Council 35 Elections
A ratified JCBA triggered an election for officers in both SFO (Council 35) and LAX (Council 18). Nomination ballots have been sent and the deadline to nominate someone for an officer position is June 13. All the nominees that have submitted a commitment to serve will be on the ballot for the officer election. Officer elections open July 11 and close July 31 and the elected officers will have a short term of nine months before the next election opportunity begins again. Election cycles are codified in the AFA Constitution and Bylaws, and both councils will be slotted into their appropriate cycle which begins again July 1, 2019. For more information regarding elections, please visit the AFA elections web page. Keep in mind, you must be a member in good standing to serve as an officer and participate in voting activities.
Alzheimer’s Awareness
Purple ribbons are available for those interesting in supporting Alzheimer’s awareness month. Ribbons can be worn under your AFA pin for the month of June. You will find them in the file room in both villages.
Bag Searches
A number of concerned L-VX members have asked about the legality of bag searches while on duty. During our research of the legality of these searches, Council 35 officers referenced the following grievance summary from November 2012 regarding AS policy on F/A bag searches:
Bag Searches Initiated by Management While on Duty
Several Flight Attendants have asked for more information regarding management’s right to conduct bag searches while on duty. There is a settlement agreement from a past grievance in which management agreed to search a Flight Attendant’s bags only if there is “reasonable suspicion or evidence of wrong-doing.” If the aforementioned “reasonable suspicion” exists, management may search any Flight Attendant bag regardless of whether it is a Company-issued bag or a personal bag such as a food tote or purse. Management does not need a court order or a search warrant to effect such a search. This is largely due to the fact that when you are an employee on Company property, you do not have many of the same rights as a private individual outside of work.
Without “reasonable suspicion or evidence of wrong doing” management cannot initiate a search. This means that random searches are not allowed. For example, if a supervisor decides to search all the Flight Attendants flying through a particularly station on a particular day, AFA would consider that a violation of the settlement agreement. If a FA is part of a crew and management has a reasonable suspicion or evidence that a particular Flight Attendant on that crew has violated Company policy (such as theft), management could initiate a search of that individual’s bags (the one under suspicion) but not the entire crew.
If a Flight Attendant is asked to comply with a bag search, the FA should immediately contact a Local Executive Council (LEC) officer to assist the FA with representation.
Which Commuter Policy?
PSS cutover brought all Flight Attendants under the same travel program. This event provided an opportunity for L-VX F/As to register for the AS commuter program. The AS commuter program is not the same as the Commuter Policy, which provides guidelines for commuters that encounter challenges getting to work. Registering for the commuter program allows F/As to list for flights to and from work at a higher boarding priority, however all L-VX F/As are still following the VX Commuter Policy which was implemented in January of this year. The VX Commuter Policy will sunset at full implementation when all F/As will follow the AS Commuter Policy.
Stuff Happens Pass (SHP)
As of January 30, 2019, all SHP accruals ceased in order to align with the VX Commuter Policy. As a result, AFA has seen an increase in denied SHP from inflight management. When calling in SHP to CSS, 4 points and a No Show (NSH) code will automatically be put on the F/As line. If the SHP is not approved by the F/A’s supervisor (sometime days later), the NSH and corresponding points remain. Many F/As have called CSS to use the SHP only to discover later that they did not have an SHP in their bank. If you believe you have an SHP available for use, your Council 35 officers recommend that you get verification of your SHP eligibility in writing from your supervisor prior to calling CSS to use it.
Inflight Service Committee (ISC) News
The catering dept is data driven and takes information submitted via Report it! for review. Therefore your reports are needed to address errors and other concerns as it relates to catering and safety. Examples of catering issues that should be reported are: missing items, broken or dirty dishes and glassware, catering errors, poor quality of food, incorrect catering procedures (double vs. single catered flights), catering supplies causing injury and F/As unable to complete the service due to turbulence and short flight time. If you encounter these issues or suffer any injuries from catering items, please document the event through the Report it! App and also provide a report for any sustained injuries. For questions and concerns regarding catering please contact the Inflight Service Committee.The L-VX contact for the ISC is Zac Codd (zachary.codd@afaalaska.org) who has stepped up as the interim Service Committee member to address L-VX catering issues.
AFA Dues for Legacy Virgin America Will Start July 15
The first dues payment for Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendants is scheduled for July 15. The easiest and preferred way to pay your 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 both SFO and LAX villages. 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 both SFO and LAX file rooms) 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.
More Opportunities to Serve Coming Soon!
Once officer elections are complete, the newly elected Local Executive Council (LEC) officers will select committee chairs and members. 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.
ASAP it!
Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is an FAA program that allows Flight Attendants to self-disclose unintentional violations of CFRs or company safety policy without fear of disciplinary action from management or enforcement action from the FAA. Examples include improper door procedures, minimum crew violations and unintentional company policy/Work Rule violations. The intent of the program is to improve procedure, processes, and training through increased reporting of safety-related incidents that might otherwise go unreported. ASAP can be reported online and through your company-issued IMD through the Report It app. For questions, please contact Bradley Young, the ASAP Event Review Committee (ERC) Observer, and ASHSC Interim Chair for Airbus at bradley.young@afaalaska.org.
Are You an AFA Member?
As of today, only a small percentage of L-VX F/As have not signed up to become members. It’s important to note that at Alaska Airlines, you are obligated to pay AFA dues regardless of your membership status (§ 26). As a reminder, this form 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 either SFO or LAX Villages. Please note, that 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).
FAQs
What will happen to my PDays? Will I lose them?
Pdays will continue to accrue and be available for use until full integration. Anyone that has leftover Pdays in their bank at full implementation will be given the opportunity to “sell” them back to the company for full value.
How will we be paid for Transition Training? (corrected 06.11.18)
The training pay provision can be found in the JCBA §30. Transition training will be paid at 6 TFP (6.78 hours) (5:19 hours) per 8 hour day. Transition Training is scheduled for 16 hours in 2 days of training therefore L-VX F/As will receive 12 TFP (13.56 hours) (10:38 hours) for this training event.
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. All emails and concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence, and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email your concerns to vx@afaalaska.org. All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources.
Please let us know if you have any questions or thoughts! You can reach us at vx@afaalaska.org.
In Solidarity,
Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & Jamie
