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[AS] AFA Alaska System Board of Adjustment Interviews

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for one (1) member to serve on the AFA System Board of Adjustment.

Scope

Members are to serve on the System Board of Adjustment for the purpose of arbitrating any disputes or grievances that may arise under the terms of the Agreement between Alaska Airlines and its Flight Attendants.

Policy/Responsibilities

  • There shall be two members selected by the MEC from active members in good standing to represent the Association. Members will be selected at-large without regard to Local Council or domicile.
  • Any person seeking a position as a System Board of Adjustment Member must submit a resume. Candidates must interview with the MEC.
  • System Board Members shall be selected for a two (2) year appointment period in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. At least one appointment will be reviewed in June of each year.  Selection shall be made, insofar as possible, to ensure that both members will not be new at the same time.
  • The System Board Members will act in the best interest of the membership and the Association and will be consistent with the Agreement between the Flight Attendants and Alaska Airlines.
  • The MEC President shall have the ability, in the event of an emergency, to appoint a qualified member in good standing to fill an ad hoc position on the Board, should the alternate not be available.
  • The MEC on an ad hoc basis, by majority vote, may appoint an expert as a substitute for one member of the System Board of Adjustment.

Qualifications

  • Current Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant
  • Willingness to attend the requisite grievance training(s)
  • In depth knowledge of the contract
  • Understanding of the principles of just cause
  • Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information
  • Maintenance of member-in-good-standing status
  • Ability to remain in good standing with the company
  • Ability to analyze written data and information with high attention to detail
  • Strong written and communication skills
  • Strong computer skills.

Expressing Interest and Interviewing Schedule

Interviews will be conducted during the July MEC meeting on Tuesday, July 25 at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle.

To express interest for the position, please submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, July 14, 2017.  Linda will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; LEC Presidents-Elect Terry Taylor and Mario de’Medici; and MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams

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 45th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting this week in Phoenix, Arizona.  This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level.

Schedule of Events

Friday June 23 Regular MEC Meeting
Saturday, June 24 Executive Board Meeting (MEC Presidents from each airline)
Board of Directors 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.

Last year, the BOD approved a change to the AFA constitution and bylaws (C&B) making the AFA annual budget the only advanced agenda item for the BOD meeting in odd numbered years.  As such, the only advance agenda item for consideration at this year’s BOD is the AFA annual budget.  Each LEC held a Local Council meeting over the past several weeks to discuss the proposed AFA budget and gain your feedback.  You can more information at http://afa-bod.org/index-of-agenda-items.

MEC Meeting

In conjunction with the BOD meeting, the regular June MEC meeting is being held on Friday, June 23.

Questions?

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

 

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee and LEC Presidents-Elect Terry Taylor and Mario de’Medici

AFA Online Issue Reporting Is Here!

Your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) is excited to introduce the new AFA Alaska online support center.  This new system is designed for you to document and report scheduling and reserve concerns, situations where you might be facing discipline, potential contractual grievances, and any other issue where you might need AFA support.  The system will also allow AFA representatives to better track issues that are occurring, identify trends, and address and resolve issues with management.

You can access the system using the following link:

http://support.afaalaska.org

Reporting New Issues

You can report a new issue in the system by opening a ticket, just follow these steps:

  1. Visit http://support.afaalaska.org/
  2. Click the blue “Open a New Ticket” button
  3. Fill in your personal information (including a non-company email address)
  4. Select the help topic that relates to the issue
  5. Fill in the issue-specific information and provide details

From this screen, you’ll also be able to attach pictures, PDF files, screenshots, and other information that will help your AFA representatives to have more information available about the issue.

Once you’ve opened a ticket, you’ll receive a confirmation email and with a ticket number.  Behind the scenes, your ticket will be assigned to an AFA representative who will assist you with the issue.

Checking on Open Issues 

With your ticket number, you’ll be able to track the status of the ticket online, add additional information and attachments for your AFA representative to have available.  To check on your ticket:

  1. Visit http://support.afaalaska.org
  2. Click the green “Check Ticket Status” button
  3. Enter your email address and ticket number
  4. Click the “View Ticket” button

Questions?

If you have any questions about the AFA online support center or need assistance with an issue, you can always contact your LEC Officers.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

AFA Alaska-Virgin America Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Prepares to Meet with Management This Week

This week will mark the start of merger negotiations with management. The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will attend AFA negotiations training in Seattle at the beginning of the week. The JNC is comprised of three Flight Attendants appointed by the MEC: two Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants, Jennifer Wise MacColl and Lindsey Steele, and one Virgin America Flight Attendant, Jamie Cogen. MEC President Jeffrey Peterson is chairperson of the committee and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo rounds out the committee as the professional negotiator. After training and preparation early in the week, the first meeting with management will occur on Wednesday and Thursday.

This initial session will be confined to discussing transition issues necessary to combine Flight Attendants at each carrier into one employee group and covered by a single collective bargaining agreement. The occasion will also provide an opportunity to get further details from management on merger plans and updated timelines and to reaffirm AFA’s position that we are looking for targeted improvements. However, discussing specific improvements will not be a subject for this first meeting and will be addressed later.

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 will focus on a short list of items, and all the provisions in our Contract (pay raises, etc) will continue in force.

What are some of the transition issues necessary to merge the two Flight Attendant groups?

  • How VX FAs will transition to the uniform and how uniform points will translate.
  • How sick leave will be converted.
  • How transition (aircraft differences) training will be accomplished for AS and VX FAs.
  • Attendance policy – how points will be handled for past occurrences for VX FAs.
  • Ensure that VX FAs get credit for “time served” on probation and are not subject to another probationary period on the Alaska side.
  • Confirm that the VX FAs will retain their vacation slots.
  • How 401(k) plans will be transitioned.
  • …and more.

There are many items that must be carefully considered so VX and AS Flight Attendants will be on equal footing in relation to the many provisions in the Alaska contract. The Joint Negotiating Committee and management will work to define the scope of transition issues that must be addressed. Again, the parties will take up this task before discussing improvements. We know you will be very interested in knowing more about AFA’s bargaining objectives and potential “improvements,” but it is too early in the process to discuss those in a meaningful way. Once the JNC completes talks this week and defines the strategy going forward, we will provide you with another update.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

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

Combatting Rising Tensions in the Cabin

The past couple of months have been incredibly challenging for Flight Attendants after back-to-back in-cabin disturbances in the US were broadcast on social media. Those disturbances subsequently “broke the internet” and were widely carried by news outlets. The mob mentality response to the video clips, with little correct information about the incidents, has put Flight Attendants in the cross hairs. AFA immediately focused on a national de-escalation to keep travelers from coming to the plane with bias against crewmembers and the authority we must maintain to keep everyone safe.

Reinforcing Our Role as Aviation’s First Responders

AFA’s message in the media and on Capitol Hill has been to remind the public and our legislators that Flight Attendants are aviation’s first responders charged with the safety, health and security of the passengers in our care. AFA has cited the ever-shrinking personal space in main cabins and minimum staffing as some of the contributing factors to these recent incidents.

In case you missed it, the Today Show recently featured Flight Attendants talking about their perspective on conditions in the cabin. Flight Attendants reminded Matt Lauer and the public about the good job aviation’s first responders do to usher millions safely and efficiently to their destinations every single day. Matt Lauer reiterated this point to millions of viewers who also fly on our planes!

Watch the full interview >

Passenger Incident Reporting Form

AFA has been receiving reports from Flight Attendants about a variety of situations in which they are feeling harassed by passengers. It is imperative that AFA begin collecting confidential data on these types of confrontations so that we can more effectively advocate on your behalf to management, regulators, legislators and the media. For instance, we want to know: (1) How frequently are passengers videotaping us, (2) What exactly are they filming and (3) Are they trying to incite emotions from Flight Attendants by saying or doing inappropriate things?

If you or your fellow Flight Attendants experience concerning behavior from a passenger(s), please take a moment to fill out a confidential reporting form by clicking on the following link. The form is very simple to complete. Filling out this form is optional (although greatly appreciated) and does not relieve you of other reporting requirements indicated in your Flight Attendant manual.

Passenger Incident Reporting Form »

*** If AFA releases any of the data to third parties, be assured we will remove any and all identifying information so that confidentiality is strictly maintained. ***

Thank you very much in advance for assisting AFA in combatting rising tensions in the cabin. Fly safe and continue to look out for each other.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

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 […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – May 2026

On Monday, May 11, 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), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee […]

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