Uniform Committee
- Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on February 13, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms.
- The Committee met with management to discuss uniform issues reported by Flight Attendants, including quality, wearability, and availability.
- If you encounter issues with uniform quality or construction, please report them to Unisync as soon as possible and include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson to help track any trends.
On Thursday, February 13, 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). MEC Vice President-elect Brice McGee and MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Kiara Jenkins were also present.
The committee also met with Director of Procurement and Logistics Eric Phillipson, Interim Senior Product Manager Marketing Ann McCurties, 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, May 8, 2025.
Topics of Discussion
The committee reviewed several topics both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:
- The wear test for the transition jacket began on February 14 and will run until March 14.
- The Committee is collaborating with the Benefits Committee to find an alternative solution for non-medical grade compression nylons (previously supplied by OccuFit). Flight Attendants can continue to obtain medical-grade compression nylons through their insurance.
- An issue regarding uniform exchanges and reimbursements for alterations has been escalated to the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. Our MEC is strongly opposed to denials based on Flight Attendants not having an order history for a specific piece. There is no contractual language stating that Flight Attendants must only wear pieces obtained through the uniform subsite or their Unisync account. All alterations and exchanges should be approved by management, regardless of how the pieces were acquired. The Committee has suggested an update to the reimbursement form, requiring Flight Attendants to include the batch number of the piece they are altering to verify it is a uniform item. Management responded that they will continue to deny requests, stating that they believe this is not in line with the spirit of the intended language.
- The Uniform Policy Guide will be updated to reflect additional combinations for the ¼ zip cardigan.
- Management has released new “Uniform Care” videos to provide guidance on extending the longevity of uniform pieces.
- Name tags are now individually wrapped in bubble wrap to prevent damage during shipping, which should reduce the incidence of wings arriving broken.
- The results of the sweater shell and cardigan wear test did not yield sufficient feedback regarding durability to justify a change in production.
- Management has received reports of non-compliant uniform wear from social media sites, including yoga pants and lug-style shoes. Purchasing these items is highly discouraged, as you will be out the money and may also face progressive disciplinary action during uniform checks. Management has initiated a uniform coalition, and uniform checks will be increasing across all workgroups in the near future. For the most up-to-date policies, please refer to the Uniform Policy Guide in your IMD or TeamAAG and contact your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson.
- The tote exchange program remains effective for qualifying classes.
- Open requests include:
- A stuff sack for the puffer parka.
- Photos of models and their sizes next to each clothing piece to give Flight Attendants an idea of what size would work best for their body, similar to those on the Uniqlo, Gap, and Madewell websites (e.g., Model Ailani is 5’7″, wearing size D).
- Coordination with HR and a pantyhose company to offer items on PerkSpot (or a similar platform) so that Flight Attendants are not paying full price out of pocket.
- Addition of a Uniform Quality Report on IMD or a related link on the Flight Attendant website.
What The Committee Is Working On
- Better Sizing Guides. Requesting pictures that illustrate sizes to help Flight Attendants order pieces more accurately.
- Wear Testing. Wear testing for a more versatile transition jacket will run from February 14 to March 14.
- Tote Exchange Program. Specific to the post-COVID classes who were not given the normal selection process for totes due to supply chain issues. Please see your supervisor if you would like to exchange your bags.
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.
