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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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MEC Officer Interviews

MEC Officer Interviews will be held during the MEC Meeting October 24th-26th. MEC Officers serve a three year term.  We will be interviewing candidates who expressed interest in holding one of the MEC officer positions for the upcoming term of January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2019.

Position Candidate(s)
MEC President Jeffrey Peterson
MEC Vice President Brian Palmer
Kelly Letourneau
MEC Secretary/Treasurer Linda Christou

The five Councils will be represented at the MEC Meeting and will each cast one vote for each position.

LEC President Laura Masserant will represent Council 19 at the October MEC Meeting.

Please email  Laura.Masserant@afaalaska.org with any comments.

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council is passing along this important message from our International officers as a service to our members who had their primary residence impacted by Hurricane Matthew. Please note the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund is open to contributions either by check or electronic payment. Information on how to make a donation is now available at www.afacwa.org.

afa-cwa-disaster-relief-fund-logo

Help from the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund For Hurricane Matthew

We know that disasters can change lives forever. While we can’t stop destructive events from happening, we can, as a Union, assist our members with their recovery. AFA established the disaster relief fund after September 11th to assist our members whose lives were placed in harms way. AFA members and retirees, whose primary residence is in the counties listed below and who have suffered damage and/or dislocation, are eligible for $200.00 from the AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Fund. It is a gift made possible by the generosity of your fellow union sisters and brothers with AFA.

Florida Counties: Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia.

Georgia Counties: Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, McIntosh, and Wayne.

North Carolina Counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Pender, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson.

South Carolina Counties: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Orangeburg, Sumter and Williamsburg.

If you would like to apply for AFA-CWA Disaster Relief Funds, download the Disaster Relief Fund Application and fax it to the International AFA EAP Department at 202-434-1411 or mail it to AFA-CWA EAP Department, 501 Third Street NW, 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001-2797.   You can also e-mail this same information to lfoster@afanet.org or phone in the necessary information to 1-800-424-2406.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy to AFA members affected by Hurricane Matthew and their families during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Sara Nelson, International President

Debora Sutor, International Vice-President

Kevin Creighan, International Secretary-Treasurer

afa-cwa-application-for-disaster-relieve-fund

Information prepared by Judith Anderson, AFA Air, Safety, Health and Security Department (ASHSD)

AFA members are invited to participate in a University of Colorado health study that is intended to assess the health effects of flight attendants’ onboard exposures to second-hand smoke. AFA has reviewed the study and sees no reasons to discourage participation by AFA members. This bulletin gives you the “skinny” to review so that you can decide if you’d like to share the information with your members and invite them to participate.

The study is led by University of Colorado pulmonologist, Dr. Bill Vandivier, and is funded by a Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI) grant. FAMRI was established in 2000 with $300M in funds from a large class action lawsuit against big tobacco that was settled in 1997. The organization funds research to assess the health effects of exposure to tobacco smoke.

The purpose of the study is to compare the (primarily respiratory) health of people in three groups – flight attendants who flew for any length of time before the smoking ban, flight attendants who have flown for any length of time since the smoking ban, and a “control group” of people who have not worked as flight attendants. The intent is for the control group to be made up of family/friends of the flight attendants in the study (esp. friends) because they would have similar life outside of flying. Control group members need to be 50 or older because the flight attendants who flew pre- ban are not expected to be younger than that, and you want a similar age group to control for any effects of age.

Participation involves travel to the University of Colorado clinic in Denver, where participants spend about 3.5 hours completing a series of health and exposure surveys (some of which can be completed in advance, if preferred), plus a physical, lung function, volume, and diffusion (how effectively air moves across the lung wall – measure of oxygen transfer/uptake) tests, and a nasal swab.

A few notes regarding the survey questions: First, there are some questions about potential occupational exposures to chemicals other than second-hand smoke (SHS) such as fuel fumes. That’s to control for the respiratory health impact(s) of those exposures and focus on the effects of SHS. Second, the majority of the health questions ask about respiratory health (to be expected) but some ask about depression/anxiety “in the past 7 days,” cognitive function “in the past 4 weeks,” and whether the person answering the questions is currently taking anti-depressants. AFA asked about the relevance of those mental health/cognitive questions and this was the answer: “The study looks at the long-term effect of secondhand smoke exposure on the development of lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD has many effects outside the lung, including increased cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression and use of health care resources. It also worsens cognition and quality of life. So they ask those questions to have a deeper understanding of the effects of secondhand smoke exposure beyond lung function.” Finally, all personal health information is encrypted and de-identified to ensure confidentiality. Pressed on that last point, the investigators assured AFA that the data collected will not be shared with the airlines under any circumstances.

To defray some travel costs, participants who live in Denver are paid $50, in the Denver area (but not in Denver) $100, and outside of the Denver area the choice of either $100 or a hotel room for a night. The research team has already recruited about 150 people, but they are hoping for 600 (or even more) and want to encourage people to sign up because the larger their sample size, the greater the statistical “power,” which allows them to more reliably answer their research questions.

To sign up, members can call 303-724-6067 or send an email to famri@ucdenver.edu. Any more questions, please call or email Judith Anderson – judith@AFAnet.org or 206-932-6237.

The following AFA Council 30 Anchorage Flight Attendants were elected to a Local Executive Council (LEC) term of office beginning January 1, 2017, and ending December 31, 2019. Certified Council 30 Anchorage election results are posted on www.afacwa-elections.org, or click here.

Council 30 Anchorage officers-elect

LEC President: Lisa Pinkston

LEC Vice President: Karen Farrell

LEC Secretary: Laura Rueckert

The Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the officers-elect and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

National Child Indentificaiton Test Kits

The Association of Flight Attendants has joined the American Football Coaches Association to help protect our children. All items are completed and stored at home. If ever needed, you can provide this information to authorities to help reunite a missing child with your family.

Get your kit in the Seattle Inflight Service Center/Crew Room and in the Seattle Flight Ops Recurrent Training Room

Over 800,000 children are missing every year- that’s one every 40 seconds! 

Why should we fingerprint our children?

  • 450,000 children run away each year
  • 300,000 children are abducted each year by family members
  • More than 58,000 children are abducted every year by non-family members

That’s more than 800,000 children in America missing each year – one child every 40 seconds. Yet, when the National Child Identification Program began; less than two percent of parents had a copy of their child’s fingerprints to use in case of an emergency.

The National Child Identification Program is a community service initiative dedicated to changing these statistics by providing parents and guardians with a tool they can use to help protect their children. The ID Kit allows parents to collect specific information by easily recording the physical characteristics and fingerprints of their children on identification cards that are then kept at home by the parent or guardian. If ever needed, this ID Kit will give authorities vital information to assist their efforts to locate a missing child.

order-forms

For more information on this program visit www.childidprogram.com

Help protect your family ~ A gift of safety, from our AFA family to yours.

In solidarity,

Council 19 LEC Officers

Council 19 EAP Committee Update

Our MEC EAP Chairs Elizabeth Dillon and Jeanne McCleave are working on a Return to Work policy with HR, Inflight,  and AFA. The working group consists of members from management and AFA: Leslee Cabulagan (Manager Inflight Performance)  and Sara Gray (Manager of Benefits) are leading the group. Ron Calvin (Managing Director of Inflight), Melanie Buker (AFA SAN VP), Elizabeth Dillon and Jeanne McCleave (AFA MEC EAP co-Chairs) are also working hard to create the program. The group will be presenting a proposal to Ben and Brad before the end of the year.
The 6th annual FADAP conference was attended by EAP Committee members in September. There was a huge turnout, with 43 Alaska employees including Inflight Management, AFA officers, EAP’s and mentors, as well as flight attendants. If you have never been to the FADAP website, it’s a fantastic resource for anyone you may know who is struggling with substance use or dependence.
Lastly, we will be holding a Fall EAP meeting on October 25th and we would like to welcome our newest EAP Representative, Caroline Berthiume. On October 26th, Heather Healy, AFA International EAP Director, will facilitate a 2 day initial EAP class for the Inflight Managers in Seattle. 
 
Please remember that EAP is a peer led group of Flight Attendants for Flight Attendants and it is 100% confidential. We are here to help you. Please call or email us at any time.

Council 19 LEC EAP Chairperson: Lisa Haugen

http://afaalaska.org/sea

http://afaalaska.org/eap

Council 19 Virtual Local Council Meeting

 November 2, 2016 ~ 1:00-3:00 pm

You’ve asked and your LEC Officers have listened–We are pleased to announce our first virtual Local Council Meeting!  Mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 2.  We’ll be broadcasting the meeting from 1 to 3 PM, Pacific time.

Link to agenda: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NHSWZs-CiGeZigW4zMyG80bMbTNr7xndBIL_y5d6IHg/edit?usp=sharing

If you have an agenda item email your LEC Officers at sea@afaalaska.org before November 1, 2016.

System Requirements

AFA Alaska uses YouTube to stream live broadcasts such as our Local Council meeting.  In order to watch the broadcast, you’ll need to be able to view YouTube videos on your computer or mobile device.  Check to make sure that you can access YouTube on your computer or device at http://www.youtube.com.  A YouTube app is also available for iOS and Android users.

Using Live Chat During the Meeting

To interact using live chat during the meeting, you’ll need to be signed in to YouTube using a Google account on a computer. Please note that live chat is not available on mobile devices. No need to worry if you only have a mobile device, we’ll have other ways for you to ask questions and give feedback during the meeting.

If you don’t already have a Google account, you can sign up for one for free.  Instructions for creating a Google account can be found at http://support.google.com.

If you have any questions about this process let your LEC Officers know. We will be sending out additional information on how to access the virtual meeting next week.

In Solidarity,

Your LEC Officers

Council 19 Government Affairs Committee Update

Government Affairs started out the quarter with our new chair Kris Hall attending her AFA 101 committee training on July 11th. She was excited to learn about the foundations of the AFA and how the AFA has grown to become the union it is today. Loving all things history, she enjoyed learning about how and why the AFA came to be and is proud to be an active member of a union steeped in struggles and triumphs.

July 18-July 21 she attended the Next Gen CWA Conference in Detroit where she met with other AFA-CWA Next Gen activists and attended workshops collecting ideas and asking questions on how to best organize the Alaska Airlines flight attendant group. Finding the flight attendant workgroup unique in and of itself, she appreciated meeting and gathering with other AFA members from other airlines and listening and inquiring about their differences and similarities in mobilizing their workgroups.

During September and working with our MEC Chair Krystle Berry, the Seattle Government Affairs Committee participated in the National Voter Registration Day.  We canvassed the Seattle terminal updating Flight Attendants’ voter registration address as well as registering Flight Attendants to vote in the upcoming November elections.  We also had Flight PAC information and handed out bag tags to those who signed up to participate.

With the Presidential elections on the horizon  and on everyone’s minds this Fall, the Governmental Affairs Committee has been actively searching for new members and is excited to announce their newest member, Tiffany Roget. Tiffany Roget comes to us with an impressive background in government, politics and research. We very recently added her to our committee and are both excited and thrilled to see the many places she will take us with her time and dedication!

Remember that Election Day is November 8th, 2016! So many decisions that affect our workplace are made in Congress—your vote as an AFA-CWA union member matters. Your voice counts. The best way to promote aviation safety and better improve the future of our profession and the working conditions on our airplanes today is to be able to help elect Senators and House Representatives who support and defend issues that are important to flight attendants. Some of these concerns are protecting U.S. aviation jobs, making sure all flight attendants have mandated rest requirements to reduce fatigue, keeping dangerous weapons such as knives off of planes, receiving human trafficking awareness and improving air quality. Donating to FlightPAC can ensure all of this. Our union dues are never used to contribute to campaigns. All contributions to Flight PAC are voluntary donations. FlightPAC is non-partisan meaning we give to candidates who help stand and support flight attendants. If you’d like to donate to FlightPAC and help strengthen our voice in Congress, reach out to Kris for a donation card.

LEC Government Affairs Chairperson: Kris Hall

http://afaalaska.org/sea

http://afaalaska.org/governmentaffairs

 Council 19 Virtual Local Council Meeting

You’ve asked and your LEC Officers have listened–We are pleased to announce our first virtual Local Council Meeting!  Mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 2.  We’ll be broadcasting the meeting from 1 to 3 PM, Pacific time.

More information about how to submit agenda items, the finalized meeting agenda, and how to access the meeting broadcast will be available in the weeks leading up to the meeting.

System Requirements

AFA Alaska uses YouTube to stream live broadcasts such as our Local Council meeting.  In order to watch the broadcast, you’ll need to be able to view YouTube videos on your computer or mobile device.  Check to make sure that you can access YouTube on your computer or device at http://www.youtube.com.  A YouTube app is also available for iOS and Android users.

Using Live Chat During the Meeting

To interact using live chat during the meeting, you’ll need to be signed in to YouTube using a Google account on a computer (live chat is not available on mobile).  If you don’t already have a Google account, you can sign up for one for free.  Instructions for creating a Google account can be found at https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/161805?hl=en&ref_topic=3024170.  No need to worry if you only have a mobile device, we’ll have other ways for you to ask questions and give feedback during the meeting.

In Solidarity,

Your LEC Officers

Council 19 Inflight Service Committee Update

First, we would like to welcome our newest members for the Seattle Base, Ross DeJong and Chris King.  We are looking forward to their input and expertise. Chris and Ross will attend the next AFA Committee 101 training that Brian Palmer, MEC-VP, hosts for our new committee members.

Here’s an update of what’s been going on…the ISC committee has been taking numerous polls to give feedback to the company:

  • Service flow and flexibility…looking at different ways to make the flow better for the customers.
  • Should we add an additional sparkling wine to our trans-con flights?  Most of the committee members said; yes but only if nothing was taken out of the beverage cart.
  • New pointed spatulas are coming and a better wine opener.
  • If you need to write up a particular service or flight make sure that you send it to catering.feedback@alaskaair.com
  •  Tidbits are back and if you weren’t here when we use to have them these are tips from the flight attendant group.  You can find them on the AFA website at afaalaska.org Go to Committees/Inflight…then go to “notes from your Inflight Service Committee” and Matthew will post them on the weekly Onboard News.

The last ISC quarterly meeting was held October 11, 2016

ISC Committee Chairperson: Linda Christou

http://afaalaska.org/sea

http://afaalaska.org/inflightservice

SEA Domicile Negotiations Update – February 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants SEA Domicile May Vacancy Posting The company has posted vacancies for the SEA domicile. There are 121 permanent vacancies available, effective May 1, 2026 for the May bid month. Bids will close at 11:59 PM HT on Monday, February 16. Awards will be posted by 12:00 PM […]

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – January 2026

On Wednesday, January 28, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO & MEC ASHSC Vice […]

AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall: Join Us Tuesday, March 3

This is your opportunity to connect, share, and be heard! Join us at an AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall on Tuesday, March 3. Get the latest AFA news and connect directly with our MEC Officers. Bring your questions—this is your chance to get answers directly from AFA Representatives. The Details What: AFA Alaska + […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – January 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, January 27, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

Celebrating Black History Month

February 1 marks the start of Black History Month in the United States—a vibrant celebration with roots dating back to 1925, when acclaimed historian Carter G. Woodson first introduced “Negro History Week” to highlight the remarkable achievements of Black individuals. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford expanded it to Black History Month, calling on all […]

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