ASHSC Committee
October and November were very busy for the Seattle ASHSC. We have continued our body of work representing members safety concerns and working with the company to continue our focus on safety.
The LOSA program resumed observations in November and the data is being analyzed to determine trends and areas where we can improve safety.
The Base Safety Meeting was held on November 30, 2023. We addressed a number of issues submitted by our workgroup and they have been assigned to Alaska leadership for follow-up. We will continue to bring safety issues forward and get them addressed by the company. We also had Jon Sites, the Director of Flight Operations Safety in attendance to provide us with information on firm/hard landings and how the data from each landing is recorded and analyzed.
Now that we are well into the holiday season, with more flights, shorter routes, and the potential for irregular operations it’s important to get sleep and watch out for signs of fatigue. What is fatigue? It is a complex state that is characterized by a lack of alertness. The main contributors come from three specific areas: 1) Human biology – sleep, our body clock, health, age, etc.; 2) Job demands- workload, shift length, schedule; 3) Life outside work- family/friend obligations, commuting, lifestyle. Sleep is the solution to fatigue and unfortunately it is not something we can store up in advance. Once we are in situations where we are fatigued we need to get sleep to restore our alertness and judgment. The United SteelWorkers (USW) have worked on fatigue issues due to the long shifts that their workers encounter. The USW data shows that fatigue causes impairment that impacts performance: after 17 hours without sleep the brain function is similar to having a BAC of .05% and after 24 hours without sleep this jumps to .10%. While this data is specific to the workgroups represented by USW, it can help us raise our awareness of the issues and make sure we are aware of our fatigue management process and the protections we have in our CBA.
Benefits Committee
These past couple months have been busy for the Benefits/Retirement SEA Committees.
The company offered Staffing Leaves for October & November. Anytime a leave is offered, there are challenges for Flight Attendants that do not verify their Benefits when they return from the leave. To further complicate that process, the November staffing leaves overlapped Annual Enrollment. As a result, many FA calls were answered explaining the process & in many cases coverages needed to be manually updated by our Corporate Benefits Team.
During this year’s 2024 Benefits Annual Enrollment, there were 5 base sits. As our Village area is often found with many flight attendants from other bases, we had the opportunity to help many that were not SEA Based.
We also transitioned from Vanguard to Fidelity this quarter. The transition was well communicated and very few problems were reported. There was also a zoom meeting with the Retirement & Fidelity Team that Terry Taylor our MEC/ Benefits & Retirement was able to attend.
As a reminder all Flight Attendants should double check their Beneficiaries for Fidelity on the Fidelity website as well for their Company provided and Supplemental Life Insurance and AD&D through the benefits portal.
Communications Committee
Your Communications Committee members are striving to bring you informative communications via social media and our newsletters.
If you have any suggestions or requests, please reach out to: sea.communications.chair@afaalaska.org.
EAP Committee
The holiday season is a time when many people are traveling to see family and friends, which can lead to increased stress and anxiety for both passengers and flight attendants. This additional demand, combined with the typical holiday stressors, has led to an increase in requests for counseling services.
Flight attendants often have irregular and demanding work schedules, including working during weekends, holidays, and overnight flights. This disrupts their sleep patterns and can lead to fatigue, which further contributes to the stress they experience
Flight attendants face a wide range of factors that impact their workplace, such as jet lag, solitary hotel living, and dealing with passengers who refuse to comply with safety protocols. These stressors can make individuals more vulnerable to mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression, which are, themselves, triggers for alcohol and drug use/misuse.
Michaela has committed to providing an in-flight counselor again in 2024. Our current counselor Joan Benner will be retiring at the end of the year and has recommended a colleague she thinks the f/a’s will enjoy talking with. The f/a crews can access appointments confidentially through Talia the same way and will be offered dates on the in-flight bulletin page, same as before
During the transition to the new EAP provider in 2024 (Lyra Health) Anyone that is working with a counselor from our current vendor Active Support will be able to continue with the 6 sessions until completed. ComPsych will then refer them to Lyra and/or the medical plan to ensure that they are being treated after the 6 sessions have been utilized. Lyra will be offering 10 free counseling sessions and has its own network of counselors with excellent credentials, and flight attendants will be provided with a dedicated case manager/point of contact.
eap@afaalaska.org
949-470-0493 EAP mainline
Hotel Committee
Your hotel committee continues to advocate for the best hotels possible, while maintaining the language in our CBA.
Please remember to continue to send the reports for both complaints and compliments. These reports are essential when we are evaluating markets. The Crew Care reports can be accessed directly on your IMD by clicking the API Icon, or on the Inflight Website, Hotels, Hotel Links, MyCrew Care.
We are wrapping up our site inspections for the year. In the last couple of months, we completed inspections in NAS, GUA, ZIH, IAH, BNA and MSY. Our committee has been busy doing site inspections the last couple of months. Members of the committee have recently conducted inspections in CUN, BWI, DEN, SJC, ONT, EWR & PIT. Upcoming inspections include NAS, RDU, GUA, ZIH, IAH, and BNA.
Just because we are conducting inspections, it does not mean we are leaving a hotel. It is simply because we need to source a market. This is why it is so important to continue to write up hotels you like or dislike. Please remember, in some instances, even if a hotel is popular among Flight Attendants, it does not mean we will stay there. We could be leaving because of contractual violations, another work group, or a multitude of reasons.
The company has recently announced new hotels in NAS, GUA, CUN, and BWI. For safety and security reasons, we won’t list the hotel names here, so please review the Hotel Hotline, or the bid packet.
Our only current scheduled site inspection so far for 2024 is TUS, but there will be several more!
Human Rights Committee
From Yan Yan Teague:
We are happy to announce that we have found a new LEC Chair for the Human Rights Committee. At the end of the year I will be stepping aside as chair but will remain on the committee to continue to support our work. Starting in the new year, Freddy Vega, will be the new chairperson.
Freddy Vega first took to the skies as a flight attendant in 2005, and has accumulated 18+ years of steadfast service within Alaska Airlines. Armed with a Masters in Public Administration, a Master of Science in Cultural and Organizational Communication, and certificates in Women and Gender Studies and Leadership, his academic accomplishments powered his endeavors beyond the passenger cabin.
Transitioning through diverse professional roles, he simultaneously pursued education while accumulating experience at local Community Colleges like Edmonds College and Shoreline Community College, alongside Eastern Washington University (Go Eags!). His career journey led him through various positions across different workplaces, encompassing roles such as Outreach and Recruitment Specialist, Program Manager, Associate Director, and Event Coordinator/Planner. Finally, his career path culminated in a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, a pivotal role he held at a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. As the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Manager, he significantly contributed to fostering an inclusive environment within the organization.
His passionate dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion prompted him to apply for the position of SEA base LEC’s Human Rights Chairperson. Fueled by a profound commitment to racial and social justice, he sees this as an opportunity to be an ally, advocating for human rights within the flight attendant community. In his new role, he aims to foster unity by listening attentively to flight attendants’ needs, collaborating with the LEC and MEC to create an inclusive environment. He seeks to comprehensively understand past endeavors, identify ongoing necessities, and collectively steer efforts to support all flight attendants. On a personal note, his twelve-year marriage to his husband, Ryan Simms, brings him immense joy, and together they relish time with friends and eagerly anticipate future travel adventures, while he remains steadfast in his commitment to driving positive change within Alaska Airlines flight attendant group.
Day of Solidarity
Get ready to unite and stand strong at our Day of Solidarity informational picketing in all six bases and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, December 19! Our support is crucial to demonstrate to management and the public that we firmly stand behind our Negotiating Committee in their efforts to secure the contractual improvements that we have earned and rightfully deserve.
Date: Dec 19, 2023
Time: 12:30PM – 2:00PM
Location: Seattle Tacoma International Airport Flag Pavilion
We realize the weather may not cooperate, so we will have a warming station across the street. Details to come.
We will also be holding a council meeting on this day as well, so be on the lookout for a communication with this information.
In Solidarity,
Your Council 19 Committee Chairs and Officers
