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AFA Update – January 30, 2020

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.

Council 35 News – November 2019

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

Council 35 New-January 2019

January 11, 2019 17:28

AFA Support for JCTE Cutover—Base Sits

The JCTE cutover milestone is one of the last steps we’ve been anticipating to achieve Full Integration. AFA members from multiple committees to include CSI, EAP, Scheduling, PBS, Reserve and your Council 35 officers will be in base during the upcoming cutover period. Base sits began January 25 and will continue through Feb 9. AFA is available to support you during this transition so please don’t hesitate to stop by and ask questions or reach out for help. For a list of committee members and their contact information, please visit the SFO Committee Member Roster. As a reminder, the Crew System Integration (CSI) team will be in SFO Feb 5-9 and 15-16 to offer bidding and trading support as scheduled.

Good-Bye Doctor’s Notes

As of midnight January 31, 2019, base leadership will not be permitted to ask for a doctor’s note for normal absences. At that time L-VX Flight Attendants will transition to §32 of the JCBAwhich defines the Attendance Policy for all Alaska F/As. As a reminder, all points accrued under the L-VX Reliability Program will roll-off after 12 months, and any new points assessed on or after 1/31/19 will roll-off after 18 months.

SHP and L-VX Commuter Policy Sunset

On 1/31/19 all unused Stuff Happens Passes will be fully retired as defined in the L-VX Commuter Policy. The sunset for the SHPs and the Commuter policy occurs when L-VX F/As transition to a single contract. For your reference, the Alaska F/A commuter policy can be found in the JCBA §28.G.

Good-Bye Work Rules and Hello JCBA

Now is the time to familiarize yourself with your new contract! L-VX Flight Attendants will be covered under the full provisions of the JCBA beginning 1/31/2019. There are a few remaining transition items addressed via the L-VX Transition Agreement such as Uniform Allotment and application of 480 TFP requirement. You are responsible for knowing the entire JCBA, however there are several sections that would be especially helpful to review. Listed below are the sections and some of the topics each section addresses:

§ 8: Hours of Service

Duty periods
Compensatory provisions for violations of rest and duty

§ 10: Scheduling

Bidding parameters
Reassignments
Pre-cancellationsDeadheading

§ 12: Exchange of Sequences

Trading
Open-time

§ 21: Compensation

Pay scale
TFP calculation
IROPs pay provisions

§ 32: Attendance Policy

No-fault attendance policy
Tracking absences
Quarterly point adjustments
Point values per absence
Point roll-off

For additional information on transition items or specific dates of implementation please review the Transition Agreement and the Implementation Timetable. For any questions regarding the JCBA and understanding the provisions, please direct your inquiries to your Council 35 officers at SFO@afalaska.org or the Joint Negotiation Committee at JNC@afaalaska.org.

New Pay Days Starting in February

Last November, Alaska Payroll sent an email with details of the payroll transition for L-VX, which will begin in February. Your first Alaska paycheck will be 2/5/19. Your last paycheck from Rainmaker will be 2/15/19. All L-VX Flight Attendants have been auto-enrolled into the Alaska bi-monthly pay schedule. To opt-out of the bi-monthly pay period, you must submit a request to payroll. For detailed information about pay changes, please visit Airbus Inflight Pay Changes on Alaskasworld.

Old L-VX Discipline Audits

AFA has discovered that old discipline notices (PIPS) are still in many Flight Attendant personnel files. Your Council 35 officers have requested an audit of all L-VX performance files to remove any old VX discipline, however the request was denied by the performance management team. Therefore, your Council 35 officers encourage all L-VX F/As to request an audit of their own files. If an old expired discipline is discovered, the F/A has the right to request the removal. Additionally, all reliability related disciplines issued are in effect only while the point level remains. If you have a reduction in points that brings you below a disciplinary level, please ensure that the discipline associated with the elevated points is removed. If you have any questions about auditing your performance records, please reach out to your Council 35 officers.

Inflight Service Committee Report It Campaign

The inflight Service Committee (ISC) is requesting that everyone remember to report all catering discrepancies through the Report It app. When reporting catering issues, please separate each issue in an individual report. The ISC is committed to advocating on your behalf for catering and service concerns and would like to thank everyone for their participation!

VX AFA Email Address Officially Retires

As of July 31, 2018, Council 35 will be representing SFO-based Flight Attendants only. All L-VX F/As based in LAX are now represented by Council 18. Therefore, the previous email address vx@afaalaska.org will be retired January 31, 2019. To contact Council 35 officers in SFO, please email us at sfo@afaalaska.org. To contact Council 18 officers in LAX, please email LAX@afaalaska.org.

FAQs

Who do I contact if dues haven’t come out of my paycheck yet?

Your Council 35 officers do not have individual account information, therefore please send all dues related inquiries to AFA International at AFA Membership Services.

How do I contact Council 35 officers?

The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email. Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information. Using your personal email account, please know that concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender. Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org. All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources. Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.

In solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers –
Melissa, Aladrian and James

Learn How to Bid and Much More!

November 2, 2018 12:00

Learn about Bidding, Trading/Dropping/Swapping, and our new JCBA

The Council 35 and Crew Systems Integration (CSI) team will be present in the SFO Village to answer questions about NavBlue Preferential Bidding (PBS), the contract (JCBA) and the open-time/trading (JCTE) systems. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn these new programs prior to full integration planned for January 2019.

Base sits are scheduled for the following dates in 2018:

Nov 5-7
Nov 15-17
Dec 5-9
Dec 14-15

For specific times, please visit the Council 35 Facebook page.

The Council 35 CSI Support Team

The Council 35 CSI team includes your Council 35 officers and the following members:

Virginia Fritz
Jaqui Bellenie
Krystle Kehrli
Julie Pearson
Rachel Sebastian
Jose Alarcon

Support will also be provided by the Master Executive Council (MEC) Scheduling and PBS Committee members:

Jake Jones
Bianca Dew
Steve Poynter
Sheri Rochel
Conner Gallagher

Please visit Alaskasworld for a self-study of the new systems. Having a basic understanding of the programs will make it easier for the team to provide you with guidance on your specific questions during base sits.

For a complete list of tutorials and guides on PBS bidding, JCBA provisions and JCTE, please visit:

Alaskasworld>Inflight Webpage>Training. Select tab “Crew System Integration (CSI)” for a list of available resources.

Mock Bids

Don’t forget to participate in the mock bids for December and January. To practice bidding for your schedule with the NavBlue system prior to bidding live, please select the “NavBlue PBS Training Site” which is found within the “Crew System Integration (CSI)” tab referenced above. Your Peoplesoft number will be your username and password the first time you enter the site.

Dates of mock bidding practice:

Nov 5-10 (for December practice bid)
Dec 5-10 (for January practice bid)

Practice or mock bid awards will be published by the 13th of each month.

Live bidding dates:

January 5-10, 2019 (for live February bid)

Your February bid will be published by January 13 and will be your actual flying schedule for February 2019.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Council 35 officers at sfo@afaalaska.org or the SFO Scheduling committee at sfo.scheduling@afaalaska.org.

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian and James

Council 35 News Sept 2018

September 27, 2018 09:00

Dues Check Off Forms Still Needed!
Approximately 60% of SFO-based flight attendants have submitted their forms, which leaves approximately 400 forms outstanding. Falling into arrears for failing to pay dues could result in separation from the company, as payment of dues is a condition of employment (which can be referenced in §26 of the JCBA). Those that have been identified as past due have received notices in their V-files and via email. To pay late dues, please visit the AFA Online Payment Center. The dues requirement for AFA members is currently $50 per month. The dues obligation for L-VX Flight Attendants began July 2018.

Sign up for Automatic Payroll Deduction
The easiest and recommended method to pay dues is through payroll deduction. You can sign up for automatic payroll deduction of dues by completing a Dues Check Off form. This form can be downloaded from the AFA Alaska website or you can pick up a copy in the file room in the SFO Village. Once you’ve completed the form, mail it to AFA International Membership Services (the address is on the bottom of the form) or place it in the AFA lock box (located in SFO file room) and we’ll mail it in on your behalf. For more information about dues please see our April 30 communication AFA Dues for Legacy Virgin America.

AFA Alaska Online Support Center
To contact AFA and the most appropriate committee for your concerns, please submit an Online Support request. By submitting a “ticket” and designating a department, this ensures the fastest response from the appropriate committee member. You may also upload files to your ticket to help provide the most detailed information to the reps assigned to your case.

Alaska Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and AFA EAP—What’s the Difference?
The Alaska Airlines Employee Assistance Program (Active) is a company-wide benefit and a valuable resource for employees who encounter a personal situation that requires specific support. In addition to Active, Flight Attendants also have the added benefit of an AFA sponsored EAP. AFA EAP is a peer support program and committee members are Flight Attendants that volunteer to participate in an extensive training program to be qualified in the role. If you experience an event at work or have personal challenges that are effecting your work life, you may reach out to AFA EAP for support and assistance.

Professional Standards—What is it??
A sub-program of AFA EAP is Professional Standards. This is a peer support resource that facilitates mediated de-escalation discussions between Flight Attendants that have encountered a challenge in their work relationship. Rather than “turn in” a fellow Flight Attendant, you may contact AFA EAP/Professional Standards and request a mediated conversation to resolve the issue. This program is also available at ALPA, the pilot Union, therefore mediation for pilot/Flight Attendant disputes can also be arranged. AFA EAP/Professional Standards provides an opportunity for Flight Attendants to resolve disputes without company Human Resources (HR) and/or management involvement, which could potentially lead to discipline. All information brought to AFA EAP/Professional Standards is held confidentially.

Scheduling vs. Reserve Committees
AFA has two committees to assist Flight Attendants with scheduling challenges. If you are a line-holder, the scheduling resource would be the Scheduling committee. However for Flight Attendants on reserve, The Reserve committee would be the most appropriate resource for assistance with scheduling difficulties. The Reserve committee is also a source for probationary and new-hire Flight Attendants with questions and concerns about their new careers as a Flight Attendant. To contact the appropriate scheduling committee, please submit on Online Support request or contact to the committee members directly:

SFO Scheduling Committee (line holder scheduling issues): Virginia Fritz (chair); Jaqui Bellenie
SFO Reserve Committee (reserve scheduling issues, probationaries and new hire support): Rachel Sebastian(chair)

New Council 35 Committees Members
Please welcome the following committee members and chairs into the following Council 35 SFO committees:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards: Denice Perez-Lopez
Denice started working as a Flight Attendant in 2006 with Air Wisconsin Airlines. In 2015 she started with Virgin America. When the opportunity to serve her fellow Flight Attendants as an EAP rep emerged she didn’t think twice. Her purpose is to help her peers achieve a suitable work-life balance. Denice likes to spend her time off hiking and camping with her husband Scott and their rescue dog, an Australian Shepherd named Murphy.

Grievance: Shannon Dessert
Influenced by her family’s passion for travel Shannon began her career in the airline industry as a Customer Service Agent with Alaska Airlines in 1995. After a few years she moved to the training department where she realized her love of helping others to achieve their goals. Ten years later, opportunities came knocking and Shannon moved on to JetBlue Airways and eventually Virgin America as a Flight Attendant in San Francisco in 2010. Again, looking to help others she became a member of the Rule Book Review, Peer Review, Fatigue Review and Inflight Service Representative Committees. Shannon did a Special Assignment helping FAA compliance in the Drug and Alcohol Department in 2014. She was an Infight Team Lead and an Air Transportation Supervisor working with the new hire training classes as well as conducting Service Training Flights and IOE’s. Shannon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and is currently exploring Master’s programs to continue her own personal growth. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteer work, visiting family and friends and scrapbooking her many travels. With her experience at both Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, Shannon looks forward to working hard to support her fellow teammates on the Grievance Committee.

Grievance: Ashley Toles
Ashley became a flight attendant with Virgin America in 2015. She has been at the SFO base since then and has enjoyed meeting and working with some of the best people she has ever met. Ashley completed her undergraduate education at University of California, Santa Barbara and earned a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Early Modern British Literature. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law where she developed her passion for fighting for justice. Before becoming a flight attendant, Ashley was Co-President of the General Assistance Advocacy Project, a local San Francisco drop-in legal clinic for the homeless. She advocated on behalf of indigent San Franciscans at both state and county hearings, defending her clients’ rights to retain their public benefits, including SSI, county welfare, food stamps, and Medi-Cal. Ashley also interned at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office where she represented indigent people who were accused of crimes. Ashley enjoys helping people and has always been a fierce advocate for her clients. Ashley feels very excited and fortunate to be able to represent her fellow flight attendants with the grievance process. Her goal is to protect flight attendants against arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and make sure that management is upholding and abiding by the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Advocating for people is one of Ashley’s favorite things to do and she is elated to be able to serve her fellow flight attendants in this capacity.

Scheduling: Jaqui Bellenie
Jaqui’s fascination with planes began at a very early age in England with annual family outings to air displays. She began her Flight Attendant career with Virgin America in June 2008, upgrading to the Inflight Team Leader position in late 2009. In 2013 Jaqui trained to be part of the Rulebook Dispute Resolution team, hearing scheduling issues and helping to resolve them in a group setting.ETOPS and A321 cadre followed in 2015 and 2017. Amazing experiences for her, working alongside the FAA, understanding their policies and procedures and breaking an aviation record along the way. The first A320 ETOPS to fly from SFO to HNL.With 10 years as a Flight Attendant under her belt Jaqui feels she has sufficient bidding and scheduling experience to be an asset to the scheduling committee.In her spare time Jaqui can be found in the East Bay working on her fixer upper house, and growing vegetables in her back garden. She enjoys running and cycling whenever she can.

Retirement: Ed Alcantara (chair)
After what he described as “one of the hardest, yet rewarding endeavors he has done in his entire life”, Ed Alcantara earned his wings in 2011, with then, Virgin America. While with Virgin, Ed was proud to serve his fellow teammates under the Care to Share Program from 2015, until its dissolution. He also quietly worked with other work groups within the company under the 401k focus group wherein they worked to transfer the guardianship of the account to Fidelity Investments. As the AFA Retirement Committee Chair, he hopes to help make sure that his fellow employees are aware and knowledgeable of everything that would help them work towards retirement. Also a small business owner, he often times spends his free time travelling, trying to outsmart Flica, hosting karaoke parties or gushing (or ranting) about the Golden State Warriors.

Uniforms: Lisa Mueller (chair)
Lisa got her start in the airline industry with Virgin America in Chicago where she wore many different hats including operations, guest services, Green Team Lead and creating the Vsis/Vbro mentoring program. She then joined the inflight team based in JFK, and then transferred to SFO and became an Inflight Team Leader. Lisa also has a passion for design. Outside of the airlines, she is an architect with a focus on sustainability, and a makeup artist working many high fashion shows.

More Opportunities to Serve
If you are interested in participating in a committee or getting involved, please visit the volunteer page of the AFA website for more information about each committee and their responsibilities or reach out to the chairperson of the committee you are interested in to answer your questions. To see a list of committees and chair contact information, please visit the SFO Committee List.

Are You an AFA Member?
As of today, only a small percentage of L-VX F/As have not signed up to become members. As a reminder, the Membership Application cannot be completed online. The hard copy paper form must be submitted directly to an AFA representative or mailed to the AFA International Office in Washington D.C. You can download and print an application, or pick one up from the bag/file rooms the next time you pass through the SFO Village. Only AFA members may attend Membership Meetings, vote for officers, hold a position as an AFA officer or committee member or vote on Tentative Agreements (TAs). It’s important to note that at Alaska Airlines, you are obligated to pay AFA dues regardless of your membership status and becoming a member is a condition of employment, referenced in §26 of the JCBA.

New Email Address for Council 35
As of July 31, 2018, Council 35 will be representing SFO-based Flight Attendants only. All L-VX F/As based in LAX are now represented by Council 18. Therefore the previous email address vx@afaalaska will be retired. To contact Council 35 officers in SFO, please email us at sfo@afaalaska.org. To contact Council 18 officers in LAX, please email lax@afaalaska.org.

FAQs

How do I report hotel issues?
API is the hotel vendor responsible for hotel selection and assignment at Alaska Airlines. API offers Crewcare as the platform to report any challenges you have experienced with any of our hotel properties on a layover. On your first visit to the site you will need to register your Alaska email address. Once registered, please document any incidents that you have with a hotel in Crewcare. This feedback provides hard data of issues and trends we can address with the vendor to remedy. Positive feedback is also welcome, so please send any compliments via Crewcare as well. For more information, please visit the Hotel & Stationsection of the inflight page on Alaskasworld. You will find the depository for all relevant layover information regarding hotel transport, phone numbers, food and beverage discounts and hotel amenities that are offered onsite. Please reach out to the Council 35 Hotel Committee Chairperson, James Bozanich for more information and assistance with hotel concerns.

When can I submit for transportation reimbursements?
According to the JCBA §22.B which went into effect at date of ratification (DOR), Flight Attendants may submit for travel reimbursement 35 minutes after block-in or within 10 minutes from the scheduled departure from the hotel. Additionally, the company has agreed to pay for reimbursements for transportation to/from hospital/medical facility when an Flight Attendant encounters a medical issue on a layover or is selected for a drug test and the scheduled crew transportation has departed.

How do I contact Council 35 officers?
The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email. Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information. Using your personal email account, please know that concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence, and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender. Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org. All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources. Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa, Aladrian & James

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AFA Update – January 30, 2020

In This Edition

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

Black History Month AFA Pin