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AFA Alaska Open Time Trial Survey May 2016

Pursuant to AFA Alaska Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.8.D.5 [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial], the Master Executive Council (MEC) is conducting a monthly poll of membership regarding your satisfaction with Open Time. Your candid responses will help the MEC determine the course of the Open Time trial.

 

It is important to focus on Open Time functionality, not the technical issues with logging into the system, when answering the questions.

 

You must enter your Arctic number in order to take the survey. We’re asking for your Arctic number to ensure each Flight Attendant receives one vote per month and is not for tracking purposes. If a survey is submitted more than once with the same Arctic number, only the last response will be counted for this month.

 

> > > To take the AFA Alaska Open Time Trial Survey for May 2016 click here. < < <

 

To capture the data for Open Time trading in April/May for the May 2016 bid month, the survey will close on Monday, May 16th at 9am Pacific Time. That is three days from now, so it is important that you do not delay taking it.

 

Going forward, the MEC intends to open the survey just after PBS bids are due on the 10th and close the survey at the same time as this month (the 16th at 9am PT). The monthly survey will be timed to capture the data for each successive month (e.g. the next survey will be from June 10th – 16th to capture data from May/June Open Time trading for the June 2016 bid month).

 

In the interest of full transparency, the MEC will publish a summary of results once the responses have been tallied. Thank you in advance for your feedback!

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green and Brice McGee

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AFA Alaska Donates to American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) donated $1,000 dollars on behalf of Alaska Flight Attendants to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. SEA Flight Attendant Krista Livingston, SEA Inflight Supervisor, Tina Gamache and Tom Richardson are Co-Captains of the Alaska Airlines Inflight Kickin’ Cancer Team. They are out on the Seattle concourses today (Wednesday, May 11, 2016) with other volunteers continuing to raise money and support for this important cause.

 

Many of our Flight Attendants, family members and friends have experienced cancer and it is time to rally for them and help find a cure!

 

If you haven’t already donated, please take a minute to click on the link and donate~ any amount helps!

 

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY16GW?pg=entry&fr_id=75481

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green and Brice McGee

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Open Time Trial Update May 2016

[Note: This is a longer communication containing a lot of information, so you might want to read this when you have a decent amount of time set aside.]

Beyond frustrated with Open Time

Your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) understands that our Members are beyond frustrated with Open Time. Please know that we are doing everything possible to ensure Alaska Airlines management (1) implements the language of the new Open Time system in the way it was negotiated, and (2) that Flight Attendants can access Open Time without it slowing/”hiccupping”/freezing/crashing/etc.

Speaking of Open Time slowing/hiccupping/freezing/crashing/et cetera…

Speaking of Open Time slowing/”hiccupping”/freezing/crashing/et cetera, the login issues are not directly related to the new Open Time system of trading. The reality is that no matter which Open Time rules are being used (old vs. new), Maestro/eMaestro has been on its last legs for far too long. Ideally Maestro/eMaestro should have been replaced years ago. The system is designed to handle around 500 connections at any given time (including Crew Scheduling, administrative access, reports, etc.). When everybody is trying to log on at the same time when Open Time opens, the system almost always slows down—or worse.

What can be done about the connections? The MEC and management previously agreed to more widely stagger the opening of trading. This was done in order to spread out the number of users attempting to access Maestro/eMaestro at any given time and therefore reduce the load on the system. See AFA Alaska’s New Temporary FA to FA and Open Time Trading Schedule update from November 17, 2015, for more information. Realistically, nothing more can be done to speed up Maestro/eMaestro, so in the short term we’re stuck dealing with a slow system.

Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE)

However, the Company is set to roll out the new crew management system called Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE) this coming September 30th. Management has advised the MEC that JCTE will be able to handle many more users than Maestro/eMaestro. You have already heard about JCTE recently from Inflight Crew Scheduling management. Your MEC hopes JCTE delivers as much as has been promised!

Start of the Open Time trial has become a “rolling delay”

The MEC and management agreed the trial period of twelve months from “initial implementation” referenced in Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) §12.F.10 [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial: Trial Period] should begin when the system is fully functional. During negotiations, the trial was estimated to begin around August 2015, which is reflected in CBA Letter of Agreement 6 [Contract Implementation Schedule].

As a result of all the programming challenges associated with the new Open Time system, the start of the Open Time trial has become an unforeseen “rolling delay.” In our previous Open Time Trial update dated January 15, 2016, AFA Alaska communicated, “Based on the latest estimates, we are anticipating the Open Time trial to officially begin in the next month or so.” That estimate has proven to be too optimistic by several months.

Incorrect Open Time programming

The MEC is extremely disappointed that the new Open Time has been programmed incorrectly. The new Open Time has suffered from major programming glitches that were corrected as recently as just a few months ago. In fact, Open Time was initially programmed incorrectly with more favorable trading rules than negotiated. OT was left to run for several months with the more favorable rules starting last autumn, and then the system was reprogrammed with the negotiated trading rules a few months back.

Open Time still has one minor bug related to multiple trades even up to the present day. The MEC finds this completely unacceptable. We are pushing for management to install a programming patch that would fix the bug as soon as possible.

Programming limitations for Maestro/eMaestro and JCTE

Unfortunately, due to the complexities of programming and resource limitations, no additional changes beyond that possible patch can be made to Maestro/eMaestro. The MEC also knows that all the OT codes (TO, DD, CP and TX) are confusing to many and ideally we would like to condense all the codes into only two categories. However, any programming change requests made to the new system JCTE will not go live until February 2017 at the earliest—or later.

Open Time trial officially begins this month (May)

At this point, the MEC is not willing to wait any longer for conditions to improve prior to commencing the trial. Consequently, the Open Time trial will officially begin this month (May), and the MEC will be sending out monthly surveys regarding your opinion of the trial. The first round of surveys will be sent out very soon.

The MEC will review the survey results on a monthly basis for at least three to four months prior to determining a course of action.

 

Based on membership feedback the MEC will make a determination on the future of Open Time:

  • If the MEC determines to go “back to book,” reverting to the former Open Time system could take approximately one year. This is because the new JCTE crew management system would need to be reprogrammed with the rules for the former OT system. (It is currently being programmed with the new OT rules.)
  • If we do go “back to book,” AFA will start negotiating a new system as outlined in CBA 12.F.9 [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial: Cancellation of Open Time Trial]. Implementation of a replacement OT system would likely take a minimum of nine months after reaching an agreement with management.

Other factors contributing to your frustration

The MEC and Scheduling Committee understand there are several other factors contributing to your frustration. We have heard you loud and clear that all the codes and the trading rules are confusing. In the short term, AFA Alaska is working on a “cheat sheet,” Open Time Trading with the Codes, to help you understand the codes and trading rules. In the long term, the MEC is advocating for combining all the codes into two categories as soon as can be programmed into JCTE.

Schedule flexibility is also negatively impacted by extremely high line averages in all domiciles. There are fewer Reserves on a comparative basis than in the past, and those Reserves are being highly utilized. Premium OT is being offered nearly every day. From the MEC’s perspective, Inflight appears obviously understaffed. Management has agreed to hire at least one more class this year in order to bring down the line averages, but that will take time.

Finally, the MEC has received a lot of feedback recently regarding dissatisfaction with the pairings; so stay tuned for more communication from us on that subject!

* * *

If you have any questions or concerns, contact your local officers (LEC officers: ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15) or Scheduling Committee members (local Scheduling Committee: ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15).

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

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Side Letter of Agreement CBA §30.E. [Trainers Performing Probationary Observation Flights or Initial Operating Experiences (IOEs)]

Your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and Alaska Airlines management have entered into a side letter of agreement that allows qualified Flight Attendant Trainers to certify Initial Operating Experiences (IOEs) for Flight Attendant trainees.

 

A copy of the side letter of agreement (signatures pending) can be found by clicking here. You may also find the agreement on the “contract” page of the AFA Alaska website: http://afaalaska.org/contract.

 

Previously only management employees holding a Flight Attendant-qualified FAA certificate could certify IOEs for trainees. This agreement modifies §CBA 30.E [Trainers Performing Probationary Observation Flights], which already provided for Trainers to conduct Probationary Observation Flights, and incorporates IOEs into that provision.

 

This side letter of agreement was supported by our Flight Attendant Trainers and developed with input from that group. The major benefit of the agreement is that a larger pool of certifying personnel allows IOEs to be conducted during training. In the past, graduating trainees had to fly their IOEs immediately following graduation.

 

In addition to being worried about flying their IOEs, trainees also had to be concerned with positioning themselves to their respective new domiciles prior to their start date. Depending on how closely the start date followed graduation, this may have been a stressfully short period of time. With IOEs finished prior to graduation, trainees can truly celebrate graduation without worrying about possibly flying the next morning. They can also focus exclusively on moving to their new domiciles.

 

IOEs for Class 2016-01 begin today, so you may see some Flight Attendant Trainers out there certifying IOEs in the next couple days. Congratulations to the first graduating class of 2016 and thanks to our Flight Attendant Trainers for their continuing efforts to get our trainees out to the line!

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green and Brice McGee

AFA LOA 2016-05-03 Trainers Performing Probationary Observation Flights or IOEs PENDING

Alaska Airlines-Virgin America Merger Update: Our Contract, Our Representation

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and AFA International are closely monitoring the proposed acquisition/merger with Virgin America while management navigates the various approval processes. On May 25, 2016, the MEC and your newly selected Merger Representatives are scheduled to attend a special meeting called by our AFA-CWA international president. Pursuant to Section X [Merger Policy and Related Employee Protective Provisions] of the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws, the purpose of this meeting is to review the merger, our constitutional protections and procedures, contract bargaining, representation and seniority integration. While preparations are already underway on these items, nothing can officially proceed until the financial transaction is final months from now.

 

AFA International President Nelson has met with the TWU International President Lombardo and confirmed that AFA will be the surviving union representing the unified group if the merger is finalized. There will be no representational election. In the meantime, TWU is continuing its regular representation activities as they work to secure a first contract for Virgin America Inflight Team Members (ITMs). We support their efforts to achieve a first contract.

 

In a merger, there is no statutory oversight of contract bargaining. Section 6 negotiations under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), the process we are familiar with under regular contract negotiations, does not apply in a merger. Management will need to negotiate with us to address the merger of the work force and this can be an opportunity for Flight Attendants to achieve improvements. It is important that we not speculate on this process – especially prior to our meeting with AFA Legal and Collective Bargaining on May 25th.

 

AFA-CWA has experience with dozens of mergers. AFA Alaska will leverage this opportunity to achieve the best possible conditions and improvements for all Flight Attendants.

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow,  Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green, Brice McGee; Merger Representatives Sandra Morrow, Marie Maxwell; AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput; and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

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SEA Domicile Negotiations – October 2025

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