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Council 35 News – August 2021

Important Dates

  • September 7:  Vacation Bidding Opens
  • September 13:  Supplemental Insurance Open Enrollment Begins
  • September 21:  Vacation Bidding Closes 
  • September 24:  Supplemental Insurance Open Enrollment Ends 
  • September 28:  Vacation 2022 Awards Posted

Never Forget

It’s hard to believe the tragedy of 9/11/01 occurred 20 years ago…an event that changed our lives and industry forever.  To commemorate the milestone, AFA and APFA (representing American Flight Attendants) collaborated to create a new 9/11 pin.  Council 35 has enough pins for everyone, so please stop by the SFO Village supervisor’s office and pick one up.  

Alone in Mexico

Did you know our JCBA provides protection to Flight Attendants flying outside the US?  The JCBA§34.A.5.a states that no F/A will travel to a hotel outside the US by themselves.  There was a recent incident involving a Flight Attendant who was left behind in SJD after a scheduling change occurred.   This F/A was aware of the contract and reached out to AFA for assistance during the event.  This is a great example of why it’s important to know your contract, and when something goes wrong, AFA is here to help!

Trending Discipline

from the Grievance Committee

Reserve Not at Base

Reviewing the JCBA§11 which defines the AS reserve rules, the company expects that a reserve Flight Attendant will be within 2 hours of base at the beginning of the assigned reserve availability period (RAP). Commuting into base or being more than 2 hours aways from base at the start of RAP would be considered time card fraud and normally results in termination with the first offense.  Lineholders picking up reserve days should be aware of the reserve rules found in JCBA§11 in order to be familiar with the expectations.  Any reserve F/A or lienholder picking up reserve days who are interested in extra support or guidance, please reach out to the SFO Reserve Committee for assistance.

Delays

When a delay is caused by a Flight Attendant, either due to tardiness or forgotten required item, management typically initiates an investigation.  If it is confirmed that the delay was caused by the FA, discipline will most likely be issued. A first offense can expect a Confirmation of an Oral Warning (COW), unless other discipline is on file, which would increase to the appropriate step based on previous occurrences.

Supplemental Insurance Open Enrollment

from the Benefits Committee
National Group Protection (NGP) announces the open enrollment period for supplemental benefit plans for AFA members.  

NGP offers services to include:

  • Accident Insurance
  • Hospital Indemnity
  • Critical Illness Coverage
  • Whole Life Insurance

NGP offers the following options:

  • Supplemental – these plans supplement any existing coverage
  • Voluntary – members choose to participate
  • Limited Underwriting – no medical or physical exams required
  • Family Coverage – available with all of the plans
  • Portable – members can continue coverage if they leave the company
  • Payroll Deduction – premiums are paid through payroll deduction

The Virtual Enrollment for Alaska AFA members is open from September 13-24, 2021.  

Reminder:  COVID-19 MOU, Section 32 and CA Law

COVID absences are still a regular event for members.  Your Council 35 officers encourage F/As to submit for points forgiveness and follow up with CA state claims to seek additional benefits.  For more information, please revisit July’s Newsletter.

Celebration of Life for Tim Krailo

A message from SFO Chief Pilot Kat Pullis

I wanted to pass along the invitation for the Celebration of Life planned for our dear Tim Krailo and his wife Karen.  Please RSVP as the family is planning on serving dinner around 6:30pm.  If you’d like to attend in uniform to show support from our Alaska family, please feel free to do so.  His family sends a huge thank you to our team for the successful Go Fund Me that we did for their children.  It has been such a challenging year for their family as Tim’s only sister also passed away last month.  Sending all our thoughts and support their way.  

Thank you Majo!

Council 35 extends a warm thank you to Majo Tanco, LAX Benefits Committee, for all the help she provided since COVID-19 emerged on the scene.  Majo was kind enough to fill in and help Council 35 members while we looked for an SFO-based committee member.  We are happy to announce that our new Benefits Chair, Julie Pearson, is now ready to take over where Majo left off.  For inquiries regarding anything benefits related, such as FMLA, medical LOAs and Worker’s Compensation, SFO-based FAs should now reach out to Julie at sfo.benefits@afaalaska.org.  And thank you Majo for letting SFO “borrow” you while we searched to fill the vacancy!

In solidarity,

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

August Updates and Information

Covid Vaccination Concerns

Being AFA Officers we have a duty to fairly represent all our members regardless of personal beliefs, we will continue to represent our entire membership. We have heard from members who want us to advocate for mandatory vaccinations and members who want us to advocate for voluntary vaccinations. This is a complex issue with strong opinions on both sides. It’s just not possible to advocate for both at the same time. That being said, AFA Alaska has advocated for neither position. We have, however, continued to inform management regarding the varying opinions of our membership and their concerns.  

The reality is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has very clearly stated that companies are well within their legal rights to implement a vaccination requirement as long as they offer accommodations for religious or medical exemptions—provided such accommodations do not pose an undue burden on the company. There is no freedom protected by law that is violated in doing so, but nonetheless, we understand the concerns from many of our members about the perceived violation of their personal liberties and their bodies.  

If the company does decide to mandate the vaccine, that decision will trigger discussions between the union and management.  We can not impose anything on the company, we can only negotiate.

Grievance vs Gripe

Not all concerns brought forward to AFA can be resolved by the union.  Knowing the difference between a Grievance and a Gripe is key to understanding how we can assist you.  

Grievance

A grievance is a formal challenge to management that our contract has been violated or that unjust discipline has been issued.   Example: “Charter flying was awarded out of seniority order.” We have specific contract language citing how Charter Bids will be awarded, therefore, this could be a grievance.

Prior to filing a grievance, your local union reps will attempt to resolve the concern with management, if that proves to be unsuccessful, a formal grievance may be filed.  

Gripe

A Gripe is a complaint that is not a contractual violation.

Example: “It’s not fair that I was flown into a day off”.   It may not seem fair, but it is contractual, therefore this would be considered a gripe.     Or   “I thought I had the day off because my flight canceled, why did I get a no show? This isn’t fair! Our contract states that you must report as scheduled if no contact is made with crew scheduling for canceled flying, therefore this would be considered a gripe. 

Occasionally we hear from members that are upset because they were unaware of contractual language or a company policy that has been violated.  It’s everyone’s responsibility to know our work rules. Not knowing the rules doesn’t prevent management from issuing discipline. 

Your SAN union reps are always available to help determine when a complaint is a gripe or a grievance.  We are always willing to assist you with contract interpretation. SAN@afaalaska.org

Please ensure that you have our contact information saved on your phone. You never know when you may need to reach out to us.  

Performance Investigations and Disciplines

CBT

Discipline for failing to complete quarterly CBTs is continuing to trend.  Flight Attendants returning from leave are given 60 days to complete CBTs.  The Council 15 Grievance Committee has been successful in assisting FAs dispute discipline when evidence of technical difficulties exists.  Being busy and forgetting to complete the CBT has not been accepted as extenuating circumstances to miss a CBT deadline and the discipline will remain.  If more than one CBT deadline is missed, discipline will progress to higher steps on the discipline scale (i.e. 2 missed CBTs in 18 month period will escalate to a Written Warning, 3 to a suspension, the 4th could result in termination).

Commuter Violations

Monthly audits are occurring, and Council 15 has seen disciplines for misuse lessen however there are still Flight Attendants that are using it incorrectly.  Please be sure your registered cities are current and comply with guidelines set forth in the commuter program.

D8Y Commuter status is a negotiated benefit and those traveling on D8Y status have a very high priority, traveling above executives on leisure travel and all other nonrevs.

Flying using D8Y Commuter status is for flights starting/ending in your HOME RESIDENCE AIRPORT and SAN AIRPORT only. you can take a flight that has a connection, but only if all legs are on Alaska Metal.

You CAN NOT use D8Y status for out-of-base pickups, releasing from DH and flying home, or between any cities that do not start and or end in SAN or the Airport where you reside. for these examples, you would list as E1Y.

Operational Concerns

Management continues to assert that we are properly staffed.  

While their plan may look good to them on paper, those of us flying every day certainly feel otherwise.   While we endure the constant barrage of Reassignments, Premium Trip notifications, and Reserve burn-out; management continues to rely on a pre-COVID game plan that is no longer valid.  It’s time for management to evaluate their staffing models and account for the impact of the pandemic. 

Know your work rules:
Download a copy of the Contract to your mobile device. 
Review:  Section 10.R [Reassignments] & 10.S [Pre-Cancelations] &
        Section 8 [Hours of Service].

Save your Local Union Reps contact information:

Email & Office Phone Number are monitored throughout the day

SAN@afaalaska.org  or Call 206-457-2010 ext 5

Line Holder Scheduling Questions  

SAN.Scheduling@afaalaska.org

Reserve Questions

SAN.Reserve@afaalaska.org

Covid Points

COVID-19 Points Forgiveness Extended Through September 2021

The Section 32 Attendance Policy Points Related to COVID-19 MOU provides Flight Attendants an opportunity for points adjustment for the COVID-19 related absences with supporting documentation.

Your Council 15 officers encourage members to submit the form for absences related to COVID-19. Please review the MOU for details on what points are eligible for adjustment.  This process is manual, so allow some time for the adjustment to show on the attendance record. To request a points review, visit:  Alaskasworld> Inflight> Administration> Performance> COVID-19 Absence Reporting Form. See Bulletin #2021-0046  for more information.

Leaves, Benefits, Retirement

If you have any questions regarding various Medical Leaves, FMLA, and Worker’s Compensation please reach out to our Local Benefits Committee Chairperson Sonia Quackenbush

Retirement questions should be directed to our Local Retirement Committee Chairperson,  Stephen Couckuyt.

Contact information for all local committees can be found here.

Fatigue Reporting

When too fatigued to fly, you have the option of notifying Crew Scheduling that you are unfit to fly by calling in Fatigued. Once you call, you are put immediately into 10 hours rest, whether at domicile or mid trip. Once this rest period ends, you may be required to rejoin your original trip.  

There is no penalty for utilizing the Fatigue Risk Management Program (FRMP). Following a fatigue call, you are required to submit a fatigue report within 48 hours of the end of your rest period.  The Fatigue Review Board (FRB) meets regularly to review submitted reports.  You may be contacted if they have any questions. If your event falls within the fatigue guidelines, the report will be accepted.   If the FRB determines that your event does not meet the guidelines, it will be coded as sick or sick on-line and appropriate points will be applied.  

If you would like more information (including the list of fatigue event categories) please review the Fatigue Risk Management Plan Manual on Alaska’s World. The FRMP Letter of Agreement may be found by clicking here. It is also available on your IMD.  ASFA Supplemental> Collective Bargaining Agreement> Fatigue Risk Management Plan

In Solidarity,

Council 35 News – April 2021

Important Dates

  • May 6: CA Membership Meeting
  • May 12: Contract Extension TA Voting Closes
  • June 1:  Rainmaker Launch
  • June 30: Q2 CBT Due

CA Bases Local Council Membership Meeting

As previously communicated, our local Council meeting will be Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1100 PDT. The meeting will be via Zoom and is open to all members of Councils 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) in good standing.  The primary purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the AFA Board of Director’s meeting scheduled for May 13-14, and any local council agenda items.  Please submit local council agenda items to SFO@afaalaska.org prior to May 5th, 2021.  Advance registration is required using a personal (non-company) email address. To receive confirmation to attend, please register here. 

COVID Point Forgiveness

Calling in sick for a COVID related issue, such as exposure, vaccine appointments or reaction to the vaccine may receive attendance point forgiveness.  Management has agreed to remove all points related to COVID with documentation.  It is recommended that FAs save all receipts and appointment confirmations and send evidence to performance for conversion.  This process is manual so allow some time for the adjustment to show on the attendance record.  For more information, please review the April 12 Bulletin on the inflight page of Alaskasworld.

Flight Attendant COVID Vaccination Status

AFA International is collecting data on Flight Attendant Vaccinations.  Please complete the form to help discover trends in vaccination availability in your area.  Please visit the website for more information.

Trending Discipline

Reserve Not at Base

Reviewing the JCBA§11 which defines the AS reserve rules, the company expects that a reserve Flight Attendant will be within 2 hours of base at the beginning of the assigned reserve availability period (RAP). Commuting into base or being more than 2 hours aways from base at the start of RAP would be considered time card fraud and normally results in termination with the first offense.  Lineholders picking up reserve days should be aware of the reserve rules found in JCBA§11 in order to be familiar with the expectations.  Any reserve F/A or lineholder picking up reserve days who are interested in extra support or guidance, please reach out to the SFO Reserve Committee for assistance.

Sick Leave Abuse

The focus on sick leave usage has increased again.  Actions that trigger an investigation include calling out sick after a reassignment, calling out sick after a reserve assignment, or calling out when a deadhead leg is converted to a working leg.   Sick leave is not the same as paid time off (PTO).   Company provided sick leave is a benefit that is offered with a condition.  That condition is illness.  Use of this benefit for any other reason is considered fraud.  In the event the company suspects misuse, the burden of proof is on the Flight Attendant to prove an illness.  Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a violation of HIPAA laws, as the company is prohibited from asking the nature of the illness, but rather that illness was the cause of the call out and that the conditional benefit was used appropriately.  If misuse is confirmed (no evidence is discovered), the company has historically discharged on first offense.

A Special Note to Commuters

Commuters with a registered city have also been the focus for many investigations.  This includes sick leave and reserve violations.  When suspicion arises through the above mentioned actions that trigger a closer look,  travel records are often pulled to confirm suspected violations.  Additionally, monthly audits of registered commuters have been performed.  Violations found during the audit normally result in a Confirmation of Oral Warning on first offense, but can escalate up the steps of discipline if multiple violations occur.

TA Extension Info

Questions about the TA and voting?  Please visit the AFA Alaska dedicated TA Extension webpage to find answers!  All roadshows have been uploaded and the Q&A section has been added to the blog.  Questions not already addressed may be sent to: extension@afaalaska.org.  Reminder: voting ends May 12!

Catering Update

by Raymond Ramirez, SFO ISC Chair

With all the catering updates that went into effect on April 13, please utilize B2B to provide feedback with regards to food quality, missing items, new equipment, etc. Also, if you happen to make a note of a catering issue but forget to submit it on B2B before the flight disappears from your IMD, I’m happy to receive feedback through my e-mail raymond.ramirez@afaalaska.org. Please remember to provide the flight # and date, and if possible the aircraft tail and a photograph if possible. Also, if you are flying on Airbus and encounter a FC oven without an insert, that should be written up on B2B and not through the aircraft logbook. Speaking of the aircraft logbook, please write up tray tables that have the appearance of looking brown and stained. The cleaning chemicals over the last 12 months are causing these to look dirtier than they actually are. Although the company is aware, we can help bring more awareness by asking the pilots to write it up.

Uniform Update

by Lisa Mueller, SFO Uniform Chair

Our new uniforms have been on the line for about a year now. Since the new custom uniform was released during COVID, many Flight Attendants returning from furlough will be wearing it for the first time.

Wondering what the guidelines and policy are for the new uniform? Here is a link to the uniform page for guidelines, ordering, the fit center, etc: https://splash.alaskasworld.com/es/uniforms/

Need different uniform pieces? Different sizes? Here are some options to help if it is past the 90 day return policy:

  • Inquire with the Seattle Fit Center.  They have limited pieces that you may possibly (not guaranteed) be able to exchange your pieces for if they have the size you need. These are pieces from flight attendants who have quit, retired etc.  Phone:  206-392-7730,  email: fitcenter@alaskaair.com
  • Trade your uniform pieces with other flight attendants. There are private groups on Facebook that may be a good resource for finding other FAs willing to trade
  • You can also to order new pieces via the Uniform Webpage

In case no one told you today…You look marvelous! See you on the line! 

Updating Personal Information and Membership Dues

by James Ikehara, Council 35 Secretary
Have you recently moved to another city or changed your email address? Please use this link to update your personal details  to ensure the Membership Services department of AFA International has the most current contact information in their database. If you are coming back from a leave and need to inquire about the amount of dues owed on your account, use this link and someone from the Membership Services will contact you with details on the status of your account. Payments on your account can be made using this link.

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?

Using a personal email address, the preferred methods of contact are:

  • Open an Online Support Request ticket
  • Officer group email sfo@afaalaska.org (if one officer is flying /unavailable other officers can respond)
  • Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
  • Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 officers please avoid the following methods:

  • Sending to/from alaskaair email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
  •  Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
  • Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least one business day for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).  

In solidarity,

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

Council 15 May Updates

CA Based Local Council Membership Meeting


As previously communicated, our local Council meeting will be Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1100 PDT. The meeting will be via Zoom and is open to all members of Councils 15 (SAN), 18 (LAX) and 35 (SFO) in good standing.  The primary purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the AFA Board of Director’s meeting scheduled for May 13-14, and any local council agenda items.  Please submit local council agenda items to san@afaalaska.org prior to May 5th, 2021.  Advance registration is required using a personal (non-company) email address. To receive confirmation to attend, please register here.

MEC President Jeff Peterson has offered to be available to answer any questions regarding the Contract Extension Tentative Agreement during the first portion of the meeting.

Road Show Videos Posted For TA Extension Vote

All four virtual roadshows have been posted. Recordings of the Zoom sessions and their respective transcripts (when available) may be accessed from the Contract Extension 2021 webpage –> Virtual Roadshows –> Session Recordings.

The MEC highly encourages you to check out the 2nd roadshow with special guest panelists AFA Director of Collective Bargaining Joe Burns and Aviation Economist Dan Akins of FlightPath Economics.

Click here for the 2nd  roadshow video >

Did Not Receive a Ballot or Misplaced Your Activation Code

Flight Attendants who do not receive their voting instructions with the 16-digit activation code after the polls open may request a new code and instructions by filling out an online form. Membership Services will process these requests and a new activation code with instructions will be emailed directly to the Member as soon as possible during regular business hours.

Click here for the Request a New Activation Code form > 

Alternatively, you may call the AFA Ballot Helpline at (800) 424-2401, choose option 1, then enter extension 706. Flight Attendants who have dues or membership issues should call AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401 and choose option 7.

AFA Membership Services and the AFA Ballot Helpline are staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM EDT. The AFA International office is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so everyone is working from home. Please leave a voice message with your name, Peoplesoft number and a good callback number. Someone will return your call as soon as possible during regular business hours.

Dues, is the Invoice You Received Correct?

AFA International recently updated their billing systems. There were also several types of leaves due to Covid that may not have been coded consecutively. Your invoice may be showing you owe more than you do.

Before paying your invoice or if you’ve already paid please contact AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401 and choose option 7. AFA Membership Services is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM ET. Keep in mind that the AFA International office is currently closed due to the pandemic, so everyone is working from home. Please leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible during regular business hours.

You can also email San@afaalaska.org 

We need to know the following 

  • Peoplesoft 
  • Type or leave
  • Month or months of each leave
  • continuous or multiple leaves
  • did you come back from leave and go out on a new one
  • did you attend RT or RQ while on leave

Uniforms

The new uniforms have been on the line for about a year now. Since the new custom uniform was released during COVID, many Flight Attendants returning from furlough will be wearing it for the first time.

Wondering what the guidelines and policy are for the new uniform? Here is a link to the uniform page for guidelines, ordering, the fit center, etc: https://splash.alaskasworld.com/es/uniforms/

Need different uniform pieces? Different sizes? Here are some options to help if it is past the 90 day return policy:

  • Trade your Uniform pieces (if it’s past the 90 day return policy) with other flight attendants by posting on the AS/QX in-flight new uniform Forum on Facebook AS / QX Uniform Trades
  • Inquire with the Seattle Fit Center.  They have limited pieces that you may possibly (not guaranteed) be able to exchange your pieces for if they have the size you need. These are pieces from flight attendants who have quit, retired etc.  Phone:  206-392-7730,  email: fitcenter@alaskaair.com
  • You can also to order new pieces via the Uniform Webpage

Committee Chairs and Members Needed

The following Council 15 committees have vacancies in both the chair and member positions:

If you are interested in volunteering, please have a look at the position duties and responsibilities and reach out to your Council 15 officers at SAN@afaalaska.org.

Covid-19 Absence Reporting Form

 If you accrued attendance points for sick leave usage under Section 32 (Attendance Policy) of the CBA for a COVID-19 related absence, you had the option to submit a “COVID-19 Absence Reporting Form.”  Per the Bulletin dated April 12 2021. F/As on any leave of absence (including EVF or ELOA) as of the date of that Bulletin will have 14 calendar days to submit starting from their first day back to active service (the date you return from your leave of absence regardless of whether you fly that day or not.  Ensure you include enough detail in question #6 of the form (the reason for the absence) so a thorough review may take place 

Any future non-work-related sick leave absences due to COVID-19, from the date this Bulletin is published, through 5/31/21, must be substantiated with a non-work-related positive COVID-19 test from either the F/A or someone in the F/A’s immediate household to be considered for point reduction. Please submit your documentation to the following confidential email address: inflightperformanceteam@alaskaair.com.

Are you Contributing to 401k

We discovered many F/A’s  are not taking advantage of their 401K company match. The previous company match was 7% its been 7.5% company match for 5 years. If you are able and you haven’t updated your contribution to 7.5% try and do so It all adds up in the long run. The % change is not automatic, you have to physically go into your Vanguard account or call Vanguard direct (800-523-1188).

Council 35 News March 2021

Important Dates

  • March 31: Q1 CBT Due
  • March 31:  Oneworld Pins Now a Uniform Requirement
  • April 10:  AFA Scholarship Application Deadline
  • April 21:  Questions for SFO Safety Meeting Submission Deadline
  • April 30:  CWA Joe Beirne Scholarship Application Deadline
  • May 6: CA Membership Meeting

CDC Vaccine Information

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines for people that have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19, as well as the precautions you should still take to protect against reinfection. As more FAs start to obtain appointments for the vaccine, or become fully vaccinated, the CDC’s website has information about how to prepare for your vaccine and interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. 

Scholarship Opportunities

AFA Scholarship

The Association of Flight Attendant Scholarship Fund is intended to provide financial assistance to dependents of our active members who will be attending a college or university.  Applications must be postmarked by April 10, and sent to the following address:

AFA Scholarship Fund

P.O. Box 56

Hartwood, VA 22471-0056

For more detailed information, visit the AFA website.

CWA Joe Beirne Scholarship

The Joe Beirne Scholarship offered by CWA is available to AFA Members as well as dependents. The deadline for applications is April 30.   For more detailed information, visit the CWA website.

Reminder:  ASHSC Base Safety Meeting 

The next quarterly meeting of the Air Safety Health and Security Committee (ASHSC) for SFO is scheduled for April 28. Flight Attendants with questions for the committee can submit them via email to Brad Young, ASHSC Committee Chair and Cierra Lewis, SFO Base Manager.  Deadline for questions is 4/21/21. All submitted questions will be posted and answered in the next following ASHSC newsletter.

EAP and Other Resources

Flight Attendants in need of support during these unpredictable times are encouraged to reach out to the SFO EAP Committee for available resources for support.  AFA has a coordinated many resources and groups to provide assistance and guidance to members in need.  Additionally, Alaska Airlines provides employees with Active Support, which offers free confidential counseling to employees facing a variety of personal challenges.  

Trending Performance Investigations and Disciplines

CBT

Discipline for failing to complete quarterly CBTs are continue to trend.  Flight Attendants returning from leave are given 60 days to complete CBTs.  The Council 35 Grievance Committee has been successful in assisting FAs dispute discipline when evidence of technical difficulties exist.  Being busy and forgetting to complete the CBT has not been accepted as extenuating circumstances to miss a CBT deadline and the discipline will remain.  If more than one CBT deadline is missed, discipline will progress to higher steps on the discipline scale (ie 2 missed CBTs in 18 month period will escalate to a Written Warning).

Commuter Violations

Monthly audits are occurring and Council 35 has seen disciplines for misuse lessen however there are still Flight Attendants that are using it incorrectly.  Please be sure your registered cities are current and comply with guidelines set forth in the commuter program outlined on the FA webpage.

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?

Using a personal email address, the preferred methods of contact are:

  • Open an Online Support Request ticket
  • Officer group email sfo@afaalaska.org (if one officer is flying /unavailable other officers can respond)
  • Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
  • Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 officers please avoid the following methods:

  • Sending to/from alaskaair email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
  • Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
  • Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least one business day for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).  

In solidarity,

Melissa, James, and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

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This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have […]

Election Notice: Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Officer Elections

The term of office for our current Alaska + Hawaiian Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2025. The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the November Regular MEC meeting. This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual. […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025 Update #2

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Negotiations Update Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with the company on September 11 to review their response to our September 5 proposal.  We feel that it is important to acknowledge the challenges within our company as Alaska management is struggling to understand our Collective Bargaining Agreement […]

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