In This Edition
- URGENT: Tell Congress to Put People First
- Applying for COVID-19 Related Temporary Leaves of Absence
- COVID-19 Resources
URGENT: Tell Congress to Put People First
Government Affairs Committee
The coronavirus pandemic is decimating our aviation industry. It is a public health crisis and it is creating a financial catastrophe that dwarfs the economic cost of the Great Recession and September 11th combined.
We’ve seen catastrophe before. We know what didn’t work before and we won’t let those things happen again. We need relief that focuses on real people. And we have a plan for that.
Flight Attendants and other aviation workers have been on the frontlines of the coronavirus emergency from day one. Before most Americans knew what COVID-19 meant, we were calling for government action to keep it from disrupting our lives and our economy.
Our plan is focused on keeping people on the payroll and stopping furloughs. Airlines are burning cash so quickly they will not be able to meet payroll within a few months, if not a few weeks. You will see furlough announcements that reflect this, but know this: we are working with airlines to get relief that keeps the paychecks going without furloughs.
Washington is gearing up to save aviation. But we cannot accept another “no strings attached” government bailout for corporations and their executives that leaves Flight Attendants and aviation workers behind. This time it will be a RELIEF package focused on workers first with no stock buybacks or dividends and no executive bonuses.
Send a letter to your members of Congress to demand that any public relief plan be a People First plan with legally-binding rules, including (but not limited to):
- Paycheck continuation without furloughs/layoffs
- No stock buybacks
- No executive bonuses
- No dividends
- No breaking union contracts
Amplify Your Message with a Call
Call your Senators now and tell them to support our position on a People First relief package for aviation.
Call (855) 973-4213 and tell your Senator:
“Airline relief must put workers first. I am a Flight Attendant. Congress needs to keep us in our jobs by providing the airlines with the money to keep our paychecks going. That keeps us connected to our healthcare too. We need to stay in our jobs so we can restart our economy quickly once the virus is contained. Stop mass furloughs that will hurt us now and long after the virus is gone. Any package must include direct assistance to aviation companies to keep us on the job and our paychecks going”
Read more about our plan in this article >
Applying for COVID-19 Related Temporary Leaves of Absence
Benefits Committee
Information about new COVID-19 related temporary leaves of absence (LOAs) was communicated in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update on March 13, 2020 and in a corresponding email from former Vice President of Inflight Ron Calvin. These temporary LOAs include:
- Educational Disruption Leave of Absence (EDLOA) – for Flight Attendants who cannot fulfill their scheduling obligations due to the closure of their minor child’s school or childcare provider due to COVID-19.
- Voluntary Quarantine Leave of Absence (VQLOA) – for Flight Attendants who are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 as determined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Flight Attendants who reside in the same household as increased risk individuals, and Flight Attendants who wish to remove themselves from the workplace due to suspected exposure to COVID-19 (no diagnosis or symptoms are required)
- COVID-19 Workplace Exposure Leave of Absence (CEWLOA) – for Flight Attendants who are recommended or required to go into isolation/monitoring or quarantine due to work-related exposure to COVID-19. The recommendation or requirement for isolation/monitoring or quarantine must be from the Company, the Flight Attendant’s physician or other qualified healthcare provider, the CDC, the local Department of Health, or other applicable government agency.
More details about these LOA options, including eligibility and documentations requirements, can be found in the COVID-19 Leaves of Absence and Related Mitigations Memorandum of Understanding. In addition, other contractual leave options including medical leaves of absence and FMLA remain available for those who qualify.
How Do I Apply for a COVID-19 Related Temporary LOA?
Management has created a specific Alaska’s World page with information and links to apply for the various COVID-19 related LOAs. You can access the page by clicking here. If you have already contacted Matrix or the HR/People Resource telephone line to apply for a non-medical leave (EDLOA or VQLOA), you MUST also complete the corresponding form on this page.
Note: management’s “school closure leave” form (corresponds with EDLOA) indicates that the LOA may only be used for minor children aged 0-14. This references is incorrect as the COVID-19 Leaves of Absence and Related Mitigations Memorandum of Understanding defines minor children as “children under the age of 18 who have not yet graduated from high school”. AFA representatives have requested that management update this form as soon as possible to reflect the correct, agreed-upon definition.
Questions?
If you have any questions about leaves of absence, please contact your Local Benefits Committee.
COVID-19 Resources
- AFA International Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19) page
- Alaska Air Group Coronavirus (COVID-19) subsite (AAG Sign-On Required)
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Coronavirus (COVID-19) subsite
