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AFA Alaska News in Review – January 14, 2022

In This Edition

  • Onboard Service Reductions
  • Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2021 (Rescheduled)
  • Recurrent Training 2022

Onboard Service Reductions

Originally posted January 8, 2022

Our AFA Representatives have been successful in getting management to agree to additional onboard service reductions in light of the current spike of COVID-19 cases nationwide.  Any flight currently scheduled for more than one beverage service will be reduced to only one service regardless of the length of the flight.  Additional reductions include changes to the food pre-order system based depending on the length of the flight.  Changes take effect today and are scheduled to be in place through January 31, 2022.  As always, please continue to report any safety-related issues with onboard service using a Flight Attendant Irregularity Report (FAIR) in ReportIt!  Please report any catering issues using the catering feedback function in Block2Block.  Management needs to hear about the challenges we’re facing!

Read More >

Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2021 (Rescheduled)

Originally posted January 12, 2022

Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, January 11 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 been brought forward.  The meeting with management was originally scheduled to be held on December 6 but was cancelled at the last minute due to inflight management changes that took place at around the same time.  If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback for the committee, your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson would love to hear from you!

Read More >

Recurrent Training 2022

Originally posted January 13, 2022

The 2022 Recurrent Training (RT) program is underway at all training locations.  Read on for information about preflight oral evaluations and acceptable deviations to emergency evacuations commands.  For those who are attending RT in Seattle, be aware that the training facility has moved this year.  Check the RT website for information about the new location, directions, and parking.  Safety measures such as continued social distancing and HEPA filtration systems in RT classrooms will be in place as a result of AFA advocacy.  These measures should be in place as of January 12.

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Recurrent Training 2022

Inflight Training Committee

  • The 2022 Recurrent Training (RT) program is underway at all training locations.  Read on for information about preflight oral evaluations and acceptable deviations to emergency evacuations commands.
  • For those who are attending RT in Seattle, be aware that the training facility has moved this year.  Check the RT website for information about the new location, directions, and parking.
  • Safety measures such as continued social distancing and HEPA filtration systems in RT classrooms will be in place as a result of AFA advocacy.  These measures should be in place as of January 12. 

Preflight Oral Evaluations

Management is continuing this year with the requirement to verbally review the preflight for emergency exits and equipment as part of RT evaluations.  Similar to last year, preflight oral evaluations do not need to be performed verbatim, can use conversational language, and do not need to be performed in any specific order.  If you have questions about the requirements for preflight oral evaluations, we encourage you to seek clarification from your RT instructors in the classroom prior to the start of evaluations.

Acceptable Deviations to Emergency Evacuation Commands

Click here (password required) >

Password: See the emailed version of this article sent to the personal email address that you have on file with AFA Alaska for the confidential password. Contact your LEC President if you need additional assistance.

Please respect the security of the document and do not share the password on an online group or open forum.

Lunch Is Not Provided

Please note that lunch is not being provided by the Company at RT at this time.  Management had initially planned to provide lunch on day 1 of RT to Flight Attendants in Seattle in conjunction with a management-led “listening session”.  Our AFA Representatives brought forward the concern that Flight Attendants in ANC, PDX, SFO, and LGB were not receiving company-provided lunch as well.  Shortly after AFA shared this concern, management indicated that they would be temporarily suspending company-provided lunch at RT in SEA, citing COVID transmission concerns.  Should management decide to resume providing lunch during RT, it is AFA’s expectation that it will be provided at all training locations.

Change to SEA Training Facility Location

With the high volume of Flight Attendant Initial Training (IT) classes that are scheduled to take place in 2022, classroom space at the Flight Operations & Training Center (FTC) in Seattle has been reallocated solely to the IT program for the time being.  RT and RQ classes in Seattle will now be held at the Stinson Building, located just a few miles south of the FTC.  For more information about the new location, including the address, maps, and parking information, please refer to the Recurrent Training website (sign on required).

Safety & Social Distancing

Last year, management made the decision to eliminate social distancing in training environments starting in January 2022.  As 2022 approached it became clear to the AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC) and Inflight Training Committees that this move was premature as the pandemic is still raging.  The AFA ASHSC and Inflight Training Committees approached Managing Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow with AFA’s concerns. We reiterated a previous request for HEPA filtration systems for classrooms and to maintain classroom seating with six feet of separation for social distancing.

Management responded by ordering air filtration units and began working on making the needed adjustments to provide social distancing for classroom seating.  We expect all of these changes to be in place by the end of the day on January 12.  Thank you to Manager of Inflight Training Delivery Amanda Westendorf, Inflight Training Resource Manager Shaunda Groce, and the entire Inflight Training Team for quickly implementing these changes once the decision was made to change course for safety.

Questions?

If you have questions about RT 2022, please contact the MEC Inflight Training Committee or your LEC President.

Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2021 (Rescheduled)

Human Rights Committee

  • Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, January 11 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 been brought forward.  The meeting with management was originally scheduled to be held on December 6 but was cancelled at the last minute due to inflight management changes that took place at around the same time.
  • If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback for the committee, your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson would love to hear from you!

On Tuesday, January 11, 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), and Louise Borras (LAX).  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 Inflight Strategy and Support Gloria Chow, 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
  • Opportunities to emphasize the importance of maintaining positive working relationships and encourage voter turnout during the upcoming election cycle.
  • Concerns about company suppliers/vendors whose values may be contradictory to those of Alaska Airlines and how management would address the issue.
  • Management’s progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and plans for upcoming work.
  • Upcoming plans to include more substantial DEI training in the Initial Training and Recurrent Training programs.
  • Introduction of new pronoun pins, currently available at the Company Store.  Management is reviewing the possibility of allowing Flight Attendants to use their uniform allotment to purchase the pins.
  • Requests to increase diversity and representation among the Flight Attendant Special Projects Pool, starting with those selected for Flight Attendant recruiting and hiring.
  • Ways for the committee to start building relationships with the company’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs).

The committee is next scheduled to meet with management on Friday, February 4, 2022.  

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Developing a Membership Survey.  Creating a membership survey to determine what Flight Attendants would like to see our Human Rights Committee address and prioritize going forward.
  2. Building Relationships with the Company’s Business Resources Groups (BRGs).  Beginning the process of establishing 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. 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. 

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. 

Onboard Service Reductions

Inflight Service Committee

  • Our AFA Representatives have been successful in getting management to agree to additional onboard service reductions in light of the current spike of COVID-19 cases nationwide.
  • Any flight currently scheduled for more than one beverage service will be reduced to only one service regardless of the length of the flight.  Additional reductions include changes to the food pre-order system based depending on the length of the flight.  Changes take effect today and are scheduled to be in place through January 31, 2022.
  • As always, please continue to report any safety-related issues with onboard service using a Flight Attendant Irregularity Report (FAIR) in ReportIt!  Please report any catering issues using the catering feedback function in Block2Block.  Management needs to hear about the challenges we’re facing!

Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Inflight Service Committee, and Master Executive Council (MEC) have been continually advocating for changes to onboard service that provide the safest possible environment for Flight Attendants and passengers alike.  In light of the current spike in COVID-19 cases, we had additional conversation this week with management about the ongoing issues and concerns that Flight Attendants are experiencing.  Based on these conversations, management has agreed to implement additional onboard service reductions on a temporary basis.

The following changes will go into effect immediately and remain in place through January 31, 2022:

  • Only one beverage service in the main cabin on all flights that are scheduled to receive a beverage service.
  • Picnic packs will no longer be available for pre-order but will still be sold from the retail cart.
  • Fresh meals will no longer be available for pre-order/sold on medium haul flights.  Maximum number of orders on transcon and Hawaii flights will be reduced from 63 to 42.

Even though the pre-order system will be turned off for any new orders, catering will continue to board items for any passengers who placed an order prior to today.  Please see the email from management in your Outlook inbox and today’s bulletin bundle for more information.

Please continue to report any safety hazards related to onboard service in ReportIt! as a Flight Attendant Irregularity Report (FAIR).  If you encounter any issues related to onboard products, catering supply levels, or procedural concerns, please report them through the Catering Issues function in Block2Block.  Your reports help our Inflight Service Committee and ASHSC to have the strongest voice possible in their conversations with management about onboard service.

AFA Alaska News in Review – January 7, 2022

In This Edition

  • January 2022 MEC Meeting Recap
  • Shared on Social

January 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

Originally posted January 7, 2022

Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week from Tuesday, January 4 through Thursday, January 6 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.  As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.  The last two days of the meeting were spent interviewing candidates for the three Negotiating Committee Member positions.  The MEC selected several candidates to advance to the final interviews to be held on Wednesday, January 26.

Read More >

Shared on Social

Our MEC started the process of interviewing candidates for our Negotiating Committee earlier today as part of the January Regular MEC Meeting. Based on the interviews, which are being held today and tomorrow, the MEC will determine which candidates will advance to a final interview on January 26th. After final interviews are conducted, the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will select candidates to fill the three Negotiating Committee Member positions who will represent us at the bargaining table when contract negotiations begin in September 2022.

Save the Date: Reserve Webinar – Thursday, August 6

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Pre-merger Alaska Reserve Flight Attendants: Have you ever had Crew Scheduling call you with a change to your assignment and wondered, “Can they do that?” Lineholders, have you flown with a Reserve Flight Attendant and found yourself asking the same question? You’re not alone! Our Reserve Committee […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2026

On Monday, June 8, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person 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), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and […]

MEC Town Hall Video and Q&A Recap – June 8, 2026

Whether you joined us live or are looking to watch on your own schedule, we’re excited to share the full recording of our June 8 MEC Town Hall! Catch up on the discussions and hear directly from our MEC Officers and AFA panelists—now available to you anytime on the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian YouTube channel […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, June 4, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Kanako Yamada (LAX), Adrian Alcantara (SAN), and MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 15 – June 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.

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