AFA Alaska + Hawaiian

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Archives for Master Executive Council (MEC)

Dues & Voting—What You Need To Know To Make Sure You Can Vote

Membership Committee

  • Voting is an essential part of our Union’s democratic process.
  • Only active Members in good standing who are current on their dues are eligible to vote on any AFA ballot.
  • Contact AFA International Membership Services if you have questions about your membership or dues account status.

As we continue with our contract negotiations, it will be time for us to vote at some point. Voting is a powerful tool that lets your voice be heard. It’s a vital aspect of democracy in our Union. To be eligible to vote under the AFA Constitution, it’s necessary to be an active Member in good standing.

What Is An Active Member in Good Standing?

An active Member in good standing is a Flight Attendant who has completed an AFA Membership application, has completed their four-month AFA Apprentice Membership, and is referred to as a “Member.” This Member is flying and has a financial obligation for dues to AFA. A Flight Attendant on paid leave (coordinating sick and/or vacation time) is active and eligible to vote as long as their dues account is current.

Most Flight Attendants fill out and submit an AFA membership application during initial training. A Flight Attendant who hasn’t submitted one is not a Member and is not eligible to vote, even though they must pay a fee equivalent to the dues amount each month for representation. Local Membership Committees will be reaching out to anyone who doesn’t have an AFA membership application on file to offer the opportunity to submit one and become a Member.

Members On An Unpaid Leave of Absence

Flight Attendants on an unpaid leave of absence continue to owe dues for the first 90 days; this includes voluntary furloughs and company-offered staffing adjustment leaves. After completing the 90-day leave commencing period in which dues are owed, they’re considered by AFA to be on leave, having no further financial obligation to AFA-CWA until they return to the line. They are NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE unless they have chosen to “Leave and Remain Active.”

The AFA Constitution allows for a Member on an unpaid leave of absence from their airline to remain active with AFA by notifying AFA of their desire to stay active and continue to pay their dues each month. These Members are eligible to vote if their dues accounts are current.

If You Receive A Statement From AFA International

A statement from AFA International indicates that a dues payment you owe has not been received. If you receive an invoice for dues from AFA International, it’s essential to take action as soon as possible to ensure you remain in good standing as a Member.

Dues are owed each month you are active or the first three months of an unpaid leave of absence. You’ll be invoiced if your dues are unable to be fully deducted each month. The deductions that occur from the 20th of the month paycheck each month apply to that month. For example, if you receive an invoice for unpaid dues from May, your dues were not deducted from your May 20 paycheck.  

The payroll department cannot deduct past-due balances and they must be paid directly to AFA. Payments can be made online through the AFA dues payment site. AFA Membership Services offers Flight Attendants with past-due accounts the ability to set up a payment plan to keep you in good standing while making payments. Please get in touch with the AFA Membership Services Department to set up a promissory agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your membership or dues account status, contact AFA International Membership Services using this link. You can also reach out to your Local Membership Committee for assistance.

Sign Up For Text Message Updates From AFA Alaska

Communications Committee

We’re excited to announce a new way for Alaska Flight Attendants to receive important news and updates. Starting today, you can sign up for text message updates from AFA Alaska. The process is quick and easy – just visit the sign-up page and provide your name, mobile number, and a few other details. Once you’re enrolled, you’ll receive an email confirmation to let you know that your sign-up was successful.

Click here to sign up for AFA Alaska text message updates

Don’t worry, we won’t flood your phones with messages. AFA Alaska text messages will only be sent for significant events and time-sensitive alerts. For other news and information, you can continue to find updates on our websites, social media accounts, and email newsletters.

Text message updates from AFA Alaska will be sent to your phone from 49484. Please note that these messages are one-way only, so if you have any questions or need more information, please don’t reply to the message. Instead, feel free to contact your Local Council directly for assistance.

If you transfer to a different base, please submit a new sign-up form with your new base to update your record. At the moment, it’s only possible to subscribe to text message updates from one base at a time. We’re looking into ways to allow multiple base subscriptions in the future.

We’re excited to keep you informed about the latest happenings in a way that’s quick and convenient. Sign up now to stay connected and never miss an important update again!

October 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, October 10, and Wednesday, October 11, 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 labor relations management to discuss issues and concerns facing our work group and needing to be addressed.
  • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14.

Our MEC held its regular meeting for October 2023 on Tuesday, October 10, and Wednesday, October 11. The MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee provided updates during the meeting. The MEC also reviewed written reports from other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons regarding their ongoing work.

Meeting with Management

As part of 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 Vice President of Inflight Matt Prainito, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Allen Thieman, Managing Director of Inflight Services Gloria Chow, Director of Inflight Training & Standards Thomas Kaminski, Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Vice President of Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, Senior Labor Relations Program Manager Mike Link, Director of Payroll Leah Ables, Vice President of Finance Ryan St. John, and Managing Director of Operation Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette.

Some of the topics discussed include:

  • Payroll training resources for Flight Attendants. Crew pay will be working to develop additional materials to help Flight Attendants understand how we’re paid. This will include a short training video geared toward new hire Flight Attendants.
  • Crew Scheduling chat functionality. Management is working toward implementing the ability for Flight Attendants to have a text chat with a Crew Scheduler for help performing certain scheduling-related functions. Conversations will only be able to be initiated by Flight Attendants. Hopefully, this functionality will improve response times during irregular operations or weather events. Programming is ongoing, and the system should be ready for testing soon.
  • Inflight irregular operations hotline. Management has devised a process to help alleviate long hold times for Crew Scheduling during weather events or severe irregular operations. Some management employees are being trained to assist with calls not specifically related to scheduling so that Crew Schedulers can focus on scheduling-related matters.
  • Distribution of iPhone 13 Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs). Management continues distributing iPhone 13 IMDs to Flight Attendants with iPhone 7 or 8 Plus IMDs. Currently, over 600 Flight Attendants still need to be issued new devices. (Note: to view the iPhone 13 IMD distribution LOA, click here).
  • Recurrent training (RT). Management is currently conducting practice run-throughs of the 2024 RT curriculum with a group of Flight Attendant Instructors. The 2024 RT program will include differences training on the MAX10 aircraft and a half-day service training review.
  • Flight Attendant staffing. Management shared information about staffing plans for the remainder of this year and hiring predictions for next year. The projections are constantly shifting based on anticipated aircraft deliveries and market conditions.
  • Pairing construction and keeping Flight Attendant and pilot pairings together. Management is exploring ways to keep Flight Attendant and pilot pairings together as much as possible (called “teaming”). The intent is to help improve operational efficiency as entire crews follow the aircraft instead of being split up frequently. Not all pairings will be teamed due to different contractual and regulatory rest and duty limitations for each work group.
  • LOSA observations. LOSA observations resumed this week and will continue at a rate of one week per month on an ongoing basis (note: the Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee shared information about the continuation of LOSA observations in this article published last week).

Contract Negotiations, Mediation, and Mobilization

Our MEC held a productive discussion about our ongoing contract negotiations, upcoming mediation, and mobilization strategy. Our Negotiating Committee is fully prepared to return to the bargaining table with management next week and continue their fight for the improvements in pay and work rules we have rightfully earned. Additional solidarity activities are currently in the planning phase and will be announced before the start of December bidding.

Questions?

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

September 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Monday, September 18, and Tuesday, September 19, 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, October 10, and Wednesday, October 11.

The September 2023 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Monday, September 18, and Tuesday, September 19. 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. Several members of management who usually attend these meetings were missing as they were involved in negotiations that were taking place simultaneously.

Like the June meeting, our MEC arrived at the meeting with a full display of solidarity, dressed in red with red AFA pins. Their message to management and the group was straightforward: management’s efforts must focus on delivering a contract that includes real, meaningful work rule improvements and industry-leading pay increases. Our mobilization activities have demonstrated that we are united, and Flight Attendants demand a contract NOW!

Meeting With Negotiating Committee

On Tuesday, our MEC met with our Negotiating Committee and MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson to review our Red Hot Summer campaign and discuss future mobilization activities. Our Pop-Up Pickets and Day of Solidarity informational picketing were hugely successful, and management has definitely taken notice. But these events were just the beginning. Our Mobilization Committee is working on more activities, and we will only get louder from here. More to come!

Action on Agenda Items

The MEC took action on one agenda item that was submitted in advance of the meeting.

  • An extension to a current letter of agreement (LOA) providing additional pay for Flight Attendants in Requalification Level III status who are required to attend Initial Training class outside of the contractual hours outlined in Section 30.A.2 of the contract was approved. The additional pay also applies to Flight Attendant Instructors who are required to teach outside of the hours in Section 30.A.2 as well. The extension will remain in effect through the end of 2025.

Questions?

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

August 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 9, to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
  • The MEC was scheduled to meet with management to discuss issues affecting our work group, but the meeting was canceled by our MEC due to a lack of availability by many key management participants.
  • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 18 and Tuesday, September 19.

The August 2023 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 9.  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. 

Mobilization and Solidarity Activities

A large part of the meeting focused on discussing mobilization efforts for the upcoming Day of Solidarity informational picketing on August 15. Progress updates were given on logistics and planning for the events.

Meeting with Management Canceled

During most regular MEC meetings, we meet with management to review the challenges faced by Flight Attendants. Unfortunately, many key management participants were unavailable or did not respond to the meeting invitation from AFA this month. As a result, our MEC canceled the meeting as it would not have been productive without key decision-makers present to discuss concerns and work toward solutions.

Questions?

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

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the position of MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidate has […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations Update – January 2026

The Hawaiian Seattle Domicile Negotiating Committee has reached an agreement with management, confirming the “Rescinding the Award” provision and extending the bid timeline by one week to Monday, January 19 at 2359 HT. As of January 7, a total of 189 Hawaiian Flight Attendants have submitted bids for the new SEA Domicile, primarily from HNL and LAX. Discussions about the moving day process are ongoing, with further updates expected before the revised bid deadline.

Using Apps to Support New Year Wellness Goals

The start of a new year often brings renewed goals around improved physical and mental well-being. Many people use apps to help with these goals. Here are some popular free wellness apps to try this year that can support your health, sleep, and daily routines. Most have strong free features, and some offer additional options […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – December 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, December 16, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Melinda Jorge (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX (pmAS) Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX Council 47 LAX (pmHA) EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Committee Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates