AFA News Now – Page 32

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

September 12, 2025 09:00

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Monday, September 8, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in person in Seattle to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA), Ila Christy (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich facilitating the meeting.

The Committee met with Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Hotels and Administration Diane Szubert, Senior Crew Hotels Support Specialist Nichole Turner and Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams.

This was the final meeting of our pre-merger Alaska Hotel Committee, and we’d like to thank everyone who has served on the Committee for their hard work and contributions. Next month, we’ll transition to our newly merged committee, representing the combined Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendant groups. Our next meeting for the Hotel Committee is scheduled for Monday, October 13.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during the meeting with management, most of which focused on hotel decisions and challenges in our layover markets. Some items discussed include:

City-Specific Discussion: The Hotel Committee addressed several city-specific issues. These included concerns regarding our long-stay hotel at JFK, which has experienced a significant increase in rooms not being ready at check-in, issues with cleanliness, and the availability of refrigerators. Additionally, we discussed our long-stay options at MCO and potential alternatives in BZE. We also inquired about increasing the crew discount for our KOA property. Discussions regarding ground transportation focused on the use of shared transportation reports in ATL and MCI.
TBD Hotels in Bid Packet: At the end of June, management announced via an Information Bulletin that they would begin using a “TBD” (To Be Determined) indicator for any hotel that may be uncertain for the month. This change was made at the request of the Hotel Committee to ensure hotel accommodations are accurately represented in both the bid packet and PBS. The Committee has requested a report detailing the reasons for the TBD designation (e.g., hotels that have exceeded contracted room caps on specific days, hotels with known blackout dates, newly added hotels that have not yet been finalized, etc.). This will provide greater insight and help us better respond to questions from Flight Attendants.
Final Hotel Decisions: A final hotel decision has been communicated for FLL, and a decision regarding SEA is expected soon. For security reasons, the names of the hotels are not published here and will be shared in an Informational Bulletin on Team AAG near the end of the month.

What The Committee Is Working On

Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee conducts visits to hotels that are under consideration by management to ensure that the selected options provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. Crew Hotels has provided the Committee with the remaining cities that will be visited in 2025: SLC (Sept), MSO (Sept), SAN (Oct), CUN (Oct), BNA (Nov), HNL (Nov), MCO – Long Stay (Nov), ORD – Short Stay (Dec), and SJO (Dec). Market reviews are triggered by factors such as contract expirations, crew complaints, and opportunities for cost savings. Depending on the outcome of these reviews, additional site visits may be arranged in those cities.
Hotel Gainshare Program: Conversations regarding the program are ongoing, and hopefully, we’ll be finalizing the program details this month. We’ll continue to keep you updated as developments occur.

We Want to Hear From You!

Don’t let any unacceptable experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation provider go unnoticed! Please report the issue via CrewCare so that it can be addressed. CrewCare is the only official way to report issues, as the Hotel Committee does not monitor social media channels.

Each CrewCare submission is forwarded to your AFA Hotel Committee, Crew Hotels (Alaska management), API and the hotel or ground transportation provider. This ensures quick action can be taken to correct the issue or fix it for the next crewmember. It also allows us to monitor hotel and transportation trends. You can quickly file a CrewCare report using the web app on your IMD home screen or by clicking here.

Do you have any other feedback you would like to share with the committee or any specific items you want us to bring up with management? Please let us know! The Local Hotel Committee is here to represent you and ensure management hears your voice. You can find our contact information on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

September 11, 2025 05:46

AFA Never Forget Website

United Flight 175

Robert J. Fangman
Amy N. Jarret
Amy R. King
Kathryn LaBorie
Alfred G. Marchand
Michael C. Tarrou
Alicia N. Titus
Captain: Victor Saracini
First Officer: Michael Horrocks
Customer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez

United Flight 93

Lorraine G. Bay
Sandra Bradshaw
Wanda A. Green
CeeCee Lyles
Deborah Welsh
Captain: Jason Dahl
First Officer: Leroy Homer

American Flight 11

Barbara Arestegui
Jeffrey Collman
Sara Low
Karen Martin
Kathleen Nicosia
Betty Ong
Jean Roger
Madeline Sweeney
Dianne Snyder
Captain: John Ogonowski
First Officer: Thomas McGuinness
Customer Service Representative: Renee Newell

American Flight 77

Michele Heidenberger
Jennifer Lewis
Kenneth Lewis
Renee May
Captain: Charles Burlingame
First Officer: David Charlebois

Vacation Survey Now Open

September 10, 2025 09:00

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working diligently to understand and improve the vacation benefits for our Flight Attendants at Alaska and Hawaiian. Your input is essential in ensuring that the vacation provisions we adopt reflect your needs and preferences.

To gather your perspectives, we invite you to participate in our Vacation Survey. This survey will help us assess which vacation benefits matter most to you, given the significant differences between the Alaska and Hawaiian vacation systems. The survey is currently open and will close on Tuesday, September 24 at Noon PT. We encourage you to take a moment to click the survey link and share your thoughts, so the JNC can accurately represent your interests.

Our goal is to combine the best aspects of both contracts to enhance your quality of work life. However, we recognize that management may prioritize productivity over flexibility, and it is our responsibility to advocate for your interests.

Please take a moment to review the Vacation Quick Reference Guide, for more detailed information there is a comparison chart included in the survey to help you evaluate the potential improvements for your vacation benefits.

To Access the Survey

For pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants, enter your PeopleSoft Number
For pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants, enter your Employee Number (without leading zeros)

Some important notes:

Once the survey is submitted, your responses cannot be edited. Please ensure your selections are final before hitting ‘Submit’.
For ranking questions, all choices must be ranked. You may skip these questions, but remember to rank all options if you choose to respond.

We encourage you to take the time to participate, as an informed and engaged membership is our strongest asset during these negotiations. Thank you for your continued commitment to our collective success. If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025

September 6, 2025 13:00

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with management from September 3 through September 5 in Honolulu
Our Negotiating Committee is focused on addressing those issues that are important to anyone who may be considering transferring to the new, permanent domicile including: moving expenses, staffing, grouping construction, and the ability to return to your domicile of origin
Additional discussions with management will be scheduled soon

Negotiations Update

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The SEA NC met with management on September 3 to September 5 in Honolulu. At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants	Representing Management
Tim Green, Committee Chairperson	Joe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations
Martin Gusman, Committee Member	Allen Thieman, Vice President, Inflight
Joshua Aoki, Committee Member	Carmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations
Jeffrey Fuke, Committee Member	Kalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations
Lea Franzoi, Committee Support Representative	Adriene Tom, Specialist, Labor Relations
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff Negotiator

After several weeks of planning, we were able to schedule and hold a week of bargaining with management regarding the proposed Hawaiian Flight Attendant domicile in SEA. During negotiations this week in Honolulu, we exchanged several proposals. Per Section 27.D.2 of our CBA, management must negotiate a supplement before opening a new permanent domicile. These negotiations are crucial for establishing a permanent domicile that effectively supports our Flight Attendants’ interests and addresses the key issues that impact us directly.

Here are some key areas we’re focused on:

Transfer Processes – strengthening protective elements of the transfer process for those who may be interested in moving to the new domicile
Return to HNL or LAX Domicile – addressing the concern of Flight Attendants transferring to SEA and potentially wishing to return to their Hawaiian domicile before the merging of the Hawaiian and Alaska SEA domiciles
Staffing – ensuring that staffing is sufficient to meet operational demands
Moving Expenses – advocating for fair and comprehensive compensation related to any necessary relocations
Operational Concerns – defining the type of flying and pairings that will be constructed in the domicile
Safeguarding Existing Bases – protecting our HNL and LAX domiciles during this transition

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee is committed to transparency throughout this process. Together, we will forge a stronger foundation for our careers and ensure an improved quality of life.

Thank you for your support and engagement as we navigate this endeavor. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local leadership or email the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee at sea@afahawaiian.org.

Communication

Official SEA Domicile Negotiations Updates can be found on the web here, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

What’s Upcoming

Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee intends to schedule additional discussions with management soon.

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Interviews—October 2025

September 5, 2025 09:05

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the terms of office for the MEC Committee Chairpersons and other MEC-level positions align with those of the MEC Officers. Since the current term for the MEC Officers will conclude on December 31, 2025, the MEC will soon review all pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairpersons and other MEC-level positions.

Committees that have already merged or will merge before the beginning of next year go through a separate process for interviews and elections and will not be included in this review. Information about interviews for these positions will be communicated separately.

This review will take place over several months to allow extra transition time for committees that may benefit from it. This approach differs from previous election cycles, where all interviews were conducted simultaneously near the end of the term. Although the interviews will occur well before the current MEC term concludes, those elected to these positions will not assume their roles until January 1, 2026.

The next committees to undergo the review process will be the Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Scheduling Committee, and Reserve. During the upcoming October Regular MEC Meeting, interviews will be conducted for the following positions:

General Qualifications

Qualifications for all MEC-level Chairperson positions include:

Current Alaska Airlines AFA Member in good standing.
Currently qualified Flight Attendant or, if on an approved leave of absence, last qualification must have been within 36 months prior to start of term.
Previous experience as a Committee Member or Chairperson is preferred.
Previous committee-specific training preferred.
Strong ability to lead and coordinate a diverse team in a collaborative environment.
Ability to attend meetings as required, both via videoconference and in person.
Strong computer skills, including a good working knowledge of Google Workspace (email, calendar, Drive, and other applications) and Microsoft 365.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external emails, prepare reports, plan meetings (including scheduling, logistics, and agenda preparation), and take minutes.
Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks.

Duties and Responsibilities

Details about each committee’s duties and responsibilities are available on the respective committee pages of afaalaska.org. Additional information regarding MEC Committee Chairperson duties and responsibilities is available in this document.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

The time commitment for each position varies and may change based on current workload levels. Specific information about time commitment expectations and Flight Pay Loss for each position will be provided during the interviews. All positions operate in line with AFA’s spirit of volunteerism.

Term of Service

Candidates who are successfully elected will serve for the upcoming MEC Officer election cycle which begins on January 1, 2026, and concludes on December 31, 2028.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will interview eligible candidates during the October Regular MEC Meeting from Tuesday, October 14, through Thursday, October 16. If you are interested in interviewing, please plan to bid around these dates or adjust your schedule accordingly.

Eligible candidates can choose to interview in person in SeaTac, WA, or virtually via Google Meet videoconferencing.

To express your interest, please submit an expression of interest and your resume using the online form (link below). The submission deadline is 5 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. After the submission deadline, an MEC representative will contact eligible candidates to arrange specific interview times.

Click here to submit an expression of interest form >

Please note that a Google account is required to submit the expression of interest form. If you don’t have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

Any questions about MEC Committee Chairperson position duties and responsibilities can be directed to MEC Vice President Brice McGee at mecvp@afaalaska.org.