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Inflight Service Committee

  • Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Wednesday, September 13 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
  • The Inflight Service Committee continues to work with management to continuously improve onboard catering and engage in discussions leading to future improved processes. Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!

On Wednesday, September 13, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX), and Chase Vandergrift (SAN). Also present was MEC Inflight Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett.

The committee met with MD Inflight Services and Inflight Administration Gloria Chang- Vanderwell, MD Guest Products and Passenger Food and Beverage Todd Traynor-Corey, GM Catering Operations and Passenger Food and Beverage Service Jenny Connett-Schreiber,  Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Inflight Product and Experience Director David Scotland, Principal Cabin Prod & Exp Mgr. Chris Dela Rosa, Director of Onboard Food and Beverage Dean Courtelis, SR Food and Beverage Product Mgr. Jessica Johnston, Mgr. F&B Planning and Programs David Rodriquez, and other management representatives from the food & beverage and catering operations.

The next scheduled Inflight Service Committee meeting is November 29, 2023.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Cabin refresh for our AC to include convenience features for our passengers. We were pleased to hear that the 3 aft lavatories will remain on refurbished AC. 
  • Streamlining the service was discussed to improve consistency for passenger experience. Catering concerns were brough forward and their impact on flight attendants and passengers was discussed.
  • Marketing/Catering appreciates ISC feedback regarding timing service increments. This helps determine the amount of service that can be safely accomplished.
  • Product changes will start being available on our AC in the fall. ISC attendees were treated to tasting teas that we will see on our flights. We look forward to serving these options. 
  • New containers were discussed for hot meals in the MC. There will be testing to determine if they meet our serving and disposal needs.
  • Catering Ops has faced many difficulties with the performance of the kitchens. They are instituting practices to help improve the situation. Catering Ops provided a demonstration of the FAC system which collates B2B entered comments.
  • The new Onboard Service Handbook, one location for all service offered, was discussed. An overview of the 2024 Service Refresh training was also presented.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please continue to report any catering issues or problems with onboard service using the catering feedback function in Block2Block. If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please submit a report through ReportIt!  Your reports provide the Committee with the data needed to continue pushing management for meaningful improvements in our workplace.

Do you have other feedback for the Committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local Inflight Service Committee is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the Inflight Service Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

In This Edition

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

Originally posted September 11, 2023

Read More >

Grievance Committee Update – 3rd Quarter 2023

Originally posted September 12, 2023

Our Grievance Committee protects all Flight Attendants from arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and upholds our collective bargaining agreement. This update briefly summarizes the committee’s work over the past quarter. Management has issued discipline lately for a variety of reasons. Read on for more information about why management is disciplining and terminating Flight Attendants. If you’ve faced a situation that you believe might be a contractual violation, please report the issue through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.

Read More >

Join The Picket Line: Support Southwest Flight Attendants

Originally posted September 13, 2023

It’s time to stand in solidarity with our Flight Attendant family at Southwest Airlines as they head to the picket line. Southwest Flight Attendants will be holding an informational picket in Denver on Wednesday, September 20, to address their ongoing fight for a fair contract. If you’re going to be in the Denver area, plan now to join the picket and sign up using the link below.

Read More >

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Originally posted September 15, 2023

September 15th marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. This tradition dates back to 1968 when legislation was signed into law first recognizing Hispanic Heritage Week. Read more about Hispanic Heritage Month, learn about the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans, and learn about events you can participate in using the resource links below. Join the celebration by wearing a Hispanic Heritage Month AFA Pin. Check with your Local Council if you need a pin.

Read More >

Shared on Social

Surprise Pop-Up Picket At Alaska Airlines Event In Los Angeles

Despite issuing a public statement that our Negotiating Committee’s financial proposals were “economically unfeasible,” Alaska Airlines management decided that it was economically feasible to hold a swanky reception at a Marina Del Rey luxury hotel for company executives, elite frequent flyers, and Los Angeles area civic leaders today [Wednesday, September 13]. Our Mobilization Volunteers crashed the party with a surprise pop-up picket outside the hotel to ensure CEO Ben Minicucci and others attending the event heard our message. This example of corporate greed is a slap in the face to hard-working Flight Attendants who are long overdue for pay and work rule improvements that we have earned!

Next Week’s Events

Monday, September 18 – Tuesday, September 19Contract Negotiations
Monday, September 18 – Tuesday, September 19Regular MEC Meeting
Wednesday, September 20TWU Local 556/Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Informational Picketing (Denver, CO)

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!

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • It’s time to stand in solidarity with our Flight Attendant family at Southwest Airlines as they head to the picket line.
  • Southwest Flight Attendants will be holding an informational picket in Denver on Wednesday, September 20, to address their ongoing fight for a fair contract.
  • If you’re going to be in the Denver area, plan now to join the picket and sign up using the link below.

This summer, the spirit of solidarity is thriving as Flight Attendants and workers all over the country unite against corporate greed and mismanagement. Our Day of Solidarity events received immense support from fellow Union Members who joined our picket lines. Their backing helped to make our message to management louder and clearer. It’s time to stand with our Flight Attendant family at Southwest as they escalate their fight for better pay and working conditions. Keep reading to find out how you can help!

Flight Attendants at Southwest Airlines, part of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), have been working under a contract that became amendable in November 2018. They have been facing the brunt of operational failures and meltdowns, while Southwest executives have been receiving bonuses, and shareholders have been given dividends and stock buybacks. Management continues to drag their feet in negotiations and has failed to bring to the table a contract that honors the dedication of Flight Attendants with fair pay and working conditions.

On September 20, Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants will hold an informational picketing event in Denver, CO, to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to fight for the contract they deserve. Plan now to stand with them in solidarity and demand that management at Southwest Airlines Make It Right for their Flight Attendants. Let’s come together and show management at Southwest that Flight Attendants and workers everywhere stand united in this fight and demand the pay and working conditions we have rightfully earned.

TWU Local 556 Picketing Event Information

Date: Wednesday, September 20
Location: Denver, CO
Check-In: Begins at 15:00 (local time)
Picketing: 16:00 to 19:00 (local time)

Click here to Register >

In this ediition

  • Inflight Service Committee Update
  • Membership Committee Update
  • Mobilization Committee Update
  • Reserve Committee Update
  • Scheduling Committee Update
  • Uniform Committee Update

Inflight Service

The Seattle ISC committee continues to receive reports of poor-quality glassware, and utensils coming from the Seattle Kitchen. The reports of dirty and spotted glassware, and utensils has been discussed with management multiple times. Management indicates that they have asked LSG for a review of their processes, and to check the dish washing equipment. Management indicates that LSG has found a faulty part in the machine, and that a fix is in process. Please continue to report dirty dishes using the Block 2 Block app. 

The ISC committee is also asking management to address the shortage of FC glassware, and to find a solution as quickly as possible. We have too many reports of missing glassware and having to use paper cups in FC. This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.

Please continue to use B2B to report all catering issues. Your report may not be responded to, but it is read and assigned to the appropriate team inside the Catering Department. 

 Membership

In September, we welcomed over 70 new Flight Attendants from Class 5 to Seattle. We add each new Flight Attendant to the AFA newsletter database. All Flight Attendants should be receiving email updates from AFA. If you are not receiving AFA emails, please register here. If you accidentally unsubscribed or need to update your email address, please email us, and we can update your subscription for you.

It is important to keep up with your union dues; missed dues deductions will not be taken out of a future 20thpaycheck. Dues are owed each month you are active or for the first three months of an unpaid leave. The deductions that occur from the 20th paycheck each month apply to that month (the September 20th paycheck covers September dues). Please visit the AFA Membership page for more union dues information and payment options if you owe dues. 

Mobilization

As you know, your mobilization committee has been hard at work this summer. We organized two highly successful informational picket events, with over 300 attendees in July and an astounding turnout of over 1,000 in August. Flight Attendants, Pilots, Agents, family, friends, and labor allies came together to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to fighting for the contract we deserve. While we don’t have any formal activities planned at the moment, we encourage you to continue wearing your red AFA pins and proudly displaying our red AFA luggage tags on your suitcases to show management that we are fired up and ready to continue the fight. 

Reserve

We have been busy on the Council 19 Reserve Committee continuing to advocate for Reserve Flight Attendants based in Seattle. Please reach out with questions or concerns anytime via our email sea.reserve@afaalaska.org. If you have a contractual concern, then please file a ticket at the AFA Support Center page. 

We have noticed an increase in out of order assignments, so be sure to check the LTFA and take screenshots if you feel you are assigned out of order related to other Flight Attendants with the same classification reserve (AM/PM/ER)/number or days of availability. 

Remember, if you experience an over duty period (duty period that exceeds 12.5 hours) you may be due double out rest. Whatever is on your line at the time of the over duty period you are obligated to complete, but scheduling should not add any new flying after an over duty period has occurred. With how busy reserves have been in Seattle, a reminder is due that you do not have to accept any assignment that causes you to exceed 118.2 TFP flown reserve TFP for a bid period. An easy way to keep track is by checking how much TFP to date you are credited with on the LTFA. If you exceed 118.2, you can ask to be released from your remaining reserve days. 

We have seen an uptick in crew access trading issues, if you experience a crew access glitch, please let the reserve committee know ad we will forward it to the correct party. 

Lastly, we successfully fought to have the north satellite quiet room open after hours for overnight APSB shifts. For instructions on how to leave the north satellite when the trains are not running, visit the inflight webpage, my base, SEA, SEA Base and SpotOn location information, ADVISORY, and read the message about after-hours crew room access. 

Fly Safe and see you out there!

Scheduling

It has been a very busy summer for the Seattle Scheduling Committee. Thank you all who have submitted AFA Support Tickets so we may assist and document scheduling related issues. 

Below are highlights of upcoming important scheduling topics: 

  • Don’t forget to bid your 2024 Vacation.
  • 2024 vacation bidding is now open. Refer to Inflight Bulletin for details and due dates for first and second round vacation bidding and award timelines. 

As a reminder for vacation bidding:

For additional vacation bidding assistance, there is Vacation Bidding User Guide found on the Inflight webpage > Scheduling and Bidding > Vacation Trading > Vacation Bidding & Trading User Guide. 

Keep in mind January, February, and March bid dates for both vacation and monthly bidding. 

Section 5 – Definitions: Month: Each Calendar month will be a bid month except for January, February, and March.

  • January: January 1 – January 30
  • February: January 31 – March 1
  • March: March 2 – March 31


Additional information can be found in the CBA, Section 14, Vacation.

October PBS Base Sits

We will be conducting PBS base sits in Seattle in October, for November bid schedules. 

  • October 5: 11AM – 7PM
  • October 6: 9AM – 5PM
  • October 7: 10AM – 6PM
  • October 8: 10AM – 6PM
  • October 9: No SEA Base Sit
  • October 7 & 9: Virtual Base Sit 11AM – 1PM

Please Note: There will be PBS base sits at ALL bases. If you are on a sit or in another base, you can participate in those base sits. 

PBS Base sit schedule for all bases is posed on the PBS Information Page. 

REASSIGNMENT and PRECANCELLATION

There has been an uptick in Reassignments (Section 10.R) and Precancellations (Section 10.S). Please familiarize yourself with CBA Section 10.R and 10.S in its entirety. 

AFA Scheduling has helpful resources to assist you on the AFA website, under Committee Resources. Below are helpful flow chart links:

Uniform

This is a recap from the Quarterly Meeting held on August 8, 2023.

The quarterly meeting was divided into an AFA only meeting and an AFA with management meeting. The following items were discussed:

  • Reported quality issues including wings/pins causing injury and holes in uniform, name bar falling off wings, hems and seams running/tearing, zipper tabs falling off feminine cardigans, holes in sweaters, and sleeves on cardigans splitting at cup. 
  • Clarified there is no desire for management to remove the requirement for company issued lanyard due to safety concerns. Current lanyards are “snap away” feature that prevents injury.
  • Management will consider moving from the current approved list to “boot guidelines and requirements” for the seasonal navy boots. Updates will be made as soon as internal discussions conclude. 
  • The committee requested management review seasonal neckwear policy to allow for year-round wear for pride, patriotic, and breast cancer awareness themes. Marketing’s initial concern is this would lose the cohesive look of the brand with so many different styles. It also lessens the impact of the seasonal neckwear during those specific months/days. Will continue discussing. 
  • There with be an update on gender neutral collections and the Unisync website in late October. It will link back to uniform subsite to provide more information. 
  • Management is not inclined to remove the hosiery requirement for the feminine look. 
  • Unisync has a preferred vendor list which as limited ability to source a transition jacket. The committee has requested a list of the preferred vendors and will continue to actively assist in sourcing the best possible fit and quality. 
  • The feminine vest wear test was a success, and the redesign will be used in the site relaunch in October. 

The next quarterly Uniform Committee meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

What the Committee is Working On:

Wear Testing: Wear testing for the pride neckwear began on Monday August 7th and will run for 14 days. Wear testing for a gender neutral “Aura Vest” has been suspended. Advocating for a uniform that suites all body types require wear testers. Seeking volunteers who have gender neutral, petite, tall, and/or plus sizes to test uniform redesigns and additions. 

Mock Neck Sweater: Will be added to uniform collection and available for preorder in October. Shipping in Quarter 1.

Warm Weather Shirt: Added to the uniform collection and currently available for order. The shirt does not have any alteration guidelines; however, Flight Attendants may hem the shirt halfway up their bicep. Flight Attendants may not fold or cuff the shirts more than once. 

We want to hear from you! Please email Unisync with any quality issues. In the email, please describe the issue in detail, include the “PO” number from the tag, attach photos of the issue and the tag, if possible, and CC your Local Uniform Committee chairperson (sea.uniform.chair@afaalaska.org). Please consider opening a ticket on the AFA Support page so the Uniform Committee can track these issues. 

Would you like to join the wear test pool? Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you would like brought up with management, also lets us know. Your Local Uniform Committee is your voice to management. You can find contact information on the Uniform Committee page of the AFA website. 

Find Us on Social Media

You can find the most up to date information on our Council #19 Facebook Group. Click below to join our group and stay connected. Also, our communication team is researching other social media platforms, more information will come soon!

National Group Protection, Inc. will be onsite in Anchorage September 13—15 to communicate and service the supplemental benefits programs offered to AFA members at Alaska Airlines.  They were last onsite in 2019 and are excited to have a representative coming back to ANC.  Below are some highlights regarding the enrollment and benefits—

  • One benefits counselor will be onsite in the crew lounge on the above dates from 7:30-11:00am and 1:30-5pm each day. 
  • You can meet with the counselor to get information on the plans, enroll in coverage and or get assistance with filing claims/wellness benefits
    • Please note, they can help members retroactively file claims/wellness benefits
  • In addition to the onsite enrollment, members will also have the opportunity to enroll in coverage through a self-serve website or call center
    • Please see attached flyer for information

Benefit Features

  • Supplemental—these plans supplement existing benefits and pay in addition to all other insurance or sources of income
  • Voluntary—members choose to participate
  • Limited Underwriting—no medical exams or physicals 
  • Family Coverage—available with all plans 
  • Benefits—paid tax free directly to the member 
  • Portable—members can continue coverage if they retire or leave their employer for any reason 

Plans Offered

Below are the plans that are currently offered.  Members can pick and choose what plans might be a fit.

  1. Accident
  2. Hospital Indemnity
  3. Critical Illness
  4. Whole Life

If you have questions, please call National Group Protection at 800-344-9016.

 Alaska AFA – mailer2023.pdf

Grievance Committee

  • Our Grievance Committee protects all Flight Attendants from arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action and upholds our collective bargaining agreement. This update briefly summarizes the committee’s work over the past quarter.
  • Management has issued discipline lately for a variety of reasons. Read on for more information about why management is disciplining and terminating Flight Attendants.
  • If you’ve faced a situation that you believe might be a contractual violation, please report the issue through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center.

Our Grievance Committee has been very hard at work ensuring disciplinary due process and contractual compliance on your behalf. Our contract requires a minimum of 13 arbitration dates yearly to dispute discipline/termination cases and contractual issues. Termination cases are usually prioritized to return a Flight Attendant to work as soon as possible; however, we seek a balance between discipline and contractual matters. Our Grievance Committee and management mutually decide which cases to arbitrate next based on many factors. 

Steps of discipline are confirmation of oral warning (COW), written warning (WW), suspension (varied number of days), and termination. COWs, WWs, and suspensions remain in a Flight Attendant’s file for 18 months and are then eligible for removal. If a Flight Attendant is in a step of discipline and gets another violation, the new violation will build on the previous one. Management doesn’t always progressively travel up the steps of discipline. If management investigates a Flight Attendant for theft or abuse of sick leave, for example, they will terminate the Flight Attendant if there is evidence to support its findings; if there is no evidence, then the Flight Attendant will most likely be issued a record of discussion (ROD). A ROD is not considered discipline. There is no middle ground for certain violations.  

Many Flight Attendants believe they will not get disciplined if they’ve been good employees, have no-to-low attendance points, receive positive passenger comments, are at a certain seniority level, etc. This is not the case; regardless of good working qualities, if management believes a Flight Attendant committed an offense, they will be disciplined.

If a supervisor or manager calls and asks questions about a flight, work-related concern, or disciplinary issue and no AFA Representative is on the call, you should assert that you would like to consult with an AFA Representative and have them present on the call with you before proceeding.

Subject of Most Recent Discipline

  • Sick leave and FMLA abuse. Terminations are on the rise due to travel audits among other things. Anything written in the comments/remarks on posted trip trades and personal drops is visible to management, even if eventually deleted. If management determines abuse, it results in termination.  
  • Theft. Removing anything from the aircraft other than an opened/used box of water, unused pilot crew meal, or purchased food will result in termination. 
  • Timecard fraud.  Example: intentionally delaying boarding door closure to obtain sit pay.  Management has terminated for this violation.
  • Reserve “Roulette”. Not being within two hours of base for a Reserve Availability Period (RAP) and calling in sick only once given an assignment. Management considers this a terminable violation and regularly reviews the trip trade postings and history related to sick calls. Even deleted trade history or postings can be seen by management.
  • Lying in an investigation
  • Drug/alcohol violations
  • Harassment
  • Refusing scheduling revisions or ignoring requests to call Crew Scheduling when contractually obligated to do so
  • Reserves commuting during their Reserve Availability Period (RAP), even if self-assigned a trip or not being in base for the entirety of their RAP. Management usually gives a two week suspension on the first offense.
  • Social media violations, including sending a friend or follow request to passengers on social media based on information gained from Block2Block.
  • Commuter violations (management conducts commuter audits monthly)
    • Flight Attendant released from DHD and used D8Y home
    • Flight Attendant used D8Y when they picked up out of base
    • Flight Attendant used D8Y to/from incorrect cities
    • Flight Attendant used D8Y for pleasure travel.  
  • Lost IMD or other required items
  • Failing to complete CBT, even if a Flight Attendant simply forgets to hit the close out button at the top of the window to change the transcript from in process to complete.
  • Uniform issues. Flight Attendants can and have been pulled from working their flights without pay for uniform non-compliance.
  • Late to gate/flight delay

Reminder

Section 32.C.5 of the collective bargaining agreement defines a Short Sick Call as “When a Flight Attendant calls in sick less than two hours (2:00) prior to scheduled check-in.” If you do not want to be assessed 2.5 points, you must call in Sick Leave On-Line at Scheduled Check-in per section 32.C.6. The call to Crew Scheduling must occur after scheduled check-in and not simply after you check in on Block2Block.

Recent Arbitration/Mediation

July 2023Disciplinary Grievance
August 2023Contractual Grievances
September 2023Disciplinary Grievance
October 2023Disciplinary Grievance

Recent Contractual Arbitration Awards

None

Recent Grievance Settlements

None

Grievances Recently Mediated 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-60-23-Violation of §19.A and §7.B Disciplinary Meetings and Probationaries. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §19.A & §7.B [Grievance Procedures:  Dismissal and Disciplinary Procedure; Probationary Period:  Discharge, Discipline or Furlough], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it refused to conduct investigatory, work performance, disciplinary and dismissal meetings with probationary Flight Attendants per the contractual meeting requirements with regard to pay, scheduling and union representation. 

Details:  Probationary Flight Attendants will be issued discipline the same as non-probationary Flight Attendants. Probationary Flight Attendants will also have access to Union representation either via email or via phone/in person depending on the severity of the alleged offense.  

Grievances Recently Granted by Management

None

Grievances Recently Withdrawn

None

Grievances Recently Filed and Awaiting Management Response

None

Grievances Recently Filed and Denied

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-215-23-Violation of §10.J.4 Bidding Packet and Bidding Times and Violation of Grievance Settlement 36-99-2-116-18.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.J.4 [Scheduling:  Bid Packets and Bidding Timelines], Grievance Settlement 36-99-2-116-18, past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when on or about July 10, 2023, it and/or the NAVBLUE Preferential Bidding System (PBS) vendor did not provide an administrative lock-out function or a mutually agreeable alternate solution to allow for the correction of a technical issue when processing bid awards without opening up the system to all users.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-248-23- Violation of §32 and Roberts Decision.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §32 [Attendance], past practice, the Roberts Award 36-99-2-49-03, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it unilaterally rolled out state leave laws on a state-by-state basis rather than applying the most liberal of state leave laws to all Flight Attendants regardless of domicile, thereby disparately treating Flight Attendants within the Collective Bargaining unit, in violation of Roberts. 

Grievances Previously Filed, Denied by Management and Currently Awaiting Arbitration Dates

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-22-14-Violation of Required Maternity Leave.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Section 15.D. and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to require Flight Attendants to begin Maternity Leave after the 28th week of pregnancy.   

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-55-17-Violation of §21.V Winds Aloft Adjustment of Sit Pay in JCTE.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21.V [Compensation: “Scheduled” or “Actual” For Minimum Pay Rules (MPRs) and/or Sit Pay], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) trading system displayed each posted trip as a static ‘snapshot’ taken at the time of posting rather than a ‘live’ view, thus denying the Flight Attendant the ability to determine whether a trip is eligible for 1.0 TFP of Sit Pay due to an automated scheduling adjustment (e.g. by the Winds Aloft program).

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-40-19-Violation §25.B Failure to Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace.  This alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.B [Air Safety, Health and Security: Safe and Healthy Workplace], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to provide a safe and healthy workplace when it installed new bulkheads on the retrofitted Airbus (“Aura”) aircraft that effectively renders the aft assist handles near doors L1/R1 as unusable and unnecessarily increases the likelihood and potential severity of Flight Attendant injury during an emergency evacuation.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-41-19-Violation of §25.D.2 Failing to Notify MEC President and ASHSC of Reconfiguration or Re-design Prior to Final Decision. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.D.2 [Air Safety, Health and Security: Safety Information], past practice and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it failed to notify the MEC President of a decision to reconfigure or re-design the interior of the Airbus aircraft and when it failed to discuss with the ASHSC the parties’ interests and concerns for inflight safety prior to making a final decision on the reconfiguration/re-design. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-162-19- Violation of §12.C.1 Real-Time Trading Procedures Grievance 36-99-2-28-17 Mediated Settlement.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §12.C.1 [Exchange of Sequences: Trading Procedure], past practice, its mediated settlement of grievance 36-99-2-28-17 and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it agreed but failed to adhere to its July 5, 2017, mediated settlement of grievance 36-99-2-28-17:  To have AFA and Alaska representatives meet with Jeppesen to explore the capabilities of the system and how to align the front-end with the “real time” experience of the back-end user.  This is a continual violation as such meeting did not take place in a reasonably timely manner, and sufficient action was not taken to rectify the underlying system issues.    

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-36-20-Violation of §25.B ANC Training Facility.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §25.B [Air Safety, Health and Security: Safe and Healthy Workplace], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it conducted Recurrent Training (RT) drills in Anchorage, Alaska in the Ross Aviation Hanger, and on or about February 16-19, 2020, the external temperature ranged from 18 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit and when the hanger door opened, frequently without notice, the internal hanger temperature dropped to as low as 46 degrees.  After the external hanger door opened it took approximately two hours with a loud heater to get the internal temperature back up to the low to mid 60s. 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-207-20-Violation of §10, §11.D & §24.L Bundled Scheduling Notifications.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10 [Scheduling], §11.D [Reserve: Scheduling/Notice of Time to Report] and §24.L [General and Miscellaneous: Company-Provided Inflight Mobile Device (IMD)], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when its Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA) scheduling system sent bundled scheduling notifications to Flight Attendants on their Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) or directly in Crew Access, requiring Flight Attendants to batch acknowledge or ignore such notifications and thereby resulting in Flight Attendants potentially waiving multiple contractual protections via an extra-contractual point of contact (i.e. Crew Access scheduling notifications).  

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-384-20-Violation of §10.S Scheduling Notifications.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §10.S [Scheduling :  Pre-Cancellations], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it used non-contractual scheduling notifications sent to Flight Attendants via the Crew Scheduling system in order to communicate and assign alternate flying or an obligation to call Crew Scheduling within a specific window of time.  If a Flight Attendant accepts such non-contractual scheduling notification(s), which is neither contact by Crew Scheduling via Company email nor via primary phone contact as defined in §10.S.1.a, the scheduling notification(s) violates the contract by abrogating the Flight Attendant’s ability to: (1) decline the alternate assignment and waive pay protection (§10.S.2.b), (2) decline the “out of original footprint by more than two hours” alternate assignment and call Crew Scheduling between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM (local domicile time) the night prior to the start of the original sequence (§10.S.2.c), or (3) waive pay protection and be relieved of any further scheduling obligation (§10.S.3). 

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-386-20-Violation of §8.Q & §8.R Contactability and Notification of Delay or Cancellation. This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §8.Q [Hours of Service: Contactability] and §8.R [Hours of Service: Notification of Delay or Cancellation], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it used non-contractual scheduling notifications sent via the Crew Scheduling system in order to communicate and assign revised flying to Flight Attendants who were off-duty on a remain overnight (RON). Such scheduling notifications are in violation of the contractually defined means of contact and/or the Flight Attendant’s obligation to respond pursuant to these provisions.

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-84-22-Violation of §21.J Ground Delay Pay.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement §21.J [Compensation:  Block and Ground Delays], past practice, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it did not pay ground delay pay accumulatively, requiring each delay to go over 11 minutes to be eligible for pay, when a flight (same flight number/same routing) returns to gate one or more times.    

Grievance No.:  36-99-2-176-22-California Family School Partnership Act Violation of Past Practice and Roberts Award.  This grievance alleges the Company’s violation of past practice, the Roberts Award 36-99-2-49-03, and all related sections of the Collective Bargaining Agreement when it unilaterally disallowed the California Family School Partnership Act for those Flight Attendants based in Los Angeles (LAX); then reinstated, with no notice, the state law for LAX based Flight Attendants only, but not for the other California based Flight Attendants in San Diego (SAN) or San Francisco (SFO), and not for the rest of the Flight Attendants based in our system, Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX) or Anchorage (ANC), in violation of Roberts.

Master Executive Council (MEC)

AFA Never Forget Website

United Flight 175

Robert J. Fangman
Amy N. Jarret
Amy R. King
Kathryn LaBorie
Alfred G. Marchand
Michael C. Tarrou
Alicia N. Titus
Captain: Victor Saracini
First Officer: Michael Horrocks
Customer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez

United Flight 93

Lorraine G. Bay
Sandra Bradshaw
Wanda A. Green
CeeCee Lyles
Deborah Welsh
Captain: Jason Dahl
First Officer: Leroy Homer

American Flight 11

Barbara Arestegui
Jeffrey Collman
Sara Low
Karen Martin
Kathleen Nicosia
Betty Ong
Jean Roger
Madeline Sweeney
Dianne Snyder
Captain: John Ogonowski
First Officer: Thomas McGuinness
Customer Service Representative: Renee Newell

American Flight 77

Michele Heidenberger
Jennifer Lewis
Kenneth Lewis
Renee May
Captain: Charles Burlingame
First Officer: David Charlebois

In This Edition

Personal Strategies For Managing The Anniversary Of September 11th 

Originally posted September 6, 2023

Anniversaries of tragedies can be difficult times for many people.  For some, the anniversary of 9/11 continues to be a powerful reminder of loss.  For others, who thought they had put the tragedy behind them, the anniversary may produce unexpected anxiety or grief. The anniversary and the media replay of that day’s losses may stir strong emotions and difficult memories in many of us.  But there are ways to cope.

Read More >

Next Week’s Events

Wednesday, September 13Quarterly Inflight Service Committee Meeting
Thursday, September 14Quarterly Reserve Committee Meeting
Thursday, September 14Alternate 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!

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

Anniversaries of tragedies can be difficult times for many people.  For some, the anniversary of 9/11 continues to be a powerful reminder of loss.  For others, who thought they had put the tragedy behind them, the anniversary may produce unexpected anxiety or grief. The anniversary and the media replay of that day’s losses may stir strong emotions and difficult memories in many of us.  But there are ways to cope:

  • Observe the anniversary in a way that’s comfortable for you.  Connecting with others who shared your impact, getting involved in memorial activities and talking about the events of that day are all important coping strategies, but taking time to be by yourself – to think and reflect – can be helpful and healing as well.
  • Limit television and social media as much as possible.  The visual images of the losses that day can prompt especially strong reactions.  Be prepared to take a digital vacation or frequent time-outs  in and around the anniversary to minimize or all together avoid these visual triggers. 
  • If you start to feel overwhelmed, talk with a friend, family member, or your AFA EAP.  Often, talking about your fears and feelings is enough to relieve stress and realize that other people share your feelings.  Taking action is a sign of strength and self-awareness.
  • Recall other times you’ve experienced strong emotions.  Identify which coping strategies have worked for you in the past, and use them.
  • Don’t compare yourself to how others around you appear to be dealing with the September 11th anniversary.  Everyone experiences and copes with stress differently.  Try not to judge people’s emotions by their outside appearance.
  • If you have strong feelings that haven’t or won’t go away, seeking help from a professional may prove useful.  Your AFA EAP can provide you with referrals.
  • Share this information with a flying partner who may be struggling with the upcoming anniversary.

However you choose to structure your day this September 11th or however it just naturally unfolds, please remember that your AFA EAP Committee Members welcome being a part of it. We’re just a phone call away.  

Please call AFA Alaska EAP at (949) 470-0493 for assistance or contact your Local AFA EAP Committee listed at afaalaska.org/eap.

In This Edition

Understanding Negotiations: What Is Mediation?

Originally posted August 29, 2023

The Railway Labor Act (RLA) governs the process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement in the railroad and airline industries in the United States. Mediation is a step in the negotiation process facilitated by a mediator appointed by the National Mediation Board (NMB). The process does not have a set time limit and can end in a tentative agreement or lead to further options if unsuccessful.

Read More >

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – August 2023

Originally posted August 30, 2023

Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, August 22 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding. Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Read More >

Human Rights Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2023

Originally posted September 1, 2023

Our AFA Human Rights Committee Chairpersons met on Monday, August 28, to discuss their ongoing program of work to advance human rights within our workplace and community. The Committee also met with management to receive updates on what progress has been made on concerns that had been previously brought forward and address new concerns that have come to light. If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback for the committee, your Local Human Rights Committee Chairperson would love to hear from you!

Read More >

Shared on Social

American Airlines Flight Attendant Informational Picketing 

American Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), concluded their strike authorization vote yesterday. The results, announced today at a series of informational picketing events across the country, were resoundingly clear—99.47% of participating Flight Attendants voted yes to authorize a strike! Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants joined American Airlines Flight Attendants on the picket line in solidarity, and we will continue to stand with them as they continue their fight for a fair contract. When we fight together, we win together!

United AFA Day Of Action

United Airlines Flight Attendants held systemwide informational picketing events today to send a message to United management: Enough is enough! Flight Attendants are suffering the consequences of management’s inability to properly operate the airline, and they deserve better! Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants were proud to join the picket lines to stand in solidarity with our United Flight Attendant family. We will continue to fight alongside them until United management fixes the operation and negotiates a fair contract that United Flight Attendants have earned!

Next Week’s Events

Thursday, September 7Scheduling 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 – October 2026

On Monday, October 12, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met remotely to receive an update on current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (pmAS SEA), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (pmAS LAX), Kanani Vallot (SAN), and Matt […]

Reserve Survey Closing Soon

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working to secure the best reserve provisions for our Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). We want to hear from you about which parts of the reserve experience matter most, so we can better meet your needs. The survey […]

Join The Picket Line: Support Horizon Flight Attendants this Wednesday, October 14

This Wednesday, October 14, Horizon Air Flight Attendants will take to the picket line to demand the fair contract they rightfully deserve. During our own contract fight, Horizon Flight Attendants never hesitated. They showed up for us on our picket lines, stood shoulder to shoulder with us at every rally, and proved what true solidarity […]

Reserve Survey Now Open

Our JNC encourages all members to participate in the Reserve survey, regardless of your current Reserve status. Whether you are on Reserve now, pick up Reserve days occasionally, or have not been on Reserve recently, your input is valuable. The survey will be open until Tuesday, October 20 at Noon PT.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, September 29, 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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