7.03.19 – Weekly Scoop

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

 

You Asked and We Answered!
SMS Text Notifications are Coming!

Announced last week at the Miami Negotiations Road Show, APFA’s bringing another way to keep you informed!

SMS Text Notifications will launch in the next few weeks. You’ll have the option to join this service to get urgent and important updates from APFA. Multiple groups are available for you to opt in to, such as PBS bidding reminders and base specific messages from APFA National Leadership or your Local Base Leadership. More groups can be added as the system evolves.

This is an optional service and is not intended to replace hotlines, rather it’ll be another way to stay informed when it comes to time sensitive or urgent matters.

Keep an eye out for a special hotline from your Communications Department on how to sign up and join different groups!

– Robin Charbonneau, Communications Chair, [email protected]

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. We should never have to give anything up in contract negotiations to achieve basic workers’ rights.

For instance, the 2012 FAA Reauthorization Bill contained language that addressed issues related to cabin conditions. The aircraft was finally classified as a “work environment” thus providing protections under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA.) In 2009, the Family Medical Leave Act was amended to guarantee crew members are able to qualify for family leave and time off from work. Now we are fighting to get a new law implemented that, once in effect, will raise the minimum FAR rest to 10 hours nonreducible. This is just the start!

While contract negotiations are just that—negotiations—we have the opportunity to improve our working conditions and promote the Flight Attendant profession in between and during contract negotiations by working with Congress to pass new laws and supporting new regulations that make sense.

– Allie Malis, Government Affairs Representative, [email protected]

Medical Treatment for a Fume Event 

If immediately following a fume event, you begin to experience any physical symptoms (chest tightness, profound fatigue, muscle aches, sinus congestion and/or a persistent cough), contact the Flight Service Daily Operations desk at IOC (1-888-222-4737) to report the event and your illness/ injury in order to receive the necessary assistance in seeking immediate medical treatment at the nearest hospital for proper testing of a possible exposure.

Recommended testing should include a blood test to determine exposure. Each Flight Attendant should file the applicable company report. For all odor/fume events, file an IOD and a CERS report. Flight Attendants will report injuries to a registered nurse who will be available 24/7 to accept calls:

1-844-RPRT-IOD  (1 844-777-8463)

If your injury requires immediate medical attention, go to the nearest emergency room.
Flight Attendants may also consider reporting their specific safety concern regarding the odor/fume event to:

The Cabin ASAP program for review by AA, APFA and the FAA.
Please send reports of suspected odor/fume events to:
caq-uniforms@apfa org, [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]

-Bellia Peckson, APFA National IOD Chair, [email protected]

Have a Fume Event? Call Us!

With over 700 “reported” fume events to date in just 2019 – it’s imperative to know what to do if you are involved in a fume event. Always reference the APFA Fume Event Card or click the image below for the APFA Fume Flow Chart. We’re here to help.