Seniority Merger Integration Committee Update – May 2025

History And Importance Of AFA’s Seniority Integration Policy

The pre-merger Hawaiian and pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants cannot be combined and begin working together until FAA oversight of safety policies and procedures is completed, a joint contract is ratified, and our seniority lists are merged and accepted.

Nearly 35 years ago, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) established a seniority integration policy designed to minimize division among Flight Attendants during a merger. Having a clear and transparent policy allows us to focus on our other priorities such as maintaining job stability, improving pay, benefits, work rules, and the quality of life at the merged airline.

Following the merger of TWA and American Airlines, where all TWA Flight Attendants were placed at the bottom of the combined seniority list, our Union pushed for a law to ensure “fair and equitable” seniority integration for airline workers affected by mergers.

To address this inequity the McCaskill-Bond Amendment was enacted in 2008, mandating fair seniority integration practices. This law ensures that AFA’s Constitution and Bylaws seniority integration policy is followed, providing a standardized approach during mergers when AFA represents Flight Attendants from both pre-merger airlines.

How Will Our Two Seniority Lists Be Integrated?

The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) consists of representatives from each pre-merger airline: two Hawaiian Flight Attendants and two Alaska Flight Attendants, along with assistance and oversight from the AFA International Office. 

As the SMIC works to combine the seniority lists for the merged Alaska-Hawaiian Flight Attendant group, they will: 

• Compile employment data for all Flight Attendants from their respective airlines
• The C&B only allows changes for initial Flight Attendant training [Section X.C.3.c]
• Send out a Seniority Verification Letter (SVL) to each Flight Attendant to confirm your current seniority date
• A verification period will allow each Flight Attendant to review their seniority date before the list is finalized
• Adjust seniority dates to align with the first day of Flight Attendant Training
• Determine a consistent method for integrating initial classes with the same start date
• Maintain everyone’s existing seniority order; no Flight Attendant may leap-frog over anyone else
• Generate our integrated seniority list based on each Flight Attendants adjusted seniority date
• The AFA Seniority Merger Integration Process does not permit changes to seniority dates that have been handled through a grievance
• The SMIC cannot change previous seniority integrations

Solidarity Always

Your AFA SMIC, Joint Negotiating Committee, MEC, and International Officers are working to ensure that our rights are protected, and Flight Attendants benefit from this merger. While mergers are often stressful as employees work through integration and many things we cannot control, we must focus on those things that we can; how we react and how we treat each other. Commit to having each other’s backs and lets eradicate any “us” versus “them” thinking as we are all on this journey together.

Seniority Integration Timeline