Master Executive Council (MEC)

• The April 2024 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Wednesday, April 10.
• Our MEC met with management to receive updates and review concerns, including DOT drug testing procedures, lack of meetings with the AFA Benefits Committee, coffee maker safety, and staffing adjustment leave administration.
• Our Negotiating Committee will return to the bargaining table next week in a scheduled mediation session, focusing on data from the Flight Attendant Financial Security Survey.

Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) held its regular meeting for April 2024 on Wednesday, April 10. These meetings, required under the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, provide an important opportunity for the MEC to discuss and address issues and concerns affecting our Union and Members at the airline level. Your directly elected LEC President (or their designee) attends these meetings as your representative and votes on your behalf when decisions need to be made.

During the meeting, the MEC received updates from the MEC Officers and LEC Presidents. Additionally, the MEC reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons detailing their current work and activities.

Meeting With Management

During most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review the current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants face. Attendees from management this month included Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Constance von Muehlen, Vice President of Inflight Matt Prainito, Managing Director of Inflight Services Gloria Chow, Senior Labor Relations Program Manager Mike Link, Director of Payroll Leah Ables, Vice President of Finance Ryan St. John, Managing Director of Operations Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, and Director of Crew Staffing Nick Giles.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• Aircraft deliveries and anticipated summer flying. Aircraft deliveries from Boeing have slowed, and no aircraft have been delivered to Alaska this year. Management is adjusting the summer schedule to reflect the reduced fleet numbers.
• Flight Attendant hiring and staffing. Management is still hiring as planned for 2024, with four initial training classes scheduled.
• Base supervisor consistency. Management is working to improve consistency among base supervisors systemwide by documenting procedures better and setting expectations.
• DOT random drug testing procedures. Our MEC brought forward concerns about the lack of private testing facilities in certain outstations and where tests are administered in those locations (Hawaii stations in particular). Additional concerns were brought forward regarding the isolated location of some facilities and the possibility of having another employee accompany a Flight Attendant. Management will review the concerns and respond to the MEC. 
• AFA Benefits Committee meetings with management. The ongoing lack of meetings between our AFA Benefits Committee and their counterparts in management continues to have a detrimental effect on our ability to address and resolve problems affecting Flight Attendants. Though management did agree to hold a meeting late last year, they have not continued meeting with the Committee on an ongoing basis. Our MEC reiterated that we believe it is essential for management to meet with the Committee every quarter at a minimum. Management will review the request further and respond.
• Ongoing coffee maker safety issues. Despite management’s attempted mitigations and procedure changes, Flight Attendants continue to be injured by coffee makers spewing hot coffee and grounds during brewing. These continued injury reports indicate that the mitigations and procedure changes implemented are insufficient. Our Air Safety, Health, and Security Committee (ASHSC) and Inflight Service Committee will officially request to re-open the associated safety risk assessment (SRA).
• Staffing adjustment leave administration. Our MEC shared several concerns about how staffing adjustment leaves are administered for Flight Attendants and ongoing issues with resolving problems. Management will review the recurring issues and agree to improve the current processes causing problems.

Contract Negotiations/Mediation

Our Negotiating Committee will return to the bargaining table with management next week in a session facilitated by our assigned mediator from the National Mediation Board (NMB). The Committee plans to review and share statistical data from the Flight Attendant Financial Security Survey with management and the mediator at the session. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey and for the support from our Mobilization Volunteers who encouraged participation!

Questions?

If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please get in touch with your LEC President.