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Council 19 October Update

Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,

Your LEC Officers want to remind you of the following upcoming events:

  • Maternity Roundtable October 16th

      Where: Labor Room: 230C

Flight Ops Building (where we have RT) on the second floor near the lunchroom.

      When: 12:30-2:30

  • LEC Meet & Greet October 24th

      Where: SEA TAC Conference Center- Seoul Room (Mezzanine Level)

      When: 11am-3pm

      Parking is free on all floors- except #4– in parking garage

  • Open Enrollment: October 29th thru November 18th

Now is the time to review your current health care plan and options. Log on to         alaskasworld/people soft/click benefits tab/click benefits summary to review your current selections.

  • All Flight Attendants are entitled to Short Term Disability benefits at 40%. But, did you know that you could sign up for an additional 20% to receive 60% of your pay when you are off work due to a medical reason? Now is the time to sign up for this important benefit!
  • Your LEC Benefits Chair, Kathy O’Malley, will be hosting base sits throughout the open enrollment period. Stay tuned for more information on the dates!

Membership Update

  • Do you owe AFA dues? Now is the time to verify your balance and update your addresswith AFA International. The address you share with the company is not necessarily the same address AFA has for you!
  • Click on the follow link for more information: http://www.afacwa.org/membership
  • Also, you can contact LEC Secretary-Treasurer, Linda Christou (lschristou@comcast.net) for more information.

AFA Blast Emails

  • Many of you are reaching to receive our AFA blast emails and we want to remind you of a few helpful hints to ensure that you are up to speed on the latest information!
  • The blast email system is run on the SALSA platform. This platform has a few quirks that are problematic for AOL and Comcast accounts. If you have an AOL or Comcast account and you have reached out to us for help, please know that we do our best to reset your account. You can help by adding info@afaalaska.orgto your email’s contact list to ensure that our emails are not sent to your SPAM folder.
  • You can find the latest blast emails posted on the AFA website: afaalaska.organd on the AFA Alaska FaceBook page.

Next week the MEC and the Negotiating committee are meeting to review the “Agreement in Concept.” We know you are all anxious to hear details and we are anxious to share the details with you. But, the MEC wants to ensure that we have a document that we believe will be supported by the group. Be patient with us are we go through this process and allow us to take our time to fully understand the changes.

Stay informed! Find the latest information on the AFA website: afaalaska.org

In solidarity,

Laura, Jake, Linda, Stephanie, and Adam

Dear Reserve Flight Attendants,

Today we are launching a new tool for reporting reserve issues.  It is our goal to make reporting incidents as easy and quick as possible. We have added a link to a form on the Reserve Committee page of afaalaska.org that will bring you directly to a Reserve Incident Report form. On this form, you can report contractual violations, issues with scheduling and/or a scheduler and any other issue you have while on reserve.

We would like to remind you that if you believe the contract is being violated, try to contact your AFA Representative immediately to have the issue resolved. In addition, we also ask that you report the issue on this form as well.   All of the data taken off these forms will be used at meetings with management in an effort to fix any breakdowns in the system.

You can access the form by going to http://afaalaska.org, clicking on the Reserve Committee link, and selecting the Reserve Incident Report link in the tools & resources box. You can also access the form directly at http://afaalaska.org/reserve/incident.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact a member of your Local Reserve Committee or MEC Reserve Chairperson Jarod McNeill at jarod.mcneill@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your Reserve Committee

MEC 5B Logo (Email)

Converting   $/ TFP  →  $/ Block Hour

$/ TFP →  $/ Block Hour

$ amount (TFP)  X  1.13   =

 $ Amount/ Block Hour

Example:  AS Top of Scale $rate currently

 $46.48/ TFP        X  1.13   =

$ 52.50 / Block Hour at other carriers

Converting   $/ Block Hour  →  $/ TFP

$/ Block Hour →  $/ TFP

$ amount (TFP)         ÷  1.13    =

 $ Amount/ TFP

Example:  New AA/ USA TA Top of Scale $rate

 $53.52/block hour       ÷  1.13    =

$ 47.36 / TFP

Dear Flight Attendants,

As you know, a tentative deal – what we are calling an “Agreement in Concept” — has been reached.  This document will remain an Agreement in Concept until it has been presented to and approved by the Master Executive Council (MEC).  Only after MEC approval does it truly become a Tentative Agreement (TA).  At that point, it would be released to the membership for a ratification vote.

Management has stated “voting [is] expected to be complete by December,” which we believe may be a premature estimate.   In the rush of getting TA1 to you last year, it became quite clear that more time could have been spent clarifying and cleaning up the final document.   This time, we are going to be more methodical in our approach and ensure everything is in order before the MEC votes whether or not to accept the agreement.

The Negotiating Committee is working diligently to finalize and then present the agreement to the MEC as quickly as possible.  During this process, we ask for your patience.  We know that you are very anxious to see the details, but you also sent us a strong message during the last round to take the time needed to have complete contract language ready for your consideration.

Although the November 12th Informational Picketing event has been canceled, we still encourage you to wear your RED AFA t-shirts to the upcoming meetings!

Thank you for your support!

In Solidarity,

Your LEC Presidents –Becky Strachan, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Laura Masserant and Stephen Couckuyt

MEC 5BSS Logo (Web)

After several late nights, long hours and a flurry of activity here in Chicago, management and your Negotiating Committee have reached an agreement in concept.

The next step of the process is the Negotiating Committee will present the agreement to the Master Executive Council (MEC) for approval per the AFA Constitution and Bylaws (C&B). Pending MEC approval, the details of the Tentative Agreement (TA) will be made available to the membership. There is still a fair amount of work to be done and your Negotiating Committee will complete a comprehensive review of the entire TA prior to releasing to the membership.

Thank you to those of you who were planning to bid off for the November solidarity events. At this time, AFA will be canceling the event. Hopefully this will give you enough time to change your bid.

We know you will have a ton of questions, but the Negotiating Committee cannot answer any of them at this time. However, we will get you information as soon as possible.

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

“Five Bases Standing Strong”

Question:

 

Wondering what your position is on this is article

http://www.thestreet.mobi/story/12892492/1/american-flight-attendants-got-13-million-more-thanks-to-delta.html

I expect us to exceed and surpass.

 

Answer:

 

Negotiations are a dynamic and fluid process.  Many external situations impact and complicate contract negotiations.  It is indeed an interesting and exciting story that at the final hour the Delta pay raise impacted the AA/US Airways negotiations and gave them the leverage to get even more money in the rates.

 

The Delta pay raise (and the AA/US Airways TA rates) alter the comps that are in the industry now.  However, if you compare the AA/US Airways TA rates to our TA1 rates in the chart posted on our website, you will see that our TA1 rates were higher in many steps.  Know that we intend to improve on those $ amounts even still.

 

Thanks for your comment and know that our outside economist consultant, Dan Akins, is the same person who was at the table advising the AA/US Airways Flight Attendant Negotiating Committee.  We have a great team representing our collective interests.

 
 

Comment:

 

Please communicate with the company during negotiations that we expect retroactive paychecks for all the time wasted since we voted down our last TA. A great number of us are simply going to vote NO again if we are not given retro checks.
As always, thank you very much for your tireless efforts on our behalf.
Comment:

 

Hello, AFA negotiating team

 

I am a LAX Flight Attendant coming up quickly on my first year with the company. Not only am I a Flight Attendant, but I am also currently serving as active Air Force Reserve Airmen in the United States Air Force, something I have been doing for almost five years now. I am proud to serve, and also blessed by the protections in place by the USERRA act that allow me to pursue my career with this great company. I understand that negotiations for sick leave are still on the table and I wanted to bring to your attention some things that uniquely affect me as a Reservist in the U.S military. I am required to serve a minimum of one weekend a month, and 15 days annually in the Air Force Reserve. Often I do more time than that. When I go to work for the Air Force, I lose out on quite a bit of my benefits as a Flight Attendant. Each day I am gone I lose 5 TFP from my Reserve Guarantee, while I understand this, I am not working for Alaska Airlines on those days after all, Alaska told me many times that they were a Veteran friendly company. Many Veteran friendly companies offer pay to make up the difference from you military pay, or even pay you for a certain amount of days you are working for the military. Alaska offers neither of those benefits. Let me stop here to say that I do not feel that I am entitled to those benefits, though I would appreciate them, but I do feel entitled to say that Alaska Airlines should not boast about being a Veteran Friendly company when they do only what is required by Federal law under the USERRA act. Along with losing pay from Alaska Airlines, I do not accrue any sick leave the days I am on Military Leave. This becomes a serious problem when I attend annual tour, like I did in August and September of this year. I was out on military leave for over 23 days, and did not accrue any sick leave at Alaska Airlines. Even though I am serving in the Reserve those days, and not working at Alaska Airlines, I still get sick like every other person, and would like to receive some kind of sick leave when taking a required military leave. Jury Duty is paid, and is also a requirement from the United States government. When I serve in the military on my required days I am losing so much, sick leave, pay and money towards my retirement. I understand that there are not very many military reserve and guard Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines, but this is a benefit I feel that all members should have. I ask for sick leave accrual, and pay while on military leave not only for myself, but for other Reservists and Guardsmen who plan on retiring from their respective branch. I am on my way out of the military, but you will still hear my voice asking for these benefits for our military men and women when I am a civilian again.

Thank you for taking your time to read this, if you have any question feel free to contact me, I included my email above.

 

Answer: First of all, Thank you for your service and your commitment to our country’s security.

 

It is unfortunate, but in the airline industry, even in pilot contracts where military reservist activity is more common, the norm is compliance with USERRA.  Many companies support reservists and make accommodations and supplement reservist pay.  However, that is not common in the airline industry.

 

With regard to your sick leave concern, Alaska and Southwest are the only carriers in the US where the sick leave amount accrued is based on a percentage of credited TFP.  At all other carriers, it is based upon whether or not an employee is “active” for a majority of the month (usually 15 days).  The accrual is a set number of ‘Hours.”  If a reservist is absent for 2 weeks at another US carrier, s/he would typically not get any sick leave accrual for that month.  We agree that this is a bad situation, but unfortunately, it is the context in which our management looks at military accommodations in our contract.

 
 

Comment:

 

Horizon just added a flight to SCC. Now the ANC base has lost flying to SCC, FAI, and ADQ. We are hearing OTZ is NEXT?!?
WE NEED SCOPE IN OUR CONTRACT or the ANC BASE WILL not doubt CLOSE. It’s just a matter of time before Horizon takes over all the arctic flying.
 

Comment:

 

My concern is regarding the SCOPE section in the current negotiations. PLEASE protect our flying! NO outsourcing of fa’s and flying of existing and future routes under AS or QX. any changes brought by management should be re-negotiated by our union!

Thank you, NO compromises please!
 

Comment:

 

Getting more Concerned about Horizon taking over our flying in the state of Alaska. Some of us want to work day trips due to family obligations and more day trips are disappearing. Please look more into SCOPE for our contract. It might be another company soon
 

Comment:

 

Nothing in the Voice feedback box anymore. It’s online now. FYI
 

Comment:

 

SCOPE
Outsourcing FA jobs

Clarify the language regarding type of a/c, or number of seats that AS or AAG is allowed to outsource.

i. e. 100 seat or more a/c must be flown by AS FAs
 

Comment:

 

Scope needs to be added and defined
 

Comment:

 

Please present and fight for SCOPE!!!! We need more money, benefit protection and retro pay, but Job Security is of utmost importance!!!!
 

Comment:

 

I would like to know if the length of the pay scale is even being negotiated.It takes 17years to reach the top of the scale and that’s ALOT longer than most of the other airlines . AA 12 years , Delta and Southwest 12 years I believe as well
 

Comment:

 

I am joining many of my co-worker concerns in regards to the language and protection or lack of, relating to “scope” language. My hope is that this item is a top priority as with the other top items to be discussed and taken into consideration in the up coming meeting in October. Lets get that contract we deserve!! Thank you!!
 

Comment:

 

Since sick/OJI is still on the table, I urge you to fight for those of us who have been seriously injured on the job. 3 months of continued medical insurance is not adequate. The COBRA premiums are unattainable when out on workers comp and living on a severely reduced income. The medical care from workers comp is beyond sub par, wrought with denials and/or delays. This is not how you get injured workers back to health and work. Please advocate for drastic improvements in this contract. The American TA is calling for 6 months of continued salary and benefits (more for certain incidents). I believe we should fight for at least that.
Thank you for reading my comment.
 

Comment:

 

Before you go back into another session, I just wanted to re-iterate the importance of having very specific SCOPE language that protects our jobs and our flying specific aircraft.

The other thing we should not compromise on is how we accrue sick leave. No hard time requirements. It needs to stay as it is. Past committees have fought hard to gain our sick leave policy and we need to stand firm.

Thanks for your consideration.
 

Comment:

 

I would like SCOPE to be clear in our new contract so that AS Flight Attendants have job protection. Please open this up again so that there is clear language and protection for us. Thank you.

 

Get ready to show your solidarity on November 12th

Please be sure to bid Wednesday, November 12 off for our next RED Hot informational picketing event!  If you aren’t able to bid the day off, you can also bid around the picketing time for your base.  Your Negotiating Committee is counting on your support to demonstrate our solidarity to management on the opening day of the scheduled November mediation session.  More information including a sign-up link and meeting location for each base will be coming soon!

Picketing times for each base

Base Time
ANC 12 to 2 PM
LAX 8 to 10 AM
PDX 6 to 8 AM
SAN 8 to 11 AM
SEA 3 to 5 PM

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Mobilization Chairperson Adam Clarey

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

MEC 5BSS Logo (Web)

Mediation started off today in Chicago on a positive note. The parties, as mediated by National Mediation Board (NMB) Mediator Victoria Gray, signed tentative agreements (TAs) in the following sections:

  • 8 – Hours of Service,
  • 10 – Scheduling,
  • 11 – Reserve,
  • 12 – Exchange of Sequences,
  • 15 – Leaves of Absence,
  • 27 – General Association Information, and
  • 28 – Domiciles.

 

Some of the highlights include: $2.50 Reserve premium reinstated, no pre-plotted ER days (scheduled AM/PM only), eliminated Quartile System and clarified Open Time Trial and “Back to Book” provisions.

 

One of the previously announced provisions (but worth repeating) is a 15% year over year cap on insurance premium increases in Section 23 Insurance Benefits.

 

The parties anticipate working late into the night as we begin to exchange comprehensive proposals on the economics. Stay tuned for further developments!

 

In solidarity,

 

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

 

MEC 5BSS Logo (Web)

 

 

Some Flight Attendants have asked to compare the value of the AA/US TA minimum “day” (based on duty period not calendar day) to the Alaska current and TA1 values. The AA/US TA has a duty period minimum (DPM) of 5.0 block-hours, which equates to 5.7 TFP at the conversion of 1.13 TFP per block-hour. The Alaska current and TA1 DPM is 4 TFP.

AA-US TA DPM comparison in TFP

Contract negotiations resume this week in Chicago

 

Contract negotiations resume this coming Monday through Wednesday in Chicago. Victoria Gray, with the National Mediation Board (NMB), will mediate the session. AFA anticipates very significant developments this week.

 

Your Negotiating Committee and management have been working to finalize language in preparation for this session

 

Since the August session in La Jolla, your Negotiating Committee and management have been hard at work seeking to finalize language in various open sections. As a result, the parties are very close to reaching tentative agreements (TAs) in many non-economic sections of our Contract. Reaching TAs in those sections early this week will pave the way to passing comprehensive economic proposals including compensation.

 

Management has signaled positive expectations for this week

 

Over the past few weeks, management—including executive management—has made several very positive statements directly to AFA leadership as well as individual line Flight Attendants regarding expectations and goals for this session. Management had said they are coming prepared with a serious comprehensive proposal and are aiming to reach a TA on the entire contract this session.

 

This is great news to AFA and we are cautiously optimistic, but…

 

AFA considers this a positive development and we are cautiously optimistic. However, keep in mind that AFA’s objective is clear: the TA must meet the requirements determined by the Flight Attendants in the negotiations survey and in comments to the Negotiating Committee. Even if those criteria are met, AFA will not rush to publish a TA until we are reasonably satisfied that we have secured the absolute best deal possible and all the “i’s” are dotted and the “t’s” are crossed.

 

What does this all mean?

 

Think positive thoughts and stand by for potentially big developments this session!

 

Don’t forget the Solidarity Event November 12th…

 

Mark your calendar and plan to bid Wednesday, November 12th off for our next RED Hot informational picketing event!  If we don’t get a deal this session, come demonstrate our solidarity to management on the opening day of the scheduled November mediation session.  More information including a sign-up link and picketing times for each base will be coming. Your Negotiating Committee is counting on your support!

 

In solidarity,

 

Your Negotiating Committee—MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

MEC 5BSS Logo

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

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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, […]

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