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Air Safety, Health, and Security
 What Do You Know About Section 22?
"The Company recognizes that safety, security and health are subjects that are an essential part of a Flight Attendant’s working environment and shall work with the Union’s Safety, Security and Health Committee to identify and resolve Flight Attendant safety, security and health issues and concerns…" The above quote comes straight from our legally-binding, negotiated contract, Section 22 – Safety, Security and Health. While it may seem natural and obvious that flight attendants would have input into the very essence of our jobs as safety professionals, Delta flight attendants DO NOT have those same rights. Even something as simple as standardization of equipment location on all aircraft types – a logical way to streamline maintenance procedures and provide quick response in any emergency – has not been considered by executives at Delta. (Ask anyone who has completed the computer-based portion of Aircraft Qualification training or attended AQ already!) You could say we're "lucky" to have a recognized voice at work, but you'd be wrong. "Luck" has nothing to do with it. Only through the determination of our union and others before it have we been able to negotiate that voice.
Reflect on that as you Stop, Think and Locate.
H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) Updates
Click the links below for the latest from AFA,
CDC and WHO.
MEC Air
Safety, Health & Security
webpage
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
World Health
Organization
Judith
Murawski, AFA International Air Safety, Health, and Security, has
provided the following commentary on the information NWA Communications
has distributed to our Flight Attendants:
There are a number of inaccuracies/misleading statements in
the NWA "swine flu"
bulletin:
1) "There is no evidence that the virus has spread via air
travel."Well, there is no evidence definitively
proving person to person transmission on a plane, but there is evidence
that infected passengers are flying (e.g., the Americans who flew home
from Mexico and were diagnosed with swine flu) and the close quarters
in an airplane with low ventilation and shared surfaces that are not
cleaned routinely are major risk factors for disease transmission. It
would be hard to prove person to person transmission on a plane if the
aircraft is flying from an affected area, since the passengers/crew
could have transmitted the disease before boarding or they could have
shared the bugs on the plane. But it is a
risk.
2) "Wearing masks is not a CDC
recommendation."An April 26 CDC bulletin for airline
passengers says: "To prevent
the spread of swine flu, wear a surgical mask when in contact with
others." (Link
here.) It's not clear if the recommendation to wear
a mask is only for people who are infected (or think they may be
infected) and are in contact with others, or for people flying to
affected areas. NWA is correct that CDC has not issued recommendations
for crews. AFA will write to CDC and ask them to do
so.
3)"Humans who became ill
with swine flu typically had contact with pigs or close contact with
someone who had contact with pigs."May have been true
in the past, but it's irrelevant and misleading because there is now
obvious evidence of person to person
transmission.
4)"Most people recover
from swine flu as a minor illness." Too early to say.
There are about 150 deaths reported in Mexico and we don't know the
proportion of the total number of cases in Mexico that the deaths
represent because the less serious cases have not been
logged.
5)"Should travelers still
fly to Mexico?"No reference to the CDC recommendation that
travelers cancel non-essential travel to Mexico. (Link
here.) Here's a direct quote: "CDC is concerned that continued travel
by U.S. travelers to Mexico presents a serious risk for further
outbreaks of swine flu in the United States." Also, no
reference to other countries' (including the EU) recommendation that
travelers delay non-essential travel to affected parts of the
US.
Review of "Fear of Flying" Provision for Global Events
April 29 – MEC EAP Committee Chair Rosemary Miller and Vice Chair Bill Voecks would like to remind flight attendants of the "fear of
flying" (FF) provision negotiated after September 11. During this time
of global concern for the potential spread of swine flu, flight
attendants must follow proper
protocol if electing to exercise their rights under this provision.
Please review the FF policy on the MEC EAP page by clicking here.
Council 98 Congratulates Member Gary Helton for Receiving Air Safety Award
The AFA Board of Directors bestows an annual award in recognition of outstanding contributions by a member in the field of air safety. This year, the award went to our very own Gary Helton, member in good standing at Council 98 and MEC ASHS Vice Chair, and was shared by his Chair at ASHS, Jeanne Helton (SEA).
As we enter into this merger and integration, we can be assured that Gary and Jeanne are doing everything possible to inject flight attendant input and real-life experience into the safety and security procedures adopted by the merged airlines. It is our hope that Delta management will continue to seek and implement their learned suggestions, as have executives at Northwest.
Congratulations, Jeanne and Gary!
Safety First!
The merger and integration process has brought many changes to our work lives: new uniforms, new service, new products, new announcements and – most critical – new safety procedures. It is important that all of us review the changes to our manual and all operations bulletins so that we remain compliant, not just with our hosiery color and hairstyles, but with the very essence of our jobs as safety professionals.
Ignoring over 35 years of partnership between our union's safety committee and the company's In-Flight Service Training & Onboard Standards department, Delta management's recent "harmonization" of policies and procedures has resulted in several questionable "executive decisions". Our ASHS committee has requested clarification via meetings and discussion on many safety- and security-related issues – and has yet to receive satisfactory responses from Delta.
Empirical evidence now suggests that Delta management has never sought or considered flight attendants' real-life experience when it comes to what we know best: safety and security on board the aircraft. Our union looks forward to the day when Delta management is compelled to discuss procedural changes with professional, unionized flight attendants before implementing policy.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about the changes that went into effect on 10MAR09 (revision #2-09) or on 1APR09 in bulletins 2-09 through 5-09, please visit the MEC Air Safety, Health and Security webpage for the email addresses of our MEC Chair and Vice Chair.
Local ASHS Chair
Rosa Wang
ashslax@yahoo.com
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