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Communications Update May 26, 2024

communications committee updates

Hello Crew,

This update is a FULL one which covers multiple topics, and we encourage you to read it closely!

 

Minutes from the Meeting on May 17, 2024

 

Committee Updates

Please see below the updates from the following committees

Benefits Committee

  • Our Benefits Committee Chair, Alcides Guttierez, has been hard at work negotiating partnerships and discounts for the crew.
  • The Brightline discount is in full effect and provides great assistance to crew travelling between Orlando and Miami for work.

    • See the travel agreement flyer below

      Norse Brightline Travel Agreement
  • Our Benefits committee has also negotiated a partnership with Active & Fit, which is a benefit to join 1 or more fitness clubs, for only one monthly payment. However, the deployment of that has been delayed due to a mismatch in technical requirements. We are currently working on solving these and will let you know when it is ready for use.

Communications

  • Your Communications MEC Chair, Jhenelle Jacas, has been working on website optimization and including updated information on our site at all times when needed. All ammended pages include a date and time when last updated at the bottom of the page.
  • We are currently looking at starting an Instagram page for Norse AFA. More information on this is forthcoming.
  • The different committee pages are still being built and will hopefully be completed by the end of the summer.

EAP

  • Your EAP team attended Critical Incident training in the first quarter of 2024, which allows them to be able to provide aid for things like the death/injury from aircraft incidents and accidents. This includes incidences of severe turbulence which leads to injury or death, such as what has been seen recently with Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.
  • As a reminder, you can always contact our EAP with any issues that you may have. You do not have to speak to someone from our airline or of a certain gender if you are not comfortable. Reach out to the EAP by any of the following:
    • Phone: 1-800-424-2406 or 202-434-0560
    • Phone or Text or Whatsapp: 301-437-0390
    • Email: [email protected]

Government Affairs

Hotel & Transportation (HTC)

  • The Hotel & Transportation Committee has been working hard to ensure that we have appropriate crew hotels.
  • Odette Bishop, our representative on the committee, has indicated some items here:
    • We know that the FCO hotel has been having wifi issues. These seem to be fixed now but if the situation arises again, please submit a Centrik report about it and send a copy to [email protected]. The committee is also trying to get a commitment for tighter security, working refrigerators and air conditioning units in the rooms in this hotel. 
    • Our JFK hotel, the Indigo, has been having issues ensuring we have proper room stock available. The company is trying to work this out. In the interim, if you have a JFK layover, you might be staying at either the Indigo or the Allegria. The goal is for the entire crew to stay at the same hotel to avoid differences or delays in arrival times at the airports for the flights. Please check your roster carefully and verify with your pickup van what hotel you are being taken to
    • Our ATH hotel has been chosen and the first set of crew will be there in the next few days. The hotels has amenities such as a pool, beach access and more. While it is not close to the city, it is still fairly accessible by car.

Human Rights & Equity (HRE) 

  • Your HRE MEC Chair, Jhenelle Jacas, has been collaborating with the AFA International Office on several projects over the past few months.  This includes assisting in information for the AFA HRE webpage, putting together detailed lists of training, days and months of observation for the year 2024, putting together packets and documents on key HRE issues such as LGBTQIA+ issues, and more.
  • An order of union pins for crew has been placed. Priority will be given to those in JFK who were hired in 2023 and have been unable to receive a variety of pins that other crew have had access to. 
  • There are also special AFA pins for veterans, if you are a veteran, please reach out to Jhenelle at [email protected] to get your pin.
  • Please check out the HRE newsletters and reports for the year 2024 on our HRE Committee page: https://norseafa.org/hre 

 

BOD Updates

  • Your MEC Secretary-Treasurer, MEC Vice President and Communications/HRE MEC Chair attended the AFA BOD meeting in Atlanta on May 20-22. Unfortunately, our MEC President was not able to attend, but was well represented by her VP who held her voting proxy.
  • There were 15 agenda items voted on for the BOD 2024. 1 Item was withdrawn, 3 items were not adopted, 3 items were adopted, and 8 items were adopted as amended.
  • There were several speakers and video packages shared with us that included information from members of congress, details about several airlines fights to gain fair contracts, and more.
  • Learn more about the BOD and it's proceedings here: https://afa-bod.org/ 
  • There are 3 things additional things to note from the BOD:
    • Sara Nelson, our International President of the AFA, issued a call to action asking us to continue to organise and build our unions, and to ensure that we vote in the next election
    • We are encouraging the crew to sign a petition in support of the Endeavor Flight Attendants asking the Delta CEO to stop short changing them. You can sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-short-changing-endeavor-flight-attendants
    • Your HRE MEC Chair, Jhenelle Jacas, was nominated to the AFA-CWA's Human Rights and Equity Committee for the term June 1, 2024-May 31, 2026 and she has gracefully accepted. The other members of that committee are Bruni Agosto-Pinal, HRE MEC Chair from Hawaiian Airlines, Chip Hestle II, HRE MEC Chair from Alaska Airlines,  and Tara Cattell, HRE MEC Co-Chair from United Airlines. 

 

Upcoming Trainings and Events

  • If you would like to march in a Pride Parade with AFA, please reach out to your HRE MEC at [email protected] to discuss where and when you would potentially like to march and to receive the sign up link for those respective parades.
  • Your HRE MEC Chair will be attending the CWA HRE Conference in August 11-14 in Houston, TX. She will also be presenting a workshop in partnership with the AFA International Office and Pride at Work about Gender in the Workplace.
  • The FADAP Conference will be taking place August 20-22 in Baltimore, MD. Our MEC President and our EAP reps will be attending this conference.

 

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about our communications notices, do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]