Social Media User Guidelines

In order to ensure the integrity of AFA Alaska social media, the following posting and comment guidelines apply:

1. AFA Alaska social media is intended for and directed toward union-related topics.       Any posts and comments should be related to such.
2. Situations that involve a specific incident or situation that needs to be addressed with  management might be best addressed directly with an AFA Representative and not through social media. Posts on social media could potentially be used against you in a grievance situation. AFA Representatives will guide members in these situations to help achieve the best outcome possible.
3. Topics of discussion should be limited to work or union-related topics. Posts of a personal nature or those that involve non-work or non-union related topics are best kept to personal social media accounts.
4. Information posted on AFA Alaska social media accounts has the potential to be open to outside access and publicly visible. Good judgment and discretion should be used when making a post. Once you have posted information to social media, it is virtually impossible to retract or control it.
5. It is important to protect personally identifiable information. This information should not be posted on social media. When sharing phone numbers, email addresses, employee ID numbers, or other personal information, please use private messages.
6. Never transmit information using someone else’s name or identity. All posts or messages should come from a real person and profile. Posts or messages from false or anonymous profiles will be removed when discovered.
7. The use of language that is libelous, discriminatory, threatening, or harassing is strictly prohibited. If you would not make the statement in person to someone you respect, modify it accordingly. The AFA-CWA mutual respect policy applies to all posts and will be enforced by social media administrators.

Administration

Designated AFA Representatives (administrative users) will actively moderate posts and guide members when posts require follow-up. This includes deleting posts that are not appropriate, are not in the best interest of the membership, or are not within the posting guidelines. Administrative users will use their judgment in selecting the messages they respond to.

Members who post spam or inappropriate or objectionable material will be notified that their posts are out of compliance with these guidelines. Continued violations of these guidelines may result in permanent exclusion from AFA Alaska social media.

A link to these user guidelines will be posted on all AFA Alaska Social Media sites.

AFA Representative Guidelines

The term “AFA representative” refers to all officers, committee chairpersons, committee members, and other individuals fulfilling a representation role within the AFA-CWA Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC) or any of the Local Councils represented within the MEC.

It is the intent of the MEC to ensure that a consistent message is delivered to the membership on social media. As a leader within the union, what you say as an AFA representative is often viewed as the standpoint or position of AFA as a whole.

The following guidelines will apply to communications and interactions by AFA representatives on social media.

• Before engaging on social media, make sure you read and understand the AFA Alaska Social Media User Guidelines and the AFA-CWA Mutual Respect Policy.
• AFA representatives have a special responsibility when participating in online environments. By virtue of your position, you must consider whether personal thoughts you publish may be misunderstood as expressing AFA positions. Allow the MEC to communicate AFA positions using established protocols.
• The MEC President is the officially designated spokesperson for the MEC. Do not say you speak for AFA or the MEC without express written authorization from the MEC to do so.
• When interacting with others, make sure that you don’t share confidential or private information.
• We have a designated group of administrative users responsible for responding to member inquiries or criticism. This group is responsible for engaging members through our social media pages and accounts. To avoid confusion, we ask that you not attempt to respond to member inquiries or comments directed specifically to the Union or asking for an official Union response.
• The best way to help members receive accurate and factual information is to provide them with a way to access information directly. Refer members to official AFA social media sites to get the answers they need. You can even provide them with a direct link to the page or post on the AFA Alaska website.
• You speak for yourself, but your actions reflect on AFA. You may choose to include a disclaimer similar to the one below somewhere on each of your social media pages or accounts:
  • The opinions expressed on this site/page are entirely my own. They should not be seen as reflecting the views of Alaska Airlines, AFA, or as having been authorized or approved by anyone other than me.
• Fresh ideas, different ways of thinking, and diverse opinions are essential and the sign of a strong union. The MEC encourages this and has mechanisms established to allow members to share their thoughts. Refer members to the appropriate leaders to share their opinions with (e.g. LEC Officers or Negotiating Committee).
• Spirited and passionate discussions and debates are fine, but you should be respectful of others and their opinions. Be the first to correct your own mistakes. If a conversation becomes inflammatory, inappropriate, or profane, respectfully withdraw yourself.