AFA E-Lines: May 13, 2022

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AFA DEBRIEF – MAY 13, 2022

• AAPI Community and Individual Success
• United & ALPA Reach an Agreement in Principle on New Contract
• Marginal Service Reporting Provides Data
• Mandatory Meetings for New Hire (Probationary) Flight Attendants
• Spring 2022 Regular MEC and AFA BOD Meetings
• June 2022 Reserve Timeline

AAPI Community and Individual Success

As we recognize and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we’d like to highlight some historical accomplishment by a few patriotic, heroic and pioneering individuals.

Hong Yen Chang is reported to be the first Chinese immigrant to earn a license to practice law in the United States.  Chang attended Columbia Law School in 1886, however the New York State Bar at the time required applicants be U.S. citizens, and although he was naturalized as a citizen, was still rejected. In response to this injustice, the New York State Legislature issued the “An Act for the relief of Hong Yen Chang,” allowing him to gain admission. On May 17, 1888, he was admitted to the New York State Bar

Ellison Onizuka was both the first Japanese and first Asian American to go to space. Prior to his service with NASA, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a test pilot and flight test engineer.

He served as mission specialist in 1985 onboard Discovery’s STS-51C mission. Ellison also had the unfortunate distinction to also tragically die on the Challenger disaster in 1986. Honoring his service, he was promoted from lieutenant colonel to the rank of colonel, posthumously.

Naomi Eumura was a famous and heroic Japanese explorer. He was the first man to climb Mount McKinley solo in 1970, the first Japanese man to climb Mount Everest, and in one of his most famous expeditions, he was the first person to achieve a solo trek to the North Pole. On his voyage he gathered evidence about weather and air pollution by gathering snow and ice samples for the Smithsonian Institution and other research institutes in Japan.

Margaret Chung graduated from the University of Southern California Medical School in 1916 and was the only woman in her class. She dressed in masculine clothing, was known by the nickname “Mike,” and as you imagined, faced many challenges as a result of being the only women.  She faced internship and residency denials, but finally became an emergency surgeon in Los Angeles, becoming the first American born Chinese woman doctor. In her position, she helped establish the first western hospital in Chinatown, San Francisco.

During World War II, she volunteered as a front-line surgeon, and was able to network with high-ranking officers and government officials and led to the establishment of the Woman Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services, a naval branch, which helped lead the way for women to be integrated into the U.S. military.

Change and breaking ground on new ways of thinking always requires courage, innovation and challenging societal norms. The invaluable contributions by our AAPI community have not only been a foundation, but also a formidable force in the continual evolution of diversity and equity.

As a reminder, a special commemorative pin for AFA Members to wear throughout the month of May can be obtained from your AFA Local Council office.   For more information about the pin, please contact your AFA Local Council office.

United & ALPA Reach an Agreement in Principle on New Contract

We congratulate our brothers, sisters and family at ALPA who have reached an Agreement in Principle on a new contract with United Airlines.

The agreement is subject to a ratification process, which includes final documentation, review and consideration by the ALPA Master Executive Council and membership voting.

As additional information becomes available first to ALPA Members, we will work to share details on this achievement.

Marginal Service Reporting Provides Data

As the company returns to pre-pandemic service, most notably the return to the 3-point Polaris service, all of us are excited to see these changes coming.  As you will recall, management reduced staffing during the pandemic to match the reduced service we were providing. 

We understand that United has done extensive testing on the ground in putting together guidelines on how we might collectively move forward in introducing the return of services. We all also understand that while a service may be completed one way in a perfect environment, where all supplies are present, there is more than adequate staffing and those assisting are familiar with putting the service together is significantly different in an environment with turbulence, irregular operations, other distractions and inadequate supplies. 

The reality, however, is that sometimes what works well under idyllic circumstances on the ground, doesn’t always play out the same way in the air. We all want a return to a service we can be proud of and aligns with our mutual goal to be the best airline in the world. However, it’s important that if we have constructive feedback about difficulties or challenges, we encounter, we need to provide that information and suggestions to our Union to advocate for the change that will realistically align the service with the goals that management has set to provide a premium experience to our passengers.

As we work to meet these goals, we encourage you to provide specific information on the marginal service conditions that exist.  Using the Reports & Forms section of our MEC website, file a Marginal Service Report which will provide the MEC Officers with specific information that can be used in our discussions with management as we continue to advocate for change to the ESG in light of the increased service levels on our flights. 

Mandatory Meetings for New Hire (Probationary) Flight Attendants

As our newest flying partners progress into their careers as Flight Attendants, we are learning of a number of issues that might impede the natural progression and success of these new hires as they work to meet their obligation to attend mandatory meetings with their supervisors.

In some cases, we have heard that our probationary Flight Attendants are being offered a limited choice of days on which to schedule their mandatory meetings. As a reminder, Flight Attendants on Reserve status are Contractually guaranteed a minimum of 12 days off each month. Additionally, if a meeting is scheduled on a Reserve day of availability, and the probationary Flight Attendant is subsequently assigned or reassigned on those days for a trip, it is incumbent upon management to work with them to find a time to meet that doesn’t conflict with their days off or when they’re away from the base on an assignment.  In some cases, given the limited availability of dates, it may well be management’s responsibility to provide alternate dates upon which the meeting can be rescheduled.

If you have concerns or an issue in meeting your obligations in this regard, please reach out to your Local Council for assistance on working through the issue in a positive manner.

Spring 2022 Regular MEC and AFA BOD Meetings

The MEC concluded the Spring 2022 Regular Meeting of the United Master Executive Council, yesterday and began the first day of the 49^th Annual AFA Board of Directors Meeting today.

Summaries of activities from both days are now available on our website.

Our AFA Board of Directors meeting is being held at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, 3645 South Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV 89109.

June 2022 Reserve Timeline

If you are on Reserve status for the June bid month, there are a number of scheduling request deadlines and processes that occur during the period between the release of bid awards and through the first week of the new month. Some of these events occur on the same calendar days each month, while others are based on the date when the new Flight Attendant bid month begins. This date may vary from month to month. We have made available a Reserve bid month timeline detailing these items in both a visual calendar as well as list format.

Reminders:

MAY – Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
MAY – Mental Health Awareness Month
MAY 13 – 15   AFA Board of Directors Meeting, Las Vegas, NV
MAY 30 – U.S. Memorial Day Holiday

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