AFA Alaska

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Latest News

This week will mark the start of merger negotiations with management. The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will attend AFA negotiations training in Seattle at the beginning of the week. The JNC is comprised of three Flight Attendants appointed by the MEC: two Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants, Jennifer Wise MacColl and Lindsey Steele, and one Virgin America Flight Attendant, Jamie Cogen. MEC President Jeffrey Peterson is chairperson of the committee and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo rounds out the committee as the professional negotiator. After training and preparation early in the week, the first meeting with management will occur on Wednesday and Thursday.

This initial session will be confined to discussing transition issues necessary to combine Flight Attendants at each carrier into one employee group and covered by a single collective bargaining agreement. The occasion will also provide an opportunity to get further details from management on merger plans and updated timelines and to reaffirm AFA’s position that we are looking for targeted improvements. However, discussing specific improvements will not be a subject for this first meeting and will be addressed later.

Keep in mind that merger negotiations are a different process than regular negotiations. These talks are not under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board or Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act, and neither side believes that the entire contract is open for discussion. Discussions will focus on a short list of items, and all the provisions in our Contract (pay raises, etc) will continue in force.

What are some of the transition issues necessary to merge the two Flight Attendant groups?

  • How VX FAs will transition to the uniform and how uniform points will translate.
  • How sick leave will be converted.
  • How transition (aircraft differences) training will be accomplished for AS and VX FAs.
  • Attendance policy – how points will be handled for past occurrences for VX FAs.
  • Ensure that VX FAs get credit for “time served” on probation and are not subject to another probationary period on the Alaska side.
  • Confirm that the VX FAs will retain their vacation slots.
  • How 401(k) plans will be transitioned.
  • …and more.

There are many items that must be carefully considered so VX and AS Flight Attendants will be on equal footing in relation to the many provisions in the Alaska contract. The Joint Negotiating Committee and management will work to define the scope of transition issues that must be addressed. Again, the parties will take up this task before discussing improvements. We know you will be very interested in knowing more about AFA’s bargaining objectives and potential “improvements,” but it is too early in the process to discuss those in a meaningful way. Once the JNC completes talks this week and defines the strategy going forward, we will provide you with another update.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

The past couple of months have been incredibly challenging for Flight Attendants after back-to-back in-cabin disturbances in the US were broadcast on social media. Those disturbances subsequently “broke the internet” and were widely carried by news outlets. The mob mentality response to the video clips, with little correct information about the incidents, has put Flight Attendants in the cross hairs. AFA immediately focused on a national de-escalation to keep travelers from coming to the plane with bias against crewmembers and the authority we must maintain to keep everyone safe.

Reinforcing Our Role as Aviation’s First Responders

AFA’s message in the media and on Capitol Hill has been to remind the public and our legislators that Flight Attendants are aviation’s first responders charged with the safety, health and security of the passengers in our care. AFA has cited the ever-shrinking personal space in main cabins and minimum staffing as some of the contributing factors to these recent incidents.

In case you missed it, the Today Show recently featured Flight Attendants talking about their perspective on conditions in the cabin. Flight Attendants reminded Matt Lauer and the public about the good job aviation’s first responders do to usher millions safely and efficiently to their destinations every single day. Matt Lauer reiterated this point to millions of viewers who also fly on our planes!

Watch the full interview >

Passenger Incident Reporting Form

AFA has been receiving reports from Flight Attendants about a variety of situations in which they are feeling harassed by passengers. It is imperative that AFA begin collecting confidential data on these types of confrontations so that we can more effectively advocate on your behalf to management, regulators, legislators and the media. For instance, we want to know: (1) How frequently are passengers videotaping us, (2) What exactly are they filming and (3) Are they trying to incite emotions from Flight Attendants by saying or doing inappropriate things?

If you or your fellow Flight Attendants experience concerning behavior from a passenger(s), please take a moment to fill out a confidential reporting form by clicking on the following link. The form is very simple to complete. Filling out this form is optional (although greatly appreciated) and does not relieve you of other reporting requirements indicated in your Flight Attendant manual.

Passenger Incident Reporting Form »

*** If AFA releases any of the data to third parties, be assured we will remove any and all identifying information so that confidentiality is strictly maintained. ***

Thank you very much in advance for assisting AFA in combatting rising tensions in the cabin. Fly safe and continue to look out for each other.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,

There is a lot happening right now and we want to try and address your questions and any rumors that are out on the line. It’s important to remember there are resources available to you, along with your LEC Officers, where you can find answers to your questions. It’s important that we curtail rumors and bad info on the line and address issues with factual responses!

We hope that this newsletter addresses the top concerns and provides you with the necessary resources to seek your answers, too.

AFA-CWA Local Base Meeting June 21, 2017

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Hampton Inns and Suites, 28th Ave

(across from AS Fight Ops)

You have 2 options to get from the airport to the hotel:

1. Call the hotel directly for the shuttle (206) 244-5044

2. Call MVP shuttle (206) 243-3211. MVP is available for AS employees with their ID. The shuttle will drop you off at the Flight Ops building (just across from the hotel).

If you are driving to the meeting, parking at the hotel is free.

Andy Schneider has confirmed that she will attend the meeting to discuss recent concerns with Crew Access.

Council 19 LEC Officer Transition Process

Your current LEC Officers and the LEC Officer-Elects have been working together over the past month training and transitioning for the new officer term, which begins July 1, 2017.

Starting in June, LEC President Officer-Elect, Terry Taylor, will be included in all local base communication. This means that Terry will be cc’d in on all emails, alerted to texts, and updates with phone calls that the current LEC President, Laura Masserant, receives. This will ensure that Terry is up to speed on all events/issues that affect the Flight Attendants of Council 19.

Also, beginning June 1, Terry will be the point person for all performance meetings. Laura will step down from all performance/grievance related issues to ensure continuity of the grievance process during the transition process.

Virgin America Updates

Did you know that Virgin America (VX) F/As have are now part of AFA and the Alaska MEC? Their 3 domiciles (SFO, LAX, and JFK) make up AFA Council 35. The transitional council has a Local Council President, Melissa Osborne, and a Local Council Secretary, James Ikehara. Read more about James and Melissa at:

https://afaalaska.org/vx/officers

Melissa and James have attended the past 2 MEC meetings and they have been very busy! If you would like to know what they are doing to get their VX FAs ready for integration you can find updates on the AFA website:

https://afaalaska.org/vx

Melissa and James are answering questions in their updates, such as: VX travel, merger and integration appointees for VX FAS, along with a multitude of other questions. It’s a good rule of thumb for all of us to stay up to date with our brothers and sisters by adding Council 35 to your AFA newsletter preferences and receive their newsletters (see how to do this below).

Seniority Integration Questions?

Your officers are hearing questions about seniority integration. We want to remind everyone of the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws language which stipulates how seniority will be addressed:

https://afaalaska.org/latest-news/afa-constitution-mandates-date-of-hire-seniority-integration-protected-by-u-s-law

‘Date-of-Hire’ Principle Used, ‘Bidding Seniority’ Actual Term

Section X.C.2.a.(2). of the AFA-CWA C&B ensures that, “…the ‘seniority date’ of a Flight Attendant shall be the date from which each Flight Attendant accrues competitive (bidding) seniority as a Flight Attendant as of the date of the merger agreement between the affected airlines.” The term “date-of-hire” is common terminology among Flight Attendants and is the principle contained within the C&B. This term describes our principle but not the actual wording that refers to bidding seniority.

 Receiving newsletters from other domiciles

 How can I receive newsletters from other councils? It’s easy! Simply locate the manage your subscription link located at the bottom of every AFA newsletter that you receive and add councils to your subscription list.

You can add all AS/VX councils, as well as other airline councils who participate in the newsletter system.

Crew Access Update~Adjusted Trip Trading Dates for FA to FA Trading and June Open Time

AFA and management have agreed to adjust the trip trading dates so that Flight Attendant-to-Flight Attendant trades will no longer occur on the same day as Open Time. This is effective in June for July trading. Because Flight Attendants did not have an opportunity to bid for the new trading dates in June, the parties have agreed to keep Open Time trading on the 15th and instead move FA-to-FA trading up a day to the 14th. Starting in July for August trading and beyond, FA-to-FA trades will go back to the contractual trading date of the 15th and Open Time trading will occur a day later on the 16th.

For more information on this Letter of Agreement click the following link:

https://afaalaska.org/committees/scheduling/as-adjusted-trip-trading-dates

Your officers hope that you find this information helpful. Remember, you can reach us at sea@afaalaska.org.

This message is for pre-merger Virgin America Flight Attendants

AFA met with the Virgin America leadership team (management) and Alaska Airlines management on Friday, June 2nd in Seattle, WA as follow up to the Virgin America Flight Attendant Work Rule Improvements discussions a month ago. Representing the Virgin America (VX) leadership team: Vice President of Inflight & Guest Services Jeff Butler and Managing Director of Inflight Valerie Jenkins; representing Alaska Airlines: Vice President of Inflight & Call Center Services Andy Schneider; representing both carriers: Vice President of Labor Relations Greg Mays and Managing Director of Labor Relations-Air Elizabeth Ryan; and representing the Association of Flight Attendants: MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Council 35 VX President Melissa Osborne and Senior Staff Attorney and Negotiator Kimberley Chaput. The meeting was successful, and plans were made to continue discussions on interim improvements in the near future.

Grievance and Arbitration Procedure

AFA and the leadership team agreed to a grievance and arbitration procedure (System Board). Effective June 1st, any Virgin America Flight Attendant who is given a corrective action (discipline) or terminated can have an AFA representative at all investigatory meetings and grievance hearings; s/he can file a grievance, and s/he will have access to a neutral arbitrator to decide the merits of the case if AFA takes the case forward. AFA can also file a ‘contractual’ grievance if management violates any terms of the AFA VX Interim Improvements Letter of Agreement (4/27/2017) or any other signed agreement we may reach in the future.

Virgin America Flight Attendants can now be disciplined only for cause, and management must prove its case—just like at Alaska Airlines. Discipline will still be issued, and terminations will be upheld if warranted. However, having an established grievance procedure will take the randomness and potential unfairness out of the equation. Disciplinary cases will be reviewed and decided based on objective evidence rather than subjective perception.

AFA VX Grievance Procedures and System Board of Adjustment Letter of Agreement (6/2/2017) »

It is basically the same grievance-related provisions as those reached between the Virgin America leadership team and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) negotiating team. The grievance-related provisions in the TWU VX Tentative Agreement (TA) were in turn essentially identical to the Section (§) 19 Grievance and §20 Board of Adjustment provisions in the AFA Alaska contract.

If you are called into a meeting in which discipline is pending or is a possibility, your supervisor should tell you that you have the right to an AFA representative. If not, please contact your Council 35 officers so arrangements can be made for a qualified representative to be present with you in the meeting.

While many Flight Attendants go their whole career without ever encountering the disciplinary system, a grievance procedure is at the core of union representation. Historically, a grievance procedure is a benefit provided within a collective bargaining agreement. However, AFA has achieved this benefit for you outside of a contract. AFA is committed to collecting no union dues until you have the protections of being covered under a full contract. As a reminder, a full contract must be ratified by a majority of members in good standing. Management has stated that at this point in the merger process, it is shifting focus to achieving a full contract for VX F/As in the context of a merged agreement and an integrated seniority list.

Commuter Policy

AFA and the leadership team recognize that a large percentage of Virgin America Flight Attendants commute. AFA and management also agree that Flight Attendants regularly encounter difficulties commuting to SFO, JFK and LAX, due to the high probability of encountering delays at these airports. Although sick leave is not directly tied to commuting challenges, management is alarmed at Flight Attendants’ sick leave usage—particularly in JFK—and they are concerned about being able to staff flights. AFA is definitely interested in a commuter policy, and the leadership team is willing to explore a commuter policy if it is mutually beneficial to all parties—and especially if it will improve operational reliability.

AFA advocated that the Company should implement the Get Going Policy established in the TWU VX Tentative Agreement. The leadership team’s concern with the Get Going Policy is that it was agreed to in exchange for enhanced reserve utilization and other items negotiated into the TA. The parties discussed a couple ideas, but management was reluctant to implement a ‘standalone’ (outside of a full contract) commuter policy without fully understanding the impact to the operation. Although we did not establish a commuter policy this session, the parties agreed to do additional research and connect in the next few weeks to continue discussions.

Personal Electronic Device (PED) Policy Update

As you might recall, AFA and the leadership team agreed in the AFA VX Interim Improvements Letter of Agreement (4/27/2017) to implement the Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Personal Electronic Device (PED) policy for Virgin America F/As. The Alaska PED policy would allow you to use your PED while commuting or jumpseating, and, under stricter rules, during downtime while working. As mentioned in “Council 35 News – May 29, 2017,” the PED policy is located within the VX Inflight Manual (IFM). Any changes to the IFM are subject to FAA approval and must be made in a scheduled revision. The leadership team confirmed the Company is slated to adopt the Alaska PED policy in the August IFM revision.

Relaxing hair standards

AFA continues to advocate for relaxing the hair standards to the Alaska Airlines policy. The Alaska standard is to allow hair to be down when not doing a beverage/meal service and to be secured back during service. The leadership team explained that it needs to finesse the Virgin America brand expectations with regard to Flight Attendant appearance standards and the fact that VX has continuous on demand food service. However, AFA has convinced the leadership team to adopt the Alaska standard. It may take a couple months, but management is willing to go there.

Crossing seatbelts

AFA advocated to the leadership team that eliminating the seatbelt crossing and cleaning requirements would be a very welcomed improvement for Virgin America Flight Attendants. Management agreed and has communicated to AFA that the requirement to cross and clean seatbelts will change by the end of the year.

Pass travel and jumpseats

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Flight Attendants can travel on each other’s jumpseats for pleasure travel or to commute. The leadership team is open to the possibility of adding Virgin America to this reciprocal policy. In order to adopt a reciprocal jumpseat agreement, VX F/As will need to be entered into the Jumpseat Access and Control System (JACS). JACS is the program used to confirm whether an individual is jumpseat qualified. It is anticipated that VX F/As will be loaded into JACS by the time the carriers achieve Single Operating Certificate, which is currently estimated in early 2018. AFA believes that all our AFA sisters and brothers within Alaska Air Group (Virgin America, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air) should enjoy reciprocal cabin jumpseat agreements between all our respective carriers.

AFA and the leadership team agreed that VX Flight Attendants should be able to sit on VX (own metal) jumpseats out of uniform. The parties also agreed that pass riding Flight Attendants should be treated as much as possible like guests (e.g. ability to sleep and/or use the IFE, Wi-Fi or one’s PED) when traveling in uniform (e.g. deadheading and commuting). The leadership team has communicated to AFA that both improvements will be scheduled for IFM revision cycle 4, estimated in October.

Miscellaneous improvements

AFA sought several additional potential interim improvements. AFA advocated for revisiting items in the TWU VX Tentative Agreement that had been ready for implementation if the TA had ratified. These included but were not limited to the ability to drop below the minimum requirement of 70 hours per month by trading to another Flight Attendant, changes to Reserve rest and mid-sequence & deadhead report times. Management reiterated that it is now focusing on merger negotiations, so the leadership team is steering away from additional ‘standalone’ compensation and/or rule work improvements other than those already discussed.

AFA also inquired about other work rule improvements aligned with the Alaska policies and procedures and discovered that many of them are already pending as the carriers move towards a merged Inflight manual. Most are scheduled for implementation by October. AFA is going to hold off on listing those improvements for the time being because they are subject to change. Once we have more firm details, we’ll pass those along.

AFA is very encouraged by the overall progress so far. Look for updates regarding interim improvements for VX in future Council 35 communications. If you have any questions, contact your Local Council 35 officers.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

The busy summer travel season is nearly upon us and is anticipated to be one of the busiest travel seasons on record.  Along with the increase in travel comes the possibility of irregular operations and things going awry pertaining to layover hotels and transportation.  As a reminder, management has a responsibility to provide hotel accommodations and corresponding transportation to and from the hotel to Flight Attendants on a layover.  This information is contained in section 34 of the contract.

If you have a problem with your hotel or transportation, report it!

Management, in conjunction with their hotel vendor API, uses a website called My Crew Care to collect feedback from crew members on hotel and transportation issues. My Crew Care, can be accessed through the Flight Attendant Website from the main menu > Hotels > Hotel Links > My Crew Care.

In order to take action on issues with layover hotels and transportation, your AFA Hotel Committee needs to know when you have a problem.  Reports submitted through My Crew Care are automatically routed to your AFA Hotel Committee so they can track issues and trends in our layover locations.

Save A Shortcut to My Crew Care on Your IMD

You can save a shortcut to My Crew Care on your IMD so that you have easy access to report hotel or transportation concerns when you’re on the go.  The shortcut will appear just like any app icon on your IMD’s home screen.  When you tap the icon, you’ll be taken directly to the My Crew Care website.

To add My Crew Care as a shortcut on your IMD home screen:

  1. Tap on Alaska Inflight Website
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu
  3. Tap on Hotel & Station
  4. Expand Hotel Links and select My Crew Care
  5. Tap on the Share button at the bottom of the screen
  6. Tap on Add to Home Screen
  7. Change the name to “My Crew Care” and tap on Add
  8. Press and hold until the shortcut icon “wiggles” and move it to your desired home screen

Management has put together a version of this instructions with screenshots included for easy step-by-step reference.  You can access these instructions by clicking here (login required).

First Time Using My Crew Care System?

When you open the My Crew Care site for the first time, you’ll need to register with your alaskaair.com email address.  After registering, the system will send you a confirmation email.  From the confirmation email, click the link to confirm your registration.  Once you complete this registration process, you won’t need to do it again.  API has written a user guide for the My Crew Care system that you can access by clicking here.

Bed Bug Resources

Being aware of bed bugs and other in-room pests is important, especially going into summer.  If you encounter bugs in your hotel room, immediately report the situation to the hotel for resolution and file a report in My Crew Care.  We’ve put together some information about bed bugs, including how to inspect your room for bugs upon arrival and how to tell the difference between bed bugs and other bugs.  You can find these resources through the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website or by clicking here.

Your Local Hotel Committee Is Here to Help

Members of your Local Hotel Committee are here to assist you with addressing any layover hotel or transportation-related concerns.  You can find contact information on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee, MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson Laura Hinojosa and MEC Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson Jodi Snow

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

This evening at 10 PM, the largest update for Crew Access to date will be installed.  The update, which should take approximately 40 minutes, includes a combination of fixes and new items.  Included are approximately 30+ fixes will directly affect our workgroup.

The most anticipated and long awaited installation is the ability for Reserves to Advertise and Trade in Crew Access. Reserves will no longer have to use the “Reserve Trading Board” after this evening.  Attached to this communication is a PDF which gives instructions on how to Advertise, Grab, Trade, Shift, and Split Reserve blocks and days.

Below is the list of the fixes and enhancements that are included in this evenings update.

  1. Will no longer see Pilot flying preferences when logging into Crew Access.
  2. Lineholder will no longer be able to self-assign trip longer than the reserve block picked up.
  3. Lock on last 5 days of month functional
  4. Hotel reservations no longer lost on call-out
  5. Server clocks are now synced
  6. FA now able to advertise SIP departing more than three hours out
  7. Quick Trip Report – TFP now showing and Times displayed
  8. Premium trips on Published Roster will now show 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 etc.
  9. Hotel information no longer lost on SIPs
  10. “Ignore” button added to Notification window in Crew Access
  11. Days will now show as limited at 10am day prior once self-assigning starts
  12. Sipped trips that do not report on same day as original trip will now show correct day and trip number
  13. Addition of vertical delineation between calendar days
  14. HomeBase filter will no longer show all bases
  15. LAX no longer listed as Co-Terminal on LTFA
  16. Charter rest rules being applied correctly
  17. Notifications that were acknowledged but still popping up will go away
  18. “HTTP method POST not supported” message resolved
  19. Issue of check in time same as departure resolved
  20. Limiting FAs to single session. If logged in twice, you will have some functionally in the first session but will NOT be able to process transactions.
  21. “Enter” key no longer functional when trying to complete consecutive trades

Reserve Specific Changes

  1. Ability to Grab, Trade, Split Reserve days now functional
    • Ability to Direct Trade multiple reserve blocks with another FA
    • Ability to Advertise end of month and/or beginning of next month’s reserve blocks individually.
    • Reserve FAs able to give away their FAS to another FA with the same reserve block and classification
    • Able to direct trade multiple reserve blocks
    • Able to grab multiple reserve blocks
  2. LTFA will recognize start time based on release time of previous trip. 11.5 hours and 9 hours if waived rest.
    • New FAs will now show on LTFA Report
  3. Standalone airport standbys will receive 5.0 TFP
  4. Reserves that self-assign Premium trips will no longer see “1.5, 2.0, 2.5” in Roster or “Premium” in Published Roster

After this installation, we will be receiving regular updates from Jeppesen every six weeks. We still have a laundry list of items and we have been working hard with Alaska Airlines management as well as Jeppesen management to resolve these issues quickly. We appreciate your patience and we will continue to advocate for Flight Attendants and use all resources available to ensure timely fixes.

If you have any questions about this update to Crew Access, please contact your Local Scheduling Committee.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Zac Weeks

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

Over the past year, your AFA Master Executive Council (MEC) has been working to develop an online system to allow Flight Attendants to report contractual issues and other concerns.  We’re pleased to announce that this new online system will be launching next week.

The new AFA Alaska online support center will allow you to document scheduling and reserve concerns, situations where you might be facing discipline, potential contractual grievances, and any other issue where you might need AFA support.  After you’ve filed a ticket on an issue, the issue will automatically be routed to the appropriate AFA committee member or officer for follow up.  You’ll also be able to track the progress online and add additional information for your AFA representative to have available.

Be on the lookout for more information about the new system including access information next week.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

 

In accordance with the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, each Local Council must hold at least two Local Council Meetings each year that are open to all members in good standing.  At least one of those meetings must be held prior to the annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting to give all members the opportunity to discuss the items on the agenda at the BOD meeting.

The annual AFA BOD Meeting will be held later this month in Phoenix, AZ.  Local Council President Melissa Osborne is our representative on the BOD who will represent all Council 35 Members and vote on our behalf at the BOD meeting.  The Local Council Meeting is your opportunity to give input as to how you would like Melissa to vote on the BOD agenda items.  You can find more information about the BOD Meeting on the AFA International website at http://afa-bod.org/.

The AFA Constitution & Bylaws also encourages AFA Local Councils located in the same city to hold their Local Council Meetings jointly.  As such, we will be holding a joint Local Council Meeting with United Airlines Council 11.  Information about the Joint Local Council Meeting can be found below.

Joint Local Council Meeting Information

Date: Thursday, June 15, 2017
Time: 10:30 AM to 12 PM
Location: San Francisco International Airport
Terminal 2 Conference Room 2
Agenda: Discussion of AFA Board of Directors Meeting agenda items

If you have any questions about the Joint Local Council Meeting, please email us at vx@afaalska.org

In solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & James

For release to pre-merger AS councils only

Open Time Tentative Agreement reached

Your Negotiating Committee recently reached an agreement in concept with Alaska Airlines management regarding a new Open Time system. As a reminder, the Master Executive Council (MEC) ended the Open Time Trial last July (see “Open Time Trial Cancellation” for additional background). The MEC’s decision was based on overwhelming membership feedback from the Open Time satisfaction surveys and pursuant to Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.F.9 [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial]. The parties have been negotiating a potential successor Open Time system ever since AFA provided notice to management of the cancellation last summer.

The Negotiating Committee presented a draft full text Open Time Tentative Agreement (TA) for the MEC’s consideration two weeks ago. The MEC was impressed with many elements of the proposed new Open Time system, which is in many ways a fusion of the 2012-2015 “Back to Book” Open Time system and the current system. Some highlights of the proposed Open Time system include incorporating the beloved “day for day or greater” trading of Back to Book with the ability to drop into Open Time much like the current system.

The MEC unanimously voted against releasing the Open Time TA due to a lack of implementation guarantees

Despite the Negotiating Committee’s best efforts, management would not agree to implementation guarantees. The MEC and the Negotiating Committee held a special conference call meeting last week to discuss our concerns with a lack of such guarantees. After much consideration, the MEC has unanimously voted against releasing the Open Time TA for membership ratification.

The MEC has heard loud and clear that you expect meaningful and specific implementation guarantees. Therefore, the MEC is sending the Negotiating Committee back to the table to achieve implementation guarantees, and management has been informed of our expectations. Management acknowledged receipt and is planning to meet with Jeppesen in the coming week or so to discuss options.

What is “Back to Book”?

The “Back to Book” Open Time system is the trading system outlined in the 2006-2010 Flight Attendant Agreement as modified by the 2011 AFA Arbitration Award No. 6-99-2-18-11 “Withholding Open Time.” This modified trading system was in place 2012-2015. The contractual language associated with this system is found in CBA §12.F [Exchange of Sequences – Back to Book: Open Time Trading]. The “Back to Book” Section 12 Exchange of Sequences follows the regular Section 12 and precedes Section 13 Uniforms in your contract. The arbitration award follows LOA 6 Contract Implementation Schedule and precedes the index.

Where is “Back to Book”?

Flight Attendants have been inquiring where is the “Back to Book” Open Time system. Management has been citing “IT limitations” as the reason for why reverting “Back to Book” is still delayed: “If reverting, the timeline for rolling back will be dictated by IT limitations” (§12.F.9.a [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial]). Management says that Jeppesen has not had the resources to program “Back to Book” due to all available resources being allocated to implementation of the new crew tracking and trip trading system. However, the next scheduled update to the trading system places Alaska onto the “main branch” of the program, which is more or less the stock version.

Therefore, it seems obvious to AFA that IT limitations can no longer be used as an excuse for why “Back to Book” is delayed. We will be filing a contractual grievance disputing the “Back to Book” implementation delay in the coming days.

AFA will provide an update once management formally responds to the grievance and has an opportunity to meet with Jeppesen to consider implementation guarantees. After all the disappointments with extremely delayed implementation timelines and a disastrously executed transition to the new trip trading system, it’s time to make a stand!

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, 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

The next quarterly reserve meeting with Alaska Scheduling will be on June 15th. If you have issues or agenda items that you would like discussed, please forward them to your local reserve chairperson.

 

ANC: Matt Cook, matt.cook@afaalaska.org

SEA: Antoine Rouse, antoine.rouse@afaalaska.org

PDX: Bethany Gilbo, bethany.gilbo@gmail.com

LAX: Paige Harmon, paigeharmon14@yahoo.com

SAN: Kristen Yermakov, sanfa.reserve@gmail.com

 

Thanks!

 

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. […]

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Committee Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates