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        You are here: Home / Archives for Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC)

        Joint Contract Negotiations Session 17 – July 2026

        July 24, 2026 13:00 Leave a Comment

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

        • Our JNC met with management this week on July 21 to July 23 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for August 24 to August 26
        • Our JNC presented our response to the company’s initial proposal on Section 23 (Insurance Benefits), aiming to secure Flight Attendant specific provisions

        Negotiations Update

        Our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC met with management from July 21 to July 23 in Seattle, WA. At the negotiating table for this session were:

        Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
        Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonAllen Thieman, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
        Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberRyan St. John, Vice President, Finance, Planning and Investor Relations, Alaska
        Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations, Alaska
        Virginia Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
        Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
        Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
         Karen Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska

        This week the JNC started off by meeting with our pre-merger Alaska MEC Reserve Chairperson, Julie Thornton, to continue to review Alaska Reserve concerns. Julie also weighed in on formulating the Reserve survey to ensure all relevant pre-merger Alaska questions were addressed. The JNC will be meeting with the pre-merger Hawaiian MEC Reserve Chairperson, Kela Chong, prior to the next negotiating session.

        The JNC passed our initial proposal on Section 23 (Insurance Benefits) this week, incorporating many of the protections found in the Hawaiian agreement and cementing those already in the Alaska agreement. One of our goals is to secure Flight Attendant specific insurance plan provisions in our JCBA, examples being Flexible Spending Accounts, coverage of dependent children up to age 26 and company provided life insurance.

        We continued to discuss the remaining outstanding issues in Section 30 (Training) and have made much progress in this section. We have already secured Buddy Bidding for Recurrent Training and are working to secure other improvements in this section. This proposal is currently in the company’s court and we are hopeful to receive a response from management at the next session.

        Section by Section Progress

        The Alaska CBA is being used as the basis of the joint contract for language purposes. Each section and provision from both contracts will be reviewed individually to incorporate and amend the strongest elements from each agreement.

        Sections discussed in this session:

        • Insurance Benefits (AS CBA Section 23 and HA CBA Section 32)
        • Training (AS CBA Section 30 and HA CBA Section 26)

        Sections in ongoing discussion:

        • Vacations (AS CBA Section 14 and HA CBA Section 18)
        • Sick Leave (AS CBA Section 16 and HA CBA Section 19)
        • Leaves of Absence (AS CBA Section 15 and HA CBA Section 17)
        • General and Miscellaneous (AS CBA Section 24 and HA CBA Section 27)
        • Domiciles (AS CBA Section 28 and HA CBA Section 5, 14, and 27)
        • Commuter Policy (AS CBA Section 36 and HA CBA Section 34-28)

        Sections listed below are on hold until discussions regarding future sections, which affect specific provisions, take place.

        • Seniority (AS CBA Section 6 and HA CBA Section 9)
        • Grievance Procedures (AS CBA Section 19 and HA CBA Section 23)
        • Charters (AS CBA Section 33 and HA CBA Section 12)

        JCBA Negotiations

        As a reminder, here’s how JCBA bargaining differs from regular negotiations:

        • Not Section 6 Negotiations: Because our contracts are not amendable, we fall outside the regular Section 6 process.
        • Creating One Contract from Two: Instead of improving a single contract, JCBA talks are about building an entirely new agreement from two existing contracts.
        • Different Survey Process: The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will send targeted “subject matter” surveys on specific contract sections.

        For more information about the process please see Understanding JCBA Negotiations

        What’s Upcoming

        Our next session with management is scheduled for August 24 to August 26.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Tagged With: Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), pmAS, pmHA

        Joint Contract Negotiations Session 16 – July 2026

        July 3, 2026 13:00

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

        • Our JNC met with management this week on July 1 to July 3 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for July 21 to July 23
        • A Tentative Agreement has been reached for Section 35 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges) and LOA 9 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat)

        Negotiations Update

        Our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC met with management from July 1 to July 3 in Seattle, WA. At the negotiating table for this session were:

        Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
        Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonAllen Thieman, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
        Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberRyan St. John, Vice President, Finance, Planning and Investor Relations, Alaska
        Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations, Alaska
        Virginia Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
        Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
        Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
         Karen Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska

        This week, the JNC has reached a tentative agreement on Section 35 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges) and Letter of Agreement (LOA) 9 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat). These provisions cement protections governing Flight Attendant Jumpseat usage and establish the priority order for Flight Attendant assignment to the jumpseat. The LOA further secures jumpseat assignment order and availability ensuring access and guidelines for Flight Attendant pass travel. The JNC also received the first proposal from management on Section 23 (Insurance Benefits) and spent a considerable amount of time analyzing and consulting with our subject matter experts to prepare a comprehensive counter proposal. The JNC also passed a proposal on Section 30 (Training) and is continuing to make progress forward.

        Section by Section Progress

        The Alaska CBA is being used as the basis of the joint contract for language purposes. Each section and provision from both contracts will be reviewed individually to incorporate and amend the strongest elements from each agreement.

        Sections discussed in this session:

        • Insurance Benefits (AS CBA Section 23 and HA CBA Section 32)
        • Training (AS CBA Section 30 and HA CBA Section 26)
        • Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges (AS CBA Section 35 and HA CBA Section 30)
        • Commuter Policy (AS CBA Section 36 and HA CBA Section 34-28)

        Sections in ongoing discussion:

        • Vacations (AS CBA Section 14 and HA CBA Section 18)
        • Sick Leave (AS CBA Section 16 and HA CBA Section 19)
        • Leaves of Absence (AS CBA Section 15 and HA CBA Section 17)
        • General and Miscellaneous (AS CBA Section 24 and HA CBA Section 27)
        • Domiciles (AS CBA Section 28 and HA CBA Section 5, 14, and 27)

        Sections listed below are on hold until discussions regarding future sections, which affect specific provisions, take place.

        • Seniority (AS CBA Section 6 and HA CBA Section 9)
        • Grievance Procedures (AS CBA Section 19 and HA CBA Section 23)
        • Charters (AS CBA Section 33 and HA CBA Section 12)

        What’s Upcoming

        Our next session with management is scheduled for July 21 to July 23.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Tagged With: Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), pmAS, pmHA

        Joint Contract Negotiations Session 15 – June 2026

        June 5, 2026 13:00

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

        • Our JNC met with management this week on June 2 to June 4 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for June 30 to July 3
        • A Tentative Agreement has been reached for Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments)
        • Our JNC made progress on vacation and staffing provisions, having discussions with both Alaska and Hawaiian stakeholders

        Negotiations Update

        Our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC met with management from June 2 to June 4 in Seattle, WA. At the negotiating table for this session were:

        Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
        Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonAllen Thieman, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
        Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations, Alaska
        Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
        Virginia Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberBrittany Audette, Managing Director, Operations Staffing and Resource Management, Alaska
        Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
        Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
         Karen Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska

        Prior to this week’s session, the JNC held a small group meeting with Alaska and Hawaiian crew-planning stakeholders to explore vacation and staffing options in preparation for our joint session.  This week, the JNC continued the conversation with management to review the Alaska and Hawaiian vacation systems. We discussed how the Alaska vacation provisions are currently applied and how the different Hawaiian vacation provisions are used. Brittany Audette, Managing Director of Operations Staffing and Resource Management, joined us for this discussion.

        The JNC also continued to work through Section 14 (Vacations). Recognizing that Hawaiian Flight Attendants currently have more flexibility with their vacation benefits, we are exploring ways to incorporate those benefits into the JCBA for the combined workgroup.

        The JNC reached a tentative agreement on the new Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignment). This new section primarily incorporated language from the Hawaiian CBA and added protections from other airlines’ Flight Attendant contracts. TDY (Temporary Duty Assignment) allows the company to establish a temporary base at a non-domicile location or to supplement staffing at an existing base temporarily. This section ensures Flight Attendants financial protection, including around-the-clock per diem, hotel stays for the duration of the TDY period, space-positive travel, and improved expense reimbursement. The goal is to ensure assignments are fair and Flight Attendants are supported, while also meeting operational and staffing needs.

        We exchanged proposals for Section 35 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges) and Letter of Agreement 9 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat Occupancy). We are working to codify our travel benefits, including priority access to Flight Attendant jumpseats.

        We also continued to exchange proposals on Section 16 (Sick Leave), but there are still significant differences between the two parties.

        Section by Section Progress

        The Alaska CBA is being used as the basis of the joint contract for language purposes. Each section and provision from both contracts will be reviewed individually to incorporate and amend the strongest elements from each agreement.

        Sections discussed in this session:

        • Vacations (AS CBA Section 14 and HA CBA Section 18)
        • Sick Leave (AS CBA Section 16 and HA CBA Section 19)
        • Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges (AS CBA Section 35 and HA CBA Section 30)
        • 🆕 Temporary Duty Assignments (AS CBA does not address these provisions and HA CBA Section 15)

        Sections in ongoing discussion:

        • Leaves of Absence (AS CBA Section 15 and HA CBA Section 17)
        • General and Miscellaneous (AS CBA Section 24 and HA CBA Section 27)
        • Domiciles (AS CBA Section 28 and HA CBA Section 5, 14, and 27)
        • Training (AS CBA Section 30 and HA CBA Section 26)
        • Commuter Policy (AS CBA Section 36 and HA CBA Section 34-28)

        Sections listed below are on hold until discussions regarding future sections, which affect specific provisions, take place.

        • Seniority (AS CBA Section 6 and HA CBA Section 9)
        • Grievance Procedures (AS CBA Section 19 and HA CBA Section 23)
        • Charters (AS CBA Section 33 and HA CBA Section 12)

        Crew Meal Survey

        Thank you to everyone who took part in the Crew Meal Survey. We received 3,323 completed surveys from Flight Attendants, along with 509 partial responses. The JNC will review all feedback, including the partial surveys, as we evaluate the results. Your input helps us keep advocating for you.

        What’s Upcoming

        Our next session with management is scheduled for June 30 to July 3.

        To get things started, the JNC met with our MEC Reserve Chairpersons to talk about current reserve rules and possible improvements for our combined workgroup. We are finalizing a Reserve survey that will go out to the Membership later this month. Thank you to pre-merger Alaska MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson, Julie Thornton and pre-merger Hawaiian MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson, Kela Chong for sharing their expertise.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Tagged With: Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), pmAS, pmHA

        Crew Meal Survey Closing Soon

        May 25, 2026 13:00

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

        • Crew Meal Survey now open, survey will close on Tuesday, May 26 at Noon PT

        Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is committed to prioritizing your nutrition during the work day through our crew meal provisions. We are eager to hear your thoughts on which elements of crew meals are most meaningful to you, as we continue to advocate for your needs.

        The survey is currently open and will close on Tuesday, May 26 at Noon PT. 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.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Tagged With: joint contract negotiations, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), pmAS, pmHA, survey

        Crew Meal Survey Now Open

        May 12, 2026 13:00

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

        • Crew Meal Survey now open, survey will close on Tuesday, May 26 at Noon PT

        Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) recognizes that nutrition plays a vital role in supporting the well-being and performance of Flight Attendants during the workday. Crew meals can be a component of proper nutrition.

        The JNC is committed to ensuring that Flight Attendants receive appropriate meals, especially on longer international routes. The JNC is entrusted with advocating for your interests.  To do that effectively, your input is essential.

        Please make your voice heard! We invite you to participate in our Crew Meal Survey. The survey is currently open and will close on Tuesday, May 26 at Noon PT. Take a moment to click the survey link and share your thoughts, so the JNC can accurately understand how you feel crew meals could factor into your nutrition plan and better represent your interests.

        To Access the Survey

        • For pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants, enter your PeopleSoft Number
        • For pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants, enter your Employee Number (without leading zeros)

        Some important notes:

        • Once the survey is submitted, your responses cannot be edited. Please ensure your selections are final before hitting ‘Submit’.

        We encourage you to take the time to participate; an informed and engaged membership is our strongest asset during these negotiations. Thank you for your continued commitment to our collective success. If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.

        Filed Under: AFA News Now, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Tagged With: joint contract negotiations, Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), pmAS, pmHA, survey

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