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MEC Chair Position Reviews and Membership Input

In accordance with Article VI.C of the AFA Alaska MEC Policy and Procedure Manual the MEC officers will be reviewing the MEC chair appointments and interviewing the current Chairs who would like to continue in their position as well as several new applicants.

Below you will find the Chair positions we will be reviewing. The 5 LEC presidents who make up the voting body of the MEC will be making the decision. Each President has 1 vote for each position.

I would appreciate your input as to who the SAN base would like to support. You can email me directly at Brice.McGee@afaalaska.org

 

Chair Positions and Applicants:

ASHSC Chairperson

Seth Heiple

Benefits Committee Chairperson

Terry Taylor

EAP Chairpersons (2)

Elizabeth Dillon

Jeanne McCleave

Hotel Committee Chairperson

Laura Hinojosa

Hotel Committee Vice Chairperson

Jodi Snow

Dori Marron

Reserve Committee Chairperson

Jarod McNeill

Scheduling Committee Chairperson

Jake Jones

Erik Velez

Zac Weeks

PBS Committee Chairperson

Stephen Poynter

Sheri Rochel

Shawn Grill

PBS Committee Member

Rebecca Asbell

Adam Clarey

Uniform Committee Chairperson

Bob Moore

 

In Solidarity,

Brice, Melanie, & Stephen

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

MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Interviews

The MEC would like to thank Jennifer Wise MacColl for her work as MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson over the past several years.  In her role, Jennifer has been a fierce advocate for Flight Attendants in numerous contractual and discipline cases. Jennifer will continue her AFA work as a member of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) pending the planned acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines.

Background

The MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson is responsible for leading the committee’s effort to advocate for Flight Attendants in contractual and disciplinary cases.  The Chairperson also serves as a resource to Local Grievance Committees in all aspects relating to grievance and contractual enforcement matters.

Additional Information from The MEC Policy Manual

1. SCOPE

a. The Grievance Committee will have as its primary objective the protection of all Flight Attendants against arbitrary and unjust disciplinary action.

b. The Grievance Committee shall uphold the current agreement, MEC policy and the AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws.

c. The Grievance Committee shall act to secure the fastest possible procedures for all Flight Attendants in the arbitration of their grievances for disciplinary action.

d. The Grievance Committee shall follow the direction of the Grievance Screening Panel.

2. POLICY/RESPONSIBILITIES

a. The MEC Grievance Committee shall consist of the MEC Chairperson and the Local Grievance Committee Chairperson from each council. The MEC may also appoint MEC Vice Chairpersons and MEC Grievance Representatives to the MEC Grievance Committee on an as needed basis.

b. The committee will assist AFA-CWA attorneys in the preparation of all ALA Flight Attendant grievances.

c. Proposed settlements of disputes between the Union and the Company shall be presented to the MEC President.

d. Priority at the System Board shall be given to Flight Attendants who have been terminated by the Company. Issues of sufficient importance to the collective interest can be scheduled ahead of termination grievances with the MEC President’s concurrence.

e. If any dispute arises regarding the merits of a contract grievance, the MEC will have the authority to terminate or continue the grievance process.

f. Grievant will be advised, via Certified Mail, of any Grievance Screening Panel determination.

g. The MEC Chairperson shall:

(i)  Serve as a member of the Grievance Screening Panel

(ii)  Attend all discussions of contract items at all regularly scheduled MEC meetings.

(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. This will include the minutes of all Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) meeting minutes.

Qualifications

  • Previous Union grievance or equivalent labor relations experience required
  • Understanding of the principles of just cause
  • In-depth knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA)
  • Ability to attend meetings as required, including being present in Seattle at least four days per week
  • Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed
  • Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
  • Strong computer skills. Excellent working knowledge of Google email and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of osTicket platform helpful.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write communications, respond professionally to internal and external e-mail, prepare reports, and take meeting minutes. Ability to pay close attention to detail.
  • Ability to prioritize responsibilities and perform multiple tasks simultaneously
  • Ability to meet deadlines and follow up on assigned tasks
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information

Duties

  • Enforce the contract
  • File grievances and maintain the master grievance log
  • Collect evidence, solicit documentation, and maintain complete records.
  • Ensure that time limits are met for filing
  • Represent AFA in alternate dispute resolution (ADR) meetings, grievance hearings, System Board hearings, and other meetings with management.
  • Assist Union attorneys in preparing grievances for System Board
  • Review material, handle correspondence, and keep the Local Grievance Committees well informed of current grievance developments
  • Communicate regularly with the membership about decisions on grievances; explain ramifications of results
  • Write grievance articles for membership communications upon request of the MEC Communications Committee
  • 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
  • Time commitment is approximately four days per week in the MEC Office in Seattle with additional work completed remotely or in the office as necessary

Working Relationships

With The Local Grievance Committees

Constant interaction with the Local Grievance Committee Chairpersons and Local Grievance Committee Members.

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

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

With The MEC Grievance Committee

Frequent interaction with the MEC Grievance Committee.  This position directs the work of the MEC Grievance Representative(s).

With Management

Constant interaction with inflight management, particularly the Director of Labor Relations, Manager of Inflight Work Performance, and Inflight Performance Supervisors

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA staff attorneys and AFA legal department

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

  • The MEC will hold interviews during the September MEC meeting on Wednesday, September 28 or Thursday, September 29, 2016.  Bid around the interview date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.
  • Submit a declaration of interest and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Yvette Satterlee at yvette.satterlee@afaalaska.org no later than 5 PM Pacific Time on Friday, September 16, 2016. Yvette will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

In Solidarity,

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

 

Introducing the MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson

At a meeting held earlier this week, your Master Executive Council (MEC) interviewed candidates for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson.  In total, six candidates interviewed for the position (five Seattle-based Flight Attendants and one Anchorage-based Flight Attendant).  The MEC would like to thank those candidates for stepping forward in the spirit of Union service.  After much discussion, the MEC has appointed Jake Jones to the position.

About Jake

Jake Jones is currently serving a second term as vice president of AFA-CWA Council 19 Seattle.  Jake is a Seattle-based Flight Attendant and joined the company in 2006.  Recently, he served as a Negotiating Committee Member for the past three years on our new collective bargaining agreement.  He holds an AA in Business Administration and Management.  Prior to working for Alaska Airlines, he was in the banking industry for seven years.  His partner Jeff is an Alaska CSA and they live in Auburn, WA with their two dogs Shanti and Houston.

Local Scheduling Committees Forming Soon

More opportunities for involvement are coming up, as Local Scheduling Committees will be forming soon within each domicile.  If you are interested in serving on the Local Scheduling Committee, contact your LEC President.  You can find contact information for your LEC President through the Local Councils page of the AFA Alaska website at http://afaalaska.org/locals.

In Solidarity,

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

MEC 5B Logo

Pre-Merger Hawaiian Inflight Service Committee Update – March 2026

Editor’s Note: Our MEC Inflight Service Committee now represents both pre-merger airlines, but management still makes service decisions that affect each group of Flight Attendants differently. This update covers changes for both Hawaiian- and Alaska-branded flying, but is specific to aircraft flown by pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines crews. As the work of the merger progresses, we […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 13 – March 2026

Our JNC met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC focused on clarifying questions about moving expenses and presented a proposal for Sick Leave, using feedback from Flight Attendants to guide improvements. The Committee is working to incorporate the strongest elements from both contracts to ensure better support for all members.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, March 24, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

On Thursday, March 19, 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 Bradley Young (SFO), Carin Merritt (LAX pmAS), David Lake (SEA pmAS), Deb Wallstrom (ANC), Eva Gatus […]

Hawaiian Seattle Domicile Council 43 and Council 47 Meeting Recap

The Negotiating Committee continues to advocate for clear and consistent guidelines regarding moving expenses and reimbursement for Flight Attendants. Despite management’s refusal to participate in recent meetings, the committee remains committed to addressing members’ concerns and ensuring contractual compliance. As the grievance process moves forward, Flight Attendants are encouraged to document their interactions and stay engaged in upcoming opportunities to seek clarification from management.

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