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    You are here: Home / Archives for Master Executive Council (MEC)

    Upcoming 2023 AFA Board of Directors Meeting

    March 16, 2023 17:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Members of our Master Executive Council (MEC) and other AFA Representatives will attend the AFA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting next week. The BOD meeting is where business affecting all AFA airlines is conducted.
    • Your LEC President is your representative at the BOD meeting and will be voting on your behalf regarding the approval of the AFA International budget.
    • If you have any questions about the BOD meeting, please contact your LEC President.

    Next week, our Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 50th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting being held virtually. They will join representatives from the other airlines that make up AFA to conduct the business of our Union at the international level.

    Schedule of Events

    Monday, March 20Board of Directors Meeting

    BOD Meeting Agenda Items

    Your LEC President represents you and the other members of your Local Council on the Board of Directors and will be casting votes on your behalf at the BOD meeting. Your MEC Officers serve in an ex-officio capacity on the BOD but do not have voting privileges.

    This year, as in all odd-numbered years, the only advanced agenda item for consideration by the Board is the annual AFA-CWA budget. Each Local Council has held or will hold a Local Council meeting before the BOD meeting to discuss the proposed budget and gain your feedback. Details about the proposed 2023-2024 AFA-CWA budget are available from your LEC President.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or the proposed AFA-CWA budget, please get in touch with your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: AFA International, Board of Directors (BOD)

    March 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

    March 9, 2023 17:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Monday, March 6, and Tuesday, March 7, to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • The MEC also met with executive management and a group of union leaders from other company workgroups to receive updates and discuss concerns affecting employees company-wide.
    • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11, and Wednesday, April 12. Please don’t hesitate to contact your LEC President if you have any questions.

    The March 2023 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Monday, March 6, and Tuesday, March 7.  The meeting consisted of updates from our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    Meeting with Management

    As part of this meeting, the MEC met with company executive management and a group of union leaders from the other union-represented workgroups within the company.  The intent of these meetings, usually held once per quarter, is to receive updates from management and allow for a broader discussion of issues and concerns facing all company employees.  Some of the items that our MEC brought forward include the following:

    • Recent winter weather issues throughout the system. These weather issues resulted in a significant disruption to employees and operations in general. Management needs to anticipate problems, react sooner, and create an environment that recovers faster than before. There is also a need to resolve issues with throughput in Seattle during irregular operations and severe weather. Management states they are working on a plan to address these points.
    • Uptick in weight and balance restrictions. There has been a noticeable uptick recently in weight and balance restrictions in certain stations due to winds and other weather conditions. The restrictions are impacting non-rev and commuter travel as employees need to make plans based on information in FLY and cannot do so. Management needs to be more transparent when weight and balance restrictions are anticipated in specific cities or on particular flights and adjust inventory accordingly.
    • Lack of Positive Space Travel (PST) availability. Despite changes by management to how PST inventory is allocated, there needs to be more availability of PST seats for desirable destinations during vacation and other peak travel periods. The lack of availability devalues the benefit of PST for employees. Management indicated they would again review how PST inventory is allocated and internally discuss options for the current program.
    • Issues with transition to new leave/absence management vendor. Numerous employee reports have revealed that management’s transition to a new vendor for leave and absence management has been full of issues. Employees have reported not being paid correctly, a lack of responsiveness from the vendor, and other issues. Management says they are working with the vendor to address and resolve problems as they come up.

    Action on Agenda Items

    The MEC took action on two agenda items that were submitted in advance of the meeting.

    • An update to the MEC Policy & Procedure Manual was approved to expand the scope of the Inflight Training Committee to include Flight Attendants conducting Probationary Observation Flights and Initial Operating Experiences (IOEs).  The amended language can be found in Article VII.J [MEC Committees: Inflight Training Committee]
    • An updated version of the AFA Alaska Social Media Guidelines was approved.  The updated guidelines have been posted on the AFA Alaska website.

    Questions?

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

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

    February 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

    February 17, 2023 09:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, February 14, to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, crew planning, and marketing management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
    • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 6, and Tuesday, March 7. Please don’t hesitate to contact your LEC President if you have any questions.

    The February 2023 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, February 14.  The meeting consisted of updates from our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    Meeting with Management

    As part of most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants are facing.  Attendees from management this month included Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Constance von Muehlen, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Services Gloria Chow, Director of Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Guest Experience Sangita Woerner, Managing Director of Marketing and Advertising Eric Edge, Associate Vice President of Finance and Resource Planning Ryan St. John, Managing Director of Operation Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Mike Ostler, and Vice President of Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel.

    Some of the topics that were discussed include:

    • Current company marketing and advertising. Management provided an update on current marketing efforts and media campaigns in key growth markets. Our MEC brought forward questions seeking more information about why management selected some of the talent and characters they did in recent advertising.
    • Timing of upcoming uniform wear tests. Our MEC asked about the timing of the upcoming wear test of the new gender-neutral mock turtleneck and why it was scheduled to take place during the summer months.  Management indicated they wanted to complete the wear testing process quickly to allow the new piece to be introduced as soon as possible.
    • Staffing and growth.  Management provided a review of staffing plans for the year.  The projections are constantly shifting based on anticipated aircraft deliveries and market conditions.
    • iPhone 13 Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) distribution. Management provided an update on the rollout of the new iPhone 13 IMDs. Our MEC brought forward Flight Attendant concerns about long wait times, even for those who have pre-scheduled appointments for pickup. There are also reports of supervisors not offering to make separate arrangements for pickup, including direct shipping, as provided in the iPhone 13 IMD Distribution Letter of Agreement.
    • Longevity PTO assignments. Our MEC shared frustration from Flight Attendants about how longevity PTO has been awarded during the vacation bidding process for those with eligible seniority and then subsequently removed if the 960 TFP threshold wasn’t met. Management was asked to consider a different approach that better honors seniority and preferred awarded vacation dates.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please contact your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

    Operational Safety Debriefs

    January 26, 2023 17:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • AFA and management recently agreed to a defined process for when a debrief meeting with management needs to be conducted following an operational safety event.
    • The agreement ensures protections for Flight Attendants while guaranteeing pay, duty day limitations, and AFA representation.
    • Details can be found in the Operational Safety Debriefs Letter of Agreement (LOA).

    In 2019, AFA filed grievance number 36-99-2-170-19, which alleged management’s violation of section 19.A of the collective bargaining agreement. The violation was related to an incident where management conducted a debrief meeting with Flight Attendants while they were still on duty following a slide deployment incident. As there was no contractual basis for management to conduct a meeting to investigate a work-related event with Flight Attendants outside of the procedures outlined in 19.A, the grievance alleged that contractual rights to AFA representation and investigatory meeting pay were violated.

    The grievance was denied by management and subsequently scheduled for arbitration in June 2020. As the arbitration date approached, management indicated they were interested in settling the grievance in lieu of arbitration. Discussions between AFA and management ensued and a settlement-in-concept was reached, which the MEC approved at the time.

    Following the conceptual agreement, AFA proposed a letter of agreement (LOA) that codified the settlement in detail. Unfortunately, turnover in a number of key management positions resulted in setbacks as new managers needed to brought up to speed with the history of the settlement and background of what had been discussed. To compound the situation, the aircraft evacuation of flight 751 in Seattle on August 23, 2021 revealed some unforeseen issues with the debrief process that required further discussion and incorporation into the proposed settlement.

    Operational Safety Debriefs Letter of Agreement (LOA)

    AFA and management were recently able to reach consensus on the details of the LOA, which serves as final settlement of the original grievance.  AFA LOA 2023-01-17 (Operational Safety Debriefs) establishes a process for management to speak directly to Flight Attendants who have been involved in a significant safety-related event while providing benefits and protections to Flight Attendants, including:

    • Minimum pay of 4 TFP for participating in an Operational Safety Debrief, in addition to any Minimum Pay Rules and pay protection due. 
    • Limitations on how long Operational Safety Debriefs are, when they must begin, and maximum duty day.
    • Guarantee that any conversations are non-disciplinary in nature and any information obtained cannot be used in disciplinary actions (including protections under ASAP if an ASAP report is filed timely).
    • The right to AFA representation and involvement in conversations.
    • An established process to handle any follow-up training.

    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.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about the Operational Safety Debriefs LOA, please contact your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Grievance Committee, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: letter of agreement, LOA

    January 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

    January 13, 2023 09:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, January 10, to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • Due to contract negotiations taking place at the same time as the meeting, our MEC did not meet with management as part of this month’s meeting.
    • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, and Wednesday, February 15. Please don’t hesitate to contact your LEC President if you have any questions.

    The January 2023 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, January 10.  The meeting consisted of updates from our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    No Meeting With Management This Month

    As part of most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants are facing. This month, contract negotiations took place at the same time as the MEC Meeting. As most key management personnel from inflight and labor relations were at the bargaining table with our AFA Negotiating Committee, they could not meet simultaneously with our MEC. Several other meetings, including the bi-weekly Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Meeting, are still scheduled to take place with management to ensure issues are addressed promptly.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

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    March 16, 2023

    Master Executive Council (MEC) Next week, our Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 50th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting being held virtually. They will join representatives from the other airlines that make up AFA to conduct the business of […]

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    March 13, 2023

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