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April 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, April 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 that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
  • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9. Please don’t hesitate to contact your LEC President if you have any questions.

The April 2023 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, April 11.  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 the current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants face.  Attendees from management this month included Managing Director of Inflight Services Gloria Chow, Director of Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Managing Director of Operation Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Mike Ostler, Director of Payroll Leah Ables, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, and Senior Labor Relations Program Manager Mike Link.

Some of the topics discussed include:

  • Operational safety debriefs letter of agreement (LOA) implementation challenges. Management appears to lack alignment regarding how the recently signed operational safety debrief LOA provisions are to be implemented. Additional guidance is needed regarding who in management is specifically responsible for what when an operational debrief becomes necessary. Management agreed to work on developing additional guidance and will meet with AFA Representatives to review and implement it.
  • Ongoing issues with non-rev travel. Our MEC and numerous Flight Attendants have brought forward issues surrounding inconsistency with how non-rev travelers are cleared from the priority list on the day of travel. In addition, there have been reports of a perceived lack of coordination and communication with how aircraft weight and balance is calculated, resulting in non-revs being unnecessarily left behind. These issues have been reported to different members of management in various departments, and despite promises to investigate, our MEC continues to receive reports, and there appears to be no noticeable action being taken to address the concerns.
  • Continuing 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 indicated they would escalate the matter to Human Resources to determine what action is being taken to address the problems.
  • Flight Attendant hiring and initial training. Management shared updates about the anticipated number of initial training classes this year and adjustments to hiring projections. 
  • Recurrent training (RT). Management is evaluating when Airbus drills will be removed from RT based on the fleet retirement schedule. Planning is also underway for the 2024 RT curriculum.
  • 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 1000 Flight Attendants still need to be issued new devices. Base management will contact those Flight Attendants by company email to offer a reminder and share options on how new IMDs can be picked up. (Note: to view the iPhone 13 IMD distribution LOA, click here).
  • Staffing adjustment leaves & KCM eligibility.  Update on previous request from AFA that management continue to allow Flight Attendants access to KCM while on staffing adjustment leaves to the extent TSA policy allows.  Management indicated they are making progress and are working to make sure the process covers all foreseeable scenarios while being compliant with TSA requirements.
  • Pairing construction and 4-position pairings. Management is continuing to analyze the possibility of building 4-position (A/B/C/D) pairings versus the current practice of building separate 3-position (A/B/C) and 1-positon (D) pairings. They are analyzing the cost-effectiveness of the change and evaluating possible impacts on pairing quality. This work is ongoing.

Action on Agenda Items

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

  • The proposed annual budget of the AFA Alaska MEC was adopted as proposed. The MEC budget is based on the allocation of funding provided to our MEC from our monthly dues.

Questions?

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

Negotiations And Washington State Bill 5725 2023-2024

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • Management solicited AFA’s support for WA SB 5725 in the context of contract negotiations, and the MEC ultimately agreed after careful consideration.
  • Our Negotiating Committee subsequently secured an agreement for near-term implementation of onboard rest breaks and a tentative agreement on Paid Sick Leave (PSL) provisions.
  • The failure of WA SB 5725 to advance out of committee may have some effect on negotiations.

Overview

Alaska Airlines management initiated the legislative effort that became WA State Bill (SB) 5725 2023-2024 (“Clarifying the application of the industrial welfare act and minimum wage act to airline cabin crews”). Management also approached AFA to solicit our support in the broader context of contract negotiations. After much negotiation and deliberation, AFA ultimately agreed to support WA SB 5725. The underlying issues are complex, the stakes are high – and being in negotiations, AFA is in a complicated balancing act.

In a public hearing on the bill last Friday March 24 AFA offered testimony in support of passage. On Tuesday March 28, the Washington State House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee declined to advance the bill out of committee. This action effectively killed SB 5725 for this legislative session, which will likely have consequences for negotiations going forward. 

Some Flight Attendants subsequently brought forward concerns about WA SB 5725 and questioned AFA’s support of the bill.  It was not a cavalier decision, and the reasons are articulated below.

WA SB 5725 2023-2024 References

Background

Alaska Airlines management approached AFA in the context of contract negotiations, seeking our support for legislative amendments that would exempt Washington-based Flight Attendants from (1) meal & rest breaks, (2) overtime, (3) minimum wage, and (4) pay interval requirements under Washington State law. Management also wanted those exemptions to (5) take effect immediately and to (6) apply retroactively. Because we were aware of a pending punitive class action lawsuit being pursued by Seattle-based Flight Attendants who are alleging violations of meal & rest break provisions, our deliberations proceeded cautiously with that in mind.

To be clear, AFA categorically rejected any consideration to exempt minimum wage. However, after many discussions between AFA leadership and our attorneys, it became clear to us that we needed to harmonize Flight Attendants’ schedules, working conditions, pay structure and pay timing with the existing legislative provisions in Washington State. In some cases, significant work is needed to bring our collective bargaining agreement in line with state law. Further, AFA refused to support full retroactive immunity, and instead agreed to endorse limited retroactive liability on meal/rest requirements of the law because individual Flight Attendants had active lawsuits pending.

In exchange, after years of litigation with no end in sight, we secured implementation of paid sick leave under state law to be applied systemwide. Over the years, we’ve heard from so many of you of the importance of securing paid sick leave under state law. As a result, we pushed for the Company to incorporate paid sick leave, and this was a big win for Flight Attendants. 

Contractual Challenges and/or Conflicts with Washington State Law

The following represent problems for AFA and management that must be resolved either through bargaining and/or through legislation:

  • Meal & rest breaks: Reconciling flight schedules and required safety duties with break times at prescribed time periods.
  • Minimum wage: Washington State does not allow averaging of pay rates across a work week to determine compliance with minimum wage requirements. 
    • To further complicate matters, Alaska Flight Attendants are currently paid based on standard and non-standard TFP (“trips for pay”), which are measures of distance rather than of time. TFPs are two degrees removed from the traditional clock hour worked (i.e., duty-hour), which is referenced in the law; and one degree removed from the industry standard “block hour,” which is generally based on when an aircraft is in motion between block-out and block-in. (Definitions of block-out and block-in vary between carriers.) 
    • AFA is very aware of Flight Attendants’ expectations to be clearly compensated for all hours worked whether through boarding pay and/or duty pay. However, we need to be extremely careful about avoiding unintended consequences. 
      Example: If we were theoretically to completely convert our pay structure from TFP to duty hours (no Flight Attendant contract has this), the transcon and Hawaii trips with one leg per duty period that are currently considered desirable and efficient under TFP would become relatively devalued at only seven hours of duty time or less as compared to other trips with longer duty days.
  • Overtime: Flight Attendants consistently work schedules based on monthly and not weekly or daily schedules, which is why airline crew are already exempted from federal overtime requirements. We have existing premium pay provisions of 1.5x our contractual rates of pay or better to compensate for certain hours or days involuntarily worked in excess of scheduled work. It would be more advantageous to keep those bargained-for provisions and continue to improve them.
  • Pay intervals: We have several contractual pay provisions requiring a full month lookback that we would need to reconcile with existing state law requiring pay the week following the work performed. 

What AFA Secured for Our Support

In consideration of AFA’s support for WA SB 5725:

  • Management agreed to negotiate the best of all paid sick leave (PSL) provisions from every state in which there are Flight Attendant domiciles with PSL laws – currently Washington and Oregon (there is a PSL carve-out for collective bargaining agreements in California and no such law in Alaska) – and to apply those to all Flight Attendants regardless of where they are domiciled upon ratification of a new agreement. We reached a tentative agreement (TA) on those PSL provisions late last Thursday during contract negotiations. The parties also made a mutual strategic decision to not communicate about certain details of the session until this week to give our respective lawyers adequate time to advise and assist us in tying up loose ends.
    (See the “Supplemental Negotiations Update” publishing shortly for more details about negotiations.) 
  • A standalone letter of agreement to be implemented next week that provides for onboard breaks. For the Flight Attendant Onboard Breaks LOA click here >
  • For details regarding the scope of our agreement pursuant to the WA SB 5725 2023-2024 Amendment Support LOA click here >

Meal & Rest Break Retroactivity with Limited Liability

Candidly, the portion of SB 5725 that provided retroactivity but limited liability on meal & rest break requirements was not something we proposed and would generally not support. However, for management, it was a “must have” that we would not have been able to come to an agreement without. With that in mind, we ensured that had the legislation been passed into law that Flight Attendants who took legal action on meal & rest break violations prior to the effective date would still be able to recover compensatory damages as named plaintiffs. 

The direct concern about retroactivity has now been resolved due to failure of the bill. However, the MEC knows some Flight Attendants are particularly upset about our support. Know that this decision was admittedly very difficult to make with no easy choice given the potential shortcomings of any decision. Yet, we believed this was the optimal path forward with the greatest benefit to Flight Attendants. Our support for this legislation ensured, for the first time, that Alaska management would implement Paid Sick Leave and apply it system-wide. This was a very important improvement and protects the most vulnerable among us.

What Happens Now That WA SB 5725 Failed?

The parties have now tentatively agreed to Paid Sick Leave provisions.  This agreement is a big win for Flight Attendants and resolves major portions of Sections 15 – Leaves of Absence, 16 – Sick Leave and On the Job Injury, and 32 – Attendance Policy. The agreed-to PSL provisions would require variances from WA Labor & Industries (L&I) for the minimum sick leave draw and potentially for the unit of accrual depending on whatever pay structure (TFP vs. block-hours vs. duty hours) is ultimately agreed to in bargaining, so we’ll work through those details. Otherwise, AFA is planning to continue negotiations on the same aggressive bargaining schedule of meeting twice per month. 

Management informed us that they are assessing the situation and determining next steps.

Whatever happens, we will keep you informed.

Washington State Legislature Declines to Advance State Bill 5725

Master Executive Council

Yesterday, the Washington State House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee declined to advance WA State Bill (SB) 5725 (“Clarifying the application of the industrial welfare act and minimum wage act to airline cabin crews”) out of committee. This action effectively killed the bill for the 2023-2024 legislative session. 

Alaska Airlines management was championing the effort, and AFA ultimately agreed to support the bill after much negotiation. Flight Attendants have brought forward questions and concerns about WA SB 5725 and AFA’s support. The underlying issues are complex, the stakes are high – and being in negotiations, AFA is in a complicated balancing act. 

The bill’s failure this legislative session may impact bargaining. Both sides are assessing the situation and determining next steps, which may not be known until contract negotiations next week. In the meantime, AFA is working on a more comprehensive communication to publish tomorrow. 

Thank you in advance for your patience!

Upcoming 2023 AFA Board of Directors Meeting

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.

March 2023 MEC Meeting Recap

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.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – December 2025

On Monday, December 1, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in person in Seattle to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX), and Kanani Vallot […]

MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Interviews – January 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Do you want to help new Flight Attendants as they go through initial training and probation? Our MEC is seeking a dedicated and organized Member in good standing to serve as the MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation. In this role, you’ll be the primary […]

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 next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairperson 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 […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for our next merged MEC Committee Chairperson and Representative positions. 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 been elected: MEC Inflight Training Committee Chairperson: Megan BrownMEC Inflight Training […]

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