Your Master Executive Council (MEC) knows this is short notice, but if you are not flying tomorrow (Wednesday, August 2nd), please plan to join the Alaska and Virgin America pilots in SeaTac, WA at Angle Lake Park (next door to Alaska Airlines corporate headquarters) for a unity rally and informational picketing event. This is a family-friendly joint unity event for Alaska and Virgin America pilots, their families, friends and invited guests. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Joint Alaska-Virgin America Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) has extended the invitation to Flight Attendants from Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, so come show your support for the Alaska and Virgin America pilots as the ALPA Alaska-Virgin America Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and MEC continues to prepare for arbitration.
If you are able to attend, please RSVP here as soon as possible. (Your RSVP will help ALPA plan for parking and catering.)
What: Unity Rally and Informational Picketing
Where: Angle Lake Park, 19408 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188
When: 10 a.m. – 1:30 or 2 p.m. Shuttles from offsite parking to the park will run beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Click here for parking information >
Why: To send a message to management that we are unified behind the ALPA MEC and JNC, and that you disagree with management’s position that the pilots’ contract should lag far behind their peers in compensation, retirement benefits, and job protections.
For more information, see the “This Merger Won’t Fly” website >
Attire: Very strong preference for the Flight Attendant uniform but no jacket. (Pilots and your AFA leaders will be in uniform but no jacket due to the expected warm temperature.) Alternatively, you may wear orange to show unity.
Food, Family Events, and Other Fun Details: ALPA will have coffee available in the morning, and a catered lunch following the picketing event. Angle Lake Park has a playground, splash pad, and beach, as well as open grassy areas. We have reserved shelters for the day for our group.
Cost: The event is free to all Alaska and Virgin America pilots, their families, friends and invited guests (including Alaska and Virgin America Flight Attendants).
We hope to see you in uniform standing in solidarity with the pilots and your AFA leaders at the rally tomorrow!
In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee
SaraBeth says
Hi guys- I put this on the FB post too, but our manual clearly states we can’t wear our uniform for non-company events?
Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says
I did not see a FB post on this topic from you on the AFA Alaska page, so I’m assuming you posted this somewhere else on Facebook. You are correct the FAM has two citations that normally restricts uniforms to be worn to work or work-related assignments only, such as Company-approved special events. One of those citations is a direct quotation from System Regulations.
ALPA Alaska has a long history (of at least a decade and a half) of its pilots wearing uniforms to rallies and informational pickets without discipline issued by management; this is despite the fact that the pilots are subject to the exact same System Regulations and they have no other modifying language in their contract. AFA strongly believes that flight attendants may wear their uniform while participating alongside the uniformed pilots, who have a long established practice of being allowed to wear their uniform in such circumstances. If management were to issue discipline or a directive, it stands to reason that such action would have to apply to all pilots and flight attendants; additionally, such action would be contrary to at least a decade and a half of established practice on the pilot side.