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Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2021 (Rescheduled)

Human Rights Committee

  • Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, January 11 to discuss their ongoing program of work to advance human rights within our workplace and community.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates on what progress has been made on concerns that had been previously brought forward and address new concerns that have been brought forward.  The meeting with management was originally scheduled to be held on December 6 but was cancelled at the last minute due to inflight management changes that took place at around the same time.
  • If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback for the committee, your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson would love to hear from you!

On Tuesday, January 11, our AFA Local Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to build awareness and effect change within our workplace and community.  Representing you at the meeting were Matthew Cook (ANC), Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Sylvia Newbill (PDX), Sejal Patel (SFO), and Louise Borras (LAX).  Also present were MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Chip Hestle and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Strategy and Support Gloria Chow, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, California Regional Director of Inflight Operations Robbi Burton, and Seattle Director of Inflight Base Operations Jenny Bookert from management. 

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:

  • Ongoing concerns about low morale within our work group
  • Opportunities to emphasize the importance of maintaining positive working relationships and encourage voter turnout during the upcoming election cycle.
  • Concerns about company suppliers/vendors whose values may be contradictory to those of Alaska Airlines and how management would address the issue.
  • Management’s progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and plans for upcoming work.
  • Upcoming plans to include more substantial DEI training in the Initial Training and Recurrent Training programs.
  • Introduction of new pronoun pins, currently available at the Company Store.  Management is reviewing the possibility of allowing Flight Attendants to use their uniform allotment to purchase the pins.
  • Requests to increase diversity and representation among the Flight Attendant Special Projects Pool, starting with those selected for Flight Attendant recruiting and hiring.
  • Ways for the committee to start building relationships with the company’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs).

The committee is next scheduled to meet with management on Friday, February 4, 2022.  

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Developing a Membership Survey.  Creating a membership survey to determine what Flight Attendants would like to see our Human Rights Committee address and prioritize going forward.
  2. Building Relationships with the Company’s Business Resources Groups (BRGs).  Beginning the process of establishing relationships with leaders of the Company’s BRGs to find areas where we can join together to advance human rights within the scope of each group.
  3. Promoting Increased Diversity Within the Flight Attendant Special Projects Pool.  Advocating for management to create a Special Projects Pool that is reflective of our overall work group, starting with a focus on those who are selected to participate in Flight Attendant recruiting and hiring. 

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 Human Rights Committee is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the Human Rights Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Onboard Service Reductions

Inflight Service Committee

  • Our AFA Representatives have been successful in getting management to agree to additional onboard service reductions in light of the current spike of COVID-19 cases nationwide.
  • Any flight currently scheduled for more than one beverage service will be reduced to only one service regardless of the length of the flight.  Additional reductions include changes to the food pre-order system based depending on the length of the flight.  Changes take effect today and are scheduled to be in place through January 31, 2022.
  • As always, please continue to report any safety-related issues with onboard service using a Flight Attendant Irregularity Report (FAIR) in ReportIt!  Please report any catering issues using the catering feedback function in Block2Block.  Management needs to hear about the challenges we’re facing!

Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Inflight Service Committee, and Master Executive Council (MEC) have been continually advocating for changes to onboard service that provide the safest possible environment for Flight Attendants and passengers alike.  In light of the current spike in COVID-19 cases, we had additional conversation this week with management about the ongoing issues and concerns that Flight Attendants are experiencing.  Based on these conversations, management has agreed to implement additional onboard service reductions on a temporary basis.

The following changes will go into effect immediately and remain in place through January 31, 2022:

  • Only one beverage service in the main cabin on all flights that are scheduled to receive a beverage service.
  • Picnic packs will no longer be available for pre-order but will still be sold from the retail cart.
  • Fresh meals will no longer be available for pre-order/sold on medium haul flights.  Maximum number of orders on transcon and Hawaii flights will be reduced from 63 to 42.

Even though the pre-order system will be turned off for any new orders, catering will continue to board items for any passengers who placed an order prior to today.  Please see the email from management in your Outlook inbox and today’s bulletin bundle for more information.

Please continue to report any safety hazards related to onboard service in ReportIt! as a Flight Attendant Irregularity Report (FAIR).  If you encounter any issues related to onboard products, catering supply levels, or procedural concerns, please report them through the Catering Issues function in Block2Block.  Your reports help our Inflight Service Committee and ASHSC to have the strongest voice possible in their conversations with management about onboard service.

December 2021 Pacific Northwest Snowstorm

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • The snowfall that occurred over the last several days in the Pacific Northwest has caused operational havoc throughout the Alaska Airlines system. Many Flight Attendants are being impacted by cancelled flights, reassignments, and other scheduling issues.
  • Your contract is one of the best resources to help answer questions about pre-cancellations, reassignments, duty times, and rest. The AFA Scheduling Committee has also put together an updated quick reference guide with some key contractual information.
  • If your flying has been impacted by the snowstorm and you have contractual questions or concerns, please open a support ticket using the AFA Alaska Online Support Center. AFA Representatives are working to resolve issues as expeditiously as possible.

This week’s snowstorm and continued winter weather have had a significant impact on Alaska Airlines operations in Seattle and Portland.  Hundreds of flights have either been delayed or cancelled which has had a ripple effect throughout the system leaving virtually no Flight Attendants unimpacted.  AFA Representatives are actively working to try to resolve Flight Attendant concerns that have been reported, but management’s availability has been limited as they focus on fixing the operation.

If Your Flight Cancels

  • If your flight has been cancelled, you must still report as scheduled unless contacted by Crew Scheduling or you accept a cancellation notification in Crew Access.
  • If contacted by Crew Scheduling regarding a pre-cancellation, know your options.  Review section 10.S of the contract or the pre-cancellation flowchart.
  • If you have already reported for duty and your flight cancels, you must remain at the airport until released by Crew Scheduling.  Your duty period will run continuously until released.

Difficulty Making it to the Airport

Significant Weather Ground Commuting Operations (SWGCO) have been declared for Seattle and Portland.  SWGCO provides additional ground commuter protections for Flight Attendants who may have difficulty reporting on time due to the inclement weather.  In order to receive protections under SWGCO, you must notify Crew Scheduling at least one hour prior to report that you won’t be able to report on time due to the weather.  Please review pages 3 and 4 of the full side letter of agreement for more information.

Management is also offering hotel rooms near the airport in SEA and PDX for those who are reporting for trips the following day.  Please fill out this form to request a hotel room.  They have also authorized any F/A to expense $100 for Uber/Lyft transportation to/from the airport in order to get to work.  No advance approval is required and your base management can provide assistance with reimbursement.  Questions about in-base hotels or transportation reimbursement should be directed to the Inflight Snow Ops Command Center at InflightSnowOps@alaskaair.com.  

Hotel or Transportation Issues While Flying

If you are currently flying and are having issues with hotels or ground transportation, you may be able to receive a quicker response from the Inflight Snow Ops Command Center by emailing InflightSnowOps@alaskaair.com.  Requests that go through the command center, especially ones that are not time sensitive, will free up Crew Scheduling to attend to other operational duties.  The command center is open from 08:00-20:00 Pacific time.  Outside of these hours Crew Scheduling will be your point of contact.

Pay Questions & Rainmaker

If your flying has been impacted by irregular operations, be sure to monitor Rainmaker closely to ensure that your pay is reflected accurately.  Any pay questions should be submitted directly in Rainmaker as a pay query. 

Contractual Questions, Issues, and Concerns

Your contract is your best resources to answer scheduling and pay-related questions.  You can access the contract on the AFA Alaska website or on your IMD in Goodreader > ASFASupplemental > Collective Bargaining Agreement > Contract.  The AFA Scheduling Committee has also put together an updated irregular operations quick reference guide with key contractual information that may be helpful. 

If you have a contractual concern or issue that has come up and need assistance from an AFA representative, please open a support ticket using the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.  Members of the AFA Grievance, Reserve, and Scheduling Committees are working through submitted tickets as quickly as possible, but resolution may be delayed in some cases as management’s immediate focus is on operational issues.

For additional support, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee (lineholders), Local Reserve Committee (reserves), or your LEC Officers. 

Mental Health Resolutions for the New Year

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

The New Year is not just a ritual. It is the celebration of new hopes and dreams. It is an opportunity to start with a clean slate. Typically, New Year resolutions tend to focus on weight, general health and finances.   But, what might the new year offer us if we used it as an opportunity to commit to improvements in our emotional and mental well-being.  Below are seven positive mental health resolutions that you can borrow for your new year.  

  1. “I will treat myself with respect and speak nicely about myself.”  Try taping a list of positive characteristics about yourself in various places throughout the house to remind you of these affirmations.
  2. “I will be physically active on a daily basis.”  Multiple studies show a link between exercise and improved mental health.
  3. “I will act and not react.”  Many times we feel like everyone is “pushing our buttons”. When this happens, we are caught up in a reaction cycle.  If you know you’ll be around someone who says negative things, plan for this and have a list in your head of disarming statements. You might even consider modifying your plans to limit exposure to negative people.
  4. “I will learn to relax and enjoy.”  Many times we become so busy we forget how or even when to take care of ourselves. Find or “re-discover” an activity that is relaxing and enjoyable to you. Dedicate time to this daily or at a minimum, weekly.
  5. “I will be mindful.”  Being mindful is about staying in the moment. We cannot change yesterday and we cannot predict tomorrow. We do, however, have control over our attentiveness in the here and now. So, commit to being aware in the moment, and enjoy that moment.
  6. “I will work towards being the person I want to be.”  When we see life as a journey and a time to continue to be the person we desire to be, we find hope and fulfillment in our tomorrows. 
  7. “I will resolve to be mentally healthy”.   There is still a stigma about seeing a mental health professional.  However, it is truly one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves. A therapist gives us an unbiased ear and can also help us to understand why we do the things we do … think of seeing a therapist as a mental health oil change. If you need assistance finding a referral, give your AFA EAP a call.  Your local AFA EAP committee members are listed at afaalaska.org/eap.   We are just a phone call away.  

These suggestions have been adapted from an email written by Chip Coffey, the Director of Outpatient Services at St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center.

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2021

Inflight Service Committee

  • Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Friday, December 10 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
  • Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!  Management has seen a decrease in reporting in the weeks since the November 4th service expansion and believes that problems have been resolved.

On Friday, December 10, our AFA Local Inflight Service 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 Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX), and Chase Vandergrift (SAN).  Also present were MEC Inflight Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee met with Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Director of Product Development & Delivery Amber Simonsen, Managing Director of Guest Products Todd Traynor-Corey, and other management representatives from the food & beverage, catering operations, and inflight mobile teams. 

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:

  • Review of Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) issues and concerns, including the number of steps that are required to process a transaction using a swiped credit card.
  • Update on upcoming Block2Block software fixes and improvements.
  • Review of the updated seat back menu that includes a full listing of picnic pack contents and pricing for snack items, expected to be onboard by early January.
  • Discussion about inadequate trash stowage space on many flights given how full galleys and carts are loaded, expected service levels, and trash being brought onboard by passengers.  Management says they are looking into the issue further and would like to implement short term fix within 60 days. 
  • Concerns about catering accuracy, including carts being packed properly and supplies being loaded onto the aircraft correctly.  Flight Attendants are continuously having to deal with missing supplies and are tired of having to apologize for errors caused by others.
  • Update on first class menu changes for the first half of 2022.
  • Discussion about the need for printed menus for First Class meals that include a better description of the dishes and a listing of whether the item contains common food allergens.
  • Review of main cabin service flow, the pre-order meal delivery process, and possible options to increase efficiency and decrease time that Flight Attendants need to spend in the aisle.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Addressing Inadequate Trash Stowage Issues.  Pushing management to make much needed changes to resolve onboard trash stowage problems through solutions such as dedicated trash carts in every galley on every flight and eliminating double catering.
  2. Advocating For the Tools We Need to Do Our Job.  Escalating catering issues reported through Block2Block, voicing Flight Attendant frustration with ongoing errors in catering provisioning and loading, and working to hold management accountable to fix the problems that make our job more difficult.
  3. Pushing Back on Unnecessary Service Complexity.  Strongly advocating against changes that add unnecessary complexity to onboard service and keep us in the aisle longer than necessary.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please continue to report any catering issues or problems with onboard service using the catering feedback function in Block2Block.  If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please submit a report through ReportIt!  Your reports provide the Committee with the data needed to continue pushing management for meaningful improvements in our workplace.

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

Protect Yourself From Potential Discipline on Social Media

Our Grievance Committee would like to provide background on social media, protected classes, and discipline. Federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or transgender status), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.  Alaska’s People Policy says: Personal Conduct22. Threatening, intimidating, or discourteous behavior, including abusive, profane, or obscene language, acts, […]

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, March 25, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to raise awareness and create positive change within our workplace and community. Your representatives attending the meeting included Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Nyachan Chuar (ANC), and Yan Yan Teague (SEA). MEC Human […]

Pre-Merger Hawaiian Inflight Service Committee Update – March 2026

Editor’s Note: Our MEC Inflight Service Committee now represents both pre-merger airlines, but management still makes service decisions that affect each group of Flight Attendants differently. This update covers changes for both Hawaiian- and Alaska-branded flying, but is specific to aircraft flown by pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines crews. As the work of the merger progresses, we […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 13 – March 2026

Our JNC met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC focused on clarifying questions about moving expenses and presented a proposal for Sick Leave, using feedback from Flight Attendants to guide improvements. The Committee is working to incorporate the strongest elements from both contracts to ensure better support for all members.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, March 24, 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), […]

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