Government Affairs

Government Affairs Special Edition

November 1, 2023 07:00

In This Edition…

Election Day
Washington State Labor Council
Why Voting Matters
Washington State Voters Guide

Election Day

This November 7th is Election Day. For those of you who live in, or are new to Washington, this is a vote-by-mail state. The website https://www.vote411.org/washington is a great site that provides all of your voter information including how to register to vote for new residents. This site also provides links to other states for those who live outside of Washington.

Voting Endorsements

We all have different political beliefs, and nobody should tell someone else how to vote, but one thing stands strong…. we all want to propel our professions, and our workplace rights. Supporting candidates that support our professions, our unions, and who are “pro-labor” is essential. If you would like information on what candidates are endorsed and/or supported by the Washington State Labor Council, you can visit: https://www.wslc.org/union-members-only-election-information/

Why Voting Matters

At its core, voting is the cornerstone of democracy. It’s a mechanism through which we, as citizens, actively participate in the decision making process Here are some key reasons why voting matters:

By casting your vote, you contribute to the selection of leaders who will represent your interests and values in government.
Voting allows us to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and decisions. It’s a way to voice approval or dissatisfaction with their performance.
Your vote directly influences the development of policies on issues that affect your daily life, from education and healthcare to the economy and environment.
Voting fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility, as it brings people together to collectively decide on the direction of their society.

The above was taken from www.caprw.org

Washington State Voters Guide

You may not have received your voters guide via mail, but they can all be accessed online. Select your county to view local candidates at: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/data-research/election-results-and-voters-pamphlets/2023-primary-election-voters-guide

In the end, the most important thing is that you exercise your right to vote.

If you have any questions about the process, current events, or any of the candidates, please reach out to your Council 19 Government Affairs Chairperson, Melinda Jorge at melinda.jorge@afaalaska.org or any member of the Council 19 Government Affairs Committee.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 19 Government Affairs Committee

See Below to view a PDF version with graphics

Government-Affairs-Update Download

Council 35 News – June 2022

July 1, 2022 23:11

Important Dates

June 30: Q2 CBT Due Today!

SFO KCM is Back!

Due to TSA staffing issues, the Terminal 2 Known Crewmember (KCM) entrance has returned to the D gates entrance, just past the restrooms. Important reminders for KCM card holders:

Only bring your own belongings through KCM checkpoint
No weapons allowed through KCM (should be an obvious one!)
No personal international travel

Violations of the KCM rules can result in suspension of privileges, not just for the offending FA but everyone! TSA has issued a warning to participating airlines that a recent increase in violations has prompted them to increase random checks and to have TSA inspectors present at checkpoints. Inspectors may ask cardholders questions about the program to ensure understanding and enforce compliance. Please be aware of the rules and give extra time to go through checkpoints. For more information visit the KCM website.

From the KCM website:

Crewmember’s can utilize the KCM® access points for both business and personal use except when on personal international travel. Crewmember’s on personal international travel must use a passenger-screening checkpoint. If international travel is included on any leg of an itinerary, the entire trip is considered international and KCM may not be used for access to the sterile area. Travel from the U.S. to a destination which does not require a passport (e.g., U.S. Virgin Islands) is not considered international travel.

Welcome to SFO!

Council 35 members, please give our newest Flight Attendants a warm welcome and be sure to show them all that we love about SFO! If you’re a new hire or transfer to SFO, please be sure to sign up to receive Council 35 newsletters, like this one, and be sure to save links to Council 35 committee resources for future reference.

Committee Openings

Committee member openings in the following committees:

Government Affairs (chair)

Human Rights (chair)

Members interested in these positions may submit a letter of interest to sfo@afaalaska.org

Scheduling Update

by Virginia Fritz, Council 35 Vice President-Elect and Scheduling Chair

August ORD Turns

Our AFA Pairing Analyst fights hard against management every month to advocate that we have ORD 4K turns built in our base. Unfortunately, Crew scheduling has requested they not be built as a turn in August because of historical issues causing delays over 14 hour duty days, thereby allowing FA’s to opt out and snowballing reserve usage. This means that we do not expect to have any 4K ORD turns in August. We will continue to advocate for their return.

SFO 3 day Redeyes

We’ve gotten a lot of feedback that the 3 day redeyes with 24 hour rest are not very popular and we frequently find them in our base. Many are awarded to Junior lineholders for coverage in PBS showing they are not very desirable. While we request that management attempt to build us 2 day “day sleep” Redeye Pairings the flight schedule does not always allow those to be legally built with the 10 hours necessary layover rest. We have found that the JFK schedule could allow some to be built and have asked for those flight numbers specifically to be built together when possible going forward. We have not been able to find a flight schedule on other city layovers that would allow that. Please reach out to the scheduling committee if you find specific flight examples that could create the desired 2 day Redeye pairings so that we can add those to our soft lock requests going forward!

Hotel Wait Times

Summer travel is upon us and we aren’t the only industry that is impacted. Hotels are selling out and management is sometimes finding itself scrambling to find us rooms. If your rooms are not ready when you are checking in please reach out to crew scheduling to let them know. Keep them updated with any changes and definitely let them know when you have finally been given a room. We have been successful in requesting compensation for Flight attendants who have had to wait more than an hour for their hotel rooms. Calling Crew Scheduling allows us to verify the time stamps in your delays and ensure we can fight to get you any compensation you may be due for the delay.

Council 35 Grievance Update: Six-Month Stats

The first half of 2022 has been the busiest 2 quarters since 2017! To date we have had 33 disciplines:

Oral Warnings: 13
Written Warning: 5
Suspension: 3
Terminations: 12

Compared to last year we have seen discipline rates more than double. Below is a summary of the issues that resulted in discipline YTD:

Issue Summary	#Cases
CBT	9
Job Abandonment*	5
Personal Conduct*	4
Commuter Violation	3
12+ Points*	2
Late to Plane/Delay	2
Delay	2
Uniform	1
Social Media	1
Sick Leave Abuse*	1
Reserve Out of Base*	1
Insubordination	1
Expired Leave of Absence*	1
Total	33

*termination

This also summarizes the number of grievances filed, as the Grievance Committee files grievances on all discipline issued.

Got a question?

Contact information for Council 35 committee members can be found on our website. You can also open an online support ticket and the appropriate rep will respond.

In solidarity,

Council 35 Officers

Melissa Osborne, President
Virginia Fritz, Vice-President Elect
James Ikehara, Secretary
Brad Young, Council Representative

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 – September 30, 2021

September 30, 2021 09:00

In This Edition

URGENT: No More Shutdowns
Having Difficulty Working with a Fellow Crew Member?
How AFA Dues Deductions Work

URGENT: No More Shutdowns

AFA International

Unless Congress acts before Thursday night (midnight, Friday morning), the federal government will shut down again.

We need to make it clear: federal shutdowns are unacceptable.

Aviation workers ended the shutdown of 2019/2020. Together, we ended the 35-day nightmare of two million people out of work without notice, 400,000 workers forced to come to work without pay, and an increasingly dangerous workspace for the rest of us. We’re not going to stand by while Congress puts us in danger again by failing to do their jobs now.

Call your member of Congress now and demand they fund the government and avert a shutdown and pass legislation that keeps all transportation going.

Shutdowns are dangerous.

Transportation Security Officers and Air Traffic Controllers will be forced to work without pay, putting huge stress on workers whose attention to detail keeps us all safe.
Investigators who build cases against unruly passengers will be furloughed. Because of the statute of limitations on these investigations, this could mean unruly passengers get off without being investigated at all.
Key security personnel who track potential threats will be furloughed, leaving exploitable gaps in aviation security.

This is a safety issue. Flight Attendants are already on the frontlines dealing with a crisis of dangerous passenger behavior. If Congress fails to do their basic job and makes our jobs more dangerous, we will take any necessary action to keep ourselves safe.

Call your members of Congress directly or use the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 to get connected to your Representative and two Senators. Demand they do their job and avoid a shutdown.

Script: Dear Representative/Senator _____, I am a constituent and a Flight Attendant. I cannot do my job if Congress doesn’t do its job. Fund the government and avoid another government shutdown that would put us all in danger. After you fund the government, get to work to ensure we don’t default on our debts and pass the bills that give us the infrastructure we need all over our economy with living wage jobs and basic rights for everyday people. Pass the bipartisan American Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act without delay. We need Washington to do its job so we can do our job too. Thank you.

Keeping the government open is the bare minimum, but there’s much more we need done to solve the problems in front of us today.

You’ve probably heard some of the debate about the two infrastructure bills. The process sounds complicated, but the outcomes are simple. We need Congress to pass BOTH the American Jobs Act, which you may have read about as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework or BIF, and the Build Back Better Act, which reporters are calling the “reconciliation package.”

Here are four key items in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) for Flight Attendants and aviation:

Voting Rights: BBBA expands early voting and other voting rights. Flight Attendants are often on trips on Election Day, and we deserve to have our voices heard in our democracy. This will ensure we—and all workers—have the chance to cast our votes.
Labor Rights: BBBA makes it easier for workers to come together to form unions, negotiate contracts and hold bad bosses accountable.
- Creates real financial penalties for employers who retaliate against organizing.
- Bans Mandatory anti-union meetings.
- Charges executives who break labor laws so that corporate leaders have real consequences for union busting and violating workers’ rights.
- Stops companies from retaliating against workers who exercise their right to strike.
Expands the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide every worker with up to 12 weeks of comprehensive, paid leave whether caring for themselves or a loved one.
Makes union dues tax deductible for all workers, a benefit that was taken away for everyday people in the Trump tax cuts.

Your action today and tomorrow is urgent. We’ll keep updates coming so you have the latest on what’s happening and what we’re doing together to keep each other safe.

Call your Member of Congress now.

Having Difficulty Working with a Fellow Crew Member?

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Quite often, someone doesn’t realize they may have come across as bossy, rude, lazy, etc. They may in fact be experiencing issues at home, are new and unsure of the job, have just come back from a medical leave and are out of practice, or other life challenges are causing them to not be performing as expected. If you’re experiencing a similar issue, believe the issue needs to be addressed, and are not comfortable talking one-on-one with the other person, we recommend that you speak to one of our highly trained AFA EAP/Professional Standards Committee Members.

Contact AFA Professional Standards First!

AFA EAP/Professional Standards can help facilitate a conversation between the affected Flight Attendants. We can offer suggestions on dealing with each other. We can reach out to Flight Attendants and share the perceptions of their co-workers. All this is done in a safe and confidential environment.

Professional Standards Can Help with Pilots

AFA Professional Standards maintains a close working relationship with ALPA Professional Standards. If have a concern or conflict that involves a Pilot, we can refer the issue to ALPA Professional Standards. Just as AFA Professional Standards responds to every report of a concern, ALPA Professional Standards does the same.

Management Isn’t Involved

Most importantly, it’s handled without involving management. Often, when a Flight Attendant has an “off” day, it’s due to special circumstances. If you were in their shoes, you would appreciate your co-worker giving you the benefit of the doubt and leaving management out of the equation.

Who Do I Contact?

If you have a professional standards concern, please reach out to your AFA Local EAP/Professional Standards Committee or call (949) 470-0493.

How AFA Dues Deductions Work

Membership Committee

The Current Month is the Current Dues Month

The paycheck that you receive on the 20^th of the month is your pay for all flying activity during the previous month. Your AFA dues that are deducted from the 20^th of the month check, however, cover your dues obligation for the current month.

For Example:

Paycheck Date (Advice Date): October 20
Flying Pay for (Pay Begin and End Dates): September 1-30 (previous month)
AFA Dues Deducted for: October (current month)

For those returning to work from one of the mitigated leaves of absence your dues may not be deducted since you were not active in the previous month.

Questions?

If you have any questions about dues deductions, please refer to the Membership Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

AFA Update – September 4, 2020

September 4, 2020 19:00

In This Edition

#ReliefNow Rally in Seattle on September 8
National Group Protection Supplemental Insurance Premium Waiver for COVID-19 Leaves and Furloughs
A September 11th Anniversary Message from Your AFA EAP

#ReliefNow Rally in Seattle on September 8

Government Affairs Committee

On Tuesday, September 8th, the AFA Council 19 Government Affairs Committee will be hosting a #ReliefNow Rally in Seattle to demand a clean extension of the Payroll Support Program. We will be rallying outside the offices of Senators Murray and Cantwell at 12 PM Pacific. An extension of the Payroll Support Program will provide job security for hundreds of thousands by requiring airlines continue their promise of no furloughs through March of 2021. With hundreds of thousands of jobs on the line, including hundreds here at Alaska, we ask that you join us in rallying and demanding an extension.

What: Seattle #ReliefNow Rally
When: Tuesday, September 8 a 12 PM Pacific
Where: Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, 915 2^nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98174

This event is open to all, including Flight Attendants laying over in Seattle as well as friends and family members. Not able to join in Seattle? Visit the #ReliefNow page to find an event near you.

Keep The Pressure On Congress—Call Your Representative and Senators!

Flight Attendants continue to pressure Congress to put in place #ReliefNow. Last week, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows talked about extending aid to airlines but acknowledged that Congress must act — executive orders will not save our jobs. Congress is set to return to D.C. on September 8th. We have to keep up the pressure this week with one message: #ReliefNow for aviation workers and all Americans. Get it done.

Make three calls every day this week. One to your Representative and two to your Senators.

SENATE: 888-848-4824
HOUSE: 888-907-9365

Sample Script:

“Hello, I am a constituent calling to ask my Senator/Representative to save my job as an essential worker and airline employee. An overwhelming majority of Congress supports an extension to the Payroll Support Program for aviation workers to avoid massive job loss in October and also to ensure there’s no cancellation of service to small communities. We need a COVID-19 relief package with our payroll support passed TODAY. Our jobs are on the line right now and millions are hurting without this relief! Keep us connected to our jobs, paychecks, & healthcare. We are counting on you. Thank you.”

You can also find local office information by looking up your Representative and Senators at house.gov and senate.gov.

National Group Protection Supplemental Insurance Premium Waiver for COVID-19 Leaves and Furloughs

Benefits Committee

Most Company-offered supplemental insurance coverage continues while on COVID-19 leaves or furloughs, and the premiums for such insurance are double-deducted upon return to service or are direct billed by the Company or an agent of the Company depending on the situation. However, premiums for supplemental insurance offered by National Group Protection (NGP) / Continental Accident Insurance Company (CAIC) and payroll deducted as “Continental Insurance (CAIC)” are not double-deducted or direct billed by the Company or an agent of the Company.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NGP has offered a generous continuation of coverage and a six-month suspension of premiums for Flight Attendants on leaves or furloughs beginning in May and for the remainder of 2020. The six months are not required to be consecutive and the waiver of premium may continue into 2021 if the Flight Attendant is on leave or furlough as of December 31, 2020.

No action is required in order to maintain coverage. CAIC will honor claims during this time (subject to policy provisions/language and documentation requirements). NGP will communicate directly with Flight Attendants who are expected to exhaust the waiver of premium.

If you have any questions, you may contact NGP directly at 1-800-344-9016 or service@ngp-ins.com.

A September 11^th Anniversary Message from Your AFA EAP

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

We know that the anniversaries of significant events in people’s lives can sometimes trigger reactions. September 11, 2020 will be no different. Some of us may harness our responses by participating in commemorative activities and memorials. For others, September 11^th will be marked by private reflections and personal tributes like a moment of silence or picking up a trip on the 11^th. For others, September 11^th will serve as a reminder that September is National Preparedness Month. Many will channel their responses into creating or updating family disaster communication/preparedness plans.

However you choose to structure your day this September 11^th 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 local EAP Committee Member contact information at afaalaska.org/eap. Remember, we’re just a phone call away.

AFA Update – July 24, 2020

July 24, 2020 12:00

In This Edition

REMINDER: Call Congress to Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program
Onboard Service Expansion
Free Online Learning Course—African American History: From Emancipation to the Present
REMINDER: Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey
Grievance Committee Update

REMINDER: Call Congress to Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program

Government Affairs Committee

Keep up the pressure on our lawmakers to do the right thing and extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program. The House of Representatives is scheduled to break for recess on July 31st and the Senate on August 7th. Make your calls today and every day!

House – (888) 907-9365
Senate – (888) 848-4824

Sample Script:

Hello, I am a constituent calling to ask [Representative]/[Senator] to help save my job as an essential worker. Take legislative action in July to extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program for aviation workers in order to avoid massive job loss in October. Keep us connected to our jobs, our paychecks, and our healthcare. Thank you for your urgent attention to this.

Onboard Service Expansion

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Last week, management implemented an expansion of onboard service by increasing beverage choices for passengers and re-introducing hot beverages as an available menu option. This expansion of onboard service took place despite vocal objections by our Master Executive Council (MEC), Inflight Service Committee, and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC). Among these objections are management’s failure to adequately address the increased risk of exposure that our Flight Attendants are facing due to the additional time being spent interacting with passengers to offer the prescribed service. In light of the recent nationwide increase in COVID-19 cases and many jurisdictions postponing or rolling back plans to reopen businesses, the expansion of onboard service seems counterintuitive and does not indicate that management is serious about “owning safety”.

The MEC is currently developing a survey to gather more information about the specifics of how the expanded onboard service has impacted our Flight Attendants. More information will be available in soon in another AFA update.

Free Online Learning Course—African American History: From Emancipation to the Present

Human Rights Committee

Yale University is currently offering a free course on African American history taught by Jonathan Holloway. Professor Holloway was Professor of History, African American Studies, and American Studies at Yale University and Dean of Yale College.

This course represents a unique opportunity to assist in fulfilling our union’s promise to redouble our efforts to seek out, listen to, and amplify the voices of black and brown Flight Attendants within our Union and to address the systemic racism in our Union, our industry and our nation.

Additional information about the course can be found in the excerpt below from the Yale University website. You can access the course directly by clicking here.

About the Course

The purpose of this course is to examine the African American experience in the United States from 1863 to the present. Prominent themes include the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction; African Americans’ urbanization experiences; the development of the modern civil rights movement and its aftermath; and the thought and leadership of Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.

Warning: Some of the lectures in this course contain graphic content and/or adult language that some users may find disturbing.

Course Structure

This Yale College course, taught on campus twice per week for 50 minutes, was recorded for Open Yale Courses in Spring 2010.

REMINDER: Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey

AFA International

As a reminder, AFA International is currently running a Flight Attendant COVID-19 Survey to collect Flight Attendants’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential to our work with our airlines, the federal government, and Congress to get your feedback.

Is there available PPE at work? Have you tested positive for COVID-19? How many trips have you worked since March? What’s your experience with aircraft cleaning? Are you on leave?

Click here to take the survey

All individual responses will be de-identified, kept confidential and only utilized publicly in the aggregate.

Grievance Committee Update

Grievance Committee

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf. The contract requires a minimum of 13 arbitration dates yearly to dispute discipline/termination cases and contractual issues. AFA typically prioritizes termination cases in order to return a Flight Attendant back to work as soon as possible; however, we seek a balance between discipline and contractual cases. AFA and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate next based on many factors.

Steps of discipline are confirmation of oral warning (COW), written warning (WW), suspension (varied number of days) to termination. COWs, WWs, and suspensions remain in a Flight Attendant’s file for 18 months, and then are removed. If a Flight Attendant is in a step of discipline and gets another violation, the new violation will build on the previous violation. Management doesn’t always progressively travel up the steps of discipline. If management investigates a Flight Attendant for theft or abuse of sick leave, for example, management will terminate the Flight Attendant if there is evidence to support its findings; if there is no evidence, then the Flight Attendant will most likely be issued a record of discussion (ROD). A ROD is not considered discipline. There is no middle ground for certain violations.

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

Theft. Anything other than an opened/used bottle of water, unused pilot crew meal or purchased food removed from the aircraft will result in termination. (Temporarily there are Covid-19 exceptions).
Sick leave and FMLA abuse—Terminations on the rise due to travel audits among other things. Anything written in the comments posting of trip trades and personal drops can be seen, even if eventually deleted. If management determines abuse it results in termination.
Timecard fraud—For example: Holding the door open to obtain sit pay. Management has terminated for this violation.
Drug/Alcohol violations
Harassment
Reserves commuting during reserve availability period even if self-assigned a trip. Management has terminated for this reason several times.
Social media violations Including “friending” passengers on FB from information gained from the IMD
Commuter Violations
- Flight Attendant released from DHD and used D8Y home
- Flight Attendant used D8Y when they picked up out of base
- Flight Attendant used D8Y to/from incorrect cities
- Flight Attendant used D8Y for pleasure travel
Lost IMD or other required items
Failing to complete CBT—even if FA just forgets to hit the close button within Cornerstone to switch the CBT from in process to complete.

Recent and Upcoming Arbitration/Mediation

Arbitration	April 21	Disciplinary Grievance
Arbitration	May 27	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	June 15	Contractual Grievance
Arbitration	June 25	Disciplinary Grievance

Recent Arbitration Awards

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-52-17-Violation of §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 JCTE Denying Unlimited Trading of Reserve Days Due to Classification as a Reserve Block Split. This grievance alleged the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §§11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 [Reserve: Reserve Exchange of Days, Pick-Ups and Trades/Reserve Day/Blocks], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system denied unlimited trading of reserve days pursuant to §11.H.4 due to JCA incorrectly classifying such trade as a reserve block split pursuant to §11.H.3.b.

Arbitrator’s Decision: The grievance is denied. Alaska Airlines did not violate Sections 11.H.3.b & 11.H.4 and/or any and all related sections of the collective-bargaining agreement or past practice when its Jeppesen Crew Access trading system denied transactions where Reserve Flight Attendants sought to give away less than an entire block more than once per month. Alaska Airlines properly classified these transactions as a reserve block split pursuant to Section 11.H.3.b.

Recent Grievance Settlements

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-30-19-Violation of §28.G.2 Ground Commuting Policy. This alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §28.G.2 [Domiciles: Commuter Policy/Ground Commuting Policy], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when during the February 2019 Pacific Northwest snowstorms, it did not allow Flight Attendants to use the ground commuter policy because the Company did not consider a snowstorm-related ground commuting failure to be unanticipated.

Details: See the July 13, 2020 AFA Update for more information.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-159-19-Violation of §11.F, §11.F.13 and §11.D.2.c Airport Standby Reserve and On Duty at 4:29 am. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §11.F [Reserve: Airport Standby], §11.F.13 [Reserve: APSB on Duty at 4:29 am] and §11.D.2.c [Reserve: Notice of Time to Report], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to or inconsistently compensated Flight Attendants when they were: 1) Sitting airport standby (APSB) prior to 4:29 am; 2) Sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am and while on said APSB was given a flight assignment prior to 4:29 am; and 3) Sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am and while on said APSB was given a flight assignment after 4:29 am.

Details:

Reserve Flight Attendants sitting airport standby (APSB) prior to 4:29 am local domicile time who do not receive a flight assignment during APSB:
1. Will be compensated pursuant to §11.D.2.c at one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate in that duty period of which one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above guarantee for the APSB assignment if the Flight Attendant receives less than nine (9) hours’ notice of the APSB assignment; or
1. Will be compensated straight time (1.0x) towards the reserve guarantee for the APSB assignment if the Flight Attendant receives at least nine (9) hours’ notice of the APSB assignment.
Reserve Flight Attendants sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am local domicile time and while on said APSB are given a flight assignment prior to 4:29 am will be compensated one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate for all TFP flown or credited or APSB in that duty period of which one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above guarantee.
Reserve Flight Attendants sitting APSB prior to 4:29 am local domicile time and while on said APSB are given a flight assignment after 4:29 am will be compensated one and one-half times (1.5x) the trip rate for all TFP flown or credited or APSB in that duty period of which one-half times (0.5x) the trip rate will be paid above guarantee.

Click here to view the complete settlement agreement.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-116-18-Violation of §10.J.4 Bidding Timelines. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 10.J.4 [Scheduling: Bid Packets and Bidding Timelines], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about March 13, 2018, management re-opened its Preferential Bidding System (PBS), NAVBLUE, for a full bid re-award for April 2018 because it was not programmed to match the bid “duty on” preference on the new web application user interface. However, due to system limitations the re-award required the PBS to reopen which allowed access for Flight Attendants to submit new bids after the contractual bid submission deadline.

Details: The Company and AFA will The parties will actively work on installing an administrative lock-out function (or other mutually agreed upon solution) in the NAVBLUE bidding system (or any successor system). The lock-out function will allow the ‘back end’ of the bidding system to be opened for bid protests, technical issues, or other adjustments while locking out Flight Attendants from altering their bids on the ‘front end’. It is unknown whether NAVBLUE can accommodate a lock-out function exactly as described in this paragraph. If it is not possible, the parties will work together and mutually agree on the alternate solution and how it would work. If an alternate solution is not mutually agreed upon, AFA reserves the right to refile this grievance.

Compensatory Settlement: The Company will pay compensation to all Flight Attendants whose adjusted April 2018 bid resulted in a loss of four (4) or more TFP and at least one day of flying from their original April 2018 bid. Approximately 150 Flight Attendants are in this pool, plus two additional Flight Attendants who do not meet the requirements but whose situations present unique circumstances that warrant settlement. The total TFP amount to be paid out is 1130.6 TFP. A list of said Flight Attendants will be provided to the Company by the Association pursuant to this Settlement Agreement. The Company will pay the TFP to all the above-named Flight Attendants no later than on their June 20, 2021, paycheck. For any affected Flight Attendant who is inactive (due to separation or furlough) as of June 20, 2021, the Company will mail a check (less applicable withholdings) to the Flight Attendant’s last known address. The pay will be at the respective rates in effect on the day the Flight Attendant is paid. Payment will be paid above the reserve guarantee if applicable.

Click here to view the complete settlement agreement.

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

None

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-200-20-Violation of §25.C.1 Failure to Include ASHSC in Safety Meeting. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.C.1 [Air Safety Health and Security: Safety Meetings], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about April 3, 2020, it failed to include the Air Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) in a meeting to discuss passengers who were scheduled to travel on Alaska flights after disembarking from a cruise ship which had suffered an outbreak of COVID-19. The company instead opted to brief AFA about the issue after the meeting and decision was made about how to proceed.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-201-20-Violation of §10.Q & §11.E.4.d Violation of Reserve Assignment List Order. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.Q [Scheduling: Low-Bid Option] and §11.E.4.d [Reserve: Order of Assignment, Assignment of Open Sequences/Assignments], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) scheduling system places low-bid option and no-bid lineholder Flight Attendants who pick up reserve days and opt out of the Reserve Assignment List (LTFA) at the top of the list rather than listing them in inverse seniority order following all other Reserves within the same classification (AM/PM/ER) and with the same number of days of availability.

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-207-20-Violation of §10, §11.D & §24.L Bundled Scheduling Notifications. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10 [Scheduling], §11.D [Reserve: Scheduling/Notice of Time to Report] and §24.L [General and Miscellaneous: Company-Provided Inflight Mobile Device (IMD)], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) scheduling system sent bundled scheduling notifications to Flight Attendants on their Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) or directly in Crew Access, requiring Flight Attendants to batch acknowledge or ignore such notifications and thereby resulting in Flight Attendants potentially waiving multiple contractual protections via an extra-contractual point of contact (i.e. Crew Access scheduling notifications).

More Information

For more information, including the status of previously filed grievances, please visit the Grievance Committee Activity Page.

Questions?

Please contact your Local Grievance Committee if you have any questions about the Grievance Committee update.

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