Master Executive Council (MEC)

The Saga Continues: June 2022 Bid Awards Delayed

May 11, 2022 11:00

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Due to hundreds of errors identified in the June bid packet, our MEC has insisted that management conduct a systemwide rebid.
Management sent a communication by company email to all Flight Attendants earlier today with details on the new bidding timeline, which opened today at 9 AM PDT and will now close at 9 AM PDT on Monday, May 16.
It is well past time for management to take ownership of their repeated errors, actually fix the problems, and honor our contract!

June 2022 Bid awards will be delayed.

Errors affecting over 500 positions throughout the system have been identified in the June bid packet, resulting in our MEC demanding a system-wide rebid. The errors include: flights that no longer exist, miscoded DHD Flights, inaccurate TFP, and inaccurate report times. When our AFA PBS Subcommittee discovered these errors and brought them to our MEC’s attention, the MEC called an emergency meeting and met with management to discuss our options.

After carefully considering the feedback following last month’s bidding errors, our MEC unanimously voted for a system-wide rebid to rectify these errors’ impact during bidding. Realizing the value we place on our schedules and the expectation of them being awarded accurately, we felt it necessary to correct these errors before proceeding with bid awards. A rebid will delay awards, trading, and planning for the month of June. While this may be frustrating to some, a rebid allows us all to evaluate the corrected pairings and honor seniority.

While management continues to tell us they will do better, it is apparent we have very different definitions of “doing better.” Our MEC made that point abundantly clear to management and explained how angry and frustrated Flight Attendants are with the many failures and the level of incompetence experienced lately. Management has no problem holding Flight Attendants responsible for the most minute concerns, yet they are unwilling to hold themselves accountable for their repeated errors and violating their contractual obligations. Management doesn’t appear phased by the high attrition rate or rock-bottom morale – it’s almost as if they don’t CARE how their decisions impact us. But they are now on notice and fully aware that this latest “screw up” has further eroded confidence (if there is any left) in their ability to manage this workgroup.

Flight Attendants do not need another apology from management. Instead, management should look in the mirror and see the mess staring back at them and begin to make things right. They need to show that they’re willing to walk their talk…and “do the right thing.”

Upcoming 2022 AFA Board of Directors Meeting

May 9, 2022 17:00

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Members of our Master Executive Council (MEC) and other AFA Representatives will be attending the AFA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting later this 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 approval of the AFA International budget, proposed amendments to the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, and the election of AFA International Officers.
If you have any questions about the BOD meeting, submitted agenda items, or international officer elections, please contact your LEC President.

Later this week, our Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 49^th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. They will join representatives from the other airlines that make up AFA to conduct the business of our Union at the international level. It’s worth noting that this is the first in-person meeting of the BOD since 2019.

Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 12	Executive Board Meeting (MEC President from each airline)
Friday, May 13	Board of Directors Meeting
Saturday, May 14	Board of Directors Meeting continues AFA International Officer elections
Sunday, May 15	Board of Directors Meeting continues

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.

A total of nine advance agenda items were submitted for consideration by the Board at this meeting. Each Local Council has held or will hold a Local Council meeting prior to the BOD meeting to discuss these agenda items and gain your feedback. You can find a list of these agenda items and complete language on the AFA BOD Meeting website.

International Officer Elections

In addition to the consideration of agenda items, AFA International Officers elections will also take place at this year’s BOD meeting. As your directly elected representative, your LEC President will be voting on your behalf for the offices of International President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer.

Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or any of the submitted agenda items, please contact your LEC President.

Understanding Our Union: How AFA Works at Our Airline

May 4, 2022 17:00

Communications Committee

Representation within our Union starts at the domicile level with your Local Council. Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers are directly elected from among your fellow Flight Attendants who are members of the same Local Council.
LEC Officers work to resolve concerns specific to Flight Attendants from your base with local management. Your LEC President also represents your base at the airline level as a member of the Master Executive Council (MEC).
The LEC Presidents from all six bases together form our MEC, which works to coordinate the activities of our Union at the airline level. They make decisions on our behalf and give direction to the MEC Officers, who represent the MEC to management.

AFA is first and foremost a union organized by Flight Attendants for Flight Attendants. The structure of AFA, as laid out in the constitution and bylaws, is designed to be democratic and driven by Members. A single Member has the power to bring forward ideas to change the course of our Union, to elect the officers who directly represent us, and to serve in any elected or appointed position within our Union.

At Your Base—Your Local Council

Each Local Council is made up of the AFA Member Flight Attendants within a given domicile. In the case of a new or smaller domiciles where the number of active Members does not meet the constitutional threshold, multiple domiciles may be grouped together into one Local Council for purposes of representation. At Alaska Airlines, each base is represented by its own AFA Local Council.

At Your Base—Your Local Executive Council (LEC)

AFA Member Flight Attendants in each Local Council directly elect Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers to represent them. These Local Executive Council Officers consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary. In some Local Councils, additional officer positions called Council Representatives may also be elected to the LEC.

The LEC Officers are responsible for representing Flight Attendants directly. They are who a Flight Attendant goes to when there is a question, when assistance is needed, or when they want to make a suggestion for change. The LEC Officers primarily work with local management and other immediate supervisors to address and resolve Flight Attendant issues that are specific to the domicile they represent.

LEC Decision Making

When a decision needs to be made at the LEC level, the LEC Officers work together to come to consensus. If consensus can’t be reached, the LEC President makes the final decision.

At Our Airline—the Master Executive Council (MEC)

The LEC Presidents from each of our Local Councils come together to form the Master Executive Council (MEC). The MEC is responsible for coordinating the activities of AFA across our entire airline and administering the collective bargaining agreement. Each LEC President serves as a voting member of the MEC, directly representing the members of the Local Council that elected them.

The voting members of the MEC (the LEC Presidents) elect three MEC Officers: a President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer. These MEC Officers administer the day-to-day business of AFA at our airline and represent the MEC in interactions with company management. They do not have a vote on the MEC with the exception of the MEC President, who votes only to break a tie.

MEC Decision Making

The MEC frequently makes decisions ranging from granting contractual exceptions, approving letters of agreement (LOAs), determining MEC priorities, and providing direction to the MEC Officers. Often times, the MEC is able to come to consensus and decisions are agreed upon by all. If there is not consensus on an issue, the voting members of the MEC (the LEC Presidents) will vote to determine the outcome. If there is a tie, the MEC President is responsible for casting the deciding vote.

Questions?

If you have questions about how our Union works at the local or airline levels, please reach out to your LEC President.

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System Board of Adjustment Interviews

April 28, 2022 17:00

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Our Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for one (1) member to serve on the AFA System Board of Adjustment.

Scope

Members are to serve on the System Board of Adjustment for the purpose of arbitrating any disputes or grievances that may arise under the terms of the Agreement between Alaska Airlines and its Flight Attendants.

Policy/Responsibilities

There shall be two members selected by the MEC from active members in good standing to represent the Association. Members will be selected at-large without regard to Local Council or domicile.
Any person seeking a position as a System Board of Adjustment Member must submit a resume. Candidates must interview with the MEC.
System Board Members shall be selected for a two (2) year appointment period in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. At least one appointment will be reviewed in June of each year. Selection shall be made, insofar as possible, to ensure that both members will not be new at the same time.
The System Board Members will act in the best interest of the membership and the Association and will be consistent with the Agreement between the Flight Attendants and Alaska Airlines.
The MEC President shall have the ability, in the event of an emergency, to appoint a qualified member in good standing to fill an ad hoc position on the Board, should the alternate not be available.
The MEC on an ad hoc basis, by majority vote, may appoint an expert as a substitute for one member of the System Board of Adjustment.

Qualifications

Current Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant
Willingness to attend the requisite grievance training(s)
In depth knowledge of the contract
Understanding of the principles of just cause
Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information
Maintenance of member-in-good-standing status
Ability to remain in good standing with the company
Ability to analyze written data and information with high attention to detail
Strong written and communication skills
Strong computer skills.

Term of Appointment

The selected candidate will serve the a term of appointment that begins on July 1, 2022 and concludes on June 30, 2024.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews of eligible candidates during the June Regular MEC Meeting on June 14 and 15, 2022. If you’re interested in interviewing, plan to bid around this date 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 using the online expression of interest form. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Friday, June 3, 2022. After the submission deadline, an MEC representative will contact eligible candidates to arrange a specific interview time.

Please note that 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 regarding the position or application process should be directed to MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams at stephanie.adams@afaalaska.org.

Masks Are No Longer Required in Airports or Onboard

April 18, 2022 16:41

The CDC and TSA report the federal mask mandate is no longer in effect after today’s court ruling. The Administration is still reviewing its legal options for addressing the issue of executive authority to issue public health initiatives.

Additionally, Alaska Airlines management just announced via multiple channels that the mask mandate is lifted effective immediately on all aircraft. This policy change has been picked by media outlets, so it is very likely that passengers will be reading this information possibly before crews hear about it.

We have asked management to push an ACARS message to all aircraft, which we are told should be happening soon–if it hasn’t already.

The Saga Continues: June 2022 Bid Awards Delayed