Search Results for: understanding the jcba

Sick Leave Survey Closing Soon

November 10, 2025 13:00

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Sick Leave Survey Closing on Tuesday, November 11 at Noon PT

Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is committed to prioritizing your health and well-being. We are eager to hear your thoughts on which elements of our paid sick leave policy are most meaningful to you, as we strive to improve our support for your needs.

Our paid sick leave policy is specifically designed to give you the assurance of taking necessary time off without the stress of losing pay. Understanding that every individual’s health journey is unique, our JNC is dedicated to ensuring our contract meets your healthcare needs.

The survey is currently open and will close on Tuesday, November 11, at Noon PT. For a quick comparison of the Alaska and Hawaiian Sick Leave please see Sick Leave Survey Now Open in AFA News Now. We strongly encourage you to take part in this brief survey, as your input is invaluable in helping us create a supportive environment for all.

If you have any questions regarding the survey feel free to contact the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.

AFA News in Review – August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025 17:00

In This Edition

Understanding JCBA Negotiations
Shared on Social
Next Week’s Events

Understanding JCBA Negotiations

Originally posted July 30, 2025

Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) negotiations are different from the usual Section 6 talks. Instead of updating one agreement, we’re working on merging two existing contracts into a single contract. Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will be reaching out with focused surveys to hear your thoughts on specific sections, aiming to blend the best of both carriers.

Read More >

Shared on Social

Check out this week’s highlights from our social media! Click on a graphic below to view the original post on Instagram. Be sure to follow us for the latest updates and news as we share it!

Originally posted July 29, 2025

Next Week’s Events

Tuesday, August 5 – Thursday, August 7

Joint Contract Negotiations

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Joint Negotiating Committee

News

Meet Our JNC

About

Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) News

Reserve Survey Closing SoonOctober 19, 2026
Reserve Survey Now OpenOctober 6, 2026
Joint Contract Negotiations Session 19 – September 2026September 14, 2026
Joint Contract Negotiations Session 18 – August 2026August 31, 2026
Joint Contract Negotiations Session 17 – July 2026July 24, 2026

View all Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) news >

Our Joint Negotiating Committee Members

Email our Joint Negotiating Committee at jnc@afaalaska.org

Timothy Green

MEC President & Joint Negotiating Committee Chairperson

Tim Green has been an LAX-based Flight Attendant since hired in 2003. At different times throughout his career, he has flown regularly out of LAX, BUR, and SNA. This experience has helped him gain an understanding of the unique challenges we face.

Prior to running for MEC President, Tim represented Council 18 (LAX) as LEC President and previously as the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson. During that time, he became a staunch advocate for our members. That experience inspired him to become more involved and run for elected office in 2016. As an elected officer Tim has never forgotten that he is a Flight Attendant first, union leader second, spending his weekends flying and sitting shoulder to shoulder with our local members. He believes our Union is strongest when everyone is informed and involved. To help facilitate that, he will ensure that AFA has a stronger, more visible presence. Tim believes in honest and open two-way communication and encourages members to reach out to AFA with their concerns.

Martin Gusman

Joint Negotiating Committee Member, Hawaiian

Martin began his career as a Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant in 1986. Shortly after moving his family back to Honolulu from Seattle in 1991, he started doing Union work by joining the Grievance Committee. Martin is driven by a sense of fairness and respect. Both were painfully lacking when Hawaiian was struggling financially in the 1990s. He took on a number of roles, including being a member of the Negotiating Committee and the Council 43 (HNL) LEC President. He served as the In-Flight PBS administrator for 12 years, which allowed him to ensure that our contractual provisions were being correctly applied to Flight Attendants’ PBS schedules. In 2016, he rejoined the Negotiating Committee and is the current Honolulu LEC Vice President.

Martin was born on O’ahu, grew up in ‘Aiea, and graduated from Damien High School. He has an Associate’s degree in Computer Science. Martin and his wife, Arlene, have been married for 36 years and have two children.

Jeff Fuke

Joint Negotiating Committee Member, Hawaiian

Jeff has been a Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant since 2008 and is based in Honolulu. He first volunteered with the Honolulu LEC because he wanted to learn about the Hawaiian contract. That led to committee work in contract enforcement and, eventually, negotiations. Jeff is focused on maintaining and growing the benefits and protections enshrined in our respective contracts, being a voice for the Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant history and way of life, and learning and helping others understand our new joint contract.

Prior to Hawaiian, Jeff worked in various customer service and administrative government jobs. He’s from Hilo and attended Waiākea High School, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and Syracuse University. His favorite color is orange, loves traveling to Japan with family and friends, and usually works in the Interisland operation.

Virginia Fritz

Joint Negotiating Committee Member, Alaska

Virginia has been a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant since 2015 when she started her career at Virgin America. She has always had a passion for aviation since traveling as an unaccompanied minor at 5 years old. Her desire for aviation led her to work on a Zeppelin, as a gate agent, and as an air transportation supervisor. When Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America, and she became a member of AFA, she jumped at the first opportunity to fight for Flight Attendants by serving as the Council 35 (SFO) Scheduling Committee Chairperson from 2018 until 2022. In 2022, Virginia was elected as Council 35 LEC Vice President and began serving San Francisco Flight Attendants in additional capacities, including with local Grievance, Mobilization, and Hotel Committees, as well as other needs her local Members requested of her. In 2020, she was privileged to be able to join the PBS Committee, and in 2023, she was honored to begin serving as MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS.

Virginia is honored and humbled to be elected to the Joint Negotiating Committee so that she can use her commitment and passion in advocacy to find a contract that truly helps us all be stronger together.

When not advocating for fellow Flight Attendants, Virginia resides in Los Gatos, CA, with her supportive and loving husband, their adorable pup, Strudel, and her especially Union Proud Grandmother.

Heather Reier

Joint Negotiating Committee Member, Alaska

Heather attended her first Anchorage Local Council AFA meeting in early 2016 before even flying a trip. Being a helper by nature, she immediately joined the Reserve Committee as a Reserve Buddy. This allowed her to better learn the parts of the contract that were specific to her work and to support others in the same position.

When the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson position became available in early 2019, Heather stepped into that role to better assist all her coworkers – while remaining a Reserve Buddy (and Interim Reserve Chairperson) until this past July. As Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson, she has been able to help countless Flight Attendants with questions about legalities, pay, hotel issues, etc. She has often been able to advocate successfully on others’ behalf.

Heather was elected Council 30 (ANC) Local Executive Council Vice President for 2023-2025. She is thrilled that this expanded role allows her to fully serve her coworkers and increase her knowledge and expertise in all contract areas.

Heather and her husband, Travis, a firefighter in Anchorage, have been married for 28 years and have raised their family in Anchorage since early 1997. Heather is an animal lover. She has three dogs of her own and often has foster dogs running around. She also enjoys the outdoors (minus the mosquitos) and has recently discovered a love of gardening.

Paula Mastrangelo

AFA Senior Staff Negotiator

With over 25 years of experience as a Staff Negotiator at AFA, Paula Mastrangelo believes that Flight Attendants drive successful agreements through steady commitment to strong labor activism and engagement. She believes that engagement is inspired by clear, transparent communication with AFA membership throughout the negotiating process.

Paula has worked with both Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants through several contract campaigns. She was our staff negotiator for the 1994 CHAOS™ strike agreement and the Alaska/Virgin America JCBA and is well acquainted with our Contract and our culture. In addition to her work at Alaska, Paula has concluded contracts at United, AirTran, and Spirit, and many regional carriers.

Joint Negotiating Committee Support

Lea Franzoi

Negotiations Support Representative

Lea has been a Honolulu-based Flight Attendant with Hawaiian Airlines since 2006. Her involvement with the Union began when she filled a vacancy as the Hawaiian MEC Secretary-Treasurer from August 2022 to June 2023 and again from August 2023 to February 2025. Drawing on her strong organizational skills, Lea is eager to contribute to the team’s success by supporting the needs of the Joint Negotiating Committee and collaborating to ensure that Members stay well-informed throughout the joint contract negotiations process.

Born and raised on the island of O’ahu, Lea holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hawai’i Pacific University. Since 2012, she has been commuting from Las Vegas. In her free time, Lea enjoys outdoor activities and traveling with her husband.

About Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC)

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will negotiate with management to merge the collective bargaining agreements of the two pre-merger airlines into a single agreement for the newly combined airline. The full JNC will include two members from AFA Alaska, two from AFA Hawaiian, the MEC President, and the AFA Staff Negotiator.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Information about the duties and responsibilities of Joint Negotiating Committee Members is contained within Section X.D.4 of the AFA International Policy Manual. Click the link above to review the online version of this section.

Who Selects the Joint Negotiating Committee?

Each pre-merger airlines’s members of the Joint Negotiating Committee are selected by a majority vote of each airline’s respective pre-merger voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents). This is outlined in Section X.D.2 of the AFA International Policy Manual.

Contract Interpretation

The Joint Negotiating Committee continues to serve as a contract interpretation resources once a joint collective bargaining agreement has been ratified.

Alaska & Hawaiian Master Executive Councils Become One Today

March 1, 2025 09:00

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Today marks the official merger of the Master Executive Councils (MECs) of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Our combined MEC consists of eight Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents—two from pre-merger Hawaiian and six from pre-merger Alaska—along with our newly elected joint MEC Officers, who begin their terms today. Together, our joint MEC will now be able to speak with one voice on behalf of all Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants, strengthening our voice with management, the public, and other stakeholders.

While we have now come together as one MEC, we continue to operate under two separate collective bargaining agreements. This will remain the case until we negotiate and ratify a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). This process will take time. Until then, decisions related to the Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant contract will be made by the LEC Presidents from pre-merger Hawaiian, while decisions about the Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant contract will be made by the six LEC Presidents from pre-merger Alaska. When decisions impact both Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants, all eight LEC Presidents will collectively decide.

One thing that remains unchanged is the support and representation you receive from your Local Council. Each Local Council remains in place, and your directly elected LEC Officers continue to be your first point of contact for anything you may need help with. Eventually, and only once we reach and ratify a JCBA, the dual Local Councils at LAX will also merge.

Introducing Your Joint MEC Officers

As part of the MEC merger, our new MEC Officers, elected at a joint MEC meeting on January 29, begin their term today. They will serve for the remainder of the Alaska MEC election cycle, which concludes on December 31, 2025.

Timothy Green, MEC President

Brice McGee, MEC Vice President

Brice began his career as a Flight Attendant first based in Los Angeles in 2006, transferring to Seattle and finally San Diego. He skillfully balances his professional responsibilities with family life, calling places like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Heredia, Costa Rica home. Renowned for his dedication, Brice has served as LEC Secretary for San Diego and is currently in his third term as the San Diego LEC President, prioritizing Union unity and the well-being of his colleagues.

He shares unforgettable travel experiences with his growing family. Brice’s life is a blend of professional commitment, family love, and a passion for adventure, all driving him to advocate for a stronger and more unified AFA.

Paul Ikioka, MEC Secretary-Treasurer

Paul Ikioka is Secretary-Treasurer for the joint Master Executive Council. Born and raised on the island of Maui, he attended Maui High School. He went on to attend college at California State University Long Beach and completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, as well as his MBA.

Paul had a 30-year career as a Financial Analyst at the Boeing Company, when he decided to become a Flight Attendant at Hawaiian Airlines. Citing Quality of Life as the main driver behind his career change, he started on the line in May of 2018 and never looked back.

Paul initially volunteered to join the Grievance Committee as a way to learn more about the Collective Bargaining Agreement. His experiences on the team made him realize that education of our Flight Attendants is the best way to help them to be able to advocate for themselves, and protect the rights that our contract provides.

Paul is committed to be transparent, fair, and continue to promote further education of the contract. He is excited to start on this new journey and continue to serve and support all of our team members.

Council 35 News – April 2022

May 9, 2022 15:52

Topics

Important Dates

April 30: CWA Scholarship Application Due
May 10: CA Membership Meeting
May 26: C35 Officer Election Polls Close

CA Membership Meeting

Hosted by Councils 35, 18, and 15

The next membership meeting for Council 35 members will be Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 1100 via Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss the upcoming AFA-CWA Annual Board of Directors Meeting. This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) members in good standing (up-to-date on dues). Agenda can be found here. Deadline to submit advanced agenda items is 5/6/22. To attend, please register here.

Officer Election Coming Soon!

It’s election time for SFO and members will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote for Council 35 officers. All Council 35 voting instructions and guidelines can be found on the AFA Elections Page. The AFA-CWA Membership Services Department handles all voter questions and issues new activation codes if ballots are misplaced or never received. The Ballot Help Line is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time. If you have a question or need a new 16-digit activation code, you may contact the Ballot Help Line at 800-424-2401, then press 1 and dial extension 706.

Council 35 Election Dates

Ballots Mailed:  4/27/22
Polls Open:  5/5/22
Polls Close/Results:  5/26/22, 1200 PST
Term Date Start: 7/1/22
Term Date End:  6/30/25

New Council 35 Committee Openings

Government Affairs Committee Chair

The Government Affairs (GA) committee promotes the AFA-CWA agenda by supporting legislative efforts that benefit our members or lobbying to discourage laws that will negatively impact members. What can be achieved in legislation takes away the need for negotiation. If you have an interest in government issues, please visit the GA webpage on the AFA Alaska website. Submit your letter of interest to SFO@afaalaska.org for consideration.

Government Affairs Committee Chair

Council 35 is looking to fill the chair position for upcoming Section 6 negotiations. The chairs from each base will compose the committee with the goal to help motivate and provide assistance to members during the negotiations process. If you are passionate about improvements to our contract and understand the power of solidarity, please apply! Submit your letter of interest to SFO@afaalaska.org for consideration. For more information, please see the recent MEC communication announcing the role.

Interested in another committee position? Please review the duties and responsibilities on the AFA Alaska Committee website. Please submit your letter of interest to SFO@afaalaska.org for consideration.

Spring Incentive: Love it or Hate it?

Section 6 negotiations are getting ready to launch, but did you know the MEC is regularly “negotiating” with management? A great example of this is the Spring Incentive. Management couldn’t just compel us to participate, as we already have a defined incentive program (PPP) outlined in JCBA§21.R. They approached us with the idea to help alleviate the staffing issue and the “negotiations” began. This particular program, developed exclusively by management, was not received well by the MEC at first glance. Right away we rejected some of the most contentious issues: threshold way too high, not enough people will benefit, won’t motivate regular flyers, not including enough pay codes (i.e. vacation). Pretty much everything that members have expressed after launch as the unsavory aspects of the program. In response we offered several suggestions to improve the program’s benefit and effectiveness to which the company declined and only agreed to a few of our suggestions. We weren’t given much time to work out the details and within a couple of days the MEC had to make a decision to either support the program, or reject it altogether. Some may disagree with the choice we made, but I can share with you why I was a reluctant yes.

When considering SFO specifically (the members that elected me), I came to the conclusion that the Spring Incentive would potentially benefit the SFO F/As more than not. The program rewards high-time flyers (always been an SFO trend) and brings a little extra pay to overworked reserves. With this in mind, I decided that it was better to say yes to the program than say no. I made my decision based on my understanding of the base and what my members want. The best way for me to know what members want is to hear from you! If this program is good for you, let me know! If you hate it, let me know! I can make better decisions in the future if my members share with me how they feel about issues that affect their work environment. If members are curious about how I voted on a particular issue, please reach out and ask! I am happy to share my decisions and receive feedback to better support SFO FAs.

TSA Crew Member Self Defense Training Program – Reinstated

The TSA Crew Member Self Defense Training Program has been reinstated and is available for all US-based flight attendants free of charge. There are 2 classes scheduled for their South San Francisco location on May 19th and June 16th, from 0800-1200. If you cannot attend these dates, additional classes for 2022 may be offered at a later date. Use this link for more information and to sign up for one of their classes.

Scholarship Opportunities

Provided by AFA International

The Joe Beirne Scholarship offered by CWA is available to AFA Members and dependents. The deadline for applications is April 30. For more information please visit the CWA website.

Member Questions: Negotiations

Why Do We Call Contract Negotiations “Section 6?”

The term “Section 6” refers to the part of the Railway Labor Act (RLA) that defines the negotiations process. In many industries, collective bargaining agreements (CBA) have an expiration date, and until a new one is negotiated, the benefits of the old contract are no longer available. The industries that fall under the RLA have contracts that become amendable, meaning they open up for changes but don’t officially expire (unless specifically defined), and it stays in effect until a new one is ratified (voted in by members). This was to prevent a transportation shutdown in the early days of the RLA’s existence, as it would have had (and still does have) a devastating effect on the infrastructure of the nation. What can F/As do now to help? Get educated and follow the progress of the Negotiating Committee! Many SFO members haven’t experienced full Section 6 negotiations and understanding the process is crucial to our success. For more information about negotiations please visit the AFA Alaska Negotiations website.

Solidarity and Why We Need It

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines solidarity as: unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards. Many members are frustrated with management’s decisions and policies that have rolled out recently. It’s been rough and your Council 35 officers and committee members are united in the frustration! Going to social media to vent is a great way to chat with other members and share experiences and frustrations, however it can also hinder our progress at the negotiations table. Please see the recent MEC communication on this topic. Social media campaigns as well as individual emails to management expressing displeasure only show that we are a divided work group. As your elected leaders, that is literally our job-to confront management on your behalf. If we don’t hear from you, we can’t stand up to ask for change. Tell us! The best way to let them know we mean business is to stand together in solidarity.

Alaska Pilot Strike Vote

Council 35 has received several emails from members concerned about the pilot strike vote and how it will impact F/As lives. One of the issues that has raised the most concern is the strike vote planned for May. Although the vote is scheduled soon, it does not mean the actual strike, if it happens, will follow immediately. ALPA (pilot Union for AS pilots) and the company have just recently entered the mediation phase of negotiations, which could last an indefinite amount of time: weeks, months, maybe even years. If mediation is unsuccessful, there will be an appeal to the National Mediation Board (NMB) to release the parties from mediation, which is followed by a cooling off period of 30 days. The pilots follow the same process for negotiations under the RLA as we do at AFA-CWA. To see a breakdown of steps, please visit our Negotiations website where you will find a helpful chart and breakdown of the different phases of the process. Flight Attendants can also follow ALPA’s progress by visiting the ALPA website.

Got a question?

Contact information for Council 35 committee members can be found on our website. You can also open an online support ticket and the appropriate rep will respond.

In solidarity,

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President • Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary • James.ikehara@afaalaska.org • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503