Joint Negotiating Committee and Merger Representative Positions

Thanks to everyone who applied for the JNC and Merger Representative positions.  The applications will now be reviewed by the MEC and interviews will be conducted over the next several weeks.  Once the positions have been appointed, an announcement will be sent out by AFA email and will also be posted on the Council 35 page of the AFA Alaska website.

Become A Member, Have Your Voice Heard!

Completing an application ensures that you have the right to vote in officer elections and on tentative agreements.  If you haven’t already had the chance to complete an AFA membership application, you can download and print one by clicking here.  The AFA membership application is not a form that can be completed online; it must be filled out, signed in ink, and returned to an AFA representative or mailed to AFA.  Signing up to receive AFA email communications is not the same as completing a membership application.

Village Visits

For several days last week, Local Council President Melissa Osborne, Local Council Secretary James Ikehara, and several other AFA Alaska leaders visited the Villages in JFK, LAX and SFO to share information about AFA, answer questions, and provide AFA membership applications.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by!  Additional Village Visits will be held over the next few weeks. You can also find this information on the Council 35 Facebook page.

Don’t Forget to Wear Your AFA Pin

The AFA pin is an approved uniform piece and should be worn on the left collar.  If wearing both your AFA pin and anniversary pin, the anniversary pin should be placed closest to the tip of the collar.

Your AFA pin represents our combined strength and unity as we work toward achieving improvements for all of us and should always be worn with your uniform.  If you don’t already have an AFA pin, you can pick one up from an AFA representative during an upcoming Village Visit.  Visit the Council 35 Facebook page for “pin pics” of the day.

Have your own pin pics to share?  Send them to us (along with the name of everyone in the picture) at vx@afaalaska.org.

Seniority Integration

Seniority will be integrated based on competitive (bidding) seniority date in accordance with the AFA Constitution & Bylaws. Competitive seniority date is often referred to as “date of hire” although the actual application is more complicated than that. A previous communication on the AFA seniority integration policy can be found here.

FAQs

I just renewed my passport last month. Am I eligible for passport reimbursement?

Management has agreed to offer passport reimbursements retroactive to Jan 1, 2017.

How do I request a passport reimbursement?

Like taxi reimbursement requests, Flight Attendants requesting passport renewal reimbursement should submit their receipt to an inflight base admin, who will coordinate with accounts payable to process these requests.

Will I be eligible for the retroactive pay increase if I was on special assignment?

Any pay category tied to the step scale will be applicable for the new rates and retro pay. Additionally, sick and catastrophic sick hours will be counted in the calculation for retro pay.  Disability benefits as well as worker’s compensation are paid through a third party.  AFA is investigating how the pay raise will affect those individuals.

How will we receive our retroactive pay?

The retro pay will be included on the 5/31 payroll, and will be applied as lump sum payment itemized as “Retro” on ADP earnings statement. ​

When and where will we see our new pay rates?

The new pay rates will be posted in earnings statements in ADP.  The first paycheck accounting for the new rates will be 5/31.  The 5/15 payroll (remaining payment for April bid period) will still show the old rates.

When will the new PED policy be implemented?

This week, AFA will meet with management to discuss a timeline and process for implementation of the PED policy.  In the meantime, the current VX PED policy remains in effect.  Stay tuned for an update soon.

I tried to swap a trip and it was denied due to “18-hour rule.”  I thought this was changed to 12 hours?

Management has stated that implementation of this provision in the LOA will be on the deadline date of 6/1/17.

How many more initial training classes are planned for this year?  Will they all be hired as VX Flight Attendants or will they be hired by AS?

Management has confirmed that there will be 4 more initial Flight Attendant training classes for the year 2017 at VX.  AS and VX will need to continue to hire and train individuals to meet their respective operational needs through 2019.  AS F/As and VX ITMs will not be able to work on one another’s aircraft until differences training is complete and we have a joint seniority list.

Is it true that Alaska is planning to close the JFK base due to sick calls?

Alaska management has stated they do not have any plans to make immediate changes to the JFK base.  However, they have also said that they are concerned with the high volume of sick calls at JFK and they are evaluating the long-term viability of the base.

I am not getting any emails from AFA Alaska Council 35. What can I do?

Please be sure to subscribe to Council 35 emails using a non-Virgin America email account.  You can subscribe online at http://www.afanewsletters.org/subscribe.  If you encounter any problems with the online subscription page, please email us at vx@afaalaska.org.

Please let us know if you have any questions or thoughts!  You can reach us at vx@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & James