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U.S. Presidential Election Text Messaging by CWA

Over the weekend, it came to our attention that many AFA Members received a text message or series of messages from the Communication Workers of America (CWA), of which AFA is part, regarding the upcoming presidential election. The messages were sent using a computer system and were programmed to carry on a conversation based on the response from the person receiving the message.

After further investigation, we discovered that these text messages were sent from the CWA Political Department without the knowledge of your AFA Alaska leadership. Your MEC has contacted both CWA and AFA International regarding these communications. We received a commitment that AFA Members will not be included in future messaging using this system.

If you have any questions, please contact your LEC President. Contact information for your LEC President can be found on your Local Council page at http://afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC Government Affairs Chairperson Krystle Berry

Update on Open Time Survey Suspension

In light of recent technical issues with the Open Time Survey over the weekend, the MEC has made the decision to suspend the survey and take this opportunity to address membership feedback we have received.

MEC President and Negotiating Committee Chairperson Jeffrey Peterson is on pre-planned vacation this week.  Jeff’s feedback and expertise is important to addressing the feedback that has been received.  As a result, the survey will stay down for the time being until the entire Negotiating Committee can come together to address this feedback.

Additional communication on the survey will be provided next week.  We appreciate your patience and understanding.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

MEC Officer Elections

The term of office for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2016.  The voting members of the MEC will elect new MEC Officers at the regular October MEC meeting.  This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with article III.C.1 of the MEC Policy Manual.

Background

The MEC Officers consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.  These officer positions are responsible for serving as the coordinating council for the membership of the airline and carrying out the decisions of the MEC.  These officer positions are elected by the Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, who are the voting members of MEC.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the MEC Officers are defined in article VII.C.2 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

MEC President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.a)

The President shall be the official Union spokesperson and chief executive officer for that airline and shall have the authority and duty to:

(1) Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board.

(2)  Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances.

(3)  Be the Union representative on that airline for the purpose of furthering and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board.

(4)  Coordinate and compile Master Executive Council policy, review reports and recommendations and submit such material to the appropriate committees of the Union.

(5)  Be a member of the Negotiating Committee.

(6)  Be a member of the Executive Board.

(7)  Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President.

(8)  Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union on that carrier.

(9)  Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer.

(10)  Ballot the Master Executive Council if necessary or when required.

(11)  Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(12)  Inform all Master Executive Council Officers and committees that all files, correspondence, documents and other materials resulting from the work of such committees are the property of the Union, not the personal property of individuals, and are to be safeguarded.

(13)  Maintain the Union’s files and property, then transfer them to her/his successor promptly.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is contractually provided 118.2 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Will have regular MEC Office days in Seattle. Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
  • The MEC President is on-call to respond to critical incidents and situations.

MEC Vice President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.b)

The Vice President shall:

(1) Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the Master Executive Council.

(2) Perform the duties of the President at her/his request or in the absence of the President.

(3) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Serve as executive sponsor of MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
  • Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, MEC committee meetings, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Will have regular MEC Office days in Seattle. Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
  • The MEC Vice President is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President during vacation and as needed.

MEC Secretary-Treasurer

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.c)

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

(1) Assist the President in administering Master Executive Council funds.

(2) Maintain Master Executive Council records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.

(3) Be responsible to the President and Master Executive Council.

(4) Be responsible for general record keeping and accounting of the Master Executive Council budget and any funds.

(5) Distribute a quarterly statement on expenditures to the Master Executive Council.

(6) Assist in preparation of the Master Executive Council annual report to the membership.

(7) Exhibit at all reasonable times the general records to any Officer or active member in good standing upon application.

(8) Maintain Master Executive Council records and record all meetings of the Master Executive Council.

(9) Deliver to her/his successor all monies and other property of the Master Executive Council. On demand of the International Office, s/he shall make available all books and records for examination and audit.

(10) Submit a copy of all Master Executive Council meeting minutes and nomination notices to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(11) Be responsible for distributing a list of Master Executive Council committees’ flight pay loss to the Master Executive Council and the International Office each month; this list will include, but not be limited to, hours and ID(s) missed, days on projects, and projects charged.

(12) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

  • Maintain the MEC agenda; solicit agenda items from members of the MEC
  • Reserve meeting space and other meeting resources as needed
  • Make arrangements for MEC hotel accommodations and meals
  • Perform month-end financial reconciliation activities including:
    • Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company
    • Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss
    • Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International
    • Review and approve expense reports
    • Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports
  • Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 65 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Will have regular MEC Office days in Seattle. Additional work completed remotely as necessary.
  • The MEC Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC Vice President during vacation and as needed. S/he is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President if the president and vice president are simultaneously unavailable.

Working Relationships

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

Constant interaction with the LEC Presidents, other LEC Officers, and other MEC Officers

With MEC Committees

Constant interaction with MEC Committee Chairs and Committee Members.

With Management

Constant interaction with Alaska Airlines management, particularly within the inflight and labor relations departments

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA international officers and staff members

Term of Office

The regular term of office is for three years, beginning on January 1, 2017 and concluding on December 31, 2019.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

  • The MEC will hold interviews during the regular October MEC meeting from Monday, October 24 through Wednesday, October 26, 2016.  Bid around the interview dates or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
  • Submit a commitment to serve form and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Satterlee at yvette.satterlee@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, October 14, 2016. Yvette will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Introducing Your MEC ASHSC Vice Chairperson

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews this week for the position of MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Vice Chairperson.  We would like to thank the candidates who expressed a willingness to serve.  After thorough consideration, the MEC has selected Yvette Satterlee for the position.

Yvette brings to this position an extensive background in health, safety and advocacy as a retired Registered Nurse of 20 years.   Many of you may know her from her work with the TwinHill uniform, where she created and maintained a detailed database of those affected.  During the 3-year process, she reached out to close to 800 Flight Attendants while strongly advocating for a safe and healthy work environment.

She is not new to Union work and is finishing her second term as MEC Secretary-Treasurer, where she has applied her attention to detail, discipline in maintaining documentation, and focus on communication and follow-through.  Yvette says she is looking forward to following her passion in her new role as MEC ASHSC Vice Chairperson.

In her role as MEC ASHSC Vice Chairperson, Yvette will work closely with the MEC ASHSC Chairperson, Local ASHSC Chairpersons and inflight management to represent and advocate for Flight Attendants in all areas related to safety, health, and security-related matters with a focus on cabin air quality issues.  Her term of appointment is concurrent with the term of the MEC Officers and she reports to MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple

MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Interviews

The MEC would like to thank Jennifer Wise MacColl for her work as MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson over the past several years.  In her role, Jennifer has been a fierce advocate for Flight Attendants in numerous contractual and discipline cases. Jennifer will continue her AFA work as a member of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) pending the planned acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines.

Background

The MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to advocate for Flight Attendants in contractual and disciplinary cases.  The Chairperson also serves as a resource to Local Grievance Committees in all aspects relating to grievance and contractual enforcement matters.

Additional Information from The MEC Policy Manual

1. SCOPE

a. The Grievance Committee will have as its primary objective the protection of all Flight Attendants against arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action.

b. The Grievance Committee shall uphold the current agreement, MEC policy and the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws.

c. The Grievance Committee shall act to secure the fastest possible procedures for all Flight Attendants in the arbitration of their grievances for disciplinary action.

d. The Grievance Committee shall follow the direction of the Grievance Screening Panel.

2. POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

a. The MEC Grievance Committee shall consist of the MEC Chairperson and the Local Grievance Committee Chairperson from each council. The MEC may also appoint MEC Vice Chairpersons and MEC Grievance Representatives to the MEC Grievance Committee on an as needed basis.

b. The committee will assist AFA-CWA attorneys in the preparation of all ALA Flight Attendant grievances.

c. Proposed settlements of disputes between the Union and the Company shall be presented to the MEC President.

d. Priority at the System Board shall be given to Flight Attendants who have been terminated by the Company. Issues of sufficient importance to the collective interest can be scheduled ahead of termination grievances with the MEC President’s concurrence.

e. If any dispute arises regarding the merits of a contract grievance, the MEC will have the authority to terminate or continue the grievance process.

f. Grievant will be advised, via Certified Mail, of any Grievance Screening Panel determination.

g. The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i)  Serve as a member of the Grievance Screening Panel

(ii)  Attend all discussions of contract items at all regularly scheduled MEC meetings.

(iii) Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website. This will include the minutes of all Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) meeting minutes.

Qualifications

  • Previous Union grievance or equivalent labor relations experience required
  • Understanding of the principles of just cause
  • In-depth knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA)
  • Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle at least four days per week
  • Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed
  • Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
  • Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of osTicket platform helpful.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes. Ability to pay close attention to detail.
  • Ability to prioritize responsibilities and perform multiple tasks simultaneously
  • Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information

Duties

  • Enforce the contract
  • File grievances and maintain the master grievance log
  • Collect evidence, solicit documentation, and maintain complete records.
  • Ensure that time limits are met for filing
  • Represent AFA in alternate dispute resolution (ADR) meetings, grievance hearings, System Board hearings, and other meetings with management.
  • Assist Union attorneys in preparing grievances for System Board
  • Review material, handle correspondence, and keep the Local Grievance Committees well informed of current grievance developments
  • Communicate regularly with the membership about decisions on grievances; explain ramifications of results
  • Write grievance articles for membership communications upon request of the MEC Communications Committee
  • Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
  • Time commitment is approximately four days per week in the MEC Office in Seattle with additional work completed remotely or in the office as necessary

Working Relationships

With The Local Grievance Committees

Constant interaction with the Local Grievance Committee Chairpersons and Local Grievance Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC President.

With The MEC Grievance Committee

Frequent interaction with the MEC Grievance Committee.  This position directs the work of the MEC Grievance Representative(s).

With Management

Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Director of Labor Relations, Manager of Inflight Work Performance, and Inflight Performance Supervisors

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA staff attorneys and AFA legal department

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

  • The MEC will hold interviews during the September MEC meeting on Wednesday, September 28 or Thursday, September 29, 2016.  Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
  • Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Satterlee at yvette.satterlee@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, September 16, 2016. Yvette will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

 

Refreshed Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) Distribution

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Management has recently informed our Master Executive Council (MEC) that they are distributing new Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) to Flight Attendants with devices nearing the end of their lifecycle. The specific schedule for this distribution will be communicated by management separately. Flight Attendants with the oldest devices […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, September 23, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Airlines Corporate Headquarters 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), […]

Meet Our Pre-Merger Alaska Committee Chairperson & Representatives

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants We’re excited to introduce the first group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives for the upcoming MEC Officer term. They’ll begin transitioning into their roles over the next few months and officially start their terms on January 1, 2026. Below, you’ll find brief biographies that […]

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

On Thursday, September 18, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing efforts to represent our Flight Attendants and advocate for improvements in our workplace. Although our Inflight Service Committee has now merged, meetings with management continue to focus primarily on the Alaska or Hawaiian brands individually. This particular meeting was centered […]

Vacation Survey Closing Soon

There’s just 1 DAY LEFT to complete the crucial vacation survey that will help shape future provisions—your insights are essential for advocating the best outcomes for all Flight Attendants. The survey is currently open and will remain available until Wednesday, September 24 at 12 PM PT.

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