In This Edition
- Flight Attendant Addiction Support (FAAS) Program
- Cornerstone App Replacement
- Vacation While on a Staffing Adjustment Leave of Absence
- AFA EAP Support Services – Week of April 20
- Union Plus – Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program
Flight Attendant Addiction Support (FAAS) Program
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee
The Flight Attendant Addiction Support Program (FAAS) is a program that allows Flight Attendants who deal with substance use problems and dependency the ability to obtain appropriate treatment without the threat of automatic termination. The program is several years in the making and has been a joint effort between AFA Alaska EAP, AFA International EAP, and Alaska Airlines management. The FAAS Program became available for use as of March 1, 2020 and is available to all non-probationary Flight Attendants.
Under the FAAS Program, there are three pathways for seeking support and treatment:
- Proactive Self-Referral
- Proactive Self-Disclosure/Reactive Self-Referral
- Violation of DOT regulations or Company Drug and Alcohol policy
More information about these pathways, conditions for participation, effect on employment status, options for payment of treatment, and recovery support can be found in the FAAS Program Manual. You can access the manual on the Inflight website under Administration > FA Addiction Support Program > FAAS Program Manual or on the IMD in GoodReader > ASFASupplemental > FAAS Program.
Note: The MEC would like to thank MEC EAP Committee Chairperson Elizabeth Dillon, Vice Chairperson Jeanne McCleave, and SAN LEC Vice President/EAP Committee Chairperson Melanie Buker for their enduring efforts in seeing this program through to realization.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the FAAS Program, please contact your Local EAP Committee.
Cornerstone App Replacement
Inflight Training Committee
On March 30, management announced that the Cornerstone app would be replaced with the new Cornerstone Learn app. The replacement of the Cornerstone app is a welcome announcement given the ongoing technical issues and challenges that the app has presented to our Flight Attendants. Management has indicated that the new Cornerstone Learn app has greater reliability than the legacy Cornerstone app and should be easier for Flight Attendants to use. Though AFA representatives have had the opportunity to briefly test the new app, there were several technical issues identified and we are skeptical that the new platform will resolve all of the outstanding issues that Flight Attendants experienced with the old app.
Sync Your Training Before April 30
In bulletin #2020-0024 (AAG sign-on required), published on March 30, management provided notification that the legacy Cornerstone app will no longer be supported after April 30. If you have started or completed any training using the download feature in the legacy Cornerstone app, you must ensure that you sync the Cornerstone app on your IMD so that your progress is transferred to the new Cornerstone Learn platform. You can find more information about how to sync in the bulletin under the “New Mobile Learning App” heading.
Questions?
If you have questions about the new Cornerstone Learn app or how to ensure that your training is synced in preparation for the transition, please contact Inflight Training management directly at inflight.training@alaskaair.com.
Vacation While on a Staffing Adjustment Leave of Absence
Master Executive Council (MEC)
If you’re taking an upcoming staffing leave of absence and have vacation days that are scheduled during your leave, those vacation days will be removed from your roster and replaced with the coding for your leave of absence. The MEC would like to ensure that you are aware of the options that you have to either move or be paid out for your vacation days, which are as follows:
- Trade Your Days With Vacation Open Time. Identify available days in vacation open time and email F/A Crew Pay (fa.crewpay@alaskaair.com) to let them know the days that you’d like to trade into. F/A Crew Pay will process the change. Vacation open time can be viewed on the Inflight website under Schedule & Bidding > Vacation Trading > Vacation Open Time. The calendar will display the number of open slots on each day for your base.
- Request That Your Vacation Be Paid Out Now. If you would like your vacation to be paid out now, complete and submit a Vacation Payout Form. The form is located on the Inflight website under Administration > Pay & Benefits > Vacation Payout Form. As long as the form is submitted 7 or more days prior to pay day, your vacation will be paid out on your next available check.
- Do Nothing and Be Paid Out Later. If you do not trade your vacation days or request that they be paid out now, they will be paid out automatically on February 5, 2021.
Questions?
If you have questions about any of the above options or need assistance, please contact your LEC Officers.
AFA EAP Support Services – Week of April 20
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee
AFA EAP has put together several resources to help Flight Attendants manage their personal mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 outbreak. All services are available in either a telephone or online format. For a complete list of support services being offered, schedules for the week of April 20, and access information, please click here.
Questions?
If you have any questions about available EAP support services, please contact your Local EAP Committee.
Union Plus – Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program
AFA International
Because of the current economic and health uncertainty facing many union members, students who enroll in the Union Plus Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program, in partnership with Central State University, in the summer 2020 term will complete their entire degree for free.
There will be no out-of-pocket cost for tuition, fees, or e-books until graduation, not just the summer term. Students may enroll part-time, but continuous enrollment is required. Students must complete the FAFSA and the financial aid process.
Summer classes begin May 18, 2020.
Unemployed, furloughed or laid off union members and their extended families are still eligible to enroll in the Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program.
Questions?
You can learn more by calling 888-897-9671 or get started online at https://bachelorsdegree.unionplus.org.
