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Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022

Reserve Committee

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, September 8 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent and advocate for our Reserve Flight Attendants.
  • The Committee also met with management to review a number of specific concerns that were brought forward by Flight Attendants.
  • Your Local Reserve Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any reserve related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Thursday, September 8, representatives from our AFA Local Reserve Committees met to discuss their ongoing work to advocate for Reserve Flight Attendants.  Representing you at the meeting were Haley Hirsch (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Megan Zablan (PDX), Camile Caldwell (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia (SAN).  Also present were MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Jarod McNeill and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee also met with Inflight Crew Scheduling Duty Manager Kiana Shaw 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:

  • Plans for Initial Training classes for the remainder of the year and next year.  Management has indicated intent to hire more Flight Attendants but specific numbers will be dependent on other company growth factors.
  • Anticipated return of service flights to Initial Training.  Management is still working out details.
  • Top causes of occurrences for probationary Flight Attendants.  Recent increase in issues with forgetting to check in for trips and APSB on Block2Block and requirement to physically be in base while on call during Reserve Availability Periods (RAP).
  • Support for probationary Flight Attendants through the Reserve Buddy Program.
  • Increase in requests for assistance with PBS and bidding.  The committee is seeking ways to provide additional training and support in this area.
  • Reminder to new hire F/As about AFA Alaska Online Support Center to report issues, raise concerns, or ask questions.
  • Increase in lineholders picking up reserve days which has resulted in some increased flexibility for Reserve Flight Attendants.
  • Review of the Master Executive Council (MEC) letter to management regarding proportional domicile staffing. 
  • Management staffing within Crew Scheduling.  Four new Crew Scheduling Supervisors will be hired to help support operations. 
  • Review of reserve utilization statistics.  Reserve coverage is anticipated to be at approximately 21-22% for the remainder of the year.
  • Request that management provide additional flexibility for reserve day shifting by decreasing the ARC maximum.  Management agreed to review possible changes.
  • Ongoing concerns with hotel information not being loaded into Crew Access by the time a Flight Attendant arrive in a layover city, despite management having several hours to arrange for the hotel.  Please report these issues through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center so that AFA representatives can follow up with management. 
  • Review of reserve-related scheduling issues that have occurred recently.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, December 1.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Assisting Probationary Flight Attendants Through the Reserve Buddy Program.   Answering questions from and providing support to probationary Flight Attendants through an expanded AFA Reserve Buddy program.
  2. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns.  Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring that management is compliant with our contract. 
  3. Developing Additional Tools & Resources for New Flight Attendants.  Working to create a plan to provide more user friendly, easy-to-access resources about the CBA and other job-related information for new Flight Attendants.

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

Uniform Gender Expression Survey

AFA International

  • Everyone should be able to dress and express themselves at work in a manner that is reflective of their true self.
  • AFA is working with other aviation unions and PRIDE@Work to ensure that all Flight Attendants are supported in exercising our rights. 
  • Your participation in the Uniform Gender Expression Survey will help to identify where discrimination exists and improvements to uniform choices, policies, and guidelines need to be made.

In order to make sure that Flight Attendants are able to express who we are, it is critical that we understand the importance of gender expression, and ensure our airlines provide equal opportunity to dress and present ourselves in ways that reflect who we are.  This is critical to creating a supportive culture, which in turn allows each of us as Flight Attendants to do our job with pride and comfort.

Companies should understand this issue ultimately affects the bottom line. Disallowing Flight Attendants to dress and express in ways that align with their genders is communicating that they are not valuable as employees. Providing this flexibility across carriers or the industry, will send a signal to other industries that we support and advocate for all people. Further, this will impact not only retention of current Flight Attendants, but will also result in recruiting a wider range of skilled Flight Attendants to this industry. 

While movements are happening, and policies have been changed, we need EVERYONE to have the opportunity to express themselves.

AFA is working with other aviation unions, and PRIDE@Work to identify these issues together and make sure that we are protecting all Flight Attendants so that we are able to be seen and heard and are able to dress in the way that makes us feel seen in our place of work. 

This survey is being conducted to identify those who are feeling discriminated against in the workplace in regards to uniform choices, uniform policies and guidelines at their airlines. 

It is also worth noting that many workplaces already have these opportunities and protections in place for every employee, based on EEOC Protections Against Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity.  We want to make sure Flight Attendants are fully supported in exercising our rights. 

Click here to take the survey >>

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Election Notice: Alaska MEC Officer Elections

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The term of office for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2022.  The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the regular November MEC meeting.  This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with article III.C.1 of the MEC Policy Manual.

Background

The MEC Officers consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.  These officer positions are responsible for serving as the coordinating council for the membership of the airline and carrying out the decisions of the MEC.  These officer positions are elected by the Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, who are the voting members of MEC.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the MEC Officers are defined in article VII.C.2 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

MEC President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.a)

The President shall be the official Union spokesperson and chief executive officer for that airline and shall have the authority and duty to: 

(1) Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board. 

(2)  Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances. 

(3)  Be the Union representative on that airline for the purpose of furthering and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board. 

(4)  Coordinate and compile Master Executive Council policy, review reports and recommendations and submit such material to the appropriate committees of the Union. 

(5)  Be a member of the Negotiating Committee. 

(6)  Be a member of the Executive Board. 

(7)  Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President. 

(8)  Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union on that carrier. 

(9)  Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. 

(10)  Ballot the Master Executive Council if necessary or when required. 

(11)  Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. 

(12)  Inform all Master Executive Council Officers and committees that all files, correspondence, documents and other materials resulting from the work of such committees are the property of the Union, not the personal property of individuals, and are to be safeguarded. 

(13)  Maintain the Union’s files and property, then transfer them to her/his successor promptly. 

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  • Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is contractually provided 130 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Most work is completed remotely.  Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle as needed.  
  • The MEC President is on-call to respond to critical incidents and situations.

MEC Vice President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.b)

The Vice President shall:

(1) Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the Master Executive Council.

(2) Perform the duties of the President at her/his request or in the absence of the President.

(3) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Serve as executive sponsor of MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
  • Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, MEC committee meetings (as needed), and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  • Coordinate and participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for a base amount of 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month.
  • Most work is completed remotely.  Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle as needed.  
  • The MEC Vice President is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President during vacation and as needed.

MEC Secretary-Treasurer

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.c)

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

(1) Assist the President in administering Master Executive Council funds.

(2) Maintain Master Executive Council records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.

(3) Be responsible to the President and Master Executive Council.

(4) Be responsible for general record keeping and accounting of the Master Executive Council budget and any funds.

(5) Distribute a quarterly statement on expenditures to the Master Executive Council.

(6) Assist in preparation of the Master Executive Council annual report to the membership.

(7) Exhibit at all reasonable times the general records to any Officer or active member in good standing upon application.

(8) Maintain Master Executive Council records and record all meetings of the Master Executive Council.

(9) Deliver to her/his successor all monies and other property of the Master Executive Council. On demand of the International Office, s/he shall make available all books and records for examination and audit.

(10) Submit a copy of all Master Executive Council meeting minutes and nomination notices to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(11) Be responsible for distributing a list of Master Executive Council committees’ flight pay loss to the Master Executive Council and the International Office each month; this list will include, but not be limited to, hours and ID(s) missed, days on projects, and projects charged.

(12) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Maintain the MEC agenda; solicit agenda items from members of the MEC
  • Reserve meeting space and other meeting resources as needed
  • Make arrangements for MEC hotel accommodations and meals as requested
  • Perform month-end financial reconciliation activities including:
    • Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company
    • Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss
    • Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International
    • Review and approve expense reports
    • Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports
  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
  • Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for a base amount of 75 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month.
  • Most work is completed remotely.  Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle as needed.  
  • The MEC Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC Vice President during vacation and as needed. They are responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President if the president and vice president are simultaneously unavailable.

Working Relationships

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

Constant interaction with the LEC Presidents, other LEC Officers, and other MEC Officers

With MEC Committees

Constant interaction with MEC Committee Chairs and Committee Members.

With Management

Constant interaction with Alaska Airlines management, particularly within the inflight and labor relations departments

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA international officers and staff members

Term of Office

The regular term of office is for three years, beginning on January 1, 2023 and concluding on December 31, 2025.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews and conduct elections during the regular November MEC meeting on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.  The meeting will be conducted in person at the MEC Office in SeaTac, WA.  Bid around this date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/6ifP8mYu9mDnT4YZA.  The deadline for submissions is 9 AM Pacific time on Saturday, October 22.  After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account.  If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

If you have any questions about MEC duties and responsibilities or the election process, please email officers@afaalaska.org.

AFA Alaska Online Support Back Online

We are pleased to report that the AFA Alaska Online Support Center (support.afaalaska.org) is now back online and fully operational.  AFA representatives have started the process of reviewing outstanding tickets that were filed prior to the outage occurring last Thursday, August 18.  If you filed a ticket prior to August 18th or after the system came back online today, your patience is greatly appreciated as our AFA volunteers begin to work through the backlog.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – August 2022

Scheduling Committee

  • Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, August 23 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
  • Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Tuesday, August 23, our AFA Scheduling 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 Heather Reier (ANC), Martin Vance (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Natalie Codd (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, and MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Adam Clarey. The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling & Strategy Denia Pisia, Managing Director of Ops Staffing & Resource Management Brittany Audette, and other management representatives from Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling.

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:

  • AFA Online Support Center system issues and working with vendors to restore access. 
  • Night Rule Section 8.I – pay, duty, premiums.
  • FAs sick online – stranded due to subsequent cancellation.
  • Crew Access login issues – working on issues, expect a new update in fall 2022.
  • NavBlue login issues – Vendor monitoring and added more servers.
  • Reassignments/Pre-cancellations – rare, shouldn’t be daily occurrence.
  • Crew Scheduling updated phone system – ability for call back and prompts.
  • Personal Drops/TSN increases/sick leave – increase TSN for September.
  • Pairing feedback and construction.
  • November/December Vacancies – expect communication in September.
  • 2023 Vacation Bidding instructions and dates.
  • Care Retreat – expecting 1000 a month to attend.
  • 2023 Staffing for pilots/FAs.
  • Company social events and planning, such as baseball games and aviator sunglasses.
  • Staffing Adjustment leaves – 150 offered system wide.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Reassignment Flow Chart.  Scheduling Committee Members reviewed a draft of the reassignment flow chart and it has been moved forward to the final stages of review and approval.  Refer to sections 10.R and 10.R.5 of our CBA.
  2. Scheduling Quality of Life Improvements.  Reviewing ways to improve Trip Length Distribution (TLD) and other quality of life options.  Working with management to develop a quality of life survey to determine Flight Attendant scheduling priorities. 
  3. Review of user guides and links of Flight Attendant website.  Ensuring information is still accurate in existing resource materials, links are still active and working, etc.
  4. Updating Crew Access videos.  Working with management and ITS to update the Crew Access instructional videos to reflect updates and changes to the user interface.

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 Scheduling Committee is your voice to management.  You can open a support request on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or contact us directly using the information on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Council 43 (HNL) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 12 PM PT today for the election of Council 43 LEC Officers, representing Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants based in Honolulu. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: Kela Chong IVLEC Vice President: Martin GusmanLEC Secretary: Soon Kim View the certified election results here >> These newly elected […]

Council 39 (PDX) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 11 AM PT today for the election of Council 39 LEC Officers, representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants based in Portland. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: Krystle Shae BerryLEC Vice President: Melodie AnderesLEC Secretary: Kevin Sharp View the certified election results here >> These newly elected […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – May 2026

On Monday, May 11, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met virtually 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), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee […]

AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall: Join Us Monday, June 8

This is your opportunity to connect, share, and be heard! Join us at our next AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall on Monday, June 8. Get the latest AFA news and connect directly with our MEC Officers. Bring your questions—this is your chance to get answers directly from AFA Representatives. The Details What: AFA Alaska […]

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