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In Solidarity,
Your LEC Officers – Stephen Couckuyt, Melanie Buker and Brice McGee
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council
In Solidarity,
Your LEC Officers – Stephen Couckuyt, Melanie Buker and Brice McGee
Dear Flight Attendants,
Your Master Executive Council (MEC), Negotiating Committee and Mobilization Committee have been busy planning more solidarity activities this summer. We wanted to get this information into your hands before the Independence Day holiday weekend and before bidding opens in PBS.
Join us at the RED Hot AFA Summer BBQ at Angle Lake Park in SeaTac, WA—right next to the Alaska Airline Corporate Headquarters! The picnic will be on Wednesday, August 20th in the afternoon. Flight Attendants throughout the system are invited and may utilize non-revenue travel to attend this recreational—and educational—event!
AFA will also conduct a system-wide solidarity activity at each of the Flight Attendant domiciles on the following Wednesday, August 27th, time TBD. For maximum impact, we are going to withhold the details for now.
Also, remember there is a system-wide solidarity event on Tuesday, July 22nd. We will be doing another airport walk and handing out the latest swag. Do you think it’s time for a new AFA t-shirt? Come out and join us!
Here are the session times around the system:
ANC: 1pm-4pm
SEA: 5am-9am, 11am-4pm, 5pm-10pm
PDX: 5:30am-8:00am, 8:00am-10:30am
LAX: 5am-8:30am, 8:30am-12pm, 1pm-4:30pm
SAN: 8am-11:30am
Volunteers sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RAUYuw2muX7zk5g55YgWck6sIdXCPbQm_2HPlfm4sn4/viewform.
For more information regarding upcoming mobilization efforts, visit alaskamec.org/mobilization.
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo; and
MEC Mobilization Chairperson Adam Clarey
Dear Flight Attendants,
This past week the Master Executive Council (MEC) voted to adopt the following resolution to support the continuing efforts of contract airport workers in the Alaska Air Group to organize: AFA Alaska MEC Resolution in Support of AAG Contracted Workers.
Council 19 Seattle President Laura Masserant and MEC Government Affairs Chairperson Bev Bullock have been working with Jonathan Rosenblum, the campaign director for Working Washington, to help promote awareness of contract workers’ plight and their desire to organize throughout our system. Many of you may have one of the bag tags, “AFA Says: Make every airport job a good job” that were handed out last summer in Seattle.
From Laura: “Last summer I had the privilege to speak at a local news conference in the Sea Tac airport where I explained what I see on a daily basis as a Flight Attendant who interacts with the airport workers: broken cleaning equipment, or no equipment; stories from the men and women who fuel the planes about safety and health hazards they experience every day in their jobs; and I witness the wheel chair attendants who push and pull wheelchairs with baggage up and down the jet bridges without assistance. I also shared the stories of how the cleaners cannot call in sick for themselves or for their children for fear of losing their job.”
As union members we enjoy the right to bargain for a contract that provides a safe work environment, duty day limitations, and the ability to bargain for job protections and higher wages. Unorganized workers at many of our airports do not have these rights. This is why the MEC voted to adopt this resolution and why we will continue to support airport workers around the Alaska Air Group system.
In Solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt
Happy 4th of July!
Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,
Today marks the first day of the new election cycle for your AFA LEC Officers! For the past three years Jake, Linda, Tonnette and I have had the pleasure of serving as your LEC Officers. We jumped into our term with goals to increase communication, reinvigorate committees, and mentor Flight Attendants who are interested in AFA work. It has been hard work, but we have loved every minute of it!
I want to thank Tonnette for her unwavering help and dedication over the past three years. Although she has decided not to continue as an LEC Officer we have managed to convince her to stay on as our Seattle Communication Chair. Tonnette will also work with MEC Vice-President Brian Palmer on helping to manage social media. It is more important than ever that we stay connected with out members and Tonnette is going to be invaluable as our communication chair to help us fulfill this goal!
I am very excited to introduce your new SEA LEC Council Representatives: Stephanie Adams and Adam Clarey!
Hello Seattle Flight Attendants! My name is Stephanie Adams, and I am one of the new Council Representatives in Seattle. Also, I am going to assist flight attendants by doing grievance work. I have been with Alaska Airlines for 19 years, flying for 17 of those years. I am a licensed attorney in Washington, and hope I can put my good education to use! I enjoy traveling and spending time with my two busy children. I can be reached at msadams44@comcast.net and 206-852-4750. I look forward to serving you.
Hello Seattle Flight Attendants- Thank you for electing me as your Council 19 Representative. I grew up in the Seattle area, and have spent most of my life in the state of Washington. I have been a Flight Attendant here at Alaska for over 10 years, spending the last 7 plus years here in Seattle. I’ve been involved with AFA Leadership since 2011 as MEC VOICE and Mobilization Chair. My previous career experience is in marketing and advertising. In my down time I enjoy rooting for my favorite teams “Go Cougs and Sounders,” as well as numerous outdoor adventures such as surfing, camping, golfing, and hiking. I’m excited to bring experience, leadership, and compassion to my role as your new Council 19 Representative. ~Adam Clarey
Stephanie and Adam both start their new terms already grievance trained! Your LEC Officers met in early June to start our transition and to get to know one another a little better. We have a great team in place and we are eager to have 5 grievance-trained officers to assist the Flight Attendants in Seattle. Stephanie and Adam started their grievance training in June and will continue to sharpen their skills with our own AFA Alaska grievance training in August 7. Jake, Linda and I will have Stephanie and Adam assist us in disciplinary meetings, as note takers, to help them understand the process and continue their education. Within six months they will be able to start taking meetings on their own!
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RED HOT SUMMER MOBILIZATION ACTIVITES
I want to thank everyone who came out to the June Seattle Summer Strategy Session. We had a great turn out and even better conversation! We are going to use some of the ideas that came out of this session- stay tuned for your chance to participate in RED HOT Summer activities!
July 22 is the next RED HOT Summer Mobilization activity at the SEA-TAC airport and we have obtained 2 sky bridges for our mobilizers who cannot come thru security! Fore more information on how you can join the fun contact:
Krystle Cook: kcook907@gmail.com
As we move into the next mediation session it is imperative that we show our solidarity- WE ARE FIVE BASES STANDING STRONG! Wear your RED AFA pin! Wear your RED lanyard! New hire Flight Attendants- you are allowed to wear the RED AFA pin and we encourage you to do so! This is our official AFA Alaska pin!
Remember: stay informed and stay connected at: alaskamec.org
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Last week the MEC met with the Negotiating committee for a 2-day training. All of us had a chance to learn what it takes to negotiate at the table with a mock negotiation! I had Lisa Pinkston on my team and I was able to negotiate with Christina Frees on the management team. Let me tell you that both of these ladies have tenacity! I did not get a chance to work with Kristy, but from what I hear she also took the management team to task! Add Paula, Jeff and Jake into this mix and I am hear to tell you that this team is tough, united, and ready to rumble!
During last week the MEC and the Negotiating committee met with Ben Minicucci, Andy Schneider, Elizabeth Ryan, and Mike Link to discuss the executive summary from the Flight Attendant survey. This summary was blasted to all the members last week and if you missed it you can find it at:
http://alaskamec.org/latest-news/negotiations-update-june-26-2014/
The team is flying to Washington DC next week for the first mediation session!
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SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS – 2014 ENROLLMENT
From July 14th—19th, National Group Protection (NGP) will be in the Seattle crew lounge to communicate the AFA supplemental benefit plans.
Please look for the benefit counselor during the on-site enrollment to enroll or make changes to your existing coverage. Note that you can enroll in any of the crew lounges, not just your base location (call NGP for other enrollment dates/locations)
· 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.
· 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.
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Many of you have reached out to us to share your thoughts on negotiations and we continue to ask for your comments and thoughts! It’s important that we hear from you and stay connected to the issues that are important to you.
It is also very important that you reach out to your AFA committees for help with medical leaves, hotel issues, reserve concerns, and uniform issues. Your SEA LEC committee chairs volunteer many hours of their time for our benefit! But, they cannot address issues if they do not hear from you!
o Benefits: Kathy O’Malley- benefitsassist@hotmail.com
o EAP: Lisa Haugen- SEAeap@alaskamec.org
o Hotel: Jodi Snow- mksnwfm@comcast.net
o ISC: Linda Christou- lschristou@comcast.net
o Government Affairs: Bev Bullock- blkbullock@gmail.com
o Maternity Co Chair: Beth Hogger- ltlkahuna@yahoo.com
o Maternity Co Chair: Danni K Peterson- dannipeterson252@gmail.com
o SHSC: Susan Lee- slee@alaskamec.org
o Reserve: Erik Velez- eriklvelez@gmail.com
o Retirement: Tim Roddy- timroddy@me.com
o Uniform: Eric Tafoya- erictafoya@hotmail.com
You can find a complete list of your Seattle AFA Committee members at:
http://alaskamec.org/council-19-committees/
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JA this weekend? At this point the company has no plans to JA. Flight Attendants have contacted me asking about this and I know this is a topic on social media. If there is a need to JA the company will reach out to AFA first and alert us. Once we hear this is a possibility we will communicate to you!
During this RED HOT Summer your Negotiating Committee and you MEC asks that you stay informed, stay connected, and show your solidarity! We are only as strong as our members and we need ALL of our members STANDING STRONG!
In solidarity,
Laura, Jake, Linda, Stephanie, and Adam
Laura Masserant, LEC President- laura.masserant@afaalaska.org- (360) 633-5905
Jake Jones, LEC Vice-President- jjones@alaskamec.org- (206) 617-7499
Linda Christou, LEC Secretary- lschristou@comcast.net- (206) 409-0354
Stephanie Adams, Council Representative- msadams44@comcast.net- (206) 852-4750
Adam Clarey, Council Representative- adamjclarey@gmail.com- (425) 269-3262
Dear Flight Attendants,
Your Negotiating Committee and Master Executive Council (MEC) are wrapping up a busy week. The MEC held its monthly meeting on Monday and Thursday and negotiations training on Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle, WA.
The Negotiating Committee, the MEC and Mobilization Chair Adam Clarey attended the intensive negotiations training, facilitated by AFA Director of Collective Bargaining Clare Burt, International Staff Representative Guy Bosworth, Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput and Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo. In addition to training, the Negotiating Committee presented the opening proposal for a new contract to the MEC. The opener was unanimously approved by the MEC.
National Mediation Board (NMB) Chairperson Linda Puchala, Senior Mediator Pat Sims and Mediator Victoria Gray met with AFA for a presentation and discussion regarding the NMB and the Railway Labor Act. AFA presented an executive summary of the negotiations survey to management and the NMB in separate sessions.
AFA Hart Negotiations Survey Executive Summary
Negotiations Video Update June 25, 2014
What can you do in the meantime to strengthen our position at the table? We are on the countdown to 100% RED so make sure to wear your RED AFA pin on your uniform! Don’t have one yet? Contact your local Mobilization chairperson: alaskamec.org/mobilization.
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Negotiations Calendar
July 8-9: Negotiations – NMB, Washington, DC
July 22: Solidarity Event (details TBA) [see alaskamec.org/mobilization]
Week of August 25 (tentative): Negotiations – location TBD
Dear Flight Attendants,
The AFA-CWA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting Website (www.afa-bod.org) has been updated with all of the actions that were taken at the BOD Meeting in Orlando during April 28-30, 2014. Included are the final versions of all 19 Agenda Items; the text of the six Resolutions; and the Approved Budget.
Attached is a brief document that provides summary explanations of the primary components of the AFA budget: Pie Chart – 2014 – MEMO – Where do my dues go
Additionally, here is a pie chart that shows how the annual budget is allocated among the various priorities of our union: Pie Chart – 2014 – MEC LEC SPLIT.FINAL.1
If you have questions about the AFA budget, contact your LEC president for further information.
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt
Dear Flight Attendants,
Many of you have inquired what you should be doing with your $100 credit to the Company Store that will be available on June 24. The Negotiating Committee previously asked you to plan on purchasing an Alaska Airlines logo item. The idea behind this request was to obtain a Company item that would be used as part of a future solidarity event.
Because the Company Store credit appears to be restricted to particular items, we are not confident there will be enough stock of the items needed to make this effort successful. The Negotiating Committee, the Master Executive Council and the Mobilization Committee are currently coordinating an even better idea in preparation for our July 22nd system-wide solidarity event.
Stand by for more details in the coming weeks!
In solidarity,
Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Dear LAX Flight Attendants,
Our LAX EAP-Critical Response-Professional Standards Committee has one position open to fill. Our committee reaches out to flight attendants experiencing stressful personal & workplace issues. New committee members are required to attend two initial trainings within the first year on the committee. The first training will be August 19-20 in Portland Oregon, your expenses & training fees are covered. Both initial trainings are volunteer hours.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the EAP-CIRP-PS committee, please apply at www.afacwa.org, you will find the application in the EAP section. Once you have completed the application, it will be forward to AFA Alaska EAP.
If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Jeanne McCleave or Elizabeth Dillon at 949-470-1606. The deadline for applying is Monday July 7th.
Jeanne McCleave NACA-1,LAP-C, SAP
AFA Alaska Airlines MEC Co-Chair
EAP-CIRP-Professional Standards
Thank you,
Sandra
Dear Flight Attendants,
Your Negotiating Committee just wrapped up two days of successful internal meetings in Seattle, WA. We used this time to craft an opening proposal based on your indications in the follow-up negotiations survey. We will publish an executive summary of the survey by the end of next week.
The new Negotiating Committee will attend an intensive negotiations training next week along with the entire Master Executive Council (MEC). As part of the training, the Negotiating Committee will present the opening proposal to the MEC for approval per Section VI.B.3.c of the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws.
We head back to mediated talks with management under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board in Washington, DC, July 8-9. In that meeting we will present our proposal for a new contract and advocate for the positions you voiced in the survey.
What can you do in the meantime to strengthen our position at the table? We are on the countdown to 100% RED so make sure to wear your RED AFA pin on your uniform! Don’t have one yet? Contact your local Mobilization chairperson: afaalaska.org/mobilization.
In solidarity,
Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo
Grievance Committee Supplemental Ditching Training Update Dear Flight Attendants, We wanted to take a moment to remind and encourage all of you to complete your Supplemental Ditching Training (SDT) as soon as possible but by July 31, 2024. The SDT drill requires completion of an in-person hands-on drill, completion of the SDT CBT, and to […]
Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, June 13, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent and advocate for our Reserve Flight Attendants. The Committee also met with management to review specific concerns that Flight Attendants brought forward. Your Local Reserve Committee is available to answer questions, clarify contractual language, or help resolve reserve-related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
On June 25, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling. The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding. Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
AFA has not agreed to any extra-contractual terms for the newly announced supplemental ditching training; discussions with management just started. Many management decision-makers are away at contract negotiations, delaying progress toward any sort of agreement. Our AFA Committees are committed to advocating for your rights and will address unresolved issues through the contractual grievance process if necessary.
Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Monday, June 17, and Tuesday, June 18, to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants. The MEC was supposed to meet with executive management and union leaders from other company workgroups but chose to skip the meeting in support of our Negotiating Committee. The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 9, and Wednesday, July 10.