Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2022

Human Rights Committee

• Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, May 31 to discuss their ongoing program of work to advance human rights within our workplace and community.
• The Committee also met with management to receive updates on what progress has been made on concerns that had been previously brought forward and address new concerns that have come to light. 
• If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback for the committee, your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson would love to hear from you!

On Tuesday, May 31, our AFA Local Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to build awareness and effect change within our workplace and community.  Representing you at the meeting were Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Sylvia Newbill (PDX), Sejal Patel (SFO), Louise Borras (LAX), and Erika Daniel (SAN).  Also present were MEC Human Rights Committee Chairperson Chip Hestle and MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou. The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman and Seattle Director of Inflight Base Operations Jenny Bookert from management. 

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management.  Some items discussed include:

• Ongoing concerns about low morale within our work group.
• Continued efforts to build relationships with the company’s Business Resource Groups (BRG) to ensure Flight Attendant representation in all areas.  The Committee would like to see BRG activities be more inclusive of Flight Attendant participation and made available in all bases.
• Management is launching a new general email address for all employees to ask questions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  The new email address will launch on June 15.
• Ongoing request to make DEI information easily accessible to Flight Attendants on the Inflight Mobile Device (IMD), including a link to the AFA Human Rights Committee resources page.
• Tragedies that have taken place recently in communities across the United States and around the world.  The Committee will work with the AFA Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee to request that resources be shared with Flight Attendants to help individuals cope with these events.
• Ongoing issues related to the company’s use of Boxed Water as a supplier and concerns about ownership/investors whose values may be contradictory to those of Alaska Airlines.  The Committee met with management and Daryn Kuipers, CEO of Boxed Water to discuss these concerns.  Kuipers stated that Boxed Water fully supports human rights and treating people equally.  It was also shared that the company is an active supporter of LGBTQ events and has made both monetary and in-kind donations.
• Management’s proposal to conduct DEI listening sessions with Flight Attendants in each base; discussion about involvement of the AFA Human Rights Committee.
• Working to increase diversity and representation within the Flight Attendant Special Projects Pool.  

The committee is next scheduled to meet with management on Thursday, August 4, 2022.  

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Developing a Framework for Diversity & Inclusion Listening Sessions.  Discussing proposed plans with management to have our AFA Human Rights Committee facilitate sessions in each base that would allow Flight Attendants to discuss diversity and inclusion topics and concerns with management.
2. Working to Make Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Information More Accessible.  Encouraging management to make information about DEI events, activities, and programs more accessible and visible to Flight Attendants through links on the IMD and more regular and relevant communication.  Requesting that management include links to the Human Rights Committee’s resource page on afaalaska.org.
3. Building Relationships with the Company’s Business Resources Groups (BRGs).  Continuing to work to establish relationships with leaders of the Company’s BRGs to find areas where we can join together to advance human rights within the scope of each group.

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local Human Rights Committee is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the Human Rights Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.