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[VX] Hurricane Irma

This message is for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants

Irregular operations due to Irma

In anticipation of Hurricane Irma, AFA has been in contact with the Virgin America leadership team (“management”) regarding irregular operations due to Irma. Virgin America (VX) management is actively monitoring the latest forecast models and has made a commitment to continue evaluating the storm’s path and to evacuate Flight Attendants as warranted. Reschedules and cancellations are very likely to occur in order to ensure crew and guest safety. VX management is aware that many Flight Attendants live in the areas potentially affected by Irma and will make the appropriate resources available to them. Look for additional information from management on Chatter as the situation develops.

Irma Preparedness

AFA International has developed a Hurricane Irma preparedness page for those potentially affected by the storm.

Read more >

Hurricane Harvey resources for AFA members

The AFA International Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Department has developed an informational page with details on giving help, getting help and recovery resources related to Hurricane Harvey.

Read more >

AFA Disaster Relief Fund

The AFA Disaster Relief Fund provides a means for AFA members to assist other members and retirees who have suffered significant damage and/or relocation as a result of a disaster. Since it began in the fall of 2001, the AFA Disaster Relief Fund has provided support in the aftermath of many large-scale disasters including the September 11th terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and other natural and/or man-made disasters.

AFA encourages members to donate now. Be assured 100% of your contribution will go directly to impacted Flight Attendants in the form of cash assistance.

Read more >

If you have any concerns, questions or need assistance, contact your Council 35 VX Officers Melissa or Jamie or AFA International EAP.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

[VX] Virgin America Flight Attendant Commuter Policy

Commuter Policy Survey Results

AFA received 128 complete responses to the survey:

57% FOR

29% AGAINST

14% UNDECIDED

As a result, the Master Executive Council (MEC) has agreed to the implementation of the Virgin America Flight Attendant Commuter Policy, starting October 1, 2017, for a duration of 4 months. AFA will send another survey out to VX F/As in November to gather feedback about whether the Commuter Policy should continue or cease. If the trial is successful, the Commuter Policy will remain in effect until Virgin America Flight Attendants are covered under a merged agreement with Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants.

AFA VX F/A Commuter Policy LOA FINAL DRAFT (August 2017) >

FAQs

What will happen to the Stuff Happens Pass (SHP) during the trial period?

The SHP will be available for use concurrently with the Commuter Policy during the trial period. Flight Attendants will also be able to accrue SHP during the trial period. If the Commuter Policy is officially adopted after the trial period, the SHP program will be phased out through a sunset provision.

Does this policy cover ground transportation issues?

Yes. This policy covers both ground and air commuting challenges.

How many times may I use this policy?

There are no limits to the number of occurrences an F/A can use the Commuter Policy to cover transportation challenges.

Are there any black-out dates?

Unlike the SHP program, there are no blackout days for using the Commuter Policy.

Can you clarify that this policy does not cover recurrent training?

The Commuter Policy does not cover recurrent training, company events, or other events related to maintaining currency. Please refer to VX Work Rules Chapter 2, Section B.10 for information regarding calling in sick, missing, or rescheduling recurrent training.

If a line-holder is released to rest after being assigned RRR on the calendar day of the original report will the line-holder be provided with a hotel?

No hotel will be provided. In-base hotels are only provided if an F/A is displaced re-assignable (DRA) from a pairing.

Will a Flight Attendant on LCC be able to use the Commuter Policy on a subsequent day of a pairing if they are not able to return to base a second time?

The Commuter Policy is intended for use once per assigned pairing. Section E.3.d of the VX F/A Commuter Policy LOA stipulates that corrective action will occur if an FA calls out late due to a commuting issue for the replacement assignment.

If I’m a Flight Attendant using the Commuter Policy, could I be assigned reserve in another base? For example, if I’m a commuter out of JFK and I can’t get to SFO, would I ever be asked to sit in JFK to help the operation?

It is management’s right to send one or more reserves to an outstation to help cover the operation. However, in the case of JFK, management has indicated that they will no longer be sending F/As to sit reserve in that city once the base is closed.

If a pairing originates in another city will it be up to the Flight Attendant to get her-/himself there?

Management has agreed that the company will be responsible for getting the VX F/A to the origination point of the trip. As an example, if a VX F/A is stuck in LAS and the trip assigned originates in LAX, CSS would deadhead (DHD) the F/A from LAS to LAX.

Will Flight Attendant feedback be gathered in anticipation of the trial period closing?

Yes. AFA will send another survey out to VX F/As in November to gather feedback about whether the program should continue or cease.

Can you confirm that if the Commuter Policy is not extended through January 2018, that the SHP program will remain in effect without a sunset?

The VX F/A Commuter Policy LOA stipulates that if the Commuter Policy is cancelled, the SHP program will remain in effect

Can you confirm that if the Commuter Policy is extended past January 2018, it cannot be terminated until both VX and AS F/A’s are covered under a merged agreement?

If the Commuter Policy is extended past January 2018, the VX F/A Commuter Policy LOA will remain in effect until we have a merged agreement.

* * *

Contact your Council 35 Officers Melissa or Jamie (email: vx@afaalaska.org) if you have any questions or concerns.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

A Message from Your Local Council 35 Officers

A Message from Local Council 35 President Melissa Osborne

Thank you everyone for voting in this historic first election at Virgin America!  I am so grateful that I have been chosen to continue the work of bringing an improved life to VX Flight Attendants. It has been an honor to represent all of you and I thank you for giving me the chance to continue what I’ve started!

Every one of you have my pledge that I will represent you individually and collectively to the best of my abilities, regardless of your seniority, your voting history, or your political views.  One of my many goals as president is to bring unity and solidarity to our workgroup.  Now is not the time to dwell on events of the past that divided us, but it’s a time to put the past where it belongs and move towards a better and brighter future.

Thank you to everyone who stepped up to the plate and offered themselves in service to our union.  It takes courage and dedication to make that kind of commitment, and I appreciate those with a true servant’s heart who chose to take a chance and run in this election.

I would also like to thank the outgoing Council 35 Secretary, James Ikehara.  He was a joy to work with and I appreciate all the support he gave to me as I took on this role.

Thank you, members, for taking the time to vote and for electing me as your Council 35 President!

In solidarity,

Melissa Osborne
Local Council 35 President

A Message from Local Council 35 Secretary Jamie Cogen

I am humbled and honored to be elected as Council 35 Secretary. I look forward to continuing James Ikehara’s and Melissa Osborne’s work of supporting our Members and to continue to support Melissa and the AFA Alaska Master Executive Council.

I look forward to working in this new capacity for our workgroup and hope to see you in a village or on the line soon.

Yours in Service,

Jamie Cogen
Local Council 35 Secretary

AFA Council 35 (Pre-Merger VX JFK/LAX/SFO) Election Results

The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Local Council officer positions:

Local Council President: Melissa Osborne
Local Council Secretary: Jamie Cogen

View the certified election results here

These officers will serve a term of office starting immediately and concluding on June 30, 2019.  Should a joint collective bargaining agreement be ratified before that date, the election process to form a full Local Executive Council (LEC) would be triggered with 30 days of ratification (AFA Constitution & Bylaws Article III.A.2.d).

The Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the newly elected officers and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.  The MEC would also like to offer a special thanks to outgoing Local Council Secretary James Ikehara for stepping up and helping to provide immediate representation upon the formation of Council 35.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Council 35 Grievance Report

Grievance LOA

The new VX Grievance Procedure Letter of Agreement (LOA) has been a great benefit to Virgin America and Council 35 has already filed 12 grievances on behalf of VX Flight Attendants—three have been contractual, five terminations and four disciplinary cases.  Additionally, Council 35 officers have been in attendance for more than 40 meetings as official representation since taking office in April.  In many cases, the need for a grievance was avoided due to diligent advocacy.

Contractual Grievances Filed

Grievance No. 36-35-2-2-17:  A Flight Attendant was forced to attend a disciplinary meeting prior to a trip that resulted in an adjustment of report time.  This was a violation of Section I.A.1.b Lineholder Investigatory or Work Performance Meetings which clearly defines when meetings may take place.  This grievance was sustained (granted).

Grievance No. 36-35-2-9-17:  A Flight Attendant was denied AFA representation and offered representation by someone outside of AFA leadership.  This was a violation of Section I.A.1.a Failure to Provide Union Representation which clearly states that all Flight Attendants will be given the opportunity to obtain appropriate AFA Union representation for any investigatory/disciplinary meetings with management.  This grievance is pending.

Grievance No. 36-35-2-10-17:  Two Flight Attendants were denied due process when they were prevented from exercising their right to the grievance process.  This grievance cited two violations of the LOA.  The first was a violation of Section I.A.1 Failure to Provide Notification and the second was a violation of Section I.A.2 Denial of the Grievance Process.  This grievance is pending.

Disciplinary Grievances Filed

To date, nine grievances have been filed on behalf of Flight Attendants disputing discipline that was issued (for privacy, details of the grievances cannot be revealed). In most cases Flight Attendants and AFA believed that the discipline issued was too harsh for the violation, treatment was considered disparate (not equal or fair) and several were filed by teammates that were terminated.  Labor relations sustained one grievance prior to the hearing, several are still pending a hearing date and/or decision from management, and one was denied and sent to System Board (arbitration). One termination grievance was sustained due to failure of management to adhere to established timelines, which resulted in the Flight Attendant returning to work fully restored.

Please stay tuned for more updates on the progress of currently filed grievances. If you have any questions about the grievance process, please review the LOA that defines the process as well as the July 5 Council 35 News that defines  “at will” vs. “just cause” employment relationships.  If you need assistance or have questions regarding a potential grievance, please reach out to your Council 35 officers for assistance.  You can reach us at vx@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & James

787-9 Inflight Service Grievance: Protecting Our Contract and Standards

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants For decades, Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants have defined the Spirit of Aloha. We take pride in delivering world-class service, but management’s current Boeing 787-9 service model is threatening that legacy. It isn’t just inefficient—it’s an unsustainable pace that undermines the quality our passengers expect and the professional […]

Pre-Merger Alaska Reserve Webinar Video and Q&A Recap – August 6, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Thank you to everyone who joined our first pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! We created this interactive session to share practical contract tips and help you feel more confident about reserve life. You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel using the link below. Please note that […]

Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together

July was a remarkable month for our Membership Engagement Committee. We set out with a clear purpose: to bring our Flight Attendant community closer together, share valuable resources, and build authentic connections throughout our system. Over the past four weeks, we explored what it means to be engaged in our AFA family. We kicked things […]

Benefits Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Wednesday, July 22, our pre-merger Alaska Benefits Committee Chairpersons met for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting was an internal AFA-only meeting and did not involve management.  Representing you at the meeting were Ava McWilliams Ellington (LAX), Linda Gunselman (PDX), Sonia Quackenbush (SAN), Kathy O’Malley (SEA), […]

Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

As part of Membership Engagement Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to spotlight one of our core missions: empowering you with knowledge and confidence to participate more fully in our Union. When we understand how our Union works, we strengthen our collective voice and create a more engaged community. To help you on this journey, we’re […]

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