As previously communicated, the voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will conduct an election for MEC Officers at the upcoming regular November MEC meeting.  Elections will be held on the first day of the meeting which is scheduled to begin on November 1, 2022.  This notice, communicating a list of eligible candidates for MEC office, is being provided in accordance with Article III.C.3 of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual.

Eligible Candidates

The following Flight Attendants have met the requirements outlined in Article III.C of the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual and are considered eligible candidates for MEC office:

MEC President

Jeffrey Peterson (view resume | view willingness-to-serve statement)

MEC Vice President

Brian Palmer (view resume | view willingness-to-serve statement)

MEC Secretary-Treasurer

Linda Christou (view resume | view willingness-to-serve statement)
Melissa Osborne (view resume | view willingness-to-serve statement)

Questions?

If you have any questions about MEC Officer elections, please contact your LEC President.

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The term of office for our current Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2022.  The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the regular November MEC meeting.  This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with article III.C.1 of the MEC Policy Manual.

Background

The MEC Officers consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.  These officer positions are responsible for serving as the coordinating council for the membership of the airline and carrying out the decisions of the MEC.  These officer positions are elected by the Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, who are the voting members of MEC.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the MEC Officers are defined in article VII.C.2 of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

MEC President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.a)

The President shall be the official Union spokesperson and chief executive officer for that airline and shall have the authority and duty to: 

(1) Be responsible for and charged with administering the policies of that Master Executive Council, and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board. 

(2)  Be responsible for the expeditious processing of members’ complaints and grievances. 

(3)  Be the Union representative on that airline for the purpose of furthering and implementing the objectives and policies announced by the Board of Directors and Executive Board. 

(4)  Coordinate and compile Master Executive Council policy, review reports and recommendations and submit such material to the appropriate committees of the Union. 

(5)  Be a member of the Negotiating Committee. 

(6)  Be a member of the Executive Board. 

(7)  Be granted the privilege of the floor at all meetings of the Board of Directors, but shall have no vote, if not also a Local Council President. 

(8)  Be responsible for and supervise the business and managerial functions of the Union on that carrier. 

(9)  Consult with and be assisted by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. 

(10)  Ballot the Master Executive Council if necessary or when required. 

(11)  Keep a current and accurate inventory of all Union property and supplies purchased or provided by the Union and submit a copy of this to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. 

(12)  Inform all Master Executive Council Officers and committees that all files, correspondence, documents and other materials resulting from the work of such committees are the property of the Union, not the personal property of individuals, and are to be safeguarded. 

(13)  Maintain the Union’s files and property, then transfer them to her/his successor promptly. 

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

• Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
• Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

• This position is contractually provided 130 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month
• Most work is completed remotely.  Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle as needed.  
• The MEC President is on-call to respond to critical incidents and situations.

MEC Vice President

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.b)

The Vice President shall:

(1) Function under the jurisdiction of the President in carrying out the policies and directives of the Master Executive Council.

(2) Perform the duties of the President at her/his request or in the absence of the President.

(3) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as executive sponsor of MEC Committees and inform the MEC Secretary-Treasurer of upcoming meetings for calendaring.
• Be responsible for obtaining a monthly written report from each of the MEC Committee Chairs and providing these reports to the MEC Secretary-Treasurer for submission with the monthly MEC agenda.
• Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, MEC committee meetings (as needed), and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
• Coordinate and participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

• This position is budgeted for a base amount of 100 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month.
• Most work is completed remotely.  Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle as needed.  
• The MEC Vice President is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President during vacation and as needed.

MEC Secretary-Treasurer

From the AFA Constitution & Bylaws (article VII.C.2.c)

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

(1) Assist the President in administering Master Executive Council funds.

(2) Maintain Master Executive Council records and perform such other duties that may be specifically assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the President or Acting President.

(3) Be responsible to the President and Master Executive Council.

(4) Be responsible for general record keeping and accounting of the Master Executive Council budget and any funds.

(5) Distribute a quarterly statement on expenditures to the Master Executive Council.

(6) Assist in preparation of the Master Executive Council annual report to the membership.

(7) Exhibit at all reasonable times the general records to any Officer or active member in good standing upon application.

(8) Maintain Master Executive Council records and record all meetings of the Master Executive Council.

(9) Deliver to her/his successor all monies and other property of the Master Executive Council. On demand of the International Office, s/he shall make available all books and records for examination and audit.

(10) Submit a copy of all Master Executive Council meeting minutes and nomination notices to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union.

(11) Be responsible for distributing a list of Master Executive Council committees’ flight pay loss to the Master Executive Council and the International Office each month; this list will include, but not be limited to, hours and ID(s) missed, days on projects, and projects charged.

(12) Be granted the privilege of the floor at all Master Executive Council and Board of Directors meetings, but shall have no vote if not also a Local Council President.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintain the MEC agenda; solicit agenda items from members of the MEC
• Reserve meeting space and other meeting resources as needed
• Make arrangements for MEC hotel accommodations and meals as requested
• Perform month-end financial reconciliation activities including:
  • Monthly submission of MEC flight pay loss to the company
  • Monthly reconciliation of Union Business flight pay loss
  • Monthly submission of all Union Business to AFA International
  • Review and approve expense reports
  • Monthly reconciliation of budget and expense reports
• Attend regular and special MEC meetings, quarterly Labor Leader meetings with the company, and annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meetings.
• Participate in the MEC Duty Officer program 

Time Commitment and Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

• This position is budgeted for a base amount of 75 TFP of Flight Pay Loss (FPL) per month.
• Most work is completed remotely.  Must have the ability to be present in the MEC Office in Seattle as needed.  
• The MEC Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC Vice President during vacation and as needed. They are responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the MEC President if the president and vice president are simultaneously unavailable.

Working Relationships

With The Master Executive Council (MEC)

Constant interaction with the LEC Presidents, other LEC Officers, and other MEC Officers

With MEC Committees

Constant interaction with MEC Committee Chairs and Committee Members.

With Management

Constant interaction with Alaska Airlines management, particularly within the inflight and labor relations departments

With AFA International

Frequent interaction with AFA international officers and staff members

Term of Office

The regular term of office is for three years, beginning on January 1, 2023 and concluding on December 31, 2025.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews and conduct elections during the regular November MEC meeting on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.  The meeting will be conducted in person at the MEC Office in SeaTac, WA.  Bid around this date or plan to arrange your schedule accordingly to accommodate.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume online at https://forms.gle/6ifP8mYu9mDnT4YZA.  The deadline for submissions is 9 AM Pacific time on Saturday, October 22.  After that time, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact qualified candidates to schedule a specific interview time.

Please note that in order to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account.  If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

If you have any questions about MEC duties and responsibilities or the election process, please email officers@afaalaska.org.