11.13.19 – Weekly Scoop
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
APFA National President Bassani Revives the Flight Attendant Union Coalition
Pictured from left to right; Sara Gonzalez, Gen Chairperson IAM Local 142 – Lori Bassani, National President APFA – Lyn Montgomery, President TWU Local 556 – Kimberly Barboro, National Coordinator for Customer Service and Flight Attendants IBT – Robert Barrow, AFA Envoy MEC President – Jordan Braystone, Committee Chair Health & Safety CUPE – Nicola Schnell, Mobilization and Engagement Committee CUPE
Notification of Willingness-to-Serve – National Officer Elections
From the National Ballot Committee: The National Ballot Committee (NBC) has posted the Willingness-to-Serve for the positions of National President, National Vice President, National Secretary and National Treasurer on the APFA website. The WTS form will be submitted electronically. Paper submissions will not be accepted. Please follow all instructions on the form to correctly submit your WTS. Ballots for the National Officer election will be mailed to members on December 30, 2019, and all ballots must be received by 1000 CT, January 29, 2020.
PIT – PHL Base Visit
Left to right Dianne Britton, former DCA base President with Cathy Sharp, APFA National Health Chair
National President Lori Bassani and members of the Negotiating Committee visited PHL and PIT last week. We were pleased with the turn out. This was another opportunity to ask questions and address concerns. As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Professional Standards: Working with Toxic Co-Workers
A toxic workplace is a workplace that is marked by significant drama and infighting, where personal battles often harm productivity.
A significant sign of a toxic environment is unhealthy communication patterns. Lack of communication where employees find out about decisions made after they have been implemented. Indirect communication: sending messages through others. Withholding information, giving misleading information.
Staying Mentally Strong is key.
Toxic coworkers can drain you of the mental strength you need to do your best—if you let them.
Here are some strategies for staying strong even when you work with the most difficult people:
1.Resist the temptation to complain.
It can be tempting to turn to another coworker and say, “Can you believe he said that on that last flight?” But venting to other people—and trying to get them to confirm your beliefs—isn’t healthy. Whether you send emails to your other coworkers to complain about the toxic individual, or you vent to your partner when you get home, complaining keeps you stuck in a negative state.
2. Retain your personal power
Saying that your coworker makes you feel bad about yourself or claiming they ruined your day; implies you aren’t in control.
You’re in control of how you think, feel, and behave. Decide that someone else’s bad behavior, poor attitude, or toxic choices won’t drag you down.
3. Focus on controlling yourself, not anyone else.
You can’t control your coworkers. You can only control how you respond to them.
So put that same energy into taking positive action.
4. Have a direct conversation.
Establish boundaries that make your expectations clear. Just keep in mind, you can’t change the other person’s personality, but you can call them out on specific behaviors.
You may also need to set limits by saying something like, “This sounds like gossip and I don’t want to hear it.”
5. Practice healthy coping skills.
Take care of your mind and your body. It’s impossible to stay mentally strong if you’re eating a poor diet or you’re not getting adequate sleep. Get plenty of exercise to help you combat the negative effects of stress.
APFA Professional Standards is a voluntary, confidential service offering members the opportunity to resolve conflicts or concerns with co-workers without management involvement. It is the lowest level of informal intervention.
APFA National Professional Standards Rep:
JILLIAN BOCENDA email: [email protected]
(847) 828-1431
To locate your local base Professional Standards Rep, click here and scroll down to the Professional Standards Column
PAC Member of the Month – Julie Moyer – November 2019
Julie is a 30-year Flight Attendant based in Miami. She has been an active APFA member throughout her career, most recently participating in the 2019 APFA Lobby Day. See why Julie thinks the APFA PAC is important:
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.
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. Remember, our strength is in our numbers.
More Information on the APFA PAC
Let Us Know
Upcoming Site Reviews:
SJC Short – San Jose, CA
MCI Short – Kansas City
RDU Short – Raleigh-Durham
Fact or Fiction –
The Company will consult with the Union Hotel Committee when establishing a new Flight Attendant lounge or making a major change to an existing Flight Attendant lounge.
Answer – Fact
SECTION 6 – CREW ACCOMMODATIONS E. FLIGHT ATTENDANT CREW LOUNGES
Turbulence
If you sustain an injury due to turbulence, notify the Captain immediately that you have been injured and request that the turbulence be documented. If medical treatment is necessary, it is imperative to let the Captain know.
IODs may be filed 24/7 by calling 1-844-777-8463.
Your call will be answered by a triage nurse with Sedgwick. You are NOT required to follow the nurse’s recommendations and are free to seek medical treatment. Simply advise the nurse if you intend to seek immediate medical care. Not all injuries require immediate medical attention. In the event of a medical emergency, do not wait to speak with a nurse, go to the nearest emergency room. You must be removed from duty by a doctor to become eligible for workers’ compensation pay benefits once the claim is accepted.
All Flight Attendants should also file a CERS Report. The CERS Report is located on the Flight Service website by clicking on Safety and Security.
For more information about turbulence safety, please refer to the Inflight Manual – Safety and Security – General Safety and/or contact the IOD Department at [email protected].
If I am flown into days off due to actual operations, is this PNC (above Guarantee)?
All time flown on a GD is PNC. Hours flown into a FD are P/C (pay and credit) if the day off is reinstated at a later date.
If actual operations cause you to be flown more than an hour into your FD or GD, you may choose to have the day off reinstated at a mutually agreed upon future date. You must advise Crew Scheduling of this request no later than 48 hours following completion of the trip.
If you choose not to have the day off reinstated, hours flown on both FD and GDs are PNC. In addition, you will be paid the value of the reserve day(s) (3.56 or 4.10) as PNC.
APFA is hosting a special Telephone Town Hall to answer your questions about retirement. We invite all members regardless of age or seniority to join, as it’s never too early to start planning for your retirement!
APFA’s National Retirement Specialist along with National Officers, the Negotiating Committee, Health & IOD Chairs, and other knowledgeable leaders will be available to answer questions you may have.
This special event is on Thursday, November 14th from 12:00-1:00 pm CST.
Register for this event by clicking this link. You will receive a phone call when the event starts on November 14th.
Crew Security Website
Do you know about the Crew Security Website? It has resources that can be useful to crewmembers, including TSA, Security Directives, Reporting and Crew specifics.
You can access the website here. You will need your active credentials to access the site. Remember, the information contained is confidential and should not be shared or posted outside the website itself.
Panama City (PTY) LAG Restrictions:
We have learned that Panama City, Panama (PTY) has recently implemented LAG (Liquid, Aerosol & Gel) restrictions for all crewmembers – whether working or deadheading.
Ensure that you comply with the new, unannounced, LAG restrictions when traveling through PTY. Crew members will be permitted to have 1 quart sized bag that includes LAG items under 3.4oz. Crewmembers are permitted 1 bag per person. It’s consistent with the
3-1-1 in the US for passengers.
Did I just read that we are getting a dues increase?
FICTION: The APFA National President provided a financial update in her November 11th, 2019 hotline. Unlike most other unions who can institute a dues increase at will, your APFA Constitution requires a referendum be sent to the membership for a vote. It’s up to you.
Here’s the actual language in our Constitution:
ARTICLE IV FINANCES Section 1. DUES AND ASSESSMENTS:
E. The Board of Directors may conduct an annual review of the dues structure of the Association to determine if the structure should be revised, provided that no increase in dues shall be put into effect unless ratified by an affirmative vote by a majority of those active members in good standing who return valid ballots.
https://www.apfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/APFA-Constitution-2018-Rev-pg28.pdf
As of today, there have been 5,126 Flight Attendants who have filed uniform reaction reports.
Please continue to utilize the Uniform Reaction Report Form on the APFA website if you experience a suspected reaction to your uniform.
APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108
Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108
After-Hours Live Chat
Weekends / Holidays: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108
Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108
After-Hours Live Chat
Weekends / Holidays: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108
Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108
After-Hours Live Chat
Weekends / Holidays: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)