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AFA News in Review – September 12, 2025

In This Edition

  • SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025
  • Vacation Survey Now Open
  • We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001
  • Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025
  • Next Week’s Events

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September

Originally posted September 6, 2025 | Pre-Merger Hawaiian

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee recently concluded three days of collective bargaining in Honolulu, focusing on key issues affecting our Flight Attendants. Central to our discussions were plans for an improved transfer process, adequate staffing, moving expenses, and protections for our existing bases in HNL and LAX. We remain committed to transparency as we work towards a strong foundation for the SEA domicile.

Read More >

Vacation Survey Now Open

Originally posted September 10, 2025

Our Joint Negotiating Committee is conducting a survey to gather Flight Attendant feedback on vacation benefits, aiming to align the Alaska and Hawaiian contracts to better meet your needs. With notable differences in vacation systems—such as Alaska’s flexibility in trading days and Hawaiian’s cancellation and bidding options—your input is vital for shaping a quality work-life and ensuring our benefits reflect your preferences.

Read More >

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

Originally posted September 11, 2025

Read More >

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

Originally posted September 12, 2025 | Pre-Merger Alaska

During their meeting this week, our Hotel Committee focused on addressing ongoing concerns in cities like JFK, MCO, BZE, and KOA based on your feedback. Read more about their discussions, plus more on the TBD hotel designation in the bid packet, and ongoing efforts to enhance our layover experience through site visits and the Hotel Gainshare Program.

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, September 16Quarterly Human Rights Committee Meeting
Tuesday, September 16 – Thursday, September 18Regular MEC Meeting
Thursday, September 18Quarterly Inflight Service Committee Meeting

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Monday, September 8, 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), Ila Christy (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. 

This was the final meeting of our pre-merger Alaska Hotel Committee, and we’d like to thank everyone who has served on the Committee for their hard work and contributions. Next month, we’ll transition to our newly merged committee, representing the combined Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendant groups. Our next meeting for the Hotel Committee is scheduled for Monday, October 13.

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:

  • City-Specific Discussion: The Hotel Committee addressed several city-specific issues. These included concerns regarding our long-stay hotel at JFK, which has experienced a significant increase in rooms not being ready at check-in, issues with cleanliness, and the availability of refrigerators. Additionally, we discussed our long-stay options at MCO and potential alternatives in BZE. We also inquired about increasing the crew discount for our KOA property. Discussions regarding ground transportation focused on the use of shared transportation reports in ATL and MCI.
  • TBD Hotels in Bid Packet: At the end of June, management announced via an Information Bulletin that they would begin using a “TBD” (To Be Determined) indicator for any hotel that may be uncertain for the month. This change was made at the request of the Hotel Committee to ensure hotel accommodations are accurately represented in both the bid packet and PBS. The Committee has requested a report detailing the reasons for the TBD designation (e.g., hotels that have exceeded contracted room caps on specific days, hotels with known blackout dates, newly added hotels that have not yet been finalized, etc.). This will provide greater insight and help us better respond to questions from Flight Attendants.
  • Final Hotel Decisions: A final hotel decision has been communicated for FLL, and a decision regarding SEA is expected soon. For security reasons, the names of the hotels are not published here and will be shared in an Informational Bulletin on Team AAG near the end of the month.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee conducts visits to hotels that are under consideration 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), MSO (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: Conversations regarding the program are ongoing, and hopefully, we’ll be finalizing the program details this month. 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.

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

AFA Never Forget Website

United Flight 175

Robert J. Fangman
Amy N. Jarret
Amy R. King
Kathryn LaBorie
Alfred G. Marchand
Michael C. Tarrou
Alicia N. Titus
Captain: Victor Saracini
First Officer: Michael Horrocks
Customer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez

United Flight 93

Lorraine G. Bay
Sandra Bradshaw
Wanda A. Green
CeeCee Lyles
Deborah Welsh
Captain: Jason Dahl
First Officer: Leroy Homer

American Flight 11

Barbara Arestegui
Jeffrey Collman
Sara Low
Karen Martin
Kathleen Nicosia
Betty Ong
Jean Roger
Madeline Sweeney
Dianne Snyder
Captain: John Ogonowski
First Officer: Thomas McGuinness
Customer Service Representative: Renee Newell

American Flight 77

Michele Heidenberger
Jennifer Lewis
Kenneth Lewis
Renee May
Captain: Charles Burlingame
First Officer: David Charlebois

Vacation Survey Now Open

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working diligently to understand and improve the vacation benefits for our Flight Attendants at Alaska and Hawaiian. Your input is essential in ensuring that the vacation provisions we adopt reflect your needs and preferences.

To gather your perspectives, we invite you to participate in our Vacation Survey. This survey will help us assess which vacation benefits matter most to you, given the significant differences between the Alaska and Hawaiian vacation systems. The survey is currently open and will close on Tuesday, September 24 at Noon PT. We encourage you to take a moment to click the survey link and share your thoughts, so the JNC can accurately represent your interests.

Our goal is to combine the best aspects of both contracts to enhance your quality of work life. However, we recognize that management may prioritize productivity over flexibility, and it is our responsibility to advocate for your interests.

Please take a moment to review the Vacation Quick Reference Guide, for more detailed information there is a comparison chart included in the survey to help you evaluate the potential improvements for your vacation benefits.

To Access the Survey

  • For pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants, enter your PeopleSoft Number
  • For pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants, enter your Employee Number (without leading zeros)

Some important notes:

  • Once the survey is submitted, your responses cannot be edited. Please ensure your selections are final before hitting ‘Submit’. 
  • For ranking questions, all choices must be ranked. You may skip these questions, but remember to rank all options if you choose to respond.

We encourage you to take the time to participate, as an informed and engaged membership is our strongest asset during these negotiations. Thank you for your continued commitment to our collective success. If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

  • Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with management from September 3 through September 5 in Honolulu
  • Our Negotiating Committee is focused on addressing those issues that are important to anyone who may be considering transferring to the new, permanent domicile including: moving expenses, staffing, grouping construction, and the ability to return to your domicile of origin
  • Additional discussions with management will be scheduled soon

Negotiations Update

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management.  The SEA NC met with management on September 3 to September 5 in Honolulu. At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
Tim Green, Committee ChairpersonJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations
Martin Gusman, Committee MemberAllen Thieman, Vice President, Inflight
Joshua Aoki, Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations
Jeffrey Fuke, Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations
Lea Franzoi, Committee Support RepresentativeAdriene Tom, Specialist, Labor Relations
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff Negotiator 

After several weeks of planning, we were able to schedule and hold a week of bargaining with management regarding the proposed Hawaiian Flight Attendant domicile in SEA. During negotiations this week in Honolulu, we exchanged several proposals. Per Section 27.D.2 of our CBA, management must negotiate a supplement before opening a new permanent domicile. These negotiations are crucial for establishing a permanent domicile that effectively supports our Flight Attendants’ interests and addresses the key issues that impact us directly.

Here are some key areas we’re focused on:

  • Transfer Processes – strengthening protective elements of the transfer process for those who may be interested in moving to the new domicile
  • Return to HNL or LAX Domicile – addressing the concern of Flight Attendants transferring to SEA and potentially wishing to return to their Hawaiian domicile before the merging of the Hawaiian and Alaska SEA domiciles
  • Staffing – ensuring that staffing is sufficient to meet operational demands
  • Moving Expenses – advocating for fair and comprehensive compensation related to any necessary relocations
  • Operational Concerns – defining the type of flying and pairings that will be constructed in the domicile
  • Safeguarding Existing Bases – protecting our HNL and LAX domiciles during this transition

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee is committed to transparency throughout this process. Together, we will forge a stronger foundation for our careers and ensure an improved quality of life.

Thank you for your support and engagement as we navigate this endeavor. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local leadership or email the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee at sea@afahawaiian.org.

Communication

Official SEA Domicile Negotiations Updates can be found on the web here, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

What’s Upcoming

Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee intends to schedule additional discussions with management soon.

Meet Our Pre-Merger Alaska Committee Chairperson & Representatives

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants We’re excited to introduce the next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives for the upcoming MEC Officer term. They’ll begin transitioning into their roles over the next few months and officially start their terms on January 1, 2026. Below, you’ll find brief biographies that […]

Meet Our Merged MEC Committee Chairpersons & Representatives

We’re excited to introduce our next group of newly elected merged MEC Committee Chairpersons, who will begin their roles on November 1. These leaders are dedicated to representing the interests of our Flight Attendants as they coordinate activities across the merged committees of both airlines. They’ll work closely with the Local Committee Chairpersons from all […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – October 2025

On Monday, October 13, 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 […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have been elected: MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee […]

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