AFA Alaska + Hawaiian

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Archives for Open Time Trial

AFA Special Update – Negotiations

In This Edition (October 25, 2019)

  • Open Time Negotiations – October 22 Recap
  • Back to Book
  • Fixing Crew Access

Open Time Negotiations – October 22 Recap

Your AFA Alaska Negotiating Committee resumed Open Time negotiations with management on October 22 in Seattle. The Negotiating Committee started out the day with high hopes based on the progress we made in the prior session. Although the parties made their best effort to maintain our momentum, we were unable to break through to an agreement on the final terms and found ourselves at an impasse.

The AFA Negotiating Committee had a mandate from membership to preserve direct dropping into Open Time, eliminate trading codes, allow day-for-day or greater trading in Open Time and to address “super closing” of days. The parties discussed several variations of new and prior proposals, but management firmly believed that all of them would potentially create an unacceptable operational and financial liability for the Company.

Back to Book

Consequently, AFA and management agreed we will be going “Back to Book” as soon as possible. The current Open Time trading rules will remain in place until the Back to Book trading rules can be programmed into Crew Access. The Back to Book trading rules are outlined in the second Section 12 [Exchange of Sequences] of the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA), labeled Back to Book (BTB) Section 12. (Yes, there are two Section 12s.) The Back to Book trading rules are found under (BTB) Section 12.F [Trades with Open Time]. Those rules are further modified by the “Withholding Open Time Award” (No. 36-99-02-18-11), which is found at the back of the JCBA under Grievance 1.

Most Flight Attendants today were not flying at Alaska when those Open Time trading rules were last in effect, so naturally there are many questions. Be on the lookout for a future communication dedicated to Back to Book Open Time trading rules.  

Fixing Crew Access

Open Time trading is essentially ineffective without the real-time, stable trading system that management is obligated to provide. Your AFA Master Executive Council (MEC) had a very encouraging meeting with management and Ken Sain, President of Digital Solutions and Analytics for Boeing Global Services, and members of his team. Management will be communicating the details of that meeting.

Although the MEC is tentatively optimistic that the Crew Access issues are finally getting long-overdue attention by the right people, we’re not relying on sincere apologies and handshakes to get us there. You can help by sending a letter to management to fix Crew Access. It’s super easy—just click the link below.

>> Click here to send management your letter <<

We must stand together and speak with one overwhelmingly loud voice to ensure that management hears our message—that they need to honor their obligations and fix Crew Access NOW!

Coming Soon

Stay tuned for the following AFA negotiations special updates (order of release subject to change):

  • Block hours vs. TFP
  • Block or Better vs. Block Delay
  • Incentive Pay vs. Productivity Premium Program (PPP)
  • Inflight Team Leader (ITL) Pay vs. “A” Pay
  • Section 6 Negotiations Overview
  • Negotiating for Our Future
  • Back to Book Open Time Trading Rules

Behind the Scenes: What Goes Into Bringing Our MEC Town Halls to Life

Since launching our MEC Town Halls in March, we’ve focused on making these sessions a clear and effective way to connect with everyone. In June, we adjusted our approach to a more dynamic, interview-based, and conversational format to make these sessions even more engaging. But what does it take to move from an initial concept […]

Go In-Depth with Our AFA Membership Engagement Committee Chairperson

Building on the momentum of our Membership Engagement Committee introduction video and this week’s look at the committee’s history, we’re excited to introduce the next feature of our July Committee Focus Month. Today, we’re launching an in-depth interview that offers an inside look at the mission and people powering the Membership Engagement Committee. What You’ll […]

Register Now: Reserve Webinar – Thursday, August 6

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants As a follow-up to our June 23 save-the-date announcement, we’re excited to share full details and open registration for our August pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! If you’ve ever wondered, “Can they do that?” when Crew Scheduling calls with a reserve assignment or schedule change—whether you’re a Reserve Flight […]

AFA Committee Focus Month: Membership Engagement

July marks our latest AFA Committee Focus Month, and we’re excited to spotlight our Membership Engagement Committee. In May, we kicked off this initiative by showcasing the exceptional work of our EAP/Professional Standards Committee—illustrating how our committees serve and support us every day. Our Membership Engagement Committee is here to make sure every Member feels genuinely […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 16 – July 2026

The JNC has been actively negotiating key sections of the contract, focusing on vacation, sick leave, and temporary duty assignments. A tentative agreement was reached on Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignments), ensuring financial protections and fair treatment for Flight Attendants during temporary assignments. These ongoing discussions demonstrate a commitment to integrating the best benefits from both Alaska and Hawaiian CBAs for all members.

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX (pmAS) Council 19 SEA (pmAS) Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX Council 43 HNL Council 47 LAX/SEA (pmHA) EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska + Hawaiian news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates