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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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Merger Negotiations Session #4 Update – September 2017

The AFA Alaska-Virgin America Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) just wrapped up this week’s session of merger negotiations, our fourth so far; we met with management from Tuesday, September 26th through Thursday, September 28th in Seattle, WA. Representing management: Vice President of Labor Relations Greg Mays, Vice President of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America Inflight & Call Center/Guest Services Jeff Butler, Managing Director of Labor Relations-Air Elizabeth Ryan and Virgin America Manager of Labor Emily Kimmel.

Management presented the Joint Negotiating Committee with a comprehensive transitional proposal on the first day, which provided a springboard for discussions the remainder of the week. The parties are starting to reach tentative agreements on transitional items in several sections of the Alaska contract.

The Joint Negotiating Committee is planning on soliciting your feedback regarding your expectations and/or priorities for these negotiations in the very near future. We know that our combined membership of over 5,000 will not ratify a transitional-only contract. Be on the lookout for the merger negotiations survey to be released early next week.

Keep in mind that merger negotiations are a different process than regular negotiations. These talks are not under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board or Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act, and neither AFA nor management believes that the entire contract is open for discussion. Discussions are focusing on a short list of items. All the provisions in the AFA Alaska contract (scheduled pay raises, etc.) will continue in force for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants; all the provisions in the Virgin America work rules will remain in effect for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants unless modified and/or superseded by the AFA Virgin America letters of agreement.

Our next merger negotiations session is scheduled for October 24-26.

In Solidarity,

Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

[AS] Trip Trades/Pickups and Screenshots

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

It has come to our attention that management is requiring screenshots of a Flight Attendant’s roster and the pairing in question if a Flight Attendant is requesting pay protection.  Management has not yet put out an official communication stating this.  AFA has several recent examples where management has denied activity claim forms without this information.

Due to the position that management appears to be taking, AFA highly recommends taking a screenshot of all pairings that you pick up or trade into, along with a picture of your roster with the pairing showing.  This will help to resolve any dispute surrounding pay protection should one occur.

If payroll denies your activity claim form, please contact your LEC Officers for assistance.  You can find contact information for your LEC Officers on your Local Council page of the AFA Alaska website.  Alternately, you can file report using the AFA Online Support Center at http://support.afaalaska.org/.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee, MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams, and MEC Grievance Committee Representative Christina Frees

AFA Disaster Relief Fund – Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

We know that disasters can change lives forever. While we can’t stop destructive events from happening, we can, as a Union, assist our members with their recovery. AFA established the Disaster Relief Fund after September 11th to assist our members whose lives were placed in harms way. AFA members and retirees, whose primary residence is in the counties listed below and who have suffered damage and/or dislocation, are eligible for $200 from the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund. It is a gift made possible by the generosity of your fellow union sisters and brothers with AFA.

Eligible communities

Texas Counties: Aransas, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Kleberg, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Refugio, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Victoria, Waller, Wharton

Florida Counties: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia

Puerto Rico: Municipalities: Canovanas, Culebra, Loiza, Vieques

US Virgin Islands: St. John Island; St. Thomas Island

How to apply for assistance from the AFA Disaster Relief Fund

• Visit www.afacwa.org/drf and download the Disaster Relief Fund Application
• Fax the application to the International AFA EAP Department at 202-434-1411 or mail the application to the AFA-CWA EAP Department, 6th Floor, 501 Third Street NW, Washington D.C. 20001-2797.
• Alternatively, you may e-mail the requested information to lfoster@afanet.org or phone in the information to 1-800-424-2406.

How to contribute to the AFA Disaster Relief Fund

If you wish to make a contribution either by check or electronic payment, please visit www.afacwa.org/drf for more information on donating.

In Solidarity,

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

Merger Negotiations Session #3 Update – September 2017

The AFA Alaska-Virgin America Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) just wrapped up this week’s session of merger negotiations, our third so far; we met with management from Tuesday, September 12th through Thursday, September 14th in Seattle, WA. Representing management: Vice President of Labor Relations Greg Mays, Incoming Vice President of Alaska Airlines Inflight & Call Center Services Jeff Butler (and current Vice President of Virgin America Guest and Inflight Services), Managing Director of Labor Relations-Air Elizabeth Ryan, Managing Director of Virgin America Inflight Valerie Jenkins and Virgin America Manager of Labor Emily Kimmel.

The Joint Negotiating Committee continues to discuss transition issues with management The JNC’s goal is to make a smooth and equitable transition for the Virgin America Flight Attendants to the Alaska contract. Meanwhile, the JNC continues to maintain that some improvements to the Alaska contract must be part of the package.

Despite our insistence, management has made it very clear that it does not believe AFA has the contractual standing to seek improvements. Our counterpoint to that argument is that a merger agreement requires membership ratification under the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, and the JNC strongly believes any merger agreement that lacks improvements for our combined membership (pre-merger Virgin America and pre-merger Alaska) is not ratifiable. The parties continue to work through purely transitional items for now, but at some point in the future we will be forced to deal with the proverbial elephant in the room.

During the session, the parties exchanged written proposals on how to transition the Virgin America Flight Attendants into the Alaska Attendance Policy, sick leave, vacation, probation and leaves of absence. The parties also discussed uniform transition. Management committed to giving the JNC a comprehensive proposal on all transition issues at our next session, September 26-28.

The Joint Negotiating Committee is planning on soliciting your feedback regarding your expectations for these negotiations. Be on the lookout for more information about the merger negotiations survey in the next several weeks.

Keep in mind that merger negotiations are a different process than regular negotiations. These talks are not under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board or Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act, and neither side believes that the entire contract is open for discussion. Discussions are focusing on a short list of items. All the provisions in the AFA Alaska contract (scheduled pay raises, etc.) will continue in force for pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants; all the provisions in the Virgin America work rules will remain in effect for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants unless modified and/or superseded by the AFA Virgin America letters of agreement.

In Solidarity,

Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

[AS] Maternity Leave Grievances

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

Last month, management granted our grievance #36-99-2-24-17 (Violation of Section 15.M.1.a & 2.a, Failure to Allow Minimum Coordination While on Maternity Leave).  Information about the grievance was published on August 7.  The grievance applies to the time period of 6/8 weeks post-birth to the 120th day post-birth.  It mandates that management follow our contractual provision to allow a Flight Attendant to use minimum coordination with sick leave and/or vacation from 6/8 weeks’ post-birth to 120 days’ post-birth.  Previously management required maximum coordination with at least 70 TFP of sick leave monthly.  That was a huge win for all Alaska Flight Attendants.

Recently, management sustained another grievance #36-99-2-25-17 (Failure to Allow Minimum and/or Maximum Coordination While on Maternity Leave) which encompasses 121st day post-birth up to one to eight months leave post-120th day.  Again, this mandates that management follow our contractual provision to allow a Flight Attendant to coordinate minimum or maximum sick leave and/or vacation from one month up to eight months following the 120th day post-birth.  This was even a bigger win for all Alaska Flight Attendants.

These sustained grievances mean that a Flight Attendant on maternity leave, may use minimum or maximum sick leave/vacation per section 15.M of the contract.  They will get paid when they are on a longer maternity leave and will be eligible for active employee rates for insurance for as long as 8 months following the 120th day post-birth (up to a year post-birth).  This will allow Flight Attendants to stay off work much longer with their newborns while receiving pay from their sick leave and/or vacation banks and maintaining active rate insurance.  This will also allow the look back calendar to be applied in calculating flight attendants TFP toward the yearly 480 requirements for vacation, insurance and uniform benefits.

If you have any questions about maternity leave, please contact your Local Benefits Committee Chairperson (or Local Benefits Committee Member who specializes in maternity-related issues).  You can find contact information on your Local Council’s 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 and MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams

Behind the Scenes: What Goes Into Bringing Our MEC Town Halls to Life

Since launching our MEC Town Halls in March, we’ve focused on making these sessions a clear and effective way to connect with everyone. In June, we adjusted our approach to a more dynamic, interview-based, and conversational format to make these sessions even more engaging. But what does it take to move from an initial concept […]

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.

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