Government Affairs

Introducing Your MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

July 25, 2016 08:00

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews last week for the position of MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson. We would like to thank the candidates who expressed a willingness to serve and interviewed for the position. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Krystle Cook to the position.

Krystle’s career with Alaska began in February 2007 in Anchorage. It was here she called home for seven years. Three of those years she was extremely active volunteering her time on various committees. In 2014, Krystle made the move and transferred, back home, to the greater Seattle area and was appointed the SEA Local Government Affairs Chairperson.

Together with AFA activists, she has worked tirelessly to prevent knives from being allowed in the cabin of our aircrafts, lobbied to stop voice calls by passengers in flight, and is pushing members of Congress to enact 10-hour minimum rest rules and a fatigue risk management plan for all Flight Attendants.

She is the first and only representative of the Association of Flight Attendants to sit on two different young worker committees. Krystle is the AFA Lead Activist for the CWA Next Generation Program and a committee member of the AFL-CIO Young Worker Advisory Council. Both of these committees focus on issues that are directly affecting workers under the age of 36. These committees focus on issues such as student debt, economic struggles, racial injustices, and leadership development and trainings.

Krystle says, “”I am beyond honored to continue to fight for Alaska flight attendants, and all AFA members, as well as working people across the country. My passion for social and economic justice will be a driving force in ensuring we have the safest and best work environment possible.”

In her role as MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson, Krystle will work closely with the Local Government Affairs Committee Chairpersons and the AFA International Government Affairs department to represent and advocate for Flight Attendants. Her term of appointment is concurrent with the term of the MEC Officers and she reports directly to the MEC

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Government Affairs Workshop – August 15, 2016

July 7, 2016 10:04

Save the Date for AFA Government Affairs Workshop, August 15, 2016!!

The Association of Flight Attendants Government Affairs Department is offering a 1-day “Introduction to Government Affairs” workshop on Monday August 15, 2016. The training will be held at the Alaska Airlines Regional Headquarters In Anchorage. The training will start at 9:00AM and will end at 4:00 PM.

This introductory workshop is provided as an overview for new committee members and activists. This workshop will explore how government affairs and legislative activism are important to flight attendants, the necessity of growing FlightPAC, how to maximize grassroots engagement effectively and using social media for grassroots activism.

The workshop is unpaid but training materials, morning snacks and lunch will be provided. It will be conducted at the Alaska Airlines Regional Headquarters In Anchorage.

Stephen Schembs, AFA Government Affairs Director, will conduct the training with special guest Kim Hayes, the deputy director of Alaska AFL-CIO who will speak about local labor and political issues that will be on the ballot in November.

Please join us if your ready to be engaged in the process. Please RSVP to this communication so we can have a count for providing training materials and food. Thresia Raynor, our local ANC Government Affairs Chair will be hosting this workshop!

MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson Interviews

June 6, 2016 05:00

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to thank Bev Bullock for her service as MEC Chairperson of the AFA Government Affairs Committee for over 15 years. Bev has been a tireless advocate for issues affecting our profession on Capitol Hill and has spearheaded countless campaigns on behalf of Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants. Her presence as MEC Committee Chairperson will truly be missed.

Background

The MEC Chairperson of the Government Affairs Committee is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to monitor and pursue legislative activities that relate to the AFA-CWA political agenda and to build positive relationships with candidates for office and elected officials.

Additional Information from the MEC Policy Manual

1. SCOPE

a. The Government Affairs Committee will keep members informed of legislative actions that could affect Flight Attendant income, working conditions, job security and safety.

b. The MEC Government Affairs Chairperson coordinates activity on all legislative issues with the MEC and AFA-CWA International, and shall interact with local, state and national legislatures, as appropriate, to advocate for AFA-CWA positions on relevant issues.

2. POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

a. The MEC Government Affairs Committee shall consist of the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson and the Local Government Affairs Committee Chairperson from each council.

b. Committee Members should be registered to vote.

c. The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i) Administer the Committee and conduct activities to further the stated objectives of the AFA-CWA International Legislative Policy Committee

(ii) Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website

d. The Committee shall:

(i) Act in an advisory role to the MEC on political matters.

(ii) Maintain an involvement in the political activities sponsored by local and central Labor Councils with which the MEC is affiliated

Qualifications

Previous Government Affairs Committee or political/legislative activist experience preferred
Knowledge of current political climate and legislative issues affecting Flight Attendants
Ability to attend meetings as required, including occasionally being present in Seattle
Ability to participate in meetings with elected officials, including occasional travel to Washington, D.C.
Ability and willingness to participate in political and legislative action events
Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed
Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office.
Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes.
Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties

Act on and follow through on directives as established in the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws and FlightPAC
Act on recommendations of the AFA-CWA Director of Government Affairs and AFA-CWA Legislative Policy Committee. Provide input, suggestions, and feedback as appropriate.
Represent the MEC with local and central Labor Councils
Coordinate FlightPAC program enrollment at the MEC level
Schedule and attend meetings with elected officials and key staff
Coordinate committee participation in AFA-CWA political and legislative action events
Correspond with the Local Government Affairs Committee Chairpersons and MEC regularly to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

This position is eligible for Flight Pay Loss (FPL) reimbursement by AFA. Union Business (UB) FPL is compensated at 0.75 TFP per hour when participating in pre-approved meetings or activities.
Time commitment is highly variable depending on the work to be completed each week and month. Workload will likely be higher when campaigning for key legislative issues and during election periods. Most work can be accomplished remotely.

Working Relationships

With The Government Affairs Committee

Regular interaction with the Local Government Affairs Committee Chairpersons and Local Government Affairs Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC Vice President.

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with the AFA-CWA Director of Government Affairs.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews during the July MEC meeting on Monday July 18 or Tuesday, July 19, 2016. Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Satterlee at yvette.satterlee@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, July 8, 2016. Yvette will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and LEC Presidents-Elect Tim Green and Brice McGee

Alaska MEC Government Affairs – February 2016

March 14, 2016 14:47

SECURE OUR SKIES ACT This legislation will save lives

Flight Attendants Achieve Introduction of Legislation Aimed at Stopping Human Trafficking (AFA media report)
Washington, DC (February 2, 2016) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today praised the introduction of the Secure Our Skies Act to fight human trafficking with proper training for aviation workers, led by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10).

“As aviation’s first responders we are charged with the safety, health and security of the passengers in our care,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson. “Traffickers steal lives. But for a window of time, we can see it and report it. Millions of innocent victims are trafficked throughout the world each year, and many are transported on our planes. We are proud to work with Representatives Titus and Comstock to move this important legislation to reality in our workplace. With proper training we can be 100,000 eyes in skies saving lives.”

The bill requires training for flight attendants, pilots and dispatchers of air carriers to to identify and report human trafficking.

“Human trafficking doesn’t happen just on the ground. That’s why members of the airline industry are in a strong position to help stop these crimes,” said Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-01). “The SOS Act will close off the skies to traffickers by providing training to professionals who know their way around aircraft. I thank the nation’s flight attendants for their commitment to fighting these heinous crimes. They know we have to spot the signs to stop the crimes.”

The infrastructure and training mechanisms are already in place through the Department of Transportation’s Blue Lightning Initiative, launched almost three years ago on June 6, 2013. Blue Lightning teaches airline personnel on a voluntary basis about common circumstances with human trafficking in order to recognize and report these instances to law enforcement for swift action. AFA launched a public campaign on June 1, 2015 to promote the provisions of the SOS Act.

“It is critical that we are ever vigilant in the fight against the heinous crime of human trafficking,” said Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA-10). “Every day, flight attendants see and interact with children on the thousands of flights across our country and throughout the world. They are the eyes and ears in this constant battle, and this legislation will give them the tools

to save the most vulnerable in our society and fight this terrible scourge. I want to thank Congresswoman Titus for working in a bipartisan manner on this important legislation.”

“Everyone immediately recognizes the horror of human trafficking, but we must turn our outrage into concrete action to stop it,” Nelson concluded.

See Rep. Dina Titus introduce the bill on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUhhhCiWWGU

UPDATE ON THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION PROCESS

February saw the introduction of the much awaited FAA Reauthorization bill. I have included Gov Affairs Director Steve Schembs comprehensive update and explanation on the bill as it moves through Congress:

FEB 26, 2016 – The FAA Reauthorization Bill has been introduced in the House, reviewed and adopted by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as amended. Our 10 hours rest between duty periods and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan are included in the bill as well a AFA-promoted issues listed at the end of this update.

Now the Senate is writing its version of the bill, which is expected to be introduced in the coming days. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee “mark-up” will likely be scheduled prior to their Easter recess starting March 18th. This means committee action could take place on the very day of our March 16th Rally for Rest. Regardless, the Rally is well timed and it is assisting us in promoting inclusion of our rest/fatigue language. If you have not already RSVP’d, we encourage you to do that now: https://cdn.afacwa.org/ issues/rest/.

Once both House and Senate bills are introduced and adopted by the respective committees, each full chamber must also vote on the bill. Amendments could also be considered during this process, although sometimes the bill can only be considered as adopted by the committee.

Next, a conference between the House and Senate is held to write common language. This final version of the bill must again be adopted by both chambers before going to the President’s desk for signature. We must remain engaged throughout the process and continue to use the power of our numbers to take action in support of rest and recognition of Flight Attendant fatigue.

The FAA Reauthorization bill is must-pass legislation, although our experience shows this might include several extensions before the long-term bill is passed. Getting our rest provisions in these base bills now sets a foundation for inclusion in the final passage of the bill regardless of when that actually occurs.

This week AFA has ramped up our advocacy to the U.S. Senator’s writing the FAA Bill; Sen. John Thune (ND), Sen. Kelly Ayote (NH), Sen. Bill Nelson (FL), Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Cory Gardner (CO) and all of the members of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Thanks to a massive effort for calls from members, and special thanks to AFA Frontier for relentless efforts in generating calls from Colorado, we are making good progress with the Senate. But we can’t let up for a second. We have to keep up calls next week and right up to the point of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee vote on their version of the bill.

At the Rally for Rest on March 16, hundreds of Flight Attendants will urge members of the Senate to include the 10 hours minimum rest and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan into the Senate bill. We will also go to every House office to encourage support of our rest in the FAA Reauthorization bill and thank members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for recognizing the importance rest plays in supporting our health and the tools necessary to fulfill our duties as aviation’s first responders.

CWA NEXT GEN AT JOBS WITH JUSTICE

Government Affairs Committee members Kris Hall and Drew Lemish were the AFA representatives at the Jobs with Justice Next Generation conference in Washington DC, Feb. 12th and 13th.

JWJ activists joined sessions on organizing, social media, innovations in the labor movement, grassroots fundraising and much more as part of JWJ’s two-day national conference. CWA Next Generation leaders were on hand as former CWA President Larry Cohen was recognized for his years of building JWJ and his commitment to democracy and working families. (CWA Media report).

Kris had this to say about the experience: “I found it profoundly educational- every workshop, every caucus, every conversation. I made so many connections, met and listened to so many stories, discussed so many concerns that would not have been possible without JwJ!”

Respectfully submitted,

Beverly Bullock
MEC Government Affairs Chairperson

Upcoming Port of Seattle Commission Race

July 15, 2015 19:00

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to share some very interesting information with you about the upcoming Port of Seattle Commission race, in which there is one open seat up for election. Why are we writing to the entire group about a local election? The outcome of this particular election could have fairly significant consequences for Alaska Air Group. Why?

Nine candidates are currently announced as running. One of the candidates–Ken Rogers—is a pilot for Delta Air Lines. Not only that but he also just stepped down from Delta’s board of directors. What is even crazier is that according to publicly available funding reports, almost all of Captain Rogers’ campaign contributions have arguably come more or less directly from Delta Air Lines—via contributions from board members, executives and other Delta employees.

Alaska Air Group management is very concerned about the outcome of this election because there are several very significant Sea-Tac Airport issues that the Port Commission sets policy on that have a big impact on whether the competitive playing field is level.

Alaska is tracking the Port of Seattle race closely and believes there are two candidates who are worthy of the consideration and support of King County (Seattle) residents:

Herb Krohn, the Washington state legislative director for the United Transportation Union, which represents railroad and other transit workers.
Darrell Bryan, the recently retired president of Clipper Navigation, which operates the Victoria Clipper boats.

The top two candidates in the August 4 primary election will advance to the general election in November. Ballots for the primary will be mailed to King County residents on July 15^th.

More information can be found on Alaska’s World at http://alaskasworld.com/News/2015/07/15_port_race.asp.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Government Affairs Chairperson Bev Bullock

Introducing Your MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

Government Affairs Workshop – August 15, 2016