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AFA Alaska News in Review – June 16, 2023

In This Edition

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023

Originally posted June 14, 2023

Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, June 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!

Read More >

Negotiation Session 16

Originally posted June 16, 2023

Our Negotiating Committee tentatively agreed on Section 11: Reserve and the Instructor Handbook LOA, and we began discussing Section 5: Definitions. Progress continued on Sections 9: Junior Available and Premium Open Time, 10.R-S: Scheduling, 12: Exchange of Sequences, 14: Vacations, and 21: Compensation. The only section yet to be discussed is Section 35: Duration. The next negotiation session is June 20-22.

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, June 20 – Thursday, June 22Contract Negotiations

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023

Reserve Committee

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, June 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, June 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 Heather Reier (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Meghan Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia (SAN). Also present was MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson Julie Thornton and MEC Reserve Committee Vice-Chairperson for New Hires & Probationaries Jarod McNeil.

The committee met with Inflight Crew Scheduling Director Sara Cook and Inflight Crew Scheduling Supervisor Derrick Bernard.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, September 14th.

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:

  • Planned Initial Training classes for the remainder of the year. Class 3 started online June 1 and class 4 will graduate this week and be online July 1. Management intends to hire additional Flight Attendants this year. The number of classes and specific number of students in each class is dependent on delivery of new aircraft.
  • Crew Scheduling management changes. Sara Cook is in the process of interviewing for new Crew Scheduling Supervisors as well as a manager to support operations.
  • Issues and glitches with Crew Access affecting Reserve Flight Attendants. Reviewed where known issues are documented and newly added/fixed issues. 
  • Review of upcoming update to Crew Access software. Includes associated fixes to current issues and other improvements, and prioritization for programming fixes.
  • Review of reserve-related scheduling issues that have occurred recently. Includes out of order assignment and incorrect application of personal drop for Reserves.
  • Review of reserve-related issues that have been escalated to the Scheduling Review Board (SRB) and Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. Includes multiple calls from scheduling while on a layover.
  • Review of reserve utilization statistics. Reserve utilization is approximately 85% in all bases. Reserve coverage is anticipated to be approximately 22-20% for the remainder of Quarter 2 and Quarter 3.
  • Request for management to decrease the Adequate Reserve Coverage (ARC) minimum. Goal of providing additional flexibility for shifting reserve days. Management agreed to review possible changes.
  • Reminder of the newly updated AFA Alaska Online Support Center. New hire Flight Attendants can report issues, raise concerns, or ask questions.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. Assisting Probationary Flight Attendants Through the Probationary Buddy Program. Answering questions from and providing support to probationary Flight Attendants through an expanded AFA Probationary Buddy program.
  2. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns. Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring management is complying with our contract.
  3. Developing Additional Tools & Resources for New Flight Attendants. Working to create documents to provide user friendly, easy-to-digest resources about the Collective Bargaining Agreement 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 open a support request on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or contact us directly using the information on the Reserve Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

AFA Alaska News in Review – June 9, 2023

In This Edition

2023 AFA-CWA & Union Plus Scholarships Awarded

Originally posted June 9, 2023

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to dependents of AFA Flight Attendants who will be attending a college or university.

This year’s AFA-CWA Scholarships:

  • $2,500 winner Madison Hruske, child of Stephen Hruska, Alaska AFA Flight Attendant
  • $1,000 winner Soma Eugene Lattea, child of Junko Lattea, United AFA Flight Attendant
  • $500 winner Noah Lum, child of Winiford & Kendall Lum, Hawaiian AFA Flight Attendants

Alternate – Sydney Amelia Grace Reardon, child of Melissa Spraker, AFA Spirit Flight Attendant

Additionally, Union Plus awarded two scholarships to AFA-CWA:

  • $500 winner Dianne Escalona, United AFA Flight Attendant
  • $500 winner Adin A. Williams, child of Shonna Schroedl, Alaska AFA Flight Attendant

Congratulations! We’re so proud of you.

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Monday, June 12 – Thursday, June 15Contract Negotiations
Tuesday, June 13Quarterly Human Rights Committee Meeting

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

2023 AFA-CWA & Union Plus Scholarships Awarded

AFA International

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to dependents of AFA Flight Attendants who will be attending a college or university.

This year’s recipients of AFA-CWA Scholarships:

  • $2,500 winner Madison Hruske, child of Stephen Hruska, Alaska AFA Flight Attendant
  • $1,000 winner Soma Eugene Lattea, child of Junko Lattea, United AFA Flight Attendant
  • $500 winner Noah Lum, child of Winiford & Kendall Lum, Hawaiian AFA Flight Attendants

Alternate – Sydney Amelia Grace Reardon, child of Melissa Spraker, AFA Spirit Flight Attendant

Additionally, Union Plus awarded two scholarships to AFA-CWA:

  • $500 winner Dianne Escalona, United AFA Flight Attendant
  • $500 winner Adin A. Williams, child of Shonna Schroedl, Alaska AFA Flight Attendant

Congratulations! We’re so proud of you.

AFA Alaska News in Review – June 2, 2023

In This Edition

  • Grievance Committee Update – 3rd & 4th Quarters 2022, 1st Quarter 2023
  • Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023
  • Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month
  • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2023
  • Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023
  • Next Week’s Events

Grievance Committee Update – 3rd & 4th Quarters 2022, 1st Quarter 2023

Originally posted June 2, 2023

Our Grievance Committee works to protect all Flight Attendants from arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and to uphold our collective bargaining agreement.  This update provides a short summary of the committee’s work over the past few quarters. Management has issued discipline lately for a variety of reasons.  Read on for more information about the reasons why management is disciplining and terminating Flight Attendants. If you’ve faced a situation that you believe might be a contractual violation, please report the issue through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.  AFA Representatives review each report submitted and will follow up to help you determine options and a course of action.

Read More >

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023

Originally posted June 1, 2023

Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Wednesday, May 24 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft. The Inflight Service Committee continues to work with management to continuously improve onboard catering and engage in discussions leading to future improved processes. Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!

Read More >

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month

Originally posted June 1, 2023

June 1st marks the first day of LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States.  The tradition recognizes the events of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a watershed moment in the LGBTQ rights movement. Read more about LGBTQ Pride Month, learn about the history of the LGBTQ rights movement, and find out about events that you can take part in using the resource links below. Join the celebration by wearing an LGBTQ Pride Month AFA Pin during the month of June.  If you need a pin, check with your Local Council for more information.

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Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2023

Originally posted May 31, 2023

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, May 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!

Read More >

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023

Originally posted May 31, 2023

Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, May 9 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are reporting related to uniform quality, wearability, and availability. If you are experiencing any issues with uniform quality or construction, please report the issues to Unisync as soon as possible. Please include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson on the email so they can help track any issues or trends that might be developing.

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Thursday, June 8Quarterly Reserve Committee Meeting
Thursday, June 8Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

Go In-Depth with Our AFA Membership Engagement Committee Chairperson

Building on the momentum of our Membership Engagement Committee introduction video and this week’s look at the committee’s history, we’re excited to introduce the next feature of our July Committee Focus Month. Today, we’re launching an in-depth interview that offers an inside look at the mission and people powering the Membership Engagement Committee. What You’ll […]

Register Now: Reserve Webinar – Thursday, August 6

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants As a follow-up to our June 23 save-the-date announcement, we’re excited to share full details and open registration for our August pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! If you’ve ever wondered, “Can they do that?” when Crew Scheduling calls with a reserve assignment or schedule change—whether you’re a Reserve Flight […]

AFA Committee Focus Month: Membership Engagement

July marks our latest AFA Committee Focus Month, and we’re excited to spotlight our Membership Engagement Committee. In May, we kicked off this initiative by showcasing the exceptional work of our EAP/Professional Standards Committee—illustrating how our committees serve and support us every day. Our Membership Engagement Committee is here to make sure every Member feels genuinely […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 16 – July 2026

The JNC has been actively negotiating key sections of the contract, focusing on vacation, sick leave, and temporary duty assignments. A tentative agreement was reached on Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments), ensuring financial protections and fair treatment for Flight Attendants during temporary assignments. These ongoing discussions demonstrate a commitment to integrating the best benefits from both Alaska and Hawaiian CBAs for all members.

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, June 24, our AFA 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 were Nyachan Chuar (ANC), Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Trista Vanta (SFO), Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), […]

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