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Council #19 September Committee Update

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!

AFA Council #19 August Newsletter

Council #19

  • Day of Solidarity Recap
  • CBT Reminder
  • Local Council Meeting Announcement
  • New Committee Members
  • Human Rights & Equity 
  • Vacation Bidding

August Day of Solidarity

Our day of Solidarity was a day to be proud of. We would like to thank all our members who came out and braved the hot weather, to stand shoulder to shoulder with your union brothers, sisters and siblings as we fight for what we deserve. The event was a huge success systemwide. In Seattle, we had close to 1,000 members present. We would like to thank all the volunteers that came and helped make sure that the event was a success.

We would like to give a special thanks to our guest speakers and representatives that attended the event. Sara Nelson (AFA-CWA International President), Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) and Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda! A warm thank you to our Government Affairs Committee for helping organize those special guests!

Also, thank you to our fellow Flight Attendant families from Horizon, United, Hawaiian, Piedmont, Envoy, Omni, American, Southwest and Delta who showed their support by joining us. In addition, thank you to Pilots from Alaska, United, Delta, Horizon, American and Southwest. We are all in this together.

Please stay tuned for future events. We will get the word out via email and social media when something is planned. 

Red Bag Tags

A new red AFA luggage tag was introduced at the Day of Solidarity event. This is another way to demonstrate our solidarity in the fight for our contract. Watch our Facebook group for posts on where/when you can pick up one of the tags!

Read More >

Public Support

Did you know we have a customer facing landing page on our AFA Alaska website? This page is full of information on what your friends, family, and the flying public can do to support our Flight Attendants. There are several resources on the page, we ask that you share this with your contacts! One immediate thing the public can do is sign our petition.

CBT Reminder

Do not forget to complete your CBT by the September 30 deadline. It is important to remember if you do not complete the required training, the discipline is progressive. If you are already in steps of discipline, failure to complete your CBT will move you up the steps, up to and including discharge. If you encounter any technical issues, please contact the ITS Help desk. To verify your CBT is complete, check that your Cornerstone transcript lists under “Completed” and check your email for a confirmation. 

Don’t forget, you get 1TFP for completing the CBT, and if you complete it in August, it will count towards your single month $350 PPP bonus for August!

Local Council Meeting Announcement

Please save the date for our Local Council Meeting that will take place in October. We hope to see a lot of Seattle members at the event, so mark your calendar and bid for the day off.

Date: October 3, 2023

Time: TBD

Location: TBD


We will send an update soon when the above has been finalized, but wanted to make sure everyone had the date so they can bid their schedules appropriately. 

Committee Additions

We would like to thank all the members who are expressing their interest in getting involved with your union. The committee chairs are still going through the submissions, and you should be reached out to shortly. 

We are excited to welcome the following new committee members:

Communications Committee:

Andrew Stinson

Daphne Clarkson

Laury Long

AFA International Human Rights and Equity Committee

The AFA Human Rights and Equity Committee is committed to providing the broadest possible representation of our members regardless of age, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, differently abled, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. We honor and celebrate the shared humanity of the members in our care. We shall at all times endeavor to promote the principles of tolerance, fairness, equity, justice, respect, and inclusion within our Union. It is only when we all band together and work together that we can rally against the walls of division to create a progressive culture that values social and economic justice for all working people. 

Some Important Dates to Remember:

September 4: Labor Day

September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day

September 11: 9/11 Remembrance Day

September 15-October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

September 21: International Day of Peace (UN)

September 23/September 16-23: Bisexual Visibility Day/Week

September 23: International Day of Sig Languages

 

Additional Pins available for the Month of September

In addition to your “Red” Solidarity Pin, you may wear your AFA 9/11 remembrance pin, AFA/APFA 9/11 pin or your Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month Pin! Please stop by the Seattle base to pick up either of these!

Vacation Bidding

Where does time go? It is that time of the year already, vacation bidding. If you have not already done so, it’s time to start planning your 2024 vacation. See the below timeline:

  • 9/1/23 – 9/18/23: Round one vacation bidding.
  • 9/26/23: Round one awards posted.
  • 10/3/23 -10/17/23: Round two vacation bidding.
  • 10/25/23: Round two awards posted.
  • 10/27/23 (2:00pm): Seattle vacation trading opens.

Please refer to bulletin bundle dated 8/16/2023 for more information.

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!

Pack the Pac Highway – Mobilization News and Council Meeting Agenda

PACK THE PAC HIGHWAY AND GET LOUD

INFORMATIONAL PICKET

As our Negotiating Committee prepares to return to the table on August 14-16, we are gearing up to boost their message to management: The time has come to do the right thing and live up to Alaska‘s promise of industry-leading pay.

Please continue to invite your fellow Flight Attendants, family and friends to come support us and let’s line the Pacific Highway/International Boulevard all the way from the HUB and Corporate to the Flag Pavilion and AFA Office where our Negotiating Committee will be meeting with management! If you plan on attending, please RSVP here. It’s not required to sign up ahead of time, but it really helps our organizers plan to make sure we have enough volunteers to help.

Meeting Point: Angle Lake Park, Shelter C
19408 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188

12:30-2:00pm, picketing
(Plan to arrive early to pick up your picket sign and chant card. Those willing and able start picket march up to Flag Pavilion and AFA Office.)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

If you are a Mobilization volunteer, Ian Haywood sent a Sign-Up form for Lead Chanters and March Coordinators. If interested, sign up or let Ian know. Mobilization Volunteers should arrive at the Meeting Point by 11:00 am to help set up.

TURN UP THE HEAT, STAY HYDRATED!

We are turning up the heat on management, and Mother Nature is bringing reinforcements! Next week, temperatures are going to be in the mid-80s and will hit 90 degrees on the day of our picket! Pack sunscreen. Please bring plenty of water and liquids to stay cool and hydrated.

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION

We highly encourage carpooling to the event. There is limited parking at Angle Lake Park. Attendees can also park at nearby Light Rail Stations and take the light rail to Angle Lake Station which is a half-mile (.5) walk to the park. For those coming from the north end, Sound Transit did issue a bulletin about service updates that could affect service if you are coming from north of SODO. Please read their bulletin for more information and plan accordingly.

SPECIAL GUESTS

We are so honored to have more special guests and amazing labor leaders to join us in solidarity! April Sims, President of Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO along with Teresa Mosqueda, Seattle City Councilmember and candidate for King County Council, will be adding their voice to our fight and standing beside us on the picket line. 

LOCAL COUNCIL MEETING

We will be holding a local council meeting immediately after the picket. All members in good-standing and guests are welcome to attend.

Date: August 15, 2023

Time: 1430 – 1500

Location: Angle Lake Park, Shelter C

RSVP: Registration Link

Agenda:

  • Call to order
  • Introduction of LEC Officers and Committee Chairs
  • Mobilization Report
    • Discussion
  • Adjournment

Thank you for continuing to support your Union brothers, sisters and siblings! Let’s all show corporate America the sheer power we hold when we lock arms and show up for each other. We can’t wait to march alongside each of you. Truly, we are stronger together, better together.

TURNING UP THE HEAT!

***This post is from a previous email communication, so may appear out of order and is being posted as an FYI.

 WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT START IN OUR 

 RED HOT SUMMER CAMPAIGN

We would like to thank all of our members who joined us on July 19th to  kick off our RED HOT summer! Over 250 people joined our Pop Up Picket to show management that we are turning up the heat. Let’s continue the momentum by continuing to wear your RED PINS to show solidarity and by signing up for the August 15th day of Solidarity events. There are strength in numbers, so we encourage you to bring your friends and family. Please continue to share photos of the event to raise awareness. 

The events across the system got some great presence in the media, visit the links below for specific Seattle coverage!

LOCAL COUNCIL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

We are planning on holding a Council #19 meeting directly after the Systemwide Day of Solidarity event. This will be a great opportunity for you to meet our LEC Officers and Committee Members.

Date: August 15th

Time: 2:00 – 3:00PM

Location: Angle Lake Park, Shelter “C”

Please stay tuned for social media posts and email newsletters for further details and meeting agenda.

SYSTEM WIDE DAY OF SOLIDARITY

We look forward to seeing everyone at our August 15th Systemwide Day of Solidarity! Things are heating up and we would like to continue the momentum and have as many people as possible at our event. Please bring your friends and family and encourage them to wear RED!  CLICK HERE to sign up for the event. 

We have received a lot of questions about the event, please make sure to visit the Picketing FAQ’s post for your answers, or reach out. You can contact Iay Haywood,  our Council 19 Mobilization Committee Chairperson at sea.mobilization.chair@afaalaska.org.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED?

We are looking to gather a list of members who are  interested in getting involved in YOUR UNION! We want to hear from you if you are interested in volunteering on one of our committees. Please note, we may not have current availability on all of our committees, but we are looking to form a list of people that are interested, so we can keep in touch when openings come available. We will also be posting openings on our website, social media and in our newsletters each month when there are openings. CLICK HERE to go to our form to express your interest.

HAVE YOU MOVED?

Have you moved recently? It is important that AFA has your current mailing list on file. The address that is on file with international is the address any ballots for future elections, etc will be mailed to. Be prepared to receive future ballots in the mail by updating your mailing address by CLICKING HERE.

REPORTING AN ISSUE

We would like to remind you of the importance of reporting any issues you have directly with AFA. We have a ticketing system at https://support.afaalaska.org/ where you can report all issues you have. We have seen an increase in social media posts on issues that do not have a corresponding ticket filed with AFA. We can’t take action on situation we read about on social media—we must have a ticket filed. By filing a ticket, you will get contacted by the appropriate person, and it also helps us track trends and stay up to date with what is happening. Please make sure to visit our ticketing system at https://support.afaalaska.org/. 

 ARE YOU UP TO DATE ON YOUR UNION DUES?

Life happens and you can fall behind in dues. Did you know that you have to be in good standing to vote on a proposed contract? Making sure you are current on your dues now could help avoid headaches in the future. If you have received any notices from AFA about past due union dues, make sure to take action. If you owe an amount that is a bit out of reach, they will work with you on a plan to get them paid off. If you contact them now, your plan may help you get current prior to any vote we have in the future. Reach out to AFA Membership to find out if you are past due and get on a plan. Visit the AFA-CWA Membership Page by AFA-CWA Membership, you will find all the resources and contact information. 

OUR NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE

Did you know we have a new Facebook group? We are always looking for ways to get information to you via the platforms you use most, so we have started a Council #19 Facebook group. You can access it at https://www.facebook.com/groups/afaalaskaseattle . In order to be accepted into the group, you must answer the questions and agree to the group rules. Failure to do either will result in an automatic denial by the auto-responder.

Pop Up Picket Reminder!!

CALL TO ACTION: 

ITS TIME FOR A RED HOT SUMMER!!!!

It’s time we stand together and show management that WE ARE DETERMINED TO FIGHT FOR OUR FAIR SHARE!

Please join your LEC Officers, Local Mobilization Volunteers and your fellow Flight Attendants , picketing Alaska Airlines at Seatac on July 19, 2023. 

Click to sign up >> https://forms.gle/Kp6FRrdvmXZP9YfJ9

If you are not 100% able to attend, please do not RSVP. We need to keep as accurate a count on who will be present. A weak showing is worse than none at all. There is strength in numbers!! 

Is our next contract worth 1 to 2 hours of your time? YES!

Do we all need to participate? YES!

If you are available, we need you there! If you are unable to attend this one there will be more events, but try to attend as many as you can!

When:

Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 12:30pm – 2:00pm

Where:

The Seattle Tacoma International Airport Flag Pavilion (located on International Airport at the main entrance of the airport, across the street from the Radisson Hotel). 

May I bring a Guest? 

Yes, your friends and family are welcome to come out and support us! 

What to Wear?

Wear your Uniform, including your RED AFA pin. If friends or family are joining you, have them wear a RED shirt! 

Will picket signs be provided? 

Yes, AFA will be providing these. We ask that you do not make your own. They will be handed out at 12:30 at the Flag Pavilion.

Where do I park? 

We suggest carpooling. There are several lots in the area that you can utilize. You can also park at the Angle Lake light rail station and take the train one stop. 

What can I do to make this event a success?

Recruit your friends and family to show up! Share this email annd encourage others to sign up.This will help us plan accordingly. and ensure our message is heard loud annd clear! Our Local Mobilization Committee will handle all the details. 

How do I sign up? 

CLICK HERE

Questions?

Ian.haywood@afaalaska.org

Picketing FAQs can be found by CLICKING HERE

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2026

On Monday, June 8, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person 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 pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and […]

MEC Town Hall Video and Q&A Recap – June 8, 2026

Whether you joined us live or are looking to watch on your own schedule, we’re excited to share the full recording of our June 8 MEC Town Hall! Catch up on the discussions and hear directly from our MEC Officers and AFA panelists—now available to you anytime on the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian YouTube channel […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, June 4, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Kanako Yamada (LAX), Adrian Alcantara (SAN), and MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 15 – June 2026

The JNC has been actively negotiating key sections of the contract, focusing on vacation, sick leave, and temporary duty assignments. A tentative agreement was reached on Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments), ensuring financial protections and fair treatment for Flight Attendants during temporary assignments. These ongoing discussions demonstrate a commitment to integrating the best benefits from both Alaska and Hawaiian CBAs for all members.

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month

Every June, we come together to honor LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States—a time to celebrate the remarkable resilience, diversity, and achievements of the LGBTQ community. Pride Month began as a tribute to the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan in 1969, a pivotal moment that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The inaugural Pride March, […]

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