AFA Alaska Social Media Guidelines

The Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC), Association of Flight Attendants-CWA,
AFL-CIO (“AFA Alaska”) maintains a social media presence to promote open, effective, and
relevant communications with and among our Members. These terms of use apply to all AFA
Alaska-sponsored and maintained social networking pages and accounts (including Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube), website-based discussion boards and forums, and all other
two-way and interactive electronic communications systems.

Where these guidelines apply, the AFA-CWA Social Media Policy also applies. If these
guidelines and the AFA-CWA Social Media Policy conflict in any way, the AFA-CWA Social
Media policy supersedes the conflicting provision, and the remainder of these guidelines
continue to apply.

User Guidelines

The following posting and comment guidelines apply to ensure that AFA Alaska social media is a useful resource and that all interactions meet AFA’s standard of respect:

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. In a grievance situation, posts on social media could be used against you or another Member. 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. Users should keep personal posts or those involving non-work or non-union-related matters on 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. Always exercise good judgment and discretion when making a post. Once you have posted information to social media, it is virtually impossible to retract or control it.
5. Though generally well-intentioned, individual posts from third parties may not necessarily reflect accurate interpretations of our Collective Bargaining Agreement or associated provisions. Questions about the terms and conditions of your employment should be directed to the appropriate AFA Representative. AFA is not responsible for content linked to AFA Alaska social media accounts or websites.  
6. Protecting personally identifiable information is critical. It should never be posted on social media, whether it belongs to you or another individual. Phone numbers, email addresses, employee ID numbers, or other personal data should only be communicated using private messages. Public posts that contain personally identifiable information will be deleted.
7. 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.
8. The use of language that is libelous, discriminatory, threatening, or harassing is strictly prohibited. If you would not make the statement to someone you respect face-to-face, modify it accordingly. The AFA-CWA Mutual Respect Policy applies to all posts and will be enforced.

Administration

Designated AFA Representatives (moderators) will actively moderate posts and guide Members when posts require follow-up. Moderation includes deleting inappropriate posts that are not in the best interest of AFA and our Members, are not within the posting guidelines, are unlawful, or violate the terms and conditions of the corresponding platform. Moderators will use their judgment in selecting the messages to which they respond.

Users 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 temporary or permanent exclusion from AFA Alaska social media.  

A link to these user guidelines will be posted on all AFA Alaska social media channels and websites.

AFA Representative Guidelines

“AFA Representative” refers to all Officers, Committee Chairpersons, Committee Members, and other individuals fulfilling a representation role within the AFA Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC) or any of the Local Councils represented within the MEC.

Our MEC intends to ensure a consistent message is delivered on AFA Alaska social media. As a leader within our Union, what you say as an AFA Representative may be viewed as an AFA standpoint or position.

The following guidelines will apply to communications and interactions by AFA Representatives on social media:

1. Before engaging on social media, read and understand the AFA Alaska Social Media User Guidelines, AFA-CWA Social Media Policy, and AFA-CWA Mutual Respect Policy.
2. AFA Representatives have a special responsibility when participating in online environments. By virtue of your position, you must consider whether the personal thoughts you publish may be misunderstood as expressing AFA positions. Allow the MEC to communicate AFA positions using established protocols.
3. 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.
4. Ensure you don’t share confidential or private information when interacting with others. Be mindful of the AFA confidentiality and other non-disclosure agreements you may be obligated to.
5. We have a designated group of moderators responsible for responding to Member inquiries or criticism. Our moderators are responsible for engaging Members through our social media pages and accounts. To avoid confusion, we ask that you refrain from responding to Member comments directed to the Union or answering questions that ask for an official Union response.
6. 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 sources to get the answers they need. Offer them a direct link to the page or post on the AFA Alaska website.
7. If you observe or become aware of something that you believe warrants a response from AFA, notify your LEC President.
8. You speak for yourself, but your actions may 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.
9. Fresh ideas, different ways of thinking, and diverse opinions are essential and the sign of a strong Union. Our MEC encourages this and has mechanisms established to allow Members to share their thoughts. Refer Members to the appropriate AFA Representatives to share their opinions with (e.g., LEC Officers or Negotiating Committee).  
10. Spirited and passionate discussions and debates are welcome, but respecting others and their opinions is essential. Be the first to correct your own mistakes. If a conversation becomes inflammatory, inappropriate, or profane, respectfully withdraw yourself.

Date of Last Revision: 03/08/2023