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Council #19 – Seattle

February Update

AFA Council #19 will be joining industry-wide work groups in calling for an end to using government workers, upon whom we and the traveling public depend for our safety, as pawns in political debates. We will be conducting leafleting during the week of February 11th – 15th at SeaTac. 

If you can spare a bit of time next week, please contact Bev Bullock at blkbullock@gmail.com. We would prefer that you leaflet in uniform, if possible. 

AFA-CWA is scheduling a webcast for members on Monday, February 11th at 5PM EST to explain the dangers of a continued government shutdown. Further information will be sent out soon!!

Why are we doing this? 

The longest running government shutdown in history has ended, at least temporarily. Workers who were deemed ‘essential’ by their agencies were forced to come back to work without pay for 35 days. The end of that shutdown was only temporary, however. It is important to note that not all furloughed employees have been paid yet!

AFA has been crucial in calling for an end to this dangerous gambit. Industry leaders, including our Alaska Air Group management and leaders from other airlines have called for an end to the practice. 

TSA agents were working without pay, and at one point, KCM in Seattle was closed. Air Traffic Control nation-wide is currently 30% below optimum staffing levels. Nationwide, 20% of the Controllers are approaching mandatory retirement age at 56. In New York, 40% are nearing retirement. It takes 3-5 years to fully train these workers, upon whom we rely for our safety. 

Runway incursion mitigation studies and remediation have stopped, as has the Next Gen upgrading of our nationwide systems, which is designed to improve our safety. Restarting both of these essential programs is very time consuming. Some of the contractors involved have not yet been paid, and it is uncertain when and if they WILL be. 

The FAA Reauthorization bill which contained our minimum irreducible 10-hour rest has not been implemented, and it is unclear when that will take place. In addition, operations into Paine Field have been delayed until March 4, 2019. 

These are just a few of the impacts on our Safety. This simply cannot occur again. 

Rescheduled Joint Local Council Meeting:

Due to the predicted snow storm that is supposed to begin this weekend, which is predicted to be worse than the one this week, we felt it was in our best interest to postpone the meeting. 

We have rescheduled the meeting, to March 15th, from 11:30AM – 2:30PM. It will be in the Earhart Room on the LP (Lower Plaza) level, South Tower of the SeaTac Office Tower (the same building as 13 Coins. Free parking is available in front of the building, or we can validate your parking ticket if you park in the rear. 

This will be a joint council meeting, with Compass and Horizon Airlines joining us. This is the annual pre-Board of Directors meeting. This year is a one-day meeting, and the agenda will consist solely of the AFA-CWA Annual Budget. 

Save the Date!

Please join us in SFO for the Council 35 Membership Meeting on March 14, 2019.  This meeting will be combined with United Airlines Council 11 for the purpose of presenting the AFA Board of Director’s meeting agenda to members as well as an opportunity to hear what’s happening within Council 35. All AFA members in good standing may attend.

Hosted By:

Your Council 35 and Council 11 LEC Officers:

Melissa Osborne, President Council 35
Kaitlyn White, President Council 11
Aladrian Hillmon, Vice President Council 35
Stan Kiino, Vice President Council 11
James Ikehara, Secretary Council 35
Margaret Hall, Secretary Council 11

A message from your AFA Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Committee

Human are naturally social creatures – we crave friendship and positive interactions, just as we do food and water. So it makes sense that the better our relationships are at work, the happier and more productive we’re going to be.

Good working relationships give us several other benefits. Our work is more enjoyable when we have good relationships with those around us. Good relationships give us freedom from spending our time and energy overcoming the problems associated with negative relationships. Most importantly, successful working relationships are criterial to crew resource management and thus safety.  

So what are the characteristics that make up good, healthy working relationships?

  • Trust – This is the foundation of every good relationship. When you trust  co-workers, you form a powerful bond that helps you to work and communicate more effectively. If you trust the people you work with, you can be open and honest in your thoughts and actions, and you don’t have to waste time and energy “watching your back.”
  • Mutual Respect – When you respect the people who you work with, you value their input and ideas, and they value yours. Working together, you can develop solutions based on your collective insight, wisdom and creativity.
  • Mindfulness – This means taking responsibility for your words and actions. Those who are mindful are careful and attend to what they say, and they don’t let their own negative emotions impact the people around them. They are conscious communicators.
  • Welcoming Diversity – People with good relationships not only accept diverse people and opinions, but they welcome them. For instance, when your flying partners offer different opinions from yours, you take the time to consider what they have to say, and factor their insights into your decision-making.
  • Open Communication – We communicate all day, whether we’re sending emails and IMs, or meeting face to face. The better and more effectively you communicate with those around you, the richer your relationships will be. All good relationships depend on open, honest communication.

So, what can you do to build better relationships at work?

Develop Your People Skills

Good relationships start with good people skills including how well you collaborate, communicate and deal with conflict. 

Identify Your Relationship Needs

Look at your own relationship needs. Do you know what you need from others? And do you know what they need from you? Understanding these needs can be instrumental in building better relationships.

Schedule Time to Build Relationships

Devote a portion of your flying day toward relationship building, even if it’s just in minute increments. Small and even routine interactions help build the foundation of good relationships.

Focus on Your EI

Spend time developing your emotional intelligence (EI). Among other things, this is your ability to recognize your own emotions, and clearly understand what they’re telling you.

High EI also helps you to understand the emotions and needs of others.

Appreciate Others

Show your appreciation whenever someone helps you. Everyone wants to feel that their work is appreciated. So, genuinely compliment the people around you when they do something well. This will open the door to great work relationships.

Be Positive

Focus on being positive which is both attractive and contagious.  It will help strengthen your relationships with your flying partners. No one wants to be around someone who’s negative all the time.

Avoid Gossiping

Don’t gossip. Gossip is a major relationship killer at work. If you’re experiencing conflict with someone in your group, talk to them directly about the problem. Gossiping about the situation with others will only exacerbate the situation, and will cause mistrust and animosity between you.

Stretch Yourself

Occasionally, you’ll have to work with someone you don’t like or someone that you simply can’t relate to. But, for the sake of your comfort and everyone’s safety, it’s essential that you maintain a professional relationship. When this happens, make an effort to get to know the person. It’s likely that the person knows full well that the two of you aren’t on the best terms, so make the first move to improve the relationship by engaging in positive exchanges. While you’re talking, try not to be too guarded. Ask the person about their background and interests. Instead of putting energy into your differences, focus on finding things that you have in common. Just remember – not all relationships will be great; but you can make sure that they are, at least, workable!

Bidding opened today. As a reminder, if you want to attend the Council #19 base meeting, you will want to bid for the time off!

Date: March 11th

Time: 1pm-4pm

Location: SeaTac Towers Office Complex, 18000 International Blvd. (same tower as 13 Coins across from airport); LP Level, Earhart Room

Parking: Free out front for up to 3 hours, no ticket required. If you park behind the building it is still free, take a ticket and bring it with you to the meeting for validation. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

In Solidarity, 

Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan

March PBS Cutover Training

The PBS Committee wants to remind you that only two bid months remain before we cut over to using ONLY the ‘new’ PBS platform.  In May, you must bid using solely the new PBS website.  If you’re struggling with learning the new website, time is running short to get help. 

Click here to watch the PBS instructional videos.  That might be all you need to get started with transitioning to the new website. 

More support material is found at the PBS QA SharePoint site, including the PBS Program Guide. You can save it on your computer. The PBS QA is accessed via the Inflight webpage or by clicking here. 

Everyone was paid on  November 20th, 2018 to read/watch the training material designed for you by the PBS Committee. Thousands of your co-workers have already cut over to the new website and are having no problems. Airbus FA’s are bidding using only the new website. It’s time for the remainder of our group to get on board!

SEA Base Sits

March 5th, 6th and 8th from 5am – 7pm in the Inflight Office.

SEA Classroom Training

March 9th: 8:30am – 4:30pm; There is limited space in the classroom sessions. Sign up soon by clicking here! 

Location information can be found on the above sign up sheet. 

We will hold additional trainings and base sits during the bidding period in April and May. 

Flight 261 sundial at Point Hueneme, CA by Armando Rios

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 PVR-SFO-SEA was lost on January 31, 2000, when it crashed off the coast near Point Hueneme in Southern California when it suffered a catastrophic flight control failure.

We will never forget Flight Attendant Kristin Mills, Flight Attendant Craig Pulanco, Flight Attendant Allison Shanks, Captain Ted Thompson and First Officer William Tansky.

After much anticipation, the wait is over. Cross-flying, referenced as “Full Integration” in the Merger Agreement, will occur in just a few hours. It is one of the most major milestones that we will pass in this merger. As you all well know by now, there has been so much change in so little time, and most Flight Attendants are understandably feeling varying levels of anxiety about cross-flying.

Safety

Safety first! Over the past several months, the Master Executive Council (MEC) has received increasingly concerning feedback from our Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee and from the line about not feeling adequately prepared for cross-flying due to a variety of safety-related reasons. Many if not most of those concerns were also shared with management. Although management collaborated with AFA to implement several additional cross-flying resources in response to the concerns, the MEC remains apprehensive enough about cross-flying that we feel obligated to communicate that sentiment to our members. However, please be assured that AFA and management will continue working together to identify and mitigate safety concerns.

The MEC recommends that Flight Attendants live the “Ready, Safe, Go” (login required) ‘mantra’ as you become more familiar with the new procedures and announcements and with the combined fleet. Management has affirmed that “Safety is our number one consideration, and always trumps on-time performance, customer satisfaction, or profits.” Please ensure the required Flight Attendant briefing occurs, complete a thorough pre-flight equipment check (when required) and confirm the aircraft doors are correctly armed and disarmed each and every time. Do not rush or be rushed. Be vigilant and alert and report any safety concerns to the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP).

Service

It is extremely important for consistency that we make our best effort to familiarize ourselves with and complete the service as written. If you are not able to complete the required service due to turbulence, lack of supplies, etc., then write it up via Report It! so that management and AFA are aware of the challenges. Service levels and catering are constantly being evaluated and adjusted based on submitted reports.

Culture

No matter whether you started your Flight Attendant career at Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, Jet America, our sister carrier Horizon Air or somewhere else in the industry, we are now all Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants. We bring the uniqueness of our individual journeys, but we share many common interests, experiences and goals. Please be welcoming to all crewmembers and focus on getting to know each other better as the pre-merger groups begin to cross fly and transfer around the system over the coming months.

Conflict

Have each other’s backs. If a crew conflict occurs, talk it out with the crew directly. However, another resource would be the AFA Professional Standards Committee (or alternatively your AFA local council officers) for peer-to-peer resolution.

Contract

Except for a few remaining transition items addressed via the Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendant Transition Agreement, e.g. uniform allotment and minimum flying requirements for various benefits, the remainder of the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) will be fully implemented for L-VX Flight Attendants effective upon Full Integration (i.e. cross-flying) tomorrow. Contract documents and related resources may be found on the AFA Alaska Contract page, the Merger TAs and Information page, the Inflight Mobile Device in the Supplemental folder and on the Inflight webpage (login required) under the “Integration: Bidding, Scheduling, Pay, Contract” tab.

Management will be reviewing a cleaned-up JCBA document next week, and the parties are hoping to publish the electronic version as soon as possible once it is finalized. A printed version of the JCBA will go to press shortly thereafter. AFA will work on cleaning up and consolidating the contracts pages in the coming month.

Welcome all to the soon-to-be fully integrated Alaska Airlines!

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

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, it will be exactly one month since the shutdown started on December 22, 2018. We invite you to meet up with your AFA sisters and brothers as we show our solidarity and support for TSA officers, who are represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and other federal employees.

WHAT: ‘Stop the Shutdown’ rally

WHEN: Tuesday, January 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. PT

WHERE: Sea-Tac Airport Flag Pavilion (at the Sea-Tac International Airport entrance on International Blvd)

WHO: Off-duty Flight Attendants, their family and friends

DRESS: Flight Attendant uniform strongly preferred. (Management is aware and supportive of our intent to rally in uniform.) However, an AFA red t-shirt (if you have one from previous rallies—we will not be supplying them this time) or a plain red t-shirt is also fine.

AIR TRAVEL: Management has graciously authorized the use of employee space available pleasure travel for out-of-town Flight Attendants to fly to and from the event on off-duty time. Please exercise good judgment and ensure participating in this rally does not create a conflict with any scheduling obligations you have with the Company.

More info: http://www.thestand.org/2019/01/stop-the-shutdown-rally-with-tsa-officers-jan-22-at-sea-tac/

The Master Executive Council (MEC) understands this is extremely short notice. We also just learned of the rally earlier today. Stay tuned for additional information early next week. We hope to see you there if you are available!

In Solidarity,

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

Council #19 – Seattle

January Base Update

Washington Paid Family Leave Law – UPDATED INFORMATION

Last fall prior to Annual Benefits Open Enrollment, we asked about this law during a meeting to discuss impending changes to Benefits. We specifically asked whether Alaska intended to sue the State to deny these benefits to Flight Crews, as well. We were told that this law would apply to all Washington employees. We were told that employees would receive specific information close to the end of the year. The law requires that premiums be deducted from employee paychecks, beginning 1/1/2019. 

Since no information had been provided, and since it was after the implementation date, we sent out information to Seattle Flight Attendants so that they would be aware of the new deductions. On January 3rd, we were informed that Alaska management had decided that the law will only apply to ‘ground employees.’ We asked for an explanation, and waited. Late in the afternoon on January 7th, we were advised that we would not be provided with a written explanation. 

Without direct answers to our questions, we can only guess that the same logic is being used in this instance that prompted Alaska management along with Airlines for America to sue Washington State last year, when the Paid Sick Leave Law went into effect. AFA-CWA has joined the State of Washington in defending our right to coverage under the Paid Sick Leave Law, and will do so again with the Paid Family Leave Act should that be necessary. 

We do not believe that this is fair or equitable. It seems to fly in the face of the ‘Do the Right Thing’, and ‘Committed to Kindness.’ California-based Flight Attendants have been eligible to apply for and receive Paid Family Leave benefits since 2004.  Oregon is working on a Paid Family Leave Act, as well. Will management file suit against each state that provides Paid Family Leave?

Traffic Alerts

With the Viaduct dismantling last weekend, traffic is predicted to be horrendous. We do now have a ground commuter policy with options. Read Section 28 G.2 of the contract to become familiar with this new provision. The company has put out several alerts, suggesting that we all plan to allow sufficient time to get to the airport. While that is a great idea, we don’t yet know how bad it will be or what sufficient time will actually be. Make certain that you do plan ahead, but if there is an unforeseen development (an accident, freeway closure, etc.) it’s good to know your options. 

Local Council Meeting

This meeting will be a Joint Council Meeting, with Horizon and Compass officers and members attending. 

Date:  February 11, 2019

Time: 1:00PM – 4:00PM

Location: SeaTac Office Complex (same building as 13 Coins across from the airport), Earhart Room, Lower Plaza Level-South Tower, 18000 International Blvd. Parking up to 3 hours is free in the front parking lot. You can also park for free in the rear, bring your ticket into the meeting for validation. 

In Solidarity, 

Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan

AFA Support for JCTE Cutover—Base Sits

The JCTE cutover milestone is one of the last steps we’ve been anticipating to achieve Full Integration. AFA members from multiple committees to include CSI, EAP, Scheduling, PBS, Reserve and your Council 35 officers will be in base during the upcoming cutover period.  Base sits began January 25 and will continue through Feb 9.  AFA is available to support you during this transition so please don’t hesitate to stop by and ask questions or reach out for help. For a list of committee members and their contact information, please visit the SFO Committee Member Roster.  As a reminder, the Crew System Integration (CSI) team will be in SFO Feb 5-9 and 15-16 to offer bidding and trading support as scheduled.

Good-Bye Doctor’s Notes

As of midnight January 31, 2019, base leadership will not be permitted to ask for a doctor’s note for normal absences.  At that time L-VX Flight Attendants will transition to §32 of the JCBAwhich defines the Attendance Policy for all Alaska F/As. As a reminder, all points accrued under the L-VX Reliability Program will roll-off after 12 months, and any new points assessed on or after 1/31/19 will roll-off after 18 months. 

SHP and L-VX Commuter Policy Sunset

On 1/31/19 all unused Stuff Happens Passes will be fully retired as defined in the L-VX Commuter Policy.  The sunset for the SHPs and the Commuter policy occurs when L-VX F/As transition to a single contract.  For your reference, the Alaska F/A commuter policy can be found in the JCBA §28.G.

Good-Bye Work Rules and Hello JCBA

Now is the time to familiarize yourself with your new contract!  L-VX Flight Attendants will be covered under the full provisions of the JCBA beginning 1/31/2019.  There are a few remaining transition items addressed via the L-VX Transition Agreement such as Uniform Allotment and application of 480 TFP requirement.  You are responsible for knowing the entire JCBA, however there are several sections that would be especially helpful to review.  Listed below are the sections and some of the topics each section addresses: 

§ 8:  Hours of Service

  • Duty periods
  • Compensatory provisions for violations of rest and duty

§ 10: Scheduling

  • Bidding parameters
  • Reassignments
  • Pre-cancellationsDeadheading

§ 12: Exchange of Sequences 

  • Trading
  • Open-time

§ 21: Compensation

  • Pay scale
  • TFP calculation
  • IROPs pay provisions

§ 32: Attendance Policy

  • No-fault attendance policy
  • Tracking absences
  • Quarterly point adjustments
  • Point values per absence
  • Point roll-off 

For additional information on transition items or specific dates of implementation please review the Transition Agreement and the Implementation Timetable.  For any questions regarding the JCBA and understanding the provisions, please direct your inquiries to your Council 35 officers at SFO@afalaska.org or the Joint Negotiation Committee at JNC@afaalaska.org.

New Pay Days Starting in February

Last November, Alaska Payroll sent an email with details of the payroll transition for L-VX, which will begin in February.  Your first Alaska paycheck will be 2/5/19. Your last paycheck from Rainmaker will be 2/15/19. All L-VX Flight Attendants have been auto-enrolled into the Alaska bi-monthly pay schedule.  To opt-out of the bi-monthly pay period, you must submit a request to payroll.  For detailed information about pay changes, please visit Airbus Inflight Pay Changes on Alaskasworld.

Old L-VX Discipline Audits

AFA has discovered that old discipline notices (PIPS)  are still in many Flight Attendant personnel files.  Your Council 35 officers have requested an audit of all L-VX performance files to remove any old VX discipline, however the request was denied by the performance management team.  Therefore, your Council 35 officers encourage all L-VX F/As to request an audit of their own files.  If an old expired discipline is discovered, the F/A has the right to request the removal. Additionally, all reliability related disciplines issued are in effect only while the point level remains.  If you have a reduction in points that brings you below a disciplinary level, please ensure that the discipline associated with the elevated points is removed.  If you have any questions about auditing your performance records, please reach out to your Council 35 officers.  

Inflight Service Committee Report It Campaign

The inflight Service Committee (ISC) is requesting that everyone remember to report all catering discrepancies through the Report It app.  When reporting catering issues, please separate each issue in an individual report.   The ISC is committed to advocating on your behalf for catering and service concerns and would like to thank everyone for their participation!

VX AFA Email Address Officially Retires

As of July 31, 2018, Council 35 will be representing SFO-based Flight Attendants only. All L-VX F/As based in LAX are now represented by Council 18.  Therefore, the previous email address vx@afaalaska.org will be retired January 31, 2019.  To contact Council 35 officers in SFO, please email us at sfo@afaalaska.org.  To contact Council 18 officers in LAX, please email LAX@afaalaska.org.

FAQs 

Who do I contact if dues haven’t come out of my paycheck yet?

Your Council 35 officers do not have individual account information, therefore please send all dues related inquiries to AFA International at AFA Membership Services.

How do I contact Council 35 officers?

The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email.  Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information.  Using your personal email account, please know that concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender.  Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org.  All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources.  Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.

In solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – 
Melissa, Aladrian and James

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