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AFA Council #19 August Newsletter

Council #19

  • Day of Solidarity Recap
  • CBT Reminder
  • Local Council Meeting Announcement
  • New Committee Members
  • Human Rights & Equity 
  • Vacation Bidding

August Day of Solidarity

Our day of Solidarity was a day to be proud of. We would like to thank all our members who came out and braved the hot weather, to stand shoulder to shoulder with your union brothers, sisters and siblings as we fight for what we deserve. The event was a huge success systemwide. In Seattle, we had close to 1,000 members present. We would like to thank all the volunteers that came and helped make sure that the event was a success.

We would like to give a special thanks to our guest speakers and representatives that attended the event. Sara Nelson (AFA-CWA International President), Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) and Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda! A warm thank you to our Government Affairs Committee for helping organize those special guests!

Also, thank you to our fellow Flight Attendant families from Horizon, United, Hawaiian, Piedmont, Envoy, Omni, American, Southwest and Delta who showed their support by joining us. In addition, thank you to Pilots from Alaska, United, Delta, Horizon, American and Southwest. We are all in this together.

Please stay tuned for future events. We will get the word out via email and social media when something is planned. 

Red Bag Tags

A new red AFA luggage tag was introduced at the Day of Solidarity event. This is another way to demonstrate our solidarity in the fight for our contract. Watch our Facebook group for posts on where/when you can pick up one of the tags!

Read More >

Public Support

Did you know we have a customer facing landing page on our AFA Alaska website? This page is full of information on what your friends, family, and the flying public can do to support our Flight Attendants. There are several resources on the page, we ask that you share this with your contacts! One immediate thing the public can do is sign our petition.

CBT Reminder

Do not forget to complete your CBT by the September 30 deadline. It is important to remember if you do not complete the required training, the discipline is progressive. If you are already in steps of discipline, failure to complete your CBT will move you up the steps, up to and including discharge. If you encounter any technical issues, please contact the ITS Help desk. To verify your CBT is complete, check that your Cornerstone transcript lists under “Completed” and check your email for a confirmation. 

Don’t forget, you get 1TFP for completing the CBT, and if you complete it in August, it will count towards your single month $350 PPP bonus for August!

Local Council Meeting Announcement

Please save the date for our Local Council Meeting that will take place in October. We hope to see a lot of Seattle members at the event, so mark your calendar and bid for the day off.

Date: October 3, 2023

Time: TBD

Location: TBD


We will send an update soon when the above has been finalized, but wanted to make sure everyone had the date so they can bid their schedules appropriately. 

Committee Additions

We would like to thank all the members who are expressing their interest in getting involved with your union. The committee chairs are still going through the submissions, and you should be reached out to shortly. 

We are excited to welcome the following new committee members:

Communications Committee:

Andrew Stinson

Daphne Clarkson

Laury Long

AFA International Human Rights and Equity Committee

The AFA Human Rights and Equity Committee is committed to providing the broadest possible representation of our members regardless of age, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, differently abled, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. We honor and celebrate the shared humanity of the members in our care. We shall at all times endeavor to promote the principles of tolerance, fairness, equity, justice, respect, and inclusion within our Union. It is only when we all band together and work together that we can rally against the walls of division to create a progressive culture that values social and economic justice for all working people. 

Some Important Dates to Remember:

September 4: Labor Day

September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day

September 11: 9/11 Remembrance Day

September 15-October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

September 21: International Day of Peace (UN)

September 23/September 16-23: Bisexual Visibility Day/Week

September 23: International Day of Sig Languages

 

Additional Pins available for the Month of September

In addition to your “Red” Solidarity Pin, you may wear your AFA 9/11 remembrance pin, AFA/APFA 9/11 pin or your Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month Pin! Please stop by the Seattle base to pick up either of these!

Vacation Bidding

Where does time go? It is that time of the year already, vacation bidding. If you have not already done so, it’s time to start planning your 2024 vacation. See the below timeline:

  • 9/1/23 – 9/18/23: Round one vacation bidding.
  • 9/26/23: Round one awards posted.
  • 10/3/23 -10/17/23: Round two vacation bidding.
  • 10/25/23: Round two awards posted.
  • 10/27/23 (2:00pm): Seattle vacation trading opens.

Please refer to bulletin bundle dated 8/16/2023 for more information.

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up to date information on our Council #19 Facebook Group. Click below to join our group and stay connected!

Council 35 News – September 2021

Important Dates

  • September 30:  Last day of COVID Points Forgiveness-today!
  • October 1:  Vacation Round 2 opens
  • October 15: Last day to submit vaccination record for $200
  • October 18:  Vacation Round 2 closes
  • October 25:  Vacation Round 2 Awards posted
  • Various dates (see below):  How-To Series

Hotel and Reserve Committee Opportunities

Council 35 has chair openings in the Hotel and Reserve Committees.  Please review the duties and responsibilities of each position which can be found on our website. If you are interested in volunteering, please submit a letter expressing your interest to sfo@afalaska.org.  

How-To Series Starts October 1st

Council 35 is happy to announce a new learning series to help Flight Attendants navigate a variety of scheduling and reserve activities.  In collaboration with Inflight Base Managers Cierra Lewis and Benito Pasia-Garcia, our very own Virginia Fritz, SFO Scheduling Chair, is hosting these events along with PDX Reserve Chair, Anthony Eskander.  Each event will include a short lesson about a scheduling or reserve topic followed by live Q&A.  These short live events will be held throughout the month of October via Teams.  Can’t make the event you want?  No problem!  All live events will be recorded and posted for FAs unable to attend.  To view live events, past recordings or more information, visit the How-To website on Alaskasworld. Schedule and details can be found in the following links:

October 1: Personal and Management Drops
October 4:  Bidding Strategies for your Seniority
October 13:  Splitting and Advertising Reserve Days  
October 14:  Trading Reserve Days
October 15:  Posting and Shifting Reserve Days and Understanding Coverage
October 15:  TO and Non-TO Days and Open Time
October 26:  Lineholder’s Picking up Reserve Days  
October 28:  Precancellations

COVID MOU Sunsets

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated to remove points for COVID related absences will sunset today, September 30.  AFA requested that management extend the MOU however the suggestion was not accepted and management will discontinue the COVID points forgiveness program as planned.  Please be sure to submit for COVID related absences according the guidelines in the MOU.  Flight Attendants returning from leave on October 1 have 14 days to submit documentation.  Additionally, any FA that has a continuous absence that begins in September but carries over into October will also be considered for point forgiveness if reported in a timely manner.  Please review the COVID Points Forgiveness MOU for more information.  Reminder to CA based Flight Attendants:  Please review the State Laws Part 3 communication for information on CA COVID laws.

Call to Action:  Possible Government Shutdown

Transportation is one of the many industries that will be affected by a government shutdown.  Join other AFA members and let your state’s representatives know that avoiding the shutdown is important to Flight Attendants.  For more information and how this impacts our jobs, please read No More Shutdowns and take part in this important mobilization effort.

Save the Date: California Local Council Membership Meeting

The next membership meeting for Council 35 members will be Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 1100 via Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss news and events happening in California bases at Alaska.  This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) members in good standing (up-to-date on dues).  Agenda, time and registration details will be sent in a separate communication.

AFA Membership Dues – Update

by LEC Secretary and Membership Chair, James Ikehara
Approximately 300 Council 35 members are in arrears with their monthly AFA dues based on the September 2021 report from AFA International’s Membership Services department.  Although the amount of months in arrears vary widely, a member that is only one month late ($50) can fall into a “Bad Standing” status if the amount owed is more than 90 days delinquent; there are approximately 102 members that fall into this category. A delinquency may have been caused by the following

  • A type of leave of absence you incurred in the past and were not coordinating enough sick leave or vacation to cover your dues
  • You flew low TFP’s in any given month and there was not enough money for an auto-deduction
  • When you are on any type of leave and you are completely off payroll (not coordinating any sick leave or vacation time) you are obligated to pay the first 3 months during your leave according to the AFA-CWA, Constitution & Bylaws.  Once the 3 months have been fulfilled you have met your obligation and you do not owe union dues until you return to work. 

If your delinquency is not corrected, the following is the progression of steps taken for non-payment based on AFA International’s bylaws:

  • Standing 2 (S2) – this letter indicates you are now in bad standing and this is the first stage of the AFA-CWA delinquency process.  A flight attendant goes into S2 when you have ONE or more dues billings that are over 90 days old and remain unpaid.
  • Standing 3 (S3) – this letter indicates that the FA remains delinquent after receiving the initial “Bad Standing” warning letter.  You now receive your S-3 letter via certified mail return receipt (if AFA International has an incorrect address on file, the LEC President or Secretary will put it into your co-mail file at work and it is treated as if it was sent via certified mail).  Nonpayment could result in discharge per our FA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Section 26 C & D.
  • Standing 4 (S4) – this is a pending status which means your International Membership Services department is researching your account for you.
  • Standing 5 (S5) – this is your final warning and this becomes very serious.  After receiving your S-2 and S-3 letters for nonpayment, our International AFA office in Washington, D.C. sends a letter to Alaska Airlines requesting discharge for nonpayment and a copy of this letter is also sent to your LEC President.

If you have received a text or email from me, or a letter from AFA International’s Membership Services department about your dues, it is important you contact AFA-CWA Membership Services by calling them directly at 844-232-2228, extension 3 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Eastern), or by submitting an online inquiry via this link to verify the amount owed on your account. If you were on any type of leave, ensure you note the dates of your leave in the comments section and they will investigate and make the necessary changes. Debit and credit card payments can be made via this link.  

If you need to complete a Dues Check Off (DCO) form to ensure your dues are automatically deducted from your account, you can access the form here. After printing and signing the DCO, mail it to the Washington, D.C. address at the bottom of the form. Please note the following: the paycheck you receive on the 20th of each month (Advice Date) pays you for all of your flying for the previous month. However, the AFA dues that are payroll deducted from this check pays for the month it was deducted (i.e., the $50 deduction for October 20th will be for October dues, not for the previous 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.

If you are not able to pay your balance in full, payment options are available and can be coordinated with the Membership Services office. We are here to offer assistance in ways of paying your obligation so it is very important that we work together to ensure that Section 26 C, D & E of our Collective Bargaining Agreement are not applied for non-payment of dues which could result in termination once you have reached a Standing 5 status. We want to ensure the status of your AFA membership stays current and appreciate your prompt attention to correct this issue.

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

Council 35 News – September 2020

Important Dates

  • September 30 (Today!): Q3 CBT
  • October 2:  SFO Benefits Meeting 
  • October 2-16: Vacation Bidding Round 2

Reminder: SFO Benefits Meeting October 2

The SFO International Benefits Center, in conjunction with United Council 11 and Alaska Council 35, is sponsoring an online and phone session for Flight Attendants that have been impacted by the effects of COVID-19. Topics to be discussed include unemployment benefits, health care, job placement services and community resources.

To sign up for the next session on Friday, October 2nd, this link will take you to the online form. If you have specific questions you would like addressed, please ensure you complete the last item on the form. Should you need to contact SFO’s Business Center directly, they can be reached at 650-821-5242, or via email.A comprehensive brochure published by the SFO Benefits and Career Center which will help answer questions about the variety of services available. 

CWA Database Crash:  A message from AFA International

During this past week, the database at the AFA Membership Services Department experienced a significant technical disruption. While we are able to extract some member data, the problem limits our ability to access detailed information regarding your account. For example, if you need to pay outstanding dues, we are able to tell you the outstanding balance, but not the applicable month it covers. You would then be able to make payment by check or credit card (afacwa.org/payment).

If you have questions, you will find much information online (afacwa.org/membership).  If you need to contact us, please use the following link: https://www.afacwa.org/contact_membership_services.

In advance, we thank you for your patience as all responses will be delayed as we perform the necessary changes to our database. If your question requires research into your membership account, we anticipate the response may be no sooner than November 1.

Trending Performance Investigations and Disciplines

CBT

Discipline for failing to complete quarterly CBTs are continue to trend.  Flight Attendants returning from leave are given 60 days to complete CBTs.  The Council 35 Grievance Committee has been successful in assisting FAs dispute discipline when evidence of technical difficulties exist.  Being busy and forgetting to complete the CBT has not been accepted as extenuating circumstances to miss a CBT deadline and the discipline will remain.  If more than one CBT deadline is missed, discipline will progress to higher steps on the discipline scale (ie 2 missed CBTs in 18 month period will escalate to a Written Warning).

Reserve Violations

Reserves that spend their reserve days out-of-base or not remaining within airport during airport standby continue to be investigated.  Violations of the reserve proximity requirements will result in termination on the first offense.  Please see JCBA§11 for rules regarding reserve availability periods.

Farewell to EO Flight Attendants 

Council 35 officers would like to wish SFO Early Out (EO) Flight Attendants a fond farewell.  On behalf of the SFO membership we would like to thank you for your years of service and for making the decision to retire to alleviate furloughs due to COVID-19.  Best wishes to you and your family and best of luck in your next life adventure.

COVID-19 Safety Concerns Onboard

As reported in our September 9 Updates, service continues to put Flight Attendants at risk. Please continue to report any safety hazards that you experience while performing the expanded onboard service.  This could include instances of increased exposure to passengers (e.g. passenger removing their mask to speak to you, etc.) or other hazards related to service.  You can report these hazards through ReportIt! by submitting either a FAIR and/or ASAP for each flight on which they occur.  Include the terms “COVID-19″ and “service” in your narrative to ensure they are correctly categorized by management.  This data will help our AFA representatives to advocate for safe levels of service. 

#ReliefNow

Flight Attendants should continue to pressure Congress to put in place #ReliefNow. Make the calls to your state’s Representatives and 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.  Visit the #ReliefNow page to find a mobilization event near you. 

Contacting SFO 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).  

Stay healthy and safe!

In solidarity,

Melissa, Aladrian, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
Aladrian Hillmon, LEC Vice President • Aladrian.hillmon@afaalaska.org •  415-991-3791
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

2017 Vacation Rebid

AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to a first-round vacation rebid in order to resolve a valid system-wide vacation bid protest. Why? The new Inflight website allowed Flight Attendants to bid for vacation dates outside of 2017, and the issue was discovered in the awards process.

As reported last night, the good news is that your initial bid will be retained. As a result, you will not need to do anything if you are satisfied with your initial bid. However, you may revise your bid if desired.

New 2017 vacation bidding timeline

The new timeline for the 2017 vacation bids will be as follows:

  • 1st round rebid opens: Friday, September 30, 2016 – by noon PDT
  • 1st round rebid closes: Thursday, October 6, 2016 @ 11:59 PM PDT
  • 1st round awards posted: Tuesday, October 11, 2016
  • 2nd round bidding opens: Wednesday, October 12, 2016 @ 12:01 AM PDT
  • 2nd round bidding closes: Thursday, October 20, 2016 @ 11:59 PM PDT
  • 2nd round awards posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Vacation trading is on schedule

Vacation trading for 2017 opens as originally scheduled on Friday, October 28, 2016, at the previously agreed to times for each domicile.

Instructions for Flight Attendants with illegal vacation bids outside of 2017

Flight Attendants who inadvertently submitted a first-round vacation bid containing days outside the 2017 calendar year are highly encouraged to revise their bid because those bids are illegal. If your initial vacation bid included individual bid lines with start and end dates both outside of 2017 and if you do not adjust your bid prior to the rebid closing, then management will adjust the year of each illegal bid line to 2017 for you.

Again, we strongly suggest that you correct any illegal bid lines yourself to make sure you are bidding for the intended date. Any individual vacation bid lines including 2017 year-end overlap (either January or December) will be removed (i.e. ignored/skipped) prior to the awards process if left unchanged.

Management has agreed to individually contact those affected via email to advise them of the rebid. Management will also contact Flight Attendants who initially submitted a bid completely outside of 2017 at the F/As’ respective primary contact phone number on file with the Company.

* * *

If you have any questions or concerns contact one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers.

In Solidarity,

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

2017 Vacation Awards System-Wide Bid Protest

The 2017 vacation awards are being pulled by mutual agreement of AFA and Alaska Airlines management in order to investigate the accuracy of the awards. AFA is protesting the awards system-wide on behalf of our members. The Master Executive Council (MEC) believes a complete re-award is in order due to a multitude of technical errors. Considering the system did not receive adequate end-user testing, we are not surprised this “beta” (test) version may be malfunctioning. It is unfortunate that Flight Attendants were forced to test drive the system with their actual vacation bids.

 

Stand by for more information.

 

In Solidarity,

 

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

Join The Picket Line: Support United Flight Attendants on Thursday, December 14

Master Executive Council (MEC) On December 14, 2023, United Airlines Flight Attendants will take to the picket line – their holiday spirit of unity and solidarity burning brighter than ever. They are determined to strengthen their power and demonstrate their unwavering commitment to securing a contract that genuinely values their work and contributions to United […]

Housing & Food Assistance Resources

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee Starting a career as a Flight Attendant is a significant and challenging life change, especially in today’s industry. The ever-increasing pace of inflation and lagging pay rates that haven’t kept up with the cost of living makes it difficult for many new hires to make ends meet. Finding affordable […]

Air Quality Quick Reminders

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) As Flight Attendants, our top priority is ensuring everyone onboard the aircraft has a safe and comfortable experience. However, despite our best efforts, unexpected situations can still arise. One such situation is a fume event, which can be caused by smoke, fumes, or a strong odor in the […]

Alaska-Hawaiian Announce Merger: What Flight Attendants Need to Know

Master Executive Council (MEC) Today, Alaska Air Group (AAG) management has announced its intent to acquire Hawaiian Airlines, while maintaining the unique identity of both brands. We know that everyone has questions and concerns about the proposed merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Mergers take time. Nothing will happen overnight. But right now we must […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – November 2023

Scheduling Committee On Tuesday, November 28, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kamako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also […]

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