MEC Newsletter - update

Update to the MFR Hotel - Non Compliant Hotel and Safety Issue 

Following up on our recent communication on the temporary MFR hotel, we are pleased to report that management has informed us this evening that they are currently evaluating alternative options. We want to thank all the crew members who have reached out directly, filed reports, and contacted crew scheduling to report unsafe conditions at this property. Until we are relocated to a compliant hotel, please be safe. If, upon arrival at this property, you feel it is not a safe option, please immediately reach out to Crew Scheduling for alternate accommodations. Please follow this up with a Safety Report at your earliest convenience. Remember to have Crew Scheduling reset your rest upon arrival at your new hotel. Additionally, a Duty Officer is always available, regardless of the time.

Additionally, we are aware of an issue in the API app that restricts you to only reporting information on a primary hotel. Since management has been unable to resolve this issue with our hotel vendor, we recommend the following process for reporting hotel issues until such time that we are able to file reports on all properties.  

1. File your report in the API app and use the primary hotel selection, populate all information, note which hotel you were placed in, and include that you were not at the primary hotel.

2. You may follow up your report with an email to inflight management with your concerns. To ensure all relevant parties are informed, please also include the Union in your email (a simple copy and paste is fine). Below are the suggested Union Officers/Chairs to include in these emails.

AFA Hotel Committee Chair/s:

Judi Harrison-Goold - [email protected] and Anne Strand - [email protected]

Local Council President/s

Council 16 (BOI, GEG, PAE and SEA) Jamie Moore - [email protected]

Council 17 (ANC, MFR, PDX) Kirk Hansen - [email protected]

Premera Issue - Overview 

This afternoon, Benefits provided us with the following information:

What happened?  As a result of a Premera system change, an image of a check intended for providers were mistakenly sent to members along with the members’ Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

What did employees receive?  The document shows an image of a check indicating payment amounts to providers. These documents were not printed as an actual check (watermarks and other standard security features are missing) but may appear to employees to be a check. No personal information was included in these erroneous documents.

Who received this information? 20 Horizon flight attendants received this statement.  (There were approximately 1300 employees across both Horizon and Alaska who were impacted).

What did Premera do? As soon as Premera discovered the error, we identified and resolved the issue to stop EOBs from being generated with incorrect information.

What does the employee need to do? Employees should discard the document and not attempt to cash the image as if it were a check. If someone were to attempt to deposit it, it would be rejected by Premera and returned by the bank. You can view your corrected EOB by signing in to your account online at premera.com.

What mitigation steps is Premera taking?  The check images have been removed from employees’ Premera accounts.  Premera’s Finance and IT teams are working on mitigation efforts to minimize further issues. Premera will follow up with a direct communication to impacted employees on September 12.

What are some ways to identify a valid check? Does it have an area to endorse the check on the back? Is it printed on a thicker, check stock paper?

Who should employees call with questions?  Employees may call Premera at (877) 224-3525.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Local Officers. 
 

One Union, One Voice!

Lisa Davis Warren

Master Executive Council President