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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

  • Domestic violence can affect anyone and abusers can come from any demographic or background.
  • Though there is no single defining personality of an abuser, abusers may display common traits or exhibit certain warning signs.
  • If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse, confidential help is available through your AFA EAP Committee at (949) 470-0493 or afaalaska.org/eap.

Signs of Domestic Abuse

Anyone can be an abuser. They come from all groups, all cultures, all religions, all economic levels, and all backgrounds. They can be anyone—your neighbor, your friend, your coworker, etc.  It is important to note that the majority of abusers are only violent with their current or past intimate partners. One study found 90% of abusers do not have criminal records and abusers are generally law-abiding outside the home. 

Traits Abusers May Have in Common

There is no one typical, detectable personality of an abuser. However, they may display common characteristics. An abuser often denies the existence or minimizes the seriousness of the violence and its effect on the victim and other family members. An abuser objectifies the victim and often sees them as their property or sexual objects. An abuser externalizes the causes of their behavior. They blame their violence on circumstances such as stress, their partner’s behavior, a “bad day,” on alcohol, drugs, or other factors. An abuser may be pleasant and charming between periods of violence and is often seen as a “nice person” to others outside the relationship. 

Warning Signs of an Abuser

Red flags and warning signs of an abuser include but are not limited to:

  • Extreme jealousy and/or possessiveness, even accusations of the victim flirting with others or having an affair.
  • Verbal abuse including blaming the victim for anything bad that happens
  • Extremely controlling behavior
  • Antiquated beliefs about roles of women and men in relationships
  • Sabotage or obstruction of the victim’s ability to work or attend outside activities
  • Controls all the finances
  • Control of what the victim wears and how they act
  • Demeaning and/or humiliating the victim either privately or publicly
  • Harassment of the victim at work

Confidential Help is Available

Remember, confidential help is available through your AFA EAP Committee.  Contact us at (949) 470-0493 or afaalaska.org/eap.

This information is provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Alaska Airlines Management’s Unlawful Continued Denial of Washington State Sick Leave Law

Grievance Committee

  • Washington’s Paid Sick Leave Law went into effect on January 1, 2018, which in part allows Flight Attendants to use sick leave to care for themselves or a family member – including preventative care – and for which they cannot be disciplined or given attendance points.
  • The industry trade association Airlines for America and Alaska Airlines management refused to comply with the law and spent the last four years litigating whether they had to or not; they ultimately lost in litigation, and the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit decision in favor of the State of Washington and AFA stands.
  • Management still refuses to comply with the law, so AFA needs Seattle-based Flight Attendants to file complaints with the State of Washington Labor & Industries agency to ensure the law is rightfully applied.

In 2018, a state law providing for paid sick leave went into effect in Washington State. Among other things, it required that employers provide:

  1. A minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, and 
  2. The right to use your sick leave after 90 days of employment, not after the 180 days of employment (following probation) provided in our contract. 

Under the law, you can use this time to care for yourself or a family member — including preventative care. Additionally, the use of paid sick leave time cannot be counted as an absence that leads to or results in any type of discipline – and you cannot be given attendance points.

Click here for more info about WA Paid Sick Leave (WA Department of Labor & Industries) >

When the law went into effect in 2018, the MEC Grievance Committee contacted management to determine how they planned to implement the state law. We then learned that management had no intention of complying and instead would challenge the law through the court system. 

Click here for “Washington Paid Sick Leave Law 2018” (afaalaska.org – February 7, 2018) >

After four years of litigation and a win for the State of Washington and AFA in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court recently denied management’s request to hear the case. 

Click here for “Supreme Court Ruling on A4A v. WA L&I (WA Paid Sick Leave)” (afaalaska.org – July 14, 2022) >

As a result, the 9th Circuit’s ruling against Airlines for America (A4A) – including Alaska Airlines – is final, and no more appeals are possible. Even though the 9th Circuit’s decision in favor of the State of Washington and AFA is now binding, management still refuses to apply this law to Flight Attendants. They argue that litigation in district courts other the 9th Circuit that challenge how other states’ sick leave laws apply to flight crew could impact the application of the state law in Washington. 

AFA strongly disagrees with management’s approach. We encourage Seattle-based Flight Attendants to file claims with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) if any of the following occur:

  1. You are given attendance points for calling in sick to care for yourself or a qualifying family member when you have accrued sick leave to cover the event,
  2. You are denied the use of sick leave for preventative care, or
  3. You are denied the use of paid sick leave after 90 days of employment (and prior to the end of your probationary period of 180 days). 

While filing a claim can be time consuming, doing so helps you and your fellow crew members by protecting your rights and contributing to achieving what is legally due to you.

Click here for SEAFAs to file a claim online with WA L&I >  

We are also evaluating the applicability of the Washington law to all Flight Attendants under a prior arbitration award and will keep you updated on any further developments.

AFA Alaska News in Review – September 30, 2022

In This Edition

ALPA Alaska Approves Tentative Agreement for Pilot Ratification

Originally posted September 23, 2022

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Alaska Airlines leadership recently announced they approved a tentative agreement (TA) with Alaska Airlines management for pilot ratification.

Read More >

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022

Originally posted September 26, 2022

Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Wednesday, September 21 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales.  The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.  Management continues to experience challenges in many locations that are affecting the correct loading on onboard catering supplies and retail products.  Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!  

Read More >

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2022

Originally posted September 28, 2022

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, September 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 >

Modification of Section 10.S – Pre-Cancellations

Originally posted September 28, 2022

AFA and management have recently come to an agreement to provide better clarity as to how pre-cancellations and reassignments are confirmed in advance of the first day of a sequence.  The agreement expands existing pre-cancellation language and provides protections to Flight Attendants in how Crew Scheduling handles a number of additional situations.  The new language goes into effect at midnight on Saturday, October 1, 2022.  If you have any questions, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee for more information.

Read More >

MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Originally posted September 29, 2022

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the term of appointment for the MEC Committee Chairpersons is concurrent with those of the MEC Officers.  As the current MEC Officer term will end on December 31, 2022, the MEC will be conducting a review of all MEC Committee Chairperson and other MEC-level appointed positions at a Special MEC Meeting to be held November 29 through December 1, 2022.

Read More >

Shared on Social

AFA Disaster Relief Fund

We know that disasters can change lives forever. While we can’t stop destructive events from happening, we can, as a Union, assist our members with their recovery. AFA established the Disaster Relief Fund after September 11th to assist our members whose lives were placed in harm’s way.  AFA members and retirees, whose primary residences are in the counties listed on the FEMA website are eligible for $200.00 from the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund.  It is a gift made possible by the generosity of your fellow union siblings with AFA.  (See the AFA website for links to the FEMA site: www.afacwa.org/drf.)

If you would like to apply for AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Funds, visit www.afacwa.org/drf and download the Disaster Relief Fund Application.  If you wish to contribute either by check or electronic payment, please visit www.afacwa.org/drf for more information on donating.

Next Week’s Events

Friday, October 7Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

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!

MEC Committee Chairperson & Appointed Position Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the term of appointment for the MEC Committee Chairpersons is concurrent with those of the MEC Officers.  As the current MEC Officer term will end on December 31, 2022, the MEC will be conducting a review of all MEC Committee Chairperson and other MEC-level appointed positions at a Special MEC Meeting to be held November 29 through December 1, 2022.

During this review process, the MEC will be interviewing for the following MEC-level chairperson positions:

  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson
  • Benefits Committee Chairperson
  • Communications Committee Chairperson
  • EAP Committee Chairperson
  • EAP Committee Vice Chairperson
  • Government Affairs Committee Chairperson
  • Grievance Committee Chairperson
  • Hotel Committee Chairperson
  • Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson
  • Human Rights Committee Chairperson
  • Inflight Service Committee Chairperson
  • Inflight Training Committee Chairperson
  • Reserve Committee Chairperson
  • Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson – New Hire & Probation
  • Retirement Committee Chairperson
  • Scheduling Committee Chairperson
  • Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – PBS 
  • Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson – Pairing Construction
  • Uniform Committee Chairperson

Additionally, interviews will also be held for the following MEC-level appointed positions:

  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Primary Representative
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Alternate Representative
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Fatigue Review Board (FRB) Primary Representative
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Fatigue Review Board (FRB) Alternate Representative
  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee – Line Observation Safety Audit (LOSA) Representative
  • Grievance Committee Assistant
  • Grievance Committee – Payroll Representative
  • Inflight Training Committee Member (3 positions)
  • Scheduling Committee – PBS Subcommittee Member (3 positions)
  • Scheduling Committee – Fatigue Review Board (FRB) Primary Representative
  • Scheduling Committee – Fatigue Review Board (FRB) Alternate Representative

General Qualifications

The following qualifications apply to all MEC-level Chairperson positions:

  • Previous experience as a Committee Member or Chairperson preferred (required for EAP).
  • Previous committee-specific training preferred (required for EAP).
  • Ability to attend meetings as required (primarily by videoconference and occasionally in-person).
  • Strong computer skills. Good working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google Workspace (email, calendar, and other software), and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks.

The following qualifications apply to all Inflight Training Committee positions:

  • Current Inflight Instructor who is regularly assigned to Inflight Training Department responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Information about the duties and responsibilities of each specific committee can be found in article VII of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, which can be accessed by clicking here.  Additional information about MEC Committee Chairperson duties and responsibilities can be found in this document. 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss for each position will be discussed during each interview.  All positions operate in accordance with AFA’s spirit of volunteerism.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews of eligible candidates during a special MEC meeting from November 29 through December 1, 2022.  If you’re interested in interviewing, plan to bid around these dates or adjust your schedule accordingly to accommodate.  All interviews will be conducted using Google Meet videoconferencing.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/xyvgfD9vzyJX5z8c6.  The deadline for submissions is 9 AM Pacific time on Saturday, November 19.  After the submission deadline, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact eligible candidates to arrange a specific interview time.

Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account.  If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

Any questions about MEC Committee Chairperson or MEC-level appointed position duties and responsibilities should be directed to MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at  mecvp@afaalaska.org.

Modification of Section 10.S – Pre-Cancellations

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • AFA and management have recently come to an agreement to provide better clarity as to how pre-cancellations and reassignments are confirmed in advance of the first day of a sequence.
  • The agreement expands existing pre-cancellation language and provides protections to Flight Attendants in how Crew Scheduling handles a number of additional situations.
  • The new language goes into effect at midnight on Saturday, October 1, 2022.  If you have any questions, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee for more information.

AFA and management started discussions in 2018 regarding reassignments and pre cancellations related to Hurricane Lane, during which Crew Scheduling was found to be reassigning trips out of seniority order.  The issue was referred to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process, agenda item 044-18A.  The parties discovered the language needed further clarification to assist Flight Attendants and Crew Schedulers on how to apply the provisions during these critical events as it relates to pre-cancellations, retimes, flight routing changes and aircraft downgrades that are confirmed in advance of the day of departure (i.e., first day) of a sequence.  Though conversations with management about the issue were ongoing, the ability to make significant progress in resolving the issue was hampered by COVID and network restructuring over the past several years.

The product of those discussions resulted in the following letter of agreement (LOA), AFA SLOA 2022.09.09 Modification of 10.S Pre-Cancellations.  Please take time to review this agreement so you are aware of your contractual rights and obligations.  As part of the agreement, the following situations will now be handled according to the pre-cancellation provisions our collective bargaining agreement:

  • All retimes of the departure time of the first flight in a sequence
  • All retimes involving the arrival and/or departure times of any flight in a sequence of greater than two hours (2:00)
  • All retimes involving the later arrival time of the last flight in a sequence of greater than fifteen minutes (0:15)
  • A Company flight that is cancelled from a Flight Attendant’s line of time in advance of the day of departure even if such flight is replaced by a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) flight operated as or on behalf of Alaska Airlines (e.g., Horizon Air, SkyWest) with the same flight number and/or routing as the cancelled flight. 

The new language contained in the LOA goes into effect at midnight on Saturday, October 1, 2022.  Our MEC, Scheduling Committee, and Grievance Committee appreciates each of you filing reports and giving us the opportunity to carve out clarifying language that will support you going forward.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the letter of agreement or associated changes, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee.

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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