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A (not so) brief history of Open Time

Due to Flight Attendant dissatisfaction with Open Time that existed at the time, AFA and management negotiated a new Open Time trading system in the 2014-2019 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Because the parties were unsure how well the new system would work for everyone, we agreed to a trial period, in which we could try out the system before it became permanent. 

AFA heard loud and clear after several months of surveying that a majority of Flight Attendants were dissatisfied with the new system, so the Master Executive Council (MEC) cancelled the trial in July 2016. Under the terms of the contract, that meant AFA and management would start negotiating a new Open Time system, which began in November 2016. Meanwhile, management was supposed to have the trip trading system roll back to the prior Open Time trading rules (known as “Back to Book”) while the parties negotiated another system.

Flash forward to the present

If only it were that easy. The path to a new Open Time system has been challenged at nearly every turn: numerous programming delays, transition to a brand-new trip trading system, returning to a second round of negotiations with a mandate to achieve implementation guarantees, and an intervening merger. After nearly two and a half years, AFA and management have finally reached an Open Time tentative agreement (TA) that has been approved by the MEC for membership ratification.

Before starting negotiations in late 2016, AFA surveyed Flight Attendant to determine which features a new Open Time system must have and which would be unacceptable. The Negotiating Committee believes we have achieved an Open Time system that is worthy of your consideration. 

TA details

Click here for the Open Time TA 2019 info page >

This is a one-stop shop for all the resources you will need:

  • Important dates
  • Full text language of the Open Time TA 2019
  • Supplemental documents
  • Links to historical Open Time negotiations updates
  • Details about the Open Time TA presentation
  • The Negotiating Committee’s contact info
  • Voting info

Open Time TA live presentation

Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Time: 9 AM ~ 11 AM PT (morning session) and 1 PM ~ 3 PM PT (afternoon session)

Location: Four Points by Sheraton Seattle Airport South, 22406 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA 98198

Parking: Free parking is available at the Four Points hotel in the parking deck on the back side of the hotel and in the adjacent lot.

Transportation: If you are attending from out-of-town, please call the hotel directly at (253) 642-0100 to arrange for free hotel shuttle service once you arrive at the airport.

Open Time TA presentation broadcast and compilation video

Although there have been local “save the date” communications regarding a presentation on April 30th, AFA understands this is the first confirmed notice. No worries if you cannot make it because we will also broadcast the presentation sessions live on the AFA Alaska YouTube Channel, which may be accessed via the Open Time TA 2019 info page. AFA also plans to release a recorded compilation video of the two sessions so that all Flight Attendants will have access to the Open Time TA presentation no matter where you are and whenever you have free time.

Voting

Voting opens on Monday, May 6 at 9 AM PT and closes on Friday, May 31 at 9 AM PT. Once your ballot is cast, you may not change your vote. You must be an active member in good standing* at AFA Alaska on the day of the ballot count in order for your vote to be tallied. Please vote!

In Solidarity, 

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

* Active member in good standing: AFA-CWA member, actively flying or continuing to pay dues each month while on a leave of absence, and dues no more than 30 days in arrears.) For additional information or assistance regarding dues or balloting, contact AFA-CWA Membership Services at 800-424-2401, Monday through Friday (closed major holidays) from 9 AM to 5 PM ET.

Have You Taken the AFA Census?

It has been many years since AFA has updated our information. It is important moving forward that we have the most updated information when fighting for the issues that are important to us all. 

How many airlines have you worked for? How many hours do you fly on average? Do you commute to work? 

These are just some of the questions in the AFA 2019 Census. The Census is a project to better understand the demographic make up of our union, including your aspirations, needs, and preferences. We also want to know what areas of your community you may already be engaged in making a difference for you, your family, and the place where you live. All of this will help us build power together so we can continue to advance our Flight Attendant careers. 

This census will take no more than 15 minutes to complete. We  recognize that most people are already  overwhelmed  with the many emails we receive  in our already busy lives, but Council #19 believes this is extremely important to complete! Please CLICK HERE to take the census and partner with AFA to  better all of our careers and our position at the table!

In Solidarity, 

AFA Council #19 Officers and Representatives

L-VX Membership Dues Reminders

As of July 2018, all L-VX members that had completed four months of service as a Flight Attendant became responsible for paying AFA membership dues. The easiest and most common way to pay membership dues is through an automatic payroll deduction. In order to authorize that deduction, you must have legibly filled out and submitted a Dues Check-Off (DCO) Form to AFA.

Medical Leaves July 2019

If you were on a medical leave through July 2018, you became responsible for paying AFA membership dues the month you returned to work.

If you went out on a medical leave during or after July 2018, you are responsible for the first three months of membership dues while you are on leave. You will also be responsible for dues if you earned or used any type of wages (vacation, CBT, sick leave coordination, etc.) during your leave.

Delinquency

AFA membership dues become delinquent 90 Days after a monthly payment is posted to your account. James Ikehara, Council 35 SFO LEC Secretary, has already received dues delinquency reports from the AFA-CWA International Office.

If you are behind on dues, it is likely you have received notices from AFA-CWA in the mail, indicating a balance is due. You may receive more than one notification as subsequent months are not paid and become delinquent. If you don’t have a valid address on file, your letter was sent to your Council 35 officers.

How can I confirm if I owe or how much I owe?

Step 1

Review your Dec 31, 2018 Paycheck, Union Dues, Year to Date Column.

If you have made all payments in 2018 you will have had $300 deducted from your paycheck. If less than $300 was deducted, the difference is due.

Step 2

Review your Mar 20, 2019 paycheck, Union Dues, Year-to-Date (YTD) column.

If you are current with your 2019 membership dues, you will have had $150 deducted
from your paycheck, YTD. If less than $150 has been deducted, the difference is due.

Step 3

Add the amounts from Step 1 & Step 2 = amount in arrears

If you have made any payments directly to AFA, subtract that amount from the amount in arrears above. This will indicate the amount you currently owe.

If you were on medical leave or had not completed four months of service as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant, your amounts may be different. Please reach out to James Ikehara for assistance.

If you have further questions about your account, please submit an inquiry to membership services.

How do I pay dues in arrears?

Click the link to pay online:

https://unionly.io/o/afacwa/dues

What if I do not pay?

Paying membership dues is a condition of employment which is defined in §28 of the JCBA. Delinquency will place a member in “Bad Standing” and the member will not be able to attend Union Meetings or participate in any voting activities-including officer elections and voting on TAs. After several months of attempting to collect delinquent dues, a member will be placed at “Standing 5,” which is the designation for the final stage of delinquency and AFA will request discharge for non-payment of dues.

Where can I find the DCO Form?

Click the link below to download the form. It must be filled out and mailed to the address listed at the bottom of the form:

Click to access Dues-Check-Off-Form.pdf

You will also found printed copies in the SFO file room on top of the file cabinets. You may fill it out and place it in the lock box for collection and we will mail it for you.

Additional Dues Resources

Please review the following past communications and website regarding dues:

AFA Dues for Legacy Virgin America 4/30/18

Council 35 News 5/7/18

Council 35 News 6/11/18

Dues Check Off Form Reminder 7/12/18

AFA Membership Services website

Your Council 35 Officers-

Melissa, Aladrian and James

A message from your Hotel Committee

We all know that being assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door is a common occurrence at many hotels throughout our system.  But did you know that adjoining and connecting rooms are not supposed to be assigned to Flight Attendants unless the room next door is occupied by another Alaska crew member?  While this isn’t specifically part of our collective bargaining agreement, Alaska includes this language in every contract between the company and our crew hotels.

Don’t Hesitate to Speak Up

If you are assigned an adjoining room with a connecting door, we encourage you to ask the front desk staff for a different room.  Request to speak to the hotel manager on duty to help resolve the situation if necessary. If the hotel is full or unable to provide an alternate room, respectfully advise the hotel staff that you’ll be reporting the issue to Alaska management.

Take Action: Report Each and Every Situation

If you are assigned an adjoining and connecting room, even if you are able to switch rooms, please make note of the hotel, room number and date and file a CrewCare report on the situation.  CrewCare reports are automatically routed to Alaska management, API (Accommodations Plus International, the company’s hotel contractor), and your AFA Hotel Committee Members.  Representatives from API and management use the data from the reports to follow up on each situation with the corresponding hotel.

How to File a CrewCare Report
1. Log-in to the inflight website
2. Open the menu
3. Click “Hotel, Travel, & Station”
4. Click “Hotel Links”
5. Click “My Crew Care”
6. Open the menu
7. Click “Feedback”
8. Click “Provide Feedback”

Management has asked that we report these situations each and every time that they occur.  The more information that we are able to provide, the more effectively each hotel can be held accountable.

Have Questions?

Your Local Hotel Committee can help!  You can find contact information on your Local Council’s committee page or on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee; MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson Laura Hinojosa and Vice Chairperson Jodi Snow

Council #19 – April Base Update

Upcoming Flight Attendant Census

The AFA-CWA International Office will be sending out links to a Flight Attendant Census Survey, conducted by the University of New Hampshire to all those who have email addresses filed with AFA. We strongly encourage all of you to participate. The email will come from Sara Nelson via the University, with the subject line “AFA Census – Response Requested.”

It has been years since the last survey was conducted. Our group has changed over the years. In order to provide all members with the best possible representation, we need up to date information as to the current make-up of our membership. If you do not receive AFA emails, please send your email address to adam.clarey@afaalaska.org, and we can add you to the list. There is more information at https://www.afacwa.org/afa_2019_census.

The individual information received is strictly confidential. Please take 15-minutes to complete the survey.

AFA-CWA Board of Directors

The annual Board of Directors meeting was held in Denver on March 20th. This was a one-day meeting, with the sole Advance Agenda Item consisting of the 2019/2020 AFA Budget. We were able to achieve a balanced budget, with no dues increase. LEC Presidents, and the MEC Officers from all AFA carriers attended. Adam Clarey, Council #19 LEC Secretary was also in attendance. 

Service and Catering Changes

As a result of a large number of Flight Attendant concerns which have been submitted regarding catering issues, such as difficult to complete service standards, and missing catering items; as well as a great deal of work and input from the Inflight Service Committee, significant changes to service standards and catering are coming soon. We appreciate your feedback. Please keep filling out catering discrepancy reports. They really do make a difference. 

Back to Book – Open Time

A tentative agreement has been reached regarding an alternative proposal for Open Time. The road show is scheduled for April 30th in Seattle. The road show will be streamed live and also recorded for later viewing. Look for a tentative agreement summary soon. 

New Classes

Class 19-1 started on March 18th and will start flying in SFO and ANC on May 1st. Class 19-2 started on April 1st and will start flying on June 1st (bases to be assigned the last week of April). The 3rd and 4th classes will start flying on July 1st, and the 5th class will start flying on October 1st. If you see new members of our Alaska Flight Attendant Family, please make sure to say hello!

Are you keeping in touch? 

There are several ways to keep in touch with Council #19. CLICK HERE to go to our Facebook page, CLICK HERE for our Council #19 Reserves Only page, and CLICK HERE to sign up to receive text message updates (we limit what we send out via text, just the most important information!).

Welcome to SFO!

On behalf of your Council 35 officers, we would like to offer a warm welcome to all new SFO base transfers!  Please keep an eye open for a welcome letter which contains resources for SFO.

Don’t Forget to Vote!

It’s election season again, and don’t forget to exercise your right to vote!  SFO will be selecting officers and a newly created Council Representative position which was voted in by members at the August 6, 2018 Membership Meeting.  All Council 35 voting instructions and guidelines can be found on the AFA Elections Page. 

Council 35 Election Dates

Ballots Mailed:                                  April 3, 2019

Polls Open:                                       April 5, 2019

Polls Close /Results:                      May 2, 2019

Term Date Start:                              July 1, 2019

Term Date End:                                June 30, 2022

Commuter Policy

With the transition of the L-VX Commuter Policy to the Commuter Policy outlined in the JCBA, Council 35 has received many questions about how to use the policy.  To list as D8Y you must be traveling to/from work and only between registered cities. That means if you pick up out of domicile you cannot use D8Y commuter status to reposition for the assignment if the city is not the registered city on file. The booking or listing can be multiple legs; however, the final destination should be your registered city. For example, to commute out of PHX which has no regular service between PHX and SFO, you can use D8Y to book travel for a commute however it would include a connection in SEA or PDX.   For more information please review the commuter policy in §28.G of the JCBA. To register as a commuter, submit a completed commuter form on Alaskasworld inflight page:

Administration>>Commuter Form

D-Pairings and Reassignments

There seems to be some confusion about which Flight Attendant gets reassigned or offered a deadhead (DHD) when there is a down-grade of aircraft or a crew complement over minimum crew is assigned to a sequence.  The JCBA defines reassignments to go in seniority order, allowing the most senior person to decide if they would like a reassignment or be offered the deadhead.  This applies to crews on the same sequence (or pairing number) and does not apply to sequences where a D-position F/A is assigned. The D-position has a separate sequence (pairing) number and whenever present, the D will be the F/A that will be removed, reassigned or may choose to DHD. Guidelines for reassignments can be found in §10.R of the JCBA.

No 480 Requirement for L-VX in 2019


As a reminder, the transition agreement outlines the 480 requirements for Legacy VX Flight Attendants.  L-VX will not be held accountable for the 480 requirements until 2020, which means that for 2019, L-VX F/As do not have to maintain 480 hours to receive the benefits associated with the program.  For more information please reference the L-VX Transition Agreement.

Flight Attendant Wish List Items 

Now that L-VX Flight Attendants are represented by AFA, we are lucky to have a professional group of Union negotiators that formally approaches management with AS Flight Attendant needs.  The contract dictates when we discuss “wish list” items, which is normally reserved for §6 negotiations (when the contract becomes amendable) or occasionally AFA and management find opportunities to resolve individual issues through side Letters of Agreements.  These Letters of Agreements have the full force of the contract and are binding.  An example of this is the upcoming Bay Area Co-Terminal Negotiations.  Per the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) the company does not have the ability to unilaterally implement a Co-terminal without negotiating AFA’s agreement. Management asked AFA to enter negotiations and we organized a group of negotiating committee members to participate in those discussions.  

To approach the company outside of agreed upon discussions with a wish list is not the current practice and will not normally be successful.  It is important strategically to allow the appointed negotiating committees to speak directly with management regarding the desires and wishes of the Flight Attendant group as a whole.  This is the art of negotiation and for many F/As at L-VX this process is new.  Rather than sending management your “wish list,” please remember to reach out to your Council 35 officers for input on future items for the bargaining table.  You may even be approached by management at certain times of negotiations and asked about your views.  If this happens, please let them know your negotiating committee speaks for you! For more information about contract negotiations, please visit the Negotiation Process on our webpage.

FAQs

How do I contact Council 35 officers?

The best way to contact Council 35 officers is via email.  Emails are easier to forward for follow up and to have a record of information.  Using your personal email account, please know that concerns received by Council 35 are held in confidence and will not be shared for follow up without the permission of the original sender.  Avoid using your alaskaair.com email to share concerns as those accounts are not private and subject to audits. To get the fastest and most thorough response, please email sfo@afalaska.org.  All officers can respond to emails sent to that address which facilitates a more efficient use of resources.  Please allow at least 24 business hours for a response to any method of contact.

In Solidarity,

Melissa Osborne

LEC President
Alaska Airlines Council 35, San Francisco

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org
415.215.1322

Aladrian Hillmon

LEC Vice President
Alaska Airlines Council 35, San Francisco

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

aladrian.hillmon@afaalaska.org

415.991.3791

James Ikehara

LEC Secretary

Alaska Airlines Council 35, San Francisco

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

james.ikehara@afaalaska.org
206.457.2010 ext. 7002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2019
Contact: Taylor Garland, press@afacwa.org
Selene Saavedra Roman Statement After Release from ICE Detention
Washington, DC (March 22, 2019) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) is overjoyed that after 6 weeks in ICE custody, Mesa Flight Attendant Selene Saavedra Roman was released this evening.

“Being released is an indescribable feeling. I cried and hugged my husband and never wanted to let go,” stated Selene Saavedra Roman. “I am thankful and grateful for the amazing people that came to fight for me, and it fills my heart. Thank you to everyone that has supported. I am just so happy to have my freedom back.”
The union issued a statement earlier this evening as well.
View Online
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The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 73 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 2019

AFA CONTACT: Taylor Garland, press@afacwa.org, 202-550-5520

MESA AIRLINES CONTACT: Brian Gillman, media@mesa-air.com, 602-685-4051

Flight Attendant Union and Mesa Airlines Seek Release of Selene Saavedra Roman

Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2019) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) and Mesa Airlines are calling on the Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to immediately review the case of DREAMer Selene Saavedra Roman, release her from detention, and drop all charges against her after she was detained during while working as a certified flight attendant. 

“We are deeply sorry Selene and her husband have had to endure this situation. It is patently unfair for someone to be detained for six weeks over something that is nothing more than an administrative error and a misunderstanding,” said Mesa Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ornstein. “We are doing everything in our power to ask the administration to release Selene, and drop all charges stemming from this horrible situation.”

“Our union is mobilizing and we will not stop fighting until Selene is returned home and all charges dropped,” said Sara Nelson, AFA President. “We will fight with every tool at our disposal until justice is done, Selene is reunited with her husband and cleared of these outrageous charges.”

Selene came to the United States as an undocumented child from Peru at 3 years old. She grew up in Texas, graduated from Texas A&M, attained legal status under Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA), and married a U.S. citizen. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have already granted her I-130 Petition, which puts her on the path to lawful permanent residency.

Despite the fact that she is lawfully in this country with the ability to work and has a pathway to permanent residence, Selene has been held since February by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a privately-run detention facility in Conroe, Texas. She is threatened with deportation to Peru, a country she has never known. 

“She has followed the rules, paid taxes, and is currently in process to citizenship,” said Nelson. “The United States is her country and we need to bring her home.”

###

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 73 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.

About Mesa Air Group, Inc. – Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Mesa Air Group is the commercial aviation holding company of Mesa Airlines, a regional air carrier providing scheduled passenger service to 121 cities in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas. As of February 28, 2019, Mesa operated a fleet of 145 aircraft with approximately 605 daily departures and 3,400 employees. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle or United Express flights pursuant to the terms of capacity purchase agreements entered into with American Airlines, Inc. and United Airlines, Inc.

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and many other LEC Officers and Committee Chairs will be attending the 47th Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting next week in Denver, Colorado.  This annual meeting is where AFA conducts the business of our Union at the international level.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, March 19Executive Board Meeting (MEC President from each airline)
Wednesday, March 20Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, March 21March Regular MEC Meeting

BOD Meeting Agenda Items

Your LEC President represents you and the other members of your Local Council on the Board of Directors and will be casting votes on your behalf at the BOD meeting.  Your MEC Officers serve in an ex-officio capacity on the BOD but do not have voting privileges.

This year, as in all odd numbered years, the only advanced agenda item for consideration by the Board is the annual AFA-CWA budget. Each LEC held a Local Council meeting over the past several weeks to discuss the proposed budget and gain your feedback.  You can find details about the proposed 2019-2020 AFA-CWA budget at http://afa-bod.org/index-of-agenda-items.

Questions?

If you have any questions or thoughts about the BOD meeting or the proposed AFA-CWA budget, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

The AFA Air, Safety, Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) has brought forward a member’s safety concerns regarding the interior aft assist handles at the L1 and R1 exit doors on the reconfigured Alaska (“Aura”) Airbus 319, 320 and 321. AFA is also reviewing the placement of seats with relation to the L2 and R2 mid-cabin exits and the potential for those seats to interfere with the expeditious activation of the exits and to impede egress in an emergency evacuation. To keep this communication shorter, we will focus on the L1 and R1 aft assist handles but be assured that AFA is working both issues.

What are the concerns?

The reconfigured Aura bulkheads that are immediately aft of L1 and R1 (separating 1AC from the forward jumpseats on aircraft left and 1DF and the forward galley on aircraft right) have been relocated farther forward than the bulkheads on Legacy Virgin America (“Red”) aircraft.

Why is this a concern?

The bulkheads are now very close to the aft assist handles, effectively rendering the handles unusable.

This is significant because many if not most Flight Attendants cannot maintain a grip on the forward assist handle while simultaneously pulling the inflation handle at the exit. In such circumstances, Flight Attendants have been trained to ‘monkey’ over to the aft assist handle in order to maintain a protected position while pulling the inflation handle. The Flight Attendant is then supposed to ‘monkey’ back over to the forward assist handle prior to commanding abled bodied persons (ABPs) to initiate the evacuation. If a Flight Attendant cannot use the aft assist handle, it is more likely the FA will be pushed out of the aircraft while pulling the inflation handle. This situation unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

What is being done?

Management’s response

Once management was alerted to the issues by AFA, it has been very responsive. On Wednesday, March 6, management and AFA conducted a joint site visit to an Aura A320 during the aircraft’s turn time in Seattle in order to better understand AFA’s concerns. Management posted the following alert on the Inflight webpage later that evening:

AFA has brought forward concerns to Inflight management that the new Aura retrofit interior on A320 and A321 aircraft have a narrow space between the bulkhead wall and the aft assist handle at the L1/R1 exits.

Although the Aura retrofit interior is FAA approved, we are currently working with Maintenance & Engineering and the vendor who installed the interior to determine improved functionality. In the next several days, management will be holding cross-divisional meetings to explore alternate options.

We want you to be safe. Our advice is if you cannot use the aft assist handle, secure yourself by any means necessary to ensure you are protected. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Management conducted a follow-up safety risk management (SRM) assessment on the issues earlier today (March 8, 2019). In the SRM meeting, management pledged to actively explore long-term solutions to the concerns. More meetings are scheduled next week.

AFA’s response

Besides AFA bringing the issue to management’s attention over the past week, the Master Executive Council (MEC) filed two contractual grievances yesterday:

  • Grievance 36-99-2-40-19 Violation of Section 25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace alleges that management failed to provide a safe and healthy workplace when it installed new bulkheads on the retrofitted Airbus (“Aura”) aircraft that effectively renders the aft assist handles near doors L1/R1 as unusable and unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.
  • Grievance 36-99-2-41-19 Violation of Section 25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision alleges that management failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design.

AFA ASHSC representatives participated in the SRM meeting earlier today, and AFA will continue to actively interface with management on these issues until long-term solutions to our concerns have been implemented.

In the meantime, AFA recommends that Flight Attendants submit a confidential Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) report in order to document their safety concerns. These confidential reports are tracked and actioned upon by the FAA, the Company and AFA.

Be assured your safety is of paramount importance to us and stay tuned for further developments!

In Solidarity

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee; MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams; MEC Air Safety Health and Security (ASHSC) Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple and ASHSC Vice Chairperson-Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Brad Young

Government Affairs Committee Update – 2nd Quarter 2026

Voting Primaries/ Important Dates Alaska Primary: July 19Registration Deadline: Aug 18 California Primary: June 2Registration Deadline:  May 18 Florida Primary: August 18Registration Deadline: July 20  Hawaii Primary: August 8Registration Deadline: July 29Deadline to request absentee ballot: August 1 Oregon Primary: May 19Registration Deadline: PASSEDBallots began being mailed to registered voters on April 29, check your mailboxes! […]

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, May 5, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), Bob Moore (PDX), Slater Areno (SFO), Heather […]

Crew Meal Survey Now Open

Crew meals are an important aspect of supporting the health and effectiveness of Flight Attendants. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance these provisions, the JNC is collecting feedback from Flight Attendants. Your participation in the Crew Meal Survey will directly influence future meal standards and help ensure that your needs and preferences are represented.

Navigating Recovery: Understanding FADAP and Other Support Options

If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with drugs or alcohol, it’s important to know that you are not alone, and support is available. Flight Attendants have treatment options designed to address the unique realities of this career. Note: This video references FAAS (Flight Attendant Addiction Support), which is a program for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants. […]

Go In-Depth with Our AFA EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairpersons

As we wrap up the first week of EAP/Professional Standards Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to share an open conversation that takes you behind the scenes of our support network built for Flight Attendants. MEC Communications Committee Chairperson Brian Palmer recently sat down with pre-merger Alaska MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson Melanie Buker and Vice Chairperson Elizabeth Dillon to […]

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