Council 35 News-October 2018

Creating Wow or Woe?

The recent email from inflight leadership offended many of us and AFA was quick to respond to leaders that the message was distasteful, disappointing and will have the opposite effect that they desire.  Thank you to everyone that shared your feelings with us and spoke up to management in response to this communication. Our solidarity gives us strength as we stand up and demand that management “do the right thing,” by acknowledging our value, honoring our work ethic and praising our efforts despite the obstacles we face on a daily basis as Legacy Virgin America Flight Attendants. Feeling supported and valued by our leadership team is essential to creating a positive work environment and “creating wow” with our Flight Attendants.

Grievance vs. Gripe

The Council 35 Grievance Committee has received a lot of requests to file a grievance for concerns that are not necessarily grievance “eligible.”  To understand fully what issues can be grieved and what cannot, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does it violate the Work Rules, JCBA or Letters of Agreement?
2. Does it involve formal discipline (warnings and/or termination)?

Issues that can’t be grieved:

1. Reliability points/discipline (unless applied incorrectly—i.e., late points assessed but not actually late)
2. Undesirable scheduling decisions that are legal according to the WR/FARs

Unfortunately, the L-VX Work Rules (WR) provide ample leeway for management and crew scheduling to make decisions that are not necessarily in the Flight Attendant’s best interest.  In these scenarios, it’s important to understand that only an actual violation can be disputed through the grievance process. There are occasions that AFA has advocated for a Flight Attendant against an unfair interpretation of the WR and brought resolution, however this may not always be applicable.  In any event, if you would like to question an incident that you have experienced, please be sure to submit an online support request to the appropriate committee for investigation.  The committee will review your case and decide on the best course of action for the situation.  For more information on grievances, please review the Grievance Procedures and System Board of Adjustment Letter of Agreement (LOA).

Reliability Steps of Discipline and FMLA

The disciplinary process for Flight Attendants on an approved Family Medical Leave (FMLA) is frustrating due to the processing times for both the discipline and the FMLA approvals.  FMLA absences can take days and sometimes weeks to process. Therefore, rather than wait until the processing is complete, management will issue discipline to preserve their right, and then retract it once the points have been converted to an FMLA approved absence.  Management is confined to disciplinary procedures outlined in the Grievance Procedures and System Board of Adjustment LOA, which not only defines the disciplinary procedure but also provides a time limit for issuing discipline.  When an absence or reliability event occurs causing a point level increase, the event may generate discipline depending on point levels.  From the day the points reached corrective action level, management is required to issue discipline within 12 business days from the event, through email and certified mail according to the Separation of Reliability and Performance Discipline LOA.  If the deadline is missed, the points that triggered the discipline are removed as the opportunity to issue the discipline has passed.  Please keep a careful eye on your reliability reports to ensure discipline is issued in a timely manner. If you are on FMLA, please be sure that the discipline has been removed once the points have been converted.

Intermittent FMLA and Special Absence Codes

Intermittent FMLA leave is designed to cover sick calls for a specific illness that is ongoing.   What many F/As don’t realize is that calls associated with the codes SNN (Sick<2 hours notice), NSH (No Show) and NCO (Non-contactable) will not be converted and will remain as USK (Unpaid Sick) although Matrix may approve the absence.  The points associated with these codes are “penalty” points for not following prescribed absence reporting procedures defined in the Reliability Policy. Matrix will approve an absence under the assumption that the call to the company to report the absence has been done according to the Reliability Policy defined in the WR. The expectation is that those on FMLA are required to report absences to the company in a timely manner.  Therefore, points received for anything other than actual sick may not be converted and approved for FMLA, unless specified by your doctor that timely reporting may not be possible with your FMLA condition. In any event, please make every effort to report your absences to CSS within the timelines outlined in the Reliability Policy to avoid this confusion. On occasion, points associated with NSH, NCO and SNN may be overturned, but only after a review by the medical leave and absence management department.  A medical review manager will interview the Flight Attendant  to determine the reason for the failure to follow call-in procedures.  Additional documentation from your FMLA doctor may be requested to verify that the inability to follow procedures was directly related to your FMLA illness. For more information about FMLA and other leaves, please visit the Absence Management page on Alaskasworld.

Boots!

Council 35 is strongly advocating for boots to be added as acceptable footwear for Flight Attendants wearing the Alaska Land’s End uniform dress or skirt. Alaska Flight Attendants have long desired the ability to wear boots during cold months and are joining the campaign to promote this change.  Currently, AS F/As can wear boots, but only on state-of-Alaska flights. Working in conjunction with the ASHSC (Air Safety, Health and Security) and Uniform committees, AFA is presenting to management the benefit and safety necessity of allowing boots to be worn by Flight Attendants during cold weather months.  If you wish to support the “Boot Campaign,” please be sure to reach out to the Council 35 Uniform Committee Chair Lisa Mueller at lisa.mueller@afaalaska.org.

Good-bye Red

As many of you know, service flow and standards are changing on Airbus and Boeing flights to provide the most uniform and consistent product possible for passengers.  The Inflight Service Committee (ISC) has been working with catering management to provide support and guidance during the transition period. ISC members will be available daily in SFO and LAX Villages in October and November to provide assistance to members with this change.  Please visit the Council 35 Facebook page for more information on dates, times and available committee members during service cut-over.  If at any time during this transition, you believe changes do not promote safety, please remember to file an ASAP report regarding the incident.

PBS Training Coming Soon!

AFA and the crew systems integration (CSI) team have been working diligently the last several months to prepare L-VX F/As for the change to the AS PBS bidding and open-time platforms.  A team of AFA volunteers working with CSI are undergoing training this month to provide support and service to L-VX F/As at bases over the next several weeks. For more information on upcoming base sits for the AFA PBS Training team, please visit the Council 35 Facebook page for dates and times of the events.

Dues Check Off Forms Still Needed!

Thank you everyone for submitting your DCO forms!  Our box has been bursting with forms and we continue to see more submissions daily. We’ve managed to bring down the outstanding dues to 20% of our base—which means about 200 Flight Attendants outstanding.  As a reminder, 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.  For answers to your specific dues questions and to inquire about your dues status, please contact AFA Membership Services.

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 Online Support Center

To contact AFA and the most appropriate committee for your concerns, please submit an Online Support request.  Submitting a “ticket” and designating a department ensures the fastest response from the appropriate representative.  You may also upload files to your ticket to help provide the most detailed information to the reps assigned to your case.  For a list of committee members available to help your specific situation, please visit the Council 35 Committee Roster.

Where can I find more information about Council 35?

The best source of Council 35 information is right here, via email subscription.  Other sources of information include our website, Facebook page, and our newly created bulletin board in the SFO village computer room.  Here you will find a variety of news and helpful resources to reference for your specific area of interest.  We will be updating the board often so be sure to check it regularly for the latest news.

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.

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

Does the Zika LOA apply to L-VX Flight Attendants?

In 2017 AFA and the company agreed to protect AS Flight Attendants from possible exposure to the Zika virus.  The Zika LOA provides guidelines for Flight Attendants and/or partners that are pregnant or attempting to become pregnant, and the ability to avoid trips to destinations that are known Zika zones.  Although the LOA was written for AS F/As, management has agreed to extend the offer to L-VX F/As.  Please refer to the Zika LOA for instructions on how to request protection.  The LOA is currently being reviewed and updated by AFA and management and the next version will codify L-VX F/As as eligible.

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 strict confidence, and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender.  Avoid using your alaskaair 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 Osborne, President

Aladrian Hillmon, Vice President

James Ikehara, Secretary