Latest News

January 30, 2020 17:00

In This Edition

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
Black History Month AFA Pin
Negotiating Committee Interviews
Uniform Returns & Packing Materials
REMINDER: Contractual Supporting Documents
Managing Negativity

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

The novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019, is creating growing concern for air travel. The first known case has now been confirmed in the United States. AFA is contacting our airlines in an effort to put in place information and precautions for crewmembers. We are sharing what we know about the virus now, although health officials are still determining the full implications of the virus and how it is spread.

NOTE: It is important that crew redouble efforts to take the best steps against spread of communicable disease. Review personal safety and universal precautions in section 4.200 of the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Situation Summary for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus remains a good source of up-to-date information on the rapidly changing situation.

AFA is calling on all airlines to institute emergency measures immediately, including providing crew members the latest information regarding the 2019-nCoV outbreak, identification of signs/symptoms of illness (in oneself and others), and procedures to manage potentially ill persons – utilizing information from relevant U.S. authorities including the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and international authorities including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). We are also encouraging airlines to adopt AFA recommendations from our Communicable Disease Incident Response Checklists.We will provide additional updates as more information is available. We will continue to press airlines for action on this as we work to keep aviation’s first responders, our counterparts in the flight deck, and our passengers safe and healthy.

Black History Month AFA Pin

Master Executive Council (MEC)

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

Our Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers have been provided with a limited supply of these special edition pins and will soon be making them available to you. Please be on the lookout for information directly from your LEC Officers with instructions on how you can obtain your own Black History Month AFA pin!

Negotiating Committee Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Our current Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) becomes amendable on December 17, 2021 but also contains an early opener clause for the negotiating process to begin as early as December 2020. In anticipation of early openers, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the Negotiating Committee during the March Regular MEC Meeting, to be held March 10 and 11, 2020. All three Negotiating Committee positions are up for interview and consideration. Per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, the MEC President is the chairperson of the Negotiating Committee and rounds out the Committee as the fourth member.

The Negotiating Committee is charged to negotiate and institute the needs and desires of the Flight Attendants into an effective collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Committee should have a good working knowledge of the current CBA and be willing to devote their full time to the Committee during negotiations. The members of this Committee shall serve as the CBA Interpretation Committee until a new agreement is completed.

Selection of Committee Members

Any person seeking a position on the Negotiating Committee must submit a resume to the MEC
Committee Members will function until a new Committee is selected
The Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee will be the MEC President or her/his designee
Committee Members are selected by majority vote of the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents)

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws.
All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”
Be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (eg., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).
Maintain a current record of the:
- Financial condition of the company.
- Management lines of authority and methods of communication.
- Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.
Be familiar with the wishes of the Flight Attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.
Prepare the contract opener with the advice of the Staff Negotiator
Provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations
Proof CBA language and agree with the Company on implementation and effective dates
Review tentative agreement with the MEC
Prepare membership summary package and Roadshow schedule
Present the tentative agreement to the members
Proof printed agreement and prepare CBA index
Prepare CBA interpretations for new concepts
Remain available as a resource for interpretations
Maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.
Maintain contact, through the MEC President, with IAM, ALPA, TWU, AMFA, and other applicable labor unions on property

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Flight pay loss (FPL) reimbursement will be provided to Negotiating Committee Members at the rate of 6 TFP at “A” pay for 8 hours of work. FPL is not reimbursed for days that solely contain travel to/from an activity.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the March Regular MEC meeting from March 10-11, 2020. 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/6vj5XPxDwv9x54eb9. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, March 3. 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 regarding the Negotiating Committee positions or application process should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

Uniform Returns & Packing Materials

Uniform Committee

Our Uniform Committee has recently received reports that some Flight Attendants have been told that their uniform return shipments were improperly packed when dropping them off at FedEx shipping locations. Some Flight Attendants have been told by FedEx personnel that they would be required to purchase additional packing supplies including “fill” material to prevent the contents in the package from shifting.

According to paragraph B.7 of the Flight Attendant Custom Uniform 2020 Letter of Agreement, Inflight management will assist Flight Attendants with uniform returns and provide appropriate packing supplies at no cost to the Flight Attendant upon request. If you experience a problem with FedEx personnel accepting your return shipment due to the way it is packaged, it is recommended that you bring the package to an inflight supervisor at any base and ask them to provide the necessary packing materials and assist you with sending the shipment back to Unisync.

Questions?

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

REMINDER: 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.

Managing Negativity

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Many work environments have at least that one negative person whose only way of communicating is through a string of complaints. Escaping that individual at 30,000 feet is difficult. Relentless negativity tears away at our resiliency and ability to ignore the behavior. While we cannot change the way other people behave, we can change the way we react. Below are suggestions which may help you manage our own responses to negative communication and limit its impact.

Don’t Take it Personally

Negative individuals tend to find something wrong in almost every situation. Being negative may also be one’s main way to engage or connect with others. Negativity is sometimes correlated with self-esteem and inter-generational communication patterns. A person who chronically finds problems with other people may truly be unhappy with themselves and/or demonstrating the strong influences of familial communication.

“You” and “I”

Replace “you” statements with “I” statements. People feel attacked when their behavior is directly pointed out. Feeling attacked causes the person to become defensive and may create unnecessary conflict. For example, instead of “You always complain about working with her, and it gets old.” try “I feel uncomfortable when people discuss their feelings about our co-workers with me.”

Make it a Challenge

Try to say something like “We always seem to have something to talk about, but it is usually negative. Let’s only talk about cheerful situations today.” Beginning with a positive comment increases the probability your listener will be receptive. Giving feedback in this manner may also allow you to point out the negative tone of conversation of which the complainer maybe unaware.

Offer or Seek Assistance from Your AFA EAP

Allowing a person to bombard you with their negativity may actually reinforce that behavior. Everyone manages some negativity in their lives. It is important for your own mental health to limit the accumulation of others’ issues. If someone is clearly struggling, remind her/him that AFA EAP offers confidential assistance. Say something like “You know it sounds like it might be helpful for you to give our EAP a call. I think they might be a good listener and resource for you.” Then, give them AFA EAP’s number: (949) 470-0493. Remember, AFA EAP is also available to you to help you maintain your resiliency in dealing with negativity.

January 28, 2020 21:00

The Master Executive Council (MEC) met with management earlier today in Seattle to discuss our questions and concerns regarding Recurrent Training. Members of the AFA Inflight Training Committee; Grievance Committee; Air Safety, Health and Security Committee; and Scheduling Committee also joined us for the discussion. Management was represented by Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gary Beck, Vice President of Inflight Ron Calvin, VP Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, VP Safety & Security Max Tidwell, Managing Director (MD) of Inflight Strategy and Support Mary Avey, MD Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, MD Labor Relations Carmen Williams and other senior leaders of the Inflight division.

Focus on two themes

Your AFA leaders focused on two themes:

Holding management accountable, and
Demonstrating proficiency over perfection.

Questions asked of management

We submitted several hard questions to management, including but not limited to:

Which specific changes to the Recurrent Training (RT) program were required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a result of its audit of the Inflight training program last fall and which changes were management’s discretion?
Is management aware that the current training program has created an environment of anxiety and fear in which Flight Attendants are now questioning their abilities to handle emergency situations?
Is management willing to revise RT 2020 in order to provide Flight Attendants with greater clarity of expectations and improved resources and tools?

Changes sought by AFA

AFA advocated for several changes to RT 2020, including but not limited to:

Ending the practice of “management only” classes and to mix management personnel into as many classes and locations as possible
Providing adequate “hand-on” practice time prior to drill evaluations for evacuations, emergency equipment and CPR
Live demonstration of each evaluation scenario for evacuations, emergency equipment and CPR
Ability for a Flight Attendant to self-correct during an evaluation
Allow an evaluator to provide feedback to a Flight Attendant following an unsuccessful evaluation
‘Forgive’ all Flight Attendants currently in the Special Track Training program (who were placed into the program following two unsuccessful drill evaluations)
Significantly revise or drop the Special Track Training program (remediation training, retention check and check ride)
No termination of employment following an unsuccessful fourth drill evaluation

Management took ownership, but we remain ‘cautiously skeptical’

Management took ownership of the disastrous state of the RT program, but the MEC will remain ‘cautiously skeptical’ until we see meaningful solutions put into action. However, Ron committed to ending the practice of “management only” RT classes and to mix management personnel into regular RT classes throughout the system.

Inflight management has canceled all Recurrent Training and Requalification Training classes that were scheduled to start between 1/28 and 2/7, and management has pledged to use this time to incorporate feedback and revise the RT 2020 program. Whatever changes may come out of this process, the MEC will make every effort to ensure management provides adequate training for the Inflight Instructors. It is critical that evaluations are performed uniformly and without subjectivity in order to guarantee a consistent and fair experience for all.

Management is developing a communication that outlines the plan in more detail. AFA is also drafting several contractual grievances specific to Recurrent Training. We anticipate publishing another RT update in the coming days after management’s next communication goes out and our grievances have been filed.

In Solidarity,

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

January 24, 2020 21:00

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has collected the following information to help you navigate the pitfalls of this year’s Recurrent Training. See AFA Alaska’s “Recurrent Training” (January 16, 2020) and “Recurrent Training 2020 – Part 2” (January 23, 2020) for additional background and information.

General preparation

The Recurrent Training SharePoint Site has a ton of useful information. How to get there? World of Inflight -> Training -> Recurrent Training -> Recurrent Training SharePoint Site. Click the “View Videos & Completion Packs” button for “must-have” drill resources such as videos and completion packs for Recurrent Training (RT) and Requalification Training (RQ). (There are now two completion packs for RT, one per day.) AFA is aware there have been unannounced changes to this site, but to the best of our knowledge, the information posted at the time of this writing is current.

2020 RT CBT must be completed a minimum of two hours prior to class time.

There is no late grace period. If you are late to RT, then you will be assessed one attendance point, sent home without pay and asked to reschedule your RT class.

Inflight Instructors are Flight Attendants

Flight Attendants in Recurrent Training are understandably frustrated. However, please keep in mind that Inflight Instructors are Flight Attendants, and they are feeling stressed about Recurrent Training as well. Please direct your frustration towards management and not your fellow Flight Attendants. For those of you sending feedback to management by email, please copy in your AFA Local Executive Council (LEC) leadership (e.g. if SEAFA, then copy in sea@afaalaska.org; if SFOFA, then copy in sfo@afaalaska.org). The MEC will announce a more comprehensive communication strategy following our meeting with management early next week.

Drills/Evaluations

As of this writing, RT 2020 includes only 45 minutes of hands-on practice for the doors and windows and no hand-on practice for emergency equipment. AFA has advocated to management that Flight Attendants need much more hands-on time for doors and windows and at least some hands-on time with the emergency equipment rather than none. AFA has received reports that access to or view of emergency equipment may not be available in at least some locations, so do not count on touching equipment prior to being evaluated.

CPR & AED operation, door and window operation, door evacuations and emergency equipment are all being evaluated as successful/unsuccessful (i.e. pass/fail) drills. You must receive 100% on each drill in order to be successful.

Instructors are no longer allowed to coach or provide any feedback between evaluations. If you are unsuccessful, ask to look at your completion pack to determine which area caused the failure. You may also ask to step out of the evaluation environment to review your completion pack or example videos. Finally, you may request a different Instructor prior to proceeding to a second attempt.

FAs will be given two opportunities to successfully pass each drill in class. A Flight Attendant will be allowed to complete class after the second unsuccessful attempt. However, s/he will be placed into disqualified (FNQ) status, which results in loss of Known Crewmember (KCM) privileges and the ability to jumpseat until resolved.

Special Track Training

Following a second unsuccessful attempt of a drill, a FA will be placed into a Special Track Training program. The FA will be removed from payroll and all scheduling obligations as a crewmember until remediation training is conducted and a retake of the drill is successfully completed. Only scheduling obligations impacted by the disqualified (FNQ) status will be removed, not the entire schedule. Flight Attendants will retain insurance during this process. S/he will be pay protected between the second and third attempt. Management will make every effort to conduct the remediation training and third attempt within seven days of RT. (A Flight Attendant also has seven days to re-take and successfully pass the written exam if s/he scores less than 80%, but this does not cause a FA to enter the Special Track Training.)

Flight Attendants will be paid 6 TFP for each day of additional training or testing, and travel pay will apply for required out of domicile training as applicable. Be aware there is a contractual limitation regarding the number of hours and time of day that training may be conducted pursuant to §30.A.2: “Training will be scheduled for no more than eight (8) hours and will occur between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time.” It is management’s discretion regarding the training location, but AFA understands that management has a strong desire to hold remediation training and re-takes in Seattle.

The FA will be required to demonstrate proficiency through additional retention checks prior to the next annual RT class. In other words, you will probably be tested again on the same drill in the coming months. Another 6 TFP and travel pay will apply for required training out of domicile as applicable. The Special Track Training also includes some form of an operational observation, which is being called a “checkride.” However, this is not necessarily the traditional checkride one receives while on probation; the truth is that none of the details have been worked out yet.

The Special Track Training program specific to unsuccessful emergency equipment drills is still being developed, so AFA cannot can’t share those details with you because we don’t know what they will be. Much of this is still a moving target, but AFA is not supportive of the Special Track Program as it is currently constructed.

See “Drill Evaluation & Drill Attempt Process” in the RT 2020 FAQs document on the Recurrent Training SharePoint Site for more info.

Recurrent Training feels more like Recurrent Testing

The unfortunate reality is that as of now, Recurrent Training feels more like Recurrent Testing. AFA will continue to advocate to management to develop rational competency criteria, to provide adequate notice and the proper tools to be successful in RT. Meanwhile, Flight Attendants should probably take the initiative to actively perform their silent review using the updated verbatim commands, and to do this often.

Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) leadership if you have any concerns or questions about Recurrent Training. The Inflight Training Committee may also be utilized as an additional AFA resource.

AFA is planning another update regarding Recurrent Training after our meeting with management next week.

In Solidarity,

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

Your MEC Inflight Training Committee – Megan Brown, Steve Vincent, Sam Clifton and Justin Wetherell

January 23, 2020 20:00

The Recurrent Training (RT) program for 2020 was unveiled with many significant changes: two days rather than one, verbatim drills, instructor vs. evaluator, the list goes on. Unfortunately, what we didn’t expect was how disorganized and unprepared Inflight Training management would be in delivering this new program. In our last communication about Recurrent Training (January 16, 2020), AFA informed Flight Attendants of the approved exceptions to the “verbatim” evacuation commands when management was unwilling to communicate. Why is management reluctant to be forthright and honest? Management should be held to the same standards they expect us to uphold.

Communication from management to the Flight Attendants has been abysmal at best. The core value of “Deliver Performance” in the Company’s Service Framework says, “I’m accountable and responsible for the success of the operation.” This is followed by, “know and perform my role,” “execute operational timelines,” “use time and resources wisely” and “collaborate across roles to ensure the team’s success.” Management has missed the mark on each. The same value states, “I take initiative to provide accurate and timely information,” which management has failed to do since the chaos of RT 2020 started. Management can keep throwing apologies out, but there is no accountability and no repercussions for them despite the many consequences Flight Attendants have experienced as a result of management’s actions.

Did you know that Instructors have been required to go through up to three different “calibration trainings” due to changing expectations, unclear standards and poor communication? Training materials are constantly being updated for Flight Attendants and Instructors sometimes after class begins, which could mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful drill. Training management has also been unclear in their communications with base leadership and scheduling leadership, which has set those leadership groups up for being unable to help Flight Attendants or answer their questions.

Failure rates for the drill evaluations in some locations have been as high as 45%. What is meant by a failure rate? You have two attempts at each evaluation to successfully complete the drill. If you do not pass those two attempts, then you are allowed to complete RT but immediately pulled off the line and your Known Crewmember (KCM) access and jumpseating privileges are revoked until you go through remediation training and successfully pass the drill. More information about remediation training and the associated “Special Track” training program will be shared in the next RT communication, which will be published by AFA tomorrow.

We cannot continue RT 2020 on this track. With change there is understandably some stress attached. However, the level of stress added to both Flight Attendants and Instructors is out of control, and something needs to be done. Vice President of Inflight Ron Calvin and his team need to come together and make things right. This was their mess to begin with, and they are not meeting the same standards of near perfection they require from our workgroup. Management can and must do better.

The MEC requested a meeting with management as soon as possible to discuss these failures, and we are hoping management will meet with us next Tuesday. We want management to acknowledge the poor development of RT 2020 drill evaluations, the abysmal execution of the program so far, and the lack of communication and lack of transparency that has caused so much angst amongst our group. What will be done to rectify this unacceptable situation?

To be clear, the MEC takes issue with management in this debacle. We fully support our Instructors and their desire to provide a neutral, fair and supportive environment at each training location.

Stay tuned for the next RT update tomorrow!

In Solidarity,

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

January 16, 2020 22:15

The Master Executive Council (MEC) appreciates Inflight management addressing the rumor mill regarding Recurrent Training (RT). We are particularly thankful Inflight went on record to state the recent changes to RT in response to an audit by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were absolutely not due to inadequate Inflight Instructors. However, the MEC is extremely disappointed that management has not taken more ownership of the situation at a much earlier date.

We are further frustrated by the fact that management missed a key opportunity to potentially mitigate or perhaps even eliminate some of the changes. How so? Management failed to accept AFA recommendations during integration in 2018 to incorporate “approved alternative” evacuation command verbiage into the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM).

AFA officers and representatives, the Inflight Training Committee and Inflight Flight Attendant Instructors have spent much of the past few months asking tough questions of management regarding the RT debacle and advocating for the best interest of Flight Attendants. We’re certainly not finished, but this is what we can report so far:

RT Computer Based Training (CBT) “Homestudy”

Cornerstone is a joke and needed to be replaced yesterday. AFA will continue to pressure management to provide Flight Attendants with the tools to help make us successful. Cornerstone is not one of those tools.

RT Written Test

The written test is still 25 questions and requires 80% (20 or more correct) to pass. Although the test question database has been eliminated for RT 2020, AFA has confirmed the test is derived exclusively from the (as of this writing) 74 questions in the various knowledge checks of the Homestudy. Once you have completed the Homestudy, you can go back and directly access each knowledge check separately in order to review the questions and answers as many times as you would like.

Be aware the order of the questions and/or responses may be randomized, but the actual questions and the one correct answer for each respective question will remain the same. If the knowledge checks in the Homestudy happen to be updated (this happens occasionally if a question is corrected or if a policy or procedure changes), then the questions and answers may change slightly. In summary, the Homestudy knowledge check database that is current at the time of RT is the one used to construct the written test.

How to access the knowledge checks?

World of Inflight (login required) -> Training -> Recurrent Training -> Recurrent Training SharePoint Site -> “IMD Tutorial” or “Web Tutorial”

Evacuation Commands

Flight Attendants are expected to come to RT prepared to demonstrate proficiency by using verbatim evacuation commands. However, AFA can positively confirm all those meetings with management over the past few months about the commands paid off!

Flight Attendants will be deemed proficient (and therefore successful in completing their evacuation evaluation) if they inadvertently use any of the four approved exceptions: “the” may be added between “Help” and “people,” “airplane” or “aircraft” may be used instead of “plane” and “jump” may be said twice in a row. Although a Flight Attendant will be coached to use verbatim commands in the future, the following commands would be considered successful:

“Heads down, stay down” / “Open seatbelts — Open seatbelts” / “Stay back –Stay back” / “You two, stay at the bottom” / “Help (the) people off” / “Send them away from the plane (/ airplane / aircraft)” / “Leave everything” / “Exit here” / “Jump (Jump)”.

Again, you are expected to deliver the commands verbatim, but using the approved alternatives will still result in passing the evaluation. We hope this information will help to reduce the understandably high level of anxiety regarding evacuation drills in RT this year. Please keep in mind that Inflight Instructors are Flight Attendants, and they are feeling stressed about Recurrent Training as well.

In Solidarity,

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

Your MEC Inflight Training Committee – Megan Brown, Steve Vincent, Sam Clifton and Justin Wetherell

January 10, 2020 20:00

In This Edition

REMINDER: Know Your Dues Obligation
Recurrent Training
Two Computer Based Trainings (CBTs) are Due in January
Uniforms
Commitments to Healthier Habits
National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

REMINDER: Know Your Dues Obligation

Membership Committee

Each of us has an obligation to ensure that our AFA dues payments are current and up-to-date. Section 26 of our collective bargaining agreement outlines the requirement for each of us to pay dues as a condition of employment. If you receive a notice that dues are past due, it is important to remedy the past due amount immediately. Failure to remedy a past due amount may result in termination of employment.

How Do I Know If I Have a Past Due Amount?

If you have a past due amount, you will receive a statement from the AFA International Membership Services Department sent to your mailing address on file with AFA. The statement will show for which month(s) dues have not been paid.

What To Do If You Receive a Past Due Notice for AFA Dues

If you receive a statement indicating that you owe dues, the easiest way to make a payment is through the AFA Membership Services website. You can also contact the Membership Services Department to discuss options for a payment plan if you are unable to pay the owed amount immediately. More information about payment options can be found here.

Final Notices

A number of Flight Attendants throughout the system are significantly past due despite multiple communications regarding the dues obligation, and many attempts have been made by AFA representatives to contact and work with them. Consequently, AFA intends to send final notices to this group late next week.

If a Flight Attendant does not pay the amount owed within 15 calendar days of receiving final notice, AFA will then notify the Company. At that point, the Company will terminate employment in accordance with Section 26.D of our collective bargaining agreement.

Flight Attendants have had or will have several supplemental income opportunities to help meet their dues obligation: the “Block of 8” Productivity Premium Program (PPP) paid on December 20, the December PPP to be paid on January 17, Performance Based Pay (PBP) to be paid out soon. Vacation cash-out is always an option as a last resort. Membership Services also accepts credit cards for dues payments.

Questions?

If you have any questions about dues, please contact your Local Membership Committee or AFA International Membership Services at (800) 424-2401, ext. 707.

Recurrent Training

Inflight Training Committee

Management has made substantial changes to the Recurrent Training (RT) program for 2020 following the shutdown of RT in October 2019 in response to findings by the FAA. The Master Executive Council (MEC) has made it a priority to examine these changes closely and push back on any that appear to be more stringent than necessary to achieve regulatory compliance. As a result of those efforts, AFA secured a number of improvements behind the scenes that had a significantly positive effect for Flight Attendants impacted by the “new” RT in 2019. AFA is working hard to attain similar improvements to RT 2020 prior to classes beginning next week.

This week, management conducted a five-day “Train-the-Trainer” session in Seattle during which the Inflight Instructors (who are also Flight Attendants) and all of the members of the AFA Inflight Training Committee (who are also Inflight Instructors) received instruction from Inflight Training management on how to deliver the 2020 Recurrent Training (RT) program. Several MEC leaders also attended as observers. There were a number of spirited conversations during the week in which the Inflight Instructors, Inflight Training Committee members and the MEC observers provided feedback to management regarding the curriculum and evaluations. The group advocated for changes that protect the interests of Flight Attendants and Flight Attendant Instructors.

Management is currently in the process of incorporating that feedback and is planning a communication about Recurrent Training to the entire Flight Attendant group early next week. AFA will release a standalone RT update in response to management’s communication once it is published.

Two Computer Based Trainings (CBTs) are Due in January

Inflight Training Committee

As of today, 2041 Flight Attendants (about a third of all FAs) have not completed the Q4 2019 CBT that is now due on January 15, 2020. There is another CBT due on January 31, 2020: Annual Compliance Training (ACT) 2019. Flight Attendants not completing the required CBTs by the deadline will be issued progressive discipline.

If you are having issues completing the training, contact the IT Help Desk at: 877-238-1077 or email Inflight Training at inflight.training@alaskaair.com. Please keep track of any time you spend working with IT to resolve the issue and collect any documentation (including IT ticket information, screenshots of telephone call history with calls to IT, etc.). Once the issue is resolved, please submit this information through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center. These issues will be referred to the IT Review Process and handled through Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) meeting and may be eligible for additional pay.

Uniforms

Uniform Committee

Custom Uniforms pieces are now arriving from Unisync. It is important to try on your pieces as soon as they arrive and send any items back for return as soon as possible so that you can place an order for replacement pieces. Exchanges must first be processed as a return and then a new order submitted for the replacement item.

Returns

Uniform returns are processed through the Unisync website at http://aag.unisync.store (login required) or by calling Unisync customer service at (833) 525-2752. Detailed instructions on how to complete a return can be found on the Unisync website. After you have processed a return (either online or through customer service), you should receive an email notification when your allotment has been credited for the return. Once you receive this notification, you’ll be able to order replacement pieces using the credit from the return as well as any unused funds.

When you complete the return process, you’ll receive a return merchandise authorization (RMA) number. You may either 1) print the return request submission page or 2) indicate your RMA number along with your name and Peoplesoft number on Section A of the return slip (or on any piece of paper if you are missing the return slip); include the return authorization information with your shipment to ensure that your allotment is properly credited.

Per a letter of agreement with management, Flight Attendants are not responsible for the cost of uniform shipping, including returns. All shipments should include a pre-paid FedEx return label to the box. If you did not receive a pre-paid label, please contact Unisync customer service. Inflight management will assist Flight Attendants with uniform returns, provide appropriate packing supplies at no cost to the Flight Attendant and ship the return upon request. Returns must be postmarked no later than 90 days from receipt of the items.

New Uniform Wear Start Date

Management will soon be announcing the date for cutover to the new uniform. Please do not wear the new uniform or any pieces or accessories until the cutover date.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the uniform return or exchange process, please contact your Local Uniform Committee.

Commitments to Healthier Habits

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

The beginning of a new year is often marked with commitments to healthier habits. One health routine that you may want to consider is to examine your alcohol use annually, if not more frequently. To help you do this, the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) along with researchers and experts in the field of addiction developed an alcohol screening instrument just for flight attendants.

Should you answer yes to any of the below questions, please follow up with your Flight Attendant peer assistance program at your airline. Your conversations are confidential. You can reach your FADAP peer through the FADAP toll free help line at:

1-855-33FADAP or 1-855-333-2327

Flight Attendant Alcohol Use Screening

Routinely evaluate your alcohol use just as you would other health issues. Self-assess by asking yourself the following questions:

Have you shown up for a flight hung over?
Have you bid a certain position to have easy access to alcohol in the past year?
Have you drank past the cut off time in the past year?
Felt bad or guilty about your drinking in the past year?
Do you drink alcohol 4 or more times per week?
Have you had 5 or more drinks on a typical day when you are drinking?

Should you answer yes to any of the above questions, please follow up with a call to a Flight Attendant peer with the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP). Your conversations are confidential.

National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Human Rights Committee

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. We can take a stand against human trafficking by recommitting ourselves to end it on our planes. As Flight Attendants and aviation’s first responders, we are uniquely positioned to identify human traffickers and assist their victims.

United Against Slavery: Take the Survey

AFA is proud to collaborate with United Against Slavery to collect comprehensive data among our members to help combat all forms of human trafficking. We know that Flight Attendants are a frontline identifiers against perpetrators using air transportation to relocate victims of sex and labor trafficking.

It is important to find out what is and isn’t working on the line while we work as an industry to help combat human trafficking. We want your voices to be heard, so we invite you to participate in the National Outreach Survey for Flight Attendants, between thought April 6, 2020. This online survey is optional and allows flexibility to accommodate your schedules for any member who chooses to participate. We have an opportunity to collect much needed data in the aviation sector to help combat human trafficking.

Click here to take the survey

January 4, 2020 13:18

December Update:

‘Tis the season….for IROPS

Now is the time to get to know your contract. With irregular operations (IROPS) due to weather or operational challenges, be aware of what is contractually supported for scheduling changes. Refer to Sections 8 and 10 for lineholders and Section 11 for reserves. Additionally, Junior Assigning (Section 9) has already occurred this holiday season so be aware of the contractual limitations of this practice.

CBT Deadline December 31

A friendly reminder to complete the 4th Quarter CBT is due 12/31/19. In the event accessing Cornerstone through the app is unsuccessful, please reach out to your base supervisor for assistance. Additionally Flight Attendants may access Cornerstone via computer (non-mobile device) through the In-flight Page on Alaskasworld. Failure to complete quarterly CBTs by the deadline historically has resulted in progressive steps of discipline.

Leftover Guest Passes? Save them!

Remember to convert your unused companion travel passes before the end of day December 31st. Once converted the pass codes will remain in your FLY account under Guest Passes>>Manage Guest Passes. Converted passes must be ticketed within 3 months after the pass code has been generated.

Recurrent Training 2020

The recurrent training home study CBT was released 12/26/19 and available online for those taking recurrent in January. The CBT portion of recurrent training must be completed at least 2 hours prior to the start of training class. As a reminder, for 2020, recurrent training will be two days. AFA has been advocating for a streamlined and fair recurrent training process due to recent and sudden changes that have occurred. This is an ongoing issue so please look out for more communication from the training department and the MEC regarding any updates to the program or guidelines.

Uniform Update

Rollover of uniform funds are defined in the Uniform Allotments and Rollover Letter of Agreement. Flight Attendants with remaining uniform funds will rollover at 50% value.

New uniforms will begin to ship in January, with the expectation of a March launch (actual date to be announced). It is recommended that uniforms be tried for fit as soon as received. This will allow ample time to make any adjustments or exchanges if necessary.

With the new uniform roll-out just around the corner, management has indicated an increase in compliance checks for current uniforms. There are 3 stages of compliance checks:

2019: a Flight Attendant found wearing a non-compliant uniform will be subject to a “conversation” with base management regarding current uniform policy.
January 1, 2020 – launch of the new/custom uniform: a Flight Attendant found wearing a non-compliant uniform will be issued a Record of Discussion (ROD) which will be documented in the FAs personnel file.
Custom uniform launch and beyond: a Flight Attendant found wearing a non-compliant uniform that is not “fixable” will be sent home.

Clean Slate for 2020

Flight Attendants who…

achieved 480 TFP (L-VX exempt in 2019)
had 4 or fewer attendance points at the end of 2019
and who did not accrue any points in November and December 2019

…will start 2020 with zero points. This process is defined in the JCBA S32.G.4. The adjustment is a manual process done by the performance supervisor team, so please allow until mid-January for the process to be complete. After the adjustments have been made, any discrepancies should be brought to the attention of the SFO performance supervisor, Raquel Wehrwein.

Clock Resets for 480 on January 1

All Alaska Flight Attendants (including L-VX) will be required to achieve 480 TFP for the year 2020 to maintain the following benefits:

Uniforms §13.D.6
Vacation §16.L.4
Health Insurance §33.B.1-4
Attendance year-end record improvement §32.G.4

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

December 20, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

MEC Committee Position Appointments

MEC Committee Position Appointments

Master Executive Council (MEC)

At last week’s regular MEC Meeting, the MEC conducted interviews for MEC Committee positions. We would like to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and a willingness to serve. After careful consideration and much deliberation, the six directly elected Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents have made the following appointments:

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee

Chairperson	Seth Heiple
Vice Chairperson – Air Quality	Yvette Satterlee
Vice Chairperson – Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)	Bradley Young
ASAP Alternate Representative	Ronda Ruderman

Benefits Committee

Chairperson

Terry Taylor

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) /Professional Standards Committee

Chairperson	Elizabeth Dillon
Vice Chairperson	Jeanne McCleave

Grievance Committee

Chairperson	Stephanie Adams
Assistant	Bianca Dew
Payroll Representative	Kiara Jenkins

Government Affairs Committee

Chairperson	Krystle Berry
CWA Next Gen Representative	Martin Monteblanco

Hotel Committee

Chairperson	Laura Hinojosa
Vice Chairperson	Jodi Snow

Inflight Service Committee

Chairperson

Stephanie Garnett

Inflight Training Committee

Chairperson	Megan Brown
Committee Member	Steve Vincent
Committee Member	Samuel Clifton
Committee Member	Justin Wetherell

Reserve Committee

Chairperson	Julie Pinson
Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation	Jarod McNeill

Retirement Committee

Chairperson

Terry Taylor

Scheduling Committee

Chairperson	Jake Jones
Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction	Karen Ferrell
Vice Chairperson—Preferential Bidding System (PBS)	Steve Poynter
PBS Subcommittee Member (Alternate Vice Chairperson)	Adam Clarey
PBS Subcommittee Member	Sheri Rochel
PBS Subcommittee Member	Virginia Fritz

Uniform Committee

Chairperson

Todd Scarlett

All appointments are effective January 1, 2020. Terms of appointment coincide with those of the MEC Officers, concluding on December 31, 2022.

December 6, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

PBS Software Update

PBS Software Update

Scheduling Committee—PBS Subcommittee

A PBS update occurred on Nov 25th that likely makes it necessary to clear your browser’s cache. This is especially important if using the ‘new’ version of Navblue (the one they refer to as ‘WebApp’). If you get an error message when trying to log in or certain tabs aren’t working as they should then this is a sign that you must clear your cache. You should be seeing version 19.4 on both the old and the new PBS website.

On the Inflight website, there is an ‘Alert’ posted at ‘Schedule and Bidding’ with a link to instructions for clearing your cache. Instructions are provided for Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox. These are the only supported browsers when accessing NavbluePBS. On the PBS Info Page you’ll see a list of supported devices and browsers.

This latest update brings a huge improvement in log in time. In addition, with some bid preferences there is less ‘clicking’ needed and the ‘Start Bid Group’ button (used to begin a new bid group) has now moved to the right side of the page. The order of some bid preference sub-menus is more logical and there were some minor bug fixes in this latest update.

No changes occurred on the ‘old’ version of Navblue.. Both the old and new websites are ‘live’ and whatever is ‘submitted’ on one will then reflect on the other. The old PBS website still works perfectly fine for bidding but is lacking all of the advanced features of the new website. No further changes are planned for the ‘old’ PBS website unless absolutely necessary. Navblue is urging all airline customers transition to the ‘new’ website. When a decision is made on a firm cutover date we’ll communicate that to everyone.

https://asapbs.navblue.aero/webapp/#/

Questions?

If you have questions, contact the PBS Subcommittee at pbs@afaalaska.org

November 30, 2019 19:34

Thank you everyone who came out to join our Council 35 Membership Meeting on Nov. 4th!! From Left: Brad Young, Council Representative, Aladrian Hillmon, Vice President, Melissa Osborne, President, James Ikehara, Secretary.

November Update:

Trending Discipline: Commuter Travel

Performance has initiated an investigation of commuter travel for Flight Attendants. Recent travel audits have revealed that use of the D8Y travel designation has been used for flights other than commuting between registered cities for work. The investigation has included all bases to include SFO and have resulted in discipline. For more information please review the commuter policy in §28.G of the JCBA. The policy indicates that only travel between registered cities for work is allowable. The D8Y listing is not permitted when dropping a deadhead or picking up out of base if the cities pairings are not the registered cities. The performance team has indicated that the audits will occur monthly so this will be an ongoing investigation. If you have any questions regarding travel while commuting to/from work, please reach out to FCABPS@alaskaair.com or your Council 35 officers. L-VX Transition Agreement.

480 Reminder

The JCBA defines the 480 requirement for maintaining certain yearly benefits, and now is the time to make up any hours before the year ends. Flight Attendants with less than 480 total hours will not be eligible for benefits the following calendar year. As a reminder, L-VX FAs are exempt from the 480 requirement in 2019 to retain benefits for the year 2020. However beginning January 1, 2020, all FAs (including L-VX) will be required to accrue 480 hours to retain benefits in 2021. For more information please reference the

PPP Collective Block Payout Coming up!

JCBA §21.R outlines the Premium Productivity Program for FAs. The collective block months will be complete at the end of November, and the payout will be December 20th. Earlier this month the January information was missing from L-VX FA calculators however the issue has been resolved. To see your actual accruals, please visit:

Alaskasworld>>Inflight Page>>Administration>>Calculators

Delta Organizing

On November 1, 2019, AFA achieved the organizing rights to support and represent Delta Flight Attendants. Council 35 officers are excited to support organization efforts and encourage all members to participate in the process. For resources and the latest info on DL organization efforts, please visit https://www.deltaafa.org.
*-photo credits: Alaska Councils 15, 18 and 35 in MSP helping Delta FAs with leafletting campaign Nov. 7.*

Call Professional Standards first!

Professional Standards (PS) should always be the first contact whenever Flight Attendants find it difficult to work together. In the event you find yourself contemplating “turning someone in” to management, please consider Professional Standards as the first step in this process. Part of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) committee, PS committee members are trained to help facilitate a conflict resolution process between the affected Flight Attendants. All this is done in a safe and confidential environment, without involving management. PS can also facilitate conflict resolution with other Alaska Airlines work groups, such as pilots and Tech Ops. For a confidential consultation, please contact EAP/Professional Standards Committee at sfo.eap@afaalaska.org.

Council 35 Advanced Secretary/Treasurer Training with AFA

-by James Ikehara Kevin Creighan, Secretary-Treasurer for AFA International, hosted a 2 day Advanced Secretary-Treasurer training session for local councils in San Francisco on November 14-15. Local council officers from United, Frontier, Air Wisconsin, Spirit, and Alaska were in attendance, in addition to Alaska’s MEC officers Brian Palmer, Vice President, and Linda Christou, Secretary-Treasurer. Both Brian and Linda were guest speakers and shared best practices for budget planning. Council 35 was represented by Melissa Osborne, President, and James Ikehara, Secretary. The training provided a deeper understanding of financial tools as well as matters pertaining to membership data, council elections, conducting meetings, constitutional provisions, parliamentary procedures, Department of Labor regulations, and building power through other AFL-CIO affiliations.

Next CBT due December 31, 2019

-by James Ikehara
The Annual Compliance Training (ACT) from Legal is due December 31, 2019. Failure to complete the required quarterly trainings by the deadline can result in discipline. To access the training module, open the Cornerstone App on your IMD. After logging in, all uncompleted courses will show on the main page. Remember, it’s always a good idea to take screen shots of your completed courses as backup. If your main screen is blank, you can double check your completed courses by clicking on the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner and choosing the Completed tab which will show all of your completed courses. All non-completed courses will be under the Active tab. If you have any concerns regarding the current trainings contact your SFO supervisor.

Boeing 737 MAX Update: 10/25/2019

-information provided by Brad Young

FAA Statement on Lion Air Flight 610 Accident Report

The FAA’s first priority is always safety. The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee’s accident report on Lion Air Flight 610 is a sober reminder to us of the importance of that mission, and we again express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were lost in that tragic accident. We welcome the recommendations from this report and will carefully consider these and all other recommendations as we continue our review of the proposed changes to the Boeing 737 MAX. The FAA is committed to ensuring that the lessons learned from the losses of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 will result in an even greater level of safety globally. The FAA continues to review Boeing’s proposed changes to the 737 MAX. As we have previously stated, the aircraft will return to service only after the FAA determines it is safe.

AFA’s response to the Boeing MAX can be found here.

Did You Know?

No Badge? No Problem!

Recent trends have emerged with SFO-based Flight Attendants forgetting or misplacing their badges while on duty. If an FA finds themselves without a badge, contact Crew Scheduling for a temporary replacement. The temp ID will be validated for the duration of the trip and allow the FA to work and get through security without the need for a gate pass, which can be a time consuming process. For Flight Attendants that discover the missing ID in one of the six Alaska domiciles, base inflight management is available to print the temp badge in the office. If the discovery occurs in a non-domicile location, please coordinate with the CSA team lead to print the badge provided by Crew Scheduling. If an FA discovers the missing ID after boarding an A/C or performing duties, please remember to file an ASAP regarding the incident. Following procedures for this type of incident will protect FAs from potential discipline. If you have any questions, please reach out to your supervisor or Council 35 officers.

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 (only if situation requires 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

In This Edition

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

Black History Month AFA Pin

Negotiating Committee Interviews

Selection of Committee Members

Committee Member Duties & Responsibilities

Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

Uniform Returns & Packing Materials

Questions?

REMINDER: Contractual Supporting Documents

Questions?

Managing Negativity

Don’t Take it Personally

“You” and “I”

Make it a Challenge

Offer or Seek Assistance from Your AFA EAP

Focus on two themes

Questions asked of management

Changes sought by AFA

Management took ownership, but we remain ‘cautiously skeptical’

General preparation

Inflight Instructors are Flight Attendants

Drills/Evaluations

Special Track Training

Recurrent Training feels more like Recurrent Testing

RT Computer Based Training (CBT) “Homestudy”

RT Written Test

How to access the knowledge checks?

Evacuation Commands

In This Edition

REMINDER: Know Your Dues Obligation

How Do I Know If I Have a Past Due Amount?

What To Do If You Receive a Past Due Notice for AFA Dues

Final Notices

Questions?

Recurrent Training

Two Computer Based Trainings (CBTs) are Due in January

Uniforms

Returns

New Uniform Wear Start Date

Questions?

Commitments to Healthier Habits

Flight Attendant Alcohol Use Screening

National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

United Against Slavery: Take the Survey

In This Edition

MEC Committee Position Appointments

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee

Benefits Committee

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) /Professional Standards Committee

Grievance Committee

Government Affairs Committee

Hotel Committee

Inflight Service Committee

Inflight Training Committee

Reserve Committee

Retirement Committee

Scheduling Committee

Uniform Committee

In This Edition

PBS Software Update

Questions?

Recent Posts

Local Councils

Master Executive Council

Contract

Committees

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