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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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AFA Alaska News in Review – December 3, 2021

In This Edition

  • Messages From the MEC President
  • Introducing AFA Alaska News Now
  • Next Week: Committee Meetings with Management
  • REMINDER: Uniform Allotments Expire December 31

Messages From the MEC President

Introducing AFA Alaska News Now

Originally posted November 30, 2021

We’re looking to improve the way we communicate using more frequent updates that are more concise and to-the-point.  AFA Alaska News Now posts will be made throughout the week and posted to the AFA Alaska website and AFA Alaska social media channels.  Prefer to receive news by email?  AFA Alaska News in Review email updates will still be sent out regularly with a summary of AFA Alaska News Now articles that have been posted recently.

Read More >

Next Week: Committee Meetings with Management

Originally posted December 2, 2021

Several AFA committees will meet with management next week for regularly scheduled discussions of issues currently impacting Flight Attendants.  Each AFA Local Council/base sends a representative to committee meetings to ensure that the voices of all Flight Attendants are heard.  If you have concerns or items that you would like to see brought forward, please reach out to your respective Local Committee Chairperson prior to the meeting.

Read More >

REMINDER: Uniform Allotments Expire December 31

Originally posted December 2, 2021

Uniform allotments from the initial rollout of the Unisync uniform and the contractual allotment received in 2020 will expire on December 31, 2021.  If you order new items, be sure to try them on right away to make sure they fit properly.  Try to make any returns as soon as possible since you won’t receive a credit to your allotment until Unisync processes the return.  If you have Unisync uniform pieces that are worn out and need to be repaired or replaced, the Company will do so for free.  Get in touch with your supervisor for help.

Read More >

 

REMINDER: Uniform Allotments Expire December 31

Uniform Committee

  • Uniform allotments from the initial rollout of the Unisync uniform and the contractual allotment received in 2020 will expire on December 31, 2021.
  • If you order new items, be sure to try them on right away to make sure they fit properly.  Try to make any returns as soon as possible since you won’t receive a credit to your allotment until Unisync processes the return. 
  • If you have Unisync uniform pieces that are worn out and need to be repaired or replaced, the Company will do so for free.  Get in touch with your supervisor for help.

Any uniform allotment that you have remaining from the initial purchase of the Unisync uniform or subsequent contractual allotment will expire on December 31, 2021.  Any amount remaining in your allotment after December 31 will be returned to the company and does not roll over.  All Flight Attendants will receive a new contractual uniform allotment of $700 on January 1, 2022 that can be used throughout 2022 and 2023 (CBA section 13.D.1).

When You Receive Your Items, Try Them on Right Away

If you order new pieces, we recommend that you try them on right away to ensure that the sizing is correct.  If you need to return items and order new ones, options might be limited if stock becomes depleted and pieces are backordered.  As a reminder, you have 90 days to return an item from the date you receive it (CBA addendum to section 13, #2) 

Worn Out Uniform Pieces? The Company Will Repair or Replace Them For Free

Under our CBA, the Company is required to repair or replace any basic uniform pieces that are worn out due to normal use or any manufacturer’s defect.  There is no charge to your allotment to exercise this contractual provision.  Contact your supervisor if you need to make arrangements to have any worn uniform pieces repaired or replaced (CBA section 13.C.2).

Questions?

Your Local Uniform Committee is available to answer questions that you have or provide assistance.  Find our contact information on the Uniform Committee page of afaalaska.org.

Next Week: Committee Meetings with Management

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Several AFA committees will meet with management next week for regularly scheduled discussions of issues currently impacting Flight Attendants.
  • Each AFA Local Council/base sends a representative to committee meetings to ensure that the voices of all Flight Attendants are heard.
  • If you have concerns or items that you would like to see brought forward, please reach out to your respective Local Committee Chairperson prior to the meeting.

Most AFA committees hold meetings with management on a regular basis as a part of their advocacy work on behalf of our Flight Attendants.  These meetings are an opportunity for our Committee Members to bring concerns and issues forward and push for improvements to our workplace.  Representing you at these meetings is your Local Committee Chairperson (sometimes another Local Committee Member or LEC Officer may fill in), who is your voice to management on matters related to the committee.

Next week, several committee meetings are scheduled to take place with management.  They include:

  • Human Rights Committee on Monday, December 6
  • Retirement Committee on Tuesday, December 7
  • Reserve Committee on Thursday, December 9
  • Hotel Committee on Thursday, December 9
  • Inflight Service Committee on Friday, December 10

If there are items that you would like to see any of these committees bring forward to management at their upcoming meeting, please let your Local Committee Chairperson know.  Click below for contact information.

Human Rights Committee
Retirement Committee
Reserve Committee
Hotel Committee
Inflight Service Committee

Introducing AFA Alaska News Now

Communications Committee

  • We’re looking to improve the way we communicate using more frequent updates that are more concise and to-the-point.
  • AFA Alaska News Now posts will be made throughout the week and posted to the AFA Alaska website and AFA Alaska social media channels.
  • Prefer to receive news by email?  AFA Alaska News in Review email updates will still be sent out regularly with a summary of AFA Alaska News Now articles that have been posted recently.

Based on feedback from you and other AFA Members, we’re reformatting the way we share news and updates.  Starting today, you’ll start seeing AFA Alaska News Now posts, our new primary way to share information with you.  Each post is a single subject update that covers the important information and key points first while still providing additional information that is good to know.

Unlike email newsletters, AFA Alaska News Now posts will be made throughout the week to bring you information closer to when it happens.  Each post will be available on the AFA Alaska website and AFA social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), so no matter how you prefer to receive news you’ll be able to keep up-to-date.  If you’d rather receive updates by email, we’ve got you covered.  We’ll still be sending out regular AFA Alaska News in Review email newsletters with a summary of recent AFA Alaska News Now articles so you won’t miss anything.

Thoughts or Ideas?

If you have thoughts about our new format or ideas about what you’d like to see covered, we’d love to hear from you!  Please send us an email at communications@afaalaska.org.  

Thankful On This Thanksgiving Day 2021

Thankful On This Thanksgiving Day 2021

Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson

In This Message

  • It’s been a long time
  • Thankful for…
  • Let’s get real for a minute
  • Your emails to management
  • New communication strategy
  • Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s been a long time

It has been a long time since I’ve addressed Membership directly—too long! —and that is going to change. Before I get into that in more detail, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation on this Thanksgiving Day 2021.

Thankful for…

I am so thankful to be a member of such an amazing group of Flight Attendants and for the continued opportunity to represent you. I am thankful for working alongside all the AFA Alaska officers, representatives, and committee members as they tirelessly advocate on your behalf, defend our contract, and ensure Flight Attendants are fairly represented in disciplinary proceedings. I am also thankful to be a member of the AFA Executive Board of Directors and an active participant in AFA-CWA and the broader labor movement. I am also thankful for Alaska Airlines providing the financial means to maintain the roof over my head, the shirt on my back and the food on my table. On a more personal level, I am thankful for my health, my family, and my friends. I feel truly blessed despite one of the most challenging years ever.

Let’s get real for a minute

So now let’s get real for a minute. Working for Alaska Airlines as a Flight Attendant has sucked even more in 2021 than it did in 2020. Because this is a holiday message of thanks, I’m going to keep it light by moving on for now, but we’ll be coming back to this in future communications after the holiday weekend. I know this is “the” thing being talked about on the line. It is truly brutal out there!

Your emails to management

I sincerely appreciate the emails that many of you have sent to management lately regarding your frustrations because they amplify the same themes that I and the other AFA Alaska leaders have been repeating for months now. Please make sure those emails stay respectful because I don’t want anyone to be hauled in by Inflight Performance for a conversation and potentially disciplined for crossing the line. Let me be the “heavy” on your behalf under the shield of union representative ‘immunity’!

New communication strategy

I have heard from many of you loud and clear that you want to hear from AFA Alaska leadership about the relevant topic(s) of the day as they are unfolding. You want to know what your union leaders are doing to represent you “in the moment” as close to real time as possible. I can absolutely assure you without hesitation that we are advocating for you every day, but…if we don’t communicate the details to you, then you don’t know it’s happening.

Starting next week, AFA Alaska will be revamping our communication strategy with the goal of communicating more timely news to you. We will start pushing “AFA Alaska News Now” simultaneously to social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and to the AFA Alaska Contract 2022 and/or AFA Alaska websites. We will also recap that news in an “AFA Alaska News In Review” weekly digest; “AFA Alaska News in Review” will be sent to personal email addresses on file, so those of you who do not have social media and do not check the AFA Alaska websites regularly will still receive the information.

I thank you in advance for your patience as we ramp up this new communication strategy, and I sincerely hope you will feel more informed by and connected to your AFA Alaska leadership as a result.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On behalf of the entire AFA Alaska MEC, I sincerely hope that you can at least temporarily unplug from all the crazy and celebrate Thanksgiving no matter where in Alaska’s World you may be. You deserve it!

~Jeff

Struggling With A Coworker? Consider AFA Professional Standards.

We all know flying can be demanding—long days, irregular hours, and fatigue are part of the job. It’s natural for tensions to rise. Before you head to management or vent on social media, consider Professional Standards. In this video, Ava McWilliams-Ellington, pre-merger Alaska LAX EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson, shares how Professional Standards provides a confidential, […]

Crew Meal Survey Closing Soon

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is committed to prioritizing your nutrition during the work day through our crew meal provisions. We are eager to hear your thoughts on which elements of crew meals are most meaningful to you, as we continue to advocate for […]

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 […]

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