4.26.21 – APFA LGA Base Brief- Vaccine Status Disclosure to the Company

Monday, April 26, 2021

Vaccine Status Disclosure to the Company

Earlier this month, the Company rolled out their vaccine incentive program, which provides $50 worth of Nonstop Thanks Points + an extra vacation day for the 2022-2023 vacation year. They left out one important clearer explanation. Reporting to the Company that you are already vaccinated also means the Company is no longer required to remove you with ‘Code 13’ after being contacted for positive exposure to the COVID-19 virus by a customer or employee through the contact tracing process. Those who have already reported your vaccine status to the Company should know that if daily ops contacts you for positive exposure to someone with COVID, you can contact a Premise Health clinic to schedule testing after the five days of exposure self-quarantine while you await results. You can apply for pandemic leave awaiting test results. Your Premise Health practitioner should know of your notice from the Company about your exposure and ask you if you have been vaccinated. Remember that you have until the last day of August to report your vaccine status to the Company.

The CDC has not ruled out contracting COVID or a variant of this virus because you are vaccinated. I believe the Company prematurely decided to exclude Flight Attendants who are vaccinated from their normal quarantine process as a cost-saving decision, not one that regards the health of our Flight Attendants. I have communicated this to our National Health Chair and the company as well. As your Base President, this move by the Company does not sit well with me. I hope they rethink this decision, given the continued risk we take when caring for customers who travel worldwide, especially domestically, where a test is not required to travel around the country.

Flight Attendants are part of the team of first responders in this pandemic, especially here in New York. I will continue to monitor which countries require flight crews to have been vaccinated and how this will impact New York-LGA.

In Solidarity,

Christian M. Santana
APFA LGA Base President
[email protected]
(347) 546-0703

Penelope King
APFA LGA Base Vice President
[email protected]
(718) 350-7043