Membership Status
QUESTION: For AFA purposes, is a Voluntary Furlough the same as a Leave?
ANSWER: Yes. A Voluntary Furlough includes any of the various unpaid Leaves of Absence (LOA) or unpaid convenience leaves, which have many different names, as outlined in the various contracts at our airlines
QUESTION: How does a Voluntary Furlough affect my Membership Status?
ANSWER: Per our AFA Constitution and Bylaws, a Voluntary Furlough would be considered as one of these LOA’s. A member accepting a Voluntary Furlough would be considered as starting an LOA when that Voluntary Furlough begins, and one’s membership remains on Active Status for the first 90-days of the LOA.
QUESTION: On Voluntary Furlough, do I retain all the rights and privileges of membership in this 90-day period?
ANSWER: Yes. During the 90-day period when you are “commencing” your LOA you remain active with AFA, you retain the right to vote, run for office, and serve in office
QUESTION: Is there a way for a member to remain in Active Status when on Voluntary Furlough?
ANSWER: Yes. Any member on a Voluntary Furlough (i.e., LOA) can "leave and remain active." This means the member on LOA may choose to continue to pay dues beyond the first 90-day period and remain on active status with all the rights and privileges, e.g., vote, run for and hold office, etc.
QUESTION: How can I pay my dues for the first 90 days and beyond should I choose to “leave and remain active”?
ANSWER: It’s very easy to make secure payments online or by check. Visit the AFA website to review your options: https://www.afacwa.org/payment_options.
QUESTION: Is an Involuntary Furlough treated differently?
ANSWER: Yes. An Involuntary Furlough equates to a “layoff.” In this situation, one’s membership is converted to Inactive Status at the beginning of the Involuntary Furlough. When in an Inactive Status, one has no right to vote, run or hold office.
QUESTION: Do I retain all the rights and privileges of membership when in an Inactive Status?
ANSWER: No. During Inactive Status you do not have the right to vote, run for office, and serve in office.
QUESTION: Is there a way to remain in Active Status when on InvoluntaryFurlough?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: When does one on Involuntary Furlough get back their rights & privileges of membership?
ANSWER: When a member is called back by the airline to resume flying (i.e., back on “paid” or Active Status with the airline), all rights and privileges of AFA membership resume.