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Management’s Planned Hawaiian Airlines Seattle Flight Attendant Domicile

Today, management announced plans to establish Hawaiian Airlines’ 787 Pilot and Flight Attendant bases in Seattle by early 2026. This move aims to enhance operational efficiencies for Alaska Airlines as it expands its international presence in the Seattle area. According to the terms of the Merger Transition Protocol Letter of Agreement, the Company is allowed to open Flight Attendant domiciles for either pre-merger carrier in the same city where the other pre-merger carrier has an existing domicile once it obtains a Single Operating Certificate (SOC), which is anticipated to be secured by the end of October.

It’s important to note that the Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant contract requires management to negotiate the terms for opening a new domicile in accordance with Section 6, Title I of the Railway Labor Act, as amended.

We recognize that this announcement may come as a surprise, and many of you may have questions about the implications going forward. Our Master Executive Council (MEC) is committed to keeping you informed throughout this process.

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 4 – June 2025

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

  • Our JNC met with management this week on June 17 to June 19 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for July 15 to July 17
  • The JNC conducted a concourse walk at SeaTac Airport to address question and gathering feedback from Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants
  • Research and consultation continues in preparation for the next negotiation session scheduled for July 15 to July 17

Negotiations Update

The AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management.  The JNC met with management on June 17 to June 19 in Seattle, WA.  At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonRyan St. John, Vice President, Finance, Planning and Investor Relations, Alaska
Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberMatt Prainito, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
Virginia Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKaren Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
 Allen Thieman, Managing Director, Crew Scheduling and Crew Pay, Hawaiian

During the most recent negotiating session, our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) concentrated on the proposals that have been part of our ongoing discussions with the company. We successfully reached agreements on several provisions across different sections; however, there are still additional areas that require attention and resolution. In the time leading up to our next meeting with the company in July, our JNC will continue to engage in thorough research and consultation with our subject matter experts. This process is critical to ensuring that we make well-informed decisions that align with the best interests of our collective group and enhance our overall negotiation strategy.

Section by Section Progress

Sections discussed in this session:

  • Section 13 – Uniforms (HA CBA Section 6)
  • Section 18 – Reduction in Force (HA CBA Section 16)
  • Section 27 – Association General (HA CBA Section 22)
  • Section 34 – Lodging and Transportation (HA CBA Section 4.C and Section 4.E)

Sections in ongoing discussion:

  • Section 6: Seniority (HA CBA Section 9)
  • Section 15: Leaves of Absence (HA CBA Section 17)
  • Section 19: Grievance Procedure (HA CBA Section 23)

SEA Concourse Walk

Before we resumed our discussions with the company, our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) conducted a concourse walk at SeaTac Airport on Monday, June 16. Representatives were present at KCM, N-Gates, and S-Gates from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM PT. The JNC had the opportunity to meet with Flight Attendants from both Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines as they started their daily work assignments. They were able to answer questions, address concerns, and gather suggestions.

If you missed the chance to meet with the JNC and have any thoughts you would like to share, please email the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.

What’s Upcoming

Our next session with management is scheduled for July 15 to July 17.

Mahalo From Your AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Aloha Hawaiian Flight Attendants,

On behalf of your AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee, we would like to extend our heartfelt mahalo to each of you for your engagement and support throughout the years. It has been an honor to serve you and to help ensure that important communications reached you in a timely and meaningful way. This work has always been a team effort, and we are deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in us.

As of June 1, 2025, our Communications Committee has officially merged with AFA Alaska to bring you a more unified voice. On June 10, 2025, we held our final meeting as the AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee, and we wanted to provide some final updates. You may begin to notice, or may have already seen, changes in the design and delivery of some of our messages. Please know that while the MEC-level communications have merged, local communications will continue to operate as they always have. Your voices continue to matter, and every Hawaiian Flight Attendant remains a priority.

Email Handle

The communications@afahawaiian.org account will be deactivated and preserved as an archive. This address was primarily used for administrative purposes. If you have this email saved in your contacts, please update accordingly.

In order to help you reach your LEC Officers more easily going forward, we’ve created a few new email shortcuts. If you’re based in HNL, you can reach your Council 43 officers at hnl@afahawaiian.org. If you’re LAX-based, you can reach your Council 47 officers at lax@afahawaiian.org. Emails sent to either of these addresses will automatically route to the inboxes of all your LEC Officers.

Website

The hawaiianafa.org website is currently undergoing revisions to improve accessibility and communication during our transition. As part of this process, some links may now redirect to afaalaska.org. This change is intended to streamline updates and reduce the need for duplicate work across multiple websites, allowing us to share important information more quickly. Centralizing content also helps ensure that members have a single, reliable source for the most current updates, contacts, and resources.

Facebook / Instagram

These current accounts are inactive, and the future of these accounts is still under discussion. We will share an update as soon as leadership makes a final decision regarding their use moving forward.

Questions Form

The MEC Questions Form will be discontinued. Going forward, please direct any inquiries, comments, or suggestions to your Local Council officers: https://www.hawaiianafa.org/contact-us

Thank you again for your continued solidarity as we navigate this merger.

AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee
Josh Aoki, Lea Franzoi and Andrew Ferreira

Seniority Merger Integration Committee Update – May 2025

History And Importance Of AFA’s Seniority Integration Policy

The pre-merger Hawaiian and pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants cannot be combined and begin working together until FAA oversight of safety policies and procedures is completed, a joint contract is ratified, and our seniority lists are merged and accepted.

Nearly 35 years ago, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) established a seniority integration policy designed to minimize division among Flight Attendants during a merger. Having a clear and transparent policy allows us to focus on our other priorities such as maintaining job stability, improving pay, benefits, work rules, and the quality of life at the merged airline.

Following the merger of TWA and American Airlines, where all TWA Flight Attendants were placed at the bottom of the combined seniority list, our Union pushed for a law to ensure “fair and equitable” seniority integration for airline workers affected by mergers.

To address this inequity the McCaskill-Bond Amendment was enacted in 2008, mandating fair seniority integration practices. This law ensures that AFA’s Constitution and Bylaws seniority integration policy is followed, providing a standardized approach during mergers when AFA represents Flight Attendants from both pre-merger airlines.

How Will Our Two Seniority Lists Be Integrated?

The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) consists of representatives from each pre-merger airline: two Hawaiian Flight Attendants and two Alaska Flight Attendants, along with assistance and oversight from the AFA International Office. 

As the SMIC works to combine the seniority lists for the merged Alaska-Hawaiian Flight Attendant group, they will: 

  • Compile employment data for all Flight Attendants from their respective airlines
  • The C&B only allows changes for initial Flight Attendant training [Section X.C.3.c]
  • Send out a Seniority Verification Letter (SVL) to each Flight Attendant to confirm your current seniority date
  • A verification period will allow each Flight Attendant to review their seniority date before the list is finalized
  • Adjust seniority dates to align with the first day of Flight Attendant Training
  • Determine a consistent method for integrating initial classes with the same start date
  • Maintain everyone’s existing seniority order; no Flight Attendant may leap-frog over anyone else
  • Generate our integrated seniority list based on each Flight Attendants adjusted seniority date
  • The AFA Seniority Merger Integration Process does not permit changes to seniority dates that have been handled through a grievance
  • The SMIC cannot change previous seniority integrations

Solidarity Always

Your AFA SMIC, Joint Negotiating Committee, MEC, and International Officers are working to ensure that our rights are protected, and Flight Attendants benefit from this merger. While mergers are often stressful as employees work through integration and many things we cannot control, we must focus on those things that we can; how we react and how we treat each other. Commit to having each other’s backs and lets eradicate any “us” versus “them” thinking as we are all on this journey together.

Seniority Integration Timeline

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 3 – May 2025

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

  • Our JNC met with management this week on May 20 to May 22 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for June 17 to June 19
  • A tentative agreement was reached regarding Buddy Bidding for Training aimed at formalizing a current bidding practice utilized by Hawaiian
  • Our JNC is currently developing the next survey where a comments section will be included based on your feedback

Negotiations Update

The AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management.  The JNC met with management on May 20 to May 22 in Seattle, WA.  At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonMatt Prainito, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberTami Becker Gomez, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel Labor and Employment Law, Alaska
Virgina Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKaren Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
Seth Heiple, Alaska MEC Air Safety Health and Security Committee ChairpersonAllen Thieman, Managing Director, Crew Scheduling and Crew Pay, Hawaiian

As we proceed with the JCBA negotiations, we have continued with focusing on addressing the less contentious and non-economic sections. During this session, section proposals listed below were exchanged back and forth between the JNC and management. As we delve deeper into these sections, the issues become increasingly complex. Provisions that initially appear straightforward have numerous interconnected concerns that require careful consideration as we work through them.

In the intervening weeks since our last in-person session, and to help us to develop our proposals with management, we consulted and collaborated with AFA’s Hawaiian and Alaska subject matter experts and MEC Committee Chairs in the areas of safety, uniforms, hotels and training.

Seth Heiple came to the table to bring his expertise on Section 25 – Air Safety Health and Security, where he spoke to different safety meetings that AFA participates in with management.  He also educated the group about various safety concerns including various serious incidents, including crewmember assaults and fume events. Seth was also able to emphasize aspects of the Hawaiian contract, such as the standardization of emergency equipment.

We successfully formalized a buddy bidding practice that Hawaiian currently uses. This allows a Flight Attendant to waive their seniority during the training bidding process. As a result, they can be paired with a junior Flight Attendant and both can attend training together with the same schedule.

Section by Section Progress

Tentative Agreements (TAs) reached in this session:

  • Buddy Bidding for Training LOA (HA CBA Section 10.G.6.a)

Sections discussed in this session:

  • Section 13 – Uniforms (HA CBA Section 6)
  • Section 18 – Reduction in Force (HA CBA Section 16)
  • Section 25 – Air Safety Health and Security (HA CBA Section 28)
  • Section 30 – Training (HA CBA Section 26)
  • Section 33 – Charters (HA CBA Section 12)
  • Section 34 – Lodging and Transportation (HA CBA Section 4)
  • Section 36 – Commuter Policy (HA CBA Section 34-28)

Sections also in ongoing discussion:

  • Section 6: Seniority (HA CBA Section 9)
  • Section 15: Leaves of Absence (HA CBA Section 17)
  • Section 19: Grievance Procedure (HA CBA 23)
  • Section 27: Association General (HA CBA Section 22)

What’s Upcoming

Our next session with management is scheduled for June 17 to June 19. We are actively working on the next survey and have listened to your feedback regarding the Commuter Survey. The next survey will include a section dedicated to comments.

Refreshed Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) Distribution

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Management has recently informed our Master Executive Council (MEC) that they are distributing new Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) to Flight Attendants with devices nearing the end of their lifecycle. The specific schedule for this distribution will be communicated by management separately. Flight Attendants with the oldest devices […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, September 23, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Airlines Corporate Headquarters to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), […]

Meet Our Pre-Merger Alaska Committee Chairperson & Representatives

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants We’re excited to introduce the first group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives for the upcoming MEC Officer term. They’ll begin transitioning into their roles over the next few months and officially start their terms on January 1, 2026. Below, you’ll find brief biographies that […]

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

On Thursday, September 18, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing efforts to represent our Flight Attendants and advocate for improvements in our workplace. Although our Inflight Service Committee has now merged, meetings with management continue to focus primarily on the Alaska or Hawaiian brands individually. This particular meeting was centered […]

Vacation Survey Closing Soon

There’s just 1 DAY LEFT to complete the crucial vacation survey that will help shape future provisions—your insights are essential for advocating the best outcomes for all Flight Attendants. The survey is currently open and will remain available until Wednesday, September 24 at 12 PM PT.

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