AFA E-Lines: Apr 26, 2022

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  • Proxy Voting for UAL May 25 Shareholder Meeting
  • Crew Member Self Defense Training – TSA CMSDT
  • Spring 2022 Regular Meeting of the United MEC and Elections
  • Review of Flight Time vs. Holding Time following a Diversion
  • Central Schedule Reserve & Hotel Committee Reports Available from Our Website
  • Proxy Voting for UAL May 25 Shareholder Meeting
  • Crew Member Self Defense Training – TSA CMSDT
  • Spring 2022 Regular Meeting of the United MEC and Elections
  • Review of Flight Time vs. Holding Time following a Diversion
  • Central Schedule, Reserve & Hotel Committee Reports Available from Our Website


Proxy Voting for UAL May 25 Shareholder Meeting

The United Airlines Holdings, Inc. "Annual Stockholder Meeting Notice & Proxy Materials" have been arriving via U.S. mail and/or e-mail to those shareholders who own United stock either directly or through an investment fund such as the United 401(k) plans. If you receive this notice by mail look for a normal legal-sized envelope with a window for your address and “United Airlines Holdings, Inc.” at the top of the window. Alternatively, if you have signed up for electronic notification through Fidelity, Shareholder meeting and proxy vote information will be delivered to your e-mail of record. Either of these notices are essential in order to vote and also serves as your admission ticket to the Shareholder meeting. Visit www.ProxyVote.com and using the individual Control # provided to register.

If you own UA Common Stock, either directly or through your 401(k), you can vote or direct the trustee on how to vote your UA shares on the matters brought before the shareholders at the annual UAL Stockholder Meeting on May 25, 2022. The Proxy Statement and 2021 UAL Annual report on Form 10-K and 401(k) Plans Letter are available online or you can receive a free paper or email copy of these material(s) by requesting them prior to May 11, 2022. You may obtain these by visiting the website, calling 1-800-579-1639, or by sending an email to sendmaterial@proxyvote.com. When sending an email, please include the control number provided to you in the subject line of the e-mail. Please review all material very carefully before casting your vote.

Crew Member Self Defense Training – TSA CMSDT

Safety is always a top priority for Flight Attendants on and off duty. Over the last two years, our ability to deescalate and handle unruly passengers has been crucial in taking protective measures for our customers and Flight Attendants.

A great way to enhance our abilities in being aviation’s first responders is through the TSA Crew Member Self Defense Training. AFA strongly encourages active Flight Attendants to participate in these training events.

TSA is currently accepting registrations for April - June classes. Active crew members are eligible for this training program.

The Crew Member Self Defense Training Program provides four hours of training to prepare active crew members of all domestic scheduled carriers for potential physical altercations both on and off the aircraft.

Search for the training course near you and submit the online registration form to register for this no-cost training. Reporting instructions will be provided upon registration and successful verification of employment.

For more information, visit the TSA website.

 

Spring 2022 Regular Meeting of the United MEC and Elections

The Spring 2022 Regular Meeting of the United Master Executive Council will take place in person, May 11-12, 2022 in conjunction with the AFA Board of Directors Meeting. Elections for cyclical vacancies will be held as the first order of business on the second day of the meeting for the following positions: Central Schedule Committee (2 Member positions), Hotel and Transportation Committee (2 Member positions) and for one System Board Member position. The two-year terms for the MEC Committee positions begin July 1, 2022 while the term for the System Board Member begins 8/1/2022.

The MEC meeting Agenda is posted in the Meetings section of the MEC Website. The meeting is open to Members in good standing. If you happen to be in Las Vegas on the dates the meeting is scheduled, we encourage your attendance and participation in our Democratic process.

The meeting will be held at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, 3645 South Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109.

 

Review of Flight Time vs. Holding Time following a Diversion

Irregular operations resulting from spring and summer weather are a direct result of the impact of weather on the operations of our airline. As undesirable as irregular operations can be, they are a part of our daily life during the season of thunderstorms. As a result of irregular operations, diversions to airports at destinations other than those intended on the flight’s route do occur. Depending on what happens at the station where we land, time spent on the aircraft with passengers at the diversionary point can be classified as either holding or flight time depending on the circumstances we find once we have landed. Understanding holding and flight time within the context of a diversion can significantly reduce not only our frustration but that of the passengers in our care. 

Section 2.P. of our Contract provides for the circumstances under which flight time continues to accumulate following a diversion/unplanned stop. In the application of the language in Section 2.P. – Flight Time, the following represents the language of the Settlement of a prior grievance asserting a misapplication of these provisions when flights have diverted:

  • “Normal unloading point” includes any gate position with or without a jet bridge where aircraft typically park to load/unload passengers at a particular airport even if that place is not the intended destination of the flight in question.
  • “Operational reasons” includes but are not limited to mechanical issues, refueling, weather, or the removal of an ill or disruptive passenger.

Clarification Scenarios:

  • When an aircraft returns to a “normal unloading point” at the departure airport, holding time will apply.
  • When an aircraft makes an unscheduled stop for operational reasons and the aircraft parks at a place, which is not a typical unloading point, and passenger access/egress is prohibited, then flight time shall continue uninterrupted.
  • When an aircraft makes an unscheduled stop and parks at a standard unloading point which eventually becomes its unloading point, and governmental authorities require passengers to remain onboard to wait for customs and/or immigration facilities to become available, then holding time will apply while awaiting passenger egress.
  • When an aircraft makes an unscheduled stop for operational reasons and governmental authorities deny permission for passenger egress, then flight time shall continue uninterrupted until the plane departs for the scheduled destination. It may be necessary for the Purser/International Purser to follow up with Crew Scheduling to ensure pairings that qualify for continuous flight time are appropriately updated.

Should you have additional questions, don't hesitate to contact your Local Council Office for assistance.

Central Schedule, Reserve & Hotel Committee Reports Available from Our Website

The most recently published reports from our MEC Central Schedule Committee, MEC Hotel & Transportation Committee and MEC Reserve Committee are available from the Committee section of the United MEC website at www.unitedafa.org.

These reports, which painstakingly detail the work of the dedicated volunteers who make up these committees, paint a comprehensive picture of the Flight Attendant schedule development process and highlight how we are interrelated despite the fact that the flying assigned to each of the bases originates at a different point on the system. Within this context, while it is easy to become focused on what is happening at our base, what happens at other bases in terms of the assignment of flying can have an impact on what happens at our respective base.

Our MEC Hotel & Transportation Committee details the work of the Members of the Committee in their ongoing efforts to support our Members in the field and require the company to observe the commitments they’ve made in bargaining to ensure Hotels and Transportation provided by the company for layovers meets the terms of the Contract.

Finally, our MEC Reserve Committee reports detail of our collective efforts to require the company to meet its obligation as it pertains to the scheduling of Reserves under the contract. These efforts focus not only on Reserve assignments but on all of the other provisions of our industry leading Reserve system which includes our Reserve Preference System.

Not only is your understanding of the scheduling process essential in grasping the full role of these volunteers, your involvement in the enforcement of our Contract is vital in maintaining and enforcing the terms of our current Contract. Contract enforcement is not an isolated activity. It is, in fact, everyone’s responsibility. While it takes time to report violations or misapplications of the language in our Contract, there reports are the proof your Local Council needs to follow-up on issues you identify. Far too often we hear, “If you didn’t report it, it didn’t happen.” Use the Union’s Reports and Forms link from the home page of our www.unitedafa.org website to ask questions or report the questionable application of the language in our Contract.

 

REMINDERS:
APR 29 - CQ 2022 Second Trimester CBT Completion Deadline
APR 30 – Joe Beirne Scholarship Close
MAY 05 – Cinco De Mayo
MAY 10 – Mothers’ Day

 

 

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