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Negotiations Survey Update May 5, 2014

Dear Flight Attendants,

Your Negotiating Committee and the Master Executive Council (MEC) have been working with Hart Research Associates to resolve the challenges with the follow up AFA negotiations survey. Access to the online survey via individualized links Is being closed out. However, since there are many Flight Attendants who have yet to complete the survey, AFA and Hart Research Associates have coordinated to provide alternate access to the online survey.
Instructions will be sent In a separate email communication from AFA (not Hart Research Associates) shortly. The survey will remain open until Friday, May 9, 2014, at noon Eastern (0900 PDT). For security reasons, it is important that you do NOT post the instructions on social media.
What went wrong with the email invitations sent by Hart Research Associates? Very likely there is no single root cause. AFA reviewed the updated email addresses with our existing database and there were several discrepancies. In many instances the Flight Attendant provided the same address name but with a different email host (e.g. Gmail vs. Hotmail).
We also observed many issues resulting from certain email hosts rejecting the survey invitations altogether. This is called a “hard bounce.” More specifically, a hard bounce is when the email host filters out bulk emails by not even allowing them through the host’s filter. This results in email not even reaching an individual’s spam folder.
A hard bounce happens when an email host receives a number of emails around the same time from the same sender (FlightAttendantSurvey@hart-research.com in this case). AFA experienced similar issues with the last negotiations survey in 2011. Anecdotally, we can confirm AOL and Comcast appear to generate the largest number of hard bounces. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about hard bounces except to have Flight Attendants use another email host.
One of the other issues is that Hart Research Associates operates on Eastern Time Monday through Friday during normal business hours. It seemed many Flight Attendants who sent in troubleshooting inquiries outside of this window were getting frustrated when they were not receiving a response right away. Keep in mind that all survey invitations were being sent by Hart Research Associates directly and AFA had no way to expedite the process. We were simply passing along requests to Hart.
Combine all these reasons with the fact that your leadership was fully immersed in the annual AFA Board of Directors meeting during this time and it was a perfect recipe for frustration! Please be assured it is extremely important to AFA that your voice is heard. If you haven’t yet completed the survey, be looking for the instructions immediately following this communication.
Thank you very much for your patience!
In solidarity,
Your MEC–Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow; and
Your Negotiating Committee–MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones and Christina Frees
MEC 5BSS Logo

AFA International Officer Election Results

Dear Flight Attendants,

Your AFA leadership is continuing to represent you today and conduct the business of the union at the AFA Board of Directors Meeting in Orlando, Florida.  Yesterday, elections for the three AFA International Officer positions were conducted as part of the meeting.  Below you’ll find a press release from AFA International regarding the results of the election.  The Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to congratulate new International President Sara Nelson, International Vice President Deb Sutor, and International Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Creighan.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

 

For Immediate Release

Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-550-5520

FLIGHT ATTENDANT UNION ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP

Orlando, FL – The highest governing body of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), the Board of Directors, today elected new officers to lead the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. The Board of Directors voted for Sara Nelson as AFA International President, Debora Sutor as International Vice President and re-elected Kevin Creighan for his third term as International Secretary-Treasurer.

President-elect Sara Nelson is an 18-year United Airlines Flight Attendant and has served as International Vice President since 2011. Nelson vowed to continue to unite Flight Attendants to fight for equality for all and build power at the negotiating table in order to advance the Flight Attendant career.

Vice President-elect Debora Sutor is a 25-year Envoy Air Flight Attendant who has extensive experience and has served on numerous AFA committees and held various leadership positions throughout her career. Committed to furthering AFA’s mission for economic and social justice for all Flight Attendants, Sutor will help maintain AFA as a strong voice for the profession.

International Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Creighan has served in that office since 2005. Creighan is uniquely qualified to best meet members needs based on his extensive experience as a United Flight Attendant, Local Council President and International Officer.

The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 68 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.

Negotiations Update April 27, 2014: AFA Negotiations Online Survey Open Through Tuesday

Dear Flight Attendants,

The second phase of the follow up AFA negotiations survey by Hart Research Associates is now underway and will open through Tuesday, April 29, 2014. A communication was sent out via social media on Friday but unfortunately the email system the Master Executive Council (MEC) uses has been sporadically unavailable over the past couple of days.
Important: An individual link to the online survey has been sent in an email invitation by Hart Research Associates. Do not share your link or else another Flight Attendant could take the survey on you behalf. The email address used by Hart for the invitations is FlightAttendantSurvey@hart-research.com. Check your spam/junk folder in case the invitation is there.
If you have NOT received a survey or if you completed the phone survey AND received an email invitation, contact survey@alaskamec.org.
It is extremely important that your voice be heard. Make sure to complete the survey!
As a reminder, your AFA leadership is currently at the 42nd Annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meeting in Orlando. We are responding to all inquiries during breaks between meetings.
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow; and
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
 MEC 5BSS Logo

Negotiations Update April 25, 2014: AFA Negotiations Online Survey Begins

Dear Flight Attendants,

The second phase of the follow up AFA negotiations survey by Hart Research Associates will begin this afternoon, Friday, April 25th. The first phase was a phone interview, which was capped at a limited number of respondants. The second phase is an online survey.
An email invitation from Hart Research Associates will be sent to all members for which the Master Executive Council (MEC) had an updated email address as of the beginning of the week. In order to prevent duplicate responses, Flight Attendants who completed the phone survey will be excluded.
Important: An individual link to the online survey will be sent in an email invitation by Hart Research Associates. The email address used by Hart for the invitations is FlightAttendantSurvey@hart-research.com. Please ensure this address is in your contact list so that your spam filter does not block the email or place it in your junk folder.
April-May Negotiations Timeline
* Dates are approximate. Following Negotiating Committee appointments, negotiations training for the second round NC is anticipated sometime between the week of April 21 and the next mediation session on May 13.
Week of April 28*: AFA negotiations email survey conducted by Hart Research Associates to be released following completion of the phone survey. Email survey to be live for approximately one week. (*The launch of the online survey was moved up a few days to the Friday of the previous week. However, the bulk of the survey will take place during the week of the 28th.)
Week of May 5: Survey results provided by Hart Research Associates to second round Negotiating Committee
Week of May 12: Round two of mediation begins in Tempe, AZ
May 20: System-wide solidarity action (details to follow)
It is extremely important that your voice be heard. Make sure to complete the survey!
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow; and
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
MEC 5BSS Logo

From: Hart Research Associates To: AFA re: Background on our Firm and Survey Methodology

 

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: AFA

FROM: Hart Research Associates

DATE: April 14, 2014

RE: Background on our Firm and Survey Methodology

 

About the Survey

On behalf of AFA, Hart Research will conduct a survey among Alaska Airlines flight attendants to explore members’ preferences and priorities for the upcoming round of contract bargaining. The survey will mainly be conducted online, so that every Alaska Airlines flight attendant can participate if they so choose. We hope that all members will avail themselves of this opportunity and add their important perspective to the conversation.

In addition, Hart Research will administer the same survey questionnaire by telephone to a representative sample of members (these responses will also be included in the results, and members who are interviewed by phone will not need to take the survey online). These phone interviews help us to ensure that the final survey sample is fully representative of the overall membership, an important step for ensuring accurate survey results.

As an independent research firm, our core objective is to produce an accurate and unbiased assessment of the attitudes of Alaska Airlines flight attendants. All of the individual member responses to this survey will remain completely confidential – AFA will not know how any specific member answered any specific survey question. In addition to protecting the privacy of members, this confidentiality encourages frank and honest responses to the survey questions, allowing us to provide AFA with an accurate report of members’ true attitudes and priorities.

After everyone who chooses to complete the survey has had a chance to do so, Hart Research will tabulate the data and then present the results to AFA leadership.

 

About Hart Research

Founded in 1971, Hart Research Associates is one of the leading survey research firms in the United States. We have conducted over 5,000 public opinion surveys and administered and analyzed interviews among more than three million individuals. Hart Research conducts regular polls for NBC News and The Wall St. Journal, and is the nation’s leading pollster for organized labor, having conducted hundreds of studies to help unions better understand the needs, priorities, and concerns of their members.

 

<Link to memo: Hart Research Associates Background on our Firm and Survey Methodology>

Protect Yourself From Potential Discipline on Social Media

Our Grievance Committee would like to provide background on social media, protected classes, and discipline. Federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or transgender status), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.  Alaska’s People Policy says: Personal Conduct22. Threatening, intimidating, or discourteous behavior, including abusive, profane, or obscene language, acts, […]

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, March 25, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to raise awareness and create positive change within our workplace and community. Your representatives attending the meeting included Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Nyachan Chuar (ANC), and Yan Yan Teague (SEA). MEC Human […]

Pre-Merger Hawaiian Inflight Service Committee Update – March 2026

Editor’s Note: Our MEC Inflight Service Committee now represents both pre-merger airlines, but management still makes service decisions that affect each group of Flight Attendants differently. This update covers changes for both Hawaiian- and Alaska-branded flying, but is specific to aircraft flown by pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines crews. As the work of the merger progresses, we […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 13 – March 2026

Our JNC met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC focused on clarifying questions about moving expenses and presented a proposal for Sick Leave, using feedback from Flight Attendants to guide improvements. The Committee is working to incorporate the strongest elements from both contracts to ensure better support for all members.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, March 24, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

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