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New Open Time System Delayed Another Month Until September for October

Open Time initially delayed until August for September

 

According to the Contract Implementation Schedule, Open Time (OT) was originally scheduled for implementation in July for the August bid month. AFA Alaska received notice in June that Open Time was delayed until August 15 for the September bid month. See the communication from June 13, 2015, “New Open Time Trading System Implementation Delay” for more information. You may access an electronic copy of that notice (that lists all the technical reasons for the first delay) here.

Open Time now subsequently delayed until September for October

 

Unfortunately, AFA received official notice from management yesterday that implementation of the new OT trading system will be delayed another month—until September for the October bid month. You may access an electronic copy of the most recent notice (that lists all the technical reasons for the delay) here. Therefore upcoming Open Time will commence on August 18th using the existing rules.

 

Alaska Airlines management and AFA do not want to go live with a new Open Time trading system that has the possibility of crashing not only Open Time but also electronic trip trading in general. Although this additional delay is a disappointing development, we all want the new Open Time system to be a success. The good news is that management reports being “very confident” that Open Time will be implemented in September for October. As a reminder, the trial period of the new Open Time trading system begins once the system is actually implemented.

 

* * *

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl; and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

Your Contract Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

7.29.15 OT Delay Letter to AFA

AFA Alaska

Grievance Settlement No. 36-99-2-26-15 Quarterly Productivity Premium

Grievance filed in June 2015

On June 18, 2015, AFA Alaska filed Grievance No. 36-99-2-26-15 Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP). The grievance requested an investigation and hearing into whether the Company violated Section 21.R [Quarterly Productivity Premium] and all related section of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it excluded Flight Attendants who did not receive a PBS bid award due to leave status from the QPP. Effective July 23, 2015, the Master Executive Council (MEC) is pleased to announce the grievance has been settled. A copy of the signed grievance settlement can be found by clicking here.

 

0 TFP threshold (including carry-in and pre-planned absences) on no-bid status January through July 2015

 

For the months of January through July 2015, Flight Attendants who did not receive a PBS bid award in each applicable month due to leave status (medical-related leaves, staffing adjustment leaves, military leaves, Company Business and Union Business leaves, etc.) will have their QPP threshold set at zero (0.0) Trips For Pay (TFP) plus any TFP from month-end carry-in and pre-planned absences. This is the original “AFA interpretation” of Section 21.R.

 

Q1 and Q2 QPP payments

 

Second quarter (Q2) QPP (April through June) will be paid normally on August 5th. Any Flight Attendants who will now achieve Q1 QPP (January through March) will be made whole by receiving a retroactive payment no later than September 30, 2015.

 

75.0 TFP threshold (excluding carry-in and pre-planned absences) on no-bid status starting August 2015

 

Starting in August 2015, AFA and management agreed that Flight Attendants who did not receive a PBS bid award due to leave status will have their QPP threshold set at 75 .0 TFP for each month on no-bid status. Month-end carry-in and pre-planned absences will be excluded in such months.

 

Settlement language incorporated into the final print version of the contract

 

The following settlement language will be incorporated into the final print version of the contract currently being indexed as the new Section 21.R.2 (and all other paragraphs afterwards will be advanced by one citation):

 

“For any full bid month in which a Flight Attendant is on a ‘no bid’ status, the TFP equivalent of her/his bid award will be seventy-five (75.0) TFP. The TFP value of any month-end overlap carry-in or pre-planned absences will be excluded in a ‘no bid’ month for the purposes of determining the TFP equivalent of her/his bid award.”

 

Settlement should alleviate concerns regarding perceived inequality in achieving QPP for those on no-bid status

 

This grievance settlement should alleviate the concerns some Flight Attendants have expressed that QPP is perceived as easier to achieve for those on no-bid status than for those flying on the line. That was never the intent of the Negotiating Committee when this provision was negotiated. QPP was proposed in the last days of negotiations and the parties had very limited time in which to make adjustments to the provision. After some discussion management essentially took the position that QPP was a “take it or leave it” provision. Because QPP had the potential to put money into the pockets of many Flight Attendants, the Negotiating Committee accepted the QPP language as it was.

 

* * *

 

Please contact a Local Executive Council (LEC) officer if you believe you are eligible for the Q2 QPP and you do not receive the payment as scheduled on August 5, 2015; if you believe you are eligible for the Q1 QPP retro payment and do not receive one by September 30, 2015; or if you have any general questions or concerns about the QPP settlement.

 

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl; and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

Your Contract Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

36-99-2-26-15 Quarterly Productivity Premium Settlement Final Signed

AFA Alaska

Recycle Your Red Pins and Join Flight Attendants at the New United for a Day of Action July 16th!

The Continental, Continental Micronesia and United Master Executive Councils in conjunction with the United Joint Negotiating Committee have authorized their Flight Attendants to switch from white to red AFA pins in response to the lack of progress in their contract negotiations. You can check out all the details about their negotiations at ourcontract.org.

With around 20,000 Flight Attendants, it is very challenging to come up with that many red pins. The New United (CAL, CAL Micronesia, UAL) is asking for AFA Alaska to help out their efforts by recycling our red pins. If you have any extras, please leave them in one of your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers’ mail files the very next time you are coming through your base so we can re-gift the red pins as soon as possible.

The New United is also planning a Day of Action on July 16th at airports throughout the combined Continental, Continental Micronesia and United system. Your colleagues at those carriers would be delighted to have any Flight Attendants from AFA Alaska attend an event at a convenient location (e.g. at a domicile or while on a layover) as a show of solidarity. You cannot wear your Flight Attendant uniform but if you still have a red t-shirt from the second round of our negotiations, you are welcome to wear the shirt to the event. You can find more information about the events here.

In Solidarity,

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

AFA Alaska

 

401(k) Contribution for the Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP)

Management and AFA Making Progress on Disputes Related to the Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP)

Alaska Airlines management and AFA have been in discussions regarding several disputes associated with the Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) (see also the June 12th “Where is the Printed Contract?” and/or the “Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) Update – April 24, 2015” for more background). After months of back and forth, the parties are now making swift progress towards resolving those disputes.

One aspect of the QPP dispute is in relation to 401(k) contributions

One aspect of the QPP dispute is in relation to 401(k) contributions. At one point management held the position that QPP was not eligible earning for 401(k). We are pleased to report that going forward management has agreed all QPP payouts will be considered eligible earnings for 401(k).

Today’s paycheck contains a make-whole contribution to 401(k) based on Q1 QPP

AFA received “notice” only this morning that the June 19th (today’s) paycheck contains an additional make-whole contribution to 401(k) for those who received the QPP from the first quarter (Q1) (paid on May 5th). That means any Flight Attendant who achieved the Q1 QPP of $500 received an additional pre-tax contribution to 401(k) of $35 on top of your normal 401(k) contribution on today’s paycheck. (This is assuming you are contributing 7% of your earnings to 401(k), which you all should be doing with few exceptions!) You should have also received an additional $35 Company match on top of the normal Company match. In other words, your total 401(k) contribution will be proportionately higher on this check than usual. This is a really good thing—except for the lack of notice!

Roth 401(k) tax implications

For those of you who participate in the Roth 401(k) option, additional funds were withheld for taxes on your portion of the Roth 401(k) contribution at your personal tax rate. On an additional $35 contribution, that would translate to as much as $9 or so more than your usual withholdings based on the higher income tax brackets.

Normal 401(k) contributions on QPP earnings will be paid in Q2 going forward

Beginning with the second quarter QPP payout (Q2 = April, May, June) on August 5th, 401(k) contributions based on QPP earnings will be made normally.

* * *

AFA would have passed this information along to you sooner had we been provided sufficient notice. We will continue to update you on any developments with the QPP disputes as we resolve them.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC Grievance chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl

MEC 5B Logo

The Dues Pie Chart — Where Do My Dues Go?

Note from your Master Executive Council (MEC): The AFA International office prepared this information as a resource for flight attendants. You can find a pdf version of this article here and the dues pie chart here.

The Dues Pie Chart — Where Do My Dues Go?

The Dues Pie Chart depicts where all funds at AFA are budgeted. About 80% of dues dollars are directly allocated to fund the work at each airline, e.g. Local Councils, Master Executive Councils, Negotiations, and System Board. The remaining budgets at the International Office support Government Affairs, Air Safety, EAP, and Communications Departments, each of which provides expert services that are Flight Attendant focused and provide resources for the local leaders and committees of Flight Attendants at each airline. 100% of our dues dollars are allocated to priorities that provide Flight Attendant representation.

 

There are four distinct areas where dues money is spent:

 

1. Local and Airline-specific

 

Each base has a Local Executive Council (LEC) with elected Officers who provide direct representation and deal with local grievances and other issues. These Local Officers will answer your phone calls and make sure member interests are represented in front of management. For example, in the event of discipline or a contract violation, Local Officers will address the issue where it happened and work to get swift resolution. Additionally, elected Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers provide representation at the corporate level. At both the LEC and MEC, there are committees that solve problems in areas such as safety, schedules, hotels, grievances, etc. These committees also enforce the contract specific to their area of expertise, produce newsletters, and participate in union meetings. The role of your LEC and MEC Officers and committee representatives at each airline is to ensure you are represented by Flight Attendants who know your job because they share it with you at your airline. AFA promotes this autonomy at each airline where your representatives, assisted by experts, negotiate with management and develop and maintain the relationship between airline management and the Union.

 

2. Negotiations

 

Bargaining for pay and working conditions is one of the core representation activities performed by the Union. We start with a membership survey, schedule meetings with management, conduct caucuses with the committee, develop contractual language, support membership engagement and information programs, and we work with AFA-CWA professional negotiators throughout the process including all direct negotiations/mediation with management. The end result is improved contractual language with higher pay, better working conditions, and improved benefits.

 

3. System Board (Grievances)

 

The first step in any grievance is to try to resolve the matter locally. Some airlines have negotiated an alternative dispute process for a faster, collaborative resolution. If that fails, then the final stage for resolution, whether disciplinary or contractual, is an appeal to a neutral arbitrator. An AFA-CWA attorney will work with our Grievance Committee to present our case to the neutral arbitrator. We defend the contracts we negotiate.

 

4. International Office Support

 

While your LEC is the face of the Union to local management and the MEC to corporate management, the International Office is the public persona and brand of the Union. Our presence and name recognition can legislate or improve federal regulations, remove obstacles from the bargaining table, better our position in negotiations and improve our experience on the job across the profession. The International Office maintains the professional staff of attorneys, negotiators, and other personnel that provide administration, accounting and membership services to members and elected leaders. We all work together to support the programs that encompass our profession.

 

Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council president here.

 

In Solidarity,

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

Pie Chart – 2015 – Where Do My Dues Go

Pie Chart – 2015 – MEC LEC SPLIT.FINAL

MEC 5B Logo

Navigating Acute & Delayed Stress As A Flight Attendant

Stress is an inherent aspect of the Flight Attendant profession, often stemming from the demanding nature of responsibilities and the unpredictable nature of air travel. It’s essential for Flight Attendants not only to understand the different types of stress they may encounter but also to recognize the warning signs of acute and delayed stress for […]

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.

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