AFA Alaska

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
Menu
  • Local Councils
    • Anchorage (Council 30)
      • Officers
      • Committees
    • Honolulu (Council 43)
    • Los Angeles (Council 18/pmAS)
      • Officers
      • Committees
      • Los Angeles (Council 47/pmHA)
        • Officers
      • Portland (Council 39)
        • Officers
        • Committees
      • San Diego (Council 15)
        • Officers
        • Committees
        • Seattle (Council 19)
          • Officers
          • Committees
        • San Francisco (Council 35)
          • Officers
          • Committees

        • More About Local Councils >>
        Close
      • Master Executive Council
        • Officers
        • Close
      • Committees
          • Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC)
            • Air Quality
          • Benefits
          • Communications
          • Employee Assistance Program & Professional Standards
          • Government Affairs
          • Grievance
          • Hotel
          • Human Rights & Equity
          • Inflight Service
          • Inflight Training
          • Membership
          • Membership Engagement
          • Reserve
          • Retirement
          • Scheduling
            • Pairing Construction
            • Preferential Bidding System (PBS)
          • Uniform

        • More About Committees >>
        Close
      • Contract
          • Contract Home
            • 2025 Alaska TA2 (Ratified)
            • 2018 Alaska JCBA
            • 2020 Hawaiian Contract
            • Ask Contract Questions
          • Contract Resources
          • Alaska Contract Negotiations (2022-2025)
        • Close
      • Resources
          • What To Do If You Encounter Contaminated Cabin Air
          • Issues & Campaigns
          • Newsroom
            • AFA News Now
          • Event Calendar
          • Membership Services
          • New Members
          • About
          • Links
          Close
        • Merger
          • Joint Negotiating Committee
          • Close
        • Contact Us
        You are here: Home / Archives for dues

        The Dues Pie Chart — Where Do My Dues Go?

        June 16, 2015 05:00

        Note from your Master Executive Council (MEC): The AFA International office prepared this information as a resource for flight attendants. You can find a pdf version of this article here and the dues pie chart here.

        The Dues Pie Chart — Where Do My Dues Go?

        The Dues Pie Chart depicts where all funds at AFA are budgeted. About 80% of dues dollars are directly allocated to fund the work at each airline, e.g. Local Councils, Master Executive Councils, Negotiations, and System Board. The remaining budgets at the International Office support Government Affairs, Air Safety, EAP, and Communications Departments, each of which provides expert services that are Flight Attendant focused and provide resources for the local leaders and committees of Flight Attendants at each airline. 100% of our dues dollars are allocated to priorities that provide Flight Attendant representation.

         

        There are four distinct areas where dues money is spent:

         

        1. Local and Airline-specific

         

        Each base has a Local Executive Council (LEC) with elected Officers who provide direct representation and deal with local grievances and other issues. These Local Officers will answer your phone calls and make sure member interests are represented in front of management. For example, in the event of discipline or a contract violation, Local Officers will address the issue where it happened and work to get swift resolution. Additionally, elected Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers provide representation at the corporate level. At both the LEC and MEC, there are committees that solve problems in areas such as safety, schedules, hotels, grievances, etc. These committees also enforce the contract specific to their area of expertise, produce newsletters, and participate in union meetings. The role of your LEC and MEC Officers and committee representatives at each airline is to ensure you are represented by Flight Attendants who know your job because they share it with you at your airline. AFA promotes this autonomy at each airline where your representatives, assisted by experts, negotiate with management and develop and maintain the relationship between airline management and the Union.

         

        2. Negotiations

         

        Bargaining for pay and working conditions is one of the core representation activities performed by the Union. We start with a membership survey, schedule meetings with management, conduct caucuses with the committee, develop contractual language, support membership engagement and information programs, and we work with AFA-CWA professional negotiators throughout the process including all direct negotiations/mediation with management. The end result is improved contractual language with higher pay, better working conditions, and improved benefits.

         

        3. System Board (Grievances)

         

        The first step in any grievance is to try to resolve the matter locally. Some airlines have negotiated an alternative dispute process for a faster, collaborative resolution. If that fails, then the final stage for resolution, whether disciplinary or contractual, is an appeal to a neutral arbitrator. An AFA-CWA attorney will work with our Grievance Committee to present our case to the neutral arbitrator. We defend the contracts we negotiate.

         

        4. International Office Support

         

        While your LEC is the face of the Union to local management and the MEC to corporate management, the International Office is the public persona and brand of the Union. Our presence and name recognition can legislate or improve federal regulations, remove obstacles from the bargaining table, better our position in negotiations and improve our experience on the job across the profession. The International Office maintains the professional staff of attorneys, negotiators, and other personnel that provide administration, accounting and membership services to members and elected leaders. We all work together to support the programs that encompass our profession.

         

        Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council president here.

         

        In Solidarity,

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

        Pie Chart – 2015 – Where Do My Dues Go

        Pie Chart – 2015 – MEC LEC SPLIT.FINAL

        MEC 5B Logo

        Filed Under: Latest News Tagged With: 2015, dues

        Your AFA Dues 2015: Funding Our Flight Attendant Priorities

        June 15, 2015 05:00

        Note from your Master Executive Council (MEC): This document was prepared by the AFA International office as a resource for flight attendants and is available on the AFA Board of Directors website here as well as on the AFA Alaska website here.

        Your AFA Dues 2015: Funding Our Flight Attendant Priorities

         

        As union members, our power comes from two sources:

        1) an informed, active membership speaking as one; and

        2) all of us contributing dues to resource our priorities.

         

        Member dues maintain the essential programs and services that AFA members rely on every day. Everyone hears about negotiations, contract grievances and due process with job security, but your union dues support so much more – especially since our union is the leading voice on safety, health and security in the cabin.

         

        AFA leaders examine every budget to ensure we can maximize the value of our dues. We are AFA – the dues are simply one way that we all chip in and collectively contribute to defend and advance our careers.

         

        The method established within our Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) ensures that the dues structure is reviewed annually. Prior to the start of each fiscal year, we take a snapshot of the dues average of all CWA members, including AFA, to determine the dues rate for the future budget year. This dues realignment, referred to as the ‘CWA dues average,’ is a part of our Merger Agreement, which was approved by a full AFA membership vote in 2003. Dues may be increased above this dues average in order to support the priorities of AFA members, but through careful review and respectful consideration AFA leaders were able to hold dues to this average dues rate.

         

        AFA is committed to maintaining a sound financial base to support activities that benefit Flight Attendants. Our dues rates are still among the lowest in aviation. Mergers have resulted in AirTran and US Airways AFA members (approximately 20% of our membership) no longer contributing to our collective resources. Despite this resource challenge, locally elected Flight Attendant leaders who form the AFA-CWA Board of Directors successfully adopted a budget to keep that vast majority of our budgets exactly the same. The only change made to budgeting was a restructuring of the number of AFA staff, which reduced the budget maintained by our International Office.

         

        Local, MEC, Negotiations and System Board budgets will remain the same – which maintains our democratic member-driven organization by pushing the $2 monthly dues increase to the budgets that directly fund representation at a local level. Meanwhile, AFA utilized an Early Out option to restructure our professional staff ranks. Although fewer staff remain, we were able to maintain strong AFA Departments of attorneys, professional negotiators, safety, health and security experts, AFA EAP mental health professionals, Government Affairs specialists, Membership Services/Accounting and we are in process of redesigning Communications with new, combined positions.

         

        We were also able to maintain all of the affiliations that keep our voice strong through coordination with other aviation unions, the AFL-CIO resources and national structure as well as coordination with transport unions around the world. This maintains our standing in legislative or policy discussions in Washington, DC and around the world – critically important perhaps more than ever as globalization presents serious threats to our jobs, as well as opportunities if we continue to exercise our voice effectively through our world-wide networks. (See the 2015 International President’s Report for a review of some of this work)

         

        Dues have held relatively steady, increasing just three times over the past 22 years. Beginning in June of this year, our dues will change to $50 per month in accordance with our Constitution and Bylaws. When you consider the voice we have through our union, and all of the work we must do to advance and defend our careers – we are putting our dues dollars to good work. Our collective action, organized through our union and funded by our collective contributions, is what really makes the difference. We are all AFA and we encourage all Flight Attendants to join and stand with us: “We are Stronger Together, Better Together.”

         

        Dues Dollars Help Provide:

        • A legally binding negotiated contract.
        • Due process to defend our jobs and grievance procedures.
        • Professional negotiators and labor attorneys.
        • Expert safety, health, and security advocates for your protection.
        • A strong voice on Capitol Hill.
        • An award-winning AFA Employee Assistance Program.
        • Strength in numbers as a member of a democratic, member-driven organization
        • Flight Attendant focused advocacy.

         

        We are AFA – our dues are simply one way that we all chip in and collectively contribute to defend and advance our careers.

         

        In Solidarity,

        Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

        2015 – AFA Dues – Funding Our Flight Attendant Priorities

        MEC 5B Logo

        Filed Under: Latest News Tagged With: 2015, dues

        • « Previous Page
        • 1
        • 2
        • 3
        • 4

        Need Help?

        Have an issue or concern to report to AFA?  Click here to access the AFA Alaska online support center.

        Latest News

        • AFA News in Review – October 10, 2025
        • SEA Domicile Negotiations – October 2025
        • Protecting Yourself From Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
        • Government Affairs Committee Update – 4th Quarter 2025
        • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2025
        • AFA News in Review – October 3, 2025
        • Joint Contract Negotiations Session 7 – September 2025
        • Refreshed Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) Distribution
        • AFA News in Review – September 26, 2025
        • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

        SEA Domicile Negotiations – October 2025

        October 9, 2025

        The recent meetings of the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee in Seattle and Honolulu highlighted both progress and persistent challenges in negotiations with management. While there has been advancement on some issues, significant concerns remain. Key topics under discussion include the transfer processes, return options to HNL or LAX, staffing, moving expenses, and safeguarding existing bases. Our committee prepares for the next round of negotiations in Seattle during the week of October 20.

        Protecting Yourself From Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

        October 8, 2025

        Understanding Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) involves the use of substances to incapacitate someone, making them vulnerable to sexual assault. These substances are often undetectable, having no color, taste, or smell, and can be easily added to drinks. Common Drugs Used in DFSA Important Note: Alcohol significantly enhances the effects of these drugs, […]

        Government Affairs Committee Update – 4th Quarter 2025

        October 7, 2025

        An update on what our Government Affairs Committee has been working on this quarter. Thank you to all our Members who remain engaged and to all our volunteers and Committee Members for dedicating their time representing our Members, advocating for the safety and advancement of our careers while strengthening our labor movement every single day […]

        Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2025

        October 6, 2025

        This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, October 2, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) 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 Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey […]

        Joint Contract Negotiations Session 7 – September 2025

        October 3, 2025

        Our JNC made significant progress in shaping our JCBA, successfully reaching a Tentative Agreement on Section 13 – Uniforms. Key provisions include enhancements to uniform standards, ensuring protective measures such as no surnames on name tags from the Hawaiian CBA. While we continue discussions on various sections, including Air Safety Health and Security, Training, and Commuter Policy. We appreciate feedback from the 2207 Flight Attendants who participated in our recent Vacation Survey.

        Recent Posts

        • AFA News in Review – October 10, 2025
        • SEA Domicile Negotiations – October 2025
        • Protecting Yourself From Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
        • Government Affairs Committee Update – 4th Quarter 2025
        • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2025
        • AFA News in Review – October 3, 2025
        • Joint Contract Negotiations Session 7 – September 2025
        • Refreshed Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) Distribution
        • AFA News in Review – September 26, 2025
        • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025
        • Meet Our Pre-Merger Alaska Committee Chairperson & Representatives
        • Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025
        • Vacation Survey Closing Soon
        • Meet Our Merged MEC Committee Chairpersons
        • Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

        Local Councils

        • Anchorage
        • Honolulu
        • Los Angeles (pre-merger Alaska)
        • Los Angeles (pre-merger Hawaiian)
        • Portland
        • San Diego
        • San Francisco
        • Seattle

        Master Executive Council

        • MEC

        Negotiations

        • Contract 2022 Home
        • Negotiations News
        • TA2 Information

        Contract

        • Contract Home

        Committees

        • Air Safety, Health, & Security
        • Benefits
        • Communications
        • EAP/Professional Standards
        • Government Affairs
        • Grievance
        • Hotel
        • Human Rights
        • Inflight Service
        • Mobilization
        • Reserve
        • Retirement
        • Scheduling
        • Uniform

        News By Month

        News By Category

        AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Committee Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee
        • Email
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • YouTube

        Want To Stay In The Loop?

        Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
        Sign Up for Emails
        Sign Up for Text Updates

        Connect With AFA

        • Contact Us
        • Online Support Center
        • AFA International
        • CWA
        • AFA Alaska Social Media Guidelines
        • AFA-CWA Mutual Respect Policy

        Copyright © 2013-2025 Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO