2018 – Page 4

[L-AS] Open Time Grievance

June 5, 2018 05:00

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants

On May 17, AFA filed grievance #36-99-2-130-18, requesting that Alaska Airlines management investigate the circumstances regarding the Company’s alleged violation of Section 12.C.3 “Trading Procedures”. The grievance contends that the Company’s Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) Open Time Trading System failed to synchronize time across the system, resulting in some users being able to complete their tasks while others are temporarily blocked from trades, pick-ups and/or drops.

After investigating the concern, management provided the following email response:

Jeppesen found two issues that need to be resolved. The first issue has to do with the worker processes that handle the request and what it thinks is the current time, which is stored in a variable Jeppesen refers to as “NOW”. Each worker process has its own NOW variable and if a worker process has been idle, its NOW variable gets out of date and when the first request comes in, for example when Open Time trading begins, it still believes the Trade window is still closed because NOW lags behind the system time. The second issue is the Transaction Report timestamp is the time it logs the transaction is logged and not the NOW time.

Jeppesen has proposed the following solutions to address these two issues. The first is the worker processes will ensure the NOW variable is updated with the latest system time, rounded down to the minute (Note: The NOW time granularity is at the minute level), so if a worker process has been idle, it will have the current system time. The second change is to add the system time used in the processing of the request to the message so the FA and the transaction log knows what the system time is. For example “Trip window has not yet opened for 24198” will be changed to something like “Time HH:MM, trip window has not yet opened for 24198”. Jeppesen and AS believes these changes will resolve the issue.

Jeppesen will be providing an update in the next week concerning the interim solution. We are expecting Alaska Airlines management to sustain the grievance and work with us on improving your Open Time processing.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

The Dues Pie Chart—Where Do My Dues Go?

May 29, 2018 09:00

Note from your Master Executive Council (MEC): This information was prepared by AFA International as a resource for Flight Attendants.

Click to enlarge

The Dues Pie Chart depicts where all funds at AFA are budgeted. About 80% of dues dollars are directly allocated to fund the work at each airline, i.e. Local Councils, Master Executive Councils, Negotiations, and System Board. The remaining budgets at the International Office support Government Affairs, Air Safety, EAP, and Communications Departments, each of which provides expert services that are Flight Attendant focused and provide resources for the local leaders and committees of Flight Attendants at each airline. 100% of our dues dollars are allocated to priorities that provide Flight Attendant representation.

There are four distinct areas where dues money is spent:

Local and Airline-Specific

Each base has a Local Executive Council (LEC) with elected Officers who provide direct representation and deal with local grievances and other issues. These Local Officers will answer your phone calls and make sure member interests are represented in front of management. For example, in the event of discipline or a contract violation, Local Officers will address the issue where it happened and work to get swift resolution. Additionally, elected Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers provide representation at the corporate level. At both the LEC and MEC, there are committees that solve problems in areas such as safety, schedules, hotels, grievances, etc. These committees also enforce the contract specific to their area of expertise, produce newsletters, and participate in union meetings. The role of your LEC and MEC Officers and committee representatives at each airline is to ensure you are represented by Flight Attendants who know your job because they share it with you at your airline. AFA promotes this autonomy at each airline where your representatives, assisted by experts, negotiate with management and develop and maintain the relationship between airline management and the Union.

Negotiations

Bargaining for pay and working conditions is one of the core representation activities performed by the Union. We start with a membership survey, schedule meetings with management, conduct caucuses with the committee, develop contractual language, support membership engagement and information programs, and we work with AFA-CWA professional negotiators throughout the process including all direct negotiations/mediation with management. The end result is improved contractual language with higher pay, better working conditions, and improved benefits.

System Board (Grievances)

The first step in any grievance is to try to resolve the matter locally. Some airlines have negotiated an alternative dispute process for a faster, collaborative resolution. If that fails, then the final stage for resolution, whether disciplinary or contractual, is an appeal to a neutral arbitrator. An AFA-CWA attorney will work with our Grievance Committee to present our case to the neutral arbitrator. We defend the contracts we negotiate.

International Office Support

While your LEC is the face of the Union to local management and the MEC to corporate management, the International Office is the public persona and brand of the Union. Our presence and name recognition can legislate or improve federal regulations, remove obstacles from the bargaining table, better our position in negotiations and improve our experience on the job across the profession. The International Office maintains the professional staff of attorneys, negotiators, and other personnel that provide administration, accounting and membership services to members and elected leaders. We all work together to support the programs that encompasses our profession.

Questions?

If you have questions about AFA dues, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

[L-AS] Introducing Your MEC Grievance Committee Payroll Representative

May 25, 2018 17:00

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews earlier this month for the new MEC Grievance Committee Payroll Representative position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough deliberation, the MEC has appointed Kiara Jenkins to the position.

About Kiara

Kiara Jenkins spent her childhood on the island of Guam and, in 2008, graduated from Olympia High School in Olympia, WA. Before pursuing a career as a Flight Attendant, she worked at Starbucks as a supervisor and coached club and high school volleyball for 3 years. She has been ANC, SEA, and LAX-based since joining the Alaska family in 2011. Previously, she served as the Government Affairs Committee Chairperson for Council 18 in LAX. On any given day, Kiara can be found hosting homemade dinners for friends, barbecuing outdoors, or spending quality time with her family.

About The Position

The Payroll Representative works under the umbrella of the MEC Grievance Committee and is responsible for working with management to advocate for Flight Attendant interests in all matters pertaining to Flight Attendant pay. In addition, the Payroll Representative also works closely with the Benefits, Scheduling, and Reserve Committees to handle and assist in the resolution of Flight Attendant pay concerns and issues. Additional information about the position can be found by clicking here.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams

AFA Issue Reporting and Resolution

May 23, 2018 12:00

Last year, your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) introduced the AFA Alaska online support center. The system is designed for you to document and report scheduling and reserve concerns, situations where you might be facing discipline, potential contractual grievances, and any other issue where you might need AFA support. The system also allows AFA representatives to better track issues that are occurring, identify trends, and address and resolve issues with management.

You can access the system using the following link:

Click here to access the AFA Alaska Online Support Center

Reporting New Issues

You can report a new issue in the system by opening a ticket, just follow these steps:

Visit http://support.afaalaska.org/
Click the blue “Open a New Ticket” button
Fill in your personal information (including a non-company email address)
Select the help topic that relates to the issue
Fill in the issue-specific information and provide details

From this screen, you’ll also be able to attach pictures, PDF files, screenshots, and other information that will help your AFA representatives to have more information available about the issue.

Once you’ve opened a ticket, you’ll receive a confirmation email and with a ticket number. Behind the scenes, your ticket will be assigned to an AFA representative who will assist you with the issue.

What Happens Next

The AFA representative assigned to your case will work with management to determine a resolution. If management agrees, then the representative will contact you and advise you of the resolution. If AFA and management do not agree, the AFA representative might escalate the issue.

What are SRB and ADR?

When the AFA representative assigned to your case and management are unable to come to a mutually acceptable resolution, the AFA representative might escalate the issue to Scheduling Review Board (SRB) if the issue is related to scheduling or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for all other issues.

SRB and ADR meetings are typically held every other week. Issues can sometimes take a few months to resolve based on the work and discussion involved between management and AFA. If an issue gets resolved in SRB/ADR, the AFA representative assigned to your case will contact you and advise you of the outcome.

Grievances

If there is no resolution in SRB or ADR and there is a contractual violation, AFA will file a grievance. Contractual grievances must go through the grievance procedures as outlined in section 19 of the Flight Attendant Contract. If the grievance is not resolved there, it may be escalated to the System Board of Adjustment, where the case would be heard before a neutral arbitrator. Information about the System Board of Adjustment can be found in section 20 of the Flight Attendant Contract.

Checking on Open Issues

With your ticket number, you can track the status of the ticket online, add additional information and attachments for your AFA representative to have available. To check on your ticket:

Visit http://support.afaalaska.org
Click the green “Check Ticket Status” button
Enter your email address and ticket number
Click the “View Ticket” button

As always, the more information and evidence you attach to the ticket (i.e., screenshots, emails, etc.), the better your AFA representatives can assist you.

Questions?

If you have questions about reporting issues to AFA or how issues get resolved, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

In Solidarity,

[L-VX] MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – Legacy Virgin America Interviews

May 18, 2018 17:00

This message is for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants

Background

The MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – Legacy Virgin America is responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee specific to all Legacy Virgin America Flight Attendants. The Chairperson works closely with each Local Committee Chairperson to gather feedback and input and represents the positions of the Committee and MEC in interactions with management.

This is a temporary position that will remain in place through full implementation of the JCBA.

Qualifications

Current Legacy Virgin America Flight Attendant
Robust working knowledge of scheduling provisions of the Legacy Virgin America work rules and Flight Attendant collective bargaining agreement.
Knowledge of CFRs and other regulations pertaining to flight time, duty time, and crew rest guidelines.
Ability to maintain office hours in Seattle during the business week and attend meetings as required.
Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of FLICA, PBS, Google email, and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of osTicket helpful.
Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meeting agendas and take minutes.
Ability to meet deadlines, take ownership of issues, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks.

Duties

Provide assistance in handling L-VX scheduling-related concerns and issues. Assist in resolution of issues as needed.
Attend meetings with management and represent the AFA position on scheduling-related matters.
Participate in the Scheduling Review Board process.
Participate in PBS bid awards and the Pairing Construction process.
Assist in planning of and participate in monthly meetings of the committee and other meetings and conference calls as needed.
Coordinate with the MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson to discuss issues that affect both reserve and line-holding L-VX Flight Attendants.
Correspond with the Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson regularly to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly report to the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

This position is budgeted for 66.4 block hours (equivalent of 75 TFP) of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month, paid with a 5% override at “A” pay.
Time commitment is approximately two days per week in Seattle with additional work completed remotely or in the office as necessary.
Hotel accommodation expense (one night per week) will be provided for this position.
This position does not bid a line but may pick up flying as responsibilities permit.

Term of Appointment

This is a temporary position that will begin work on June 18, 2018 and will remain in position until at least 90 days after full JCBA implementation (currently scheduled for January 31, 2019).

Working Relationships

With The Scheduling Committee

Constant interaction with the Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons. Frequent interaction with Local Scheduling Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council

This position reports to the Master Executive Council through the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC President.

With Alaska Airlines Management

Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling (Denia Pisia), Crew Scheduling Duty Managers, and Manager of Crew Planning (Cecilia Mui).

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Initial interviews will be conducted on Wednesday, June 6, 2018.
Interviews will be at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle. Positive space travel to and from the interview will be available.
Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. Linda will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Local and Airline-Specific

Negotiations

System Board (Grievances)

International Office Support

Questions?

About Kiara

About The Position

Reporting New Issues

What Happens Next

What are SRB and ADR?

Grievances

Checking on Open Issues

Questions?

Background

Qualifications

Duties

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Term of Appointment

Working Relationships

With The Scheduling Committee

With The Master Executive Council

With Alaska Airlines Management

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

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