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AFA Alaska Online Support Center Outage

At around 6 PM Pacific time this evening (Thursday, August 18) the AFA Alaska Online Support Center at support.afaalaska.org went offline due to an issue with our hosting provider. We are currently working to resolve the issue but have been advised that it may take up to 48 hours to restore the system. As long as the system is down, please email your LEC Officers directly if you have an issue to report to AFA. Contact information is below.

BaseEmail
ANCanc@afaalaska.org
LAXlax@afaalaska.org
PDXpdx@afaalaska.org
SANsan@afaalaska.org
SEAsea@afaalaska.org
SFOsfo@afaalaska.org

TAKE ACTION: Demand No Stock Buybacks

AFA International

COVID relief legislation temporarily prohibited airlines from using stock buybacks that enrich executives and big investors on the backs of workers and consumers. But those prohibitions end on September 30.

Now is not the time to start sending cash to Wall Street when the airlines can’t yet meet public demand or manage effectively through operational challenges. Airline workers have had contract negotiations on hold for years – delaying raises and improving working conditions needed to keep skilled workers on the job and attract new applicants.

We call on all airline CEOs to take the No Stock Buybacks Pledge!

Airlines pledge to extend the COVID relief ban on stock buybacks until:

  • operational meltdowns are not the norm and staffing and flights schedules are aligned to support public demand; and
  • labor contract negotiations are concluded.

Stabilizing the industry must be CEOs #1 priority. Not $1 in stock buybacks until this is achieved.

Take Action and Sign the Petition!

From 2014 through 2019, United, Southwest, American and Delta rewarded Wall Street with more than $39 billion in stock buybacks. That’s money that should have been invested in improving passenger experiences, better staffing, and good jobs. When the pandemic struck, aviation unions secured a historic relief package, the Payroll Support Program (PSP), which provided the airlines with funding to maintain payroll and benefits, while temporarily banning stock buybacks and capping executive compensation. At the same time, frontline workers helped the U.S. aviation system weather the economic and public health storm.

We know Wall Street will demand airlines resume buybacks the minute this ban ends. But if CEOs don’t prioritize operations, the crisis in the industry will only deepen.

Airline CEOs can use resources to end operational meltdowns and restore stability, or they can feed Wall Street greed. Sign the demand that CEOs put the industry’s stability, their passengers, and aviation workers first. Greed doesn’t fly. No stock buybacks until the industry flies right!

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022

Hotel Committee

  • Our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, August 12 to discuss their ongoing program of work to protect and improve the quality of Flight Attendant hotel accommodations and ground transportation providers.
  • The Committee met with representatives from management and the Company’s crew accommodations vendor to review current trends and concerns related to layover hotels and transportation.
  • More than ever, the Committee needs your help in reporting hotel and transportation concerns through CrewCare.  Issues that are reported through CrewCare provide the Committee with important data to drive change with management.

On Thursday, August 12, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met 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), Cassie Dole (SFO), Majo Tanco (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN).  Also present were MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson Laura Hinojosa and MEC Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson Jodi Snow.  The committee met with Crew Hotel Support Specialist Alyssa Umagat, Crew Hotels & Administration Manager Nichole Turner, and Managing Director of Operations Staffing & Resource Management Brittany Audette from management.  Representatives from the Company’s crew accommodations vendor Accommodations Plus International (API) and ALPA participated in the meeting as well.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during the meeting with management and API.  Some items discussed include:

  • Review of the overall condition of the hotel industry and how the industry is recovering from the pandemic.  Similar to the airline business, the hotel industry has mostly rebounded at this point to business levels that are on par or exceed 2019.  This has driven hotel rates up and availability down (supply and demand).
  • Overview of new technology options being offered by API that may improve the flow of information about hotels and ground transportation to crewmembers.  Management will be working with API to evaluate how the options could be used at Alaska.
  • Review of the Company’s utilization of hotels by city
  • Review of CrewCare reports filed (both complaints and compliments). 
  • Ongoing issue with rooms not being available when crew members arrive at a hotel and having to wait.  It is important that Flight Attendants call Crew Scheduling upon arrival if rooms are not ready and then again when provided with a room.  Management has been providing additional compensation for documented wait times of one hour or longer.  Please follow up by documenting with a CrewCare report.
  • Concerns about upcoming major events in LAS, PHX, and ANC that may impact hotel availability and quality of crew layovers.  Working to ensure that crew members have rooms and minimal disruptions.
  • Ensuring room availability in cities that experience major seasonal fluctuations in hotel demand (primarily ANC during summer).  The Committee had previously asked that management take a more proactive approach to guarantee room availability for crews in these locations and is continuing to do so.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Conducting hotel site visits.  Visiting hotels under consideration by management and advocating for management to select the hotel that will provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants.
  2. Investigating CrewCare reports.  Reviewing CrewCare reports and working to hold hotel and transportation providers accountable through management and API.
  3. Working to ensure hotel availability in cities with seasonal demand.  Advocating for improved processes to ensure that enough contractually compliant hotel rooms will be available for crews in cities that experience strong seasonal fluctuations in demand for hotels.  

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve had an unacceptable or substandard experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation provider, please report the issue!  Our AFA Hotel Committee receives a copy of every CrewCare report filed and each one is read and reviewed.  You can file a CrewCare report using the web app on your IMD home screen or by clicking here. 

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

August 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Thursday, August 11 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
  • The MEC also met with executive management and a group of union leaders from other company workgroups to receive updates and discuss concerns affecting employees company-wide.
  • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 14.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

The August 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Thursday, August 11.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, and Grievance Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

Meeting with our Negotiating Committee

Our MEC briefly met with the Negotiating Committee to receive an update on the committee’s preparations for upcoming contract negotiations with management.  Preparatory work is ongoing and the committee is anticipating the results of our negotiations survey once it closes on Friday, August 19.  The Negotiating Committee is scheduled to present their draft opening proposal to the MEC for review and approval at a Special MEC Meeting on Thursday, August 25.

Meeting with Management

As part of this meeting, the MEC met with company executive management and a group of union leaders from the other union-represented workgroups within the company.  The intent of these meetings, usually held once per quarter, is to receive updates from management and allow for a broader discussion of issues and concerns facing all company employees.  Some of the items that were brought forward by our MEC include:

  • Management’s lack of further updates or communication regarding their plan regarding California meal and rest break requirements following the Supreme Court ruling in the Bernstein v. Virgin America case.
  • The ongoing compressed timeline for Flight Attendant initial training and the implications to our work group.  The initial training program needs to be reevaluated in order to create the best possible learning environment, provide practical experience onboard operating aircraft as part of training (e.g. service flights), and set new hires up for success on the line.
  • Concerns about non-rev travelers being left behind when a flight has to be closed out to meet management’s door closure timeline and metrics.  Request that management review technology and procedures to keep flights from going out with open seats when there are non-revs on the standby list.
  • Issues with the company’s vendor that provides leave of absence management functions and a lack of responsiveness by the vendor.  Flight Attendants are not receiving timely responses to emails, phone calls, and other communications.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022 

Human Rights Committee

  • Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, August 4 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 come to light.
  • If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback for the committee, your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson would love to hear from you!

On Thursday, August 4, 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 Matt Cook (ANC), Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Sylvia Newbill (PDX), Melissa Osborne (SFO), and Louise Borras (LAX).  Also present were MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Chip Hestle and MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou.  The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman 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 efforts to increase diversity and representation within the Flight Attendant Special Projects Pool.  
  • Upcoming celebrations of Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15) and Native American Heritage Month (November)
  • Management has added a link on the inflight website directly to the AFA Human Rights Committee website.  The link can be found under Administration > AFA > Human Rights Committee.
  • Management will soon be launching a new email introducing diversity champions.
  • Management’s proposal to conduct DEI listening sessions with Flight Attendants in each base; discussion about involvement of the AFA Human Rights Committee.
  • Upcoming plans by management to introduce gender neutral uniform pieces.
  • Participation by Human Rights Committee Members in the upcoming CWA Human Rights Conference and Pride at Work Convention.
  • Plans to conduct a Human Rights Committee survey to help determine priorities for the committee based on Flight Attendant feedback.
  • Review of management’s current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) metrics.
  • Update on current program of work from the company’s Business Resource Groups (BRG).  The BRGs are working to encourage more participation from front-line employees.
  • Ongoing concerns about employees using gendered language in announcements.  Request that management issue a reminder.
  • Concerns about availability of emergency healthcare for pregnant employees in locations where regulations may impose limitations on healthcare providers given the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

The committee is next scheduled to meet with management on Friday, November 18, 2022.  

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Developing a Framework for Diversity & Inclusion Listening Sessions.  Discussing proposed plans with management to have our AFA Human Rights Committee facilitate sessions in each base that would allow Flight Attendants to discuss diversity and inclusion topics and concerns with management.
  2. 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. 
  3. Building Relationships with the Company’s Business Resources Groups (BRGs).  Continuing to work to establish 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.

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. 

Meet Our Pre-Merger Alaska Committee Chairperson & Representatives

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants We’re excited to introduce the next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives for the upcoming MEC Officer term. They’ll begin transitioning into their roles over the next few months and officially start their terms on January 1, 2026. Below, you’ll find brief biographies that […]

Meet Our Merged MEC Committee Chairpersons & Representatives

We’re excited to introduce our next group of newly elected merged MEC Committee Chairpersons, who will begin their roles on November 1. These leaders are dedicated to representing the interests of our Flight Attendants as they coordinate activities across the merged committees of both airlines. They’ll work closely with the Local Committee Chairpersons from all […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – October 2025

On Monday, October 13, 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), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have been elected: MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee […]

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