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Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2023

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, January 5 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
  • Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever given the challenges we are currently facing as a work group.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed through Report It!  Please contact a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Thursday, January 5, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace.  Representing you at the meeting were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Blair Kimball (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN).  Also present were MEC ASHSC Air Quality Representative Yvette Satterlee and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.  The committee met with Cabin Safety Manager Cari Smith-Allen, Director of Inflight Training & Standards Thomas Kaminski, Inflight Reporting Coordinator Kevin Weatherbie, Director of Inflight Safety & Compliance Corey Chestnut, Interim Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, and Senior Inflight Safety & Data Specialist Claudia Modl from management.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items when meeting with management.  Some items discussed include:

  • Announcements changed from
    “must” to “should” when telling passengers to unplug from seat power. Management agreed to change this back to “must”.
  • Requested more timely notification of possible air quality events so AFA can provide timely support.
  • Location of the onboard wheelchair. The Company won’t be able to change the location of the onboard wheelchair, but management has agreed to look at the feasibility of moving liquid supplies out of the centerline overhead bin so possible leakage doesn’t damage other supplies and soak the onboard wheelchair case.
  • Boarding should be at D-40, but SEA boards at D-43. Inflight management has been working with the SEA station on this issue. Company policy is that boarding starts at D-40 at all stations and SEA is not an exception. The ASHSC has asked Inflight to change the prebuilt replies in Block2Block team messaging to the “Are you ready to board” question to state “we are ready to board at D-40”, so is no confusion about the intent responding.
  • Flying after an inflight emergency or medical. When a situation occurs where Section 15 of the contract applies, management who are in contact with Flight Attendants after the event should clearly communicate that a trip drop with pay protection, but without points, is available.  This allows Flight Attendants to make the safest choice for themselves and the operation without having to worry about personal consequences.
  • ANC Airport parking lot and ice removal. Inflight safety and compliance management will reach out to ANC base management to see if they can help address the issues.
  • Immediate assistance during irregular ops/emergencies. Inflight needs to utilize additional resources to help with hotels and transportation and other issues which can be handled outside of scheduling so Flight Attendants are not waiting in situations that may not be safe.
  • Trash odors in Galley 1 on the 737 MAX. The trash compartments are supposed to be cleaned on every RON. The Committee has asked for an audit of this process as there are still reports of issues with odors in trash areas caused by the design of the F/C trash opening/chute, which allows some waste placed in the receptacle to fall outside of the trash can.
  • Trays in Galley 4-2 continue to be in the wrong location. Trays can fall out and cause injury. A fix was implemented on December 6 by Catering, but it needs more attention since there are reports of the issue still occurring.
  • Tray tables on the A321 can block access to the B Flight Attendant jumpseat. Even if this is an allowable configuration, the Committee doesn’t believe it is safe and would like it addressed.
  • Ice cleats. Concerns with passengers wearing them onboard the aircraft as they could damage the aircraft interior.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. Bed Bug Exposure Protocol.  Together with the Hotel Committee, working towards the adoption of an exposure protocol so Flight Attendants and management will know how to respond when bed bug exposure has been confirmed.
  2. Time for Equipment Checks and Briefings. The ASHSC continues to advocate for an adequate amount of time to complete checks and briefings prior to passenger boarding.
  3. Launching the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program.  Continuing to work with the other members of the LOSA Steering Committee to launch the LOSA Program.  A total of 36 peer LOSA Observers have been selected, representing all the bases. The first round of observations will occur from January 27 to February 28. We expect the deidentified data generated from the observations will result in improvements to policy and procedure, the safety of our work environment, and the quality of our training. 

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt!  If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website. 

iPhone 13 Inflight Mobile Device Distribution

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Management will begin issuing new iPhone 13 IMDs next week to Flight Attendants who currently have an iPhone 7 or 8 Plus IMD.
  • Flight Attendants will be paid 0.5 TFP for picking up the new device and performing the necessary setup tasks.
  • If you’re not scheduled to work during the distribution period in your base, other pickup options, including direct shipping to the address of your choice at no cost to you, will be available.

Management recently notified AFA that they plan to begin distributing new iPhone 13 Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) to Flight Attendants who are currently issued iPhone 7 or 8 Plus devices.  Distribution will take place in one base at a time over approximately six weeks.  The specific schedule will be communicated by management separately.  Flight Attendants who were hired in 2022 or have already been issued an iPhone 13 IMD will continue using their current device.

iPhone 13 IMD Distribution Letter of Agreement (LOA)

In anticipation of the distribution of new iPhone 13 IMDs, AFA and management have entered into a letter of agreement (LOA), further clarifying the process.  AFA LOA 2023-01-09 (Distribution of iPhone 13 Inflight Mobile Devices to Flight Attendants Currently Issued an iPhone 7 or 8 Plus) provides benefits and protections to Flight Attendants, including:

  • Pay of 0.5 TFP for picking up the device and performing the necessary setup tasks (automatically paid on the April 20th paycheck).
  • Flexible pick-up options if not scheduled to work during the designated distribution period, including the option to have the device shipped to the address of your choice at no cost.
  • Specific limitations regarding what tasks Flight Attendants will be required to perform to set the device up.
  • A defined process (with the potential for additional compensation) to handle instances where Flight Attendants have to perform work over and above the limited setup tasks or standard maintenance requirements to make the IMD ready-to-use.

For complete details, please click here to view the complete LOA.  You can also find the LOA on your IMD in GoodReader in the ASFA Supplemental > Collective Bargaining Agreement folder.

LAX Co-Terminal Support

Through the continued advocacy of the AFA Council 18 LEC Officers, management has also agreed to provide on-site IT support to distribute IMDs at each of the LAX co-terminals.  On-site support at the LAX co-terminals will take place in March, and specific dates will be published by management in advance.  LAX-based Flight Attendants who primarily fly out of co-terminals can also pick up their IMD at LAX or any other domicile during the scheduled distribution period or make alternate arrangements as outlined in the LOA.

Questions?

If you have questions about the iPhone 13 IMD Distribution LOA, please contact your LEC Officers.

AFA Alaska News in Review – January 6, 2023

In This Edition

National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Originally posted January 6, 2023

Human trafficking is a crime that occurs when force, fraud, or coercion is used to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act from another person. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Help by taking a stand against human trafficking and recommit to ending it on our planes. Join the third annual #WearBlueDay on January 11th to help build public awareness about the ongoing fight to end human trafficking. 

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, January 10 – Thursday, January 12Contract Negotiations
Tuesday, January 10 – Wednesday, January 11Regular MEC Meeting
Friday, January 13Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Human Rights Committee

  • Human trafficking is a crime that occurs when force, fraud, or coercion is used to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act from another person.
  • January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Help by taking a stand against human trafficking and recommit to ending it on our planes.
  • Join the third annual #WearBlueDay on January 11th to help build public awareness about the ongoing fight to end human trafficking.

As Flight Attendants, we are uniquely positioned to identify human traffickers and assist their victims.  Flight crews are skilled observers, and with the appropriate training, they can be the frontline against trafficking, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  Indicators of human trafficking can include: physical control of travel documents of an adult traveler by a co-traveler; restricting the movement and social interaction of an adult traveler by a co-traveler; an adult traveler who is unclear on details of his/her final destination or point of contact; or a child traveler who appears to be accompanied by someone claiming to be the parent or guardian who is in fact not related to the child.

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. We can take a stand against human trafficking by recommitting ourselves to end it on our planes. As Flight Attendants and aviation’s first responders, we are uniquely positioned to identify human traffickers and assist their victims.

Wear Blue on January 11th

All over the world people will be wearing blue articles of clothing, January 11, in observance of the third annual #WearBlueDay to encourage greater public awareness about the scourge of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a billion dollar business, but Flight Attendants can be 100,000 Eyes in the Skies to recognize and report it. We can be the ones to make the difference.

Want to participate? Here’s how:

  • Post a photo of yourself and others on social media wearing blue with hashtags #WearBlueDay and when tweeting tag @afa_cwa.
  • Finish the statement #WeWearBlueBecause to share why you are participating. 

Download and print the AFA/Department of Homeland Security’s Guide to Recognize and Report Suspected Human Trafficking. 

AFA Alaska News in Review – December 30, 2022

In This Edition

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – December 2022

Originally posted December 28, 2022

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, December 27 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding. Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Thursday, January 5Quarterly Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Meeting
Thursday, January 5Scheduling Review Board (SRB)
Thursday, January 5Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

 

AFA News in Review – September 19, 2025

In This Edition Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month Originally posted September 15, 2025 Join us in celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, a time dedicated to honoring the vibrant cultures and significant contributions of Hispanic-Latinx Americans. Discover the history, participate in special events, and grab your commemorative Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month AFA Pin […]

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 first 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

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons. 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 […]

Election Notice: Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Officer Elections

The term of office for our current Alaska + Hawaiian Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2025. The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the November Regular MEC meeting. This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual. […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025 Update #2

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Negotiations Update Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with the company on September 11 to review their response to our September 5 proposal.  We feel that it is important to acknowledge the challenges within our company as Alaska management is struggling to understand our Collective Bargaining Agreement […]

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