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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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In This Edition (October 22, 2019)

  • Open Time Negotiations October 9 & 10 Recap
  • Send Your Message to Management: Fix Crew Access NOW!
  • Block or Better vs. TFP—and Other Concerns

Open Time Negotiations – October 9 & 10 Recap

Your AFA Alaska Negotiating Committee resumed Open Time negotiations with management on October 9 & 10 in Seattle. The Master Executive Council (MEC) pulled the Open Time Tentative Agreement (TA) in May of this year over concerns that AFA and management had different interpretations of how a day would open and close for Open Time trading. The parties are re-negotiating Open Time trading rules to replace the Open Time Trial, which was officially actually canceled by AFA back in the summer of 2016. The Open Time Trial trading rules remain place today.

The parties made a lot of progress during the two-day session. In order to maintain the momentum of that session, the negotiating teams are meeting today (October 22) in Seattle.

Send Your Message to Management: Fix Crew Access NOW!

Regardless of the progress on Open Time negotiations, any possible changes to contractual trading language will mean nothing without a real-time, stable trading system that management is obligated to provide.  Your AFA Master Executive Council (MEC) is calling upon all Flight Attendants to stand together and let management know that we are tired of the excuses and ready for management to act!

Click here to send management your letter

As of today, only 25% of Alaska Flight Attendants have submitted letters to management demanding that immediate programming fixes be made to Crew Access.  That means that on a 4-person crew, only one Flight Attendant has taken action to stand up and fight back.  Spread the word and share the campaign and the link above with your flying partners and fellow Flight Attendants.  We must stand together and speak with one overwhelmingly loud voice to ensure that management hears our message—that they need to honor their obligations and fix Crew Access NOW!

Block or Better vs. TFP—and Other Concerns

Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendants have brought forward concerns that at least some contractual pay provisions may not be as generous as the related pay provisions in the now-defunct L-VX Work Rules. The chatter about “Block or Better” vs. TFP is just one example of several. All educational materials out there at the moment—including pay calculators—are grassroots efforts and have not been vetted for accuracy and are not endorsed by AFA leadership.

We are just one year away from serving notice to engage in Section 6 negotiations. Discussion and debate about potential negotiations topics is not only expected but also beneficial—as long as the conversation remains respectful and factual. Be aware that management often gains access to the “secret” social media venues, so we recommend that Flight Attendants refrain from discussing negotiations “wish list” items on social media due to the potentially negative strategic impact.

AFA Alaska will publish a series of educational articles covering some of the topics being talked about on the line, such as “Block hours vs. TFP” and “Block or better vs. block delay.” See the “Coming Soon” section for a more comprehensive list.

Coming Soon

Stay tuned for the following AFA negotiations special updates (order of release subject to change):

  • Open Time Negotiations – October 21 Recap
  • Block hours vs. TFP
  • Block or Better vs. Block Delay
  • Incentive Pay vs. Productivity Premium Program (PPP)
  • Inflight Team Leader (ITL) Pay vs. “A” Pay
  • Section 6 Negotiations Overview
  • Negotiating for Our Future

In This Edition

  • Tell Management: Fix Crew Access NOW!
  • Information that the Company Knows

Tell Management: Fix Crew Access NOW!

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Management continues to disrespect our contractual language by failing to provide a real-time trading system.  Let them know that enough is enough!  It’s time for management to be accountable, take action to fix Crew Access, and provide a trading system that works for our Flight Attendants!

Click here to join the campaign!

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) is asking for you to take action by joining the campaign to let management know that the time for excuses is over.  Click the link above to send an email message to management letting them know that it’s time for them to take responsibility, honor their agreements, and fix the problems once and for all.  Let’s flood management’s inboxes with our messages and let them know that we’re tired of apologies and ready for action!

Information that the Company Knows

Grievance Committee

Many times, when Grievance Committee Members are representing a Flight Attendant in an investigatory meeting, the Flight Attendant can be shocked to discover the depth of information that is readily accessible to management.  We believe it is important for all Flight Attendants to know what kind of information management can uncover usually very easily.

The Company has ready access to the following:

  • All non-revenue travel history online and offline via ID90 and myIDTravel
  • When non-revenue listings were made
  • When non-revenue tickets were purchased
  • When and where eligible family members are traveling and when the listings were made
  • Who is traveling on guest passes and when, where s/he travels, and when the listings were made
  • When and where a Flight Attendant travels on paid revenue tickets on Alaska and other carriers
  • All correspondence and email content on alaskaair.com email accounts, including messages that have been deleted
  • All stored data and usage history of an inflight mobile device (IMD), including any internet browsing history and apps downloaded
  • Location of an IMD (or last known location if powered off), even if not connected to the internet
  • All trip posting/trading information from Crew Access
    • When a trip is advertised
    • When a trip is un-advertised
    • All comments and historical comments posted on trip giveaways and trades 
    • A timed record of all trades and attempted trades
  • The location from where a Flight Attendant accesses Alaskasworld.com and/or Crew Access (using the IP address)
  • Hotel surveillance camera records and key card room access detail
  • Access records, including timestamps, for employee parking lot card readers, company badge readers, KCM barcode scans, and SIDA badge readers
  • Surveillance camera records for company buildings, company leased space, employee parking lots, and other airport property
  • Public social media accounts

This list may not be comprehensive; there is a possibility of other information the Company could easily discover. 

Questions?

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

Crew Access went down as SEA Open Time opened

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) is aware that Flight Attendants could not log into Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) for approximately twenty minutes. Although access has now been restored, the outage started at 1:59 PM PT—just as Seattle Open Time trading was opening. This all went down despite a whole crew of IT personnel monitoring Open Time.

Likely not a server issue

Many of you have asked if this is related to the number of servers dedicated to Crew Access. It is too early to say whether this latest outage is a server issue, but Alaska Airlines IT and Jeppesen have sworn in the past that the number of servers is not a significant contributor to the various problems that we continue to experience.

“Real-time” trading grievance and related mediation

AFA filed a contractual grievance alleging a violation of JCBA §12.C.1 when the Company failed to provide a “real-time” trading system, and we mediated that issue in July 2017. (See “Grievance Report – July 2017” for more info.) The MEC continues to pressure management to have Jeppesen program a more “real-time” trading system as was agreed to in that mediation. Small incremental changes have been implemented in the interim, but there have been few significant fixes. Glaring system shortcomings continue to negate the various mostly cosmetic improvements so far.

Management needs to do the right thing

The MEC knows you are tired of apologies. You want accountability and action. We have asked management to provide a meaningful response to Flight Attendants. As usual, management is “looking into it.”

It is beyond time for Alaska Airlines management to provide Flight Attendants with a functional real-time trading system: Just do the right thing and fix it!

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 Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

In This Edition

  • Open Time Negotiations Resume October 9 & 10
  • A (Not So) Brief History of Open Time

Open Time Negotiations Resume October 9 & 10

Your AFA Negotiating Committee resume Open Time negotiations with management today and tomorrow in Seattle. As you may recall, the Master Executive Council (MEC) canceled the Open Time Tentative Agreement (TA) back in May of this year. Unfortunately, October is the first opportunity that management and AFA have had since then to reconvene their respective negotiating committees. If you are interested in reviewing the entire Open Time saga, check out “A (Not So) Brief History of Open Time” below. Otherwise, skip to the next section.

A (Not So) Brief History of Open Time

Coming Soon

Stay tuned for the following AFA special updates dedicated solely to negotiations:

  • October 9 & 10 Open Time Negotiations Recap
  • Block or Better versus TFP…and Other Concerns

In This Edition

  • Introducing your MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson
  • Introducing your MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative
  • MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
  • What Happens When You Report a Human Trafficking Tip?
  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Introducing Your MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson

Human Rights Committee

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the new MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Chip Hestle to the position.

About Chip

Chip Hestle II is a Seattle-based Flight Attendant with 29 years of service at Alaska Airlines.  During his career, Chip held the position as Chairperson for the first Alaska Airlines CATeam.  In this role, he worked alongside Human Resources to promote diversity and cultural awareness.  He also participated in Flight Attendant Hiring Events. Additionally, Chip served on the AFA Government Affairs Committee and established the Alaska Airlines Drug and Alcohol Infinity Support Group.

Most recently, Chip was one of four keynote speakers at the AT-62nd Area 46 AA New Mexico State Convention.  In January 2018, he was named one of Alaska Airlines Legends in Customer Service.  In October 2017, he received the Alaska Airlines Award of Excellence.  Chip served as co-President of the FADAP Mentorship Program and established “Wings of Sobriety”.  Chip participated in Humanity Chartered Mercy flights to New Orleans, LA, during Hurricane Katrina.  He represented Alaska Airlines at the African American Flight Attendant Convention in New York, NY. And, he participated in lobbying Congressional legislators to protect flight attendant crew rest and duty hours in 2001-2002. 

Chip is very grateful for the opportunity to serve and have received many awards and recognitions, but what he’s most proud of is the wonderful working relationship that he has with Alaska Airlines customers, management and fellow crew members.  

About The Position

The MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to promote activities that foster greater understanding of one another and the diversity of our membership in order to build the strength of our Union through our common struggles and goals rather than allowing others to divide us by our differences.  Additional information about the position and committee can be found by clicking here.

Introducing Your MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the new MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Deb Wallstrom to the position. 

About Deb

Deb Wallstrom is an Anchorage-based Flight Attendant.  She started working for Alaska Airlines in 1998 and has been based in Anchorage, Los Angeles and San Diego.  She believes in a strong safety culture in the workplace and has been a member of the Air Safety, Health, and Safety Committee for the last five years.  She recently joined the Benefits Committee and looks forward to helping others navigate the medical leave of absence process.

While soap making has also become a new hobby, she can be found hiking, camping and enjoying the outdoors in her spare time.

About The Position

The ASHSC Uniform Safety Representative will be responsible for assisting Flight Attendants who experience reactions and health concerns related to wearing the Flight Attendant uniform.  The position will work closely with the Uniform and Benefits Committees to ensure that Flight Attendants have a strong voice to advocate for them in relation to uniform safety.

MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the term of appointment for the MEC Committee Chairpersons is concurrent with those of the MEC Officers.  As the current MEC Officer term of office will end on December 31, 2019, the MEC will be conducting a review of the MEC Committee Chairperson positions in December 2019.

During this review process, the MEC will be interviewing for the following MEC-level chairperson positions:

  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson – Air Quality
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson – Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)
  • Benefits Committee Chairperson
  • Communications Committee Chairperson
  • EAP Committee Chairperson
  • EAP Committee Vice Chairperson
  • Government Affairs Committee Chairperson
  • Grievance Committee Chairperson
  • Hotel Committee Chairperson
  • Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson
  • Inflight Service Committee Chairperson
  • Inflight Training Committee Chairperson
  • Reserve Committee Chairperson
  • Retirement Committee Chairperson
  • Scheduling Committee Chairperson
  • Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – PBS 
  • Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – Pairing Construction
  • Uniform Committee Chairperson

Appointment for the Human Rights Committee Chairperson position was made within the last six months.  As a result, this positions will not be reviewed and will continue until the end of the next MEC Officer election cycle.

Additionally, interviews will also be held for the following MEC-level appointed positions:

  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – ASAP Alternate Representative
  • Grievance Committee Assistant
  • Grievance Committee – Payroll Representative
  • Inflight Training Committee Member (2 positions)
  • Scheduling Committee – PBS Subcommittee Member (2 positions)

General Qualifications

The following qualifications apply to all MEC-level Chairperson positions:

  • Previous experience as a Committee Member or Chairperson preferred (required for EAP) 
  • Previous committee-specific training preferred (required for EAP)
  • Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle on occasion
  • Strong computer skills. Good working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties and Responsibilities

Information about the duties and responsibilities of each specific committee can be found in article VII of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, which can be accessed by clicking here.  Additional information about MEC Committee Chairperson duties and responsibilities can be found in this document. 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss for each position will be discussed during each interview.  All positions operate in accordance with AFA’s spirit of volunteerism.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the December MEC meeting from December 9-12, 2019.  Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/XWsW9pEgtMRmqhZM6.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Monday, November 25.  After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account.  If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

Any questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed position duties and responsibilities can be directed to MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

What Happens When You Report a Human Trafficking Tip?

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

In our role as aviation’s first responders, Flight Attendants have the ability to make a substantial impact in the fight against human trafficking.  Education and training about how to identify and report suspected human trafficking has been included in Flight Attendant Recurrent Training for the past several years and additional reminders have been included in various communications from AFA and management.

Flight Attendant procedures for suspected human trafficking involve reporting the event at which point authorities take over and follow up on the tip.  Reports from Flight Attendants and other aviation employees are a part of the Department of Homeland Security—Customs and Border Protection’s Blue Lightning Initiative, which provides a voluntary platform to identify potential human trafficking victims and to notify federal authorities for front line workers at U.S. commercial airlines.  The diagram below provides an overview of what takes place once a report is submitted.

Reporting Human Trafficking

If you suspect a case of human trafficking:

  • Call toll-free (866) 347-2423 from anywhere in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
  • Call (802) 872-6199 (not toll-free) from any country in the world.
  • Report the tip online at www.ice.gov/tips. 
  • If in flight, report the situation to the pilots.

Questions?

You can learn more about human trafficking and the Blue Lightning Initiative at https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.  There are about 1.38 million new cases of breast cancer each year.  Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been rising up steadily in the last years due to increase in life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer; therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. Today, in the United States alone, there are over 3.5 million women and men breast cancer survivors. 

Chances are, you know someone with or impacted by breast cancer.  It could even be you.  That’s why this fight is everyone’s fight.  During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people wear pink, including ribbons, to support the progress being made to defeat breast cancer, to honor survivors, and to remember those lost to the disease.  If you would like to get more involved in the fight against breast cancer, visit makingstrides.acsevents.org. Remember, your AFA EAP is available to confidentially assist you with any health related issues.  You can find contact information for your Local EAP Committee at https://afaalaska.org/eap or by calling (949) 470-0493. 

Membership Meeting November 4

Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Council 35 Membership Meeting in SFO.  All members in good standing are encouraged to attend to meet officers and committee chairs and get updates on the latest concerns facing SFO based Flight Attendants.  Special guest Karen Ferrell, AFA Pairing Analyst will be present to answer questions regarding pairing construction in SFO.

  • Date: 11/4/19
  • Location:  Terminal 2 Tunnel Conference Room (map)
  • Time: 1100-1300
  • Who: C35 members in good standing (dues up-to-date)

Supplement Insurance Enrollment Still Available 

If you missed the September 16-18 session with the National Group Protection (NGP) representative JoAnn Levandoski, Flight Attendants have one more chance to sign up if you are traveling through PDX. JoAnn will be in PDX on October 13th-15th to enroll or make changes to your existing coverage. For more information on on policies and options please visit the NGP website.

New Gate Numbering System at SFO Starts October 16

SFO will migrate to a new alpha-numeric gate numbering system across all terminals on October 16. The gates we currently use, 50-59, will change to D1-D18. The following link provided by the airport explains the methodology behind the new numbering system.

Welcome Class 2019-5


On September 25, 78 trainees graduated to become Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants.  Council 35 would like to extend a warm welcome to the 10 FAs joining SFO on October 1.  If you need any assistance with your transition to SFO, please feel free to reach out to the SFO Reserve Committee or SFO Officers with questions. 

Committee Opening: Benefits

Council 35 is still seeking a committee chair for the Benefits Committee.  If you are interested please reach to officers at sfo@afaalaska.org.

Council 35 Government Affairs DC Visit

Government Affairs committee members from AFA Alaska attended an AFA International sponsored “fly in” to our nation’s capitol.  GA committee members from all AFA carriers were able to visit key locations ]in Washington DC to lobby AFA issues with key government officials.   Council 35 chair, Rodolfo Garcia, writes his experience in this summary

Photo credits:  Council 35 GA Chair Rodolfo Garcia and AFA International President Sara Nelson.

Crew Scheduling Issues

Very often Flight Attendants who encounter operational issues while on duty and find themselves frustrated or in disagreement with a scheduler should reach out to the scheduling Manager on Duty (MOD).  If you believe a scheduler has not followed SOP or has not followed contractual guidelines for an assignment, please request to speak to the MOD at the time of the event.    Keep in mind that if you are unable to resolve the conflict at the time of the event, be prepared to “fly in protest” and present the issue to your base scheduling committee for follow up with crew scheduling management.  With more information, scheduling committee members and crew scheduling management can more efficiently research flight attendant inquiries and determine a resolution. 

Trip Trades and Swaps

Council 35 Officers have seen an increase in complaints regarding unwanted trip trades initiated by Flight Attendants. There appears to be a lack of consideration of published trip preferences. As a result, we would like to provide guidance for those posting trades to avoid further disagreements.

Be specific and provide a clear description of the type of desired trip.  Some examples:

  • “trade for a high credit”
  • “minimum 7 TFP”
  • “2 legs only on the same day”
  • “no A position”
  • Provide number and indicate “must text first”
  • Post as “grab” rather than trade

When a trade or swap is made accidentally, FAs are expected to sort out the disagreement respectfully.  The problem arises when one or both of the FAs are unable to agree on a solution.  Very often, if the trade was part of a series of trades and the original trip or trips are no longer available, it is difficult to reach a resolution.  This is particularly challenging with L-VX FAs who are accustomed to a bidding system that required approvals for all trades.

Management has taken the position that they will not interfere with, or participate in, any remedies for trading errors.  They believe that understanding the system is the FA’s responsibility and expects that courtesy will be offered to fellow Flight Attendants.  EAP/Professional Standards is available to help facilitate an amicable resolution between parties however requests to compel management to change their position on a remedy have not been successful.

Trending Discipline: Sick Leave Abuse Investigations Still Ongoing

When calling in sick, whether protected under FMLA or normal sick, the company’s expectation is that the Flight Attendant is taking the time to recover from an illness which is preventing them from being able to work.  If evidence is discovered that shows a Flight Attendant using sick leave that doesn’t appear to be recovering, the company will investigate. Recent investigations have included travel audits, scheduling requests and social media posts that the company believes may contradict a Flight Attendant’s alleged sick status.  From the company’s perspective, calling in sick for any other reason than sick, is considered time card fraud.  In all cases, the investigations concluded in termination when proof of illness is not substantiated by evidence (i.e. hospital/doctor/medical receipts) and when conflicting evidence of apparent wellness is presented. This is true for both sick leave and FMLA.  Sadly most cases brought forward to management for investigation have been provided by other Flight Attendants.  If you have any questions, please reach out to your Council 35 officers for assistance.  

FAQs 

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?
The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email using a personal email account. The preferred methods of contact are:

  • sfo@afaalaska.org (this is the group contact for all officers-if one officer is flying /unavailable the other officers can respond)
  • Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
  • Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 Officers please avoid the following methods:

  • Sending to/from alaskaair.com email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
  • Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
  • Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).  

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
Aladrian Hillmon, LEC Vice President • Aladrian.hillmon@afaalaska.org •  415-991-3791
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has received inquiries from our members asking if we have additional information regarding the alert message that is posted on the Inflight web page,

which references a potential issue with a part on the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) fleet.

Background

Last night (Friday), the MEC became aware of a KOMO news article, “Unexpected cracking found on critical Boeing 737 Next Generation part.” The name of the part in question is a “pickle fork.” We brought the article to the attention of Alaska Airlines Inflight management with a request to research the validity of the article’s contents and to communicate something to the flight attendants if appropriate. The alert notice was posted on the Inflight web page shortly thereafter.

Boeing’s statement to KOMO

KOMO quotes a Boeing spokesperson: “Safety and quality are our top priorities. Boeing has notified the FAA and been in contact with 737NG operators about a cracking issue discovered on a small number of airplanes undergoing modifications. No in-service issues have been reported. Over the coming days, we will work closely with our customers to implement a recommended inspection plan for certain airplanes in the fleet. This issue does not affect any 737 MAX airplanes or the P-8 Poseidon.”

The FAA confirmed required upcoming inspections

The FAA also confirmed the inspections to KOMO: “The FAA will require operators of certain Boeing 737NG jetliners to conduct inspections for structural cracks. Boeing notified the agency of the matter after it discovered the cracks while conducting modifications on a heavily used aircraft. Subsequent inspections uncovered similar cracks in a small number of additional planes. The FAA will instruct operators to conduct specific inspections, make any necessary repairs and to report their findings to the agency immediately.”

AFA Alaska leadership is following developments with extreme interest

It is unclear at this time if the Alaska Airlines NG fleet will in any way be affected by the required inspections. From what we have been able to gather so far, the various news outlets reporting on the issue are crediting KOMO as the original source, and there has been no new information published since yesterday. Be assured AFA Alaska leadership is in communication with management about the issue and is following developments with extreme interest. The MEC anticipates there will be more information in the coming days. Stay tuned for further updates!

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 Air Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson Seth Heiple

In This Edition

  • Contractual Supporting Documents
  • Reminder: New KCM Identification Requirements
  • FAA Responds to AFA Advocacy to Move on 10 Hours Rest Implementation

Contractual Supporting Documents

Contract Committee

When there is a disagreement or difference of opinion regarding the intent of contractual language or how a contractual provision should be applied, AFA and management work through an established process to attempt to resolve the dispute.  Depending on the issue at hand, the resolution might be documented in one of several forms: a letter of agreement, memorandum of understanding, labor memorandum, or contractual settlement agreement.  Regardless of the format, these documents are contractually enforceable and supplement the provisions of our collective bargaining agreement.

To allow for the easiest possible access, these contractual supporting documents can easily be accessed from the contract home page of the AFA Alaska website at https://afaalaska.org/contract.  You can also access them on your IMD through the Good Reader app by tapping ASFASupplemental > Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about contractual supporting documents, please contact your LEC President.

Reminder: New KCM Identification Requirements

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

As a reminder, new crewmember identification requirements for KCM, went into effect on Friday, September 6, 2019. The requirements are:

If the crewmember is wearing a uniform, the crewmember must present, as they do now:

  • A non-expired government-issued photo ID (such as a passport or driver’s license); and
  • An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID (crew ID)

If the crewmember is not wearing a uniform, the crewmember must present:

  • A non-expired government-issued photo ID;
  • An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID; and
  • A third form of identification, either:
    • A valid FAA Airman’s Certificate
    • A valid FAA Flight Attendant Certificate of Proficiency; or
    • A second non-expired government-issued photo ID

This means that out of uniform you must plan to present a passport and driver’s license/government ID card or one of these items and your FAA Certification card.

At some airports Flight Attendants have been improperly directed to passenger screening if not in uniform, and in addition, that new KCM electronic randomizer function is selecting a very high percentage of crewmembers for passenger screening. AFA continues to work with TSA to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Your reports have been instrumental in our ability to address these issues and correct discrepancies.

Please continue to respectfully question when given instruction that is not consistent with reported procedures. If the TSA Officer or manager persists with the instruction, comply and then document the incident through our reporting form.

KCM Questions and Reporting Form

We fought hard to be included in KCM program. It is both a privilege as trusted crewmembers and a responsibility as part of aviation security. We all need to work together to ensure it continues to promote security and compliments our work as aviation’s last line of defense. 

Please continue to follow all KCM program requirements.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding KCM, please submit your question using the above form or contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officersfor assistance.

FAA Responds to AFA Advocacy to Move on 10 Hours Rest Implementation

Government Affairs Committee

Last year we successfully achieved 10 Hours minimum rest free from duty under the law. According to the legislation timeline and past practice on implementation of new rules, airlines should have had to comply with the law by the beginning of June 2019. Instead, a few airlines mounted significant opposition to the implementation and argued it would be too costly and difficult to implement. The Government Shutdown and the Boeing 737 MAX grounding further delayed the implementation of hundreds of provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. 

Flight Attendants made our rest a top priority and it’s because of all of you that we were able to achieve this legislative win. We have been working diligently on several fronts to remove obstacles to getting our rest implemented. We have worked directly with Chairman DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman Larsen (D-WA) and several other members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As we did with the original bill, we had both Republicans and Democrats from the Committee speaking up and pushing for implementation with FAA and DOT. We also have worked with our airlines to remove obstacles and specifically negotiated and implemented the 10 hours rest at Frontier and PSA. This also helped to demonstrate to regulators that the implementation should not be as difficult as they had been told by some airlines.

Recently confirmed FAA Administrator Steve Dickson assured AFA and lawmakers he would make implementation of 10 hours rest a priority. Today, under his leadership the FAA took an official and public step forward announcing a rulemaking process for implementing the 10 hours minimum rest. Within hours, Delta announced they would implement the rest with the February bid month – demonstrating the truth that all airlines can do this within a few months time. We will keep the heat on and press for full federal implementation as soon as possible. This is about safety, health, and equality.

Questions?

Please reach out to your Local Government Affairs Committeeif you have any questions.

Lights begin to illuminate the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial as the sun sets in Arlington, Va., Sept. 10, 2014. The Pentagon Memorial was created to remember and honor those lost at the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley with modification. 

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AFA leadership has been in contact with Alaska Airlines management all weekend as we actively monitor Hurricane Dorian’s path. Management has just announced the first Dorian-related cancellation, which is AS 1074 SEA-FLL tomorrow morning (Monday, September 2, 2019). More cancellations and re-routes are likely in the coming days. As a precaution, AFA and management have agreed to enact Section 8.S [Natural Disasters…] in order to turn crews out of Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and in anticipation of re-starting operations to FLL once conditions have returned to normal.

If you are currently laying over in FLL, Crew Scheduling will be reaching out to you tonight to arrange a deadhead first thing tomorrow morning. It is imperative that you are responsive to their efforts to contact you tonight.

If you are a registered commuter in an area projected to be directly affected by Hurricane Dorian and you are concerned, AFA encourages you to discuss your options with management as soon as possible. All crews with flying to Florida and the south eastern seaboard over the coming days are encouraged to monitor the Scheduling alerts on the Inflight webpage and to be responsive to contact from Crew Scheduling.

If you need assistance from AFA, please feel free to contact your respective local leadership, local Scheduling Committee chairperson(s) or EAP. This will be a constantly evolving situation, so stay tuned!

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 Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

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