The Master Executive Council (MEC) met with management earlier today in Seattle to discuss our questions and concerns regarding Recurrent Training. Members of the AFA Inflight Training Committee; Grievance Committee; Air Safety, Health and Security Committee; and Scheduling Committee also joined us for the discussion. Management was represented by Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gary Beck, Vice President of Inflight Ron Calvin, VP Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, VP Safety & Security Max Tidwell, Managing Director (MD) of Inflight Strategy and Support Mary Avey, MD Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, MD Labor Relations Carmen Williams and other senior leaders of the Inflight division.

Focus on two themes

Your AFA leaders focused on two themes:

• Holding management accountable, and
• Demonstrating proficiency over perfection.

Questions asked of management

We submitted several hard questions to management, including but not limited to:

• Which specific changes to the Recurrent Training (RT) program were required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a result of its audit of the Inflight training program last fall and which changes were management’s discretion?
• Is management aware that the current training program has created an environment of anxiety and fear in which Flight Attendants are now questioning their abilities to handle emergency situations?
• Is management willing to revise RT 2020 in order to provide Flight Attendants with greater clarity of expectations and improved resources and tools?

Changes sought by AFA

AFA advocated for several changes to RT 2020, including but not limited to:

• Ending the practice of “management only” classes and to mix management personnel into as many classes and locations as possible
• Providing adequate “hand-on” practice time prior to drill evaluations for evacuations, emergency equipment and CPR
• Live demonstration of each evaluation scenario for evacuations, emergency equipment and CPR
• Ability for a Flight Attendant to self-correct during an evaluation
• Allow an evaluator to provide feedback to a Flight Attendant following an unsuccessful evaluation
• ‘Forgive’ all Flight Attendants currently in the Special Track Training program (who were placed into the program following two unsuccessful drill evaluations)
• Significantly revise or drop the Special Track Training program (remediation training, retention check and check ride)
• No termination of employment following an unsuccessful fourth drill evaluation

Management took ownership, but we remain ‘cautiously skeptical’

Management took ownership of the disastrous state of the RT program, but the MEC will remain ‘cautiously skeptical’ until we see meaningful solutions put into action. However, Ron committed to ending the practice of “management only” RT classes and to mix management personnel into regular RT classes throughout the system.

Inflight management has canceled all Recurrent Training and Requalification Training classes that were scheduled to start between 1/28 and 2/7, and management has pledged to use this time to incorporate feedback and revise the RT 2020 program. Whatever changes may come out of this process, the MEC will make every effort to ensure management provides adequate training for the Inflight Instructors. It is critical that evaluations are performed uniformly and without subjectivity in order to guarantee a consistent and fair experience for all.  

Management is developing a communication that outlines the plan in more detail. AFA is also drafting several contractual grievances specific to Recurrent Training. We anticipate publishing another RT update in the coming days after management’s next communication goes out and our grievances have been filed.

In Solidarity,

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

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has collected the following information to help you navigate the pitfalls of this year’s Recurrent Training. See AFA Alaska’s “Recurrent Training” (January 16, 2020) and “Recurrent Training 2020 – Part 2” (January 23, 2020) for additional background and information.

General preparation

The Recurrent Training SharePoint Site has a ton of useful information. How to get there? World of Inflight -> Training -> Recurrent Training -> Recurrent Training SharePoint Site. Click the “View Videos & Completion Packs” button for “must-have” drill resources such as videos and completion packs for Recurrent Training (RT) and Requalification Training (RQ). (There are now two completion packs for RT, one per day.) AFA is aware there have been unannounced changes to this site, but to the best of our knowledge, the information posted at the time of this writing is current.

2020 RT CBT must be completed a minimum of two hours prior to class time.

There is no late grace period. If you are late to RT, then you will be assessed one attendance point, sent home without pay and asked to reschedule your RT class.

Inflight Instructors are Flight Attendants

Flight Attendants in Recurrent Training are understandably frustrated. However, please keep in mind that Inflight Instructors are Flight Attendants, and they are feeling stressed about Recurrent Training as well. Please direct your frustration towards management and not your fellow Flight Attendants. For those of you sending feedback to management by email, please copy in your AFA Local Executive Council (LEC) leadership (e.g. if SEAFA, then copy in sea@afaalaska.org; if SFOFA, then copy in sfo@afaalaska.org). The MEC will announce a more comprehensive communication strategy following our meeting with management early next week.

Drills/Evaluations

As of this writing, RT 2020 includes only 45 minutes of hands-on practice for the doors and windows and no hand-on practice for emergency equipment. AFA has advocated to management that Flight Attendants need much more hands-on time for doors and windows and at least some hands-on time with the emergency equipment rather than none. AFA has received reports that access to or view of emergency equipment may not be available in at least some locations, so do not count on touching equipment prior to being evaluated.

CPR & AED operation, door and window operation, door evacuations and emergency equipment are all being evaluated as successful/unsuccessful (i.e. pass/fail) drills. You must receive 100% on each drill in order to be successful.

Instructors are no longer allowed to coach or provide any feedback between evaluations. If you are unsuccessful, ask to look at your completion pack to determine which area caused the failure. You may also ask to step out of the evaluation environment to review your completion pack or example videos. Finally, you may request a different Instructor prior to proceeding to a second attempt.

FAs will be given two opportunities to successfully pass each drill in class. A Flight Attendant will be allowed to complete class after the second unsuccessful attempt. However, s/he will be placed into disqualified (FNQ) status, which results in loss of Known Crewmember (KCM) privileges and the ability to jumpseat until resolved.

Special Track Training

Following a second unsuccessful attempt of a drill, a FA will be placed into a Special Track Training program. The FA will be removed from payroll and all scheduling obligations as a crewmember until remediation training is conducted and a retake of the drill is successfully completed. Only scheduling obligations impacted by the disqualified (FNQ) status will be removed, not the entire schedule. Flight Attendants will retain insurance during this process. S/he will be pay protected between the second and third attempt. Management will make every effort to conduct the remediation training and third attempt within seven days of RT. (A Flight Attendant also has seven days to re-take and successfully pass the written exam if s/he scores less than 80%, but this does not cause a FA to enter the Special Track Training.)

Flight Attendants will be paid 6 TFP for each day of additional training or testing, and travel pay will apply for required out of domicile training as applicable. Be aware there is a contractual limitation regarding the number of hours and time of day that training may be conducted pursuant to §30.A.2: “Training will be scheduled for no more than eight (8) hours and will occur between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time.” It is management’s discretion regarding the training location, but AFA understands that management has a strong desire to hold remediation training and re-takes in Seattle.

The FA will be required to demonstrate proficiency through additional retention checks prior to the next annual RT class. In other words, you will probably be tested again on the same drill in the coming months. Another 6 TFP and travel pay will apply for required training out of domicile as applicable. The Special Track Training also includes some form of an operational observation, which is being called a “checkride.” However, this is not necessarily the traditional checkride one receives while on probation; the truth is that none of the details have been worked out yet.

The Special Track Training program specific to unsuccessful emergency equipment drills is still being developed, so AFA cannot can’t share those details with you because we don’t know what they will be. Much of this is still a moving target, but AFA is not supportive of the Special Track Program as it is currently constructed.

See “Drill Evaluation & Drill Attempt Process” in the RT 2020 FAQs document on the Recurrent Training SharePoint Site for more info.

Recurrent Training feels more like Recurrent Testing

The unfortunate reality is that as of now, Recurrent Training feels more like Recurrent Testing. AFA will continue to advocate to management to develop rational competency criteria, to provide adequate notice and the proper tools to be successful in RT. Meanwhile, Flight Attendants should probably take the initiative to actively perform their silent review using the updated verbatim commands, and to do this often.

Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) leadership if you have any concerns or questions about Recurrent Training. The Inflight Training Committee may also be utilized as an additional AFA resource.

AFA is planning another update regarding Recurrent Training after our meeting with management next week.

In Solidarity,

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

Your MEC Inflight Training Committee – Megan Brown, Steve Vincent, Sam Clifton and Justin Wetherell