Government Affairs Committee

Why Vote?

September 21, 2026 17:00 Leave a Comment

As we continue our Government Affairs Focus Month, our attention turns to civic engagement and the critical role voting plays in shaping our day-to-day work environment. While many of us associate workplace protections primarily with contract negotiations, the laws and regulations that govern our aviation career extend far beyond the bargaining table.

Watch: Why Vote?

In our feature video for the week, Zoe Wulz, a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant and Local Government Affairs Committee Chairperson for Council 35 in SFO, breaks down why voting is a professional necessity for every Flight Attendant. Zoe addresses how crucial decisions regarding aviation safety, rest requirements, and economic security are directly determined by elected officials. She emphasizes that when Flight Attendants stay on the sidelines, we allow individuals who have never worked a flight to define our reality in the cabin. Voting serves as our most direct, powerful tool to claim our seat at the table and ensure decision-makers understand the issues that impact our profession.

Click here to watch on YouTube ➔

Take Action Today

Protecting our workplace starts with active civic participation. Here is how you can take action right now:

Verify Your Voter Registration: Take five minutes today to check your voter registration status and ensure your current address is on file ahead of upcoming elections.
Recognize the Scope of Elections: Remember that state and local offices matter just as much as federal positions in impacting labor standards, infrastructure, and community support systems.
Engage Your Flying Partners: Start conversations in the crew lounge or on layovers about the importance of being registered and staying informed.

Coming Up This Week

Stay tuned to our AFA social media channels throughout the rest of the week for additional resources to prepare you for election season:

Checking & Updating Your Registration: On Wednesday, we’ll share a guide walking you step-by-step through checking your voter registration status or registering for the first time.
Candidate Research Resources: On Friday, we’ll post key tips and tools to help you research candidates and evaluate where they stand on essential Flight Attendant labor, safety, and security issues.

Our strength is in our numbers. By staying informed and participating in every election, we protect our contract, our working conditions, and our collective future.

Understanding The Legislative Process

September 14, 2026 09:00

As we continue our Government Affairs Committee Focus Month, this week we’re exploring how the legislative process works, why enacting laws strengthens our collective bargaining power, and how to engage effectively with our elected representatives.

The legislative process may sometimes feel complex or far removed, but it directly shapes our day-to-day lives—from cabin safety regulations to our working environment and job security. By understanding how an idea becomes federal law, we empower ourselves as advocates for our profession, our flying partners, and our passengers.

Watch: Intro to the Legislative Process

In our latest short video, Honolulu Government Affairs Committee Member Maria Kahele breaks down the legislative journey into four clear steps and shares why our voices as Flight Attendants are indispensable in Washington.

Click here to watch on YouTube ➔

The Four Steps: From Idea to Law

In the video, Maria walks through the step-by-step progression of a bill:

The Idea: Everything starts with a clear goal—like closing a safety gap or securing stronger rest rules. We ask a member of Congress, either a Representative or Senator, to formally introduce the measure.
Committee Review: Next, the proposal goes to a specialized Congressional committee where members fine-tune the wording and hear directly from key voices. If it earns their approval, it advances to the full chamber.
The Vote: The measure is brought up for debate and a vote on the floor. Securing a simple majority moves it forward to repeat the exact same evaluation and voting process in the opposite chamber.
The Signature: After matching versions pass both the House and Senate, the finalized bill is sent to the President. With their signature, the initial concept officially transforms into binding federal law.

Flight Attendants Are The Subject Matter Experts

As Maria emphasizes, lawmakers aren’t airline crewmembers—they rely on “subject matter experts” to explain how regulations will function in the real world. No one understands cabin safety or the realities of our workday better than Flight Attendants. By sharing our firsthand experience, we ensure that legislative decisions don’t just happen to us, but for us.

Get Involved & Share Your Voice

Understanding the process is the first step toward active engagement. Throughout Government Affairs Focus Month, we’ll continue sharing new topics on civic participation, voting resources, and FlightPAC to help you stay informed, involved, and empowered.

Ready to get involved? Visit afaalaska.org/volunteer to see how you can lend your voice to our Union’s legislative advocacy efforts!

Go In-Depth with Our AFA Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

September 12, 2026 09:00

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 Committee Chairperson Bruni Agosto-Pinal for a candid video interview exploring the Committee’s work and impact. Together, they unpack what terms like “lobbying” and “PACs” really mean, and highlight why your engagement is crucial to protecting our collective future.

What You’ll Discover in This Interview

Our AFA Government Affairs Committee is the critical link between our frontline experience and the lawmakers shaping our profession. In this engaging interview, Bruni reveals how the Committee champions both our careers and our safety:

Educating Policymakers: How our operational insights guide aviation law.
Remaining Non-Partisan: Why focusing on Flight Attendant safety builds effective partnerships.
Unleashing the Power of FlightPAC: How our collective “influence fund” supports our profession.
Safeguarding Our Progress: Why participating in upcoming elections secures our contract goals.

Watch Now

This conversation is a powerful demonstration of how our collective advocacy gives us a seat at the decision-making table. Take a moment to watch the full interview—you’ll see firsthand how our voices make a real difference in the halls of government:

Click here to watch on YouTube ➔

Get Involved & Shape Our Future

History isn’t just happening to us—it’s being written by us. By stepping up and getting involved, we shape the protections of tomorrow, defend our contractual rights, and keep our collective voice strong in every decision that affects our profession.

Connect with any Government Affairs Committee Member to:

Ask questions: Reach out directly to learn more about our legislative goals and advocacy work.
Sign up for FlightPAC: Support our collective political influence fund to help elect pro-Flight Attendant candidates.

Find out more about volunteering and getting involved by visiting afaalaska.org/volunteer.

AFA Committee Focus Month: Government Affairs

September 7, 2026 09:00

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 ever-changing environment of the cabin, and make sure every flight meets the highest standards of safety. Our expertise isn’t just a job requirement; it’s the foundation of everything we do. It demands constant vigilance and a deep understanding of the protocols that protect our crews and everyone who flies with us.

But the reality is that the environment we work in, and the rules that govern our financial stability and job security, is shaped long before we ever step onto the aircraft. The decisions made in state capitals and the halls of government in Washington, D.C., lay the groundwork for our profession, impacting everything from our financial stability to our job security.

This month, we’re turning our attention to that reality as we bring the focus to our Government Affairs Committee.

The Bridge Between the Cabin and the Capitol

If you’ve ever wondered how we protect the standards that shape our work, our Government Affairs Committee is where it all begins. Think of this Committee as our legislative advocate and our direct connection to the policymakers shaping aviation. It’s the bridge between our frontline experience as Flight Attendants and the people who write the rules that guide our industry.

When we engage in government affairs, we aren’t just keeping up with the news—we are bringing the reality of the cabin to the people who write the laws. By sharing our expertise, we make sure that legislative decisions don’t just happen to us, but rather for us, protecting our interests before policies are even finalized.

Our Roadmap for September

We’ve designed this month to give you a clear, step-by-step look at how our Committee turns ideas into real-world results. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share stories and resources that highlight how our collective advocacy protects the profession we’ve built together. Here’s what to expect each week:

This Week (The Foundation): Kick off the month by getting to know the faces behind our advocacy and understanding why our presence in the Capitol matters so much.
Week 2 (The Legislative Process): Ever wondered how a bill actually becomes law? We’ll break it down and offer practical tips for making your voice heard by your elected representatives.
Week 3 (Civic Engagement): Your vote is your voice. This week, we’ll walk you through the “how-to” of civic participation—from registering to vote and finding your polling place, to researching candidates who stand with us on the issues that matter most.
Week 4 (FlightPAC): We’ll wrap up the month by spotlighting the engine of our advocacy—FlightPAC. We’ll show you how it works and share how you can help keep our interests front and center in Washington.

Watch: Our Government Affairs Committee

In the video below, MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson Bruni Agosto-Pinal pulls back the curtain on the Committee’s work and shares why coming together as a unified force is the most effective way to protect our future. Bruni highlights the importance of active citizenship and the power we have when we step up as both safety professionals and legislative advocates. We encourage you to watch and learn what our Government Affairs Committee is all about!

Click here to watch on YouTube ➔

Writing Our Future

Advocacy is, at its core, an extension of the professionalism we bring to the line every day. When we connect with elected officials and share our stories, we’re not just lobbying—we’re shaping the protections that will define our careers for years to come.

If you’re ready to move from watching the legislative process to actively shaping it, now is the perfect time to get involved. Visit afaalaska.org/volunteer to see how you can lend your voice to our unified force.

Just as we’re always ready for the unexpected in the cabin, we must prepare for the legislative challenges ahead. Let’s make this September a month where we move from watching history to actively writing it.