Important dates
October 14th – 16th – NGP Supplemental Benefits counselor onsite at PDX crew room; 8am – 4pm PT on 10/14; 5:30am – 1:30pm PT on 10/15 and 10/16
October 15th – Vacation bidding Round 2 closes at 11:59pm PT
October 16th – Management crew pay reps available – Laurelhurst Room 8am – 11am PT
October 17th – Local Council Meeting in Laurelhurst Room 10am – 12 noon PT
October 28th – Vacation trading opens at 10am PT
Hawaiian merger committee interviews
Originally published via MEC update on September 19th, 2024. MEC Update 9/19/24
Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) Interviews
Expressing Interest & Interview Scheduling
The MEC will hold interviews of eligible candidates during the November Regular MEC Meeting on Tuesday, November 12 and Wednesday, November 13. If you’re interested in interviewing, plan to bid around this date or adjust your schedule accordingly to accommodate. All interviews will be conducted in person in SeaTac, WA.
Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume using the online expression of interest form. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. After the submission deadline, an MEC representative will contact eligible candidates to arrange a specific interview time.
Please note that 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.
Disaster Relief Fund
AFA International
There have been recent changes to the AFA Disaster Relief Fund program.
We are aware of members whose lives and households have been affected by Hurricane Helene. The AFA Disaster Relief Fund is actively monitoring messages for applications. Any AFA member and RAFA member in good standing who is involuntarily displaced from their primary residence for seven or more days because of a natural disaster is eligible for a one-time per calendar year gift of $500. If a member would like to apply for AFA Disaster Relief Funds, they can go to www.afacwa.org/drf and download the Disaster Relief Fund Application. Submission instructions are included on the site.
Additionally, members can apply for FEMA financial relief at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or 800-621-3362.
FEMA disaster assistance may help with a range of needs including:
Serious Needs Assistance. Money to help one pay for essential items such as food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies.
Displacement Assistance. Money to help with housing needs. If one cannot return to their home because of the disaster, this money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends, or other options while one looks for a rental unit.
Other eligible expenses. This includes expenses from things like rental assistance, basic home repairs and property losses.
For more information and/or to contribute to AFA’s Disaster Relief Fund to help fellow members, please visit Disaster Relief Fund – Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (afacwa.org)
Grievance report
Recent performance meetings include sick leave abuse, personal conduct and attendance warnings. There has been a notable increase in attendance written and final warnings for points. If you are not familiar with attendance policies, please review Section 32 – Attendance Policy in our contract at AFA-ALA-eJCBA-2018-2021-v.2019.06.12.3.pdf (afaalaska.org)
Please make sure you are aware of your attendance points status and check your attendance points regularly (Crew Access>Reports>Attendance points.) If you find an error, please contact your attendance supervisor directly to resolve.
Multiple members have received no-shows lately for not returning calls to crew scheduling. In the absence of a documented network outage at a cellular carrier level, there is little that can be done to mitigate the points from a no-show when a claim is made that a call wasn’t received and/or a voicemail wasn’t delivered. Management can document the outbound call to your phone number on file through call logs and the voice messages that are left are on a recorded line. Management’s position is that it is your responsibility to be contactable. This applies to both Reserve and Lineholder Flight Attendants.
Google Voice number recommendation
If you only have one phone number on file, it is recommended that you establish a free Google Voice number and provide that as a secondary number for scheduling to call should they not reach you on your primary number. From Anthony Eskander, local Reserve Committee Chairperson and Inflight Instructor:
Due to the recent nationwide issues with cell phone carriers, my advice is to get a free Google Voice number to use as your secondary number. The Google Voice App offers a free service that assigns you a free phone number that lets you forward calls and voicemails to your cell phone and email using data/W-Fi. If you would like to use this as your secondary number, it needs to be listed as mobile, home, or work in PeopleSoft.
Visit Voice (google.com) for more information and to establish an account.
New committee members
Megan Getske – Government Affairs Committee
Megan began flying in 2008 with Virgin America. While there, she was elected to the Work Rules committee and was later involved in getting a Union to represent the Virgin America Flight Attendants.
Megan transferred to the Portland base in 2019 and now lives in Vancouver, WA with the two best kitties a cat lady could ask for!
Jessica Rodriguez-Aguinaga – Scheduling Committee
Jessica has been a Flight Attendant since 2016. A proud graduate of Washington State University (WSU), she earned a bachelor’s degree and has an educational background encompassing business administration, human resources, accounting, and social sciences.
Beyond her professional achievements, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and their beloved four-legged companions; three charming Chihuahuas and an adorable Frenchie! Jessica describes her journey as a harmonious balance between professional success and personal fulfillment, reflecting her dedication to both career and cherished loved ones. She looks forward to working with all of us in the Portland base.
Please join us in welcoming Megan and Jessica!
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
AFA International
In 2024 an estimated 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S., as well as 56,500 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. There are currently over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. – many who fly with us every day. A study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that Flight Attendants have a higher prevalence of every cancer they studied, especially breast cancer, melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer.
Early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early with adequate diagnosis and treatment, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured.
This is something that affects all of us within our Flight Attendant community and the world. Use this month to encourage your mothers, spouses, sisters, and flying partners to get an exam or perform a self-exam.
Remember, your AFA EAP is available to confidentially assist you with any health-related issues. You can find a listing of your local EAP committee members at Council 39 Committees (afaalaska.org)
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Steve, Krystle and Bethany
