AFA Alaska

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Archives for AS/HA Merger

Alaska & Hawaiian Master Executive Councils Become One Today

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Today marks the official merger of the Master Executive Councils (MECs) of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Our combined MEC consists of eight Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents—two from pre-merger Hawaiian and six from pre-merger Alaska—along with our newly elected joint MEC Officers, who begin their terms today. Together, our joint MEC will now be able to speak with one voice on behalf of all Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants, strengthening our voice with management, the public, and other stakeholders.

While we have now come together as one MEC, we continue to operate under two separate collective bargaining agreements. This will remain the case until we negotiate and ratify a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). This process will take time. Until then, decisions related to the Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant contract will be made by the LEC Presidents from pre-merger Hawaiian, while decisions about the Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant contract will be made by the six LEC Presidents from pre-merger Alaska. When decisions impact both Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants, all eight LEC Presidents will collectively decide.

One thing that remains unchanged is the support and representation you receive from your Local Council. Each Local Council remains in place, and your directly elected LEC Officers continue to be your first point of contact for anything you may need help with. Eventually, and only once we reach and ratify a JCBA, the dual Local Councils at LAX will also merge.

Introducing Your Joint MEC Officers

As part of the MEC merger, our new MEC Officers, elected at a joint MEC meeting on January 29, begin their term today. They will serve for the remainder of the Alaska MEC election cycle, which concludes on December 31, 2025.

Timothy Green, MEC President

Tim Green has been an LAX-based Flight Attendant since hired in 2003. At different times throughout his career, he has flown regularly out of LAX, BUR, and SNA. This experience has helped him gain an understanding of the unique challenges we face.

Prior to running for MEC President, Tim represented Council 18 (LAX) as LEC President and previously as the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson. During that time, he became a staunch advocate for our members. That experience inspired him to become more involved and run for elected office in 2016. As an elected officer Tim has never forgotten that he is a Flight Attendant first, union leader second, spending his weekends flying and sitting shoulder to shoulder with our local members. He believes our Union is strongest when everyone is informed and involved. To help facilitate that, he will ensure that AFA has a stronger, more visible presence. Tim believes in honest and open two-way communication and encourages members to reach out to AFA with their concerns.

Brice McGee, MEC Vice President

Brice began his career as a Flight Attendant first based in Los Angeles in 2006, transferring to Seattle and finally San Diego. He skillfully balances his professional responsibilities with family life,  calling places like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Heredia, Costa Rica home. Renowned for his dedication, Brice has served as LEC Secretary for San Diego and is currently in his third term as the San Diego LEC President, prioritizing Union unity and the well-being of his colleagues.

He shares unforgettable travel experiences with his growing family. Brice’s life is a blend of professional commitment, family love, and a passion for adventure, all driving him to advocate for a stronger and more unified AFA.

Paul Ikioka, MEC Secretary-Treasurer

Paul Ikioka is Secretary-Treasurer for the joint Master Executive Council. Born and raised on the island of Maui, he attended Maui High School. He went on to attend college at California State University Long Beach and completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, as well as his MBA.  

Paul had a 30-year career as a Financial Analyst at the Boeing Company, when he decided to become a Flight Attendant at Hawaiian Airlines. Citing Quality of Life as the main driver behind his career change, he started on the line in May of 2018 and never looked back. 

Paul initially volunteered to join the Grievance Committee as a way to learn more about the Collective Bargaining Agreement. His experiences on the team made him realize that education of our Flight Attendants is the best way to help them to be able to advocate for themselves, and protect the rights that our contract provides.  

Paul is committed to be transparent, fair, and continue to promote further education of the contract. He is excited to start on this new journey and continue to serve and support all of our team members.

Notice of Election for Officers of Joint Alaska-Hawaiian MEC

AFA International

Dear Alaska and Hawaiian AFA Members:

As your merger moves forward, so does your representation. Our AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws calls for the merger of the Master Executive Councils in order to address our issues with the power of one voice. That starts with the election of MEC Officers. All of the Local Councils and your elected representatives will remain in place until the ratification of a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). After the ratification of the JCBA the dual Councils at LAX will be merged as well.

The MEC Officer elections for the merged MEC will be conducted on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, with an effective date of March 1, 2025. The Alaska and Hawaiian Local Council Presidents and the respective MEC Officers will meet in person in San Francisco for these elections.

Also on the agenda for the in person meeting is a discussion about how to start to merge MEC Policy and Procedures and Committee functions. As a reminder, enforcement of each pre-merger contract with Grievance and System Board will remain separate until a JCBA is ratified. Other Committees may transition to one committee in the immediate months following the March 1, 2025 merger of the MECs, and some committees may work jointly with representatives from each pre-merger airline. More details on that transition process will be communicated following the January 29, 2025 in person meeting. In all cases, only Local Presidents representing Flight Attendants from each respective airline may vote on issues specific to each pre-merger contract.

The International Office will collect Willingness to Serve forms and resumes for consideration by the Local Council Presidents representing both Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants.

MEC Officer Duties and Responsibilities are detailed in AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws Article VII.

We recommend submission of resume and willingness to serve no later than January 15, 2025 in order to provide ample time for consideration of all candidates. The International Office will provide a list of candidates and their resumes beginning January 7, 2025, with updates to the list completed at the end of each business day.

This communication is focused on the notice for these elections. We will continue to provide merger updates in the coming weeks and months.

In Solidarity,

Sara, Keturah, and Dante
AFA International Officers

Upcoming Merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Master Executive Councils

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • The Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Master Executive Councils (MECs) will soon merge into a single MEC, consisting of the LEC Presidents from both pre-merger airlines and three MEC Officers.
  • An election for new MEC Officers and some MEC Committee positions will take place in late January, with terms starting on March 1, 2025, and ending on December 31, 2025.
  • Local Councils and LEC Officers will remain separate until a JCBA is ratified, and only LEC Presidents from their respective pre-merger airlines can make decisions about their pre-merger contract and separate operation. Once the JCBA is ratified, new LEC elections will be held in bases with overlapping representation (only LAX) within 90 days.

As part of the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, the Master Executive Councils (MECs) of both airlines will soon be combined into a single MEC. This new MEC will consist of the six Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents from pre-merger Alaska Airlines, the two LEC Presidents from pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines, and three MEC Officers.

This unified MEC will represent Flight Attendants from both airlines, facilitate joint contract negotiations, and interface with senior management. Since the merged MEC will initially operate with two active collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), decision-making related to each individual CBA will remain with the LEC Presidents representing pre-merger Flight Attendants of Alaska or Hawaiian, respectively. For instance, any decisions that solely affect the Alaska CBA will be made by the six pre-merger Alaska LEC Presidents.

Election of MEC Officers and Committees

The merger of the Alaska and Hawaiian MECs will require an election for new MEC Officers and certain MEC Committee positions. In late January, the AFA International Officers will hold a joint meeting of the Alaska and Hawaiian MECs to elect MEC Officers for the combined MEC. Some MEC Committees will be merged immediately, while others will remain separate until a joint collective bargaining agreement (JCBA) is ratified. During this meeting, MEC Committee Chairpersons and representatives for the committees that will be merged will also be elected. The structure of the MEC Committees from both the Alaska and Hawaiian MECs is currently under thorough evaluation, and the specific committees that will be merged immediately are still to be determined. (Note: According to the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, at minimum, the Grievance Committee and the System Board of Adjustment will remain separate for each pre-merger airline until a JCBA is reached.)

The MEC Officers, MEC Committee Chairpersons, and other MEC Committee positions elected at this meeting will take office and begin their terms on March 1, 2025. According to the AFA Constitution and Bylaws, they will serve for the remainder of the current Alaska MEC election cycle, which ends on December 31, 2025. Both Alaska and Hawaiian AFA Members in good standing will be eligible to express their interest in and can be elected to these positions. AFA International will provide more information about the upcoming election, including the available positions and how to express interest in candidacy, in early December.

Local Councils Will Not Be Merged Until JCBA

The upcoming merger of MECs will not affect your Local Council representation or LEC Officers. All LEC Officers will continue to serve their terms based on their respective election cycles. Local Councils at bases with duplication—only LAX has bases for both pre-merger airlines—will remain separate until a JCBA has been established. After a JCBA is ratified, elections for new LEC Officers for the combined Local Council will occur within 90 days.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the upcoming merger of the Alaska and Hawaiian MECs, please contact your LEC President.

Introducing Our AFA Alaska Joint Negotiating Committee and Seniority Merger Integration Committee Members

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Last week, our Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews for two positions on the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and two positions on the Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC). We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the candidates who participated in the interviews and demonstrated their commitment to serving our Flight Attendants. After careful consideration, we are pleased to announce the election of Virginia Fritz and Heather Reier to the JNC positions, as well as Marie Maxwell and Camile Caldwell to the SMIC positions. All will serve as the pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant representatives on their respective committees in the upcoming merger.

Joint Negotiating Committee

Virginia Fritz

Virginia has been a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant since 2015 when she started her career at Virgin America. She has always had a passion for aviation since traveling as an unaccompanied minor at 5 years old. Her desire for aviation led her to work on a Zeppelin, as a gate agent, and as an air transportation supervisor. When Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America, and she became a member of AFA, she jumped at the first opportunity to fight for Flight Attendants by serving as the Council 35 (SFO) Scheduling Committee Chairperson from 2018 until 2022. In 2022, Virginia was elected as Council 35 LEC Vice President and began serving San Francisco Flight Attendants in additional capacities, including with local Grievance, Mobilization, and Hotel Committees, as well as other needs her local Members requested of her. In 2020, she was privileged to be able to join the PBS Committee, and in 2023, she was honored to begin serving as MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS. 

Virginia is honored and humbled to be elected to the Joint Negotiating Committee so that she can use her commitment and passion in advocacy to find a contract that truly helps us all be stronger together.

When not advocating for fellow Flight Attendants, Virginia resides in Los Gatos, CA, with her supportive and loving husband, their adorable pup, Strudel, and her especially Union Proud Grandmother.

Heather Reier

Heather attended her first Anchorage Local Council AFA meeting in early 2016 before even flying a trip. Being a helper by nature, she immediately joined the Reserve Committee as a Reserve Buddy. This allowed her to better learn the parts of the contract that were specific to her work and to support others in the same position.

When the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson position became available in early 2019, Heather stepped into that role to better assist all her coworkers – while remaining a Reserve Buddy (and Interim Reserve Chairperson) until this past July. As Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson, she has been able to help countless Flight Attendants with questions about legalities, pay, hotel issues, etc. She has often been able to advocate successfully on others’ behalf.

Heather was elected Anchorage Local Executive Council Vice President for 2023-2025. She is thrilled that this expanded role allows her to fully serve her coworkers and increase her knowledge and expertise in all contract areas. 

Heather and her husband, Travis, a firefighter in Anchorage, have been married for 28 years and have raised their family in Anchorage since early 1997. Heather is an animal lover. She has three dogs of her own and often has foster dogs running around. She also enjoys the outdoors (minus the mosquitos) and has recently discovered a love of gardening.

About the Joint Negotiating Committee

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will negotiate with management to merge the collective bargaining agreements of the two pre-merger airlines into a single agreement for the newly combined airline. The full JNC will include two members from AFA Alaska, two from AFA Hawaiian, the MEC President, and the AFA Staff Negotiator.

Seniority Merger Integration Committee

Marie Maxwell

Marie Maxwell, a San Diego-based Flight Attendant, is excited to join the AFA Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) for the upcoming merger with Hawaiian Airlines. Marie previously served as a SMIC member for the Alaska Airlines/Virgin America merger in 2017/18 and brings first-hand knowledge and experience of merging two Flight Attendant seniority lists. Marie will analyze the results of the past merger and look for opportunities to make improvements during this subsequent merger within the guidelines of the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. She is ultimately committed to ensuring this is a fair and equitable process for both Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants.  

Marie joined Alaska Airlines as a Flight Attendant in 2012. Before Alaska, she spent three decades in various marketing and product management roles in the tech sector. She brings strong analytical, project management, and communication skills to this committee and will focus on accomplishing SMIC goals promptly, fairly, and systematically.

Marie moved to San Diego when the base opened in 2013. She is originally from western Pennsylvania but has spent most of her life on the West Coast. Marie graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts. She is an avid traveler, most recently visiting the Serengeti in Tanzania on a photo Safari and hiking the mountains in Tanzania and Uganda to observe chimpanzees and gorillas in their natural habitat. When she is not working or traveling, she spends her spare time playing pickleball, hiking, and making pottery.

Camile Caldwell

Camile started her flying career with Virgin America in 2017 as a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant. Once the Virgin America/Alaska merger was complete, Camile began volunteering with AFA and has held positions on the Council 35 (SFO) Reserve and Grievance Committees. In addition to her Union roles, Camile works as an inflight instructor, where she helped develop the 2024 RT program. 

Before becoming a Flight Attendant, Camile attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which she continues to call home. When she isn’t flying, you can find Camile on the hiking trails with her boxer dog, Lily, or enjoying time with friends and family.  

Camile is honored to serve our workgroup during the Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines merger as part of the Seniority Merger Integration Committee and will work to create a fair, equitable, and unified seniority list. If you see her out on the line, please stop and say hi!

About The Seniority Merger Integration Committee

The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) is responsible for gathering the information needed to merge the Flight Attendant seniority lists, evaluating any protests from Flight Attendants, and producing a final certified seniority list for the upcoming merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. The full SMIC will be composed of two merger representatives from AFA Alaska and two from AFA Hawaiian.

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.

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Committee Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates