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Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2024

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • On September 10, our AFA Air Safety, Health, and Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in safety, health, and security.
  • The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants face onboard the aircraft.
  • Reporting safety concerns is crucial in these challenging times. Use ReportIt! to file FAIR, ASAP, and fatigue reports. Contact your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Tuesday, September 10, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting in person were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN). Also present was MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

The Committee met with Director of Inflight Safety & Compliance Geri Jarrett, Inflight Policy & Procedure Specialist Kevin Weatherbie, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Claudia Modl, Inflight Training Supervisor Veronica Carrillo, and Senior Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder

The next scheduled Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee meeting is Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items when meeting with management.  Some items discussed include:

  • DEMO Kit Divider: Issues with DEMO kits being buried by carry-ons in first-class bin. Action: Geri is working with Maintenance and Engineering to address the need for dividers.
  • Boarding Without Pilots: Currently, boarding may start before the pilots’ inbound flight has landed. This has resulted in Flight Attendants being onboard with passengers but without pilots for extended periods of time, leading to hot cabins and other safety issues. Action: Geri will follow up with the NOC.
  • Pilots Switching to Ground Power and Deplaning with Passenger Still Onboard: This policy has resulted in numerous safety reports, primarily due to the loss of power to the interphone and PA system. Action: Claudia will take this back for further discussion.
  • Meeting Agents Leave During Deplaning: Agents are not returning ten minutes after deplaning starts as required. This is causing issues with safely assisting passengers with special needs and unaccompanied minors. It has also resulted in FAs having to extend their debrief periods. Action: Geri will follow up with CSA leadership.
  • Tarmac Delay Snacks: Need for clear guidelines on tarmac delay snacks; they are not a required item. Action: Geri will ensure guidelines are communicated.
  • Minimum Water Count on Board: The ASHSC believes no aircraft should be dispatched without a required minimum number of water bottles onboard for safety. Action: Geri will review the business model while the Inflight Service Committee and ASHSC work with Matthew Coder to determine the water which should be required.
  • MedLink App Not Working: FAs have not received an adequate level of communication about the MedLink app being down. Action: Geri and Heidi will meet with MedAire and look at additional communication.
  • MedAire App Flight Number Requirement: Need for flight number to be auto-loaded or requested earlier in the app flow. Action: Veronica will take this back to Training and user feedback will be provided to MedAire
  • Old Trash Behind Forward Galley Trash Bin: The forward galley trash bin needs to be cleaned regularly. The area can smell and become unsanitary. Action: The area should be cleaned every RON. Flight Attendants should report significant issues via FAIR and Cabin Discrepancy.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. Bin Divider Missing on Refurbished 737-800s. The divider that used to separate the 10-person raft from the portion of the bin that was authorized for the stowage of carry-on bags was removed during the installation of the 25-person raft. We are trying to get the company to reinstall the divider and update the placarding to ensure the raft remains accessible and undamaged.
    A yellow bag in a refrigerator Description automatically generated

    Better Monitoring of Carry-On Bags. We continue to see a significant number of excess and oversized bags being boarded and are advocating that the company does more to ensure their FAA-approved Carry-on Bag program is followed and that limits are enforced. Dealing with excessive and oversized carry-ons is a driver a Flight Attendant injuries.
    Attempting to change or mitigate the impact of several recent policy changes:
    Single door catering
    Switching to ground service power with passengers onboard
    CSAs leaving the deplaning door after arrival

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt!  If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Supplemental Ditching Training

Grievance Committee

  • AFA has not agreed to any extra-contractual terms for the newly announced supplemental ditching training; discussions with management just started.
  • Many management decision-makers are away at contract negotiations, delaying progress toward any sort of agreement.
  • Our AFA Committees are committed to advocating for your rights and will address unresolved issues through the contractual grievance process if necessary.

AFA Representatives have recently been receiving a lot of questions about the supplemental ditching training announced by management. We want to make it clear that AFA has not agreed to any extra-contractual terms for this training. Management just began substantive discussions yesterday with our Grievance, Scheduling, Inflight Training, and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committees to work out the administrative and logistical details of the training, but those details are still undetermined. Progress has been slow because many of the primary management decision-makers are currently involved in contract negotiations in Washington, DC, this week and are unavailable to discuss the supplemental ditching training issues.

While the situation is not ideal, we must meet the regulatory training requirements and address the remaining details later. We don’t yet know what management intends to propose, nor do we know if we can successfully reach an agreement on which contractual provisions AFA believes apply. If we can’t agree, it may come down to addressing the unresolved provisions (particularly contract sections 30.C.3-5) through the contractual grievance process and arbitration afterward, which can be time-consuming.  

We have clearly communicated your concerns to management and have asked them to provide responses to numerous unanswered questions. Our AFA Committees are actively advocating for your contractual rights. We are dedicated to fighting for those rights, even if it takes time, rather than providing an instant fix.

After Relentless AFA Advocacy, Alaska Management Finally Takes Initial Step To Protect Against Injuries From Dangerous Coffee Makers

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Alaska Airlines management has directed that older-style B/E Aerospace coffee makers must not be used without a Brew Shield.
  • The action follows months of advocacy by the AFA ASHSC, Inflight Service Committee, and MEC, highlighting ongoing injuries to Flight Attendants from the coffee makers.
  • Our Committees and MEC continue to call for a complete suspension of the older coffee makers until the issue is fully resolved to ensure the safety of both crewmembers and passengers.

After months of relentless advocacy by our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Inflight Service Committee, and Master Executive Council (MEC), Alaska Airlines management has finally taken the first step towards meaningful action to protect crewmembers and passengers from injuries related to scalding hot coffee and grounds spewing from the brew basket of older-style B/E Aerospace coffee makers. Effective immediately, management has directed that older-style B/E Aerospace coffee makers must not be used to brew coffee under any circumstances if a Brew Shield is unavailable. In such cases, alternate coffee makers must be used to brew coffee; if no other coffee makers are available, coffee will not be served. If a Brew Shield is available, it must be installed and used. Flight Attendants should refer to Special Edition Bulletin #2024-0045 (April 17, 2024) for specific procedures, instructions for reporting missing Brew Shields, and other essential information.

Note: Management refers to the older-style B/E Aerospace coffee maker as the “B/E Classic Coffee Maker,” also identified as Coffee Maker #1 in the FAM. It has five square buttons that include the “COLD WATER” option and does not have a paddle on the hot water spigot.

Management’s recent action is a step in the right direction, but it should have been taken long ago when our ASHSC first raised this issue. It’s unacceptable that several months have passed, and more Flight Attendant injuries have occurred due to the continued use of older-style B/E Aerospace coffee makers. Our AFA ASHSC and Inflight Service Committee have been vigilant in putting management on notice that they were knowingly placing the physical safety and well-being of employees and passengers at risk by continuing to allow the use of these coffee makers. We have advised management that the temporary procedures implemented to mitigate the hazards are inadequate and unrealistic given the working environment that Flight Attendants face onboard the aircraft. The ineffectiveness of management’s mitigations has become increasingly evident as Flight Attendants continue to be injured by coffee makers spewing scalding hot coffee and grounds. 

Management’s action may have been overdue and necessary, but it still does not address the root cause of the hazard through physical mitigation. Our ASHSC, Inflight Service Committee, and MEC firmly believe that the only responsible action for management to take is to completely suspend the use of the older B/E Aerospace coffee makers until the issue is resolved. We continue to call on management to “own safety” by removing these coffee makers from service immediately. The safety of both Flight Attendants and passengers must not be compromised. It’s our right to work in a safe environment, and we demand that this right be upheld.

Alaska Management Refuses to Remove Dangerous Coffee Makers From Service Despite Injury Risks to Flight Attendants

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Several Flight Attendants have been injured recently due to older-style B/E Aerospace coffee makers spewing hot coffee and grounds.
  • Management denied an AFA request to discontinue using these coffee makers despite the risk to Flight Attendant and passenger safety.
  • A formal complaint is being filed with the FAA, and a contractual grievance will be filed against the company.

Over the past several months, at least nine Flight Attendant injuries have been reported, caused by scalding hot coffee and grounds spewing from the brew basket of older-style B/E Aerospace coffee makers on various aircraft. This is an alarming situation that requires immediate attention. It’s suspected that the recent changeover in coffee served onboard, which is packaged differently than the old product, may be contributing to this issue. Management has begun investigating the root cause and has identified some potential solutions to address the problem. However, it will likely take significant time to implement the mitigations fully.

Last week, our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) sent management an official request to discontinue using B/E Aerospace coffee makers until physical mitigations can be implemented. Despite the inconvenience this may cause by leaving some aircraft with fewer or no coffee makers to use, the Committee believes that potentially seeing multiple Flight Attendants injured while waiting for long-term fixes is unacceptable. Disappointingly, management denied the request, knowingly putting the physical safety and well-being of employees and passengers at risk for the sake of a few more cups of coffee.

This decision by management is a clear violation of their own core value of “owning safety” and displays a shocking level of negligence. Given the gravity of the situation, we will be taking immediate action by filing a formal complaint with the FAA to escalate the issue. Additionally, our Grievance Committee will file a contractual grievance based on management’s violation of section §25.B of our collective bargaining agreement (“The Company will provide a safe and healthy workplace…”).

Flight Attendant and passenger safety must not be compromised. It’s reckless and unacceptable for management to put Flight Attendants at risk by keeping hazardous coffee makers in operation. Removing these coffee makers from service is the right thing to do and the only responsible action for management to take. It’s our right to work in a safe environment, and we demand that this right be upheld.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Update – 1st Quarter 2024

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, January 4, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants’ interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants face onboard the aircraft.
  • Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever, given the challenges we currently face as a workgroup.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed using ReportIt!  Please get in touch with a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Thursday, January 4, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting in person were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN). Also present was MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

The Committee met with Director of Inflight Safety & Compliance Geri Jarrett, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, Inflight Regulatory Compliance Safety Analyst Danette Thomas, Inflight Policy & Procedure Specialist Kevin Weatherbie, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Claudia Modl, Director of Inflight Training & Standards Thomas Kaminski, and Senior Project Manager for Food & Beverage Jessica Johnston.

The next scheduled Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee meeting is Thursday, March 4.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items when meeting with management.  Some items discussed include:

  • Passenger Service Coordinators (PSCs). PSCs are not on all GDL flights. Inflight will check into the status of the program and assess the need for PSCs on all GDL flights and other routes.
  • Crew parking and parking shuttle safety. The ASHSC provided Inflight with the status of all parking and shuttles at all the bases. The ASHSC asked Inflight to develop standards that they will work for in meetings at all bases. This will be an ongoing effort as Alaska works with the ports that control these facilities and services. Most of the work coordinating with ports on parking and bus issues happens locally. 
  • No AC power resulting in no working PA/Interphone during boarding. Concerns were raised about not being able to communicate with passengers or between crewmembers. The company responded that we are to use the megaphone in an emergency when there is no PA. However, work is being done so we encounter less AC without power.
  •  Coffee “explosions”. There have been four incidents of coffee erupting from brew baskets. We discussed the incidents and possible mitigations with the company. There has since been a bulletin bundle item that covered the topic.
  • Flight Attendant familiarity with removing passenger life vests. We received a concern from a Flight Attendant who did not feel familiar enough with how we would remove or instruct a passenger to remove a life vest from under a passenger seat as we do not see a video of this or have hands-on experience in training. Inflight will look at changing the announcement to provide clearer directions on life vest removal to passengers and putting additional information in a quarterly CBT.
  •  Pointing to life vest on MAX. Many of us are pointing to the location of the life vest on the MAX during the demo. It feels natural to do this since we point out the oxygen in the same location. However, since we don’t point out life vests under seats on other AC types, the decision was made not to point to the overhead life vests for consistency.
  • Announcement about taking valuables when deplaning on a through flight. This recommendation is being made after a recent incident of theft which occurred when a passenger deplaned at a stop and left their bag onboard. Inflight will consider adding this announcement with the next FAM revision. 
  •  Number and size of carry-on bags. The ASHC is concerned about passengers being cleared to board with more than one plus one and with bags which are oversized. This is not in compliance with Alaska’s carry-on baggage program and dealing with these bags can result in injuries. We encourage you to file FAIRs when you need to deal with these kinds of bag issues on a flight.
  • QX baggage signs. QX has added signs near gate areas instructing passengers to place their one small item under their seat and one larger item overhead. Inflight will look at the feasibility of adding something to the Alaska gates Alaska operates out of as well.
  • Announcements on charters. Announcements on charter flights (RDB and others) are not available in B2B. Until they can be added to B2B we are to use the announcements found in Goodreader.
  • Compliance checks on flights that do not go above 10k. There is confusion about what is requested in terms of announcements and compliance checks on short flights that do not go above 10k. Inflight will work with Flight Ops to better understand the system and ensure we have clear guidance about how these flights should be managed. We do know that compliance checks should be occurring prior to landing on all flights unless it is unsafe to do so.
  •  Hand wipes. The ASHSC and Inflight Service Committees continue to advocate for quality hand wipes available on all flights. Although they are no longer catered, alcohol based Purell wipes should be boarded by fleet forward and aft. If you do not find them please request them while at a Fleet supply station, and file a FAIR. Reporting their absence is the best way to improve provisioning.
  • Reporting tools. We are encountering errors when using the ReportIt! app, especially inflight. The company is working on replacing our current reporting system which will result in an improved reporting app and web portal.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. MAX10 MED J/S. Many of you have seen the MAX10 MED mockups which have been installed at our training facilities. The ASHSC notified the Company the layout represented by the mockups does have enough space for us to safely access the MED J/S while passengers are seated. The Company has acknowledged that the layout will not work in the operation and is working on a solution with input from the ASHSC before the A/C goes into service.
  2.  LOSA. We are working with the Company members of the LOSA Steering Committee to ramp up and refine the Continuous LOSA program. We know it has been a long time coming, but we expect to have some results to share by the end of the quarter.
  3. NTSB Investigation of Flight 1282 accident. AFA is a party in the NTSB investigation of this accident. The AFA party is composed of members of the ASHSC at Alaska. This allows us to assist the NTSB in the investigation as subject matter experts.

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt!  If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2026

On Monday, June 8, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and […]

MEC Town Hall Video and Q&A Recap – June 8, 2026

Whether you joined us live or are looking to watch on your own schedule, we’re excited to share the full recording of our June 8 MEC Town Hall! Catch up on the discussions and hear directly from our MEC Officers and AFA panelists—now available to you anytime on the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian YouTube channel […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, June 4, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Kanako Yamada (LAX), Adrian Alcantara (SAN), and MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 15 – June 2026

The JNC has been actively negotiating key sections of the contract, focusing on vacation, sick leave, and temporary duty assignments. A tentative agreement was reached on Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments), ensuring financial protections and fair treatment for Flight Attendants during temporary assignments. These ongoing discussions demonstrate a commitment to integrating the best benefits from both Alaska and Hawaiian CBAs for all members.

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month

Every June, we come together to honor LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States—a time to celebrate the remarkable resilience, diversity, and achievements of the LGBTQ community. Pride Month began as a tribute to the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan in 1969, a pivotal moment that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The inaugural Pride March, […]

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