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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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Winter Storm Jonas 2016

Effective immediately, AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to enact the provisions of Section 8.S. [Natural Disasters…] in order to remove crews laying over in the Washington, DC (DCA and IAD), and Baltimore, MD (BWI), areas due to Winter Storm Jonas 2016.

 

Crew Scheduling is currently working on contacting and re-routing the affected crews.

 

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact your LEC president.

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC Scheduling Chairperson Jake Jones

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Open Time Trial

AFA wants to clear up any confusion regarding the open time trial. CBA §12.F.10. [Trial Period], states that, “Minimum trial period of twelve (12) months from the month of initial implementation (unless canceled earlier pursuant to F.9., above), which will be determined in the Contract Implementation Schedule. The trial period may be extended by mutual agreement.”

AFA and management agreed when all or most programming is updated the trial period will begin. AFA wants the trial period to commence when all contractual open time features are available and programmed.

The purpose of the trial is, “to create a better more equitable trading system that increases Flight Attendants’ flexibility in modifying their schedules and to improve predictability of staffing and limit the impact of sequence drops to OT on reserve coverage.” CBA §12.F.

In order to fulfill the purpose of the trial, the system must be completely programmed allowing the Flight Attendants and management to utilize it under real conditions. “If the trial creates a liability that cannot be supported, either the Association or the Company may decide to end the Open Time Trial prior to twelve months provided the parties have attempted to modify the Threshold Sequence Number pursuant to §12.F.8.” CBA §12.F.9.

During the trial period, AFA will survey Flight Attendants regarding their satisfaction with Open Time trading on a monthly basis per §12.F.8.d.5. The Master Executive Council (MEC) will continuously review all available information—including the survey—in order to determine if the Open Time trial is working for the Association. The voting members of the MEC (the LEC president of each base) will decide on behalf of the Association whether or not to end the Open Time trial pursuant to §12.F.9.

eMaestro is currently being reprogrammed with the correct contractual applications for the Open Time trial. Once the new code has been properly tested and approved, it will go live. Based on the latest estimates, we are anticipating the Open Time trial to officially begin in the next month or so.

If you have comments, concerns or suggestions please contact your LEC president.

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

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Alaska Listens “Red Flags”

AFA would like to bring to your attention management’s use of Alaska Listens passenger comments. Inflight management has deemed negative comments “red flags” and has a procedure to address them.

 

When a red flag comes to management’s attention an Inflight manager will determine its seriousness. If the red flag is deemed to be somewhat benign or general then a base supervisor will email the Flight Attendant and copy in the other base supervisors. The Flight Attendant can contact any supervisor and have the email/Alaska Listens comment read to them over the phone or read it in person. Depending on the number of red flags for the specific Flight Attendant, the supervisor will either shred the document after the conversation or let the Flight Attendant know that s/he will now have a record of discussion (ROD) in her or his file.

 

A ROD is not considered discipline, but it can lead to discipline if the Flight Attendant acquires more red flags. Management decided that if a Flight Attendant receives three benign/general comments in a six-month period then that Flight Attendant would be referred to their performance supervisor.

 

If an Alaska Listens comment is deemed serious then the Flight Attendant will likely be referred directly to her or his performance supervisor. Depending on the severity of the allegation, the Flight Attendant could be given a ROD, an oral or written warning, and in rare cases a suspension or termination.

 

If a Flight Attendant is contacted to speak with management, s/he should ask if the conversation could lead to discipline. If the answer is “yes” or “maybe” (or any other permutation of that sentiment such as “I don’t know”), s/he should request union representation. In all cases s/he should request a union representative prior to writing any statement.

 

Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers [ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15] or grievance reps.

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC Grievance Chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl and Committee Member Stephanie Adams

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Holiday JA and Printed Contract Updates

December 2015 Junior Assignment

 

AFA met with Inflight management last week to debrief Junior Assignment over the holidays. AFA focused on the new contractual language and explored why JA went so senior in several bases. It was a very productive meeting, and both parties were left with homework to do with regard to the JA lists. We will have a more complete report out for you once the parties compare notes this week. Be assured AFA is working diligently to ensure contractual compliance and, if appropriate, to achieve the much-improved compensation for JA out of order pursuant to Section 9.D.1.e.

 

Printed Contract

 

The “formatted” proofs came back from the printer but were unacceptable. The printer took the 8.5” x 11” document and simply shrank it down to fit into a 5.5” x 8.5” format. This reduced the font to an unreadable size.

 

We are now in the process of reformatting the document “in house” and expect the document to be sent to the printer next week. The printer will produce another proof and send it back to AFA and management for approval. If all looks good, then it will go to press.

 

You will also be receiving a durable hardcover for the contract similar to our Flight Attendant Manual but with a thinner spine. The Company is covering the cost of printing and will be distributing the contract per CBA §27.A. [Distribution of the Agreement]. The Company is picking up the cost of producing and distributing the hardcovers as well.

 

* * *

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

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No Junior Assignment for anybody who picks up a Premium Open Time trip returning on December 24th or 25th

Temporary contractual modification approved by roll call vote

 

By majority roll call vote, the Master Executive Council (MEC) has approved a temporary contractual modification that makes anybody who picks up a Premium OT trip returning to domicile on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ineligible for Junior Assignment off of that trip. Inflight management requested this temporary contractual modification with the hope that more flight attendants will pick up from Premium Open Time if they know they will not be JA’able on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. However, this request was made without any guarantee that they would have supervisors and managers flying as well.

 

Not an easy decision…

 

This was not an easy decision to make because there are several pro’s and con’s on each side of the argument whether or not to grant the temporary contractual waiver. Under the default MEC voting procedure outlined in the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws in Article VII.D.5.b [Master Executive Councils –> Master Executive Council Meetings –> Voting], each voting member of the MEC casts one vote on any issue before the MEC. A majority determines the outcome.

 

Votes were cast as follows:

 

Yes: 19 SEA, 39 PDX

No: 15 SAN, 18 LAX, 30 ANC.

Motion failed.

 

Roll call voting record

 

Council 19 Seattle subsequently requested a roll call vote on the issue, which is in order under the provisions of Article VII.D.5.b. In a roll call, each voting member of the MEC receives one vote for each member in good standing s/he represents. A majority determines the outcome. Votes were re-cast as follows:

 

Council number, number of dues paying members (in parenthesis), name of voting member(s) (in brackets), voting record

 

15 SAN (240) [Buker]: 0 Yes / 240 No

18 LAX (454) [Morrow]: 0 Yes / 454 No

19 SEA (1882) [Jones]: 1800 Yes / 82 No

30 ANC (315) [Pinkston]: 0 Yes / 315 No

39 PDX (452) [Gwynn]: 452 Yes / 0 No

 

Yes: 2252 / No: 1091

Motion carries.

 

* * *

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your LEC president.

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

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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.

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, June 24, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to raise awareness and create positive change within our workplace and community. Your representatives attending the meeting were Nyachan Chuar (ANC), Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Trista Vanta (SFO), Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), […]

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