5.08.19 – The Weekly Scoop

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

 

Roadshow Update

The Negotiating Committee has completed the first negotiations roadshows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. We received a lot of great feedback, and look forward to visiting more bases in the coming months. Click Here for the upcoming roadshow schedule.

Reserve Survey

Shortly, we will be sending a Reserve survey to obtain information and direction on potential changes to the Reserve section of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We hope you will take the time to give your feedback. The secure Reserve survey will be accessed through APFA.org, and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you are unable to access APFA.org, please email [email protected] or call 817-540-0108 ext. 8153.

APFA Negotiating Committee met with PHX Flight Attendants on May 1st.

APFA Negotiating Committee, [email protected]

2018 FAA Reauthorization Bill

Recently, APFA wrote to FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell to speed up implementation of safety issues in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Bill.

1. Where is our 10-hour minimum rest?
2. When will seat size and cabin air quality be addressed?

• Write to Dan Elwell – [email protected]
• Call your Representatives – (202) 224-3121

APFA Political Action Committee

The APFA Political Action Committee (PAC) is comprised of small voluntary donations from APFA members to support political candidates and members of Congress who impact our job. Dues money is never used. Our PAC contributes to both Democrats and Republicans who advocate for broad issues and regulations that advance air travel safety and the Flight Attendant profession.

APFA is committed to ensuring that our voice is heard loud and clear in Washington as we continue to fight for our hardworking members. Seat size, cabin air quality, emotional support animals, minimum rest rules – these are just some of the issues that APFA can influence.

Elections matter! Now is the time to start building our PAC for 2020 so please join today. A contribution of as little as $1 or $2 per paycheck will add up to have a major impact. You can start or stop at any time. Remember, our strength is in our numbers.

APFA PAC Member of the Month – Anthony Murphy – May 2019

Join the PAC today!

More Information on the APFA PAC

-Allie Malis, APFA National Government Affairs Representative, [email protected]

PBS Opens on the 10th at Noon (DFW Time)

Please remember to check your status prior to bidding in PBS. Your information can be found on the PBS Dashboard on the 10th of every month at Noon (DFW Time).

If any of the information is incorrect, please call the FABRC at 888-376-5375 as soon as possible, or you can reach us at [email protected].

– Alin Boswell, Julie Hedrick, Linda Haertling, Vicki Balistreri, APFA Joint Scheduling Implementation Committee

Prescription Insomnia Medication Warnings

The FDA requires stronger warnings about rare but serious incidents related to certain prescription insomnia medications.

Many Flight Attendants suffer from insomnia. We consistently go through circadian rhythm disruption due to all-nighters and we frequently cross time zones. Many of us depend on certain sleep medications to get through the night in hopes of getting good rest.

Recently, the FDA ordered that several popular types of prescription sleeping pills such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata, will now come with a “black box” warning on the box. This new warning alerts the buyer of the possibility of some dangerous side effects.  After conducting a safety review of these sleep medications, there were patients that engaged in activities that resulted in incredibly serious injuries and even death.  These activities included sleepwalking or driving while not fully awake, as well as others which resulted in car crashes, burns, near drowning and even loss of limb due to exposure to extreme cold temperatures.

Black box warnings are the FDA’s most prominent warning. The FDA has stated that the three drugs affected by the warning – zolpidem (Ambien and others), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and zaleplon (Sonata) should not be given to anyone who has experienced these complex sleep behaviors.

For the complete and most recent FDA Drug Safety Announcement, Click Here.

– Abby Alconcher, APFA EAP Specialist, [email protected]