AFA Alaska

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
Menu
  • Local Councils
    • Anchorage (Council 30)
      • Officers
      • Committees
    • Honolulu (Council 43)
    • Los Angeles (Council 18/pmAS)
      • Officers
      • Committees
      • Los Angeles (Council 47/pmHA)
        • Officers
      • Portland (Council 39)
        • Officers
        • Committees
      • San Diego (Council 15)
        • Officers
        • Committees
        • Seattle (Council 19)
          • Officers
          • Committees
        • San Francisco (Council 35)
          • Officers
          • Committees

        • More About Local Councils >>
        Close
      • Master Executive Council
        • Officers
        • Close
      • Committees
          • Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC)
            • Air Quality
          • Benefits
          • Communications
          • Employee Assistance Program & Professional Standards
          • Government Affairs
          • Grievance
          • Hotel
          • Human Rights & Equity
          • Inflight Service
          • Inflight Training
          • Membership
          • Mobilization
          • Reserve
          • Retirement
          • Scheduling
            • Pairing Construction
            • Preferential Bidding System (PBS)
          • Uniform

        • More About Committees >>
        Close
      • Contract
          • Contract Home
            • 2025 Alaska TA2 (Ratified)
            • 2018 Alaska JCBA
            • 2020 Hawaiian Contract
            • Ask Contract Questions
          • Contract Resources
          • Alaska Contract Negotiations (2022-2025)
        • Close
      • Resources
          • What To Do If You Encounter Contaminated Cabin Air
          • Issues & Campaigns
          • Newsroom
            • AFA News Now
          • Event Calendar
          • Membership Services
          • New Members
          • About
          • Links
          Close
        • Merger
          • Joint Negotiating Committee
          • Close
        • Contact Us
        You are here: Home / Archives for Committees / Scheduling Committee / Preferential Bidding System (PBS)

        AFA and Management Agree on a Remedy for the Delayed May & June 2022 Bid Awards

        June 10, 2022 18:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • AFA Alaska leadership and Alaska Airlines management have reached agreement on a remedy for the delayed May & June bid awards.
        • All Flight Attendants who were active at any point during the May or June 2022 bid months will receive 4.0 TFP on their respective July 20th paychecks.
        • Thank you to the more than 4400 who participated in the “It’s Time to Make It Right!” letter writing campaign, and AFA appreciates management’s commitment to doing the right thing in these circumstances.

        AFA Alaska leadership and Alaska Airlines management have reached agreement on a remedy for the delayed May & June bid awards:

        All Flight Attendants who were active at any point during the May or June 2022 bid months will receive 4.0 TFP on their respective July 20th paychecks. *

        * Flight Attendants must not have been on a leave of absence for the entirety of both bid months and newly hired Flight Attendants must have been eligible to bid for either bid period to be eligible for the settlement. The 4.0 TFP will have applicable taxes withheld at the regular withholding rate and less any other deductions/contributions.

        Realistically, an arbitrator would not have awarded 4 TFP to all active Flight Attendants as a remedy to these contractual grievances, so we recognize that management ultimately agreed to more than we would have achieved through arbitration. This non-precedential monetary settlement compensates FAs for the inconvenience resulting from the contractual violations and demonstrates management’s willingness to accept responsibility for their actions. AFA appreciates management’s commitment to doing the right thing in these circumstances.

        Thank you to the more than 4400 who participated in the “It’s Time to Make It Right!” letter writing campaign: Our collective action was an impressive show of solidarity that was invaluable in achieving this settlement!

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Grievance Committee, Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Tagged With: bid awards, contractual violation, grievance

        Tell Management: It’s Time To Make it Right!

        May 18, 2022 17:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • Our MEC will be approaching management this week to discuss a meaningful remedy to the recent bidding errors and delays.
        • We have heard loud and clear that Flight Attendants expect that any remedy will include an element of compensation in order to hold management accountable.
        • Stand in solidarity and support our MEC by sending management a letter telling them it’s time to make it right!

        Now that bids have finally been awarded for June 2022, it is time to focus our attention on addressing management’s continued disregard for our collective bargaining agreement by publishing bid packets that are full of errors and failing to award bids in a contractually compliant manner.  Our Master Executive Council (MEC) has heard loud and clear from our Flight Attendants that you expect management to provide a meaningful remedy to the situation that includes compensation for their continued violation of contractual obligations.  We could not agree with you more and will be approaching management this week to make this request on behalf of all Flight Attendants.

        TAKE ACTION: Stand in Solidarity and Let Management Hear Our Voices!

        Our MEC needs your support to let management know just how serious we are about holding them accountable.  Take action now and send management a letter telling them that it’s time to make it right!  We’ve made it easy, just click the link below.  A template letter has already been written for you, all you need to do is enter your contact information.

        Click here to send management your letter

        We must show management that we are tired of their excuses and demand that they hold themselves accountable in the same way they hold Flight Attendants accountable.  Let management know that we stand together in solidarity and tell them it’s time to make it right!

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC), Preferential Bidding System (PBS), Scheduling Committee Tagged With: bidding

        The Saga Continues: June 2022 Bid Awards Delayed

        May 11, 2022 11:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        • Due to hundreds of errors identified in the June bid packet, our MEC has insisted that management conduct a systemwide rebid.
        • Management sent a communication by company email to all Flight Attendants earlier today with details on the new bidding timeline, which opened today at 9 AM PDT and will now close at 9 AM PDT on Monday, May 16.
        • It is well past time for management to take ownership of their repeated errors, actually fix the problems, and honor our contract!

        June 2022 Bid awards will be delayed. 

        Errors affecting over 500 positions throughout the system have been identified in the June bid packet, resulting in our MEC demanding a system-wide rebid. The errors include: flights that no longer exist, miscoded DHD Flights, inaccurate TFP, and inaccurate report times. When our AFA PBS Subcommittee discovered these errors and brought them to our MEC’s attention, the MEC called an emergency meeting and met with management to discuss our options.

        After carefully considering the feedback following last month’s bidding errors, our MEC unanimously voted for a system-wide rebid to rectify these errors’ impact during bidding. Realizing the value we place on our schedules and the expectation of them being awarded accurately, we felt it necessary to correct these errors before proceeding with bid awards. A rebid will delay awards, trading, and planning for the month of June. While this may be frustrating to some, a rebid allows us all to evaluate the corrected pairings and honor seniority.   

        While management continues to tell us they will do better, it is apparent we have very different definitions of “doing better.”  Our MEC made that point abundantly clear to management and explained how angry and frustrated Flight Attendants are with the many failures and the level of incompetence experienced lately. Management has no problem holding Flight Attendants responsible for the most minute concerns, yet they are unwilling to hold themselves accountable for their repeated errors and violating their contractual obligations.  Management doesn’t appear phased by the high attrition rate or rock-bottom morale – it’s almost as if they don’t CARE how their decisions impact us.  But they are now on notice and fully aware that this latest “screw up” has further eroded confidence (if there is any left) in their ability to manage this workgroup. 

        Flight Attendants do not need another apology from management. Instead, management should look in the mirror and see the mess staring back at them and begin to make things right. They need to show that they’re willing to walk their talk…and “do the right thing.”

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC), Preferential Bidding System (PBS), Scheduling Committee Tagged With: bidding

        Delayed Publication of May 2022 Bid Awards

        April 13, 2022 19:00

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        Like all of you, the MEC is extremely frustrated by management’s unacceptable violation of Section 10.J.8 of our collective bargaining agreement through their failure to post May 2022 bid awards on time. We will file a contractual grievance on behalf of all Flight Attendants for this violation, so please note there is no need to file a ticket through the AFA Alaska Support Center. We hear you loud and clear: You want transparency and accountability from management, and you expect AFA leadership to do everything in our power to make that happen on your behalf.

        Management has already acknowledged “administrative error,” but this does not go far enough. Consequently, we have communicated your expectations that management transparently communicates additional details and management’s actions in response, including how responsible parties will be held accountable and what is being done to prevent a recurrence. The MEC has also requested Labor Relations to engage with us at the earliest possible opportunity regarding an appropriate and mutually acceptable remedy for the contractual violation.

        What is a potential remedy? There is no identifiable loss of pay because of the contract violation, so there is no contractual basis to seek compensation or any other alternative remedy via arbitration. The best outcome we could achieve via a favorable arbitration ruling would be for management to cease and desist (i.e., not violate the contract provision going forward). However, management has already agreed there was a contract violation and signaled to AFA there is no intent for future violations.

        Although management is neither obligated to pay anything for the inconvenience, nor would an arbitrator compel management to do so, nothing prevents the parties from mutually agreeing to compensation or some other compensatory-like remedy. AFA has expressed our desire to management to settle this dispute by negotiating such a remedy, so it’s their move next.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Grievance Committee, Latest News, Master Executive Council (MEC), Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Tagged With: 2022, bid award, bid awards, grievance, PBS

        AFA Alaska Update – September 17, 2021

        September 17, 2021 12:00

        In This Edition

        • Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month
        • PBS Subcommittee Appointment
        • Why a $5 Starbucks Card is Important to Your Contractual Rights

        Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month

        Human Rights Committee

        September 15 marks the first day of Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month in the United States.  The celebration, which is also referred to as National Hispanic Heritage Month, began as Hispanic Heritage week when it was established by legislation that was signed into law by President Lydon Johnson in 1968.  In 1988, the single week event was expanded to a month-long period to be celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15.

        September 15 is of significance as it marks the anniversary of independence of the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  Mexico also celebrates independence on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21. 

        Learn More About Hispanic-Latinx History

        You can learn more about the accomplishments of Hispanic-Latinx Americans through some of the dedicated websites and resources below.

        • Library of Congress – National Hispanic Heritage Month
        • National Archives – Hispanic Heritage Month
        • National Park Service – Hispanic Heritage Month
        • Smithsonian Institution – Latino Center
        • Alaska Air Group Latin Culture Resource Group (LCRG) – Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (AAG sign-on required)

        Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month AFA Pins Coming in 2022

        The AFA Executive Board recently passed a resolution recognizing Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month and providing for the creation of a new diversity AFA pin in celebration.  You can read the complete text of the resolution by clicking here.  The new pin will be undergo the design and development process over the next year and will be made available in September 2022.

        Questions?

        If you have any questions, please contact your Local Human Rights Committee.


        PBS Subcommittee Appointment

        Master Executive Council (MEC)

        Our Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews this week for an additional PBS Subcommittee Member as previously announced in the August 6 AFA Update email.  The MEC would like to thank the candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed SAN-based Flight Attendant Steven Patronsky to the position.

        About Steve

        Representing the membership and upholding contract compliance are the aspects of the work that most excites Steve about being appointed to the PBS Subcommittee. His volunteering history for AFA includes work on the Scheduling and Hotel Committees.  Steve’s recent accomplishments include completing a Master’s Program at the University of Central Florida and remodeling a 50’s era Mid-Century home in Orlando. 

        About the Position

        The PBS Subcommittee, part of the Scheduling Committee, works with the company and the Inflight Crew Planning Department to maintain the company’s preferential bidding system and oversee the bidding and bid award processes.  The Subcommittee represents and advocates for the MEC position in matters pertaining to bidding and the preferential bidding system.  Additional information about the position and subcommittee can be found by clicking here.


        Why a $5 Starbucks Card is Important to Your Contractual Rights

        Grievance Committee

        In early 2020, our Grievance Committee included information in an AFA Update about a settlement agreement related to management issuing $5 Starbucks cards to ANC-based Flight Attendants for meeting an attendance goal back in 2015.  You can read the original communication from March 25, 2020 by clicking here (scroll to the Grievance Committee Update article, then the Recent Settled Grievances heading).  Due to the pandemic and other administrative issues, management is just now distributing the Starbucks card as agreed upon.

        So Why Is This Important?

        The issue at hand isn’t so much about the amount of the Starbucks card but rather what management did wrong.  The priority of our Grievance Committee is to ensure that management complies with our collective bargaining agreement (CBA).  In this case, management violated the CBA by awarding gift cards to a particular group of Flight Attendants for having better attendance rates than others without negotiating it with AFA.  Gift cards, which have a dollar value, are considered a form of compensation which is a negotiated part of our CBA.

        If our Grievance Committee had failed to address this contractual violation, regardless of how small it may seem, it could open the door to management making other attempts to change our compensation or working conditions in violation of the CBA.  This settlement agreement protects your rights and makes all Flight Attendants equal in terms of the CBA.  Although it may only be $5 to each Flight Attendant, the overall cost to management for the settlement agreement is significant and a reminder not to violate the language in our contract.

        Questions?

        If you have questions about the settlement agreement or reasoning behind it, please feel free to reach out to your Local Grievance Committee.

        Filed Under: Grievance Committee, Human Rights & Equity Committee, Preferential Bidding System (PBS), Scheduling Committee Tagged With: 2021, committee appointments, grievance settlement, Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month, PBS

        • 1
        • 2
        • 3
        • 4
        • Next Page »

        Need Help?

        Have an issue or concern to report to AFA?  Click here to access the AFA Alaska online support center.

        Latest News

        • Mahalo From Your AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee
        • Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2025
        • AFA News in Review – June 13, 2025
        • Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2025
        • Council 39 June 2025 Update
        • AFA Alaska News in Review – June 6, 2025
        • Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month
        • AFA Alaska News in Review – May 30, 2025
        • Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2025
        • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2025

        Mahalo From Your AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee

        June 19, 2025

        This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Aloha Hawaiian Flight Attendants, On behalf of your AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee, we would like to extend our heartfelt mahalo to each of you for your engagement and support throughout the years. It has been an honor to serve you and to help ensure that important communications […]

        Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2025

        June 17, 2025

        On Thursday, June 12, our AFA Local 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 (pmAS LAX), Aaron Miller (PDX), Erika Daniel (SAN), and Freddy Vega (SEA). MEC Human Rights Committee […]

        Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2025

        June 13, 2025

        This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Updated 06/13/2025 17:56 PT to remove a reference that indicated that there were no PVR layovers in July. There are in fact scheduled PVR layovers; these crews will be relocated to the crew hotel’s sister property. On Monday, June 9, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met […]

        Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month

        June 1, 2025

        June 1 marks the beginning of LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States. This celebration originated to honor the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan in 1969, a significant milestone in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. On June 28, 1970, the first Pride March was held in New York City to commemorate the first anniversary of the […]

        Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2025

        May 30, 2025

        This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, May 15, our AFA 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 Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), and […]

        RSS Negotiations News

        • State Sick Bank Implementation
        • Contract Implementation Update
        • Tentative Agreement Ratified
        • TA2: Four Days Left to Vote
        • TA2 Voting: How to Request a Replacement Activation Code
        • TA2 Voting is Now Open
        • TA2 Resource Recap
        • TA2 Virtual Q&A Recordings
        • TA2 Calculators Now Available
        • TA2 Updated Boarding Pay Comparison Resources

        Recent Posts

        • Mahalo From Your AFA Hawaiian Communications Committee
        • Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2025
        • AFA News in Review – June 13, 2025
        • Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2025
        • Council 39 June 2025 Update
        • AFA Alaska News in Review – June 6, 2025
        • Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month
        • AFA Alaska News in Review – May 30, 2025
        • Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2025
        • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2025

        Local Councils

        • Anchorage
        • Honolulu
        • Los Angeles (pre-merger Alaska)
        • Los Angeles (pre-merger Hawaiian)
        • Portland
        • San Diego
        • San Francisco
        • Seattle

        Master Executive Council

        • MEC

        Negotiations

        • Contract 2022 Home
        • Negotiations News
        • TA2 Information

        Contract

        • Contract Home

        Committees

        • Air Safety, Health, & Security
        • Benefits
        • Communications
        • EAP/Professional Standards
        • Government Affairs
        • Grievance
        • Hotel
        • Human Rights
        • Inflight Service
        • Mobilization
        • Reserve
        • Retirement
        • Scheduling
        • Uniform

        News By Month

        News By Category

        AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee
        • Email
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • YouTube

        Want To Stay In The Loop?

        Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
        Sign Up for Emails
        Sign Up for Text Updates

        Connect With AFA

        • Contact Us
        • Online Support Center
        • AFA International
        • CWA
        • AFA Alaska Social Media Guidelines
        • AFA-CWA Mutual Respect Policy

        Copyright © 2013-2025 Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO