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California Wildfires 

Many Flight Attendants have been impacted by the California Wildfires.  If you are unable to report to work as scheduled, please reach out to a supervisor as soon as possible:  SFO Village: 650.218.681

The AFA-CWA Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to support those affected by the Wildfires:  AFA Alaska EAP: 949.922.1606

AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund

We know that disasters can change lives forever. While we can’t stop destructive events from happening, we can, as a Union, assist our members with their recovery. AFA established the Disaster Relief Fund after September 11th to assist our members whose lives were placed in harms way. AFA members and retirees, whose primary residence is in the affected counties and who have suffered damage and/or dislocation, are eligible for $200.00 from the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund.  It is a gift made possible by the generosity of your fellow union sisters and brothers with AFA.

If you would like to apply for AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Funds, visit www.afacwa.org/drf and download the Disaster Relief Fund Application and fax it to the International AFA EAP Department at 202-434-1411 or mail it to AFA-CWA EAP Department, 6th Floor, 501 Third Street NW, Washington D.C.  20001-2797.   You can also e-mail this same information requested to lfoster@afanet.org or phone in the necessary information to 1-800-424-2406.
If you wish to make a contribution either by check or electronic payment, please visit www.afacwa.org/drf for more information on donating.

Your Council 35 Officers,

Melissa, Aladrian and James

SEA Air Safety Health & Security Committee

SemiAnnual Base Meeting

October 18, 2018

 

AFA Only 10-11am

Attendees

David Lake            Janice Sidwell       Callie vonBorstel (QX Council 16 BOI)

Seth Heiple           Marikaye Paulson

Terry Taylor         Ronda Ruderman

 

  1. Discussion regarding use of hardstand operations utilizing bussing. Apparently there have been no reports from FAs of problems with this operation at SEA. Suggestion to have a SEA newsletter item to encourage FAs to use ReportIt! for FA or pax safety concerns, such as use of canopy at top of stair, communication issues, lack of radio, cabin temperature concerns, duty day concerns related to bussing operation. David will write an article for Terry to publish in newsletter.
  2. Discussion of winter coat for new uniform. Currently there is no planned arctic coat option.
  3. Seth mentioned the concern of FA cracking a cabin door for ventilation while on the ground. FAs have been advised by company we may not crack the Airbus door because of lack of fall protection required by OSHA. Seth asked the committee for opinion on being consistent between fleets and restricting cracking on Boeing door as well. The committee consensus was follow OSHA provisions and do not crack any door, be consistent on all a/c.
  4. Seth discussed CSA procedure for door opening on arrival and his expectation that would become consistent on both fleets that CSA would open all doors.

 

Meeting with Management 11am-2pm

Attendees (AFA attendees plus)

Omar Torres         Denise Brooks       Stephanie Garnett

Cari Allen             Kitsy Sperling       Terri Thomsen

Monica Grant         Kimberly Mitchell   Lisa Macintosh

Jessica Eller                  Ana Martinez         Cynthia Collins

Jenny Bookert

 

  1. Introductions were made of all attendees.
  2. Next Meeting date was set for April 25, 2019
  3. Seth provided an overview of the roles of the MEC / LEC committee chairs; meeting structure and history; process for the meeting agenda items; contractual provisions for the committee.
  4. Omar addressed injury trends showing most frequent types to be pushing / pulling, lifting, reaching. Supervisors will be present on concourse to discuss safer techniques with FAs. He would like the base to work with David on producing some videos showing safe techniques for lifting, pulling, reaching.

Lisa M. asked questions about FA responsibility for stowing pax bags. Monica mentioned there are some requirements of the ACAA pertaining to people with disabilities. Seth mentioned the committee has requested of the company that all UM bags be checked. Direction to FAs, including language about the “tug test,” is not clear whether FAs are required to lift pax bags.

Omar continued with concern of potential for slipping injuries with coming wet weather and outside operations. There will be a bulletin to FAs regarding precautions against slipping, and FAs will be able to wear onboard shoes when boarding using outside stairs. FAs have not been informed whether they can wear boots in the winter although Cari said the Safety department has recommended this. Other wet weather concerns are wet floors in a/c entryway and provisioning of absorbent mats; and correct positioning of stair at a/c door.

  1. Cari reported her top 4 focus items:

Cabin AQ events

Turbulence working group, which includes other work groups

Cabin Temperature working group which looks at events and follows up to determine causal factors. She would like to get FA reports on this topic. These events are discussed in the weekly cross divisional safety call. Alaska is looking at cabin temperature as an important concern and is willing to consider provisioning thermometers in the FA kit.

Door working group analyzing the partner approach to arming / disarming, considering reports noting problems with current door procedures. Safety Dept has recommended returning to previous door procedures on Boeing. Inflight will make the decision on any changes.

There was discussion about the usability of the ReportIt! app. Inflight and safety would like to see numerous improvements, including adding the injury report to the phone app. There is a concern that FA injuries are not being reported because FAs can’t find the injury report form, which is only on the desktop version.

  1. Monica discussed future plans to update and reformat the FAM once the new person is hired for this position.
  2. FAs attending meeting discussed their concerns.

Kitsy discussed a van accident her crew was involved in, and the confusing information from Global Lifeline. Omar said the new Duty Manager position in scheduling should be overseeing events like this in future. Cari will check with MedAire regarding the information given to FAs. Terry mentioned that Global will ask FAs if they want to go to a hospital because they cannot order a FA to go.

Terri had a concern that a used POB wrapped in a trash bag does not fit back into the bracket. Suggest this be reported on IR with photo. She also had concerns about handling late boarding pax bags and the time push for on time departure. Please Stop the Operation for compliance. Seth mentioned a new FA boarding procedure  will have FAs out of the cabin until boarding is complete, this may relieve some pressure on FAs being asked by pax to stow their bags.

Kimberly was concerned about assault on teen assist pax when crew did not know teen assist was on board. Suggestion to add teen assist symbol to Block2Block.

Cynthia brought up how confusing communications to FAs are, with so many sources of communication. Monica mentioned there is a project in Inflight Compliance to streamline communications.

Denise asked how important is zone boarding for light loads, when can pax move around. She was told there are now 5 zones in the cabin instead of the previous 3. Seth will request an indication in B2B of light load zones, and where and when pax can move. Denise would also like a reminder to FAs on prior brace position on J/S and to be seated once safety duties are complete.

Lisa would like a reminder to FAs of policy on refilling pax cups.

Stephanie gave an update to committee on defective carafes, that they will be replaced with a second batch which should not have the defect. There is a concern for the weight of the full carafe. Catering would like to replace it with a lighter weight plastic carafe but cannot due to cost concerns. Encourage FAs to use ReportIt! for catering safety concerns.

 

Meeting adjourned at 2 pm.

Don’t forget, our Council #19 Base Meeting will be held tomorrow (Monday November 12th).

WHERE:  Earhart Room – Lower Level, SEATAC Office Towers (same building as 13 Coins)

WHEN: November 12th, 1-4pm

PARKING: In front of the building is free for up to 3 hours. Behind the building is free as well. If you park in the rear of the building, take a ticket and bring it with you to the meeting for validation.

AGENDA: LEC Committee Chairs and Officers will be giving updates and answering questions.

Hope to see everyone there!

Council #19

November Base Update

 

Reminder: Local Council Meeting

When: November 12, 2018  1-4pm

Where: Earhart Room – Lower Level, SEATAC Office Towers (same building as 13 Coins), 18000 International Blvd – Across from SEATAC.  Free parking in front of building as well as behind. If you park in the rear, please make sure to bring your ticket with you for validation.

Agenda: Officers and Committee Chairs will be present to update on recent activities, and to answer questions.

 

Recent Issues:

Cornerstone continues to be problematic. We’ve been assure that early this week the latest ‘glitch’ will which resulted in previously completed CBT for Q4 being deleted should be resolved early next week. Training states that reports from Cornerstone can be used to retrieve the date. We believe the deadline for completion may be extended.

We are supposed to be issued new IMDs in early 2019. Meanwhile, those we have are wearing out. In some cases, new SIM cards are issued through Spot On, but that doesn’t always solve the problem. Some Flight Attendants have been told that no new IMDs are available. Some have been sent replacement IMDs that don’t work any better than the ones they had. This is unacceptable. We will soon be issued new BOB scanners. They have been tested, and are now being distributed to Airbus Flight Attendants to use with their new IMDs.

 

Recent Committee Activity:

Government Affairs: Committee members have held base sits for voter registration, and have been active with the ‘Get Out and Vote’ Campaign. Bev Bullock and Terry Taylor attended a luncheon to thank Representative Rick Larson for advocating during FAA Reauthorization Bill debates, for unreducible 10 hour Flight Attendant Crew Rest. Airlines have up to 6 months to enact the new regulation.

Benefits: The Benefits Committee members have been busy as well. Kathy O’Malley will be conducting Base Sits during the last two weeks of the Annual Benefits Enrollment, to assist with questions and provide information. Feel free to call if you can’t come into the base during one of these available Base Sits.

Scheduling: Members of the Scheduling, Reserve and PBS Committees, including Steve Poynter, Jarod McNeill, Conner Gallagher, and Adam Clarey are conducting Base Sits in Councils #18 & #35. In January, Airbus Flight Attendants will be bidding for February schedules using our PBS system. This will be their first time using NavBlue. The Committee has put together training materials and will offer assistance. In Seattle, Base Sits/Trainings for the ‘new’ PBS system will be scheduled after the first of the year. The ‘old’ system will still be available for the time being, but will be eliminated in 2019, tentatively in May.

Air Safety and Health: The semi-annual Seattle Base Safety Meeting was held October 18. The meeting was well attended. Minutes are available on the Council #19 webpage.

EAP/Professional Standards: Committee members will be attending CIRP training this month.

Grievance: New committee members attended training in October. Kiara Jenkins, MEC Scheduling Committee Payroll and Council #19 Reserve Chair Julie Pinson attended.

ISSC: Committee members have conducted base sits in Seattle, for the new service roll out. They are also assisting with Base Sits for the Airbus Flight Attendants during their conversion to our service model.

 

Are you Connected?

Make sure you are getting the most up to date information.

Council #19 Page

Council #19 Facebook

Council #19 Text Reminders

Council #19 Reserve Only Facebook

 

In Solidarity,

Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan

Our Annual Benefits Open enrollment is underway! This years open enrollment period is from October 29 – November 14th. This is your once-a-year opportunity to choose the right coverage for you and your family. Learn more and enroll at myalaskabenefits.com.

If you want to talk with someone about your options you can call your Benefits Center at 1.844.231.3476.

The AFA Benefits Committee will have the following Base Sits in the Inflight office to also provide additional assistance:

November 9:  8am – 4pm

November 11: 6am – 2pm

November 13: 1pm – 8pm

November 14: 7am – 3pm

You can always reach out to one of your Seattle AFA Benefits Committee Members.   http://afaalaska.org/sea/committees

 

In Solidarity,

Your Council #19 Benefits Committee and  Officers

Due to the recent spike in cabin air fume events, your AFA Air Safety, Health, and Security Committee (ASHSC) has been working diligently to assist with all fume events by continuing with our normal procedure of contacting the affected crews, offering support, educating, and providing tools and resources for responding to these events.

Resources Available

With regard to education, the Committee is currently working with the Air Safety, Health, and Security (ASHS) department at AFA International to create additional online training and educational materials related to fume events.  Some of the resources available are listed below.

Air Quality Fume Event FAQs

The Committee has compiled a comprehensive question and answer document to help provide information about many of the questions and concerns that have been received about cabin air fume events.

You can access the Q&A document by clicking here.

Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card

The Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card is a wallet sized card that explains what to do in a contaminated cabin air exposure event.  The card can be kept in a badge holder behind your company ID or in your wallet.

The card was recently updated by the Committee and now includes information about the Airbus fleet.  If you currently have an older version of the card, please destroy your old card and replace it with a newly updated one.  The updated cards are currently being distributed to each domicile.

Look for more information from your Local Council about where to pick one up at your base.  You can access and print the card on the AFA Alaska website by clicking here.

AFA Alaska Website

Additional air quality information, including a flow chart that describes what to do in a cabin air fume event, can be found at afaalaska.org under Committees > Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC) > Air Quality.

Questions?

If you have additional questions about cabin air quality or the AFA resources available, please email airquality@afaalaska.org or contact a member of your Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC).  You can find contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website.

This is a reminder that the Seattle Council #19 Meeting will be held from 1-4 pm on November 12 in the Earhart Room, on the lower level of the SeaTac Office Tower (same building as 13 Coins Restaurant), at 18000 International Boulevard.  Take the elevator to the ‘LP’ level.
Free parking for three hours is available in front of the building.  If you can’t find parking, there is parking in the rear, just take a ticket and we can validate it after the meeting.
Council #19 Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending to answer questions and provide updates on recent events and activities.

We look forward to seeing you there.

 

In Solidarity,

Terry, Jake, Adam, Melinda and Megan

Learn about Bidding, Trading/Dropping/Swapping, and our new JCBA

The Council 35 and Crew Systems Integration (CSI) team will be present in the SFO Village to answer questions about NavBlue Preferential Bidding (PBS), the contract (JCBA) and the open-time/trading (JCTE) systems. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn these new programs prior to full integration planned for January 2019.

Base sits are scheduled for the following dates in 2018:

  • Nov 5-7
  • Nov 15-17
  • Dec 5-9
  • Dec 14-15

For specific times, please visit the Council 35 Facebook page. 

The Council 35 CSI Support Team

The Council 35 CSI team includes your Council 35 officers and the following members:

  • Virginia Fritz
  • Jaqui Bellenie
  • Krystle Kehrli
  • Julie Pearson
  • Rachel Sebastian
  • Jose Alarcon

Support will also be provided by the Master Executive Council (MEC) Scheduling and PBS Committee members:

  • Jake Jones 
  • Bianca Dew
  • Steve Poynter
  • Sheri Rochel
  • Conner Gallagher

Please visit Alaskasworld for a self-study of the new systems.  Having a basic understanding of the programs will make it easier for the team to provide you with guidance on your specific questions during base sits.

For a complete list of tutorials and guides on PBS bidding, JCBA provisions and JCTE, please visit:

Alaskasworld>Inflight Webpage>Training.  Select tab “Crew System Integration (CSI)” for a list of available resources.

Mock Bids

Don’t forget to participate in the mock bids for December and January. To practice bidding for your schedule with the NavBlue system prior to bidding live, please select the “NavBlue PBS Training Site” which is found within the  “Crew System Integration (CSI)” tab referenced above.  Your Peoplesoft number will be your username and password the first time you enter the site.

Dates of mock bidding practice:

  • Nov 5-10 (for December practice bid)
  • Dec 5-10 (for January practice bid)

Practice or mock bid awards will be published by the 13th of each month.

Live bidding dates:

  • January 5-10, 2019 (for live February bid)

Your February bid will be published by January 13 and will be your actual flying schedule for February 2019.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Council 35 officers at sfo@afaalaska.org or the SFO Scheduling committee at sfo.scheduling@afaalaska.org.

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian and James

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf.  Section 20.N.2 of the Flight Attendant Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) allows for 10 arbitration dates per year to argue discipline/termination cases and contractual issues.  The ratified Joint CBA increases this amount and provides for 13 dates that will be incorporated into our 2019 schedule.  AFA typically prioritizes termination cases in order 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. The following is a list of open contractual grievances.

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

  • Drug/Alcohol Violations
  • Social Media Violations
  • Cell Phone Usage While on Duty
  • Theft
  • Sick Leave Abuse
  • Harassment

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

Arbitration October 25, 2018

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-29-15-Commuter Boarding Priority. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 28.G.6. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it allowed Company employees (and their dependents) on pleasure travel to be given higher boarding priority than commuting Flight Attendants.

Arbitration November 13, 2018

Disciplinary Grievance

Recently Settled Grievances/Mediations

Three disciplinary grievances were settled in quarter 3.

Grievances Filed and Awaiting a Response from Management

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-321-18-Violation of §§21, 24, 30 & 34 Hotel at Domicile for Transition Training.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21 [Compensation], §24 [General and Miscellaneous], §30 [Training] and §34 [Hotels], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when some Flight Attendants requested and were provided hotel rooms at base for Transition Training while others who requested a room were not provided one.      

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-2-16- Violation of ASAP and Discipline LOA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Letter of Agreement:  ASAP and Discipline July 2006 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to allow the ASAP process to complete prior to disciplining and terminating a Flight Attendant.  The Letter of Agreement specifically states, “Flight Attendants participating in the ASAP program, whether reporting or non-reporting as defined in the ASAP Memorandum of Understanding, will not be subject to discipline.  Neither the written ASAP report nor the content of the written ASAP report will be used to initiate or support any company disciplinary action.”

Grievance 36-99-2-129-18 Violation of ASAP and Discipline LOA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Letter of Agreement: Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Additional Provisions (October 2017) and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on April 27, 2018, it failed to follow the ASAP provisions and suspended a Flight Attendant.  The Letter of Agreement specifically states, “Flight Attendants participating in the ASAP program, whether reporting or non-reporting as defined in the ASAP Memorandum of Understanding, will not be subject to disciplinary actions.  Neither the written ASAP report nor the content of the written ASAP report will be used to initiate or support any company disciplinary action.”

Grievance No.  36-99-2-135-18 Violation of ASAP and Discipline LOA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Letter of Agreement:  Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Additional Provisions (October 2017) and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on March 21, 2018, it failed to follow the ASAP provisions and issued an oral warning to a Flight Attendant.  The Letter of Agreement specifically states, “Flight Attendants participating in the ASAP program, whether reporting or non-reporting as defined in the ASAP Memorandum of Understanding, will not be subject to disciplinary actions.  Neither the written ASAP report nor the content of the written ASAP report will be used to initiate or support any company disciplinary action.”

Grievance No.  36-99-2-136-18 Violation of ASAP and Discipline LOA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Letter of Agreement:  Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Additional Provisions (October 2017) and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on February 27, 2018, it failed to follow the ASAP provisions and issued an oral warning to a Flight Attendant.  The Letter of Agreement specifically states, “Flight Attendants participating in the ASAP program, whether reporting or non-reporting as defined in the ASAP Memorandum of Understanding, will not be subject to disciplinary actions.  Neither the written ASAP report nor the content of the written ASAP report will be used to initiate or support any company disciplinary action.”

Grievance No.  36-99-2-137-18 Violation of ASAP and Discipline LOA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Letter of Agreement:  Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Additional Provisions (October 2017) and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on February 27, 2018, it failed to follow the ASAP provisions and issued an oral warning to a Flight Attendant and removed pay from her.  The Letter of Agreement specifically states, “Flight Attendants participating in the ASAP program, whether reporting or non-reporting as defined in the ASAP Memorandum of Understanding, will not be subject to disciplinary actions.  Neither the written ASAP report nor the content of the written ASAP report will be used to initiate or support any company disciplinary action.”  Additionally, while the Company did render her discipline moot since it added an IMD loaner program after the fact, it failed to pay protect her for their failure to not have a loaner program initially.

Grievances Previously Filed, Denied by Management and Currently Awaiting Arbitration Dates

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-22-14-Violation of Required Maternity Leave.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 15.D. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to require Flight Attendants to begin Maternity Leave after the 28thweek of pregnancy.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-15-15- Limiting Access to the SAN Domicile.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 28.I [Company Provided Computers and Printers at Domiciles], when it limited access to the SAN Domicile including contractually required resources to only those Flight Attendants based in SAN.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-41-15- Section 34.C.3. Alternative Hotel Selection/Site Visit.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 34.C.3. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to include the hotel committee in the selection of alternate hotels; and when it failed to provide site visits on alternate hotels.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-5-16- Non-Negotiated Compensation.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 21 [Compensation] and Section 32 [Attendance Policy], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Railway Labor Act when it awarded, without prior consistent notice, policy and application, $5 gift cards to all Anchorage based Flight Attendants for meeting the daily attendance goal.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-32-16-Automation of Stranded and Delay Pay.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 21 [Compensation], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it continues to automate its payroll system yet failed to include automated stranded pay for the entire crew.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-1-17- Violation of §32.C.5. Assessing Short Sick Call Points to Flight Attendant on FMLA.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §32.C.5 [Attendance Policy:  Short Sick Call], past practice, all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Federal Law when it assessed short sick call points (2 ½) to Flight Attendants on qualified Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) status when they called in sick within two hours of scheduled check-in.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-3-17-Violation §30.A.3.c. Failure to Pay for Lodging for Recurrent Training. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 30.A.3.c. [Reserve/Reserve Exchange of Days, Pick-Ups and Trades], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to pay for a Flight Attendant’s lodging when she came to Seattle to attend required Recurrent Training.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-52-17-Violation of §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 JCTE Denying Unlimited Trading of Reserve Days Due to Classification as a Reserve Block Split.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 [Reserve:  Reserve Exchange of Days, Pick-Ups and Trades/Reserve Day/Blocks], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system denied unlimited trading of reserve days pursuant to §11.H.4 due to JCA incorrectly classifying such trade as a reserve block split pursuant to §11.H.3.b.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-54-17-Violation of §23.A.1 Flight Attendants Incurring a 3% Fee for Online Payments to COBRA Management Services.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §23.A.1 [Insurance Benefits:  Flight Attendant Insurance Plans], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when for the convenience of the Company it used a third-party vendor to administer collection of healthcare premiums for Flight Attendants on leaves of absence; and the Company allowed their third-party vendor to charge the Flight Attendants a 3% fee for online payments to COBRA Management Services (CMS).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-55-17-Violation of §21.V Winds Aloft Adjustment of Sit Pay in JCTE.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21.V [Compensation:  “Scheduled” or “Actual” For Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) and/or Sit Pay], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system displayed each posted trip as a static ‘snapshot’ taken at the time of posting rather than a ‘live’ view, thus denying the Flight Attendant the ability to determine whether a trip is eligible for 1.0 TFP of Sit Pay due to an automated scheduling adjustment (e.g. by the Winds Aloft program).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-56-17-Violation of §15.C.4 Medical Leave of Absence.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §15.C.4 [Leaves of Absence:  Medical Leave of Absence], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when in December 2016 it denied [a Flight Attendant’s] medical leave of absence (MLOA) because she did not also qualify for FMLA and because the MLOA was less than 10 days in duration.

Grievance No.:  36-99-63-17 Violation of §11.C.3.c & §12.E.1.c-d Withholding Sequences From Open Time. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §11.C.3.c [Reserve: Classifications of Reserves/number of Extended Days (ER) and Conversion to ER/ER Conversion Contactability] & §12.E.1.c-d [Exchange of Sequences:  Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it removed pairings from Open Time and placed them on Reserve Flight Attendants’ lines for more than 15 minutes, outside of the time period 2pm-6pm, and hid the pairings from view on the Reserves’ schedules until the Reserves became available for contact or Extended Reserve (ER) conversion.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-64-17 Violation of §27.P.1.f-h Company Business Flight Pay Loss.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §27.P.1.f-h [General-Association:  Company Business Flight Pay Loss (CB)/Company Meetings], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it requested Flight Attendants attend an Inflight Announcement Focus Group on or about August 7, 2017, without compensating for company meeting pay nor the five percent (5%) override and “A” pay, and without regard to contractual duty day applications; alternatively it provided non-negotiated compensation.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-137-17-Violation of §19.A.1.a Failure to Conduct a Full Investigation with Union Representation and Contractual Pay Provisions.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §19.A.1.a [Grievance Procedures:  Dismissal or Disciplinary Procedures], Grievance Settlement 36-99-2-10-16 [Mandatory Attendance Counseling Violation Section 32], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related section of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about September 1, 2017, it issued approximately 80 Confirmation of Oral Warnings and/or Written Warnings via certified mail without performance supervisors first conducting an investigation, issuing an actual oral warning and/or providing Union Representation or contractual pay provisions.  See Grievances Recently Granted by Management for information on related disciplinary grievances.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-159-17-Violation of §12.A & §12.E Withholding Trips from Open Time and Suspended all Trading due JCTE Issues.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.A & E [Exchange of Sequences:  Unlimited Trading/Open Time], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about September 30, 2017, to October 1, 2017, for approximately 8 hours, it either withheld all trips in open time or suspended all trading due to an issue with its Jeppesen Crew Tracking system.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-205-17 Violation of §19.A.1.a Failure to Conduct a Full Investigation with Union Representation and Contractual Pay Provisions.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §19.A.1.a [Grievance Procedures:  Dismissal or Disciplinary Procedures], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about November 7, 2017, and November 8, 2017, it issued approximately 41 Confirmations of Oral Warning via certified mail without performance supervisors first conducting a full investigation, issuing an actual oral warning and/or providing Union Representation or contractual pay provisions.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-104-18 Violationof §19.A.1. Imprecise Charges and Failure to Conduct a Full Investigation with Union Representation and Contractual Pay Provisions.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §19.A.1. [Grievance Procedures: Dismissal or Disciplinary Procedures], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about January 3-5, 2018, it issued approximately 103 confirmations of oral warning (I-6s) with inaccurate information and imprecise charges via certified mail without performance supervisors first conducting a full investigation, issuing an actual oral warning and/or providing Union Representation or contractual pay provisions.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-109-18-Violation of §32 Attendance Policy.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 32.C.1.a. and Addendum to Section §32 question #6 [Attendance Policy], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargain Agreement when on December 21, 2017, it issued 3 points for a no show without performance supervisors first conducting a full investigation for contractual performance provisions resulting in a Flight Attendant receiving a no show for an unapproved trade placed on her schedule without mutual consent. In the spirit of the Attendance Policy it is important to note the Attendance Policy is not about finding fault with anyone. It is a tracking system to show whether or not you were at work when you were scheduled to be there.  In this case the Flight Attendant was not aware of the scheduling obligation placed on her line by another Flight Attendant.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-116-18-Violation of §10.J.4 Bidding Timelines.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 10.J.4 [Scheduling:  Bid Packets and Bidding Timelines], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about March 13, 2018, management re-opened its Preferential Bidding System (PBS), NavBlue, for a full bid re-award for April 2018 because it was not programmed to match the bid “duty on” preference on the new web application user interface.  However, due to system limitations the re-award required the PBS to reopen which allowed access for Flight Attendants to submit new bids after the contractual bid submission deadline.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-120-18-Violation of §32.C.1 Attendance No Shows.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §32.C.1 [Attendance Policy:  Attendance Policy Definitions/No Show], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when due to a no show it assigned three (3) attendance points to a Flight Attendant for a trip in February 2018.

Grievance No.:  36-18-2-121-18-Violation of §32 Attendance Policy.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §32.C.1.a and Addendum to Section §32 question #6 [Attendance Policy], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on March 5, 2018, it issued to a Flight Attendant a no show with three (3) attendance points for a trip picked up on his schedule without his knowledge.  It is important to note the Attendance Policy is not about finding fault with anyone; it is a tracking system to show whether or not you were at work when you were scheduled to be there.

Grievance No.:  36-35-2-122-18-Violation of AFA VX LOA Virgin America Flight Attendant Commuter Policy.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Virgin America Work Rules (WR), AFA VX Letter of Agreement: Virgin America Flight Attendant Commuter Policy (9.14.17), and any applicable sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, when on or about March 18, 2018, it denied non-probationary Flight Attendants from class hire date July 10, 2017, a Stuff Happens Pass (SHP), while it allowed other Flight Attendants from the same class the ability to use the pass.  This is in contradiction to the WR which state, “a SHP is given at 90 days after initial employment and available for use once the Flight Attendant passes probation.”

Grievance No. 36-99-2-132-18 Violation of §19.A.1 Disciplinary Timeline.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §19.A.1 [Grievance Procedures: Dismissal or Disciplinary Procedures], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when in May 2018 it disciplined Flight Attendants outside of twelve (12) days from the date the Company reasonably had knowledge of the incident giving rise to the disciplinary action in direct contrast to contractual language and long standing past practice.

Grievance No. 36-99-2-133-18 Violation of §19.A.1 Failure to Conduct a Full Investigation with Union Representation, Contractual Pay Provisions and Violation of Timeline.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §19.A.1. [Grievance Procedures:  Dismissal or Disciplinary Procedures], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about May 30, 2018, it untimely issued approximately 154 confirmations of oral warning and/or written warnings (I-6s) via certified mail without providing adequate notice of the training required, without performance supervisors first conducting a full investigation, without issuing an actual oral warning and/or without providing Union Representation or contractual pay provisions; such discipline was issued for failing to complete Computer Based Training (CBT).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-300-18-Violation of §30.C.4 Transition Training CBT Run Times.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.C.4 [Training:  Training Pay/Computer Based Training (CBT)], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to determine run-times of the Transition Training CBT with AFA input.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-302-18-Violation of §34.A.2.a Hotel Requirements.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §34.A2.a [Hotels:  Lodging/Hotel Selection Process/Hotel Requirements], principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about June 28, 2018,  its Detroit layover hotel, Doubletree by Hilton Detroit, assigned a Flight Attendant a ground floor hotel room, despite contractual language between the Association and the Company, and the Company and the hotel, specifying the hotel will avoid assigning ground floor hotel rooms to crew members.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-303-18-Violation of Airbus Transition Training Letter of Agreement CBT Pay.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §30.C.4 [Training:  Training Pay/Computer Based Training (CBT)], Airbus Transition Training Letter of Agreement (2.8.18), principles of just cause and due process, past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Transition Training CBT was allocated for four (4) hours, however based on initial feedback, the Association believes it likely takes longer than four (4) hours to complete, and therefore Flight Attendants will need to be paid accordingly.

In Solidarity,

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

The Alaska Airlines Annual Benefits Enrollment opened this week.  This year the enrollment period is from October 29th – November 14th. This is your once-a-year opportunity to choose the right coverage for you and your family. Learn more and enroll at http://myalaskabenefits.com. If you want to talk with someone about your options, you can call the Benefits Center at 1-844-231-3476.

The Council 35 Benefits Committee Chair Robert Fung is planning a base sit in the SFO Village to provide additional assistance on the following date:

  • November 4th: 0930 – 1330

More base sits may be scheduled, so please check the Council 35 Facebook Pagefor more potential dates and times.

In Solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian and James

AFA News in Review – September 19, 2025

In This Edition Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month Originally posted September 15, 2025 Join us in celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, a time dedicated to honoring the vibrant cultures and significant contributions of Hispanic-Latinx Americans. Discover the history, participate in special events, and grab your commemorative Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month AFA Pin […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the first group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have […]

Election Notice: Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Officer Elections

The term of office for our current Alaska + Hawaiian Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2025. The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the November Regular MEC meeting. This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual. […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025 Update #2

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Negotiations Update Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with the company on September 11 to review their response to our September 5 proposal.  We feel that it is important to acknowledge the challenges within our company as Alaska management is struggling to understand our Collective Bargaining Agreement […]

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