Council 35 News January 2021

January 29, 2021 12:45

Important Dates

January 31: Union Plus Scholarships
February 1: Black History Month begins

Union Plus Scholarship Opportunity

Union Plus provides comprehensive information for the college-bound individual as well as a suite of scholarships. The deadline to submit an application is January 31. Union Plus Scholarships are open to current and retired members, spouses, and dependent children. Information about each scholarship is available on the website. This offer can save members thousands of dollars!

Black History Month Pins

Your Council 35 Officers have ordered 400 pins for SFO! Base leadership has offered to assist with distribution of the pins. Please stop by the supervisor’s office in the SFO Village to get your pin.

Can I Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

by Brad Young, ASHSC Chair and Council Representative
Maybe. Several Bay Area and Southern California Flight Attendants have reported that they have successfully received their first dose of the vaccination. You may or may not be asked to show your Alaska letter and Crew ID so please be prepared–you may or may not be approved. Please go to your Health Care provider app or website and try to book an appointment under the current criteria eligibility. To print a copy of the Alaska Vaccination Letter:

Alaska’s World>> Inflight Page>> Safety>> COVID-19 Resources>> Vaccine Prioritization Letter

SFO Pairings Update

by Virginia Fritz, Council 35 Scheduling Chair and MEC PBS Committee Member
Flight Attendants will continue to see the pairings in SFO shift from month to month as Network Planning moves routes around, does aircraft rotation, and changes timing of certain flights we are accustomed to seeing in our SFO pairing selection. AFA Pairing Analyst Karen Ferrell and Local Scheduling chairs continue to advocate based on the feedback received from members. The most recent months of pairing selections have been the company’s solution rather than the AFA solution. While there is no guarantee that the company will always apply our desired changes, they continue to attempt to find the right balance of pairing trip length distributions that SFO prefers based on feedback. Trip Layovers, while in normal times is easy to advocate for by requesting soft locks, have been harder to apply as our route structure continues to vary. Most recently the committee has been advocating for more 4K’s, Hawaii layovers, more 2 days, less 4 days and as always, commutable productive trips as a whole. Please continue to send both positive and negative feedback each month so that we can continue to advocate for SFO and thank you for your patience while we navigate these changes. For more information, please reach out to Virginia Fritz, Scheduling Chair.

Hotel Committee News and Info

by James Bozanich, Council 35 Hotel Chair

As we round the corner from 2020 to 2021, the Hotel Committee wanted to share some information that may be helpful. Here are some hot topics:

Crew Transportation

Crew vans are for assigned crew only. All of our transportation is provided to us clean and sanitized to keep us safe and healthy. Unfortunately, no family or friends are permitted to join us at this time.

Van Drivers not Wearing a Mask

Let someone know via REPORT IT app. Each state and county have different rules and regulations which can cause confusion on this topic. As a reminder, it is Alaska’s policy that all of our transportation drivers wear a mask for Flight Attendant’s safety. If this is not happening, write it up in the Report It app as a safety concern. It will then be addressed by management and shared with the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee to drive corrections. If this issue requires urgent attention, FAs should contact the Crew Scheduling Duty Manager and request new transportation.

Resources

As a reminder, the current hotel and transportation list can be found in our Flight Attendant webpage under hotels and on the IMD: Good-Reader>>ASFA Supplemental>>Hotel Hotline. Questions can be directed to James Bozanich, Hotel Chair.

ASHSC Committee Member Needed

The SFO Air Safety Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) is looking for one additional committee member. Please review the ASHSC webpage and review the requirements for more information. Please email Brad Young with your expression of interest and for any additional information.

COVID Vaccine for Flight Attendants

Message from AFA International
Despite their role to maintain critical industry, Flight Attendants are not in a priority tier for the COVID vaccine in most of the country. To help bring awareness and to advocate for priority status in all states, AFA is asking that FA’s write a letter to their governor and ask that Flight Attendants be included in Tier 1B. To read the full article and for more information on how to help with his advocacy please visit AFA Interactive.

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?

Using a personal email address, the preferred methods of contact are:

Open an Online Support Request ticket
Officer group email sfo@afaalaska.org (if one officer is flying /unavailable other officers can respond)
Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 officers please avoid the following methods:

Sending to/from alaskaair email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least one business day for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).

In solidarity,

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President • Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary • James.ikehara@afaalaska.org • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

AFA Alaska Update – November 12, 2020

November 12, 2020 07:00

AFA Alaska Update – November 12, 2020

In This Edition

Annual Benefits Open Enrollment
COVID-19 Pandemic Update
Recurrent Training Update
AFA Disaster Relief – Multiple Disasters
Union Plus Holiday Giveback

Annual Benefits Open Enrollment

Benefits Committee

Annual Benefits Open Enrollment is underway, and you have until November 18, 2020 to make changes to your benefits for 2021.

PPO Plan

The PPO rates are frozen at the 2019 rates per JCBA §23.A.2.

Consumer Choice (High Deductible) PPO Plan

Rates significantly increased this year for the Consumer Choice (High Deductible) PPO Plan, and the various benefits have arguably been greatly diluted. AFA recommends that Flight Attendants currently on the Consumer Choice Plan should carefully consider whether this plan continues to work for your situation.

Many Flight Attendants have asked about whether the increase in rates is allowed contractually, and the answer is yes. JCBA §23.A.3: “The Company will offer a high-deductible group-insurance plan. Flight Attendants will pay no more than any other work group to participate in the plan.” The regular PPO has an annual rate increase limit, but the Consumers Choice/High Deductible PPO Plan does not.

Regional HMO Plans

Rates did not increase this year for the Regional HMO Plans. Per JCBA §23.A.4: “For Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), where offered, the Flight Attendant will pay the difference between the entire cost of the HMO and the Company contribution for the PPO plan, subject to a minimum Flight Attendant contribution of the amount charged to PPO plan participants.”

Travel Open Enrollment

You will be able to make changes to your travel dependents during Travel Open Enrollment, which is December 2-16.

COVID-19 Pandemic Update

Air Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) and Inflight Service Committee (ISC)

Management Continues to Roll Out Additional Onboard Service Over AFA’s Objections

First, coffee and tea back in July. Then, Fruit & Cheese Platters last week. Now, a second service in Premium Class is coming soon on Hawaii flights. (There have been other service additions along the way, but you get the point.) Master Executive Council (MEC) leadership has received questions from concerned members asking if we are in support of these service additions while the pandemic continues to rage.

We are not, on the basis that they are premature in our opinion. However, management strongly believes the enhancements are necessary in order to maintain guest satisfaction and that sufficient safety measures have been implemented to mitigate risk to acceptable levels.

Although the parties are agreeing to disagree on that last point, we are always attempting to find common ground. For now, management has agreed to not expand coffee and tea service to all day, to limit the second Premium Class service to Hawaii and to continue working with AFA to minimize aisle time and maximize mask compliance. Efforts continue on multiple fronts in various forums every week.

AFA COVID-19 Operational Recommendations (October 2020)

Click here for AFA Media Release “Aircraft Cabin COVID-19 Studies Affirm Safe Travel with Mask Compliance and Layered COVID-19 Safety Procedures” (October 27, 2020) >

The AFA Executive Board of Directors unanimously approved the following recommendations developed by the AFA International Air Safety, Health, Security Department working in partnership with the safety committees at all the AFA carriers. These were recently sent to the CEOs of every AFA carrier requesting action to implement the recommendations. AFA Alaska leadership is currently working through the list with executive management. We will keep you posted on the progress.

Continue to require that masks are worn onboard until a vaccine is widely available, and implement these onboard service policies to facilitate consistent mask-wearing:
- Minimize onboard food and beverage service to essential items;
- Make regular announcements: (1) for passengers to not remove their mask until the Flight Attendant has passed their row; and (2) for passengers to only “dip” their mask down momentarily to take a bite or a sip (“dip and sip”);
- Add onboard mask protocols to flight attendant safety demos, including the requirement for everyone to wear a mask throughout the flight, to wear it over the month and nose, and to only dip it down momentarily when eating/drinking;
- Only serve cold food and drinks on flights less than 1,800 miles/three hours;
- Serve individual cans/bottles for drinks, do not pour beverages from master bottles;
- Stop onboard alcohol sales: alcohol consumption is non-essential and can reduce mask compliance.
Maintain social-distancing space for flight attendants, whenever possible on the plane and transportation to/from hotel. Provide regular briefing sheet reminders about best practices in crowded spaces to reduce risk – persistent proper mask use, avoid common touch locations, use of 60% alcohol or more hand sanitizer, and wash hands for 20 seconds or more as soon as practicable after once at destination (airport or hotel).
Maintain employee sick leave policies with economic coverage of testing and non-punitive sick calls if experiencing COVID-like symptoms.
Conduct timely notification to Flight Attendants on exposure to confirmed coronavirus cases, with a 72 hours lookback to a passenger or crewmember reporting either symptoms or a positive test result, including notification to crewmembers if one or more passengers test positive post-flight. Continue company-sponsored crew testing and quarantine protocols;
Continue to implement and maintain sanitation and disinfection protocols; and
Minimize or eliminate touch points, such as hanging coats for passengers and other non-essential services.

Recurrent Training Update

Inflight Training Committee

Recurrent Training 2021: Boeing Window Exit – Ditching

Remember the very wordy Q3 Computer Based Training (CBT) Boeing Window Exit Ditching video? It’s official: As required by the FAA, we will be evaluated on that evacuation drill during Recurrent Training 2021. We do not believe this regulatory requirement will change, so start studying now!

No More Line Observation in the Special Track Training Program

The requirement for a Line Observation (which was being commonly referenced as a “check ride” in casual conversation on the line) within twelve months of a successful third or fourth competency evaluation (i.e. RT or RQ drill) has been removed from the Special Track training program. Although the Special Track continues to exist, a Line Observation is no longer part of the program.

AFA Disaster Relief – Multiple Disasters

AFA Disaster Relief Fund

We know that disasters can change lives forever. While we can’t stop destructive events from happening, we can, as a Union, assist our members with their recovery. AFA established the Disaster Relief Fund after September 11th to assist our members whose lives were placed in harm’s way. AFA members and retirees, whose primary residence is in the counties listed below and who have suffered damage and/or dislocation, are eligible for $200.00 from the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund. It is a gift made possible by the generosity of your fellow union sisters and brothers with AFA.

Hurricane Laura (Louisiana):

PARISHES: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, La Salle, Lincoln, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, St. Landry, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Winn

California Wildfires:

COUNTIES: Butte, Fresno, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Medera, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Tulare and Yolo

Oregon Wildfires:

COUNTIES: Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion

Hurricane Sally (Alabama):

COUNTIES: Baldwin, Escambia, Mobile

Hurricane Delta (Louisiana):

PARISHES: Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion

If you would like to apply for AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Funds, visit www.afacwa.org/drf and download the Disaster Relief Fund Application and mail it to AFA-CWA EAP Department, 6th Floor, 501 Third Street NW, Washington D.C. 20001-2797. You can also e-mail this same information requested to lfoster@afanet.org or phone in the necessary information to 1-800-424-2406.

If you wish to make a contribution either by check or electronic payment, please visit www.afacwa.org/drf for more information on donating.

Union Plus Holiday Giveback: Nominations Are Open

Sponsor: Union Privilege

It’s official. The Union Plus Holiday Giveback Campaign is officially live! Over the next month, Union Plus is accepting nominations for extraordinary union members across the country that deserve something a little extra this holiday season. The best part? 100 winners will each receive $1,000 in appreciation of all that they do for their communities. It’s simple to enter. How simple? Three steps for three minutes simple:

1. Record a short video of yourself explaining what makes your nominee extraordinary. They can be any union member–someone from your community, a loved one, or yourself.

2. Click here to submit the video on Union Plus’s website or post the video on your personal Instagram account using the hashtags #UnionPlusGiveAGrand and #Contest

3. Click here to submit a written entry (300 words or less) on Union Plus’s website. Nominations will be accepted until December 4th, and winners will be announced throughout December. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to make a fellow union member’s holiday season extra special and wish you the best of luck!

REQUIRED DISCLOSURE: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Contest (the “Contest”) is open to legal U.S residents 18+. See Official Rules & Appendix for complete eligibility details and eligible unions in Official Rules. The Contest is not open to the general public. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest begins 11/9/20 and ends 12/4/20. Click here for Official Rules.

AFA Update – October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019 12:00

In This Edition

Introducing your MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson
Introducing your MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative
MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews
What Happens When You Report a Human Trafficking Tip?
Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Introducing Your MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson

Human Rights Committee

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the new MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Chip Hestle to the position.

About Chip

Chip Hestle II is a Seattle-based Flight Attendant with 29 years of service at Alaska Airlines. During his career, Chip held the position as Chairperson for the first Alaska Airlines CATeam. In this role, he worked alongside Human Resources to promote diversity and cultural awareness. He also participated in Flight Attendant Hiring Events. Additionally, Chip served on the AFA Government Affairs Committee and established the Alaska Airlines Drug and Alcohol Infinity Support Group.

Most recently, Chip was one of four keynote speakers at the AT-62nd Area 46 AA New Mexico State Convention. In January 2018, he was named one of Alaska Airlines Legends in Customer Service. In October 2017, he received the Alaska Airlines Award of Excellence. Chip served as co-President of the FADAP Mentorship Program and established “Wings of Sobriety”. Chip participated in Humanity Chartered Mercy flights to New Orleans, LA, during Hurricane Katrina. He represented Alaska Airlines at the African American Flight Attendant Convention in New York, NY. And, he participated in lobbying Congressional legislators to protect flight attendant crew rest and duty hours in 2001-2002.

Chip is very grateful for the opportunity to serve and have received many awards and recognitions, but what he’s most proud of is the wonderful working relationship that he has with Alaska Airlines customers, management and fellow crew members.

About The Position

The MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson 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 about the position and committee can be found by clicking here.

Introducing Your MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the new MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Uniform Safety Representative position. The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Deb Wallstrom to the position.

About Deb

Deb Wallstrom is an Anchorage-based Flight Attendant. She started working for Alaska Airlines in 1998 and has been based in Anchorage, Los Angeles and San Diego. She believes in a strong safety culture in the workplace and has been a member of the Air Safety, Health, and Safety Committee for the last five years. She recently joined the Benefits Committee and looks forward to helping others navigate the medical leave of absence process.

While soap making has also become a new hobby, she can be found hiking, camping and enjoying the outdoors in her spare time.

About The Position

The ASHSC Uniform Safety Representative will be responsible for assisting Flight Attendants who experience reactions and health concerns related to wearing the Flight Attendant uniform. The position will work closely with the Uniform and Benefits Committees to ensure that Flight Attendants have a strong voice to advocate for them in relation to uniform safety.

MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the term of appointment for the MEC Committee Chairpersons is concurrent with those of the MEC Officers. As the current MEC Officer term of office will end on December 31, 2019, the MEC will be conducting a review of the MEC Committee Chairperson positions in December 2019.

During this review process, the MEC will be interviewing for the following MEC-level chairperson positions:

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson
Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson – Air Quality
Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson – Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)
Benefits Committee Chairperson
Communications Committee Chairperson
EAP Committee Chairperson
EAP Committee Vice Chairperson
Government Affairs Committee Chairperson
Grievance Committee Chairperson
Hotel Committee Chairperson
Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson
Inflight Service Committee Chairperson
Inflight Training Committee Chairperson
Reserve Committee Chairperson
Retirement Committee Chairperson
Scheduling Committee Chairperson
Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – PBS
Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – Pairing Construction
Uniform Committee Chairperson

Appointment for the Human Rights Committee Chairperson position was made within the last six months. As a result, this positions will not be reviewed and will continue until the end of the next MEC Officer election cycle.

Additionally, interviews will also be held for the following MEC-level appointed positions:

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – ASAP Alternate Representative
Grievance Committee Assistant
Grievance Committee – Payroll Representative
Inflight Training Committee Member (2 positions)
Scheduling Committee – PBS Subcommittee Member (2 positions)

General Qualifications

The following qualifications apply to all MEC-level Chairperson positions:

Previous experience as a Committee Member or Chairperson preferred (required for EAP)
Previous committee-specific training preferred (required for EAP)
Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle on occasion
Strong computer skills. Good working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties and Responsibilities

Information about the duties and responsibilities of each specific committee can be found in article VII of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, which can be accessed by clicking here. Additional information about MEC Committee Chairperson duties and responsibilities can be found in this document.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss for each position will be discussed during each interview. All positions operate in accordance with AFA’s spirit of volunteerism.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the December MEC meeting from December 9-12, 2019. 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/XWsW9pEgtMRmqhZM6. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Monday, November 25. 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?

Any questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed position duties and responsibilities can be directed to MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

What Happens When You Report a Human Trafficking Tip?

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

In our role as aviation’s first responders, Flight Attendants have the ability to make a substantial impact in the fight against human trafficking. Education and training about how to identify and report suspected human trafficking has been included in Flight Attendant Recurrent Training for the past several years and additional reminders have been included in various communications from AFA and management.

Flight Attendant procedures for suspected human trafficking involve reporting the event at which point authorities take over and follow up on the tip. Reports from Flight Attendants and other aviation employees are a part of the Department of Homeland Security—Customs and Border Protection’s Blue Lightning Initiative, which provides a voluntary platform to identify potential human trafficking victims and to notify federal authorities for front line workers at U.S. commercial airlines. The diagram below provides an overview of what takes place once a report is submitted.

Reporting Human Trafficking

If you suspect a case of human trafficking:

Call toll-free (866) 347-2423 from anywhere in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Call (802) 872-6199 (not toll-free) from any country in the world.
Report the tip online at www.ice.gov/tips.
If in flight, report the situation to the pilots.

Questions?

You can learn more about human trafficking and the Blue Lightning Initiative at https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease. There are about 1.38 million new cases of breast cancer each year. Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been rising up steadily in the last years due to increase in life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer; therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. Today, in the United States alone, there are over 3.5 million women and men breast cancer survivors.

Chances are, you know someone with or impacted by breast cancer. It could even be you. That’s why this fight is everyone’s fight. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people wear pink, including ribbons, to support the progress being made to defeat breast cancer, to honor survivors, and to remember those lost to the disease. If you would like to get more involved in the fight against breast cancer, visit makingstrides.acsevents.org. Remember, your AFA EAP is available to confidentially assist you with any health related issues. You can find contact information for your Local EAP Committee at https://afaalaska.org/eap or by calling (949) 470-0493.

Safety Concerns with the Reconfigured Airbus “Aura” Cabins

March 8, 2019 19:00

The AFA Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) has brought forward a member’s safety concerns regarding the interior aft assist handles at the L1 and R1 exit doors on the reconfigured Alaska (“Aura”) Airbus 319, 320 and 321. AFA is also reviewing the placement of seats with relation to the L2 and R2 mid-cabin exits and the potential for those seats to interfere with the expeditious activation of the exits and to impede egress in an emergency evacuation. To keep this communication shorter, we will focus on the L1 and R1 aft assist handles but be assured that AFA is working both issues.

What are the concerns?

The reconfigured Aura bulkheads that are immediately aft of L1 and R1 (separating 1AC from the forward jumpseats on aircraft left and 1DF and the forward galley on aircraft right) have been relocated farther forward than the bulkheads on Legacy Virgin America (“Red”) aircraft.

Why is this a concern?

The bulkheads are now very close to the aft assist handles, effectively rendering the handles unusable.

This is significant because many if not most Flight Attendants cannot maintain a grip on the forward assist handle while simultaneously pulling the inflation handle at the exit. In such circumstances, Flight Attendants have been trained to ‘monkey’ over to the aft assist handle in order to maintain a protected position while pulling the inflation handle. The Flight Attendant is then supposed to ‘monkey’ back over to the forward assist handle prior to commanding abled bodied persons (ABPs) to initiate the evacuation. If a Flight Attendant cannot use the aft assist handle, it is more likely the FA will be pushed out of the aircraft while pulling the inflation handle. This situation unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

What is being done?

Management’s response

Once management was alerted to the issues by AFA, it has been very responsive. On Wednesday, March 6, management and AFA conducted a joint site visit to an Aura A320 during the aircraft’s turn time in Seattle in order to better understand AFA’s concerns. Management posted the following alert on the Inflight webpage later that evening:

AFA has brought forward concerns to Inflight management that the new Aura retrofit interior on A320 and A321 aircraft have a narrow space between the bulkhead wall and the aft assist handle at the L1/R1 exits.
Although the Aura retrofit interior is FAA approved, we are currently working with Maintenance & Engineering and the vendor who installed the interior to determine improved functionality. In the next several days, management will be holding cross-divisional meetings to explore alternate options.
We want you to be safe. Our advice is if you cannot use the aft assist handle, secure yourself by any means necessary to ensure you are protected. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Management conducted a follow-up safety risk management (SRM) assessment on the issues earlier today (March 8, 2019). In the SRM meeting, management pledged to actively explore long-term solutions to the concerns. More meetings are scheduled next week.

AFA’s response

Besides AFA bringing the issue to management’s attention over the past week, the Master Executive Council (MEC) filed two contractual grievances yesterday:

Grievance 36-99-2-40-19 Violation of Section 25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace alleges that management failed to provide a safe and healthy workplace when it installed new bulkheads on the retrofitted Airbus (“Aura”) aircraft that effectively renders the aft assist handles near doors L1/R1 as unusable and unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.
Grievance 36-99-2-41-19 Violation of Section 25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision alleges that management failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design.

AFA ASHSC representatives participated in the SRM meeting earlier today, and AFA will continue to actively interface with management on these issues until long-term solutions to our concerns have been implemented.

In the meantime, AFA recommends that Flight Attendants submit a confidential Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) report in order to document their safety concerns. These confidential reports are tracked and actioned upon by the FAA, the Company and AFA.

Be assured your safety is of paramount importance to us and stay tuned for further developments!

In Solidarity

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee; MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams; MEC Air Safety Health and Security (ASHSC) Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple and ASHSC Vice Chairperson-Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Brad Young

Air Quality Information & Update

November 9, 2018 12:00

Due to the recent spike in cabin air fume events, your AFA Air Safety, Health, and Security Committee (ASHSC) has been working diligently to assist with all fume events by continuing with our normal procedure of contacting the affected crews, offering support, educating, and providing tools and resources for responding to these events.

Resources Available

With regard to education, the Committee is currently working with the Air Safety, Health, and Security (ASHS) department at AFA International to create additional online training and educational materials related to fume events. 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). You can find contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website.

AFA Alaska Update – November 12, 2020

In This Edition

Annual Benefits Open Enrollment

PPO Plan

Consumer Choice (High Deductible) PPO Plan

Regional HMO Plans

Travel Open Enrollment

COVID-19 Pandemic Update

Management Continues to Roll Out Additional Onboard Service Over AFA’s Objections

AFA COVID-19 Operational Recommendations (October 2020)

Recurrent Training Update

Recurrent Training 2021: Boeing Window Exit – Ditching

No More Line Observation in the Special Track Training Program

AFA Disaster Relief – Multiple Disasters

Hurricane Laura (Louisiana):

California Wildfires:

Oregon Wildfires:

Hurricane Sally (Alabama):

Hurricane Delta (Louisiana):

Union Plus Holiday Giveback: Nominations Are Open

Resources Available

Air Quality Fume Event FAQs

Air Quality Exposure Quick Reference Card

AFA Alaska Website

Questions?

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