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• Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022
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• Next Week’s Events

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022

Originally posted July 20, 2022

Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, July 14 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.  The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.  Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever given the challenges we are currently facing as a work group.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed through Report It!  Please contact a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

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Get the Facts: Bernstein and California Meal and Rest Break

ICYMI: On Wednesday, July 20, AFA International will be hosting a virtual meeting to discuss the facts surrounding the Bernstein case and what it means for Flight Attendants in California. RSVP now to get your link to join the meeting!

https://www.afacwa.org/get_the_facts_bernstein_and_california_meal_and_rest_break

Note: a recording of the virtual meeting will be posted soon on the AFA International website at afacwa.org.

Get Ready for Our Negotiations Survey

Our Negotiating Committee met this week to work on our upcoming Negotiations Survey.  The survey will launch in just a few weeks and the results will be used by our Negotiating Committee to help prepare our opening proposal to management.  Make sure that you receive your Negotiations Survey email and link by updating your contact information with AFA if you need to!  Click here for more information.

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, July 26	Monthly Scheduling Committee Meeting
Thursday, July 28	Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

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In This Edition

• Status of Bernstein v. Virgin America Class Action Lawsuit
• July 2022 MEC Meeting Recap
• AFA’s Response to Management’s Webcasts About Bernstein v. Virgin America (California Meal & Rest Breaks) – Part 2
• Supreme Court Ruling on A4A v. WA L&I (WA Paid Sick Leave)
• Next Week’s Events

Status of Bernstein v. Virgin America Class Action Lawsuit

Originally posted July 11, 2022

Legal disclaimer: At the request of Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendants who have reached out to AFA Alaska regarding Bernstein v. Virgin America, we are sharing the following information presented “as-is” and with permission from the Bernstein class counsel as a courtesy to our members. AFA does not represent the plaintiffs in this case, so any specific questions or concerns from the Class (current and/or former L-VX FAs) about the case should be directed to counsel: monique@os-legal.com and alison@ktlawsf.com.

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July 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Originally posted July 13, 2022

Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 13 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.  As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.  The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 11.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

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AFA’s Response to Management’s Webcasts About Bernstein v. Virgin America (California Meal & Rest Breaks) – Part 2

Originally posted July 14, 2022

AFA has previously communicated several times regarding the Supreme Court ruling on Bernstein v. Virgin America, the potential impact, and how our perspective differs from that of management.  To clarify, AFA did not initiate this lawsuit but did file an amicus brief in 2020 in support of upholding the Ninth Circuit Court’s ruling on the case.  AFA has been and remains ready to negotiate solutions but will not agree to categorically undermine the rights of our members as it applies to benefits under state law.  AFA International will be hosting a virtual union meeting on Wednesday, July 20^th to discuss the facts about how the ruling will affect Flight Attendants in California.

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Supreme Court Ruling on A4A v. WA L&I (WA Paid Sick Leave)

Originally posted July 14, 2022

A recent Supreme Court ruling upheld a decision by a lower court requiring that Alaska Airlines comply with the Washington Paid Sick Leave Law and apply it to Flight Attendants.  The law prohibits employers from adopting or enforcing any policy that counts the use of paid sick leave time as an absence that may lead to or result in discipline (qualifying absences will not incur attendance points).  Seattle-based Flight Attendants are considered covered employees for purposes of the law, but AFA believes that the ruling should apply to Section 32 (Attendance Policy) for all Flight Attendants, regardless of domicile, under a previous arbitration decision.

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Next Week’s Events

No events next week

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

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In This Edition

• More Details Tomorrow: AFA’s Response to Management’s Webcasts About Bernstein v. Virgin America (California Meal & Rest Breaks)
• AFA’s Response to Management’s Webcasts About Bernstein v. Virgin America (California Meal & Rest Breaks) – Part 1
• Next Week’s Events

More Details Tomorrow: AFA’s Response to Management’s Webcasts About Bernstein v. Virgin America (California Meal & Rest Breaks)

Originally posted July 7, 2022

AFA Alaska leadership is participating in the Company’s webcasts today about California meal and rest break laws.  It is extremely premature and unnecessarily anxiety-provoking to suggest that downsizing or closing California domiciles is anything but a worst-case scenario.  Management is mischaracterizing AFA’s involvement in the Bernstein v. Virgin America case.  The MEC will communicate more details tomorrow after coordinating with the AFA International officers and with AFA Legal.

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AFA’s Response to Management’s Webcasts About Bernstein v. Virgin America (California Meal & Rest Breaks) – Part 1

Originally posted July 8, 2022

Alaska Airlines management held a series of webcast sessions for Flight Attendants to discuss possible impacts of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Bernstein v. Virgin America case.  AFA believes that management’s intent of the sessions was to motivate Flight Attendants to pressure lawmakers to pass laws that exempt the airline industry from applying worker-friendly state and local labor laws to flight crew.  At the same time, AFA is willing to work with the industry, other labor unions, and additional stakeholders to address the challenges presented by California meal & rest break laws through legislative clarification and/or alternate solutions.

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Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, July 12 – Wednesday, July 13	June 2022 Regular MEC Meeting
Thursday, July 14	Quarterly Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Meeting

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

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In This Edition

• Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – June 2022
• Supreme Court Ruling on Bernstein v. Virgin America
• Next Week’s Events

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – June 2022

Originally posted June 29, 2022

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, June 28 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling.  The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.  Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Supreme Court Ruling on Bernstein v. Virgin America

Originally posted June 30, 2022

The Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling today that denied an appeal from Alaska Airlines to reconsider a lower court’s ruling in the case of Bernstein v. Virgin America.  The lawsuit claimed that various California labor laws had been violated related to wages, hours worked, pay, and meal and rest breaks.  The suit was originally filed against Virgin America and became the responsibility of Alaska Airlines after the merger between the two companies.  Management has distributed multiple employee communications complaining that they will now have to obey the law but has not shown that they are focused on practical solutions.  AFA stands ready to work out a solution with management that is compliant with the law and is a mutually agreeable path forward for all stakeholders.

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Next Week’s Events

Thursday, July 7

Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

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In This Edition

• June 2022 MEC Meeting Recap
• Next Week’s Events

June 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Originally posted June 16, 2022

Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.  As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.  The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 13.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Monday, June 20

AFA Presentation to Initial Training Class 2022-10

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

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