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Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council

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AFA Update – September 13, 2019

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In This Edition

  • Contractual Supporting Documents
  • Reminder: New KCM Identification Requirements
  • FAA Responds to AFA Advocacy to Move on 10 Hours Rest Implementation

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.

Reminder: New KCM Identification Requirements

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

As a reminder, new crewmember identification requirements for KCM, went into effect on Friday, September 6, 2019. The requirements are:

If the crewmember is wearing a uniform, the crewmember must present, as they do now:

  • A non-expired government-issued photo ID (such as a passport or driver’s license); and
  • An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID (crew ID)

If the crewmember is not wearing a uniform, the crewmember must present:

  • A non-expired government-issued photo ID;
  • An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID; and
  • A third form of identification, either:
    • A valid FAA Airman’s Certificate
    • A valid FAA Flight Attendant Certificate of Proficiency; or
    • A second non-expired government-issued photo ID

This means that out of uniform you must plan to present a passport and driver’s license/government ID card or one of these items and your FAA Certification card.

At some airports Flight Attendants have been improperly directed to passenger screening if not in uniform, and in addition, that new KCM electronic randomizer function is selecting a very high percentage of crewmembers for passenger screening. AFA continues to work with TSA to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Your reports have been instrumental in our ability to address these issues and correct discrepancies.

Please continue to respectfully question when given instruction that is not consistent with reported procedures. If the TSA Officer or manager persists with the instruction, comply and then document the incident through our reporting form.

KCM Questions and Reporting Form

We fought hard to be included in KCM program. It is both a privilege as trusted crewmembers and a responsibility as part of aviation security. We all need to work together to ensure it continues to promote security and compliments our work as aviation’s last line of defense. 

Please continue to follow all KCM program requirements.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding KCM, please submit your question using the above form or contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officersfor assistance.

FAA Responds to AFA Advocacy to Move on 10 Hours Rest Implementation

Government Affairs Committee

Last year we successfully achieved 10 Hours minimum rest free from duty under the law. According to the legislation timeline and past practice on implementation of new rules, airlines should have had to comply with the law by the beginning of June 2019. Instead, a few airlines mounted significant opposition to the implementation and argued it would be too costly and difficult to implement. The Government Shutdown and the Boeing 737 MAX grounding further delayed the implementation of hundreds of provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. 

Flight Attendants made our rest a top priority and it’s because of all of you that we were able to achieve this legislative win. We have been working diligently on several fronts to remove obstacles to getting our rest implemented. We have worked directly with Chairman DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman Larsen (D-WA) and several other members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As we did with the original bill, we had both Republicans and Democrats from the Committee speaking up and pushing for implementation with FAA and DOT. We also have worked with our airlines to remove obstacles and specifically negotiated and implemented the 10 hours rest at Frontier and PSA. This also helped to demonstrate to regulators that the implementation should not be as difficult as they had been told by some airlines.

Recently confirmed FAA Administrator Steve Dickson assured AFA and lawmakers he would make implementation of 10 hours rest a priority. Today, under his leadership the FAA took an official and public step forward announcing a rulemaking process for implementing the 10 hours minimum rest. Within hours, Delta announced they would implement the rest with the February bid month – demonstrating the truth that all airlines can do this within a few months time. We will keep the heat on and press for full federal implementation as soon as possible. This is about safety, health, and equality.

Questions?

Please reach out to your Local Government Affairs Committeeif you have any questions.

AFA Update – August 30, 2019

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In This Edition

  • Where to Find Our Contract on the IMD
  • The Latest on KCM
  • Personal Strategies for Approaching the Anniversary of September 11
  • Election Notice: MEC Officer Elections

Where to Find Our Contract on the IMD

Contract Committee

Having easy access to our collective bargaining agreement empowers you to ensure that you are always able to reference your contractual rights and responsibilities in a given situation.  Section 27.T of our collective bargaining agreement requires that the Company provide access to an electronic version of the contract on the IMD.  Management has complied with this contractual requirement by housing an electronic version of the contract in the GoodReader app.

To access the contract on your IMD, follow these steps:

  1. Open the GoodReader app
  2. Tap on ASFASupplemental 
  3. Tap on Collective Bargaining Agreement
  4. Tap on Contract
  5. Tap on the contract file

Questions?

If you have any questions about accessing the contract on your IMD, please contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers.

The Latest on KCM

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

On Saturday, August 24, an update was posted to the KCM website indicating program changes related to unpredictable screening procedures (USP) and uniform requirements that were to take effect several days later.  This update was posted with no advance notice and a very short implementation schedule.  After receiving notice of these proposed changes, AFA promptly engaged the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), Airlines for America (A4A), and the TSA to have additional conversations about these program changes and discuss alternatives. 

Unpredictable Screening (USP) Changes

Additional measures related to USP (commonly referred to as “random selection”) went into effect on Tuesday, August 27 as announced.  With this change, if you are selected for USP at a KCM access point you will continue to be flagged as a selectee at all KCM access points at that airport for a pre-determined amount of time.  If you are referred for USP that involves re-direction to the passenger screening lanes, please remember that you are subject to the same requirements as passengers if you are not in uniform.  Only crewmembers in uniform are exempt from TSA limitations on liquids, gels, and aerosols. 

Uniform Requirement

As a result of discussions with AFA, ALPA, and A4A, the TSA made the decision not to change the uniform requirement for KCM screening, meaning that crewmembers continue to be able to use KCM access points while out of uniform.

Compliance and Reporting

It is important that we continue to comply with procedures and instructions at KCM access points and security checkpoints if selected for unpredictable screening.  If you are given an instruction by a TSA Officer that differs from communicated procedures, please respectfully question the instruction.  If the Officer does not change the instruction, comply and then report the issue immediately to AFA.  

The only way to address concerns with individual TSA Officers or airports carrying out KCM screening differently from communicated procedures is to report the issue.  Posts on social media about individual issues will not only fail to resolve the concern but could also unintentionally share sensitive security information (SSI) related to the KCM program.  Please use the reporting form below to report any issues as soon as possible so that they can be addressed directly with the TSA.

KCM Reporting Form and Questions

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding KCM, please submit your question using the above form or contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers for assistance.

Personal Strategies for Approaching the Anniversary of September 11

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

As we approach the anniversary of September 11th, many of us will begin to plan how we’ll recognize this day. Anniversaries offer an opportunity to acknowledge our memories and experiences, to connect with others who share in them, and to pay tribute to our individual and collective journeys.  They can also serve as personal and professional milestones of our healing and resiliency.   For some, September 11th will be marked with private personal gestures such as observing a moment of silence, spending quiet time reflecting, or dedicating our flying to our profession.  For others, it will be marked with collective activities such as ceremonies and memorial services.

  • There is no right way or better way to recognize the anniversary; but, there are some suggestions that may prove helpful as we approach the anniversary of September 11th. 
  • Observe the anniversary in a way that’s comfortable for you.  Say no to events or activities that you sense may flood you with too many feelings.  Find more gentle ways of honoring the anniversary.
  • Don’t compare yourself to how others around you appear to be dealing with the September 11th anniversary.
  • Acknowledge that we all heal at different rates, in different ways, and with different outcomes.
  • Give yourself permission and time to be affected.  Though uncomfortable, anticipate and plan for having a stress reaction as the anniversary approaches.  Trust that if you have moments of difficulty, you’ll be able to pull yourself back together.
  • Try not to isolate yourself.  Pre-plan now to be with people if you know you have this tendency.

However you choose to structure your day this September 11th or however it just naturally unfolds, please remember that your AFA EAP Committee Members welcome being a part of it.  If you or a flying partner needs a confidential ear, please call us at (949) 470-0493 or find your local EAP contact information on the EAP Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.  Remember, we’re just a phone call away.  

Election Notice: MEC Officer Elections

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The term of office for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2019.  The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the regular November MEC meeting.  This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with article III.C.1 of the MEC Policy Manual.

Background

The MEC Officers consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.  These officer positions are responsible for serving as the coordinating council for the membership of the airline and carrying out the decisions of the MEC.  These officer positions are elected by the Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, who are the voting members of MEC.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the MEC Officers are defined in article VII.C.2 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

MEC President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.a)

The President shall be the official Union spokesperson and chief executive officer for that airline and shall have the authority and duty to: 

(1) Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board. 

(2)  Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances. 

(3)  Be the Union representative on that airline for the purpose of furthering and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board. 

(4)  Coordinate and compile Master Executive Council policy, review reports and recommendations and submit such material to the appropriate committees of the Union. 

(5)  Be a member of the Negotiating Committee. 

(6)  Be a member of the Executive Board. 

(7)  Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President. 

(8)  Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union on that carrier. 

(9)  Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. 

(10)  Ballot the Master Executive Council if necessary or when required. 

(11)  Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. 

(12)  Inform all Master Executive Council Officers and committees that all files, correspondence, documents and other materials resulting from the work of such committees are the property of the Union, not the personal property of individuals, and are to be safeguarded. 

(13)  Maintain the Union’s files and property, then transfer them to her/his successor promptly. 

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  • Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is contractually provided 130 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle to attend meetings and as needed.  Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
  • No relocation or accommodation reimbursement is provided for this position.
  • The MEC President is on-call to respond to critical incidents and situations.

MEC Vice President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.b)

The Vice President shall:

(1) Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the Master Executive Council.

(2) Perform the duties of the President at her/his request or in the absence of the President.

(3) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Serve as executive sponsor of MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
  • Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, MEC committee meetings, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  • Coordinate and participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 120 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle to attend meetings and as needed.  Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
  • No relocation or accommodation reimbursement is provided for this position.
  • The MEC Vice President is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President during vacation and as needed.

MEC Secretary-Treasurer

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.c)

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

(1) Assist the President in administering Master Executive Council funds.

(2) Maintain Master Executive Council records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.

(3) Be responsible to the President and Master Executive Council.

(4) Be responsible for general record keeping and accounting of the Master Executive Council budget and any funds.

(5) Distribute a quarterly statement on expenditures to the Master Executive Council.

(6) Assist in preparation of the Master Executive Council annual report to the membership.

(7) Exhibit at all reasonable times the general records to any Officer or active member in good standing upon application.

(8) Maintain Master Executive Council records and record all meetings of the Master Executive Council.

(9) Deliver to her/his successor all monies and other property of the Master Executive Council. On demand of the International Office, s/he shall make available all books and records for examination and audit.

(10) Submit a copy of all Master Executive Council meeting minutes and nomination notices to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(11) Be responsible for distributing a list of Master Executive Council committees’ flight pay loss to the Master Executive Council and the International Office each month; this list will include, but not be limited to, hours and ID(s) missed, days on projects, and projects charged.

(12) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Maintain the MEC agenda; solicit agenda items from members of the MEC
  • Reserve meeting space and other meeting resources as needed
  • Make arrangements for MEC hotel accommodations and meals
  • Perform month-end financial reconciliation activities including:
    • Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company
    • Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss
    • Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International
    • Review and approve expense reports
    • Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports
  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  • Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle to attend meetings and as needed.  Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
  • No relocation or accommodation reimbursement is provided for this position.
  • The MEC Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC Vice President during vacation and as needed. S/he is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President if the president and vice president are simultaneously unavailable.

Working Relationships

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

Constant interaction with the LEC Presidents, other LEC Officers, and other MEC Officers

With MEC Committees

Constant interaction with MEC Committee Chairs and Committee Members.

With Management

Constant interaction with Alaska Airlines management, particularly within the inflight and labor relations departments

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA international officers and staff members

Term of Office

The regular term of office is for three years, beginning on January 1, 2020 and concluding on December 31, 2022.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews and conduct elections during the regular November MEC meeting on Tuesday, November 5 and Wednesday, November 6, 2019.  Bid around these dates or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/DoRD4akQcakcuWRn9.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, October 29.  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?

If you have any questions about MEC duties and responsibilities or the election process, please email officers@afaalaska.org.

SFO Co-Terminal Negotiations Update

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Back in January, AFA communicated that management had approached AFA regarding their desire to negotiate a co-terminal agreement for the SFO domicile.

Read more >

The Master Executive Council (MEC) then conducted interviews for three Special Negotiating Committee (SNC) members and appointed them in February.

Read more >

The SFO Co-term SNC met in early April for negotiations training and preparation. During that session, the SNC determined that a proposed SFO Co-terminal Agreement would have to contain significant improvements for all Flight Attendants (not just for those in the SFO domicile) in order for a tentative agreement to have a chance of ratification by a majority of the membership. With that prerequisite in mind, the SNC developed a conceptual proposal (a non-binding proposal, or “supposal”) and passed it to management for their consideration.

Management recently responded to the conceptual proposal:

Thank you for sending us AFA’s conceptual proposal to consider while negotiating co-terminals for SFO.  It is our understanding that the Special Negotiating Committee strongly believes we would need to implement many of the items listed in the proposal in order to have the SFO co-terminals voted in by AFA membership. 

As you know, the difference in savings is relatively small between opening a SJC FA base, and opening SFO co-terminals. Given that, we have very little to play with in order to implement items in AFA’s Conceptual Proposal, while still achieving savings and efficiency for the company greater than (or equal to) those that the company would gain by opening an SJC base. 

As such, it would appear that continuing to negotiate a deal between the two parties in order to achieve SFO co-terminals is not productive. Please let us know if you’d like to continue the discussion, or if you agree that the parties should respectfully walk away at this point and acknowledge a deal could not be reached at this time on SFO co-terminals.

The MEC concurs with management’s assessment that the parties should respectfully walk away from further negotiations. We sincerely thank the SFO Co-Terminal Special Negotiating Committee members for their service.

The MEC has been holding off on publishing these details in deference to management’s desire to take the lead on communicating plans for a San Jose Flight Attendant base. However, the MEC has become aware via social media that Inflight executive management has been openly talking to line Flight Attendants about such plans. Consequently, we feel an obligation to get in front of potential rumors and confirm to our members that the reports are true: Management intends to open a SJC base in the next year or so.

We know our members will have many questions. Once management provides the MEC with more concrete information, we will pass those details along to you.

In Solidarity,

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

AFA Update – August 16, 2019

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In This Edition

  • Hotel Crew Room Blocks Card Now Online
  • REMINDER: Human Rights Committee Forming
  • TAKE ACTION: Stop Toxic Fumes!
  • Cabin Air Quality Resources

Hotel Crew Hotel Room Blocks Card Now Online

Hotel Committee

Your AFA Hotel Committee has succeeded in their effort to have the Crew Hotel Room Blocks card uploaded to an easily accessible location on both the Inflight website and the IMD.  The Crew Hotel Room Blocks card (commonly known as the “purple card”) is a quick reference card that provides information about appropriate hotel room features and room locations.  This card can be shown to hotel staff when you are assigned a hotel room that does not meet the requirements of the company’s contract with the hotel in order to hopefully remedy the situation on-the-spot. 

Going forward, the Crew Hotel Room Blocks card will be published on the first page of the monthly Hotel Hotline document.  The Hotel Hotline can be found on the Flight Attendant website under Hotel, Travel & Station > Hotel Hotline.  On the IMD, you can find the Hotel Hotline under ASFASupplemental > Hotel Hotline.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Local Hotel Committee.

REMINDER: Human Rights Committee Forming

Human Rights Committee

In 2018, the AFA Board of Directors approved the creation of Human Rights Committees across AFA, with committees to be formed at each Local Council and MEC.  Members of the Human Rights Committee will work to promote activities that foster greater understanding of one another and the diversity of our membership in order to build the strength of our Union through our common struggles and goals rather than allowing others to divide us by our differences.  This work will involve close coordination with local community and CWA allies to engage in efforts that advance both human rights and worker’s rights.

As part of the formation of the Committee, volunteer involvement opportunities are available both at the local level (Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson) and the airline level (MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson).  If you are interested in filling the role of Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson, please refer to recent communications from your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers or contact your LEC President.

MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson

Information about the MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson can be found in the August 2, 2019 AFA Update.

The MEC will hold interviews for the position of MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson during the September MEC meeting on Tuesday, September 17.  Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/bns2FHqC11PLe3889.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, September 10.  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.

TAKE ACTION: Stop Toxic Fumes!

Government Affairs Committee

The Cabin Air Safety Act of 2019 aims to protect airline passengers and crew from the harmful effects of toxic cabin air.

“Our workspace is the public’s travel space and in that space today, crews and passengers are breathing toxins and it has to stop,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson.

Call your Representative and Senators today and tell them to cosponsor the Cabin Air Safety Act. The House bill is H.R. 2208 and the Senate bill is S. 1112. 

Call Your Representative: 866-937-4359

Call Your Senators: 877-750-7411 

“Hi, my name is_________. As a constituent and a Flight Attendant, I am calling to ask you to cosponsor the Cabin Air Safety Act of 2019. Flight Attendants and passengers can be exposed to toxic fumes in the cabin. We need the FAA to intervene and implement protections. Support clean air onboard for passengers and Flight Attendants!”

AFA’s efforts to improve the cabin environment span the last three decades, from advocating for smoke-free skies to stopping poisonous pesticide spraying to addressing the dangers of contaminated bleed air. We advocate that the airline industry either end the use of engine bleed air for cabin air supply like on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or mitigate the circulation of contaminated air. In 2015, AFA was an active member of the ICAO task group that published Circular 344, which advises airlines to enhance their operational procedures to minimize onboard exposure to smoke and fumes. This led to an FAA Safety Alert published in 2018. This is progress, but it doesn’t go far enough. 

“Most Americans go to work with the expectation of breathing clean air. Flight Attendants don’t have this guarantee, and it is past time for that to change,” AFA President Sara Nelson said.

Cabin Air Quality Resources

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Air Quality Subcommittee

Your AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) and Air Quality Subcommittee have worked with AFA International to put together a number of tools and resources to use in the event of a cabin air fume event.  Some of the resources available are listed below.

Air Quality Fume Event FAQs

The Committee has compiled a comprehensive question and answer document to help provide information about many of the questions and concerns that have been received about cabin air fume events.

You can access the Q&A document by clicking here.

Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card

The Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card is a wallet sized card that explains what to do in a contaminated cabin air exposure event.  The card can be kept in a badge holder behind your company ID or in your wallet.

The card was recently updated by the Committee and now includes information about the Airbus fleet.  If you currently have an older version of the card, please destroy your old card and replace it with a newly updated one. The updated cards are currently being distributed to each domicile.

Look for more information from your Local Council about where to pick one up at your base.  You can access and print the card on the AFA Alaska website by clicking here.

AFA Alaska Website

Additional air quality information, including a flow chart that describes what to do in a cabin air fume event, can be found at afaalaska.org under Committees > Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC) > Air Quality.

Questions?

If you have additional questions about cabin air quality or the AFA resources available, please email airquality@afaalaska.org or contact a member of your Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC).  

AFA Update – August 2, 2019

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In This Edition

  • Where Do My Dues Go?
  • MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Interviews
  • Withholding Trips from Open Time Grievance Settlement

Where Do My Dues Go?

AFA International Secretary-Treasurer’s Department

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

If you have any questions, please contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers.

MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Interviews

With the recent introduction of the Human Rights Committee, the Master Executive Council (MEC) is seeking a Member in good standing to fill the position of MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson. 

Background

The MEC Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to promote activities that foster greater understanding of one another and the diversity of our membership in order to build the strength of our Union through our common struggles and goals rather than allowing others to divide us by our differences.

Additional Information from the MEC Policy Manual

1.         SCOPE

a.         The Human Rights Committee will build the strength of our Union through fostering understanding of our shared struggles and goals; building partnerships with progressive community allies; and taking action to promote the ideals of economic and social justice for all workers.

2.         POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

a.         The MEC Human Rights Committee shall consist of the MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson and the Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson from each council.

b.         The Committee will actively work to educate Flight Attendants and the community about the strength of our diverse membership through the sharing of personal experiences and open dialog about racism and discrimination.

c.         The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i)         Work closely with the Government Affairs Committee to collaborate on items of mutual interest to both committees

(ii)        Work with other AFA committees as needed to accomplish assigned tasks and responsibilities

(iii)       Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to MEC electronic communications platforms

d.         The Committee shall:

(i)         Act in an advisory role to the MEC on matters related to human rights and worker’s rights

(ii)        Maintain an involvement in the human rights activities sponsored by local and central Labor Councils with which the MEC is affiliated

(iii)       Maintain an involvement in the CWA Women’s Committee and Committee on Civil Rights and Equity

(iv)       Maintain in involvement in AFL-CIO workplace constituency groups

Qualifications

  • Previous political, legislative, or community activist experience helpful
  • Knowledge of current political climate and issues affecting Flight Attendants and the labor movement
  • Ability to attend meetings as required, including occasionally being present in Seattle
  • Ability and willingness to participate in action events 
  • Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed
  • Strong computer skills.  Excellent working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.  Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties

  • Act on and follow through on directives as established in the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws and AFA Alaska MEC Policy & Procedure Manual 
  • Represent the MEC with local and central Labor Councils
  • Coordinate MEC representation with the CWA Women’s Committee and Committee on Civil Rights and Equity.
  • Coordinate committee participation in action events
  • Correspond with the Local Human Rights Committee Chairpersons and MEC regularly to provide status updates.  Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is eligible for Flight Pay Loss (FPL) reimbursement by AFA.  Union Business (UB) FPL is compensated at 0.75 TFP per hour when participating in pre-approved meetings or activities.
  • Time commitment is highly variable depending on the work to be completed each week and month. Workload will likely be higher when participating in activism related to key issues.  Most work can be accomplished remotely.  

Working Relationships

With The Human Rights Committee

Regular interaction with the Local Human Rights Committee Chairpersons and Local Human Rights Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council             

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC Vice President.

With AFA International

Occasional interaction with AFA-CWA International staff.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the September MEC meeting on Tuesday, September 17.  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/bns2FHqC11PLe3889.  The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, September 10.  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.

Withholding Trips From Open Time Grievance Settlement

AFA reached a settlement with the Company prior to arbitration of grievance 36-99-2-63-17 Withholding Trips from Open Time.  We believe we achieved great benefits for our Reserve Flight Attendants in this settlement. The following are the terms of the settlement:

For a Reserve Flight Attendant who is on duty (e.g. on a flight), s/he can be converted to ER and assigned a trip if Crew Scheduling sends an email notifying of conversion and assignment (which the Reserve Flight Attendant is required to check upon completion of his/her sequence).

For a Reserve Flight Attendant who is on call and required to be contactable during her/his reserve availability period (RAP), s/he may be converted to ER in the following ways only:

  • Positive (person to person) contact by phone;
  • Crew Scheduling can send Crew Access notification for ER conversion to the Reserve Flight Attendant, and it must be accepted by the Reserve Flight Attendant prior to Crew Scheduling adding trip to the Reserve Flight Attendant’s line.  If the Reserve Flight Attendant doesn’t answer the phone, it is Crew Scheduling’s obligation to call the Reserve Flight Attendant.  If Crew Scheduling sends a Crew Access notification for ER conversion to the Reserve Flight Attendant, and it is not accepted by the Reserve Flight Attendant, and if Crew Scheduling does not call the Reserve Flight Attendant prior to the end of the RAP to advise of the ER conversion, then the Reserve Flight Attendant is no longer on call until her/his next RAP.  However, ER conversion counts towards the monthly maximum and for pay purposes.

For a Reserve Flight Attendant who is not required to be contactable (e.g. not on duty and not during her/his RAP or not on duty during her/his RAP but in ’silent rest’ during first nine hours domicile rest, 20:00-23:00 prior to the next RAP, etc.), s/he can be converted to ER with or without a trip assignment:

  • Must be positive contact by Crew Scheduling via phone or by Crew Access notification which may be sent out by Crew Scheduling no earlier than 20:00 the day prior to the conversion.
  • Reserve Flight Attendant is not required to answer the phone or acknowledge the notification from Crew Scheduling but is required to accept the assignment if contact is made.
  • Premium pay applies.  Crew Scheduling will add annotations stating the Reserve Flight Attendant was contacted outside her/his contactable period and s/he will be paid additional compensation as outlined in the CBA.
  • Reserve Flight Attendant will be contacted no more than one time during domicile rest (11:30)
  • Reserve Flight Attendant must receive 9 hours uninterrupted domicile rest or else premium pay applies (pyramids with other premiums, if applicable)
  • Crew Scheduling is not permitted to hold trips longer than 15 minutes as outlined in §12.E.1.d.  The process would not violate this section of the CBA

Crew Scheduling will no longer hide trips.  And an ER conversion cannot be rescinded once email and/or Crew Access (Crew Access) notification has been generated.

All currently employed L-AS Flight Attendants who were on Reserve from June 1, 2017 to present, and all currently employed L-VX Flight Attendants who were on Reserve from January 31, 2019 to present, will receive 1 TFP, paid above guarantee, if applicable, at today’s rate.   

If you have any questions about the settlement, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

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