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Ebola Information for Flight Attendants

Due to recent concerns about the potential spread of the Ebola virus, AFA International and AFA Alaska have been coordinating a response.  We have made resources easily accessible by providing a “one stop” shop on the AFA Alaska website.  You can find these resources at http://afaalaska.org/ashsc/ebola.  The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be updating the page as additional information becomes available.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Chairperson Seth Heiple

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Hurricanes Iselle and Julio and Hawaiian Island Flying

As you may be aware, Hurricanes Iselle and Julio are rapidly approaching the Hawaiian Islands.  According to the National Weather Service, hurricane conditions are expected to develop on the Big Island by this afternoon.  As the path continues moving up the Hawaiian island chain, the storm is expected to lose some strength with tropical storm conditions spreading to Maui tonight and Oahu and Kauai on Friday.  You can read the current statement from the National Weather Service at http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/HLS.php.

Inflight management has repeatedly assured us that there is no danger to our crew members flying to the Hawaiian islands or laying over there at this time.  Regardless of these assurances, your MEC and LEC Officers are continuing to closely monitor the situation.  Purely as a precaution, we are offering a list of tips to help crew members in the affected area be prepared should conditions deteriorate.  You can view these tips at http://afaalaska.org/hotel/safety/hurricane.  

As always, your LEC Officers and EAP representatives are standing by and available to assist you.  You can find LEC Officer contact information at afaalaska.org under “Local Councils”.  EAP contact information is at afaalaska.org/eap.

In Solidarity,

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

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Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study

Dear Flight Attendants,

Researches from Harvard University have contacted us seeking assistance in finding Flight Attendants to participate in a health study to help better understand the health implications of our profession.  The researchers are ideally seeking candidates who, in addition to having a layover in Boston, will have approximately two weeks off during which the candidate is not planning to travel by air.  The two weeks off may occur either immediately prior to or following the Boston layover.  Having two weeks free of air travel is not a requirement of the study however and any Flight Attendant working a trip that includes a layover in Boston is encouraged to volunteer.  A letter from the Harvard researchers and information about how to participate can found by clicking here.

In Solidarity,

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

Resources

Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study — Researcher’s Letter

Dear Flight Attendants,

Harvard has been conducting flight attendant health studies since 2007.  Many of you have already participated.  Thank you for your participation—-only with your participation can we learn more about our health.

The Harvard team is committed to specifically investigating Flight Attendant health conditions over time, similar to the well-known Nurses’ Health Study research at Harvard.

For your information, some of the study results are posted on the website FAhealth.org.

In the next couple of months, Harvard researchers are inviting Flight Attendants bidding the Boston trip to participate in a study investigating exposure to chemical substances prevalent in the general environment, and specifically, in the aircraft cabin, by analyzing blood samples from flight attendants.

The Boston trip is an accessible location for Harvard researchers to take samples. Some Flight Attendants at Alaska have already participated in this study by meeting the Harvard team at the hotel after arrival in Boston and donating a serum sample and hand wipe sample. (Researchers use an alcohol swab to sweep any possible dust particles off the surfaces of the hands.)

To obtain a better picture of exposure, we need more Flight Attendants to participate. Participants are given a gift in appreciation when they arrive in Boston.

In addition, the researchers are looking for the rare occasion when Flight Attendants have time off—at least 2 weeks—in order to compare the blood level of chemicals during a time when the flight attendant is not working on the aircraft (and not flying as a passenger) with blood levels after flying again. This “wash out” period can occur either before or after a Flight Attendant comes to Boston (Harvard would use a mobile lab technician to take a blood sample at a location convenient for you).  This “wash out” information is particularly important to separate aircraft exposures from other sources.

Even if you do not anticipate an upcoming leave, Harvard still wants you to consider participation. The investigators are interested to know whether specific chemical substances are at higher levels in Flight Attendants than the general population. Because some of these chemicals have been associated with endocrine disruption in a small group of animal and human studies, the research team is interested to know about the impact on flight attendants.

If you are willing to participate, please contact Dr. Eileen McNeely to let her know how and when to reach you.  She will answer any further questions you have about the research: emcneely@hsph.harvard.edu.

New Master Executive Council Safety, Health, & Security Committee Chairperson

Please join us in welcoming Seth Heiple to the position of Master Executive Council (MEC) chairperson of the Safety, Health, & Security Committee (SHSC), effective March 1.  As MEC chairperson, Seth will be responsible for working with the Local SHSC Chairs in each base to coordinate the activities of the SHSC for all Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants.

Seth joined Alaska Airlines as a Flight Attendant at the beginning of 2008.  While at Alaska he has served on both the Inflight Service Committee and the SHSC and worked with the F/A team that developed the “D Check” program.  Before joining Alaska Seth worked as a F/A for Northwest Airlines for close to 10 years, five of which he had the additional responsibilities of being an international purser.  Seth graduated from George Fox University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in International Business and Economics.  He is pleased to have the opportunity to serve as the MEC SHSC chair and support the Committee’s efforts to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for F/As and cabin environment for our passengers.

The MEC would also like to thank current MEC SHSC Chairperson Barb Moynier for her hard work and accomplishments over the past several years that she has held the position.  Barb has been a tireless advocate for our Flight Attendants and her efforts are greatly and sincerely appreciated.

The Safety, Health, & Security Committee (SHSC) is responsible for working with management on matters pertaining to cabin and Flight Attendant safety and health.  Contact information for each Local SHSC can be found at alaskamec.org, then by selecting your base from the Local Council menu.

In Solidarity,

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

 

 

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

AFA Never Forget Website United Flight 175 Robert J. FangmanAmy N. JarretAmy R. KingKathryn LaBorieAlfred G. MarchandMichael C. TarrouAlicia N. TitusCaptain: Victor SaraciniFirst Officer: Michael HorrocksCustomer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez United Flight 93 Lorraine G. BaySandra BradshawWanda A. GreenCeeCee LylesDeborah WelshCaptain: Jason DahlFirst Officer: Leroy Homer American Flight 11 Barbara AresteguiJeffrey CollmanSara […]

Vacation Survey Now Open

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working diligently to understand and improve the vacation benefits for our Flight Attendants at Alaska and Hawaiian. Your input is essential in ensuring that the vacation provisions we adopt reflect your needs and preferences. To gather your perspectives, […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Negotiations Update The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management.  The SEA NC met with management on September 3 to September 5 in Honolulu. At the negotiating table for this session were: Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants   […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Interviews—October 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the terms of office for the MEC Committee Chairpersons and other MEC-level positions align with those of the MEC Officers. Since the current term for the MEC Officers will conclude on December 31, […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Interviews—October 2025

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants The integration of our Master Executive Councils (MECs) is progressing steadily. Our first group of committees successfully merged on June 1, and we are now planning for another group of committees to merge on November 1. As part of the committee merging process, our […]

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