Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2023

Uniform Committee

• Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, November 14 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms.
• The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are reporting related to uniform quality, wearability, and availability.
• If you are experiencing any issues with uniform quality or construction, please report the issues to Unisync as soon as possible. Please include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson on the email so they can help track any issues or trends that might be developing.

On Tuesday, November 14th, the AFA Local Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Present at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), David Jelinek (PDX), Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather Holmes (LAX), JP Perina (SAN), and MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Kiara O’Bryant.

The committee also met with Director – Procurement and Logistics Eric Phillipson, Sr Product Manager Marketing Megan Low, Uniform Fit Center Lead Ashley Sentner, Supply Chain Program Manager Lizzie Revard, PDX Base Manager Kristie Stafford, SFO Inflight Base Manager Cierra Lewis and Manager Inflight Policies and Standards Jeannette Waddel.

The next Quarterly Uniform Committee Meeting is tentatively set for Tuesday, February 22, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

• The new Unisync website launched at the end of October.
• New method for reporting quality issues – now located directly on the Uniforms page in Team AAG.
• Mockneck sweater now available for order. Delivery slated for Q1 2024. Aura vest (blue) is scheduled to ship in Summer 2024 and ordering will be available shortly before then.
• Spinner suitcase testing will begin in the near future. A Travelpro spinner was previously tested but proved to be too top heavy (tipped easily) and one inch smaller (inclusive of the wheels). This created about two inches less space compared to our current roller making it unsuitable for 4+ day trips. AFA and management will continue to explore other options.
• New uniform policies were updated at the end of October.
  • Aura and Atlas pieces may be mixed and matched to suit body types and style preferences, however, the style guide must be followed regardless of which pieces are being worn.
  • Uniform checks are currently being conducted. The main areas of concern receiving discipline are:
    • Outerwear – Noncompliant coats
    • Nose rings (hoops) and earrings that are larger than approved size of a quarter
    • Hemlines – Too short
    • Lanyards other than ones from the company store (Labor has expressed that management will not pursue discipline, however, if you are asked to remove your lanyard, please comply and submit a ticket at support.afaalaska.org)
    • Shoes with white soles or stitching (you can use a navy/brown permanent marker or leather dye on the white stitching to make them compliant)
• Management will consider moving from the current approved list to “boot guidelines and requirements” for the seasonal navy boots. Updates will be made by March of 2024 when boot season concludes.
• March 2024 will also see the ban of popular lug-style shoes and discipline may be issued for noncompliance. AFA has gone all the way up through marketing (including Luly Yang) in attempts to advocate for the shoe to remain in compliance. The final decision is that these shoes will not be allowed.
• Seasonal aprons will continue to be allowed and the committee is advocating for marketing to make this a permanent part of the style guide.
• Maternity pieces should be in full stock and available. Please email or call the Fit Center if you encounter any issues and let your local Uniform Committee Chairperson know if you are unable to obtain pieces.
• The Uniform survey closed on 11/07/2023 and results will be shared with AFA in late December once the data has been analyzed.
• Discussed the possibility of opening the PDX Fit Center on an annual or semiannual basis, but there has not been much turn out in the past. If you are interested in this opportunity, please email AFA at uniform@afaalaska.org so we can collect data on how many FAs would attend to return items, have repairs done, and get fitted.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Wear Testing. Trying to create a diverse pool of wear testers. Finding convenient ways to get wear test items to testers other than base office hours as we would like FAs working early AM trips and nighters to also be part of future wear tests. Would also reduce issues with returns getting back to the Fit Center.
2. Annual Review of Basic Uniform Cost. AFA meets annually to review the cost of the basic uniform per the contract to ensure the allotment amount is correct with the addition of new pieces.
3. Unisync Usability. Concerns over confusion with new ordering sizes. Wool Sensitivity options are available but not widely known or advertised. Made-to-order pieces (tall) still require a phone call.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please email Unisync with any quality issues. In the email, please describe the issue in detail, include the “PO” number from the tag, attach photos of the issue and the tag, if possible, and CC your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson. Please consider opening a ticket at AFA Alaska Support so the Uniform Committee can track these issues.

Would you like to join the wear test pool? Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Uniform Committee is your voice to management. You can find contact information on the Uniform Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.