AFA Grievance Committee Update

Water Bottle Grievance

As you are likely well aware, inflight management published a “friendly reminder” via FAIF 20-107, Removal of Water off Aircraft.

AFA is quite disappointed not only with the tone of this FAIF but also with the information contained within. Our contract, as well as our long history of past practice, allows flight attendants to consume beverages on the aircraft and to take one off the plane for our overnight.  It has been mutually recognized as long as we’ve had water bottles on the aircraft that the large water bottles are considered an allowable beverage and that alcohol is the only beverage that we are not allowed to take or drink.

Furthermore, they are now attempting to change the intent of the language and only allow us to remove the 1.5 litre bottle of water “if it will be impractical to eat at a restaurant after arrival” We won’t address their advice on how our per diem should be spent and the fact that the additional $2.40 per day we are now receiving in the new contract and the fact this amount would not cover the cost of a large water bottle, especially at airport and hotel prices. And finally, we were disheartened they made this shortsighted decision about drinking water, during a pandemic, when working water fountains are hard to find. The potential effect on our health and safety is tremendous.

At no time during contract negotiations did inflight management bring up that they wanted to define the size of the permitted beverage that may be taken off the aircraft for overnight rest. And at no time did they tie the water bottle to being practical, or impractical, to eat at a restaurant. And finally, inflight management recently advised AFA that they would not be communicating to flight attendants which size water bottle they may take or consume. Yet they published the FAIF less than a few weeks later, doing exactly that. AFA has filed a grievance on this issue. We want you to know that your letters to senior management have been and will be instrumental in our effort to uphold our contractual rights. We are in active discussions with inflight management and are going to forward language clarifying the contract in the hopes they will agree, and we may avoid this grievance. Please continue to alert us about what’s happening out on the line.

In Solidarity,

Horizon Air MEC Officers, MEC Grievance and Air Safety, Health and Security Committees