AFA Alaska

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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

[Note: This is a longer communication containing a lot of information, so you might want to read this when you have a decent amount of time set aside.]

Beyond frustrated with Open Time

Your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) understands that our Members are beyond frustrated with Open Time. Please know that we are doing everything possible to ensure Alaska Airlines management (1) implements the language of the new Open Time system in the way it was negotiated, and (2) that Flight Attendants can access Open Time without it slowing/”hiccupping”/freezing/crashing/etc.

Speaking of Open Time slowing/hiccupping/freezing/crashing/et cetera…

Speaking of Open Time slowing/”hiccupping”/freezing/crashing/et cetera, the login issues are not directly related to the new Open Time system of trading. The reality is that no matter which Open Time rules are being used (old vs. new), Maestro/eMaestro has been on its last legs for far too long. Ideally Maestro/eMaestro should have been replaced years ago. The system is designed to handle around 500 connections at any given time (including Crew Scheduling, administrative access, reports, etc.). When everybody is trying to log on at the same time when Open Time opens, the system almost always slows down—or worse.

What can be done about the connections? The MEC and management previously agreed to more widely stagger the opening of trading. This was done in order to spread out the number of users attempting to access Maestro/eMaestro at any given time and therefore reduce the load on the system. See AFA Alaska’s New Temporary FA to FA and Open Time Trading Schedule update from November 17, 2015, for more information. Realistically, nothing more can be done to speed up Maestro/eMaestro, so in the short term we’re stuck dealing with a slow system.

Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE)

However, the Company is set to roll out the new crew management system called Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE) this coming September 30th. Management has advised the MEC that JCTE will be able to handle many more users than Maestro/eMaestro. You have already heard about JCTE recently from Inflight Crew Scheduling management. Your MEC hopes JCTE delivers as much as has been promised!

Start of the Open Time trial has become a “rolling delay”

The MEC and management agreed the trial period of twelve months from “initial implementation” referenced in Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) §12.F.10 [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial: Trial Period] should begin when the system is fully functional. During negotiations, the trial was estimated to begin around August 2015, which is reflected in CBA Letter of Agreement 6 [Contract Implementation Schedule].

As a result of all the programming challenges associated with the new Open Time system, the start of the Open Time trial has become an unforeseen “rolling delay.” In our previous Open Time Trial update dated January 15, 2016, AFA Alaska communicated, “Based on the latest estimates, we are anticipating the Open Time trial to officially begin in the next month or so.” That estimate has proven to be too optimistic by several months.

Incorrect Open Time programming

The MEC is extremely disappointed that the new Open Time has been programmed incorrectly. The new Open Time has suffered from major programming glitches that were corrected as recently as just a few months ago. In fact, Open Time was initially programmed incorrectly with more favorable trading rules than negotiated. OT was left to run for several months with the more favorable rules starting last autumn, and then the system was reprogrammed with the negotiated trading rules a few months back.

Open Time still has one minor bug related to multiple trades even up to the present day. The MEC finds this completely unacceptable. We are pushing for management to install a programming patch that would fix the bug as soon as possible.

Programming limitations for Maestro/eMaestro and JCTE

Unfortunately, due to the complexities of programming and resource limitations, no additional changes beyond that possible patch can be made to Maestro/eMaestro. The MEC also knows that all the OT codes (TO, DD, CP and TX) are confusing to many and ideally we would like to condense all the codes into only two categories. However, any programming change requests made to the new system JCTE will not go live until February 2017 at the earliest—or later.

Open Time trial officially begins this month (May)

At this point, the MEC is not willing to wait any longer for conditions to improve prior to commencing the trial. Consequently, the Open Time trial will officially begin this month (May), and the MEC will be sending out monthly surveys regarding your opinion of the trial. The first round of surveys will be sent out very soon.

The MEC will review the survey results on a monthly basis for at least three to four months prior to determining a course of action.

 

Based on membership feedback the MEC will make a determination on the future of Open Time:

  • If the MEC determines to go “back to book,” reverting to the former Open Time system could take approximately one year. This is because the new JCTE crew management system would need to be reprogrammed with the rules for the former OT system. (It is currently being programmed with the new OT rules.)
  • If we do go “back to book,” AFA will start negotiating a new system as outlined in CBA 12.F.9 [Exchange of Sequences: Open Time Trial: Cancellation of Open Time Trial]. Implementation of a replacement OT system would likely take a minimum of nine months after reaching an agreement with management.

Other factors contributing to your frustration

The MEC and Scheduling Committee understand there are several other factors contributing to your frustration. We have heard you loud and clear that all the codes and the trading rules are confusing. In the short term, AFA Alaska is working on a “cheat sheet,” Open Time Trading with the Codes, to help you understand the codes and trading rules. In the long term, the MEC is advocating for combining all the codes into two categories as soon as can be programmed into JCTE.

Schedule flexibility is also negatively impacted by extremely high line averages in all domiciles. There are fewer Reserves on a comparative basis than in the past, and those Reserves are being highly utilized. Premium OT is being offered nearly every day. From the MEC’s perspective, Inflight appears obviously understaffed. Management has agreed to hire at least one more class this year in order to bring down the line averages, but that will take time.

Finally, the MEC has received a lot of feedback recently regarding dissatisfaction with the pairings; so stay tuned for more communication from us on that subject!

* * *

If you have any questions or concerns, contact your local officers (LEC officers: ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15) or Scheduling Committee members (local Scheduling Committee: ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15).

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

cropped-AFA-Alaska-Logo-Transparent-Background.png

Your AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and Alaska Airlines management have entered into a side letter of agreement that allows qualified Flight Attendant Trainers to certify Initial Operating Experiences (IOEs) for Flight Attendant trainees.

 

A copy of the side letter of agreement (signatures pending) can be found by clicking here. You may also find the agreement on the “contract” page of the AFA Alaska website: http://afaalaska.org/contract.

 

Previously only management employees holding a Flight Attendant-qualified FAA certificate could certify IOEs for trainees. This agreement modifies §CBA 30.E [Trainers Performing Probationary Observation Flights], which already provided for Trainers to conduct Probationary Observation Flights, and incorporates IOEs into that provision.

 

This side letter of agreement was supported by our Flight Attendant Trainers and developed with input from that group. The major benefit of the agreement is that a larger pool of certifying personnel allows IOEs to be conducted during training. In the past, graduating trainees had to fly their IOEs immediately following graduation.

 

In addition to being worried about flying their IOEs, trainees also had to be concerned with positioning themselves to their respective new domiciles prior to their start date. Depending on how closely the start date followed graduation, this may have been a stressfully short period of time. With IOEs finished prior to graduation, trainees can truly celebrate graduation without worrying about possibly flying the next morning. They can also focus exclusively on moving to their new domiciles.

 

IOEs for Class 2016-01 begin today, so you may see some Flight Attendant Trainers out there certifying IOEs in the next couple days. Congratulations to the first graduating class of 2016 and thanks to our Flight Attendant Trainers for their continuing efforts to get our trainees out to the line!

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green and Brice McGee

AFA LOA 2016-05-03 Trainers Performing Probationary Observation Flights or IOEs PENDING

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and AFA International are closely monitoring the proposed acquisition/merger with Virgin America while management navigates the various approval processes. On May 25, 2016, the MEC and your newly selected Merger Representatives are scheduled to attend a special meeting called by our AFA-CWA international president. Pursuant to Section X [Merger Policy and Related Employee Protective Provisions] of the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws, the purpose of this meeting is to review the merger, our constitutional protections and procedures, contract bargaining, representation and seniority integration. While preparations are already underway on these items, nothing can officially proceed until the financial transaction is final months from now.

 

AFA International President Nelson has met with the TWU International President Lombardo and confirmed that AFA will be the surviving union representing the unified group if the merger is finalized. There will be no representational election. In the meantime, TWU is continuing its regular representation activities as they work to secure a first contract for Virgin America Inflight Team Members (ITMs). We support their efforts to achieve a first contract.

 

In a merger, there is no statutory oversight of contract bargaining. Section 6 negotiations under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), the process we are familiar with under regular contract negotiations, does not apply in a merger. Management will need to negotiate with us to address the merger of the work force and this can be an opportunity for Flight Attendants to achieve improvements. It is important that we not speculate on this process – especially prior to our meeting with AFA Legal and Collective Bargaining on May 25th.

 

AFA-CWA has experience with dozens of mergers. AFA Alaska will leverage this opportunity to achieve the best possible conditions and improvements for all Flight Attendants.

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow,  Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green, Brice McGee; Merger Representatives Sandra Morrow, Marie Maxwell; AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput; and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

cropped-AFA-Alaska-Logo-Transparent-Background.png

The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for one (1) member to serve on the AFA System Board of Adjustment.

Scope

Members are to serve on the System Board of Adjustment for the purpose of arbitrating any disputes or grievances that may arise under the terms of the Agreement between Alaska Airlines and its Flight Attendants.

Policy/Responsibilities

  • There shall be two members selected by the MEC from active members in good standing to represent the Association.  Members will be selected at-large without regard to Local Council or domicile.
  • Any person seeking a position as a System Board of Adjustment Member must submit a resume.  Candidates must interview with the MEC.
  • System Board Members shall be selected for a two (2) year appointment period in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws.  Appointments will be reviewed in January of each even numbered year.  Selection shall be made, insofar as possible, to ensure that both members will not be new at the same time.
  • The System Board Members will act in the best interest of the membership and the Association and will be consistent with the Agreement between the Flight Attendants and Alaska Airlines.
  • The MEC President shall have the ability, in the event of an emergency, to appoint a qualified member in good standing to fill an ad hoc position on the Board, should the alternate not be available.
  • The MEC on an ad hoc basis, by majority vote, may appoint an expert as a substitute for one member of the System Board of Adjustment.

Qualifications

  • Willingness to attend the requisite grievance training(s)
  • In depth knowledge of the contract
  • Understanding of the principles of just cause
  • Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information
  • Maintenance of member-in-good-standing status
  • Ability to remain in good standing with the company
  • Ability to analyze written data and information with high attention to detail
  • Strong written and communication skills
  • Strong computer skills

Expressing Interest and Interviewing Schedule

Interviews will be conducted during the June MEC meeting on Tuesday, June 28 at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle.

To express interest for the position, please submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Satterlee at yvette.satterlee@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Monday, June 20, 2016.  Yvette will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-Elect Timothy Green and Brice McGee; MEC Grievance Chairperson Jennifer Wise-MacColl and MEC Grievance Representative Stephanie Adams
AFA Alaska Logo (Email)

Norwegian Air International (NAI), a subsidiary of a Norwegian airline, has headquartered its operations in Ireland to take advantage of lower labor and regulatory standards. This runs counter to U.S. law and the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement. NAI’s business plan has called for hiring pilots and Flight Attendants under individual contracts that run $18,000 a year for Flight Attendants or utilize pilots based in Asia to fly between Europe and the United States without serving Ireland.

Despite calls from AFA, ALPA, and other U.S., and European labor groups, U.S. and European passenger carriers, and more than 200 bipartisan members of Congress, the DOT announced Friday, April 15 that it will tentatively approve NAI’s application for a foreign air carrier permit. AFA has already voiced our strong opposition to this decision.

Help stop this by participating in our call to action today!

The NAI scheme threatens our career and the future of the U.S. aviation industry. A flags-of-convenience model in the U.S. shipping industry has already forced U.S. companies out of the market and lost more than 97,000 jobs. Should NAI be allowed to operate into the U.S., we are potentially looking at a similar result for Flight Attendant jobs.

TAKE ACTION NOW!  Register your objection to the DOT ruling to allow Norwegian Air International to operate on an Irish certificate and trample labor standards in the U.S. and E.U.

We need each and every Flight Attendant and the traveling public to take the following actions. We only have a few weeks to stop this threat to our jobs!

  1. Fill out the form to register your objection to NAI with the DOT. The deadline is May 6, 2016.
  2. Call your Representatives and tell them to support HR 5090. Find your Representative at house.gov and call their D.C. and home offices.

“I am a Flight Attendant and constituent. I am urging you to co-sponsor H.R. 5090, to enforce the high labor standards negotiated in the E.U./U.S. Open Skies agreement. And, I urge you to also sign on to the Collins/Garamendi letter to Secretary Foxx to deny the NAI foreign air carrier permit. We can’t let U.S. aviation be destroyed like U.S. shipping. This is about my job, our nation’s economy and our safety and security.”

  1. Join the picket line in front of the White House on May 12 to show our unity and strength in opposition to the recent tentative approval of NAI.

WHAT: Airline Workers Mobilize to #DenyNAI

WHEN: Thursday, May 12 at 12:00pm ET

WHERE: 1601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20050

WHO:

  • Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA)
  • Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
  • International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
  • Transport Workers Union of America (TWU)
  • The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD)

 

Don’t delay—take action now!

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green, Brice McGee; and MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson Bev Bullock

cropped-AFA-Alaska-Logo-Transparent-Background.png

NATIONAL GROUP PROTECTION

SEATTLE BASE VISIT

MAY 2-6, 2016

SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS – 2016 ENROLLMENT

From May 2nd—6th, National Group Protection (NGP) will be in the crew lounge in Seattle to communicate the AFA supplemental benefit plans. Please look for the NGP benefit counselors during the on-site enrollment to enroll or make changes to your existing coverage. Please make an effort to come to the crew lounge during this week.

  • Accident Insurance
  • Critical Illness Coverage
  • Whole Life Insurance

There are some benefit enhancements/upgrades this year, so please take the time to sit down with a benefit counselor and review your options. This is also an excellent time to make sure you have filed for your annual health screening benefits, which are part of the accident and critical illness benefit plans.

Forget to File Wellness benefits—-NGP CAN RETRO FILE 2 YEARS OF WELLNESS BENEFITS!

  • Supplemental – these plans supplement any existing coverage
  • Voluntary – members choose to participate
  • Limited Underwriting – no medical or physical exams required
  • Family Coverage – available with all of the plans
  • Portable – members can continue coverage if they leave the company
  • Payroll Deduction – premiums are paid through payroll deduction

If you have any questions regarding the upcoming enrollment, please contact National Group Protection (NGP) at 800-344-9016.

PBS Update May 2016

May Bid Awards Q&A

Summer Update

The AFA PBS Committee and your Local AFA Council 19 leadership received a number of questions this month about bid awards. Hopefully this information will help to understand the current state of staffing and bid awards. Remember, the company has 2 PBS members on the committee in addition to the 2 AFA PBS committee members.

Why were lines so high this month?

Besides the normal ramping up in flight hours for the summer, the SEA base experienced 15 flight attendants leave employment with the company or go ‘inactive’ (medical leave, etc) just prior to bids opening. When you take into account that each person would have potentially flown a May schedule of approximately 82tfp, the goal for May was 82.5tfp, this means over 1200tfp is not covered and must be accounted for during the bid award.

There’s no way to add new people to the base at the last minute to cover a situation like this. Consequently, the existing active crew in the base is required to fly more to cover that time.

The company is hearing our concerns over staffing levels. As a result, they have added a fourth initial class this year. Hopefully we will see additional staffing in the SEA base to help control the increase in premium pay trips in Open Time. It is our hope that the lack of premium pay equates to flight attendants picking up trips from the one ways. Hiring close to 300 new FA’s this year will hopefully help reduce the use of premium open time to cover a lean staffing model.

What is the ‘threshold’?

Seniority            1234       Category SEA-ALL FA             JONES     098765
Minimum window <  76.5>   Threshold <  82.5>             Maximum window <  92.5>

The ‘threshold’ is shown on your ‘Reasons Report’ on the ‘Results’ tab in PBS. It is the goal set by program administrators (the PBS Committee) in order to achieve the correct staffing for that month.

There is a connection between the posted ‘base line average’ you see on the PBS Info Page each month and the threshold. The PBS Committee attempts to keep the threshold set as close as possible to the posted line average. Changing the threshold will alter the staffing for that month:

The higher the threshold, the more days people essentially have to work.

The lower the threshold, the less days people have to work.

During the summer schedule, the threshold is always higher because there is more flying to cover. This is true in all bases, not just SEA. Throughout the rest of the year, except for December, the threshold tends to be lower. Contractually, the threshold number has to fall between 78tfp and 85tfp. 

Why was the low/minimum for a line raised this month in SEA?

In the example above you can see the ‘Minimum Window’ and the ‘Maximum Window’ as well as the “Threshold.” Historically, the low window averages 10tfp below the posted base line average. The AFA PBS Committee was asked by the MEC this month to try to refrain from changing the threshold. The threshold is the goal for everyone’s line and ideally is the same as the posted base line average. In the past the PBS committee may have adjusted that threshold number up or down, a bit, in order to achieve the company’s staffing numbers for lineholders and reserves.

Many flight attendants bid with the idea that the posted ‘base line average’ is the goal to consider when adding up the tfp value of the pairings they request. When the threshold number is kept as close as possible to the line average number this provides some consistency to the bidding process. You’ll know in advance what tfp number you need to reach to have the program ‘stop’ after awarding you the trips you want.

A consequence of not changing the threshold is that the low window number or high window number may need to be moved to achieve the company’s required lineholder/reserve ratio. The PBS Committee does not know in advance if that would be necessary to move numbers until the first bid run.

After doing the first bid run in SEA for May the PBS committee knew there was problem. Using the full 20tfp between windows (minimum window/maximum window) and the threshold at 82.5tfp (the same as the line average), the program was only was creating 247 reserves. The company necessity for May is 278 reserves.

Raising the low window to 76.5tfp (from 72.5), those FA’s with who may have received a very low line are now probably flying one more trip or receiving higher time trips. Adhering to the company’s request of 278 reserves, the higher minimum for a line equates to additional flying pushed onto lines. The result is fewer pairings/tfp left over and affects if someone may hold a line or is bumped to reserve. Moving the low window to 76.5tfp achieved the company’s desired number of 278 reserves.

Why was my line built all the way to 92tfp while others only 77tfp?

There will always be flight attendants with lower lines and flight attendants with higher lines due to the broad bidding window (20 tfp difference). The threshold, or goal, is an “average” and flight attendants will end up with lower total tfp or higher total tfp as a result. The line average is pulled down by bids that, for contractual reasons/Denial Mode/legalities, etc are unable to be awarded more pairings to reach the threshold.

The majority of lines are likely higher than the threshold because the program is designed to stop when you’ve reached or exceeded the threshold. Few if any stop at exactly 82.5tfp. For May, a majority of flight attendants exceed that number.

If your line hasn’t reached that ‘threshold’ or goal for the month then the program will attempt to give you one more pairing if legally possible. The total tfp for the month you end up with has a lot to do with the type of trips you bid and what your tfp total is when it tries to give you one more pairing.

If you bid turns and you are just short of the threshold, you end up with a line total just barely over the threshold because you were given one more turn.  If you bid for multiday trips, and have not reached the threshold, you might end up on the high end of the bidding window.  This is because that additional needed pairing is worth a lot more than a turn.

Some airlines restrict the window~ meaning a narrow tfp difference. Let’s say we have a 10tfp-bidding window like our fellow flight attendants at Envoy (formerly American Eagle). That bid awards take longer because it’s harder to find a solution that gets everyone into a small window. The Envoy FA’s also end up flying more pairings that they didn’t ask for. This is because the pairings they ask for don’t necessarily fit inside that small window when it gets to that last pairing to be awarded. They need a pairing worth less or worth more because that’s the only pairing that will ‘fit’ into that small window.

So in other words, the larger the window the better because it enables you bid accordingly and fit in the trips you asked instead of trips forced on your line that you didn’t want. But with the bigger the window, the more you’ll see a bigger spread between those with a lower line and those with a higher line, creating dissatisfaction among some bidders.

FYI, most Navtech customers have a bidding window from 15-20 flight hours (tfp-equivalent).

This is a lot of information and we realize that you will have questions. It is our desire to be as transparent as possible, even if that mean overwhelming you with information. We are here to help break it down, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

Seattle Officers, AFA PBS Committee, and Seattle Scheduling Committee.

 

 

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews this week for the two open merger representative positions. The MEC would like to thank the 33 candidates who demonstrated willingness to represent our Flight Attendants. Of the initial candidates, 6 finalists were selected. After thorough deliberation, the MEC has appointed Sandra Morrow and Marie Maxwell to the positions.

Sandra Morrow is a Los Angeles-based Flight Attendant currently serving as Council 18 LEC President. Sandra was hired in 1984 as a Jet America Flight Attendant and came to Alaska when the two carriers were later merged. After the merger, Sandra represented the Flight Attendants of the Long Beach-base and has held a variety of different Union positions. Sandra’s previous merger experience makes her uniquely qualified to take on the role of merger representative.

Marie Maxwell is a San Diego-based Flight Attendant hired in 2012. Previously, Marie spent over 20 years working with Microsoft. During her time at Microsoft, Marie held a variety of sales, marketing and operations roles, managed teams ranging between 5 to 25 people, and presented plans, programs and results to her senior leadership. She was involved in multiple reorganizations, which included merging teams as well as integrating diverse organizations. She was recognized for her ability to collaborate across teams, drive results through ambiguity and for her focus on customer satisfaction.

In their roles as merger representatives, Sandra and Marie will be responsible for ensuring compiling the necessary information to merge the Flight Attendant seniority lists in the upcoming Alaska Airlines/Virgin America merger. They will work closely with Virgin America’s merger representatives, the MEC, and the AFA International Office.

Current information about the Alaska Airlines/Virgin America merger can be found at http://afaalaska.org/merger.

In Solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green & Brice McGee

AFA Alaska Logo (Email)

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews this week for the position of MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson.  We would like to thank the eight candidates who expressed a willingness to serve and interviewed for the position.  After thorough consideration, the MEC has appointed Stephanie Garnett to the position.

Stephanie is a Seattle-based flight attendant and she has just completed her 17th year with Alaska Airlines.  Previously she was a stewardess for Pan American.

Stephanie is a graduate of Washington State University with a degree in mathematics.  She has been a member of the Inflight Service Committee in Seattle for about 10 years and has also served on the Air Safety, Health, and Security Committee in Seattle for the last 4 years.

As a part her committee work, Stephanie has had the opportunity to work on some interesting projects including creating the packing for the universal juice drawer, working on the universal aisle cart packing and most recently researching the Space Bins.  She is also a SOAR award winner.

Stephanie has been married to her husband Dan for almost 45 years.  They have two sons who are married and have given them five grandchildren.  Dan and Stephanie have recently adopted 2 kittens to fill their empty nest.

In her role as MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson, Stephanie will work closely with the Local Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons and inflight management to represent and advocate for Flight Attendants in all areas related to onboard sales and service.  Her term of appointment is concurrent with the term of the MEC Officers and she reports directly to the MEC.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

AFA Alaska Logo (Email)

Numerous Merger Representative applications

 

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) has received numerous applications for the two Merger Representative positions. We thank all the applicants in advance for their willingness to serve. The MEC will be conducting a conference call later this evening to review the applications and to select those who we will schedule for a phone interview during our MEC meeting next week.

 

Union representation

 

AFA and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the union representing the Virgin America Inflight Team Members (ITMs), have been in touch to discuss a smooth transition for the Virgin America (VX) ITMs should the merger achieve proper approvals from the VX shareholders and the appropriate regulatory agencies. Our unions have a history of working together to address issues for Flight Attendants in a merger, and this is good news for all Alaska F/As and Virgin America ITMs. AFA and TWU will meet to discuss issues in greater detail in the coming weeks.

 

* * *

 

Stay tuned for additional updates as more details become available!

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt; and LEC Presidents-elect Tim Green and Brice McGee

cropped-AFA-Alaska-Logo-Transparent-Background.png

Council 30 (ANC) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 12 PM PT today for the election of Council 30 LEC Officers, representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants based in Anchorage. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: LeiLauni ScheidemanLEC Vice President: Heather ReierLEC Secretary: Anne Madsen View the certified election results here >> These newly elected officers […]

Apps To Help You Save Money On Food

Our AFA Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee recognizes that Flight Attendants may be facing increasing challenges when it comes to accessing affordable food, whether on the road or at home. We want you to know that you are not alone. In response to these difficulties, we have compiled a list of apps to help […]

What You Need To Know About The FAA Capacity Cuts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced plans for a 10% reduction in flight capacity across 40 markets, starting this Friday. According to news reports, these schedule reductions will begin on Friday and will gradually increase throughout the weekend until they reach the full 10% by the following week. Reports also suggest that all Alaska […]

Council 47 (LAX pmHA) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 12 PM PT today for the election of Council 47 LEC Officers, representing Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants based in Los Angeles. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: Joshua AokiLEC Vice President: Paul IkiokaLEC Secretary: Beth Hayes View the certified election results here >> These newly elected […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Interviews—December 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the terms of office for the MEC Committee Chairpersons and other MEC-level positions align with those of the MEC Officers. Since the current term for the MEC Officers will conclude on December 31, […]

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 (pmAS) Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX Council 47 LAX (pmHA) 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