2.01.16 – PHX Base Brief – February 2016

Monday, February 1, 2016

PHX Base Brief – February 2016

WINTER SUPERSTORM JONAS

Superstorm Jonas not only buried the greater part of the Eastern Seaboard under a blanket of snow and/or ice, it also buried with it this airline’s ability to efficiently react to Flight Attendants needs and reschedule accordingly based on the contractual language set forth in the “Red Book”. As the calls and emails began to roll in as early as Thursday evening, your Base Representatives began working with Crew Scheduling in Dallas to ensure that crews were tracked and their needs were addressed. PHX Flight Service also put their own plan in place to ensure that the needs of Flight Attendants were addressed as the phone calls came in to the Crew Service Center here in PHX.

As the weekend progressed, so did the frustration level. Section 11.Q.5. of the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (Red Book) and Section 11.O.4. of the 2014 Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) spell out the penalty for violations to Section 10 (Scheduling), Section 11 (Hours of Service), Section 12 (Reserve), Section 14 (International), and Section 15 (Language of Destination/Origin). If you believe that Crew Scheduling violated any of these sections between Thursday, January 21st through Monday, January 25th, your Base Representatives need to know about it. Please send written documentation to include your Name, CATCREW number, Pairing number/origination date, the date, time, and name of the Scheduler you spoke with, along with a brief detail of the violation (missing or unassigned hotel info, no downline segments, etc.). Please put JONAS in the subject line and send to [email protected].

CABIN ODOR/FUME EVENTS

Within the past week, American Airlines has had two high profile diversions due to reported “mystery illnesses”. As the investigations have unfolded it has become apparent that these diversions were possibly due to fume events. If you and your crew experience unusual cabin odors, please contact the flight deck to rule out odors such as de-icing fluid and odors from non-ventilation sources. The toxic fume (“dirty sock smell”) events onboard the aircraft have been linked to additives in the engine oil used by the airline and to faults in the bleed-air system that is part of the compressor system of the aircraft. Please take the following steps to help ensure the health and safety of you, and the passengers. If the Flight Deck is onboard, please coordinate all steps with them.

• If the aircraft is at the gate, and there are no passengers onboard, step off the aircraft and contact American Airlines Flight Service Daily Operations desk at IOC in Dallas at (888) 222-4737. Tell them that there is an unexplained odor in the aircraft. To limit your exposure, it is a good idea to proceed to the boarding area or the jet bridge.
   
• If you detect any abnormal odors or see any smoke or a haze in the cabin after leaving the gate, follow the procedures outlined on page 386 of the Inflight Manual, and notify the Captain immediately. Be sure to be very specific in the details provided to the Captain. If any of the crewmembers or any passenger(s) begin to experience any physical symptoms (headache, metallic taste, coughing, irritated eye/nose/throat, dizziness and/or nausea) notify the Captain and coordinate the appropriate medical response.
   
• If immediately following the flight once you are on the ground, you begin to experience any physical symptoms (chest tightness, profound fatigue, muscle aches, sinus congestion and/or a persistent cough) contact American Airlines Flight Service Daily Operations desk at IOC (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 and follow the direction of the Manager on Duty in the station that you have landed in.
   
• Your health and safety is vitally important; so please seek medical assistance as soon as possible should you experience any of the above symptoms. Once the immediacy of the event has passed, each Flight Attendant should file an AMR Report for the odor/fume event and if you were treated at a medical facility, please file the appropriate OJI/IOD reports with your Flight Service Manager.  It is also a good idea to file an ASAP report which will document the event with the appropriate AA departments and the FAA.  Don’t forget to notify your PHX APFA Base Reps. by calling (480) 966-1231, ext. 3 and APFA Health ([email protected]) and Safety ([email protected]) Departments.

#PHA5E Session & JCBA Training/Round Table Discussion: February 23rd & 24th

Your PHX Base Representatives are pleased to announce that we have secured meeting space for the JCBA Round Table Discussion and the PHA5E Session. The meetings will take place at the PHX at the former Flight Training Center, 1950 E Buckeye Rd, Phoenix in room 211, I.

The PHA5E program is the “5th Phase of flight – the beginning of your career! PHA5E provides an avenue for junior Flight Attendants to become involved! The more active the membership, the more unified we stand. Every Flight Attendant from every seniority ranges is welcome to join in on the discussion, but this program is geared toward introducing the more junior Flight Attendants to a long lasting career at the airline and how APFA plays a part in that. The discussion includes these topics: how APFA operates and APFA’s structure, changes in 2016 under the JCBA, how APFA can help you, current contract language Q & A, and how you can get more involved with APFA. For more information, please contact the PHA5E Team Coordinators at [email protected]. 

JCBA negotiators Vicki Balistreri (LUS) and Paul Hartshorn Jr. (LUS) will be at the PHX Crew Base to answer your questions and host a round table discussion about changes/ procedures in the JCBA. Please join us to discuss the contract we will all be working under at Flight Attendant Operational Integration (FOI). Everyone from LUS and LAA are welcome, regardless of where you’re based. For more info, please contact Paul at [email protected] or Vicki at [email protected].

The PHA5E Session will be on February 23rd from 10:30 to 15:00. The JCBA Round Table will take place on February 24th from 10:00 until 17:00.

Your PHX Base Leadership is very excited to welcome the members of these great teams to PHX and this is your chance to learn about the changes, ask questions, and get more involved.

APFA NATIONAL OFFICER RUN-OFF ELECTION

We are in the midst of the run-off election for the next National leaders of APFA. Direct election by the membership of our National Officers is new to the LUS Bases. This is your chance to have a direct voice in who leads our Union on a National Level. Run-off voting began on January 19th and will close on February 18th at 10:00 CST. In order to cast a vote, you must be a member in good standing (no more than 60 days in dues arrears) by 5:00pm CT, February 16, 2016. Flight Attendants may cast their vote by phone 1-800-698-3789 or by internet https://BallotPoint.com/APFA.  

Remember: Once you cast your ballot, you will not be able to change your vote.

If you have not received your ballot, or have misplaced it, please contact the National Ballot Committee (NBC) at [email protected] or 817-540-0108, ext. 8311 to receive your access code.

In Unity,

Joseph Seelye
APFA PHX Base President
[email protected]