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AFA Alaska News in Review – March 11, 2022

In This Edition

Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2022

Originally posted March 9, 2022

Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Friday, March 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!

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March 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Originally posted March 10, 2022

Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, March 8 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.  The MEC was originally scheduled to meet with management and a group of union leaders from other company workgroups, but the meeting was cancelled by management due to scheduling conflicts.  The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

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Support for the People of Ukraine

More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations refugee agency and is “set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century.” The United Nations estimates that 12 million people will need relief and protection inside Ukraine, a country with a population of around 43 million, as Russia intensifies its military assault and targets civilian areas.

The AFA Executive Board unanimously adopted a resolution last week in support of the people of Ukraine, February 28, 2022. The resolution reads in part:

WHEREAS, a peaceful world is central to freedom, free movement, and equality – all central principles to the mission of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and directly the job security of our members;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the AFA-CWA Executive Board strongly condemns the premeditated act of aggression by the Russian government against the people of Ukraine; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, war is inherently violent, deadly, and destructive, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and all those impacted by this conflict; and,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that as a symbol of our support for the people of Ukraine and all who stand with them, we encourage AFA-CWA members to wear blue and yellow ribbons under our AFA pin and we will continue to stay closely informed on developments in Ukraine and around the world to ensure AFA members are aware of any impact to our jobs and/or threats to our world-wide security.

Next Week’s Events

Monday, March 14AFA Presentation to Initial Training Class 2022-04
Thursday, March 17LAX Semi-Annual Base Safety Meeting

See the MEC Event Calendar >

March 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, March 8 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
  • The MEC was originally scheduled to meet with management and a group of union leaders from other company workgroups, but the meeting was cancelled by management due to scheduling conflicts.
  • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

The March 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, March 8.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

Meeting with Management Cancelled

As part of this meeting, the MEC was scheduled to meet with company 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.  Unfortunately, management had to cancel the meeting due to scheduling conflicts.

MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

Last month, Krystle Berry stepped down from the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson position to allow her to focus on other responsibilities.  The MEC thanks Krystle for her years of service in the position and commitment to our Flight Attendants.  Krystle will continue to serve in her role as Council 39 Portland LEC Vice President.

Martin Monteblanco has served as AFA Alaska CWA NextGen Representative since January 2020.  In this role, he has taken on duties as an alternate to the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson and most recently has stepped up to serve as Acting MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson during the transition period.  Given his experience, the MEC has appointed Martin to permanently fill the position for the remainder of the term through December 31, 2022.

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 – 1st Quarter 2022

Human Rights Committee

  • Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Friday, March 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 Friday, March 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 Matthew Cook (ANC), Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Sylvia Newbill (PDX), Sejal Patel (SFO), Louise Borras (LAX), and Erika Daniel (SAN).  Also present were MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Chip Hestle and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, California Regional Director of Inflight Operations Robbi Burton, 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 concerns about low morale within our work group.
  • Possibility of expanding current uniform and appearance standards to be more inclusive of varying cultural identities.
  • Support for the people of Ukraine and what the company, the inflight division, and AFA are doing.
  • Concerns about company suppliers/vendors whose values may be contradictory to those of Alaska Airlines.  Management is continuing to research this issue.
  • Concerns about a perceived lack of cultural sensitivity surrounding how the company chooses to participate in certain public events and promotional activities.
  • Ways for the committee to start building relationships with the company’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs) and expand existing relationships with the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) department.
  • Management’s proposal to conduct DEI listening sessions with Flight Attendants in each base; discussion about involvement of the AFA Human Rights Committee.
  • Request to make DEI information easily accessible to Flight Attendants on the Inflight Mobile Device (IMD).
  • Management’s progress on DEI initiatives and plans for upcoming work.
  • Request that management provide more timely and visible DEI updates and information about upcoming events and opportunities.  Specifically, providing Flight Attendants with enough notice to bid time off for activities they’d like to participate in.
  • Ensuring diversity and representation in company photo shoots and promotional materials that depict employees.

The committee is next scheduled to meet with management on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.  

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Working to Make Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Information More Accessible.  Encouraging management to make information about DEI events, activities, and programs more accessible and visible to Flight Attendants through links on the IMD and more regular and relevant communication.  Requesting that management include links to the Human Rights Committee’s resource page on afaalaska.org.
  2. 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.
  3. Exploring Ways to Engage with Flight Attendants About Human Rights.  Discussing possible opportunities to work with management to conduct and participate in DEI activities in each base.

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. 

AFA Alaska News in Review – March 4, 2022

In This Edition

  • Upcoming Pilot Informational Picketing
  • Welcoming Our Newest Flight Attendants
  • What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
  • Next Week’s Events

Upcoming Pilot Informational Picketing

Originally posted March 2, 2022

Alaska Airlines pilots and management began negotiations in spring of 2019, and have recently entered into mediation under the authority of the National Mediation Board (NMB). Some of the pilots’ key negotiating priorities are schedule flexibility and job security improvements.  The pilots will be conducting informational picketing in a number of locations on Friday, April 1 to bring attention to the issue.  Flight Attendants in full uniform who participate in the “rules of engagement and picketing training” portion of the event are welcome and encouraged to picket with our pilots as a show of unity.

Read More >

Welcoming Our Newest Flight Attendants

Originally posted March 3, 2022

We are excited to welcome our newest Flight Attendants to the line!  Operating experience (OE) flights for the first class of 2022 are finishing up, and some of our new Flight Attendants will start flying the line as early as this week.  With new Flight Attendants joining us, now is a good opportunity to brush up on some new hire related programs that haven’t been active for a while, such as Operating Experience (OE) and job familiarization flights.  Ensuring that our newest Flight Attendants have accurate and correct information about our contract and work rules is critical to their success while on probation.  If questions come up, please refer them to an official AFA resource or their Local Reserve Committee for assistance. 

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What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? 

Originally posted March 3, 2022

Many people go through short periods of time where they feel sad or not like their usual selves. Sometimes, these mood changes begin and end when the seasons change. People may start to feel “down” when the days get shorter in the fall and winter (also called “winter blues”) and begin to feel better in the spring, with longer daylight hours.

In some cases, these mood changes are more serious and can affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities. If you have noticed significant changes in your mood and behavior whenever the seasons change, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression. 

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, March 8Regular MEC Meeting
Wednesday, March 9Scheduling Review Board (SRB)
Thursday, March 10Quarterly Reserve Committee Meeting
Thursday, March 10Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Many people go through short periods of time where they feel sad or not like their usual selves. Sometimes, these mood changes begin and end when the seasons change. People may start to feel “down” when the days get shorter in the fall and winter (also called “winter blues”) and begin to feel better in the spring, with longer daylight hours.

In some cases, these mood changes are more serious and can affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities. If you have noticed significant changes in your mood and behavior whenever the seasons change, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression. 

In most cases, SAD symptoms start in the late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer; this is known as winter-pattern SAD or winter depression. Some people may experience depressive episodes during the spring and summer months; this is called summer-pattern SAD or summer depression and is less common.

Who develops SAD?

Millions of American adults may suffer from SAD, although many may not know they have the condition. SAD occurs much more often in women than in men, and it is more common in those living farther north, where there are shorter daylight hours in the winter. For example, people living in Alaska or New England may be more likely to develop SAD than people living in Florida. In most cases, SAD begins in young adulthood. SAD is more common in people with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. SAD sometimes runs in families. 

How is SAD treated?

Treatments are available that can help many people with SAD. They fall into four main categories that may be used alone or in combination:

  • Light therapy
  • Psychotherapy
  • Antidepressant medications
  • Vitamin D

Talk to your health care provider about which treatment, or combination of treatments, is best for you. If you would like to talk more about SAD or obtain help with finding a treatment referral, contact our AFA EAP Committee.  Its confidential and always non-judgmental. You can find the contact information for your local AFA EAP Committee at afaalaska.org/eap.  You can also call AFA Alaska EAP at (949) 470-0493.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – April 2026

On Monday, April 13, 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), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Barry Spitzer (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), […]

Single PSS Is Coming: What It Means For You

Tonight, the Alaska and Hawaiian merger will reach another major milestone—the integration of both airlines into a single passenger service computer system (PSS). While this change will affect Flight Attendants less than other groups—like Customer Service Agents and airport staff—there are still important updates you should know. Block2Block App and Onboard Service Pre-merger Hawaiian Flight […]

Navigating Acute & Delayed Stress As A Flight Attendant

Stress is an inherent aspect of the Flight Attendant profession, often stemming from the demanding nature of responsibilities and the unpredictable nature of air travel. It’s essential for Flight Attendants not only to understand the different types of stress they may encounter but also to recognize the warning signs of acute and delayed stress for […]

Protect Yourself From Potential Discipline on Social Media

Our Grievance Committee would like to provide background on social media, protected classes, and discipline. Federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or transgender status), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.  Alaska’s People Policy says: Personal Conduct22. Threatening, intimidating, or discourteous behavior, including abusive, profane, or obscene language, acts, […]

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, March 25, 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 included Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Nyachan Chuar (ANC), and Yan Yan Teague (SEA). MEC Human […]

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