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Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Thursday, August 14, the AFA Local 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), David Jelinek (PDX), Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather Holmes (LAX), JP Perina (SAN). Horizon AFA MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Norann Mann and MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Kiara Jenkins were also present.

The committee also met with Interim Senior Product Manager Marketing Ann McCurties, Senior Product Manager Marketing Megan Low, Supply Chain Program Manager Lizzie Revard, PDX Inflight Base Manager Kristie Stafford, and SFO Inflight Base Manager Cierra Lewis.

The next Quarterly Uniform Committee Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 6.

Topics of Discussion 

The committee reviewed several topics both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

  • The 2026 Uniform Committee Quarterly Meetings dates are as follows: February 19, May 7, August 13, and November 5.  
  • A uniform issue reporting form to be located on the IMD has been approved by IT. Management will continue to collaborate with IT and will provide updates on testing and launch dates as they become available.  
  • Additional Phase 2 uniform focus groups are tentatively scheduled for October.  
  • The second round of Request for Proposal (RFP) meetings with various labor groups took place this month. The primary focus was on evaluating the potential manufacturers surveyed as candidates. Discussion also included the transition to Phase 2 (production) elements, such as cut & sew, safety (fire-resistant material), and fabric.  
  • Flight Attendants should not be charged for wings. If you have been charged, please contact management to arrange for a refund.  
  • Alisa Onishi from Hawaiian Airlines is leading the new uniform program. Please direct all new uniform inquiries and discussions to her. Current uniform issues will continue to be handled by the existing management personnel who attend the quarterly meetings.  
  • The Committee has requested that the Copper River vest be approved for use when flying within the state of Alaska. Management will review this request.  
  • With boot season approaching, please review the boot guidelines. If you would like to seek pre-approval before purchasing your boot wear, please email kristie.stafford@alaskaair.com.  
  • For those interested in purchasing Arctic boots and receiving reimbursement through a deduction from your uniform allotment, please refer to section 13.D.1 of the contract for more information.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Arctic Stuff Sack: Management will revisit a Unisync test sack that was initially thought to be too bulky, but may ultimately fit the needs due to the size of the parka.
  2. Quarter Zip Cardigan: The Committee noticed these pieces have been removed from the uniform subsite. Some sizes have completely sold out, and when they do, there will not be a restock. Management will work with Unisync to return the remaining sizes to the subsite so Flight Attendants can order them until stock is depleted.
  3. Pantyhose: The Committee continues to advocate for less expensive or discounted options, as the price and difficulty of finding pantyhose (especially navy ones) have increased.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please fill out the Quality Concern Form on the Uniform subsite on TeamAAG with any quality issues. Additionally, you may email your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson. Please consider opening a ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center so the Uniform Committee can track these issues.

Would you like to join the wear test pool? Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know!  Your Local Uniform Committee is your voice to management. You can find contact information on the Uniform Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Hawaiian Airlines SEA Flight Attendant Domicile Update – August 2025

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

We want to provide an update on the planning progress for the Hawaiian Airlines Seattle (SEA) domicile announced by the Company, which management intends to open in 2026.

Since the initial announcement, two key developments have occurred:

SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee

Section 27 D.2 of our contract provides that AFA and the Company must negotiate before establishing a new domicile. Recognizing the need for an expedited timeline, the pre-merger Hawaiian members of our MEC have chosen a Negotiating Committee prepared to address this process efficiently. The Negotiating Committee Members are Joshua Aoki, Jeff Fuke, and Martin Gusman.

MEC President Tim Green will serve as the Chairperson of the committee, and Paula Mastrangelo, our AFA Staff Negotiator for the Joint Negotiating Committee, will also take on this role for the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee.

While meeting dates for negotiations with management are yet to be scheduled, we promise to keep you updated every step of the way.

AFA Local Council Representation

According to the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, specific considerations must be addressed regarding who within AFA will represent the Flight Attendants at the new base [Article X.2].

After thorough consultations with AFA International and careful review of the policy requirements, the pre-merger Hawaiian voting members of the MEC—LEC Presidents Martin Gusman and Joshua Aoki—have unanimously agreed that Council 47 will represent Flight Attendants based in SEA. This means the Council 47 Officers and Committees will support both LAX and SEA-based Hawaiian Flight Attendants once the SEA base is operational.

Questions?

We recognize that many details still need to be worked out regarding the SEA Hawaiian Flight Attendant domicile. Many of these will be addressed in our upcoming negotiations. We are committed to providing you with as much information as possible throughout this process. If you have any questions or need clarification, please feel free to reach out to your LEC President.

Mahalo for your continued solidarity and support as we navigate this together.

Seniority Merger Integration Committee Update – August 2025

Challenges to Seniority Dates Must Be Received by August 29

We want to ensure that your voice is heard regarding any challenges to the competitive bidding seniority date in your Seniority Verification Letter (SVL). All challenges must be received by August 29, 2025, in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. For guidance, refer to the instructions included in your SVL letter and send your supporting documents to:

Association of Flight Attendants – CWA
501 Third Street NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20001.

If you haven’t received your SVL, don’t worry! You can request a duplicate by emailing smic@afacwa.org. When reaching out, please provide your name, employee number, council/base, and personal email address to ensure that we can process your request in the most efficient way possible.

You can also check your current competitive bidding seniority date by visiting the seniority lists for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines using the links below. Please note that these lists were compiled in April 2025, but will be updated in the future to reflect the latest initial training classes.

Click here for the Alaska Airlines seniority list >
Click here for the Hawaiian Airlines seniority list >

What Happens Next?

In September 2025, the Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) will meet in Washington, DC, at the AFA International Office. During this meeting, the Committee will review all submitted challenges related to the SVLs. If you submit a challenge, you’ll receive a follow-up letter with the outcome via US Mail.

Moving forward, we’ll also work on adjusting initial training dates for Hawaiian Flight Attendants, developing a methodology for same-day tiebreakers, and merging the two seniority lists into a single unified list.

Once a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) is ratified, the SMIC will update all Members via email to outline the seniority merger process, provide access to the merged list, and address frequently asked questions.

Timeline of the SMIC Process

Questions?

We’ve prepared a list of frequently asked questions that you can find here. If you have any other inquiries about the seniority verification letters or the seniority verification process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at smic@afacwa.org.

Previous SMIC Communications

AFA News in Review – August 15, 2025

In This Edition

  • Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – August 2025
  • Shared on Social
  • Next Week’s Events

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – August 2025

Originally posted August 15, 2025 | Pre-Merger Alaska

What happens when reports of possible bed bugs surface at one of our crew hotels? This week’s Hotel Committee meeting recap highlights how management and hotel staff handle these concerns. Plus, read about the challenges of unplanned accommodations in remote Alaskan outstations and the updated ad hoc hotel list that’s soon to be posted.

Read More >

Shared on Social

Check out this week’s highlights from our social media! Click on a graphic below to view the original post on Instagram. Be sure to follow us for the latest updates and news as we share it!

Originally posted August 13, 2025

Next Week’s Events

Monday, August 18Monthly Communications Committee Meeting

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – August 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Monday, August 11, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in person in Seattle 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), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich facilitating the meeting.

The Committee met with Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Hotels and Administration Diane Szubert, Senior Crew Hotels Support Specialist Nichole Turner and Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams. Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling (Interim) Matthew Trujillo also joined for a portion of the meeting.    

The next scheduled Hotel Committee meeting is Monday, September 8.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during the meeting with management, most of which focused on hotel decisions and challenges in our layover markets. Some items discussed include:

  • Unplanned Accommodations in Remote Outstations: Over the summer, we had a few flight cancellations in the State of Alaska, resulting in significant accommodation challenges for Flight Attendants. Hotels are limited outside the larger Alaskan cities, especially contractually compliant ones. The Committee had a robust discussion with Matthew Trujillo about Crew Scheduling’s process in helping to secure rooms when flights are to be canceled. The goal was to identify opportunities in the process to accommodate crewmembers better.        
  • Ad Hoc List: Early this year, the Committee undertook a large project to review and revise the hotel ad hoc list. The ad hoc list is vetted (by AFA and ALPA) and used by API when the designated crew hotel in a layover city is unavailable. This could happen for several reasons, such as known blackout dates, fire alarm testing, planned water shut off, local events that can lead to road closures or excessive noise, etc. API and Crew Hotels use this list to secure accommodation with the next best option. The Committee discussed the process to keep the list current and the plan to post this list for Flight Attendants to view, as called for in section 34.A.6 of the contract.    
  • Bed Bug Reporting: Bed bugs have recently become a significant topic of discussion, and the Committee believes it is essential to clarify the procedures followed when a hotel is informed of potential bed bug sightings. Hotels take these reports seriously and are equally committed to resolving them as management is. Additionally, bed bug mitigation and treatment protocols are reviewed with each hotel during every site visit by the Hotel Committee. When a suspected bed bug report is made, the hotel will immediately take the affected room out of service, along with the adjacent rooms, as well as those above and below it, for at least 24 hours. During this time, a pest control vendor will inspect and treat the rooms, even if no bed bugs are found. This precautionary measure is taken to ensure safety. Management receives these reports upon request, which they have shared with the Hotel Committee. While it is impossible to prevent bed bugs entirely, we encourage Flight Attendants to remain vigilant and take precautions by familiarizing themselves with the AFA Bed Bug Resources.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee conducts visits to hotels that are considered by management to ensure that the selected options provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. Crew Hotels has provided the Committee with the remaining cities that will be visited in 2025: SLC (Sept), SAN (Oct), CUN (Oct), BNA (Nov), HNL (Nov), MCO – Long Stay (Nov), ORD – Short Stay (Dec), and SJO (Dec). Market reviews are triggered by factors such as contract expirations, crew complaints, and opportunities for cost savings. Depending on the outcome of these reviews, additional site visits may be arranged in those cities.
  2. Hotel Gainshare Program: MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich, MEC President Tim Green, and MEC Vice President Brice McGee met with management on July 28 to continue discussions on a Hotel Gainshare program. Our prior meetings have focused on general program discussion and research. Our next steps are to build out the program’s concepts. We’ll continue to keep you updated as developments occur.    

We Want to Hear From You!

Don’t let any unacceptable experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation provider go unnoticed! Please report the issue via CrewCare so that it can be addressed. CrewCare is the only official way to report issues, as the Hotel Committee does not monitor social media channels.

Each CrewCare submission is forwarded to your AFA Hotel Committee, Crew Hotels (Alaska management), API and the hotel or ground transportation provider. This ensures quick action can be taken to correct the issue or fix it for the next crewmember. It also allows us to monitor hotel and transportation trends. You can quickly file a CrewCare report using the web app on your IMD home screen or by clicking here.

Do you have any other feedback you would like to share with the committee or any specific items you want us to bring up with management? Please let us know! The Local Hotel Committee is here to represent you and ensure management hears your voice. You can find our contact information on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – January 2026

On Wednesday, January 28, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO & MEC ASHSC Vice […]

AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall: Join Us Tuesday, March 3

This is your opportunity to connect, share, and be heard! Join us at an AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall on Tuesday, March 3. Get the latest AFA news and connect directly with our MEC Officers. Bring your questions—this is your chance to get answers directly from AFA Representatives. The Details What: AFA Alaska + […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, January 27, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

Celebrating Black History Month

February 1 marks the start of Black History Month in the United States—a vibrant celebration with roots dating back to 1925, when acclaimed historian Carter G. Woodson first introduced “Negro History Week” to highlight the remarkable achievements of Black individuals. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford expanded it to Black History Month, calling on all […]

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000 

On this day, we pause to remember and honor the anniversary of the tragic loss of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which occurred on January 31, 2000. This heartbreaking event claimed the lives of all 88 passengers and crew on board, leaving an enduring impact on all of us. As we reflect on this tragic day, […]

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