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In This Edition

TA Thursday Update – August 2, 2024

Originally posted August 2, 2024

In case you missed it, make sure to catch up on this week’s TA Thursday Update published yesterday! This week’s update included:

  • TA Virtual Q&A Session
  • APFA Tentative Agreement
  • TA Vote Percentage Update
  • Department of Justice Merger Decision Update
  • TA Ratification in Context of Delayed Merger Decision
  • Resources
  • Upcoming Events

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, August 6TA Virtual Q&A Session
Thursday, August 8Quarterly Uniform Committee Meeting
Thursday, August 8Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

The MEC and Negotiating Committee met this morning to discuss the delayed Department of Justice (DOJ) merger decision prior to our final Tentative Agreement (TA) roadshow. The MEC explored the possible impact on the TA voting timeline and unanimously agreed not to extend the ratification vote. Please ensure you vote by noon Pacific Time on August 14th.

Several factors lead to this decision:

  • We did not originally plan our voting timeline around the DOJ merger decision – the original announcement date just happened to fall within the timeline.
  • There is no guarantee the DOJ decision will actually be announced on the 15th. It is possible the DOJ could further delay its decision – and the voting deadline cannot be indefinitely extended.
  • We negotiated this TA strategically to be a strong option in either scenario, regardless of the DOJ decision. The TA sets us up for a JCBA if the merger does go through, or to be back in negotiations in 2 years (with the three-year duration and one-year early opener). Either way, we will have an opportunity to press for more improvements from a strong base quickly.

Please make sure to vote prior to the deadline – several days before the 14th is recommended in case you encounter any difficulties voting. Keep in mind that voting assistance is available Monday through Friday during regular business hours Eastern Time. Voting information can be found on the contract website.

All published resources are available from the TA page on the contract website.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced early this morning that they reached an agreement with Hawaiian and Alaska managements to extend the merger review process 10 days until August 15th.  

What does this mean? There is no way of knowing. In fact, the DOJ could not render a decision on August 15th and could further delay the review process. AFA International is monitoring the situation with the DOJ and we will continue to share any new developments or information with members. As a reminder, the Tentative Agreement (TA) was negotiated to position us to return to the bargaining table in the near term whether the merger is approved or not.

The Negotiating Committee is finishing up the TA roadshows in Portland and Anchorage today and tomorrow, respectively. We continue to welcome any questions from you during the ratification process.

In This Edition

TA Thursday Update – July 25, 2024

Originally posted July 25, 2024

In case you missed it, make sure to catch up on this week’s TA Thursday Update published yesterday! This week’s update included:

  • Virtual TA Roadshow Recordings Now Available
  • Full Text of the Tentative Agreement is Now Available
  • Resources
  • Upcoming Events

Read More >

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – July 2024

Originally posted July 26, 2024

On July 23, 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!

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Monday, July 29SFO TA Roadshow
Tuesday, July 30PDX TA Roadshow
Wednesday, July 31ANC TA Roadshow
Thursday, August 1Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

Scheduling Committee

  • On July 23, 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!

On Tuesday, July 23, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons/Representatives met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, and MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz. 

The committee met with Managing Director of Operations Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Flight Crew Systems Support Sue Rawlings, Supervisor of Inflight Crew Scheduling Matthew Trujillo , Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several topics during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

  • VO is view only. This code does not allow Flight Attendants to pick up the trip while scheduling works to resolve trip issues.
  • PO is pick-up only. This code is used on Sick leave make-up days. It should not be placed on trips.
  • AFA encourages crews to report safety concerns on any redeye flight where they feel fatigued or unsafe to drive home after flying. There are reports that some of these flights are delayed several hours into the early morning, and Flight Attendants are concerned about operating the flights. 
  • Flight Attendants continue to have issues with Crew Access and OpenTime. Management continues to investigate and question whether Flight Attendants use BOT programming. Using a third-party program or application is against company policy. 
  • If you are releasing from Deadheads, please request release before positioning. Flight Attendants are receiving points when they are not showing up as scheduled and performance is hesitant to remove points that are applied. 
  • Bidding for August was busy, with virtual drop-ins for PBS bidding assistance. Bid awards for August were smooth, with high coverage.
  • NAVBLUE expects another release for PBS bidding in the near future. 
  • September schedules: Management expects to decrease the block hours and have high vacation usage in the month. Budget talks for 2025 are underway. There will be no leaves in September. Flight Attendant pairing breakdown and statistics are being reviewed by management on their dashboards.
  • July sick leave tends to increase on weekends by around 14%, while during the week is 11%. Reserve utilization is still high every month. More premium pay on weekends and tend to see 2.0x rate of pay being applied. Management tracks year-over-year (YOY) and month-over-month (MOM) trends. 
  • Personal drops low. 
  • When Flight Attendants call in fatigued, their reports are reviewed, and the issues/concerns are addressed.  
  • JCTE update is expected on July 30, 2024. Communication from management on changes and improvements will be distributed.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. NAVBLUE. The PBS Subcommittee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose. The PBS Subcommittee is working with management on PBS base sit budgets.  Management has the committee keep track of how money is being spent to assist flight crews with their bidding.  We appreciate your participation in virtual and in person base sits. 
  2. Pairings Survey. There is a discussion of reviewing bidding data from NAVBLUE to see what kind of pairings Flight Attendants are interested in flying instead of sending out a survey. We will continue to review options. 
  3. Chime Communications. To reduce phone call volumes, Flight Attendants may soon be able to chat with Crew Scheduling via app/Microsoft Teams. The chat will be for Flight Attendant-initiated contact only. The function is currently in the early stages of development and still needs to be discussed with Labor Relations management and our MEC. Testing and implementation are continuing over the next few weeks. We are working on a letter of agreement for implementation, which is still pending review. 
  4. Crew Scheduling. A monthly review of PowerPoint presentations covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
  5. Crew Planning. Like Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items. Statistics around teaming continue to be reviewed. Crew Planning continues to maximize pairing construction and optimizing teaming strategies to minimize costs and ensure that crews (Flight Attendants) can stay together for multiple segments.
  6. ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NAVBLUE, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block2Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases.

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

In This Edition

Supplemental Ditching Training Update

Originally posted July 17, 2024

Our Grievance Committee is pleased to let you know we strenuously negotiated and settled the open SDT issues with management to the benefit of our Flight Attendants. Most Flight Attendants will receive 5 TFP for completing the SDT drill, plus an additional 1 TFP for completing the SDT CBT and watching the video in the June 13, 2024, required bulletin bundle. The training must be completed by July 31st, if the Flight Attendant has duty in the remainder of July; the training can be done at many different times. You can select which option works best for you.

Read More >

TA Thursday Update – July 18, 2024

Originally posted July 18, 2024

In case you missed it, make sure to catch up on this week’s TA Thursday Update published yesterday! This week’s update included:

  • Register Now for an In-Person Tentative Agreement (TA) Roadshow
  • Update on the Full Text of the Tentative Agreement (TA)
  • Resources
  • The Real Deal
  • Upcoming Events

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Monday, July 22SEA TA Roadshow
Tuesday, July 23SEA TA Roadshow
Tuesday, July 23Monthly Scheduling Committee Meeting
Wednesday, July 24Tentative Agreement (TA) Voting Opens
Wednesday, July 24LAX TA Roadshow
Thursday, July 25SNA TA Roadshow
Friday, July 26SAN TA Roadshow

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

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 watch the video in the June 13, 2024, required Bulletin Bundle. This is FAA-required training. Please remember instructors are Flight Attendants first and have really stepped up to the plate to help.

Resolution of SDT Issues

AFA is pleased to let you know we strenuously negotiated and settled the open SDT issues with management to the benefit of our Flight Attendants:

  • Most Flight Attendants will receive 5 TFP for completing the SDT drill, plus an additional 1 TFP for completing the SDT CBT and watching the video in the June 13, 2024, required bulletin bundle.
  • The training must be completed by July 31st, if the Flight Attendant has duty in the remainder of July; the training can be done at many different times. You can select which option works best for you:
    1. The Flight Attendant may begin the training no sooner than :30 minutes prior to scheduled check in provided they call Crew Scheduling to verify their legalities and obtain approval; or
    2. The Flight Attendant may start the training at, but not before, scheduled check in time (Departure-60), without calling Crew Scheduling; or
    3. The Flight Attendant may complete the training during a sit time without calling Crew Scheduling; or
    4. The Flight Attendant may complete the training following a duty period, provided they call Crew Scheduling prior to the training to verify their legalities and obtain approval; or
    5. The Flight Attendant may complete the training on a day off provided they call Crew Scheduling to verify future legalities and obtain approval; or
    6. If you are scheduled for recurrent or requalification training from June 17th through July 31st (or before your return from leave of absence), the training will be included and you will receive the 5 TFP plus 1 TFP for CBT/video on top of normal pay for recurrent/requalification.
  • If you have no duty or are on a leave of absence from July 17th -July 31st , you must complete the training before your first flight back in August. You will receive 5 TFP plus 1 TFP for CBT/video.
  • If you have duty from July 17th -July 31st but fail to complete the training by July 31st, you must complete it before your first flight back in August. However, you will only receive 2 TFP plus 1 TFP for CBT/video.
  • Since Flight Attendants must call Crew Scheduling and obtain approval in a, d, and e, above, prior to the SDT drill, there should be no instance where a Flight Attendant will obtain pay for over duty or under rest, etc., per §8.E-M, or additional TFP per §11.B.4.a-b, unless Crew Scheduling approves the SDT drill, thereby resulting in such an event. However, if Crew Scheduling does approve the SDT drill in violation of such contractual legalities, then the provisions in §8.E-M, and §11.B.4.a-b, and any other applicable contractual provisions will apply.
  • Flight attendants who completed the training on July 4th will receive double time on the TFP for the 5 TFP, excluding 1 TFP for CBT/video.
  • Flight Attendants who were awarded a reserve line in the month they did the training will receive the 5 TFP and the 1 TFP for CBT/video above guarantee.
  • Open houses may be held from 3-5pm, although the dates and locations are yet to be confirmed. Management will post required bulletins with this information.
  • There will be no Q3 CBT.

Questions?

There are more details in the Letter of Agreement, which will be sent to your IMD soon. Please reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

In This Edition

TA Thursday Update – July 11, 2024

Originally posted July 11, 2024

In case you missed it, make sure to catch up on this week’s TA Thursday Update published yesterday! This week’s update included:

  • Register Now For Virtual Tentative Agreement (TA) Roadshows
  • How Will The Updated Insurance Rates Work If The TA Is Ratified?
  • Stepping Through The Pay Scale
  • Behind The Numbers: Straight Pay Rate Increases
  • More About Boarding Pay
  • The Real Deal
  • Upcoming Events

Read More >

Register Now For Tentative Agreement (TA) Roadshows 

Originally posted July 12, 2024

Starting next week, our Negotiating Committee will be hitting the road for a series of roadshows to bring the details of the tentative agreement (TA) directly to you. Each roadshow will feature a presentation by the Negotiating Committee about the TA, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session. These sessions are your chance to ask questions and get all the information you need to make an informed decision when it’s time to cast your vote. 

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, July 16Virtual TA Roadshow
Wednesday, July 17Virtual TA Roadshow
Wednesday, July 17Quarterly Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Meeting
Thursday, July 18Virtual TA Roadshow

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

In This Edition

Tentative Agreement (TA) Summary and Information

Originally posted July 2, 2024

Our Negotiating Committee is currently cleaning up the full-text language of the TA for your review, but you can check out the TA Summary now on the negotiations website at contract2022.afaalaska.org/TA. The compensation table reflects the new TFP rates and contract anniversary raises, but it does not reflect all of the ways our pay would increase under the TA. For example, boarding pay is also included in the TA along with many other pay factors. We encourage you to dive into the full summary now and full text once it’s available. Join us at an upcoming Roadshow (schedule posted on the TA page of the negotiations website) for a chance to discuss and ask questions about the agreement.

Read More >

Shared on Social

The Real Deal

Want to know more about what’s in the TA? Check out our social media series, The Real Deal, for an easy-to-follow breakdown of some of the key highlights. Here are some of this week’s posts (click the graphic to see the full post):

Next Week’s Events

Thursday, July 11Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

In This Edition

  • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – June 2024
  • Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2024
  • MEC Approves Tentative Agreement For Member Review And Ratification Vote
  • Shared on Social
  • Next Week’s Events

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – June 2024

Originally posted June 27, 2024

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!

Read More >

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2024

Originally posted June 28, 2024

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!

Read More >

MEC Approves Tentative Agreement For Member Review And Ratification Vote

Originally posted June 28, 2024

Our Negotiating Committee recently presented the Master Executive Council (MEC) with the details of the Tentative Agreement (TA) that was reached with management last week. The MEC carefully reviewed the provisions of the TA and asked questions to clarify their understanding. After thorough consideration, the MEC has unanimously approved the TA to be sent out for a member ratification vote

Read More >

Shared on Social

So We Have A TA…What Happens Now?

Now that we have a tentative agreement (TA), the steps to membership ratification begin. The next step is for the MEC to review the TA at a meeting starting on Thursday, June 27. If you’re curious about the process, swipe through for more info. Keep an eye on the negotiations website and our AFA Alaska social media channels for specific timelines and dates as we move forward with each step. Stay tuned for more updates!

See The Post >

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, July 2Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up-to-date official information on our AFA Alaska social media accounts.  Click below and follow so you can stay connected!

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – December 2025

On Monday, December 1, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in person in Seattle to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX), and Kanani Vallot […]

MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Interviews – January 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Do you want to help new Flight Attendants as they go through initial training and probation? Our MEC is seeking a dedicated and organized Member in good standing to serve as the MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation. In this role, you’ll be the primary […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairperson positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for our next merged MEC Committee Chairperson and Representative positions. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have been elected: MEC Inflight Training Committee Chairperson: Megan BrownMEC Inflight Training […]

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