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A Message from Your Local Council Officers

A Message from Local Council President Melissa Osborne

Fellow Teammates,

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for all the expressions of support that I received for the position of Council 35 Transitional President.  I am overwhelmed and honored to be selected to represent you.  This is an exciting opportunity to promote the interests of our teammates in a cooperative effort with the seasoned and well-established Master Executive Council (MEC) at Alaska.  I am very hopeful that we will make tangible progress to improve our compensation when MEC President Jeff Peterson and I meet with management next week.  The next several weeks will be challenging; however, I am eager to face them knowing the amount of support I have received from all of you.

This marks a new and exciting era for VX flight attendants, providing the perfect opportunity to start afresh with unity, optimism and hope.  Mergers are never an easy process, and although it is the desire of AS management and your MEC to provide the smoothest one possible, please know that it is up to all of us to make this endeavor a success.  Your role in this merger matters, and working together, we can help to build a heritage that can make our new Alaska Airlines the pride of the industry.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the Villages in the months to come, as your new Council 35 introduces you to AFA and all the benefits that the membership enjoys.  I will make every effort to address all your concerns and encourage you to utilize the prescribed lines of communication with our new representatives at AFA.  Please feel free to contact me to discuss any concerns that you may have or to offer constructive suggestions.  I will make every effort to provide timely and newsworthy updates to keep you abreast of progress.

Thank you, again, for your support.  I take this responsibility seriously and I will do my very best to merit the confidence that you have placed in me.

In Solidarity,
Melissa Osborne
Transitional Local Council 35 President

 

A Message from Local Council Secretary James Ikehara

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for all of your support to serve as your Transitional Secretary. It was very humbling to receive your well wishes, and I greatly appreciate your confidence in me as we work with the MEC and Alaska Airlines towards the integration of our work groups. As Melissa stated, it is up to all of us to restart this process with a sense of unification, and to work together to achieve the common goal of improving our work rules and compensation to be on par with our fellow flight attendants at Alaska Airlines.

I am eager to work for and support Melissa during this exciting time frame, and will do everything possible to ensure all of you are kept informed of the latest information. As always, please feel free to reach out to me to discuss any issues regarding our negotiations.

Once again, many thanks and I look forward to seeing all of you on the line or in the Village.

In solidarity,
James

AFA Transitional Local Council 35 Virgin America Officer Appointments

Pursuant to the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws Article III.A.2 [Local Councils and Local Executive Councils: Establishment of Transitional Local Councils for Newly Organized Carriers], International President Sara Nelson has appointed Temporary Transitional Officers to represent AFA Transitional Local Council 35 Virgin America. AFA solicited input from Virgin America (VX) Flight Attendants for names of potential appointees and each potential appointee must have received a minimum of two recommendations and signed a commitment to serve. President Nelson commends VX F/As for the level of interest and engagement regarding the two positions, and she sincerely thanks all those who were willing to represent the newly formed council.

Melissa Osborne has been appointed as Temporary Transitional Local Council president and James Ikehara as secretary.

Temporary Transitional Local Council President Melissa Osborne

Melissa Osborne has been a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant with Virgin America for nine years. In addition to her flying duties, she served in a variety of roles to include Inflight Instructor, Red Carpet Facilitator, Refresh Design Team, Inflight Team Leader and Air Transportation Supervisor. She came to Virgin America after enjoying 7 years at Aloha Airlines, which ended with the company going out of business in 2008. Based in Honolulu, Melissa also served as support to the grievance chair at AFA Aloha, which included contract research and participation in arbitration hearings. In addition to almost 17 years in the airline industry, she served as a public school teacher in Hawaii, California and Arizona. Melissa has been living in Phoenix for the last 5 years and spends free time with her three children and dog. She enjoys gardening, cooking, kayaking and working on home improvement projects.

Temporary Transitional Local Council Secretary James Ikehara

James Ikehara has been a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant with Virgin America for five years. In addition to his flying duties, he has participated in various activities of the Promo Team, and was a member of the A320 ETOPS Cadre. In May, he will also help to certify the A321 as a member of the A321 ETOPS Cadre. Prior to coming to Virgin America, he worked for Visa, Inc. at their Foster City headquarters for almost 21 years, with the last 10 years as their Director of the Executive Briefing Center. James lives in San Francisco and spends his leisure time playing in his violin and viola in the Bohemian Club orchestra at their city club, as well as attending their two yearly events at the Bohemian Grove in the Russian River.

Term of office, elections, membership drive and other engagement opportunities

Melissa and James will serve as Local Officers until AFA can hold an election to fill those positions. AFA will also be conducting a membership drive at Virgin America over the next 30-60 days. Every effort will be made to ensure at least 50% of the VX F/As become AFA members prior to initiating nominations and elections, which will occur no later than 60 days from today pursuant to Article VIII.C.1.a [Nomination and Election of Officers: Local Council Officers and CWA Convention Delegates].

Click here to download an AFA membership application >

Virgin America Flight Attendants who are interested in assisting with the membership drive or getting involved in any way should take a few moments to complete the volunteer interest form. Any other AFA Alaska members who are interested in volunteering may email vx@afaalaska.org.

Click here to access the Council 35 Involvement Interest Form (Virgin America only) >

Member of the Master Executive Council (MEC)

By virtue of office, the Council 35 president is now a member of the AFA Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC). Each local president (15 SAN, 18 LAX, 19 SEA, 30 ANC, 39 PDX and now 35 VX) along with the MEC president, vice president and secretary-treasurer make up the MEC, which is the executive-level leadership structure at AFA Alaska. The MEC meets approximately monthly. Our next meeting is in Seattle this coming week: Tuesday-Wednesday April 25-26, and Melissa will be representing Virgin America Flight Attendants in that meeting.

Virgin America Flight Attendant Compensation

AFA is aware that non-represented employees at Virgin America typically receive wage increases around this time of year. We are very concerned that VX Flight Attendants have not received a wage increase in several years, which currently places VX F/A pay at the bottom of the industry. Consequently, AFA and Alaska Airlines management have agreed to meet on Thursday, April 27th in order to discuss this and other subjects. Along with MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Council 35 VX President Melissa Osborne will also represent VX F/As in those discussions.

We know Virgin America Flight Attendants have many more questions. AFA is planning on additional communications in the coming days and weeks. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Congratulations to Melissa, James and all the Flight Attendants at Virgin America!

In Solidarity,

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

Your AFA International Officers – Sara Nelson, Deb Sutor and Kevin Creighan

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

On Thursday, August 27, our Seattle Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) representatives met with management to discuss ongoing safety concerns, operational challenges, policy updates, and workplace improvements impacting Flight Attendants across the operation. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Walstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA pmAS), Kahea Alvarez (LAX/SEA pmHA), Carin Merritt (LAX […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 19 – September 2026

Last week, the JNC received management’s responses on several contract sections and submitted counterproposals, including important updates for retiree benefits. As negotiations continue, both parties are preparing to use Interest-based Bargaining (IBB), a collaborative approach that aims to find mutually beneficial solutions to complex issues. IBB training is scheduled for October in Seattle and will be led by a mediator from the National Mediation Board.

Understanding The Legislative Process

As we continue our Government Affairs Committee Focus Month, this week we’re exploring how the legislative process works, why enacting laws strengthens our collective bargaining power, and how to engage effectively with our elected representatives. The legislative process may sometimes feel complex or far removed, but it directly shapes our day-to-day lives—from cabin safety regulations […]

Go In-Depth with Our AFA Government Affairs Committee Chairperson

As Government Affairs Committee Focus Month continues, we’re excited to bring you a direct, face-to-face conversation that goes to the core of our Union’s legislative work. You’ll see how our experiences in the cabin translate into meaningful advocacy that drives real change. MEC Communications Committee Chairperson Brian Palmer recently sat down with MEC Government Affairs […]

Honoring the 25th Anniversary of September 11: Never Forget

A quarter of a century has passed since September 11, 2001—a day that fundamentally transformed our world and redefined aviation safety forever. Today, as members of the Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendant family, we stand together to reflect on that pivotal morning, honor the memory of those we lost, and reaffirm our solemn promise: We Will […]

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