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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

Upcoming Port of Seattle Commission Race

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to share some very interesting information with you about the upcoming Port of Seattle Commission race, in which there is one open seat up for election.  Why are we writing to the entire group about a local election? The outcome of this particular election could have fairly significant consequences for Alaska Air Group. Why?

Nine candidates are currently announced as running. One of the candidates–Ken Rogers—is a pilot for Delta Air Lines. Not only that but he also just stepped down from Delta’s board of directors.  What is even crazier is that according to publicly available funding reports, almost all of Captain Rogers’ campaign contributions have arguably come more or less directly from Delta Air Lines—via contributions from board members, executives and other Delta employees.

Alaska Air Group management is very concerned about the outcome of this election because there are several very significant Sea-Tac Airport issues that the Port Commission sets policy on that have a big impact on whether the competitive playing field is level.

Alaska is tracking the Port of Seattle race closely and believes there are two candidates who are worthy of the consideration and support of King County (Seattle) residents:

  • Herb Krohn, the Washington state legislative director for the United Transportation Union, which represents railroad and other transit workers.
  • Darrell Bryan, the recently retired president of Clipper Navigation, which operates the Victoria Clipper boats.

The top two candidates in the August 4 primary election will advance to the general election in November.  Ballots for the primary will be mailed to King County residents on July 15th.

More information can be found on Alaska’s World at http://alaskasworld.com/News/2015/07/15_port_race.asp.

In Solidarity,

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

AFA Alaska Logo No Tag

On The Watch Against Bed Bugs

Along with the warm weather throughout our route network comes an increase in bugs that we see at our layover hotels. One very particular type of bug that we should all be very concerned about is the bed bug.

No matter whether you’re on a layover, overnighting for training, or on a personal vacation, it’s always a best practice to inspect your room for signs of bed bugs as soon as you get to your room. Despite their name, bed bugs do not live in bed—they only eat there. During the day they hide in cracks and crevices (the size of a credit card or less) of furniture. Adult bugs are about the size of an apple seed and are visible to the naked eye.

First Things First–Check Your Room

  • Pull back a sheet corner on the bed and check for signs of bugs. Look for brown/black dot stains on the mattress and possibly molted bed bug skins
  • Check the areas where the mattress rests on the box spring, inside any folds or under buttons or piping
  • Take a close look at the headboard, picture frames and nightstands for any sign of hiding bugs
  • Check in books or hotel literature around the bed. Bed bugs have been found on index tabs in the in-room bible.
  • Bed bugs can also be detected by their characteristic smell of rotting raspberries

Help, I Found Bed Bugs In My Room!

If you find bed bugs upon check in or at any time during your stay, notify the front desk staff immediately and move to another room. Report the incident on a Flight Attendant Incident Report and fill out a report on CrewCare (http://www.alaskaaircrew.com). CrewCare reports are forwarded to management and your AFA Hotel Committee Members.

More About Bed Bugs

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has some great resources and information about bed bugs available at http://www2.epa.gov/bedbugs.

In Solidarity,

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

AFA Alaska

Go In-Depth with Our AFA Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

As Government Affairs Committee Focus Month continues, we’re excited to bring you a direct, face-to-face conversation that goes to the core of our Union’s legislative work. You’ll see how our experiences in the cabin translate into meaningful advocacy that drives real change. MEC Communications Committee Chairperson Brian Palmer recently sat down with MEC Government Affairs […]

Honoring the 25th Anniversary of September 11: Never Forget

A quarter of a century has passed since September 11, 2001—a day that fundamentally transformed our world and redefined aviation safety forever. Today, as members of the Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendant family, we stand together to reflect on that pivotal morning, honor the memory of those we lost, and reaffirm our solemn promise: We Will […]

AFA Committee Focus Month: Government Affairs

As Flight Attendants, we wear many hats, but at our core, we are aviation’s first responders. The moment we step onboard, our training takes over—not just to get passengers seated and doors closed, but to fulfill our primary role as safety professionals. We’re the ones who calmly handle onboard medical events and emergencies, manage the […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – August 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, August 25, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 18 – August 2026

This week, the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian JNC engaged in four days of collective bargaining with management in Seattle. Despite presenting a comprehensive proposal to address Section 19 (Grievance) and Section 30 (Training), the committee and the company were unable to reach an agreement. The JNC remains dedicated to securing the best possible outcome for our members.

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