AFA Alaska + Hawaiian

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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

December 23, 2013

 

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

MEC President Jeffrey Peterson here. Normally I would vet a communication of this nature with the full Master Executive Council (MEC) before sending out to the Membership. However, in this case time is of the essence. Staffing has reached critical levels for Christmas Eve tomorrow and management is extremely concerned that the Company may have to cancel flights. Not only that, but several Flight Attendants have already been junior assigned (JA’d) in the past few days and into tomorrow. These issues are very troubling for all parties.

 

By now Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider has sent out a communication in regards to increasing the premium for junior available (JA) and voluntary junior available (VJA) on Christmas Eve to double time. This is with the hope that more Flight Attendants will VJA in order to minimize the use of JA and to prevent flight cancellations. Hopefully the double time will help take the sting out of being JA’d as well.

 

As part of this arrangement, your MEC has authorized a temporary agreement which allows Inflight management who hold FAA-certificates as Flight Attendant to function as minimum crew. In order to be as transparent as possible, a link to the temporary agreement is below. The MEC realizes there will be concerns within the Membership about this agreement. In fact, I would be remiss if I did not inform you that not all the Local Executive Council (LEC) presidents supported the agreement. The MEC always strives to be united as “Five Bases, One Voice” but this does on occasion happen.

 

My point in telling you this is to assure you that the decision was not made lightly. Further, we share many of your concerns in regards to why we run into staffing issues year after year around the holidays. For instance, I have read Andy’s letter and I do not agree with her assessments in regards to staffing. In her letter she focuses on sick leave usage but she glosses over the staffing adjustment leaves that were granted for December. Why in the world were any staffing adjustment leaves offered in December in the first place?!

 

Andy writes that this was to ensure the base line averages were kept above the contractual minimums. In my humble opinion, management could have easily run with more Reserves than normal and not offered any staffing leaves in December. Then Crew Scheduling could have granted personal drops (PDs) along the way by offering more PDs earlier in the month and less over the holidays.

 

Not only that but I’m not so sure if her approach is the most effective. I’m no public relations expert but I don’t believe harping on sick leave usage in the same communication in which she is looking to drum up more VJA works in her favor. I think after years of hearing the same message over the holidays we all just check out once the discourse goes there. Finally, the quoted sick leave usage (“up to 22%”) is based on one day and one domicile. The actual sick leave usage when looked at on a system-wide basis is significantly less. But I digress…

 

The point is an increased premium of double time is available on VJA for tomorrow if you’re interested. If so, you would be helping out the operation, your fellow Flight Attendants (by minimizing JA) and your pocketbook if you could pick up VJA. I know not everybody is going to agree with me putting this out there but I’ll take full responsibility for acting on my own. This request is coming from me and me alone–the LEC presidents have not authorized this message.

 

On another note, your Negotiating Committee has been hard at work finalizing the recent tentative agreement (TA). With so many changes to the language, it has been a herculean effort to complete in such a short period of time. After many long days and late nights of solid work in the past week, we’re still looking on track for presenting the TA to the MEC on December 30th.

 

If the LEC presidents approve the TA for ratification, we will be distributing the TA and supporting materials ASAP. Tentatively we are looking at a first round of roadshows in SEA, PDX and ANC the first full week of January 6-10. Roadshows in SAN, LAX and SNA will be the second full week of January 13-17. As soon as arrangements are final we will send out a more detailed schedule. We are also tentatively planning on a second round of roadshows around the system in the first two full weeks of February. The count date is set for February 14.

 

That just about covers it, I think. Happy Holidays everybody! 😉

 

 

In solidarity,

 

MEC President Jeffrey Peterson

On behalf of your AFA Alaska MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

 

AFA LOA 2013-12-23 Management Flying Christmas Eve 2013

Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) has reached a tentative agreement with Alaska Airlines management on a five year agreement that would cover over 3,100 Flight Attendants. The tentative agreement, reached with the assistance of the National Mediation Board, contains wage increases and improved job security and protections.

 

“Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants were unwavering in our resolve that a new agreement recognize the contributions we make each and every day to our award-winning airline. We are proud partners in the great success of Alaska Airlines. It is now up to Flight Attendants to review the details and decide if it recognizes our innumerable contributions,” said Jeffrey Peterson, AFA President at Alaska Airlines.

 

The tentative agreement will be presented to the Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant leadership. Once approved to go out for a vote, further details will be released and the agreement will be sent to the membership for ratification.

 

The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 67 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines, including 6,800 members at US Airways, come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org

 

http://www.afacwa.org/alaska_airlines_flight_attendants_secure_tentative_agreement

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

As you know your Negotiation committee reached a TA yesterday! In light of this, the Master Executive Council (MEC) has decided to cancel the December 19 Solidarity Events across the system. We need to focus our energies on typing up the TA and meeting as an MEC to review the TA.

 

We want to thank all of you who have stepped up to volunteer for both the December 10th and the December 19th events. The December 10th reach out in Seattle was very successful- and a lot of fun!

 

We also want to wish everyone Happy Holidays!

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

 

December 12, 2013

 

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

We are very happy to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement (TA) with management. Naturally you all will want to know the details. However, please understand that no details will be released until after the TA has been presented to the Master Executive Council (MEC) for approval. This is AFA’s practice. When you see your Flight Attendant negotiators out on the line over the next several weeks, please be mindful of their obligation to not divulge details before the MEC has approved the TA.

 

Once the MEC does approve the TA, a full text document will be sent out for membership ratification. Because of the upcoming holiday, the earliest this could happen is by the end of the month. There is cleanup work that must be completed in terms of the language and the formatting that we’ll be working on immediately.

 

We anticipate roadshows to commence at every base starting in early January. At the roadshows, the Negotiating Committee will explain in person the details of the TA and you will have the opportunity to ask questions. We will be targeting a count date of mid-February. Remember you must be a member in good standing (your dues must be current) in order to be eligible to vote.

 

The Committee is pleased with the result and looks forward to presenting the details to the membership. Many thanks to AFA subject matter expert and transportation economist Dan Akins for his invaluable help. Also, National Mediation Board (NMB) mediator Victoria Gray was instrumental in assisting the parties in reaching an agreement.

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters, Jake Jones and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

Your Negotiating Committee, along with transportation economist and AFA subject matter expert Dan Akins, will meet in Seattle this coming week (Dec 10th– 12th) for the sixth mediation session with Alaska Airlines management. Once again the session will be facilitated by federal mediator Victoria Gray with the National Mediation Board (NMB).

 

During our last mediation session in San Diego, much discussion (without much progress) was focused on pay guarantees for unproductive pairings (aka “rigs”). For example, the four (4) TFP minimum per duty period is the only rig we currently have in our contract. AFA is determined to improve the pay for unproductive pairings—such as those with long sits, long layovers without appropriate credit or low-time trips which span several calendar days. Unfortunately, management has been adamantly against expanding rigs—even with a longer duty day.

 

Not only do rigs guarantee a certain amount of pay for time on duty, rigs are also an “incentive” for management to build efficient and productive pairings. Once rigs are programmed into the pairing optimizer program, the system will attempt to improve efficiency by minimizing those unproductive factors in our schedules. No more wasting our time sitting in airports or hotels without pay; or if any of those unproductive factors remain, then we’ll get paid appropriately! There is no question Flight Attendants don’t mind working—but we want to be paid for all the time when we’re on the clock and away from our homes.

 

Since our last mediation session much research, study, and consideration has been given to rig potential by both management and AFA. Many thanks to mediator Gray for her efforts in making this happen! Consequently, certain parameters and constraints were agreed upon by both parties to create a comprehensive rigs analysis. This rig study entails having the pairing optimizer build sample pairings from several months from this year.

 

We anticipate much of this session will be focused on evaluating the sample pairings to determine the benefits and possible disadvantages of rigs from both AFA and management’s perspective. Plus, there’s always the issue of cost and how rigs might affect the overall package. (It always comes down to the money at this stage of the game!)

 

We’re hoping to have a productive week and that management will give their undivided attention to negotiations. Due to last-minute uncertainty with this session as a result of the rigs study, the parties were forced to change meeting plans. We were unable to lock in the downtown Seattle arrangements not knowing if the rigs study would be completed by the scheduled date and now everything is booked. So…we’re meeting at a less desirable location for focused effort—the Labor Rooms in the Alaska Airlines Flight Operations building. Thankfully, management has thrown ample resources at the study and we’re looking on track for Tuesday.

 

Since we are meeting on Company property, management could easily be distracted with attempts to multi-task at their regular jobs. So we call on their team to resist all distractions! Now that we are well past two years of actual negotiations (and eighteen months past the amendable date), we’re all anxious to put this struggle behind us! We also call on management to reward us with a far past-due contract which recognizes Flight Attendants’ professional contribution to the phenomenal success of Alaska Airlines!

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters, Jake Jones and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

 

December 5, 2013

 

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

In the upcoming days some of you will be contacted by one of your local AFA officers, or a VOICE or other AFA committee member. We are conducting a brief phone survey with very specific questions to better facilitate representing you at the table during our upcoming mediation session next week. Due to the time constraints, we will be sampling Flight Attendants from all seniority levels at every base.

 

The results of the survey will facilitate a more focused and accurate approach as your negotiators work with offers on the table that continue to move into areas not addressed in the initial 2011 negotiations survey.

 

Due to the high volume of calls and limited time frame, we request that any questions to the survey takers be kept to a minimum. If you are called, please answer the questions as concisely as possible. This will allow your leadership and volunteers to contact as many Flight Attendants as possible for a fair and comprehensive poll of our Membership.

 

We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow; and

 

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Tracy, Karina Cameron-Fetters, Jake Jones and AFA Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

 

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

 

For those of you who were around in 2007, you may recall participating in the Harvard Flight Attendant Healthy Study. The 2007 survey was the first time that Flight Attendant health had been mapped on a broad scale. For instance, the study determined that the prevalence of respiratory disease amongst Flight Attendants was approximately three times that found in the general U.S. population. In addition, sleep disorders, fatigue, depression and heart disease were greatly increased in female Flight Attendants compared to baseline.

 

Harvard is in the process of repeating the study to determine any trends in these conditions—especially as Flight Attendants age. An on-line version of the study is being kicked off with Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants sometime in the next week or so before the holiday season begins. AFA believes it is extremely important for our members to participate in the survey in order to track long-term health trends amongst Flight Attendants.

 

We know December is an extremely busy time for everybody, but your Master Executive Council (MEC) would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete the survey should you be selected to participate. Be looking for an email from the Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study in the near future!

 

 

In solidarity,

 

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

 

AFA Council 39 in Portland is currently in need of volunteers to serve on the following Committees:

You can read more about each position by clicking on the Committee name above.

What Do AFA Committees Do?

Members of AFA Committees serve in three primary roles.

  • An Expert. Serve as the subject matter expert on the committee’s primary area of responsibility
  • A Resource. Act as a resource about their area of expertise and work to actively educate and empower Members
  • A Voice. Work as a liaison between Members and the Local Executive Council, Master Executive Council, and management involving matters related to the committee

How Much Time Do I Need to Commit?

On average, most Committee Members spend just a few minutes each day reading and responding to email.  During busy periods, Committee Members might also spend time returning phone calls.  Some Committees also have quarterly meetings held either locally or in Seattle which might require attendance.

I’d Like To Get Involved

Thank you for your interest.  Please complete the expression of interest form below if you’re interested in becoming a Committee volunteer.

[gravityform id=”14″ name=”PDX Expression of Interest” description=”false”]

 

Dear Seattle Flight Attendants,

Please remember that next week Council 19 is hosting Q and A sessions for all Alaska Flight Attendants in the Central Annex Room on the Mezzanine Level- down the hall from in-flight.

These sessions will allow you to ask questions of your Local Officers, Local Committee Chairs, and seek clarification on Negotiation Updates and current contract language.

This is an open house forum and we hope that you take a mintue to stop by and say hi!

December 2, 9-12 and 1-5

December 4, 9-12 and 1-5

December 6, 9-12 and 1-5

Questions? Email or call LEC President Laura Masserant

lmasserant@yahoo.com

360-633-3903

Dear Flight Attendants,

 

Our current MEC Safety, Health, and Security Committee (SHSC) Chairperson Barb Moynier has served out her two year commitment in that position and will be stepping down in the near future. Consequently, the MEC will be conducting interviews to fill the vacancy at the January MEC meeting: January 14-15, 2014, in Seattle.

 

If you are interested in applying for the position, please fax or email your resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer, Yvette Gesch at 206-246-4752 or

ysgesch@gmail.com. Resumes must be submitted by January 1, 2014. Yvette will then contact you to schedule your interview.

 

For a description of the job responsibilities please see below. If after reviewing this information, you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact MEC SHSC Chairperson Barb Moynier at shsc@alaskamec.org, or MEC Vice President (and MEC Committee Executive Chairperson) Terry Taylor at tltafa@aol.com.

 

 

 

SAFETY, HEALTH & SECURITY COMMITTEE

SCOPE

  • The Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (SHSC) shall work with the Company on matters pertaining to cabin and Flight Attendant safety and health.

 

POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

  • The MEC SHSC shall consist of the:
  • MEC SHSC Chairperson
  • MEC SHSC Vice Chairperson—Air Quality
  • Local SHSC Chairperson from each council.
  • The MEC SHSC Chairperson is the primary contact with the Company, the FAA and the International office, regarding Flight Attendant safety and health issues.
  • The MEC Chairperson shall:
  • Attend any safety meetings with the company.
  • Attend FAA/Alaska Airlines safety meetings.
  • Attend AFA-CWA Air Safety Department training seminars
  • In conjunction with the International Office, develop and conduct initial and ongoing local Safety/Health training, including NTSB accident investigation procedures
  • Communicate with the AFA-CWA Air Safety Department.
  • Communicate with other airline safety representatives, as appropriate.
  • Participate in accident investigation, hijacking, sabotage, etc., as directed.
  • Communicate with the Alaska ALPA MEC Safety Chairperson as appropriate.
  • Attend and participate in Congressional hearings dealing with cabin safety, as directed.
  • Assign special safety assignments to local Safety/Health Chairpersons as appropriate. The MEC officers and appropriate LEC President shall be advised of these special assignments.
  • Handle safety incidents, i.e. equipment problems, occupational injuries, as they arise.
  • Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website.
  • Be on a 24-hour call-out in the event of an accident.
  • Participate in programs concerned with air safety, health and security.
  • Act in an advisory role to the MEC on safety and health matters.
  • Study safety and health problems and prepare recommendations to be presented to the MEC for consideration.
  • Review material, handle correspondence and keep members informed of safety and health developments through the Communications Committee and/or reports at Local Council meetings.
  • Attend company debriefings after an accident or incident or when pertinent issues are discussed.

 

 

In Solidarity,

 

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Terry Taylor, Yvette Gesch, Melanie Buker, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn and Sandra Morrow

 

 

Crew Meal Survey Now Open

Crew meals are an important aspect of supporting the health and effectiveness of Flight Attendants. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance these provisions, the JNC is collecting feedback from Flight Attendants. Your participation in the Crew Meal Survey will directly influence future meal standards and help ensure that your needs and preferences are represented.

Navigating Recovery: Understanding FADAP and Other Support Options

If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with drugs or alcohol, it’s important to know that you are not alone, and support is available. Flight Attendants have treatment options designed to address the unique realities of this career. Note: This video references FAAS (Flight Attendant Addiction Support), which is a program for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants. […]

Go In-Depth with Our AFA EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairpersons

As we wrap up the first week of EAP/Professional Standards Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to share an open conversation that takes you behind the scenes of our support network built for Flight Attendants. MEC Communications Committee Chairperson Brian Palmer recently sat down with pre-merger Alaska MEC EAP/Professional Standards Committee Chairperson Melanie Buker and Vice Chairperson Elizabeth Dillon to […]

Grievance Committee Update – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Our Grievance Committee is committed to supporting you by ensuring fair disciplinary procedures and upholding our contractual rights. Our contract guarantees at least 13 arbitration dates each year to address both disciplinary and contractual matters. Termination cases are typically prioritized to help Flight Attendants return to work […]

System Board of Adjustment Interviews – June 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Our Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for one (1) Member to serve on the pre-merger Alaska 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 […]

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 (pmAS) Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX Council 43 HNL Council 47 LAX/SEA (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 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 + Hawaiian 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