3.08.19 – APFA LGA Base Brief – Friday, March 8, 2019

Friday, March 8, 2019

 

• APFA BOD Meeting
• Accolade Issues
• IOD Filing on the FA Tablet 
• Attendance and Performance Arbitration Hearing 
• The Use of ASAP and Tablet Monitoring 
• Pass Travel
• Jumpseat Availability and Weight Restrictions
• KCM Use
• Reserve Positive Contact and Call out to the Airport
• APFA’s Political Action Committee (PAC)
• Hotel Information
  

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APFA BOD Meeting

Your APFA Leadership met in Boston this week. The full minutes of the meeting will be available on the APFA website within 30 days.

Accolade Issues

If you are experiencing issues with Accolade send an email to Michael Tipton, the APFA Health Chair at [email protected]

IOD Filing on the FA Tablet

We will soon have the ability to fill out an IOD on our FA Tablet, be on the look out for this valuable tool.

Attendance and Performance Arbitration Hearing

The new date for the APFA attendance and performance arbitration has been scheduled for June 12th-14th. With this in mind, APFA is encouraging Flight Attendants to continue to monitor and review their “My View Attendance/Performance” page on the Flight Service website. If you do see something that you don’t feel should be there, send your FSM an email, using your personal email address. Make sure you CC one of your local APFA representatives in all communications with your FSM.

The Use of ASAP and Tablet Monitoring

The Company has the ability to monitor the use of your Flight Attendant tablet. If  you are working and you realize that you have do not have your tablet, immediately submit a cabin ASAP report on the Flight Service website and contact either your FSM or the MOD desk. If you are out of base a manager will be able to issue you mini manual, which will keep you FAA compliant. Flying without a tablet is an FAA violation, and if you are questioned by an FAA inspector you risk a hefty personal fine. You also risk disciplinary action from management if you fly without your company issued tablet.

Pass Travel

APFA is encouraging all Flight Attendants to review their registered pass travelers in Jetnet. Make sure your registered D2 travelers meet the criteria for the D2 designation. This is different from a D3 designation. If you are contacted by a member of management regarding any possible pass violations contact one of your local APFA representatives ASAP,  using your personal email account.

Jumpseat Availability and Weight Restrictions

If a flight you are non-reving on is weight restricted and a Pilot is given the flight deck jumpseat, the Company has to release open Flight Attendant jump seats back into inventory. This can be found in the JCBA Section 37 and applies to the commuter policy, 37-4.8; 37-4.9

KCM Use

KCM is now open in SJU Central Checkpoint adjacent to Pre-Check lane; 0400-1600

If you are traveling internationally, or if you are connecting to an international destination from another station than the one from which you originated, you cannot use KCM. This is not a company policy, rather it is a TSA policy. Violations of this policy can result in hefty personal fines, loss of personal KCM access, and the loss of KCM use for the flight attendant group as a whole.

Reserve Positive Contact and Call out to the Airport

The Company maintains that your 3-hour call out for an assignment to the airport begins when they make the first call to you. APFA is in dispute with that opinion and believes it begins when you return the call. Until the grievance is settled, use your best judgement. If you receive a missed trip in this situation, please call us.

If you are called to the airport and do not make the trip, know that you go back onto your RAP, not onto a 12-hour rest period. You could theoretically be driving back into your garage and then recalled to the airport for another assignment. This could also happen multiple times. However, your duty day begins from the first trip’s report time.

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APFA’s Political Action Committee (PAC)

How $1 can have a MAJOR impact!

How You Can Make A Difference: The PAC is comprised of small voluntary donations from APFA members to support political candidates who impact our profession. Dues money is never used to support political candidates. The PAC contributes to both Democrats and Republicans who advocate for broad issues that are important to Flight Attendants and the loved ones that our profession supports.

Corporations and their executives have the ability to give big dollars to candidates in elections. While individually most Flight Attendants don’t have the money to donate large amounts to candidates, our small contributions add up and our voice is heard when we band together. The power of the APFA PAC is in your hands.

Legislate AND negotiate! Flight Attendants are entitled to a safe place to work, reasonable working conditions, and guaranteed medical leave. These should NOT be part of our contract negotiations and bargaining processes—they should be fundamental rights of all working men and women.

Fight Regulatory Rollbacks! A key component of the White House agenda is the rollback and elimination of rules and regulations that have protected and supported workers. We monitor and speak out in opposition when the health and safety of our members is threatened.

What Lies Ahead: As we look forward, the strength of our PAC is more critical than ever in influencing labor-friendly legislation and in stopping efforts to repeal the gains we have made over the past decades. The labor movement faces great challenges, but we do have the opportunity to educate the current Administration, find common ground where possible, and make sure that Congress understands the important role Flight Attendants play as Safety Professionals and First Responders.

Why This Matters: We are witnessing a systematic assault on labor unions. If we allow unions to weaken and disappear, who is left to balance the growing and unprecedented strength of corporations? How will working Americans be ensured reasonable working conditions and wages? Many politicians are seeking to enact right-to-work laws in all 50 states which would eliminate the rights of unions to negotiate a contract of employment with their employer. A national right to work law would likely mark the end of the union movement. So far, there are 27 right-to-work states.

APFA is devoted to ensuring our voice is heard loud and clear in Washington as we continue to fight for our hard working members. The next few years hold unquestionable challenges that a strong PAC will help us meet. Elections matter and now is the time to starting building our PAC for 2020, so please consider signing up today. A contribution of as little of $1 or $2 per paycheck will make a difference. Remember, our strength is in our numbers.

https://www.apfa.org/apfa-political-action-committee-pac/

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Hotel Information

After 20 years we will no longer be staying at the Nazionale in Rome.This is due to a change in Italian law that neither the company or APFA have any control over, large buses will no longer be allowed to enter the city center, and there is no other way to get to the Nazionale. APFA and AA are in the process of looking for a replacement hotel, however, because of the nature of seasonal flying securing a satisfactory hotel is proving difficult. This is with the understanding that seasonal flying to FCO begins in April and we do not wish to layover at the airport. We will update you as soon as we can.

Continue to send in hotel debrief forms, they do make a difference.

https://www.apfa.org/departments/hotel-department/hotel-and-transportation-debrief-form/

Update Your Information

We cannot stress enough the need for the membership to make sure that APFA has accurate and valid mailing address for all communications. Updating your information in Jetnet does not translate into updating your information with APFA. Follow this link to update your information today.
https://www.apfa.org/members/update-your-information/

Contacting Your Local APFA Representatives

In the event you need assistance from your local APFA representatives we encourage you to reach out to us directly by phone or email. Your local representatives will not respond to requests for assistance if you post such requests on any social media forum. You can find a list of active LGA APFA representatives on the APFA website, https://www.apfa.org/bases/lga/lga-base-council/

Your representative contact information is also available outside of the APFA offices at both LGA and JFK.

In Unity,

Cathy Ryder
APFA LGA Base President
[email protected]

And your APFA LGA Base Council Representative Team