AFA Debrief: January 10, 2023

Date: January 10, 2023

AFA Debrief – January 10, 2023

•        January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

•        Reminder – February 2023 Special COLA Closes January 13!

•        Reminder - 2022p1 Winter Trimester CBT Due January 29!

•        February 2023 Final List of Transfers Accepted

•        January 2023 Semi-Annual System Seniority List Published

•        United Master Executive Council Meeting – January 17-18, 2023

•        Union Plus Scholarship Program

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

We can take a stand against human trafficking by recommitting ourselves to end it on our planes with our participation in The Blue Campaign. 

The Blue Campaign is a national public awareness maneuver designed to educate the public, law enforcement and other industry partners to recognize the indicators  of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases.

As Flight Attendants, we are uniquely positioned to identify human traffickers and assist their victims. Flight crews are skilled observers, and with appropriate training, they can be the frontline against trafficking, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).  Indicators of human trafficking can include:

•        Physical control of travel documents of an adult traveler by a co-traveler.

•        Restricting the movement and social interaction of an adult traveler by a co-traveler.

•        An adult traveler who is unclear on details of his/her final destination or point of contact.

•        Or a child traveler who appears to be accompanied by someone claiming to be the parent or guardian who is in fact not   related to the child.

Wear Blue on January 11!

All over the world people will be wearing blue articles of clothing, January 11, in observance of the third annual #WearBlueDay to encourage greater public awareness about the scourge of human trafficking.

Want to participate? Here's how:

•     Post a photo of yourself and others on social media wearing blue with hashtags #WearBlueDay and when tweeting tag @afa_cwa

•     Finish the statement #WeWearBlueBecause to share why you are participating 

Human trafficking is a billion-dollar business, but Flight Attendants can be 100,000 Eyes in the Skies to recognize and report it. We can be the ones to make the difference.

To learn more about Human Trafficking, go to www.dhs.gov/humantrafficking for more information. 

Also, Download and print the AFA/Department of Homeland Security's Guide to Recognize and Report Suspected Human Trafficking. 


Reminder – February 2023 Special COLA Closes January 13!

Inflight Scheduling has determined that there may be opportunities to award one-month Special COLAs (Special Company Offered Leaves of Absence) effective for the February 2023 bid month. The number of Special COLAs to be awarded has not yet been determined.

•        The deadline to submit a bid is Friday, January 13, at 0800 CT.

Timeline for bidding and award of February 2023 Special COLAs

Sections 15.C. and 15.N. of our Contract have further details associated with a Special COLA. This Special COLA will include medical benefits at active employee rates.

Flight Attendants interested in this Special COLA should submit their bid via CCS under the "Leaves" drop-down menu and select - Special COLA. For more information on applying for a Special COLA in CCS, please review the Special COLA Overview section (starting on page 10) in the "COLA, Jobshare and Multiple Month Partnership Overview" located on Flying Together.

Flight Attendants awarded the February one-month Special COLA will be required to complete any overlapping pairings from the last trip of the January schedule, including overlapping pairings into the March 2023 schedule month unless you are able to use the various schedule flexibility options available under the Contract.


Reminder - 2022p1 Winter Trimester CBT Due January 29!

Continuing Qualifications (CQ) 2022p1 Winter Trimester is required to be completed by January 29, 2023, at 2359 Central Standard Time.

Log into TakeOff Learning on Flying Together and select Continuing Qualifications (CQ) 2022p1 Winter Trimester.

Flight Attendants are compensated for completing the requirement based on the contractual provisions in Section 11.B.2. of our Contract.

Home study and Computer Based Training (CBT) assignments shall each be paid one-hour (1:00) flight time pay and credit for every three hours (3:00) of home study or training, prorated, based on reasonable times established by the Company to complete the training. In no case shall Flight Attendants receive less than one hour (1:00) of training pay. CBT Training shall be paid in the month during which training is completed.

Additionally, once a Flight Attendant has completed CQ, credited compensation will be posted as Add Pay by the end of the month in which the CBT is completed. Discrepancies or missing compensation can be reported by filing a pay claim via Help Hub.

As a reminder, it is a good practice to keep a record of any completed CBT segments. In the event that your completion is not accurately recorded, proof of completion can prevent you from needing to re-take a segment. We suggest keeping a screenshot of completed segments or a copy of the CBT completion email for your records.


February 2023 Final List of Transfers Accepted

Last week, the company finalized the February 2023 Final List of Transfers Accepted.  We expect the company to continue awarding transfers.  

We ask please that, if you have a transfer on file, you make sure it reflects your current desires.  For your flying partners who have made working from where they live a priority, this is a thoughtful and considerate action you can take before transfers are awarded. AFA continues to advocate for Contractual transfer activity to all base locations.


January 2023 Semi-Annual System Seniority List Published

The January 2023 Semi-Annual System Seniority List is now published on the company’s website.  As provided in our Contract under Section 14.C., this list shall be made available at all stations where Flight Attendants are based for their review.  This list can also be found in Flying Together under Inflight>Crew Scheduling>Semi-Annual System Seniority List.

To ensure all Flight Attendants have the ability to dispute any error or omission affecting their seniority and to clearly understand the timeline for such a challenge, the company will post a notice to Flight Attendants advising them of the availability of the list.  This notice starts the official 30-day period during which you must submit any error or omission in the information contained on that list.

You will have a maximum of thirty (30) calendar days from January 11, 2023, to dispute any alleged omission or error that affects your seniority.  The only exceptions to the 30-day rule are the following:

•        Flight attendants on vacation at the time of the posting

•        Flight attendants on Leave of Absence at the time of the posting

•        Flight attendants on furlough at the time of posting

•        Flight attendants on sick leave at the time of posting

In those situations, the Flight Attendant must report discrepancies no more than 30 days after returning to flight duty.

The procedures outlined in Section 23; paragraph C, is the exclusive method for handling of protests concerning seniority.  If you believe there is an error or omission that affects your seniority, please contact the Office of the United MEC Secretary-Treasurer immediately to enable research on the issue to begin immediately.  

Additional information is available in our Contract under Section 14 and on our website at www.unitedafa.org.

United Master Executive Council Meeting – January 17-18, 2023

The Winter 2023 Regular Meeting of the United Master Executive Council (MEC) is scheduled to take place Tuesday, January 17-18, 2023, at the Hyatt Rosemont, 6350 N. River Rd, Rosemont, IL 60018. 

Your Local Council President, joined by the other Local Council Presidents from around our system, will address the business of our Union and the issues that are important to the Membership.

We encourage each Member to witness our democratic process by attending your Local Council Meetings and joining us for the MEC Winter Regular Meeting if you are in the Chicago area while we are in session.

For additional information and the Meeting Agenda visit unitedafa.org.


Union Plus Scholarship Program

As a yearly reminder, the Union Plus Scholarship Program application must be received on or before 12:00 p.m. (Noon) Eastern Standard Time on January 31st of the scholarship year.   Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.  

As AFA members, you and your family are eligible for the Union Plus Scholarship Program. 

Union Plus provides comprehensive information for the college-bound individual as well as a suite of scholarships (https://www.unionplus.org/college-education-financing). 

A unique aspect of the Union Plus Scholarships is that they are open to current and retired members, spouses, and dependent children.  All necessary information about each scholarship is available online at the Union Plus website.

Reminders:

JAN 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
JAN 17 – United MEC Regular Meeting, Hyatt Rosemont, IL
JAN 18 – United MEC Regular Meeting, Hyatt Rosemont, IL
JAN 22 – Lunar New Year
JAN 29 – CQ 2022p1 Winter Trimester CBT DUE by 2359 Central Standard Time
JAN 31 – Union Plus Scholarship Application Deadline

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