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The Dues Pie Chart—Where Do My Dues Go?

Note from your Master Executive Council (MEC): This information was prepared by AFA International as a resource for Flight Attendants.

Click to enlarge

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, i.e. 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:

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.

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.

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.

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 encompasses our profession.

Questions?

If you have questions about AFA dues, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

[AS] MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Interviews

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

Background

The MEC Chairperson of the Scheduling Committee is responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee at the airline level. The Chairperson works closely with each Local Committee Chairperson to gather feedback and input and represents the positions of the Committee and MEC in interactions with management.

Additional Information from the MEC Policy Manual

Scheduling Committee

1.  SCOPE

a.  The Scheduling Committee is responsible for the following:

(i)  The committee will recommend and assist in constructing pairings and building sequences of trips and days off into monthly lines of time.

(ii)  The committee will work to monitor company compliance with all scheduling-related provisions of the collective bargaining agreement and take necessary steps to correct violations

2.  POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

a.  The MEC Scheduling Committee shall consist of the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson, the MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS, the MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction, and the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson from each council.

b.  The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i)  Provide clear direction and coordination to Local Scheduling Committees and each MEC Subcommittee

(ii)  Communicate with the Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons, LEC Presidents, and MEC Officers on a daily basis on his/her activities and matters requiring attention, follow up, or escalation

(iii)  Compose informational and educational articles of interest to the membership and provide them to the MEC Communications Chairperson to be included in MEC communications and posted to the MEC website

c.  Flight Attendant Schedules

(i)  Discuss scheduling problems with the company and will report such problems and resultant discussions to the MEC

(ii)  Maintain written records of agreed upon standards and procedures and shall report to the MEC any proposed or imposed modifications to such practices.

(iii)  Monitor the company throughout the scheduling process for any perceived or potential violations of the Agreement and shall identify these violations to the LEC President of the domicile affected.

(iv)  Comply at all times with the applicable provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement.

d.  Staffing

(i)  Monitor monthly staffing reports and make recommendations to the company for appropriate resolution.

(ii)  Monitor placement of flying and provide the MEC with evaluations of such placement and its justification.

(iii)  Compile feedback and relay it to the MEC

(iv)  Use domicile feedback to work with the company in resolving the Union’s problems and concerns.

(v)  Monitor staffing statistics and, where appropriate, establish trends of chronic understaffing for current and future use.  Use all information available to eliminate understaffing.

e.  Placement of Flying

(i)  The MEC Scheduling Committee in conjunction with the MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson will review placement of flying with the intent of resolving the problems that generate such placement.

(ii)  Should specific causes be established, the MEC Scheduling Committee shall work with the company to resolve the Union’s concerns provided that such action does not otherwise negatively impact the Flight Attendants, i.e. surplus, or excessively low block time.

…

5.  SCHEDULING REVIEW BOARD

a.  The Scheduling Review Board (“Board”) shall consist of the MEC President (or designee), MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson (or designee with the concurrence of the MEC), and Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling (or designee). Additional guests may be invited and participate as needed.

b.  The Board shall meet at least every two weeks to address and resolve disagreements between the union and the company pertaining to any subject relating to Flight Attendant schedules or actions of the Inflight Crew Scheduling Department.

c.  The Board may meet either in person at a mutually agreed location, by telephone conference call, or by other electronic means of communication.

d.  Items for inclusion in the agenda shall be provided to all members of the Board at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the scheduled meeting to allow time for proper research and preparation. Items submitted within 24 hours of the scheduled meeting will be placed on the agenda of the following meeting, except by mutual agreement.

e.  Any item that cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the members of the Board will be forwarded to the MEC Grievance Committee for escalation

Qualifications

  • Robust working knowledge of scheduling provisions of the Flight Attendant collective bargaining agreement.
  • Knowledge of CFRs and other regulations pertaining to flight time, duty time, and crew rest guidelines.
  • Ability to maintain office hours in Seattle during the business week and attend meetings as required.
  • Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Jeppesen Crew Access (JCA, NavBlue PBS, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks.

Duties

  • Provide assistance and guidance to Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons in handling scheduling-related concerns and issues. Assist in resolution of issues as needed.
  • Attend meetings with management and represent the AFA position on scheduling-related matters.
  • Participate in the Scheduling Review Board process.
  • Oversee the activities of the PBS and Pairing Construction subcommittees.
  • Schedule, plan, and conduct monthly meetings of the committee and other meetings and conference calls as needed.
  • Coordinate with the MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson to discuss issues that affect both reserve and lineholding Flight Attendants.
  • Correspond with the Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and MEC regularly to provide status updates. Prepare and send a monthly committee report to the MEC.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • This position is budgeted for 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month in accordance with section 27.P.2.b of the CBA, paid with a 5% override at “A” pay.
  • Time commitment is approximately four days per week in Seattle with additional work completed remotely or in the office as necessary. No relocation or accommodation expense is provided for this position.
  • The MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson does not bid a line.

Working Relationships

With The Scheduling Committee

Constant interaction with the Local Scheduling Service Committee Chairpersons. Frequent interaction with Local Scheduling Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council

This position reports to the Master Executive Council. The MEC executive sponsor for the committee is the MEC President.

With Alaska Airlines Management

Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling (Denia Pisia), Director of Crew Planning & Resource Allocation (Chad Koehnke), Inflight Crew Planners (Kelly Yeager and Sabrina Blevins)

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

  • The MEC will hold interviews during the August MEC meeting on Tuesday, August 29.
  • Interviews will be at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle.
  • Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, August 18, 2017. Linda will be able to provide additional information regarding transportation and booking of flights if necessary.

 

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

MEC Committee Chair Appointments

The MEC conducted interviews for several MEC Committee Chairperson positions at the MEC Meeting that concluded this afternoon.  We would like to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and a willingness to serve.  After careful consideration and much deliberation, the following candidates were appointed:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards

Elizabeth Dillion
Jeanne McCleave

Scheduling

Zac Weeks

Preferential Bidding System (PBS)

Steve Poynter (Chairperson)
Rebecca Asbell (Committee Member)
Adam Clarey (Committee Member)

Uniform

Bob Moore

Reserve

Jarod McNeill

Air Safety, Health, & Security (ASHSC)

Seth Heiple

Benefits

Terry Taylor

Retirement

Terry Taylor

Hotel

Laura Hinojosa (Chairperson)
Jodi Snow (Vice Chairperson)

 

Appointments are effective immediately.  Terms of appointment coincide with those of the MEC Officers, concluding on December 31, 2019.

If you have any questions about MEC Committee Chairperson appointments, please contact your LEC President.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

MEC Committee Chairperson Interviews

Updated 02/07/2017

As previously announced on December 9, the Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for the majority of the MEC Committee Chairperson positions in early 2017.

All Candidates Advanced to Final Interviews

As part of the interview process, a series of screening interviews were scheduled to occur on January 4 by videoconference.  The purpose of the screening interviews was to narrow each position to two finalist candidates who would be invited to interview with the MEC in person at the February MEC Meeting.  Since only a few positions yielded more than two candidates, the MEC has decided to bypass the screening interviews and advance all candidates to an in-person interview at the February MEC Meeting.

More Information About the Candidates

Below is a list of candidates for each position.  For positions with more than one candidate, resumes for those candidates who have opted in may be viewed below.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson

Seth Heiple

Benefits Committee Chairperson

Terry Taylor

EAP Chairpersons (2 positions)

Elizabeth Dillon

Jeanne McCleave

Hotel Committee Chairperson

Laura Hinojosa

Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson

Jodi Snow (click here to view resume)

Dori Marron (click here to view resume)

Reserve Committee Chairperson

Jarod McNeill

Retirement Committee Chairperson

Terry Taylor

Scheduling Committee Chairperson

Jake Jones (click here to view resume)

Erik Velez (click here to view resume)

Zac Weeks (click here to view resume)

Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson (PBS Subcommittee Chairperson)

Stephen Poynter (click here to view resume)

Shawn Grill (withdrawn 02/03/17)

PBS Subcommittee Member

Rebecca Asbell (click here to view resume)

Adam Clarey (click here to view resume)

Sheri Rochel (click here to view resume) (clarified intent to be considered for Subcommittee Member position instead of Chairperson, 02/07/2017)

Uniform Committee Chairperson

Bob Moore

Special Consideration for MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson

In accordance with §27.P.2.c.1 of the collective bargaining agreement, the MEC will be soliciting input from Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider regarding the selection of the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson position.  Though Andy is contractually entitled to provide feedback, final selection will be made by the voting members of the MEC.

Feedback

If you would like to provide feedback about the candidates or the MEC Committee Chairperson interview process, please contact your LEC President.  You may contact your LEC President by email at:

ANC Council 30 President Lisa Pinkston – lisa.pinkston@afaalaska.org

SEA Council 19 President Laura Masserant – laura.masserant@afaalaska.org

PDX Council 39 President Cathy Gwynn – cathy.gwynn@afaalaska.org

LAX Council 18 President Tim Green – timothy.green@afaalaska.org

SAN Council 15 President Brice McGee – brice.mcgee@afaalaska.org

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green and Brice McGee

MEC Committee Chair Interviews

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, the term of appointment for the MEC Committee Chairpersons is concurrent with those of the MEC Officers.  As the current MEC Officer term of office will end on December 31, 2016, the MEC will be conducting a review of the MEC Committee Chairperson positions in early 2017.

During this review process, the MEC will be interviewing for the following MEC-level chairperson positions:

  • Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairperson
  • Benefits Committee Chairperson
  • EAP Committee Chairperson (2 positions)
  • Hotel Committee Chairperson
  • Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson
  • Reserve Committee Chairperson
  • Retirement Committee Chairperson
  • Scheduling Committee Chairperson
  • Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson (PBS Subcommittee Chairperson)
  • PBS Subcommittee Member (though not a chairperson position, this position is appointed at the MEC level)
  • Uniform Committee Chairperson

Appointments for the ASHSC Vice Chairperson, Government Affairs Committee Chairperson, Grievance Committee Chairperson, and Inflight Service Committee Chairperson positions were all made within the last several months.  As a result, these positions will not be reviewed and will continue their term until the end of the next MEC Officer election cycle.

General Qualifications

The following qualifications apply to all MEC-level Chairperson positions:

  • Previous experience as a Committee Member or Chairperson preferred (required for EAP)
  • Previous committee-specific training preferred (required for EAP)
  • Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle on occasion
  • Strong computer skills. Good working knowledge of Inflight Mobile Device, Google email, and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and plan meetings agendas and take minutes.
  • Ability to meet deadlines, delegate responsibilities, and follow up on assigned tasks

Duties and Responsibilities

Information about the duties and responsibilities of each specific committee can be found in article VII of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss for each position will be discussed during the screening interview.

Interview and Selection Timeline

Qualified candidates will be invited to a screening interview with the MEC by video conference on Wednesday, January 4.

Finalists will be invited to an in-person interview at the AFA Alaska MEC office in Seattle at regularly scheduled February MEC meeting on February 21 and 22.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary Treasurer-Elect Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, December 28, 2016.

Questions

Any questions about MEC Committee Chairperson positon duties and responsibilities can be directed to MEC Vice President Brian Palmer at brian.palmer@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Satterlee, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Tim Green, Brice McGee and MEC Secretary Treasurer-Elect Linda Christou

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