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You want to hear from us

 

What a week! The Master Executive Council (MEC) knows you want to hear from us about a number of hot topics:

  • Contract implementation, including a contract publication update;
  • “Shoegate” (i.e. recent “clarifications” to the uniform and appearance standards);
  • Ongoing developments in the dispute over the Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP);
  • All Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) displayed in eMaestro for 11 hours on March 31st;
  • Management’s recently announced notice of intent to change the alcohol policy “cutoff” from 10 hours prior to duty all the way back to the previous calendar day; and
  • Easter weekend 2015 staffing.

MEC conference call scheduled for tomorrow

 

The MEC has scheduled a conference call for midday tomorrow (Friday, April 3rd) to discuss all these issues and we will communicate as soon as possible thereafter. Due to the amount of information cited here, we will likely break up our communications on these topics into digestible installments.

About that alcohol policy…

 

All these topics are important but the MEC would like to call out the alcohol policy in particular. We are just as incredulous as you are about this gross overreaction by management. As safety professionals and first responders, obviously AFA supports a culture of safety but in our opinion this is patently absurd. You can expect that we will expand upon this sentiment in short order!

Stand by for more soon…

 

In solidarity,

 

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

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Dear LAX Flight Attendants,

Lots of news for our base already this year. Here is a letter from LEC President Sandra Morrow with some highlights.

Union Meeting

Wow it’s spring already!!! Your LEC is busy preparing for our April Union meeting. We have scheduled our Union meeting for April 16, at Long Beach’s Recreation Park, 700 Federation Drive, Long Beach, CA from 11:00am -2:00pm. We wanted it to be fun and informative so it will be held at a park with a potluck. AFA will provide the entre and beverages, and we are asking each of you to participate and bring a side dish, appetizer or dessert. Please RSVP to Kelese Stallings at kelesestallings@yahoo.com and let her know if you will be coming and what you are bringing to the potluck. This will help us get a head count for the amount of food we will need. Also don’t forget to bring a beach chair.

I will be attending the Board of Directors (BOD) meeting on April 27th-30th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Constitution and Bylaws require all councils to bring forward the agenda items to their members. You will have the opportunity to review and discuss each agenda item at the union meeting with the LEC officers.

We are excited to have Kristy Stratton, Negotiating Committee member, attend the meeting and hold a Q&A session on the new contract. Please send your contract questions prior to the meeting to David Lehman at lehmaninla@yahoo.com by April 11th. We want to be able to answer as many questions as possible and having this information in advance will help expedite the process. After the meeting we will post the questions and answers in the minutes on the MEC website (afaalaska.org) for those who are not able to attend.

Parking in LAX

AFA and the Company have been in discussions about the parking at the Westin. We know how unreliable the vans have been and we were happy to see that there was a change starting March 16th. The Westin has told us that there will be 4 vans every hour and they will not be stopping at the Sheraton. The Company has agreed to a trial run for the next month to so see if this works out. We have heard from you that the Westin is your choice of parking as long as the vans are reliable. However, if this does not work out the only other option is the D lot. Please give us your feedback if the new shuttle system at the Westin is working out. Also as a reminder, even though we cannot use Thrifty we are able to use Fox.

Local Scheduling Chair

We are looking for a volunteer to become our LAX Scheduling Chair. This person will be the advocate for our LAX schedules. With our new contract we formed a new MEC Scheduling Committee. Congratulations to Jake Jones as he was appointed by the MEC as the new MEC Scheduling Chair. Jake is a Seattle FA and was a member of the Negotiating Committee. He works on behalf of AFA and is an advocate for the FAs. The local Chair for LAXFAs would be working with him and other chairs from all other bases. If you are interested please contact me at sleemorrow@verizon.net by April 30th. Please include a short bio and why you are be interested in the position.

We are also excited that LAXFA Sherrijon Gaspard has been selected as AFA’s pairing analyst. She will be taking Jeff Stein’s position. Jeff has work in that position for the last 10 years and we thank him for all of his hard work.

Attention LAX Reserves: Update Your Co-Terminal Preferences

Beginning on March 1st, 2015 Crew Scheduling has begun to assign trips out of Co-Terminals in order of your preference and not necessarily in LTFA order. What does this means for you? Prior to this change Crew Scheduling was not required to look at your Co-Terminal Preferences unless there were two Flight Attendants who had the same TFP on the LTFA list. Then there had to be two trips that needed to be assigned (worth the same TFP). The odds of this happening were very rare, and primarily only happened the first couple days of the month. With the new change you no longer have to have the same TFP and have two trips worth the same TFP in order for schedulers to look at your Co-Terminal Preferences.

For example:  A 2 day AM trip out of BUR

There are 4 Flight Attendants who are good for 2 AM days. The LTFA will still show those Flight Attendants in TFP order. The Flight Attendant with the lowest TFP will be looked at first. If they designated BUR as a preference, then they will get assigned the trip. If they did not preference BUR then Crew Scheduling will move on to the next lowest TFP and look at their preferences. If no Flight Attendant good for 2 days AM report has BUR listed as a preference, then the trip will go to the Flight Attendant with the lowest TFP on the LTFA list. There may be times where a 2 day BUR trip gets assigned to a 3 day BUR Flight Attendant in order to grant a Co-Terminal Preference but this is at Crew Scheduling discretion.

Co-Terminal Preferences are generally live. However, preferences are “frozen” between 2pm and 6pm PST the day prior while Scheduling is assigning all the trips in Open Time. The LTFA preferences cannot be changed during this time and the button to submit the changes is deactivated. It is recommended that if you are going to change your Co-Terminal Preference you DO NOT wait until 2pm to make those changes.

After 6pm PST the day prior the LTFA preferences are “unfrozen”. At this point Crew Scheduling works off of live LTFA preferences. When Crew Scheduling is looking to assign a trip they will take a snapshot of the LTFA list. It is possible that if you update your LTFA preferences right after that snapshot is taken your new preferences will not be honored for that assignment because the assignment is being made based on your (only moments ago) old preferences. In this case AFA will not hold Scheduling at fault for not assigning based on the updated LTFA.

We hope this is a great step forward for LAX Reserves…we understand how hard Co-Terminal flying can be.

Looking forward to seeing you all at our April 16th, Union meeting.  In the meantime fly safe!

In Solidarity,

Sandra Morrow
LAX LEC President

Contact the entire Local Executive Council (LEC) and visit afaalaska.org 

Sandra Morrow, LEC President – sleemorrow@me.com
Kelly Johnson, LEC Vice President – laxvice@aol.com
Kelese Stallings, LEC Secretary – kelesestallings@yahoo.com
David Lehman, Council Representative – lehmaninla@yahoo.com

Council 18 Logo LAX

Definition

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has received several questions regarding the Quarterly Productivity Premium (Section 21.R). The first Quarterly Productivity Premium (QPP) of our new contract for the first quarter of 2015 (Q1 2015) is due to be paid out May 5th. A flight attendant will receive the QPP of $500 if her/his Worked TFP (Section 5 Definitions) during Q1 2015 exceeds the TFP equivalent of her/his combined monthly PBS bid award in that calendar quarter. Taxes on QPP will be withheld at the flight attendant’s personal tax rate just like regular wages; this is in contrast to Performance Based Pay (PBP), which has taxes withheld at the IRS “supplemental rate” (or “bonus rate”).

Worked TFP is all paid TFP exclusive of sick leave and vacation/Longevity PTO. That is, Worked TFP includes but is not limited to regular TFP, deadhead, Minimum Pay Rules, pay protection, training, et cetera. As long as vacation/Longevity PTO and sick leave TFP is “made up” at some point in the quarter, usage of these benefits will not in and of themselves disqualify a flight attendant from achieving QPP.

QPP was a “take it or leave it” management proposal

As we explained at the roadshows, QPP was a management proposal. Management offered it at the end of the negotiations. Our Negotiating Committee told management at the time that the proposal had some problems. Management, however, told us we could take it as is or leave it. Since the Negotiating Committee understood that QPP would definitely put money in the pockets of many flight attendants, of course we took it.

Example

To illustrate the language, let’s assume a flight attendant was awarded 82 TFP in January, 79 TFP in February and 67 TFP in March. His combined monthly PBS award over the quarter would equal 228 TFP (82 + 79 + 67). If the flight attendant were to be paid at least 228.1 TFP (228 + 0.1) not counting sick leave and vacation/Longevity PTO (the definition of “Worked TFP”), he would receive the QPP. If he were to be paid 228 or fewer TFP not counting sick and vacation/Longevity PTO, he would not receive it.

Simple trip trading does not directly affect QPP eligibility, only “downtrading”

There is no requirement to exceed the PBS bid award each month, only the combined amount of each month over the entire quarter. Please note you do not actually have to work your awarded schedule but rather the equivalent amount of TFP. Therefore trading in no way affects QPP unless you “downtrade” as measured against your combined monthly bid awards across the quarter.

Worked TFP excludes vacation/Longevity PTO (and sick leave)

Unfortunately, Worked TFP excludes vacation/Longevity PTO. Vacation/Longevity PTO TFP is part of the PBS award. So a flight attendant with a week of vacation has a deficit in that quarter. Assume the flight attendant was awarded the same schedule as in the previous example. Her combined monthly PBS bid awards over the quarter still equals 228 TFP. But 28 of those TFP (7 days of vacation x 4 TFP vacation credit/day) does not count as Worked TFP. In order to qualify for the QPP, she would have to work the 200 TFP from her bid award (228-vacation of 28), PLUS at least 28.1 additional TFP. Lack of vacation/Longevity PTO credit was a major problem we pointed out to management during negotiations but AFA knew there were several.

Dispute over QPP eligibility

Now our concerns have been realized. AFA and management disagree about how QPP should be paid out. So far we anticipate the dispute to be focused around flight attendants who have not received a full line at some point in the quarter (such as those on various leaves). AFA believes that the language is unambiguous and that a flight attendant who works one-tenth (0.1) TFP more than the total TFP equivalent of her/his PBS monthly bid awards over the quarter should receive it.

Quickly approaching deadline to pay QPP on time

Despite multiple requests by AFA over the past several weeks, management still has not articulated in writing exactly what their problem is with QPP. Management has also not provided an explanation of how they expect to pay QPP. In order for QPP to be paid on time on May 5th the issue must be resolved by around April 10th, which is the deadline for programming the payroll system to pay out QPP.

As of late last week, AFA’s understanding is that the payroll system is currently programmed to correctly pay out QPP exactly as the language indicates. Interestingly, the Information Technology (IT) department programmed the payroll system based on rules supplied by none other than the Alaska Airlines management negotiating team. Only after management had time to contemplate the implications of what they agreed to did they lodge objections.

It’s really too bad that management didn’t heed AFA’s concerns and take more time to fully vet QPP prior to signing the deal. In fairness to management, both parties were under pressure to conclude the deal in Chicago. However, that being said, management was under no obligation to pursue this provision. In our opinion it seems a little late to dispute the details after the fact simply because they don’t like what they negotiated.

AFA will file a grievance if QPP is paid any other way than according to the clear and unambiguous language

If management pays the QPP any way other than according to the clear and unambiguous language, AFA will file a grievance. We are certainly amenable to further discussions with management to resolve the issue short of taking this to arbitration since both sides stand to gain from a mutually beneficial agreement. Management has promised to provide us with an update this coming week. As soon as AFA has more information, we will also keep you posted on any other developments.

* * *

In solidarity,

Your MEC—Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl; and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

AFA Alaska Logo No Tag

On March 8, an AFA communication was released outlining recommendations for the iPhone 6+ inflight mobile device that is currently being distributed to all Flight Attendants. In that communication, it was suggested that Flight Attendants could potentially leave the iPhone 6+ in their crew bag while the device was plugged in and charging.

After further review of documentation provided by Apple, it is recommended that you do not leave your iPhone 6+ in your crew bag while it is charging. The iPhone 6+ must be kept in a well-ventilated area while charging in order to ensure proper temperature regulation of the device. When charging your iPhone 6+, please ensure it is in an open area away from materials that could insulate the device and potentially cause it to overheat.

You can find more information and safety recommendations pertaining to use of the device in the iPhone User Guide located on the Apple website at https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1565/en_US/iphone_user_guide.pdf.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Chairperson Seth Heiple

MEC 5B Logo

Dear Flight Attendant,

This week we are starting the “Put on Your Pin” Campaign. Our AFA pin represents our voice and the conviction that through solidarity, we will achieve our goals. It’s more than just a “pin”.

We would love to have photos of you wearing your AFA pin. We ask that the photos are while in uniform, however, if you would like to take some fun photos while on layovers and wearing your AFA pin, you can send those as well. Just remember that the pin should be clearly visible.

Please note that all photos will be used on social media!

Please send all photos to SEA Council 19 Communications Chairperson, Jarod McNeill at jarod.mcneill@afaalaska.org or text to 206.852.4558.

If you don’t have a white AFA pin, please help yourself to one from Laura Masserant or Jake Jones mailbox in Seattle Inflight. We kindly request you only take one for yourself, as we are very limited on supply.

Also remember, the red AFA Pins were for negotiations, the approved AFA pin for uniforms is once again the white one!

 

Dear Seattle Flight Attendant,

Seattle City Council is considering a resolution opposing Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  It just passed out of committee, and will be considered by the full Council in the coming days.  

Leaked texts reveal that beyond threatening to offshore jobs, drive down wages and increase income inequality, the TPP also contains a chapter that would allow transnational corporations to challenge city, state and federal policies that reduce their expectation of profits as “indirect expropriations.”  This is a serious threat to democratic sovereignty in Seattle and throughout the world — and it’s something that is opposed by everyone from Senator Elizabeth Warren to the Cato Institute. 

International trade is obviously a key part of Seattle’s economy — but these and other heinous TPP provisions are not so much about trade as they are about handcuffing public policy space.  This pact should not receive a Fast Track rubber stamp. 

Once again, we realize that trade is HUGE to Seattle’s economy, but we do not want to accept the TPP through fast track in its entirety. We must be able to go in and change what is needed!

Please help out and contact the Seattle City Council now urging them to pass a strong resolution!

Sincerely,

AFA Council 19

Through its Next Generation program, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) is connecting members aged 35 and under with seasoned member-mentors over the age of 35 to form a network of committed union activists across the country. Next Gen activists bring youthful energy and unique insights to the task of advancing economic and social justice. We are fighting for:

  • Good Jobs
  • Healthcare for All
  • Bargaining and Organizing Rights
  • Retirement Security
  • Democracy and Economic Justice

Next Gen members embrace creative organizing approaches and new media in order to mobilize and empower workers. And we are building strong alliances with progressive allies, including students, immigrant rights advocates, LGBTQ activists, and environmentalists. We know we’re all in this together.

If you’re a CWA member who is 35 or under and want to learn and lead, you belong in Next Gen.

If you’re a CWA member who is over 35 and willing to share your experience as a Member-Mentor, Next Gen needs you.

Be part of CWA’s future.

Join us.

If you are interested, please contact Seattle FA & Council 19 Government Affairs Chairperson Krystle Cook, who is also a Next Gen Lead Activist. She can be reached at 206.218.7480 or at kcook907@gmail.com. You can also text “NEXTGEN” to 69866.

Below you will find a link for the Next Generation Leaflet.

Click Here for Next Generation Leaflet

Council 19- Seattle

April 8, 2014

11:00 am

Hampton Inn and Suites- across from AS Flight Ops

Agenda

I.   Call meeting to order

  1. Call for late agenda items
  2. Announcements

II. AFA BOD Agenda Items

(Break)

III. LEC Update

  1. Officer Update
  2. Year End Budget Review
  3. Late Agenda Items

If you would like to add an agenda item please contact LEC Secretary Linda Christou by April 6th!

It has recently come to light that Premera Blue Cross, the company that manages a large number of Alaska Airlines employer-sponsored health plans, has experienced a cyber attack that might have exposed the personal data of up to 11 million customers.  The attack was discovered on January 29 of this year but initially occurred on May 5, 2014.  There is no indication that the attackers have used the data illegally as of this time.

Premera has indicated that they will provide two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those affected.  A special website has been set up by Premera to provide more information at http://www.premeraupdate.com.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Benefits Chairperson Terry Taylor

MEC 5B Logo (Email)

At a meeting held last week, your Master Executive Council (MEC) interviewed candidates for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson for Pairing Construction, commonly referred to as the AFA Pairing Analyst.  In total, nine candidates interviewed for the position (three Seattle-based Flight Attendants, three Portland-based Flight attendants, two Anchorage-based Flight Attendants, and one Los Angeles-based Flight Attendant).  The MEC would like to thank those candidates for stepping forward in the spirit of Union service.  After much discussion, the MEC has appointed Sherrijon Gaspard to the position.

About Sherrijon

A passion for helping people has been a driving force in Sherrijon’s life for as long as she can remember.  This dedication to service has been apparent at Alaska Airlines, where she has been a Flight Attendant since 1998.  Her commitment to helping people does not stop when the plane hits the ground and the cabin door opens.  She has been creative and resourceful in generating new ideas and solutions applicable to both the inflight department as well as the Union serving on various committees (Reserve Committee, PBS Committee, Inflight Service Committee, Hiring & Recruitment).

As part of her dedication to improvement, in 2006, Sherrijon decided to pursue an MBA at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business Management.  At Pepperdine, she honed her innate ability for hospitality, team building and enhancing the customer experience and added developing and implementing integrated marketing and client satisfaction programs to her skill set. After earning her MBA in 2009, she founded Eos Ventures, a small business consulting firm and launched Vina Sympatica™ Sparkling Wines.

Now in her new position as Pairing Analyst, Sherrijon is ready to once again dedicate time to AFA and use her keen eye for detail and strong organizational skills to help ensure fair yet equal pairings and improved Flight Attendant quality of life while also paying close attention to management’s cost concerns and contractual obligations.

Thank You To Jeff Stein

The MEC would like to thank outgoing Pairing Analyst and Portland-based Flight Attendant Jeff Stein for his service to our Flight Attendants.  For years, Jeff worked hard to improve Flight Attendant quality of life by advocating for better pairings and more efficient flying.  Please join us in wishing Jeff well in his future pursuits.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones

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Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, June 4, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Kanako Yamada (LAX), Adrian Alcantara (SAN), and MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 15 – June 2026

The JNC has been actively negotiating key sections of the contract, focusing on vacation, sick leave, and temporary duty assignments. A tentative agreement was reached on Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments), ensuring financial protections and fair treatment for Flight Attendants during temporary assignments. These ongoing discussions demonstrate a commitment to integrating the best benefits from both Alaska and Hawaiian CBAs for all members.

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month

Every June, we come together to honor LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States—a time to celebrate the remarkable resilience, diversity, and achievements of the LGBTQ community. Pride Month began as a tribute to the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan in 1969, a pivotal moment that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The inaugural Pride March, […]

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

On Wednesday, May 20, our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) representatives met virtually to discuss ongoing safety concerns, operational challenges, policy updates, and workplace improvements impacting Flight Attendants across the operation. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Bradley Young (SFO), Bryce Sarmiento (LAX pmAS), […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, May 26, 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 Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

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