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    You are here: Home / Archives for MEC Meeting

    April 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

    April 14, 2022 17:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
    • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 24.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

    The April 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson Interviews

    Part of Tuesday was spent interviewing candidates for the MEC Mobilization Committee Chairperson position who will be responsible for coordinating mobilization activities across all six bases during upcoming contract negotiations.  Our MEC would like to thank all of the candidates who expressed a willingness to serve and interviewed for the positions.  We’ll have more information tomorrow morning about the outcome of the interviews.

    Meeting with Management

    As part of most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants are facing.  Attendees from management this month included EVP & COO Constance von Muehlen, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Denia Pisia, Vice President of Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, and Director of Payroll Leah Ables.

    Some of the topics that were discussed include:

    • Leave and absence management issues.  The approval process has been slow and employees have not been receiving timely responses to inquiries and requests.
    • PBS bid award delays and frustration surrounding management errors (note: the discussion with management took place before the bid award publishing deadline and a contractual violation had not occurred yet).
    • April OPR goals and management’s claim that inflight did not meet the safety goal due to a partial slide event.  Based on information published on Alaska’s World, inflight did meet the goal as there is no stipulation that a slide event causes the goal to be missed.  Our MEC has requested that management pay out according to the goals that they published.
    • Pilot staffing and associated flight cancellations.  Management has indicated they plan to make schedule adjustments in May based on the amount of flying remaining in open time after pilot bidding is complete.
    • Excessive use of reassignments by Crew Scheduling and frustration that Flight Attendants have an expectation to work the trips they bid/picked up when they come to work.
    • Spring incentive premium and feedback received from Flight Attendants about how the incentive was constructed.  There is significant dissatisfaction about vacation pay being excluded from Worked TFP and the high threshold necessary to receive the incentive payout.  
    • Pairing construction and cost analysis.  AFA has a long-standing request that management analyze pairings after the bid period is complete to determine what pairings actually end up costing the company.  This data could potentially be used to support changes in pairing construction to reduce undesirable trips that end up costing the company more money in the long run.
    • Company marketing activities on social media, particularly on TikTok.  Looking for answers from management as to what the intent of the content is and who it is being marketed toward. 

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

    March 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

    March 10, 2022 17:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week on Tuesday, March 8 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • The MEC was originally scheduled to meet with management and a group of union leaders from other company workgroups, but the meeting was cancelled by management due to scheduling conflicts.
    • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

    The March 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week on Tuesday, March 8.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    Meeting with Management Cancelled

    As part of this meeting, the MEC was scheduled to meet with company management and a group of union leaders from the other union-represented workgroups within the company.  The intent of these meetings, usually held once per quarter, is to receive updates from management and allow for a broader discussion of issues and concerns facing all company employees.  Unfortunately, management had to cancel the meeting due to scheduling conflicts.

    MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

    Last month, Krystle Berry stepped down from the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson position to allow her to focus on other responsibilities.  The MEC thanks Krystle for her years of service in the position and commitment to our Flight Attendants.  Krystle will continue to serve in her role as Council 39 Portland LEC Vice President.

    Martin Monteblanco has served as AFA Alaska CWA NextGen Representative since January 2020.  In this role, he has taken on duties as an alternate to the MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson and most recently has stepped up to serve as Acting MEC Government Affairs Committee Chairperson during the transition period.  Given his experience, the MEC has appointed Martin to permanently fill the position for the remainder of the term through December 31, 2022.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

    February 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

    February 16, 2022 17:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met last week on Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
    • The next Regular MEC Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 8.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your LEC President if you have any questions.

    The February 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held last on Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9.  The meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    Meeting with Management

    As part of most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants are facing.  Attendees from management this month included EVP & COO Constance von Muehlen, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow, Vice President of Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, and other management employees from inflight, labor relations, crew administration, and payroll.

    Some of the topics that were discussed include:

    • Flight Attendant hiring update and staffing plans.  Management plans to increase the size of upcoming initial training classes to 90 people per class beginning in April.
    • Uniform policies and updates that are being planned by management.
    • Open inflight management positions and what progress the company is making to fill them.  Management indicated that they are also planning to increase the number of supervisor positions in SEA as well as add new base admin positions to provide support in designated locations.
    • COVID-19 policies and contact tracing protocols.  There is still a lack of clear information posted and accessible to Flight Attendants.  AFA has asked inflight management to put out an FAQ document offering additional clarification with real life examples.  AFA also provided management with a list of questions to help expedite the development of the FAQs.
    • IMD connectivity issues in the State of Alaska related to the changeover of the company’s cellular service provider.  

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

    January 2022 MEC Meeting Recap

    January 7, 2022 16:00

    Master Executive Council (MEC)

    • Our AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) met this week from Tuesday, January 4 through Thursday, January 6 to conduct their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants.
    • As part of the meeting, the MEC met with members of inflight, labor relations, and executive management to discuss issues and concerns that are facing our work group and need to be addressed.
    • The last two days of the meeting were spent interviewing candidates for the three Negotiating Committee Member positions.  The MEC selected several candidates to advance to the final interviews to be held on Wednesday, January 26.

    The January 2022 Regular MEC Meeting was held this week from Tuesday, January 4 through Thursday, January 6.  The first day of the meeting consisted of updates provided by our MEC Officers, LEC Presidents, Grievance Committee, and Scheduling Committee.  Our MEC also reviewed written reports submitted by other AFA MEC Committee Chairpersons about their current programs of work. 

    Meeting with Management

    As part of most Regular MEC Meetings, our MEC meets with management to review current issues and challenges that Flight Attendants are facing.  Attendees from management this month included EVP & COO Constance von Muehlen, Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Strategy & Support Gloria Chow, Vice President of Labor Relations Jenny Wetzel, Managing Director of Labor Relations Carmen Williams, and other management employees from inflight, labor relations, crew administration, and payroll.

    Some of the topics that were discussed include:

    • December 2021 Pacific Northwest snowstorm, the subsequent operational meltdown, and the significant impact it had on Flight Attendants.  Management needs to do better.
    • Winter holiday incentive pay and what steps management is taking to ensure that Flight Attendants will be paid correctly on January 20th.
    • Open inflight management positions and what progress the company is making to fill them.
    • COVID-19 policies and contact tracing protocols.  Flight Attendants are reporting that they are not being notified of reported exposure in a timely manner.
    • Ongoing hotel & transportation issues including reports of Flight Attendants having to transport to/from hotels alone at destinations outside of the US and Canada.
    • Recurrent Training concerns including why it took so long to notify F/As that the written exam had been removed from the CBT and returned to an in-class activity, acceptable deviations in drill commands, and how evaluations of equipment preflight are conducted.

    Negotiating Committee Interviews

    Wednesday and Thursday were spent interviewing candidates for the three Negotiating Committee Member positions who will represent us at the bargaining table during upcoming contract negotiations.  Our MEC would like to thank all of the candidates who expressed a willingness to serve and interviewed for the positions.  After conducting interviews and reviewing all candidates, several were selected to participate in a final interview with the MEC.  We’ll have more information to provide after the final interviews on Wednesday, January 26.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions about this month’s Regular MEC Meeting, please reach out to your LEC President.

    Filed Under: AFA Alaska News Now, Master Executive Council (MEC) Tagged With: MEC Meeting

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    Negotiating Committee Listening Sessions start tomorrow! Listening Sessions are your opportunity to meet with our Negotiating Committee in a small group setting and share your thoughts, ideas, experiences, or anything else on your mind about negotiations. There’s still space available to participate in many of next week’s sessions. Register for a session today and get involved in the process—your voice matters!
    Thank you to everyone who has already written their letter to management telling them to Make it Right! We've made great progress but still have a ways to go to make sure management hears everyone's voice! Help keep the momentum going by checking in with your friends and flying partners today to see if they've sent letters to management as well. Save this QR code, let your crew scan it, and they'll be able to send their letter to management in less than two minutes.
    Our MEC will be approaching management this week to discuss a meaningful remedy to the recent bidding errors and delays. We have heard loud and clear that Flight Attendants expect that any remedy will include an element of compensation in order to hold management accountable. Stand in solidarity and support our MEC by sending management a letter telling them it’s time to make it right!
    Negotiating Committee Listening Sessions start next week and there’s still time to sign up! Listening Sessions are your opportunity to meet with our Negotiating Committee in a small group setting and share your thoughts, ideas, experiences, or anything else on your mind about negotiations. Register today and let’s fill every session—your voice matters!
    Due to hundreds of errors identified in the June bid packet, our MEC has insisted that management conduct a systemwide rebid. Management sent a communication by company email to all Flight Attendants earlier today with details on the new bidding timeline, which opened today at 9 AM PDT and will now close at 9 AM PDT on Monday, May 16. It is well past time for management to take ownership of their repeated errors, actually fix the problems, and honor our contract!
    Members of our Master Executive Council (MEC) and other AFA Representatives will be attending the AFA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting later this week. The BOD meeting is where business affecting all AFA airlines is conducted. Your LEC President is your representative at the BOD meeting and will be voting on your behalf regarding approval of the AFA International budget, proposed amendments to the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, and the election of AFA International Officers. If you have any questions about the BOD meeting, submitted agenda items, or international officer elections, please contact your LEC President.

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    Tell Management: It’s Time To Make it Right!

    May 18, 2022 3 Comments

    Master Executive Council (MEC) Our MEC will be approaching management this week to discuss a meaningful remedy to the recent bidding errors and delays. We have heard loud and clear that Flight Attendants expect that any remedy will include an element of compensation in order to hold management accountable. Stand in solidarity and support our […]

    The Saga Continues: June 2022 Bid Awards Delayed

    May 11, 2022

    Due to hundreds of errors identified in the June bid packet, our MEC has insisted that management conduct a systemwide rebid. Management sent a communication by company email to all Flight Attendants earlier today with details on the new bidding timeline, which opened today at 9 AM PDT and will now close at 9 AM PDT on Monday, May 16. It is well past time for management to take ownership of their repeated errors, actually fix the problems, and honor our contract!

    Upcoming 2022 AFA Board of Directors Meeting

    May 9, 2022

    Members of our Master Executive Council (MEC) and other AFA Representatives will be attending the AFA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting later this week.  The BOD meeting is where business affecting all AFA airlines is conducted. Your LEC President is your representative at the BOD meeting and will be voting on your behalf regarding approval of the AFA International budget, proposed amendments to the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, and the election of AFA International Officers. If you have any questions about the BOD meeting, submitted agenda items, or international officer elections, please contact your LEC President.

    Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2022

    May 5, 2022

    Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, May 3 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms. The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are reporting related to uniform quality, wearability, and availability. If you are experiencing any issues with uniform quality or construction, please report the issues to Unisync as soon as possible.  Please include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson on the email so they can help track any issues or trends that might be developing.   

    Understanding Our Union: How AFA Works at Our Airline

    May 4, 2022

    Representation within our Union starts at the domicile level with your Local Council.  Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers are directly elected from among your fellow Flight Attendants who are members of the same Local Council. LEC Officers work to resolve concerns specific to Flight Attendants from your base with local management.  Your LEC President also represents your base at the airline level as a member of the Master Executive Council (MEC).  The LEC Presidents from all six bases together form our MEC, which works to coordinate the activities of our Union at the airline level.  They make decisions on our behalf and give direction to the MEC Officers, who represent the MEC to management.

    Masks Are No Longer Required in Airports or Onboard

    April 18, 2022 By Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President)

    The CDC and TSA report the federal mask mandate is no longer in effect after today’s court ruling. Additionally, Alaska Airlines management just announced via multiple channels that the mask mandate is lifted effective immediately on all aircraft.

    December 2021 MEC Meeting Recap

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    December 2021 MEC Meeting Recap Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson Just wrapped up chairing our monthly MEC meeting yesterday and today. As usual, your AFA committee chairs and reps provided written reports to the MEC about the latest developments in their areas, and we received live briefings regarding dispute resolution & grievances, scheduling, […]

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