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MEC AQ Update July 27, 2013: Recent Aircraft Cabin Air Quality Events

***Updated July 7, 2015***

 

July 27, 2013

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

Very likely you are aware that Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants have recently experienced two different high profile aircraft cabin air quality incidents. Please be assured that Alaska Airlines Maintenance and Engineering, Flight Ops and Inflight are working with AFA on this very serious issue.  Due to the increased frequency of air quality events and the severity of these recent two, AFA is stepping up our focus in this area.

AFA representatives have been in contact with affected members, are working through the administrative processes and meeting with Company reps to identify the mechanical faults. AFA is currently developing practical educational material to share with all of our members and planning air quality awareness/incident training for safety reps from each local council. AFA International Air Safety & Health Department Industrial Hygienist Judith Anderson is assisting the effort as resident subject matter expert.  Once the investigations are complete, the affected crew members will be given copies of the maintenance reports to be provided by Alaska Airlines. AFA will also report back with any lessons learned from these and other recent air quality incidents.

If you or any of your crewmembers experience an air quality event contact:

  • MEC Air Quality chairperson Karyn Kobe (775-560-3297), or
  • AFA Air Safety & Health Department Industrial Hygienist Judith Anderson (206-932-6237).

More information regarding aircraft cabin air quality may be found on the

Take care and fly safe!

 

“Five Bases, One Voice”

Negotations Update July 12, 2013: Mediation 1

July 12, 2013

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

First order of business is to congratulate our brothers and sisters of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) at Alaska Airlines on ratifying their Tentative Agreement.  We hope that success bodes well for our efforts at the table.
We just wrapped our first week of mediation in Valencia, CA. Victoria Gray, our National Mediation Board federal mediator, assisted both sides in defining all remaining open items and mapping a path forward. She also strongly suggested that both sides keep public communications very general and less detailed than in pre-mediation times.  She explained that mediated sessions can become very intense and negotiating positions can shift rapidly.   Having detailed positions outlined in publications can sometimes hamper the flexibility to get the deal done.   Both parties agreed to keep updates more generic.
That said, we are still committed to keeping you apprised of what’s going on at the bargaining table. With Mediator Gray’s assistance, we were able to TA three sections:  New Section:  Hotels, Section 30: Training and Section 27: Association Business.  We had significant discussion on Section 14: Vacation, Section 16: Sick Leave and Section 32: Attendance Policy.

As we reported earlier in the week, AFA has retained a very experienced travel industry economist to assist us with costing and evaluating the company’s financial modeling. Dan Akins brings over 30 years of experience and has worked with several AFA councils and other unions in negotiations. We are very happy to have Dan’s expertise and he has already been very helpful at the bargaining table.
Our next session is August 20-22 in Portland, OR.

 

In solidarity,

 

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

“Five Bases, One Voice”

www.alaskamec.org

Recall of TwinHill Uniform by Q4 2013 or Q1 2014

July 10, 2013

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) is very pleased to report that Alaska Airlines intends to replace the TwinHill uniform with an interim Land’s End uniform by late fourth quarter 2013 or early first quarter 2014. All Flight Attendants will be out of the TwinHill uniform much earlier than the originally anticipated date of late 2014! It has been a long, long road to get to this point but AFA is thrilled that Alaska Airlines management is taking this bold action to restore confidence in our uniform. AFA representatives have been involved in the selection of Land’s End—including an extensive vetting process with safety as a primary driver.  We are highly confident that Land’s End will be able to deliver a product that is free from the issues many have reported while in or around the current stock uniform. The transition to the interim uniform will happen all on the same day and AFA has been informed that there will be an overnight effort to resolve safety concerns from potential contact transfer on the jumpseats during that transition.

 

However, please keep in mind that this is only a temporary uniform from Land’s End Business Outfitters stock catalog. Flight Attendants will eventually be transitioned to a custom Land’s End uniform once the “brand refresh” review has been completed—up to two years from now. With all the new Flight Attendant uniforms going public lately, we do not want anybody to be disappointed as a result of thinking that this new Land’s End uniform–which will probably lack many of the more exciting elements in other airline uniforms—will be with us for any length of time. Again, it is just an interim uniform until a more permanent and presumably more exciting uniform is in place.

 

AFA knows there will be a lot of questions and we will continue to update you along the way through MEC communications or the AFA Uniform Committee. You will also find more information on Alaska’s World, the Inflight webpage and in First Class. Also, the MEC would be remiss if we did not thank AFA International Air Safety and Health Industrial Hygienist Judith Murawski for her determined advocacy on behalf of our affected members.

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

 

“Five Bases, One Voice”

www.alaskamec.org

eMaestro Update: 830pm (pst)

Dear Flight Attendants,

It was too good to be true, well, for some of us!

There appears to be continuing issues with eMaestro. The problem is not specific to any browser, but Internet Explorer and Chrome are the top culprits. Depending on your preferred browser, IT has provided what they believe will fix the issue.

Please remember that Crew Scheduling cannot fix the issue and we ask that you refrain from calling them unless you need to report a sick call or an operational situation.

First thing in the morning the MEC will determine if the issue continues to exist and if we need to address the closing time for bids, again. 

 The IT fix addresses clearing your browsing history. Please refer to the following helpful tips for your specific browser:

INTERNET EXPLORER

Tools: Delete Browsing History. Everything needs to be checked- Delete

Close browser and reopen

FIREFOX

Tools: Options/Privacy/Clear your recent history for the last 24hours

Details: Top 4 options must be checked- Clear now

Close browser and reopen

GOOGLE CHROME

Click on the three-line box in the upper right corner, go to History and click on Clear Browsing History. Set the amount of time you want to clear and then click on Clear Browsing History again.

Drop down must be changed to past day/clear browsing history. 

Close browser and reopen

We will continue to update you with information as soon as we receive it-

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

“Five Bases, One Voice”

 

eMaestro Update: System Back Up and Running

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

At approximately 545pm tonight the problem with the eMaestro system was fixed and the system is now up and running.

Even though eMaestro is now operational please note that the new time for bid closure is still 12:00 noon (pst) July 10, 2013.

The MEC will work with the company to determine what caused the problem and how to avoid this type of system failure in the future.

Thank you for your patience today!

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

“Five Bases, One Voice”

www.alaskamec.org

Navigating Acute & Delayed Stress As A Flight Attendant

Stress is an inherent aspect of the Flight Attendant profession, often stemming from the demanding nature of responsibilities and the unpredictable nature of air travel. It’s essential for Flight Attendants not only to understand the different types of stress they may encounter but also to recognize the warning signs of acute and delayed stress for […]

Protect Yourself From Potential Discipline on Social Media

Our Grievance Committee would like to provide background on social media, protected classes, and discipline. Federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or transgender status), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.  Alaska’s People Policy says: Personal Conduct22. Threatening, intimidating, or discourteous behavior, including abusive, profane, or obscene language, acts, […]

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, March 25, 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 included Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Nyachan Chuar (ANC), and Yan Yan Teague (SEA). MEC Human […]

Pre-Merger Hawaiian Inflight Service Committee Update – March 2026

Editor’s Note: Our MEC Inflight Service Committee now represents both pre-merger airlines, but management still makes service decisions that affect each group of Flight Attendants differently. This update covers changes for both Hawaiian- and Alaska-branded flying, but is specific to aircraft flown by pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines crews. As the work of the merger progresses, we […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 13 – March 2026

Our JNC met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC focused on clarifying questions about moving expenses and presented a proposal for Sick Leave, using feedback from Flight Attendants to guide improvements. The Committee is working to incorporate the strongest elements from both contracts to ensure better support for all members.

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