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Good-bye Seatbelts!

A nice start to the holiday season began December 1 when management released the requirement for Flight Attendants to cross seat-belts and clean the aircraft after each flight.  Since April, AFA has been advocating for this minor but highly impactful improvement to the duties and responsibilities of Virgin America F/As.  Happy Holidays!

Amnesty Program for IFM Compliance

Council 35 officers have been strongly advocating for amnesty for Flight Attendants that self-disclose IFM compliance issues.  Management has indicated they will be allowing Flight Attendants that self-disclose a reprieve from discipline under certain circumstances.  If you have any questions regarding your IFM and maintaining currency, please contact your Council 35 officers for assistance.

Social Media

Management has indicated that they will be enforcing the current Virgin America social media policy to mitigate perceived undesirable behavior on social media sites. Many members have expressed to Council 35 that they are unclear which social media policy applies to Virgin America.  Management has clarified that Virgin America is still under the VX social media policy found on VX Connect. This policy will be in effect until we transition to AS company policies early 2018.  After the transition, VX employees will fall under the AS social media policy.  If you have any questions about any social media activity, please feel free to contact your Council 35 officers for assistance and guidance.

Commuter Policy Survey Now Available

Yesterday, the Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC) sent VX membership a survey to determine the effectiveness of the VX Commuter Policy.  Flight Attendants, and especially commuters, are strongly encouraged to participate in the survey to determine the future of the program for VX Flight Attendants. If you did not receive the email containing the link to the survey, please contact your Council 35 officers for a new link.

Down-gauge/Up-gauge of Aircraft

It was brought to AFA’s attention over Thanksgiving week that Crew Scheduling has implemented new procedures to handle aircraft changes involving the 321 aircraft (A/C).  It appears that this procedure was developed in response to situations when A/C swaps created additional crew members. Management has agreed to include AFA in discussions to find a solution to managing this procedure and how to mitigate the negative impact on Flight Attendants.

Save the Date—Membership Meeting

The next Council 35 membership meeting is scheduled for April 3, 2018 and will be co-hosted by United Airlines Council 11.  The agenda will be the AFA Board of Directors meeting scheduled April 9-11, 2018.  Please stay tuned for more information.

AFA Membership Applications Needed

Every VX Flight Attendant must complete and submit a membership application to become an official member of AFA.  Please be aware that this form cannot be completed online.  The hard copy form must be submitted directly to an AFA representative or mailed to the AFA International Office in D.C. Completing an application ensures that you have the right to participate in voting activities and to attend membership meetings.

Grievances and AFA Representation at Meetings

Council 35 has been in attendance for over 100 meetings with VX Flight Attendants since June 1, when the Grievance Letter of Agreement went into effect.  These meetings have been for investigations and issuance of discipline.  To date, we have filed 34 grievances on behalf of Flight Attendants to dispute discipline issued and for contractual violations.  If you want to know more about the grievance process please review the Letter of Agreement and the July 5 Council 35 News for an explanation of the just cause employment relationship.  If you need representation for a meeting with management, please contact your Council 35 officers.

FAQs and Rumor Control

Will we get paid the same as Alaska Flight Attendants when we achieve Single Operating Certificate (SOC)?

Single Operating Certificate is the process that the company experiences to bring systems together to create a single airline recognized by the FAA and DOT.  Currently Alaska Airlines is scheduled to achieve this in January 2018.  This does not mean that all the work groups will be fully merged and integrated at that time.  For the Flight Attendant work group to be fully merged, we must have an Integrated Seniority List (ISL) and be covered under a single contract.  We do not have a date set for either of these two items to be completed.  VX teammates will see some benefit changes through the process of achieving SOC, however anything connected to the Flight Attendant contract will not be enjoyed until it’s negotiated and ratified.

Can we use carts to block during Flight Deck door opening procedures?

Having to maneuver a cart unnecessarily in the already tight first class galley space adds to possible F/A injuries. There’s also the issue of possible turbulence occurring while using the cart to block and the F/A having to stow the cart and then take their jumpseat which adds an unnecessary safety risk. Therefore, AS has taken the position that it is safer to keep the carts stowed during the F/D door opening procedures.

I’m on a leave at VX and have questions about the transition to AS benefits. Who can I contact regarding the new AS programs?

Starting 1/1/18 all VX employees will be on the AS health and leave benefit programs.  For more information, or if you have questions regarding transitioning of leaves, please contact: myalaskabenefits.com or by phone 1-844-231-3476.

Please let us know if you have any questions or thoughts!  You can reach us at vx@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & Jamie

This message is for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants

AFA and the Virgin America (VX) leadership team (management) agreed to test the Commuter Policy through January 2018. As a reminder, the Commuter Policy is paired with a third Short Call Reserve (SCR) reserve availability period and a sunset clause for the Stuff Happens Pass (SHP). A sunset clause for the SHP means the SHP would be phased out if the Commuter Policy were extended beyond January 2018. See the VX F/A Commuter Policy LOA (9/14/2017) for details.

AFA is polling the Virgin America Flight Attendants to determine if there is sufficient interest in continuing with the Commuter Policy beyond January 2018. For security reasons, the survey link will be included in this communication but only via email to personal addresses on file in the AFA Newsletter Sending System. The survey link will not be available on the afaalaska.org website or on social media, and AFA requests that you do not repost the link.

The survey is now open to VX F/As only and will close on Wednesday, December 13, 2017, at 9am Pacific Time.

[Survey link is located here in the emailed version of this communication.]

 

If you have any questions or if you need the survey link sent to you, email your Local Council 35 officers or from a personal email address. If you are requesting a survey link, please provide the following for verification purposes: your name, employee number and current domicile.

In Solidarity,

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

This message was created by the International Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Department

Background

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final notice that four commonly prescribed medications will be added to the DOT testing program effective January 1, 2018. These four medications fall under a category of drugs known as opioids. They include:

  • Hydrocodone (example: Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, Maxidone, Norco, Zydone)
  • Hydromorphone (example: Diluadid, Exalgo, Hydromorph Contin, Palladone)
  • Oxycodone (example: Percocet, Percodan, OxyContin, Roxicodone, Endocet, Xtampza, OxylR)
  • Oxymorphone (example: Opana, Numorphan).

Opioid medications are typically prescribed for the management of pain after injury, surgery, dental procedures and diagnosis of a medical illness with painful symptoms.

Important Regulatory Clarifications

  • Starting January 1, 2018, DOT testing will now for the very first time detect the use of these specific medications.
  • If the testing lab confirms the presence of these medications in a Flight Attendant’s drug test, the Flight Attendant will be contacted by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) to determine if the Flight Attendant has a legally valid prescription within the overall meaning of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA).
  • DOT has made it clear that it will not issue guidance to the MROs on how long a prescription may be considered valid for the purpose of providing a legitimate medical explanation for a laboratory positive. Specifically, DOT states “it would not be appropriate for the Department to substitute its judgment for that of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is the Federal agency with the authority to determine what constitutes a valid prescription under the CSA. The DEA has not set a maximum duration for the length of time a prescription can be considered to be legally used by the person to whom it was prescribed…. Consequently, DOT will not create a time limit on the use of a legally valid prescription. Instead, MROs will make individualized determinations for each donor.”
  • Regardless of whether medical marijuana is prescribed by a physician, it cannot be the basis of a legitimate medical explanation. It will be verified by the MRO as a test positive.
  • When verifying the prescription an employee provides to the MRO, the DOT is now recommending “MROs should speak with the pharmacy and not simply rely on a photograph of the prescription label”.
  • If an MRO has concerns about an employee’s ability to safely perform her/his duties while taking a prescription, a new process has been put in place by DOT to ensure that “an employee is not caught off guard by the MRO’s decision to report the medical information regarding a legally valid prescription to a third party”. Effective January 1, 2018, the MRO must give the employee five (5) business days to have her/his prescribing physician contact the MRO to determine if the medication(s) can be changed to one that does not make the employee medically unqualified or that does not pose a significant safety risk before reporting the safety concern to a third party. If the MRO does not receive such information from the prescribing physician, the MRO would then report to third parties. Previously, the MRO would report to the third party and then engage with the prescribing health care provider.

Resources to Help You Balance Safety and Medication

There are a number of resources under the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol (FADAP) Website (www.FADAP.org) to help you balance safety and the use of prescription medications including the 4 new medications for which DOT will test effective January 1, 2018.

Medication Safety Film for Flight Attendants: View this short film to understand the safety issues and best practices around medication use by Flight Attendants. ->

Medication and flying article “What Medications Can I Take While Flying?” Read this three-page article to get a more rounded understanding of the issues surrounding medication use by Flight Attendants and best practices. ->

“Flight Attendant Essential Job Functions” wallet card: There is no list of DOT banned prescriptions for flight attendants, other than prescription marijuana. The decision of which medications you can take and safely perform your Flight Attendant duties is generally determined by your health care provider (including dosage, frequency and timing of use in relation to your work schedule).

To help you inform your provider of your safety sensitive duties, provide your health care provider with your job description for incorporation into your medical file. ->

You can also download wallet size lists of Flight Attendants’ essential job functions for your provider’s quick reference each and every time a medication is discussed. ->

Health Care Provider’s Medication Note: Should your health care provider prescribe a medication containing an opioid or amphetamine (both of which are detectable under DOT testing) have your provider sign this note for your submission just in case you are challenged about the safe use of the medication. ->

* * *

Have more questions? Contact AFA International EAP at 800-424-2406.

In Solidarity,

Your AFA EAP

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

[Note: This update is a long one, so you might want to save reading this until you have some down time. We apologize for the length, but it’s been awhile since the last Open Time update, so there is a lot to report.]

AFA Negotiating Committee and management started another round of negotiations to achieve a new Open Time system

The AFA Negotiating Committee and Alaska Airlines management met the week before Thanksgiving to once again negotiate a new Open Time (OT) system. Representing management: Vice President of Inflight & Call Center Services Jeff Butler, Vice President of Labor Relations Greg Mays, Managing Director of Labor Relations Elizabeth Ryan, Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Denia Pisia, Inflight Operations Performance Manager Mike Link, Manager of Flight Crew Systems Support Sue Rawlings, and Financial Planning and Analysis Manager Brittany Schaub.

As you may recall, our current Open Time trading system was negotiated on a trial basis. AFA terminated the trial in summer 2016 based on overwhelming membership feedback. Under our collective bargaining agreement, this meant that the parties had to return to the OT system used in the previous contract (referred to as “Back to Book”) while negotiating a new system. Reverting Back to Book was understood to be dictated by IT limitations pursuant to CBA §12.F.9.a [Exchange of Sequences]. The Negotiating Committee (NC) and management negotiated several times in the fall of 2016 and the spring of 2017 and reached an agreement in concept for a new Open Time system; however, the Master Executive Council (MEC) ultimately decided to not send it out for membership ratification primarily because management would not agree to implementation guarantees for programming the new system.

More about Back to Book

All parties agreed back in 2014 that if the Open Time Trial were ended, programming Back to Book would take time because we knew that the entire Company was being transitioned to a new crew management system, which included a new crew tracking (scheduling) system. That is why AFA agreed to the language in CBA §12.F.9.a: “If reverting, the timeline for rolling back will be dictated by IT limitations.” Once the OT Trial was actually ended in summer 2016, the crew management system vendor Jeppesen was insistent that there were not sufficient resources available to program Back to Book until transition to the new system was complete in autumn 2016. Alaska Airlines management concurred with that assessment. Unfortunately, the transition to the new system was subsequently delayed until the end of January 2017.

Then Alaska Air Group announced the acquisition of Virgin America in spring 2016 and its intent to eventually merge Virgin America into the Alaska Airlines operation. The merger further complicated what management and Jeppesen is attributing to “IT limitations.” AFA filed a contractual grievance, and management subsequently sustained that grievance, which means management agrees it has a contractual responsibility to direct Jeppesen to program Back to Book. However, the estimated projection for actually achieving Back to Book keeps getting pushed farther and farther out into the future.

Yes, AFA could attempt to achieve a faster programming of Back to Book through the grievance process, but any outcome through mediation or arbitration is far from certain and can take much longer than is desirable here.

Negotiating changes to the current Open Time system

Recently, management asked the MEC if we would consider having the Negotiating Committee negotiate changes to the current Open Time system instead of simply going Back to Book and hashing it out from there. The MEC agreed to give it a try for at least a couple negotiating sessions, and that is where we are now. Why did the MEC agree to that?

The old (Back to Book) Open Time system was not universally liked. In fact, there was fairly widespread dissatisfaction with it, which is why AFA sought to negotiate something else during the 2011-2014 negotiations in the first place. If the OT Trial were ended, reverting Back to Book was intended only as a safety net (“the devil you know versus the devil you don’t know”) while the Negotiating Committee negotiated a new system. Back to Book was never intended as a permanent solution, and the MEC believes going Back to Book will not make everyone—or perhaps not even most—happy.

To make matters worse, Alaska Airlines management and Jeppesen are currently estimating the “go live” date for Back to Book as sometime in mid-2019 or potentially even later. Why? According to Jeppesen, this is because of the complexities of recreating the old Back to Book system (formerly in eMaestro) in the new Jeppesen Crew Access. Alaska Airlines management is saying the process is further complicated by IT limitations resulting from the merger. AFA is not agreeing to this crazy estimate or to the underlying reasoning, but rather the MEC and the Negotiating Committee are simply passing this information along to you in full transparency.

AFA and management believe that by tweaking the current Open Time system it is possible we may deliver a new OT system to you that would result in higher overall satisfaction for the membership and sooner than going Back to Book. The Negotiating Committee made it clear from the outset that certain features of the current system had to remain intact, such as our ability to straight drop. (The Back to Book system would not allow straight drops.) We also intend to allow up-trading, a much-improved ability for day-for-day trading and the elimination of trading codes. At the same time, the Negotiating Committee recognizes management has an operation to run and that too many uncovered trips in OT make it very difficult to do so. It is definitely a balancing act to ensure all flights are covered while affording flight attendants meaningful schedule flexibility.

Negotiating session report

That said, we had a productive session. Jeff Butler seems motivated to get this done, and management brought an IT expert to the table for the first time. The Negotiating Committee made a proposal that we believe meets the needs and expectations of our members, and the NC was pleased to learn that management thought the proposal seemed like a good foundation. Management made a reasonable counter proposal, and the NC provided collaborative feedback to their counter. Management is taking time to cost the latest proposal and determine what it might mean for the operation.

The parties have agreed to reconvene this week December 5-7, and the Negotiating Committee is cautiously optimistic that we may reach an agreement this session. We will update you again following the session. Remember that any agreement in concept will first go to the MEC to determine if the agreement will be released to the membership for ratification. The MEC has repeatedly pledged that if the MEC approves a tentative agreement (TA), the TA will go out membership ratification so that you will have the final say in the matter.

In Solidarity,

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

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

Yesterday (November 30, 2017), the AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) published the following statement from Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:

For too long unacceptable sexual innuendo, harassment advances, and assault have been a silent epidemic in our society and certainly on our planes. We applaud any victim who comes forward to call out this behavior and in this case we also applaud Alaska Airlines for taking swift corrective action and working with the Flight Attendants who provided critical information on the incident in order to address it even with few tools to manage these incidents inflight.

Alaska’s response is to be commended, but let’s be clear that this is not an Alaska problem. It is an issue at the forefront of national awareness and it is a critical time for the airline industry to examine the steps necessary to take this on and lift the veil on the issue before bad behavior or a crime ensues.

Sexual harassment is far too common in the aircraft cabin and sexual assault on planes must be identified as a unique crime with specific response. AFA conducted a member survey last year and results showed the majority of Flight Attendants have no knowledge of written guidance and/or training on this specific issue available through their airline. The industry and regulators need to come together to develop policies and tools to respond to these incidents onboard. And industry leaders need to speak out clearly with a zero tolerance policy.

Unfortunately, the following sentence from AFA’s statement has been misconstrued in some local and national media outlets as referring specifically to Alaska Airlines: “AFA conducted a member survey last year and results showed the majority of Flight Attendants have no knowledge of written guidance and/or training on this specific issue available through their airline.” The onboard sexual assault survey was in fact released to all AFA members at all represented carriers and is not specific to Alaska. You can read more about the survey results on page 30 of Sara’s International President’s Report for the 45th Annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors Meeting.

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council did not intend for any parties to infer that our union’s statement was a commentary about the adequacy of Flight Attendant training at Alaska Airlines. We are working with the AFA Communications department to correct the record in the media. AFA Alaska will partner with management in the coming weeks and months to review and improve our company’s response to reports of onboard sexual harassment and assault brought forward by passengers—and by our Flight Attendants.

In Solidarity,

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

 

When: Dec 5th, 2017

Where: SAN Airport Conference room 1184-A

Time: 11:00 to 1:00

Why: Local Base Meeting

 

AFA Constitution and Bylaws require that local councils hold a membership meeting twice per calendar year.  Our first meeting was held in June to discuss the AFA Board of Directors Meeting Agenda.

This meeting is open to all Council 15 members in good standing. The purpose of the meeting will be to provide members the opportunity to meet your Officers. Please come ready to ask questions and participate in the discussions regarding merger negotiations, bidding and the latest issues impacting Council 15 members.

If you have an agenda item that you would like to discuss at the local meeting or any issues or concerns you would like us to discuss with management, please send them no later than Dec 4th, to LEC Secretary/Treasurer Stephen Couckuyt at Stephen.Couckuyt@afaalaska.org

We hope to see you there!

In solidarity,

Brice, Melanie, Stephen

Due to the recent growth within the inflight training department and the increase in other special projects assignments that are being offered by management, the MEC has elected to form an AFA Inflight Training Committee at the MEC level.  The purpose of the committee is to represent Flight Attendant interests related to initial, recurrent, and supplemental training and to represent the unique needs of the inflight instructors and those Flight Attendants on non-flying special projects assignments with management.

The committee will be comprised of one chairperson and two committee members.  Current inflight instructors and members of the special projects pool who are active and regularly assigned to inflight training/special projects duties are eligible to serve on the committee (this includes inflight instructors and ATS Flight Attendants at Virgin America). Flight Attendants who are currently on training or special project assignments who would like more information about how the committee positions including how to express interested may access the full position posting by clicking here.

For more information about the Inflight Training Committee, visit the committee page of the AFA Alaska website or refer to Article VII.I of the AFA Alaska Policy and Procedure Manual.  Additional questions may also be directed to your Local Council 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

[UPDATED 12/04/2017] Clarification was added to indicate that only members of the inflight training department or special projects pool assigned to inflight training-related projects are eligible for Inflight Training Committee membership.

Background

The Inflight Training Committee is an MEC-level committee responsible for working with management to advocate for Flight Attendant interests in all matters pertaining to Flight Attendant training programs and to represent the unique needs and interests of Flight Attendants who are involved in Flight Attendant Initial and/or Recurrent Training, the special projects pool, and other non-flying assignments.

The MEC is seeking to fill the committee with an MEC Committee Chairperson and two Committee Members.  Both pre-merger Alaska and pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants who meet the qualifications of the position are eligible to express interest.

Additional Information from the MEC Policy Manual

I. INFLIGHT TRAINING COMMITTEE

1.  SCOPE

a.  The MEC Inflight Training Committee will be responsible for representing the unique needs and interests of Flight Attendants who are involved in Flight Attendant Initial and/or Recurrent Training, the special projects pool, and other non-flying assignments (hereafter referred to as the “Inflight Training Department”).

b.  The Committee will advocate for Flight Attendant interests in all matters pertaining to Flight Attendant training programs, curriculum, materials, and activities.

2.  POLICY/REPSONSIBILITIES

a.  The MEC Inflight Training Committee shall consist of the MEC Inflight Training Committee Chairperson and two additional members-at-large selected by the MEC.

b.  The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i)  Be an active member in good standing who is currently and regularly assigned to Inflight Training Department responsibilities.

(ii)  Meet regularly, but no less than monthly, with the MEC Vice President to discuss the needs, interests, challenges, and other matters of interests to members assigned to Inflight Training Department responsibilities.

(iii)  Represent the Flight Attendant point of view to the Company in all matters pertaining to Flight Attendant Initial and Recurrent Training programs, curriculum, and other materials as well as supplemental required and optional training activities.

(iv)  Work with the Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) to review all Flight Attendant training activities and materials

(v)  Work with other AFA Committees as needed to accomplish assigned tasks and responsibilities

(vi)  Participate in AFA presentations to Flight Attendant Initial Training (IT) classes

(vii)  Keep the membership informed of items of interest pertaining to members assigned to Inflight Training Department responsibilities.  He/she will compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website

Qualifications

  • Current member of the inflight training department and/or inflight special projects pool assigned to inflight training-related projects (includes Virgin America ATS Flight Attendants)
  • Working knowledge of inflight training department policies and procedures
  • Strong computer skills. Working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meeting agendas and take minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks.

Duties

  • Review and provide input on Flight Attendant Initial and Recurrent Training programs, curriculum, and other materials
  • Review and provide input on supplemental training activities
  • Act in an advisory role to the MEC on inflight training-related matters
  • Review material, handle correspondence, and keep the members well informed of current inflight training developments. Provide information to the Communications Committee for inclusion in MEC communications.
  • Attend meetings with management and represent the AFA position on inflight training-related matters.
  • Correspond with the MEC regularly to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • It is estimated that most of the work of these positions will be conducted in conjunction with performing regular inflight training or special projects responsibilities. Some additional remote work may be required.
  • These positions do not have an allocated budget for flight pay loss reimbursement.

Working Relationships

With Other MEC Committee Chairpersons

Regular interaction with other MEC Committee Chairpersons; particularly the Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC), Grievance Committee, and Reserve Committee Chairpersons.

With The Master Executive Council

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC Vice President.

With Alaska Airlines Management

Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Managing Director of Inflight Strategy and Support (Carmen Williams), Manager of Inflight Training Delivery (Amanda Westendorf), Manager of Inflight Policy and Procedure (position currently vacant), and the Inflight Training Supervisors.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

  • The MEC will hold interviews during the January MEC meeting on Thursday, January 18 and Friday, January 19, 2018.
  • Interviews will be at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle.
  • Submit an expression of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Monday, January 8, 2018. In your expression of interest, please indicate the position you are interested in: Chairperson, Committee Member, or both.
  • Linda will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

 

In Solidarity,

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

This Friday, November 24, is the constitutional deadline for challenges to either the competitive bidding date or date of birth that were included on your Seniority Verification Letter (SVL). There are instructions on the SVL informing you of how to send information if you believe either date is incorrect.

If you did not receive your SVL, you may request that a duplicate be sent to you by email.  To do so, send your request to the following email address: seniority@afacwa.org.  Your request must include your Name, Employee Number, Council/Base, and your Email Address.

During January 2018, the Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) will meet in Washington DC at the AFA International Office.   At this week-long meeting, the plan is to complete the research, resolve any incorrect dates, certify each seniority list, determine the training adjustment to apply to AS seniority dates, determine the same-day tie-breaker, and finally, merge the two seniority lists into a single seniority list. Additionally, the SMIC will draft a document for the entire membership to explain the details of the process and answer questions that have been received from various members.

In Solidarity,

Your Seniority Merger Integration Committee – Sandra Morrow (AS), Rolando Teran (VX), Lynne Voigtsberger (VX) and Marie Maxwell (AS)

The Seniority Merger Integration Committee has been contacted by some members who were confused about the recent Pilot Arbitration, and whether our seniority integration would involve arbitration.

For both Flight Attendants and Pilots, the seniority integration process is determined by the Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) of each Union. Each C&B has a unique set of rules that governs the process for the benefit of the respective memberships.

At the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), their C&B does involve arbitration as part of their process. This addresses the needs of the members at ALPA.

At AFA-CWA, our C&B focuses on our “competitive (bidding) seniority.” We do not rely upon an outside arbitrator making decisions based upon the merged airlines. In essence, we keep our bidding seniority, and take that with us into the merger. The only permitted change is to address different training policies. In our case, since one group has competitive (bidding) seniority from the beginning of training and the other group has it from the end of training, a training adjustment may be determined.

In simplest terms, the VX Flight Attendants will see no change to their current competitive (bidding) seniority dates. The competitive (bidding) seniority dates of AS F/A’s can only be adjusted to accommodate the difference in training policies, but otherwise everyone on that list will remain in the same relative order. The work of determining a training adjustment and merging the lists will be accomplished by the Seniority Merger Integration Committee during January 2018.

Reminder: If you did not receive your Seniority Verification Letter (SVL), you may request that a duplicate be sent to you by email.  To do so, send your request to the following email address: seniority@afacwa.org.  Your request must include your Name, Employee Number, Council/Base, and your Email Address.

Note that November 24 is the deadline to notify us of any inaccuracies. Instructions are on your SVL.

In Solidarity,

Your Seniority Merger Integration Committee – Sandra Morrow (AS), Rolando Teran (VX), Lynne Voigtsberger (VX) and Marie Maxwell (AS)

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

On Tuesday, September 16, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to raise awareness and create positive change within our workplace and community. Your representatives attending the meeting included Nyachan Chuar (ANC), LaLa Davis (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Erika Daniel (SAN), and Trista Vanta (SFO). […]

AFA News in Review – September 19, 2025

In This Edition Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month Originally posted September 15, 2025 Join us in celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, a time dedicated to honoring the vibrant cultures and significant contributions of Hispanic-Latinx Americans. Discover the history, participate in special events, and grab your commemorative Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month AFA Pin […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the first group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have […]

Election Notice: Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Officer Elections

The term of office for our current Alaska + Hawaiian Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2025. The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the November Regular MEC meeting. This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual. […]

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