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Open Time Tentative Agreement Presentation

Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Time: 9 AM ~ 11 AM PT (morning session) and 1 PM ~ 3 PM PT (afternoon session)

Location: Four Points by Sheraton Seattle Airport South, 22406 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA 98198

Parking: Free parking is available at the Four Points hotel in the parking deck on the back side of the hotel and in the adjacent lot. 

Transportation: If you are attending from out-of-town, please call the hotel directly at (253) 642-0100 to arrange for free hotel shuttle service once you arrive at the airport.

Open Time TA broadcast

We will broadcast the presentation sessions live on the AFA Alaska YouTube Channel.

Link to morning session: https://youtu.be./AxHJ76cZidQ
Link to afternoon session: https://youtu.be/tYk34EZzvdk

TA information is found on the Open​ Time ​TA 2019 info page. You can ask questions using Slido during the presentation (Slido instructions). Please make sure to enter your first and last name followed by your base (e.g. Jane Doe SEA). Questions will only be answered if you follow this format. Any questions asked prior to the start of the event will be deleted. You have the ability to review other questions asked, and upvote anything you would like to see answered. We will endeavor to answer as many questions as possible during the presentation. We will recap and answer more questions on the blog.

Open Time TA video

AFA also plans to release a recorded compilation video of the two sessions so that all Flight Attendants will have access to the OpenTime TA presentation no matter where you are and whenever you have free time.​

Voting

Voting opens on Monday, May 6 at 9 AM PT and closes on Friday, May 31 at 9 AM PT. Once your ballot is cast, you may not change your vote. You must be an active member in good standing* at AFA Alaska on the day of the ballot count in order for your vote to be tallied. Please vote!

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

* Active member in good standing: AFA-CWA member, actively flying or continuing to pay dues each month while on a leave of absence, and dues no more than 30 days in arrears.) For additional information or assistance regarding dues or balloting, contact AFA-CWA Membership Services at 800-424-2401, Monday through Friday (closed major holidays) from 9 AM to 5 PM ET.

Open Time Negotiations Update – Tentative Agreement

A (not so) brief history of Open Time

Due to Flight Attendant dissatisfaction with Open Time that existed at the time, AFA and management negotiated a new Open Time trading system in the 2014-2019 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Because the parties were unsure how well the new system would work for everyone, we agreed to a trial period, in which we could try out the system before it became permanent. 

AFA heard loud and clear after several months of surveying that a majority of Flight Attendants were dissatisfied with the new system, so the Master Executive Council (MEC) cancelled the trial in July 2016. Under the terms of the contract, that meant AFA and management would start negotiating a new Open Time system, which began in November 2016. Meanwhile, management was supposed to have the trip trading system roll back to the prior Open Time trading rules (known as “Back to Book”) while the parties negotiated another system.

Flash forward to the present

If only it were that easy. The path to a new Open Time system has been challenged at nearly every turn: numerous programming delays, transition to a brand-new trip trading system, returning to a second round of negotiations with a mandate to achieve implementation guarantees, and an intervening merger. After nearly two and a half years, AFA and management have finally reached an Open Time tentative agreement (TA) that has been approved by the MEC for membership ratification.

Before starting negotiations in late 2016, AFA surveyed Flight Attendant to determine which features a new Open Time system must have and which would be unacceptable. The Negotiating Committee believes we have achieved an Open Time system that is worthy of your consideration. 

TA details

Click here for the Open Time TA 2019 info page >

This is a one-stop shop for all the resources you will need:

  • Important dates
  • Full text language of the Open Time TA 2019
  • Supplemental documents
  • Links to historical Open Time negotiations updates
  • Details about the Open Time TA presentation
  • The Negotiating Committee’s contact info
  • Voting info

Open Time TA live presentation

Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Time: 9 AM ~ 11 AM PT (morning session) and 1 PM ~ 3 PM PT (afternoon session)

Location: Four Points by Sheraton Seattle Airport South, 22406 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA 98198

Parking: Free parking is available at the Four Points hotel in the parking deck on the back side of the hotel and in the adjacent lot.

Transportation: If you are attending from out-of-town, please call the hotel directly at (253) 642-0100 to arrange for free hotel shuttle service once you arrive at the airport.

Open Time TA presentation broadcast and compilation video

Although there have been local “save the date” communications regarding a presentation on April 30th, AFA understands this is the first confirmed notice. No worries if you cannot make it because we will also broadcast the presentation sessions live on the AFA Alaska YouTube Channel, which may be accessed via the Open Time TA 2019 info page. AFA also plans to release a recorded compilation video of the two sessions so that all Flight Attendants will have access to the Open Time TA presentation no matter where you are and whenever you have free time.

Voting

Voting opens on Monday, May 6 at 9 AM PT and closes on Friday, May 31 at 9 AM PT. Once your ballot is cast, you may not change your vote. You must be an active member in good standing* at AFA Alaska on the day of the ballot count in order for your vote to be tallied. Please vote!

In Solidarity, 

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

* Active member in good standing: AFA-CWA member, actively flying or continuing to pay dues each month while on a leave of absence, and dues no more than 30 days in arrears.) For additional information or assistance regarding dues or balloting, contact AFA-CWA Membership Services at 800-424-2401, Monday through Friday (closed major holidays) from 9 AM to 5 PM ET.

Adjoining Rooms: What You Need to Know

A message from your Hotel Committee

We all know that being assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door is a common occurrence at many hotels throughout our system.  But did you know that adjoining and connecting rooms are not supposed to be assigned to Flight Attendants unless the room next door is occupied by another Alaska crew member?  While this isn’t specifically part of our collective bargaining agreement, Alaska includes this language in every contract between the company and our crew hotels.

Don’t Hesitate to Speak Up

If you are assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door, we encourage you to ask the front desk staff for a different room.  Request to speak to the hotel manager on duty to help resolve the situation if necessary. If the hotel is full or unable to provide an alternate room, respectfully advise the hotel staff that you’ll be reporting the issue to Alaska management.

Take Action: Report Each and Every Situation

If you are assigned an adjoining and connecting room, even if you are able to switch rooms, please make note of the hotel, room number and date and file a CrewCare report on the situation.  CrewCare reports are automatically routed to Alaska management, API (Accommodations Plus International, the company’s hotel contractor), and your AFA Hotel Committee Members.  Representatives from API and management use the data from the reports to follow up on each situation with the corresponding hotel.

How to File a CrewCare Report
1. Log-in to the inflight website
2. Open the menu
3. Click “Hotel, Travel, & Station”
4. Click “Hotel Links”
5. Click “My Crew Care”
6. Open the menu
7. Click “Feedback”
8. Click “Provide Feedback”

Management has asked that we report these situations each and every time that they occur.  The more information that we are able to provide, the more effectively each hotel can be held accountable.

Have Questions?

Your Local Hotel Committee can help!  You can find contact information on your Local Council’s committee page or on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson Laura Hinojosa and Vice Chairperson Jodi Snow

Upcoming AFA Board of Directors Meeting

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 47th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week in Denver, Colorado.  This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, March 19Executive Board Meeting (MEC President from each airline)
Wednesday, March 20Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, March 21March Regular MEC Meeting

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Your LEC President represents you and the other members of your Local Council on the Board of Directors and will be casting votes on your behalf at the BOD meeting.  Your MEC Officers serve in an ex-officio capacity on the BOD but do not have voting privileges.

This year, as in all odd numbered years, the only advanced agenda item for consideration by the Board is the annual AFA-CWA budget. Each LEC held a Local Council meeting over the past several weeks to discuss the proposed budget and gain your feedback.  You can find details about the proposed 2019-2020 AFA-CWA budget at http://afa-bod.org/index-of-agenda-items.

Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or the proposed AFA-CWA budget, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, August 13, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), Diana Berni (PDX),  Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – August 2026

On Monday, August 10, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met remotely 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), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), Kanani Vallot (SAN), and Matt […]

787-9 Inflight Service Grievance: Protecting Our Contract and Standards

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants For decades, Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants have defined the Spirit of Aloha. We take pride in delivering world-class service, but management’s current Boeing 787-9 service model is threatening that legacy. It isn’t just inefficient—it’s an unsustainable pace that undermines the quality our passengers expect and the professional […]

Pre-Merger Alaska Reserve Webinar Video and Q&A Recap – August 6, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Thank you to everyone who joined our first pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! We created this interactive session to share practical contract tips and help you feel more confident about reserve life. You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel using the link below. Please note that […]

Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together

July was a remarkable month for our Membership Engagement Committee. We set out with a clear purpose: to bring our Flight Attendant community closer together, share valuable resources, and build authentic connections throughout our system. Over the past four weeks, we explored what it means to be engaged in our AFA family. We kicked things […]

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