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Dues & Voting—What You Need To Know To Make Sure You Can Vote

Membership Committee

  • Voting is an essential part of our Union’s democratic process.
  • Only active Members in good standing who are current on their dues are eligible to vote on any AFA ballot.
  • Contact AFA International Membership Services if you have questions about your membership or dues account status.

As we continue with our contract negotiations, it will be time for us to vote at some point. Voting is a powerful tool that lets your voice be heard. It’s a vital aspect of democracy in our Union. To be eligible to vote under the AFA Constitution, it’s necessary to be an active Member in good standing.

What Is An Active Member in Good Standing?

An active Member in good standing is a Flight Attendant who has completed an AFA Membership application, has completed their four-month AFA Apprentice Membership, and is referred to as a “Member.” This Member is flying and has a financial obligation for dues to AFA. A Flight Attendant on paid leave (coordinating sick and/or vacation time) is active and eligible to vote as long as their dues account is current.

Most Flight Attendants fill out and submit an AFA membership application during initial training. A Flight Attendant who hasn’t submitted one is not a Member and is not eligible to vote, even though they must pay a fee equivalent to the dues amount each month for representation. Local Membership Committees will be reaching out to anyone who doesn’t have an AFA membership application on file to offer the opportunity to submit one and become a Member.

Members On An Unpaid Leave of Absence

Flight Attendants on an unpaid leave of absence continue to owe dues for the first 90 days; this includes voluntary furloughs and company-offered staffing adjustment leaves. After completing the 90-day leave commencing period in which dues are owed, they’re considered by AFA to be on leave, having no further financial obligation to AFA-CWA until they return to the line. They are NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE unless they have chosen to “Leave and Remain Active.”

The AFA Constitution allows for a Member on an unpaid leave of absence from their airline to remain active with AFA by notifying AFA of their desire to stay active and continue to pay their dues each month. These Members are eligible to vote if their dues accounts are current.

If You Receive A Statement From AFA International

A statement from AFA International indicates that a dues payment you owe has not been received. If you receive an invoice for dues from AFA International, it’s essential to take action as soon as possible to ensure you remain in good standing as a Member.

Dues are owed each month you are active or the first three months of an unpaid leave of absence. You’ll be invoiced if your dues are unable to be fully deducted each month. The deductions that occur from the 20th of the month paycheck each month apply to that month. For example, if you receive an invoice for unpaid dues from May, your dues were not deducted from your May 20 paycheck.  

The payroll department cannot deduct past-due balances and they must be paid directly to AFA. Payments can be made online through the AFA dues payment site. AFA Membership Services offers Flight Attendants with past-due accounts the ability to set up a payment plan to keep you in good standing while making payments. Please get in touch with the AFA Membership Services Department to set up a promissory agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your membership or dues account status, contact AFA International Membership Services using this link. You can also reach out to your Local Membership Committee for assistance.

Sign Up For Text Message Updates From AFA Alaska

Communications Committee

We’re excited to announce a new way for Alaska Flight Attendants to receive important news and updates. Starting today, you can sign up for text message updates from AFA Alaska. The process is quick and easy – just visit the sign-up page and provide your name, mobile number, and a few other details. Once you’re enrolled, you’ll receive an email confirmation to let you know that your sign-up was successful.

Click here to sign up for AFA Alaska text message updates

Don’t worry, we won’t flood your phones with messages. AFA Alaska text messages will only be sent for significant events and time-sensitive alerts. For other news and information, you can continue to find updates on our websites, social media accounts, and email newsletters.

Text message updates from AFA Alaska will be sent to your phone from 49484. Please note that these messages are one-way only, so if you have any questions or need more information, please don’t reply to the message. Instead, feel free to contact your Local Council directly for assistance.

If you transfer to a different base, please submit a new sign-up form with your new base to update your record. At the moment, it’s only possible to subscribe to text message updates from one base at a time. We’re looking into ways to allow multiple base subscriptions in the future.

We’re excited to keep you informed about the latest happenings in a way that’s quick and convenient. Sign up now to stay connected and never miss an important update again!

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2023

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, October 5, 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, October 5, 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), Blair Kimball (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN). Also present was MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

The committee met with Inflight Training Supervisor Ken Hawkins, Infight Policy & Procedure Specialist Kevin Weatherbie, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, Inflight Regulatory Compliance Safety Analyst Danette Thomas, and Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder.

The next scheduled Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee meeting is Thursday, January 4, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Definition of “Guardian.” The FAM states that no one in an exit row can be responsible for a child 15 or under elsewhere in the cabin. The Committee would like “guardian” to be better defined in FAM. Kaliko will review verbiage in the FAM and include Airport Operations & Customer Service (AOCS) and Customer Advocacy in any discussions about updating definitions or language for alignment.
  • Cabin divider curtain. Flight Attendants are closing the curtain in an overhead bin, using the bin door to secure it in the open position. Kaliko will ensure the FAM reflects the current procedure for closing and securing the curtain. He will also follow up with Maintenance & Engineering to see the status of the new curtain restraints.
  • D position traveling alone/4 crew pairings. This concern has been escalated to EVP and COO Constance von Muehlen—no update at this time.
  • Inboard jumpseat assignment. The Committee prefers that the B and C Flight Attendants move inboard for better cabin management and visibility. Inflight Policy & Procedure would like to keep the current practice. We will keep advocating for this change.
  • Issues with onboard cleaning products.  Flight Attendants have reported physical reactions that they believe may be caused by exposure to onboard cleaning products. One problem is that we only sometimes have the correct bag to stow the spray bottle. It was also noted that Fleet Service may be over-spraying more product than necessary to perform cleaning tasks. Their procedure is to spray into a cloth and then use the cloth to wipe. Fleet Service Agents should not spray cleaner directly onto surfaces. In the long term, the Committee wants to replace the bottle of cleaner with surface wipes for Flight Attendant use.
  • Air quality events not identified and reported as they are happening. When multiple Flight Attendant operating the same flight experience symptoms, crews and ground personnel should suspect a possible air quality or hypoxia event. Failure to identify an event can result in an inadequate operational response and a lack of support for the impacted crew. Cabin Safety Manager Heidi Stiley will see if this information can be included in Pilot and Flight Attendant training. We will also look at manuals to make sure this is called out.
  • Door opening procedure from outside the aircraft. There are different understandings about who may open an aircraft door from outside. It is taught in Alaska Initial Flight Attendant Training and will be added to Recurrent Training for 2024. However, legacy Virgin America Flight Attendants never received this training. Kaliko will look at past communications to see where it was communicated that Flight Attendants are not to open the L1 door from outside and report back to the group.
  • Single-door catering stations. IAD had single-door catering, and crews were delayed in boarding/pre-flight due to inability to center aisle blockage and then rushed for passenger boarding. Single-door catering can happen anywhere. ACTION: Matthew will discuss with the Catering Ops team
  • Surgical masks stocked on the aircraft. With the uptick in COVID-19 infections, we would like to see more masks boarded in Flight Attendant Kits for a total of 10 each. Heidi will bring the topic to an upcoming meeting.
  • SFO airport transportation. Crew Access says to “walk to hotel.” The Committee has requested that the Air Train information’s phone number be added to Crew Access. Kaliko will follow up with the Crew Hotels team.
  • Weigh restriction zones. We would like for there to be a more straightforward means of knowing what the zones are on a weight-restricted aircraft. We would also like management to allow some freedom in moving passengers within the same row or zone when weight-restricted.
  • Firm/rough landings. Heidi shared that the aircraft registers a hard landing at 2.2Gs and higher. Anything else is not technically a “hard” landing. Regardless of what they are called, the Committee is seeing a lot of landing-related injuries of Flight Attendants, and we have asked management to look at ways to reduce the number of injuries occurring.
  • EMK/EEMK supplies. We have previously requested that a better blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, and glucose monitor be added to the kits. Johanna told us that the FAA may update the required contents of the EMK, and management is considering adding an assessment kit, which would include a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, glucometer, and stethoscope.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. MAX8 galley. A representative from the ASHSC and Inflight Service Committee spent several days with management and Boeing representatives reviewing the design of the MAX8 galley at the manufacturing facility. At this stage, the Committees were able to provide feedback on galley units that have been built but have yet to be installed. Almost all of AFA’s recommended changes to the design to improve functionality and safety will be implemented in the production units, including improvements to the trash receptacles and trash volume. Unfortunately, improvements to the MAX galley bar were not deemed feasible.
  2. Locking lavatories. We have been working with management to determine whether we should continue locking lavatories for taxi, takeoff, and landing. Our Local ASHSC Chairpersons have mixed feelings about this proposed change. There are concerns about cabin management, with passengers potentially entering the lavatory at an inappropriate time and possibly hindering egress should a lavatory door be open during an evacuation. Positive outcomes of the change may include reducing distraction during door-disarming procedures and allowing passengers to use the lavatory in an urgent situation without a Flight Attendant needing to leave the security of their jumpseat. The Committee has asked about benchmarking and what the procedures are at other airlines. In conjunction with a change to the lavatory door locking procedure, the Committee has asked Inflight management to assess the timing and necessity of the pre-departure and pre-landing lavatory flush.
  3. Adding passenger briefings to cabin areas of responsibility. We already use cabin areas of responsibility for emergencies, equipment checks, and compliance checks. The Committee would like to see this include passenger briefings to remove confusion about which Flight Attendant is responsible for ensuring they are completed before door closure.

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. 

LOSA Observations Continue

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • We are entering the next phase of our Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) program. Starting October 8, 2023, LOSA observations will occur over six continuous days each month.
  • Like the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), participation in LOSA is entirely voluntary, and identifying information such as Flight Attendant names, dates, and flight numbers are never associated with observation data.
  • If you have any questions about the LOSA program, please don’t hesitate to contact the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee.

As previously communicated, AFA and management agreed to a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) program to help improve safety for Flight Attendants, other crewmembers, and passengers. The LOSA program is jointly administered by AFA and management as outlined in the Inflight Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program letter of agreement.

The information collected from LOSA observations will help us better understand how Flight Attendants manage threats and errors, evaluate compliance with standard operating procedures, and gain valuable insight into our day-to-day line operations from a safety perspective.

LOSA Observers are line Flight Attendants trained to perform LSOA observations. They are prohibited from recording Flight Attendant names, flight numbers, or dates in the collected data, as confidentiality is critical to this process. Any data collected is sent directly to the AFA LOSA Coordinator to ensure it is fully de-identified before being released for analysis by the LOSA Steering Committee. AFA and management will receive a final report outlining what went well and what can be better, identifying procedures that should be modified or re-emphasized.

Flight Attendant LOSA Observer may ask to join your flight to conduct an observation. Participation is entirely voluntary; however, we encourage you to participate in this valuable effort. You will also be able to provide your LOSA Observer with safety-related feedback during the flight.

Questions?

More information about LOSA can be found in the September 25, 2023 Bulletin Bundle (AAG sign-on required). If you have any other questions about the LOSA program, please reach out to the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee at losa@afaalaska.org.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2023

Scheduling Committee

  • Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, September 26 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
  • Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Tuesday, September 26, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met 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), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Natalie Codd (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz.

The committee met with Managing Director Ops Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director Inflight Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Crew Planning Mike Ostler, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and other management representatives from Crew Planning.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on October 24, 2023.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

  • Block hours reduction. For the fall of 2023 we will see line averages reduced. You should notice a difference when bidding your September schedule. Line averages could be 75-78 depending on the number of leaves offered by base. 
  • JCTE/Crew Access update. We are expecting a new update (7.4 MR13) for filters and “trade handshake” in September 2023. This was rescheduled for September 26, 2023. Please refer to the recent bulletin bundle for updates. 
  • Staffing Adjustment Leaves. Management has reviewed the anticipated block hours and decided to offer leaves. This is a change from last month’s update. If you are interested in a leave of absence please review the recent bulletin. Management is reviewing all options of SAL and Low Bid to determine the best business decision.  
  • Pilot Retiming Block In/Out. Management recently issued a bulletin bundle providing an update on this issue and a plan for implementation in a future crew access update. Please continue to file the appropriate forms until a permanent resolution is installed. As of today, there have been 873 inquiries and 163 approvals. 
  • Base Turns. Each month Flight Attendants are surprised they combine two sequences over 10 hours 30 minutes and that some of their contractual legalities are waived. If you are adding sequences together refer to Section 8.T. There are also issues with splitting base turns that require Crew Scheduling assistance. 
  • Vacation Bidding. Prepare for 2024 vacation bids. Find 1st round, 2nd round and Open Time dates in the applicable bulletin bundle. First round of vacation bidding is complete.  Approximately 1500 Flight Attendants did not bid in the first round but will have an opportunity in the 2nd round for Slots 7 and 8.
  • Section 11.E.1.c. “ISA” marker. Unavailable for self-assignment. When Flight Attendants trade into/out of trips with this label the premium will disappear.  Flight Attendants can contact Crew Scheduling if they notice a trip in Open Time that is labeled as “ISA” but doesn’t show premium and request removal of the ISA or require the premium be added back onto the trip. Crew scheduling has the discretion to determine which action they choose. The ability to trade these trips was added to ADR for further discussion.
  • Hotel wait times. If you are waiting in excess of over one (1) hour for a hotel, please ensure you are keeping in contact with Crew Scheduling and opening a ticket with AFA.  
  • Crew Scheduling Error. We do have approximately 39 schedulers in Crew Scheduling, some of whom are new to the position. Scheduling management appreciates Flight Attendants reporting contractual violations so they are able to coach/train. Please remember to fly now and grieve later. We’ve seen pre-cancellations, reassignments, domicile rest and other contractual provisions that were violated by accident and remedied through discussions with Crew Scheduling management. 
  • PowerPoint Presentations. Each month management from Crew Scheduling and Crew Planning provide the scheduling committee with updates. These are shared with your MEC/LEC officers. The information includes but is not limited to Reserve utilization, sick leave, sick leave by base, winter operations, personal drops, trip commutability, trip length distribution and what to expect in the near future. Some of the information contained in the presentation is under our non-disclosure agreements but AFA continues to engage in the topic discussions.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. NavBlue. The PBS Committee is preparing to have more base sits and presentations for Flight Attendants. We will provide dates/times/locations in a future update – stay tuned. 
  2. Pairings Survey. It’s been a few years since we submitted a survey on pairing construction. We are discussing survey questions and the possibility of a virtual session or town hall. Meeting with management was set for June 5, 2023 and a follow up meeting needs to be scheduled. There is no update or ETA.
  3. Teaming. Crew Planning is reviewing pairing construction and the optimization of teaming.  Teaming attempts to keep costs low and crew together (pilots/Flight Attendants) for multiple segments within a sequence. The system currently teams around 10-15%. The new enhancements would increase this in the range of 20-35% for the winter operations. You will see this in December pairings. We’ve asked management to send out a communication about teaming.
  4. In and Backs. These are flights that follow the crew and aircraft. Network/Crew planning is reviewing initiatives that would help us restart the operation when crews are stranded and flights are canceled. Alaska management will start reviewing the 2023/2024 IROPs plan in September/October. 
  5. Chime Communications. Flight Attendantss could chat with crew scheduling via app/Microsoft teams to alleviate phone calls. This would be Flight Attendant initiated contact. This is in the early stages of development and needs to be discussed with AS Labor Relations and AFA.

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local Scheduling Committee is your voice to management.  You can open a support request on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or contact us directly using the information on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 20 – October 2026

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met with management in Seattle for three days of collective bargaining, addressing critical sections of the contract. Through productive discussions, the JNC reached Tentative Agreements on Section 6 (Seniority), Retiree Pass Privileges, and Retiree Health Insurance. The committee plans to continue using both Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB) and traditional methods to resolve complex issues during negotiations.

Call To Action: Election Day Is Tuesday, November 3

Our voice. Our vote. Our power. Throughout September, our AFA Government Affairs Committee highlighted how legislative advocacy impacts our work and daily lives as Flight Attendants. By breaking down the role of AFA Government Affairs, explaining the legislative process, encouraging civic engagement, and demonstrating the vital importance of FlightPAC, the campaign showed how our union’s voice is […]

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – October 2026

Updated: 10/29/2026 17:05 PT On Thursday, October 22, members of our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) met virtually to discuss ongoing safety concerns, operational challenges, policy updates, and workplace improvements impacting Flight Attendants across the operation. Representing you at the meeting were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), Baron Lee (HNL), Bryce Sarmiento (pmAS LAX), Kahea […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – October 2026

On Monday, October 12, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met remotely to receive an update on current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (pmAS SEA), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (pmAS LAX), Kanani Vallot (SAN), and Matt […]

Reserve Survey Closing Soon

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working to secure the best reserve provisions for our Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). We want to hear from you about which parts of the reserve experience matter most, so we can better meet your needs. The survey […]

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