Membership & Benefits Team

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What Does This Team Do?

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Specific Duties & Responsibilities:

• Acts in an advisory role to the LEC and MEC Officers on membership and benefit matters.

• Works with the AFA-CWA International Membership Office to ensure that Membership Applications, dues check-off and other paperwork is filed correctly.

• Assists with outstanding dues and Flight Attendant standing.

• Works with Human Resources for benefit issues including FMLA, OCC, leaves, medical and dental insurance and retirement issues.

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Why Would I Contact This Team?

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The Membership and Benefits Team is available to help you with:

Membership

• Bringing your dues status to good standing by addressing any delinquencies your account may have.

• Assisting with your change of address and dues payment on-line.

Benefits

• Working with Human Resources to resolve any questions regarding your benefits.

• Informing and educating you with planning for maternity leave.

• Retirement planning with the company.

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Who Do I Contact?

For assistance, please contact any of our Team Leaders or Team members:

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Membership: Kerri Chow, LEC Secretary

 

Namahana Lota, Committee Member

 

Benefits - Carisa Ochoco

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GENERAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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DUES

1.  I have a question about paying my dues.  Who should I contact? 

The AFA-CWA has a Membership page with valuable information as well as their contact information.  

http://www.afacwa.org/membership_services

 

You are also welcome to contact our Membership and Benefits Team especially since the International office is located in Washington D.C. and there is a 5 or 6 hour time difference.  Simply call 844.4HALAFA and follow the prompts to reach one of our volunteers at extension 9.

 

2.  When are my dues deducted and how much are dues?

Dues are deducted once per month on the 7th of the month for that month’s dues. 

Example:  Your dues deduction on January 7th represents January dues regardless of what pay period your check covers.

 

3. My dues are payroll deducted. Why am I getting a bill?

If you have payroll deduction and you do not receive a paycheck then dues cannot be deducted.  Contrary to popular belief, AFA does not deduct your dues, Hawaiian Airlines deducts them from your pay.  Please review the Leave of Absence policy to determine what your dues obligation is while on a leave of absence.

 

4.  I am on a medical leave of absence. Do I owe dues?

In accordance with the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws, every member owes dues for the first 3 months of their leave AFTER their compensation from the carrier ends (except Military leave and Involuntary furlough). 

 

Article XI A.6."Payment of dues shall be required of all members that are on active status during a month or any portion thereof. After the first ninety (90) days of removal from service and no longer receiving compensation through a carrier for disability leave, payment of dues shall not be required."

 

Example of the 90-day leave obligation:

 

Your leave begins on November 1. You would owe dues for November, December and January. If dues are payroll deducted for any of these months, it will be applied to this 90-day leave obligation.

 

The AFA Membership Services Department receives this information from your local council. The AFA-CWA database is coded so you are only billed for these 3 months and then the billing stops.

 

5. Can you deduct the past due amount from my paycheck? 

The simple answer is no. Keep in mind that AFA does not deduct your dues; Hawaiian Airlines deducts your dues. They then send the money and dues information to AFA for processing.  The Contract states that only the current month's dues will be deducted.  The payroll department should NOT deduct past due amounts from your paycheck.

 

6.  I am returning to work after being on maternity leave and would like to restart my automatic payroll deductions for dues, who do I contact?

Please email HRHelpdesk@hawaiianair.com and state your name, employee number, when you will be returning to work and/or the date you would like to begin payroll deductions.

 

7.  Why am I being billed for Dues? I thought my dues were automatically deducted from my paycheck. 

If you are signed up for automatic payroll deduction (Dues Check-Off  form; a.k.a. DCO) AND dues were not deducted from your paycheck, you will receive a bill in the mail.

 

8.  How does the company work with the AFA to process my dues?

Each month, Hawaiian Airlines deducts dues from your paycheck.  After the deduction is made, the dues money, along with a file of each member who had dues deducted, is sent to AFA. 

 

The AFA processes this file in their database. If your name is not on the file that the company has sent having dues deducted, the International system will invoice you for that month.

 

9.  I have never enrolled in automatic payroll deductions of my Union dues, how would I initiate automatic deductions?  

You would first have to sign a Dues Check Off Form (DCO) and submit it to our Membership Services Office. You will also have to email HRHelpdesk@Hawaiianair.comand state your name, employee number, and that you would like to initiate automatic payroll deduction if your Union dues.  Once Membership Services receives your signed form, they will enter you into the database for automatic deductions and you should begin automatic deductions with the next pay period.

 

 

NEW HIRES

1.  What rights do I have as a AFA Member during my probationary period?  

Except for disciplinary grievances, the bulk of the CBA applies to you as a Member during your probation. Once you pass your 180 days of probation, you will retain the full rights including disciplinary (grievance) representation.  

 

In order to calculate when you are off probation, add 180 days to your IOE date.  You officially pass your probation on your 181st day following your IOE date.

 

2.  As a new Flight Attendant, when do I pay dues? 

Per the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws, amended April 11, 2018, "A Flight Attendant shall be eligible to become an active member following four full calendar months of service as a Flight Attendant following the completion of training.  An active member in good standing shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of the Union, including the right to vote and hold elected and appointed office."

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Your $50/month dues are collected after you complete 4 calendar months. You will have completed a Dues Check-off Form during your Union presentation; dues are automatically deducted every month from your paycheck on the 7th of the month.

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE - National GrouP

Q:  When does is the AFA supplemental insurance open enrollment?

National Group Protection (NGP) is a company that identifies insurance plans for the AFA. They search for and negotiate the best service and most reasonably-priced plans for us.

 

Supplemental insurance is an option for you and you are not required to sign up for any of their plans.

 

However, if you are interested in purchasing supplemental benefits, the open enrollment period is held once a year.  If you are not able to buy a plan during that period that their representatives are available, then you will have to wait until their next annual visit.

 

This year, we were fortunate to piggy-back on another group’s open enrollment.   Since the NGP representatives were in Hawaii, they offered a second round of open enrollment.  This was a unique opportunity for those in our membership who missed the regularly scheduled annual enrollment.  Almost half of our Flight Attendants have at least one (1) supplemental plan through NGP.

 

See link in the tools and resources section above for NGP website link.