure travel. Commuter audits are being used for researching whether commuting reserve Flight Attendants are in base for their full RAP, and if not, it typically results in termination.
Social media violations including sending friend or follow requests to passengers on social media based on information gained from Block2Block. Also, postings which can be deemed harassing or discriminatory typically result in discipline ranging from written warning to termination.
Lost IMD or other required items
Failing to complete CBT—even if Flight Attendant just forgets to hit the close out x at the top to switch it from in process to complete.
Uniform Issues—Flight Attendants can and have been pulled from working their flights without pay for uniform non-compliance and/or issued discipline.

Recent Arbitration/Mediation

Arbitration	October	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	November	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	December	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	January	Disciplinary Grievance

Recent Arbitration Awards

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-29-20-Violation of §30.C.4 Computer Based Training (CBT). The Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement [Training], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about January 21, 2020, it significantly increased the number of evaluated drills conducted during recurrent training (RT) and considerably changed the requirements to demonstrate proficiency and pass said drills. To pass all 36 drills with the required perfect score, the Company published 39 videos for Flight Attendant viewing with total watch time of 39 minutes and 40 seconds, none of which Flight Attendants were compensated for watching.

Details: Unfortunately, the arbitrator found in favor of the Company. The arbitrator did recognize the merits of the Union’s case; however, the CBA did not provide for the decision for which we hoped.

Recent Grievance Settlements

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-45-17-Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellation and Schedule Changes. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.S [Scheduling: Pre-Cancellation], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it altered Flight Attendant schedules due to a schedule change/flight retiming using inapplicable Pre-Cancellation language without prior notice to or approval from AFA.

Details: All pre-cancellations, retimes, flight routing changes and aircraft downgrades that occur in advance of the day of departure of a sequence will be handled under §10.S [Pre-Cancellations] beginning Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 12:01 AM Pacific Time. Click here to read the settlement agreement.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-144-19-Violation §13.D.1 Uniform Allotment and Optional Pieces. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §13.D.1 [Uniforms: Uniform Allotment/Credits], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it refused to give Flight Attendants the ability to purchase Luly Yang inspired by Alaska Airlines optional uniform pieces (which are or will be available for purchase at the Alaska Airlines Company store) with their contractual uniform allotted funds.

Details: The Company is not obligated to sell Luly Yang items at the Company Store; however, if it does, all Luly Yang items will be sold at cost to all Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants. Click here to read the settlement agreement.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-165-19- Violation of Vacation Trading Past Practice. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement § 14 [Vacation], an established past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it violated an established past practice for a real-time, electronic vacation trading system and the subsequent failure of that system to allow SEA-based Flight Attendants to access and trade vacation at the established start time.

Details: On or about October 28, 2019, the Company’s Flight Attendant vacation trading system went down for 20 minutes affecting many Flight Attendants’ ability to trade their vacation. Approximately 57 Flight Attendants contacted AFA due to the outage. The Company agreed to pay each of those 57 Flight Attendants 1.0 TFP no later than their March 19, 2021, paycheck. Click here to read the settlement agreement.

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-384-20-Violation of §10.S Scheduling Notifications. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.S [Scheduling: Pre-Cancellations], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it used non-contractual scheduling notifications sent to Flight Attendants via the Crew Scheduling system in order to communicate and assign alternate flying or an obligation to call Crew Scheduling within a specific window of time. If a Flight Attendant accepts such non-contractual scheduling notification(s), which is neither contact by Crew Scheduling via Company email nor via primary phone contact as defined in §10.S.1.a, the scheduling notification(s) violates the contract by abrogating the Flight Attendant’s ability to: (1) decline the alternate assignment and waive pay protection (§10.S.2.b), (2) decline the “out of original footprint by more than two hours” alternate assignment and call Crew Scheduling between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM (local domicile time) the night prior to the start of the original sequence (§10.S.2.c), or (3) waive pay protection and be relieved of any further scheduling obligation (§10.S.3).

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-386-20-Violation of §8.Q & §8.R Contactability and Notification of Delay or Cancellation. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §8.Q [Hours of Service: Contactability] and §8.R [Hours of Service: Notification of Delay or Cancellation], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it used non-contractual scheduling notifications sent via the Crew Scheduling system in order to communicate and assign revised flying to Flight Attendants who were off-duty on a remain overnight (RON). Such scheduling notifications are in violation of the contractually defined means of contact and/or the Flight Attendant’s obligation to respond pursuant to these provisions.

More Information

For more information, including the status of previously filed grievances, please visit the Grievance Committee Activity Page.

Questions?

Please contact your Local Grievance Committee if you have any questions about the Grievance Committee update.

Join the Delta AFA Campaign

AFA International

Volunteer Delta Air Lines Flight Attendants have been actively working to organize and build their Union and AFA continues to support them in their efforts. Activities are continuing to ramp up and the AFA organizing team is seeking Flight Attendants from Alaska and other AFA airlines who would like to get involved. If you have personal connections with Delta Flight Attendants, commute or travel regularly on Delta, or are interested in supporting the organizing effort, please take a moment to complete the online contact form or scan the QR code to the right.

Want to Know More?

You can read more about the Delta AFA organizing campaign at https://www.deltaafa.org.

UNCF Commitment Aircraft

Human Rights Committee

On April 26, 2021, Alaska Airlines proudly received its newest livery, an aircraft that symbolizes the Company’s support for education and equity – called “Our Commitment.” This aircraft was inspired and designed in partnership with the Air Group Black Employees (ABEA) business resource group and others. The profiles on the side of the aircraft are 14 children and grandchildren of Alaska’s employees. Located at the L/R1 doors are two inspirational quotes: “The time is always right to do what is right,” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela).

Alaska’s partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) began in 1991. Over the years, Alaska has supported UNCF’s fundraising efforts through donating tickets and event sponsorship. In 2017, UNCF became a LIFT Miles partner enabling students to attend college tours and travel back and forth during school semesters at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This is like other partnerships and sponsorships the Company presently has with many colleges and universities throughout the route network.

As this aircraft travels around our system, it represents Alaska’s commitment to promote equality and education. It encourages us as an airline to do the right thing by amplifying the conversation around education and equity.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Local Human Rights Committee.

Mental Health Awareness Month

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

If you have a mental health condition, you’re not alone. One in 5 American adults experiences some form of mental illness in any given year. And across the population, 1 in every 20 adults is living with a serious mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or long-term recurring major depression. Unfortunately, many people don’t seek treatment or remain unaware that their symptoms could be connected to a mental health condition. Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be signs of a mental illness isn’t always easy. Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:

Excessive worrying or fear
Feeling excessively sad or low
Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
Avoiding friends and social activities
Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
Changes in sex drive
Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior, or personality (“lack of insight” or anosognosia)
Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
Thinking about suicide
Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

If you’re concerned about any of these signs either in yourself, a love one or a flying partner, please reach out to your AFA EAP Committee for confidential support and assistance. Call (949) 470-0493 or locate your local AFA EAP Committee Members at https://afaalaska.org/eap.

May 22, 2021 12:00

AFA Alaska Contract and Negotiations Newsletter – May 22, 2021

Master Executive Council (MEC)

In This Edition

Contract Extension 2021 Ratified and Associated Sideletter Executed
A Historic All-Time Low Voter Participation
Negotiating Committee Interviews Paused and Applicants Released for Now
Contract and Negotiations Education Efforts Resume

Contract Extension 2021 Ratified and Associated Sideletter Executed

Although it is less than ideal for a tentative agreement (TA) to be ratified by such a small margin, the Contract Extension 2021 did pass with a spread of 25 votes or 1.4% of active members in good standing casting votes.

Click here for certified ballot results >

The associated sideletter of agreement has now been executed and posted on the AFA Alaska website –> Contract Home –> Letters of Agreement (LOAs). It will also be uploaded to Inflight Mobile Devices soon.

Click here for the One Year Contract Extension 2021-2022 Sideletter of Agreement >

A Historic All-Time Low Voter Participation

The Contract Extension 2021 TA voter participation was a historic all-time low for AFA Alaska with 37.7% of active members in good standing who cast votes. The MEC anticipated that voter turnout would be significantly impacted by the substantial number of Flight Attendants on leaves, many of whom may have understandably chosen to not convert themselves to “active” status by paying dues for every month they had been on leave through May 2021. We also know of a few who inadvertently barely missed the balloting window. Regardless, participation was much lower than anticipated.

Many Flight Attendants posted on social media that they were largely ambivalent about the vote. Although this was “just” a one-year contract extension with a minimal raise, it is extremely important that we get our participation rate much higher for next time. Member participation sends a signal to management regarding our collective engagement. The silver lining to this cloud is that we will have plenty of time to prepare for negotiations in September 2022 and to build our solidarity in the meantime.

Negotiating Committee Interviews Paused and Applicants Released for Now

Negotiating Committee interviews have been paused and the Negotiating Committee applicants have been released for now. The MEC is planning to re-post Negotiating Committee positions this coming October 2021 and to resume interviews in January 2022.

Contract and Negotiations Education Efforts Resume

AFA Alaska will resume contract and negotiations education efforts via periodic newsletters such as this one.

Next Up

(New topics may be added and the order subject to change)

Updated Contract Negotiations Timeline
Preparatory Work to Improve the Efficiency of Negotiations
Negotiations Under the Railway Labor Act
Growing Reliance on Non-AFA Social Media Outlets as Sole Source of Information
Negotiating for Our Future
Block-Hours vs. TFP
Block or Better vs. §21.J Block Delays
L-VX Incentive Pay vs. Productivity Premium Program (PPP)
L-VX Inflight Team Leader (ITL) Pay vs. “A” Pay

May 12, 2021 09:49

AFA Alaska Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement Ballot Results

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Contract Extension Ratified

The certified ballot results for the Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement are in: The Contract Extension has been ratified with 870 (50.7%) voting “for” and 845 (49.3%) voting “against.” Participation was 37.7% of 4545 active members in good standing casting votes.

Click here for certified ballot results >View / Download

Stay tuned for a more detailed update later this week after the completion of our monthly MEC meeting (Tuesday-Wednesday) and the annual AFA Board of Directors meeting (Thursday-Friday).

May 7, 2021 12:00

In This Edition

Contract Extension Voting through May 12
Take the Flight Attendant Vaccine Status Survey
Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting
Reporting Missing Airbus Oven Inserts and Racks
Concerned About A Loved Who Is Struggling with Alcohol or Drugs?

Contract Extension Voting through May 12

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Voting continues on the contract extension tentative agreement and polls will remain open through Wednesday, May 12 at 9 AM PDT. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to review the tentative agreement, virtual roadshow recordings, and other resources in order to help you cast an informed vote.

Voting or Ballot Questions

If you have not yet received your ballot (voting instructions and 16-digit activation code), please review the information on how to request a new activation code on the Contract Extension Voting Information page of afaalaska.org.

Voting Eligibility Questions

If you have received an error message when attempting to use your activation code to vote or need to verify that your membership status prior to voting, please contact AFA Membership Services for assistance. AFA Membership Services may be reached at (800) 424-2401 and then choosing option 7.

Please note that the AFA International office is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so everyone is working from home. Please leave a voice message with your name, Peoplesoft number and a good callback number. Someone will return your call as soon as possible during regular business hours (Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM EDT).

Take the Flight Attendant Vaccine Status Survey

AFA International

Have you gotten your vaccine yet? Since the first vaccines were approved, we’ve been advocating for Flight Attendants to be included with other essential workers in priority groups. The CDC announced that it’s safe for fully vaccinated (and masked!) people to travel, and we’re already seeing significantly higher passenger volumes. As we work to make sure our planes stay safe, it’s important for us to know whether members are able to receive the vaccine.

All adults in all states are now eligible to receive the vaccine. We are keeping our afacwa.org/vaccine up to date with the latest information on access and Flight Attendant prioritization.

Will you take our quick vaccine survey to help us track access? No personal information will be shared from the survey.

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Our Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 48^th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week virtually using Zoom. This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, May 11 – Wednesday, May 12	May Regular MEC Meeting
Wednesday, May 12	Executive Board Meeting (MEC President from each airline)
Thursday, May 13 – Friday, May 14	Board of Directors Meeting

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Your LEC President represents you and the other members of your Local Council on the Board of Directors and will be casting votes on your behalf at the BOD meeting. Your MEC Officers serve in an ex-officio capacity on the BOD but do not have voting privileges.

Each LEC held a Local Council meeting over the past several weeks to discuss the proposed agenda items and gain your feedback. You can find details about the proposed agenda by contacting your LEC President.

Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or the proposed AFA-CWA budget, please contact your LEC President.

Reporting Missing Airbus Oven Inserts and Racks

Inflight Service Committee

The Inflight Service Committee has recently been working with management to attempt to resolve issues related to missing oven inserts and racks onboard Airbus aircraft. The Committee has received numerous reports of Airbus ovens missing inserts and racks while at the same time management has not received corresponding reports. Oven inserts and racks are considered standard catering equipment on Airbus aircraft and, if not present, should be reported in the same manner as other missing catering items.

To ensure that we have the necessary tools and equipment to safely perform our duties, the Inflight Service Committee is looking for your help in reporting missing Airbus oven inserts and racks. The next time you fly on an Airbus aircraft, please ask the “A” Flight Attendant to check to oven to determine if there is an oven insert and racks present. If not, please report the missing equipment using the catering reporting function within Block2Block. The more reports that management receives on this issue, the more effective the Committee will be in advocating to resolve the equipment shortage.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact your Local Inflight Service Committee.

Concerned About A Loved Who Is Struggling with Alcohol or Drugs?

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Watching a friend or family member struggle with alcohol or drugs use can be heartbreaking. But, with help, there is recovery.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself about another person’s use of alcohol or drugs. If you answer yes to two or more questions, consider calling your AFA EAP for confidential support and next step options. Remember, many have been where you are.

Do you worry about how much your friend or loved one uses alcohol or drugs?
Do you lie or make excuses about their behavior when they drink or use drugs?
Do they get angry with you if you try to discuss their drinking or drug use?
Have you ever been hurt or embarrassed by their behavior when using drugs or alcohol?
Do you have concerns about how much time and money they spend on alcohol and drugs?
Do your resent having to pick up their responsibilities because they are drunk, high or hungover?
Do you ever get scared or nervous about their behavior when they’re drinking or using drugs?
Do you ever feel like you’re losing it–“going crazy”–just really stressed out?

Here are some important suggestions:

Learn all you can about substance use disorders.
Speak up and offer your support. Talk to the person about your concerns and offer your help, including your willingness to go with them and get help.
Don’t wait for them to “hit bottom.” You may be met with excuses, denial or anger, but be prepared to respond with specific examples of behavior that have you worried.
Don’t expect the person to stop without help. You have heard it before — promises to cut down, to stop — but it doesn’t work. Treatment, support, and new coping skills are needed for recovery.

Contact your AFA EAP for peer support and treatment resources. We have specialized programs that know how to work with Flight Attendants and their families. Call us at (949) 470-0493 or find your Local EAP Committee at https://afaalaska.org/eap.

May 6, 2021 18:00

AFA Alaska Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement Update – May 6, 2021

Master Executive Council (MEC)

In This Edition

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Flight Attendant Negotiations
Analysis of the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alaska Airlines and Maximizing Bargaining Leverage in Upcoming Flight Attendant Contract Negotiations
Extension 2021 TA Blog Recap
Polls Are Open Through May 12^th at 9 AM PT
Did Not Receive a Ballot and/or Need a New Activation Code?
Votes Cast Tracker

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Flight Attendant Negotiations

Click here for a message from AFA Director of Collective Bargaining Joe Burns >

Analysis of the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alaska Airlines and Maximizing Bargaining Leverage in Upcoming Flight Attendant Contract Negotiations

Click here for a message from Aviation Economist Dan Akins >

Extension 2021 TA Blog Recap

Polls Are Open Through May 12^th at 9 AM PT

Polls are now open through May 12, 2021, at 9 AM PT for active members in good standing.

Click here to vote > (Activation Code required)

Did Not Receive a Ballot and/or Need a New Activation Code?

Flight Attendants who did not receive their voting instructions with the 16-digit activation code may request a new code and instructions by filling out an online form. Membership Services will process these requests and a new activation code with instructions will be emailed directly to the Member as soon as possible during regular business hours.

Click here to request a new activation code >

Alternatively, you may call the AFA Ballot Helpline at (800) 424-2401, choose option 1, then enter extension 706. Flight Attendants who have dues or membership issues should call AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401 and choose option 7.

AFA Membership Services and the AFA Ballot Helpline are staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM EDT. The AFA International office is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so everyone is working from home. Please leave a voice message with your name, Peoplesoft number and a good callback number. Someone will return your call as soon as possible during regular business hours.

Votes Cast Tracker

Click here for the percentage of eligible votes cast >

Questions?

Visit the Extension 2021 TA information page, the blog or email extension@afaalaska.org.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Class Action Settlement

Legal Disclaimer

Class Action Settlement is Legitimate

Alaskasworld Notice Posted

Settlement Details

Minimum Payment

Premera Blue Cross Third Party Administrative (TPA) Fees

Questions?

Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19

Details

About Certain State Laws…

AFA Alaska Settlement Agreement 36-99-2-45-17 “Violation of §10.S Pre-Cancellations and Schedule Changes”

Some History

Details

Summary of §10.S Pre-Cancellations

Alternate Assignment Offered During Initial Contact (§10.S.2)

No Alternate Assignment Offered During Initial Contact (§10.S.3)

Calling Back Between 6 PM and 8 PM the Evening Prior (§10.S.2.c and §10.S.3.b) or no Later Than Release Time if on Duty (§10.S.7)

Reassignments (§10.R) – Same Day and/or Sequence in Progress Schedule Changes

In This Edition

Grievance Committee Update

For Your Information – Block2Block Team Messaging

Subjects of Most Recent Discipline

Recent Arbitration/Mediation

Recent Arbitration Awards

Recent Grievance Settlements

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

More Information

Questions?

Join the Delta AFA Campaign

Want to Know More?

UNCF Commitment Aircraft

Questions?

Mental Health Awareness Month

AFA Alaska Contract and Negotiations Newsletter – May 22, 2021

In This Edition

Contract Extension 2021 Ratified and Associated Sideletter Executed

A Historic All-Time Low Voter Participation

Negotiating Committee Interviews Paused and Applicants Released for Now

Contract and Negotiations Education Efforts Resume

Next Up

AFA Alaska Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement Ballot Results

Contract Extension Ratified

In This Edition

Contract Extension Voting through May 12

Voting or Ballot Questions

Voting Eligibility Questions

Take the Flight Attendant Vaccine Status Survey

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

Schedule of Events

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Questions?

Reporting Missing Airbus Oven Inserts and Racks

Questions?

Concerned About A Loved Who Is Struggling with Alcohol or Drugs?

AFA Alaska Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement Update – May 6, 2021

In This Edition

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Flight Attendant Negotiations

Analysis of the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alaska Airlines and Maximizing Bargaining Leverage in Upcoming Flight Attendant Contract Negotiations

Extension 2021 TA Blog Recap

Polls Are Open Through May 12th at 9 AM PT

Did Not Receive a Ballot and/or Need a New Activation Code?

Votes Cast Tracker

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

Polls Are Open Through May 12^th at 9 AM PT