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Upcoming AFA Alaska Phone and Email Outages

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

As we move forward with merging the Alaska and Hawaiian Master Executive Councils (MECs), we want to inform you about some changes happening this week that may affect your ability to contact AFA Representatives. Some of the communication systems we use at AFA Alaska, including our email and phone systems, will be combined with those used by AFA Hawaiian. During this transition, you may need to use alternative methods to reach an AFA Representative.

Phone System Outage

Starting tonight, March 18, at 5 PM PT, AFA phone lines—such as the main AFA Alaska number, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) line, and the Air Quality hotline—will be temporarily unavailable. We expect these services to be offline until early next week. In the meantime, if you need to reach someone, here are some alternatives:

  • You can contact Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers using their direct phone numbers on our website.
  • For EAP or Professional Standards assistance, please refer to the Committee Member or Chairperson phone numbers on your Local Committee page or call AFA International EAP at (800) 424-2406 to be routed to an on-call EAP Representative.
  • The Air Quality Reporting Hotline will be available at (503) 358-3436.

Email System Outage

Additionally, starting at 5 PM PT on Friday, March 21, our AFA Alaska email systems will also be offline until Monday morning, March 24. During this time, AFA Representatives won’t be reachable via their AFA Alaska email addresses and won’t be able to view or respond to tickets submitted through the AFA Online Support Center. However, you can still contact AFA Representatives directly by phone using the numbers listed on your Local Committee page.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate this transition. Merging our AFA systems is an important step towards better communication and efficiency, which will help us serve our combined group of Flight Attendants more effectively.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – March 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Monday, March 10, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met for our first in-person meeting of the year to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich chairing the meeting.

The committee met with Crew Hotels & Administration Manager Nichole Turner, Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and Managing Director of Operations Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette from management.   

The next scheduled Hotel Committee meeting is Monday, April 14.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during the meeting with management, most of which focused on hotel decisions and challenges in our layover markets. Some items discussed include:

  • Van Times: Van times remain a significant topic of discussion. In February, a 10-minute discrepancy between Flight Attendants and Pilots’ van times was identified due to an API processing error, which has since been corrected. The Hotel Committee is currently concerned about early arrivals at the airport. Except for ATL, DEN, and SLC, vans should not arrive at the airport earlier than 15 minutes before your scheduled report time. We have observed a considerable number of early arrivals on weekend trips, as van times have not been adjusted for the reduced weekend traffic. Please report any van time discrepancies in MyCrewCare for documentation, research, and resolution.
  • Hotel Contractual Requirements: There is some confusion regarding our crew hotels’ requirements. There are two layers of hotel requirements: those outlined in section 34.A.2 of our collective bargaining agreement, which are contractual requirements, and those imposed by the company on the hotel, available on the front page of the Hotel Hotline under Crew Hotel Room Blocks. These are the only requirements for crew accommodations. If you notice any discrepancies regarding these requirements, please submit a report via MyCrewCare for documentation and resolution.
  • Hotel Information Timelines: The company provided a timeline for when hotel information is imported into NavBlue and CrewAccess. Recognizing that Flight Attendants bid or trade trips specifically for layovers, our Hotel Committee has advocated for both timely and accurate hotel information in these systems. We have successfully expedited the CrewAccess importation dates, allowing hotel information to be available at the start of trip trading. Previously, this migration began on the 19th of the month, days after trading began. Here are the hotel migration timelines for the applicable bid month: 
    • By the 21st: The final pairings sent to API for hotel assignments.
    • By the 26th: Hotel assignments sent to Crew Planning and uploaded into NAVBLUE for bidding.
    • On the 5th: Bidding opens.
    • Final hotel assignments are available in Crew Access on staggered dates throughout the month:
      • On the 12th: Overnights imported for the 1st through the 10th
      • On the 13th: Overnights imported for the 11th through the 20th
      • On the 17th: Overnights imported for the 21st through the end of the month

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee visits hotels under consideration by management to advocate for selections that provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. The committee recently conducted site visits in AUS, SAT and LIR and are submitting their reports for company review.  Currently, we have site visits scheduled in MCO (March), STL (March), MKE (April), IAD (May), FLL (May), LAS (May), RSW (June), and SEA (June). Contract expirations, crew complaints, and cost-saving opportunities are the primary factors that trigger a market review. Depending on the outcome of this review, a site visit may be scheduled in that city. 
  2. Hotel Gainshare Program: The recently ratified 2025-2028 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) includes a Commitment to Negotiate a Hotel Gain-Share Program Letter of Agreement (LOA). This LOA specifies that within four months of the ratification of the CBA, the parties will schedule and engage in negotiation sessions to discuss the Hotel Gain-Share Program. The goal of these negotiations is to implement the program, if feasible, within six months of the CBA ratification. The parties may mutually agree to extend these time limits. Conversations about this should begin shortly.

We Want to Hear From You!

Don’t let any unacceptable experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation provider go unnoticed! Please report the issue via CrewCare so that it can be addressed. CrewCare is the only official way to report issues, as the Hotel Committee does not monitor social media channels.

Each CrewCare submission is forwarded to your AFA Hotel Committee, Crew Hotels (Alaska management), API and the hotel or ground transportation provider. This ensures quick action can be taken to correct the issue or fix it for the next crewmember. It also allows us to monitor hotel and transportation trends. You can quickly file a CrewCare report using the web app on your IMD home screen or by clicking here.

Do you have any other feedback you would like to share with the committee or any specific items you want us to bring up with management? Please let us know! The Local Hotel Committee is here to represent you and ensure management hears your voice. You can find our contact information on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Negotiations Support Representative Interviews

Background

The Negotiations Support Representative plays a vital role in assisting the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC). Key responsibilities include serving as the primary note-taker during negotiation sessions, developing and managing a communication plan, creating engaging informational content for Members, coordinating social media activities, and gathering and reviewing Member feedback. This position requires strong organizational skills, proficiency with various digital tools, and effective communication abilities. The Representative works closely with different AFA committees and others to support the collective bargaining process.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Act as the primary note-taker during all negotiation sessions and related meetings. Ensure proper record-keeping of all negotiation-related notes, proposals, correspondence, and materials for all members of the JNC. Maintain confidentiality of information in accordance with AFA policy.
  • Develop and manage the JNC communications plan. Following the established MEC Communications development process, create informational and educational materials for the membership, including written content, graphics, and videos (both short and long form). Collaborate with the MEC Communications Committee Chairperson to schedule and publish approved content through MEC communication channels, including social media, the website, broadcast emails, and mobile messaging.
  • Coordinate social media activities on behalf of the JNC as directed. Work with the JNC to address feedback, comments, and concerns consistently and uniformly. Assist the MEC Communications Committee Chairperson in managing all social media and online platforms as instructed.
  • Develop, write, and edit correspondence and other communications. Aid in preparing committee reports for the MEC and other stakeholders.
  • Coordinate the collection of membership feedback on behalf of the JNC. Manage online feedback collection tools, analyze the information, compile feedback summaries, and report back to the JNC Chairperson.
  • Take responsibility for developing content and presentation materials for Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) Road Shows. Distribute road show materials as directed by the JNC Chairperson.
  • Maintain the JNC calendar. Schedule and plan meetings and videoconferences as needed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned by the JNC Chairperson or the AFA Senior Staff Negotiator.

Expectations/Qualifications

  • Current Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines AFA Member in good standing.
  • Extensive working knowledge of current pre-merger airline’s collective bargaining agreement. Working knowledge of both pre-merger collective bargaining agreements helpful.
  • Strong computer skills. Excellent proficiency with Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Chat, and Meet), Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and website content management systems (WordPress and Squarespace) required.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to develop engaging membership communications, respond professionally to internal and external emails, track issues, prepare reports, plan meeting agendas, and take minutes.
  • Ability to create engaging membership communications for various channels, including broadcast email, web, and social media. Proficiency in storyboarding, scripting, producing, and editing both short-form and long-form video content is required.
  • Ability to check and respond to email regularly during the business week, meet deadlines, and follow up on assigned tasks.
  • Ability to participate in all required videoconferences and virtual meetings.
  • Ability to attend meetings and in-person activities as required (mainly in Seattle).
  • Ability to attend AFA International and other required training as needed.
  • Willingness to sign and abide by the AFA Alaska confidentiality policy and a company-provided non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

Time Commitment & Flight Pay Loss Reimbursement

  • The time commitment is approximately one week per month in Seattle, with additional remote work as needed. This may increase depending on the pace of negotiations.
  • Flight pay loss and related override(s) will be compensated in accordance with the applicable pre-merger Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provisions and/or the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual.
  • Travel time is unpaid; exceptions will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
  • Meal, incidental expenses, and other reimbursements will follow the guidelines outlined in the MEC Policy & Procedure Manual and AFA-CWA C&B.

Working Relationships

With The Joint Negotiating Committee

This position works directly on a day-to-day basis with the members of the Joint Negotiating Committee, including the AFA Senior Staff Negotiator.

With The MEC Communications Committee

Constant interaction with the MEC Communications Committee Chairperson and members of the MEC Communications Committee. Occasional interaction with the AFA International Communications Department.

With The Master Executive Council

Regular interaction with the Master Executive Council as directed by the JNC Chairperson. This position reports to the MEC through the MEC President.

With Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines Management

Regular interaction with management’s appointed negotiating team members, particularly during negotiations sessions.

Expressing Interest & Interview Scheduling

The MEC will interview eligible candidates during the April Regular MEC Meeting on Tuesday, April 1, and Wednesday, April 2. If you are interested in interviewing, please plan to bid around these dates or adjust your schedule accordingly.

Eligible candidates can choose to interview in person in SeaTac, WA, or virtually via Google Meet videoconferencing. 

To express your interest, please submit an expression of interest and your resume using the online form (link below). The submission deadline is 5 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. After the submission deadline, an MEC representative will contact eligible candidates to arrange specific interview times.

Click here to submit an expression of interest form >

Please note that a Google account is required to submit the expression of interest form. If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Time To Swap Out Your Red AFA Pin & Lanyard!

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

With our contract negotiations at Alaska wrapped up and our new collective bargaining agreement in place, we’ve officially completed our mobilization activities related to Contract 2022. A huge shoutout to everyone who stood with our Negotiating Committee during this journey. Your unwavering solidarity—wearing the red AFA pin, sporting the red lanyard, and participating in our days of action and other solidarity activities—really showcased our strength to management. We couldn’t have done this without your incredible support!

Now, it’s time to shift gears and put away those red AFA accessories. The MEC has officially passed a resolution to transition back to the classic white AFA pin, so the red pin is no longer our official pin. Please swap your red AFA pin for your white one, or pick a special edition AFA pin that you love! And don’t forget to trade in your lanyard for one that follows the company’s uniform policy (check the Uniform Policy Guide for all the details—AAG SSO required).

Need a new white AFA pin? Just reach out to your Local Council. If you’re looking for a compliant lanyard, your supervisor or manager at your base can help you out.

Thanks again for your amazing solidarity—it truly makes a difference!

Introducing Our AFA Alaska Joint Negotiating Committee and Seniority Merger Integration Committee Members

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Last week, our Master Executive Council (MEC) conducted interviews for two positions on the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and two positions on the Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC). We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the candidates who participated in the interviews and demonstrated their commitment to serving our Flight Attendants. After careful consideration, we are pleased to announce the election of Virginia Fritz and Heather Reier to the JNC positions, as well as Marie Maxwell and Camile Caldwell to the SMIC positions. All will serve as the pre-merger Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant representatives on their respective committees in the upcoming merger.

Joint Negotiating Committee

Virginia Fritz

Virginia has been a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant since 2015 when she started her career at Virgin America. She has always had a passion for aviation since traveling as an unaccompanied minor at 5 years old. Her desire for aviation led her to work on a Zeppelin, as a gate agent, and as an air transportation supervisor. When Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America, and she became a member of AFA, she jumped at the first opportunity to fight for Flight Attendants by serving as the Council 35 (SFO) Scheduling Committee Chairperson from 2018 until 2022. In 2022, Virginia was elected as Council 35 LEC Vice President and began serving San Francisco Flight Attendants in additional capacities, including with local Grievance, Mobilization, and Hotel Committees, as well as other needs her local Members requested of her. In 2020, she was privileged to be able to join the PBS Committee, and in 2023, she was honored to begin serving as MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS. 

Virginia is honored and humbled to be elected to the Joint Negotiating Committee so that she can use her commitment and passion in advocacy to find a contract that truly helps us all be stronger together.

When not advocating for fellow Flight Attendants, Virginia resides in Los Gatos, CA, with her supportive and loving husband, their adorable pup, Strudel, and her especially Union Proud Grandmother.

Heather Reier

Heather attended her first Anchorage Local Council AFA meeting in early 2016 before even flying a trip. Being a helper by nature, she immediately joined the Reserve Committee as a Reserve Buddy. This allowed her to better learn the parts of the contract that were specific to her work and to support others in the same position.

When the Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson position became available in early 2019, Heather stepped into that role to better assist all her coworkers – while remaining a Reserve Buddy (and Interim Reserve Chairperson) until this past July. As Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson, she has been able to help countless Flight Attendants with questions about legalities, pay, hotel issues, etc. She has often been able to advocate successfully on others’ behalf.

Heather was elected Anchorage Local Executive Council Vice President for 2023-2025. She is thrilled that this expanded role allows her to fully serve her coworkers and increase her knowledge and expertise in all contract areas. 

Heather and her husband, Travis, a firefighter in Anchorage, have been married for 28 years and have raised their family in Anchorage since early 1997. Heather is an animal lover. She has three dogs of her own and often has foster dogs running around. She also enjoys the outdoors (minus the mosquitos) and has recently discovered a love of gardening.

About the Joint Negotiating Committee

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will negotiate with management to merge the collective bargaining agreements of the two pre-merger airlines into a single agreement for the newly combined airline. The full JNC will include two members from AFA Alaska, two from AFA Hawaiian, the MEC President, and the AFA Staff Negotiator.

Seniority Merger Integration Committee

Marie Maxwell

Marie Maxwell, a San Diego-based Flight Attendant, is excited to join the AFA Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) for the upcoming merger with Hawaiian Airlines. Marie previously served as a SMIC member for the Alaska Airlines/Virgin America merger in 2017/18 and brings first-hand knowledge and experience of merging two Flight Attendant seniority lists. Marie will analyze the results of the past merger and look for opportunities to make improvements during this subsequent merger within the guidelines of the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. She is ultimately committed to ensuring this is a fair and equitable process for both Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants.  

Marie joined Alaska Airlines as a Flight Attendant in 2012. Before Alaska, she spent three decades in various marketing and product management roles in the tech sector. She brings strong analytical, project management, and communication skills to this committee and will focus on accomplishing SMIC goals promptly, fairly, and systematically.

Marie moved to San Diego when the base opened in 2013. She is originally from western Pennsylvania but has spent most of her life on the West Coast. Marie graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts. She is an avid traveler, most recently visiting the Serengeti in Tanzania on a photo Safari and hiking the mountains in Tanzania and Uganda to observe chimpanzees and gorillas in their natural habitat. When she is not working or traveling, she spends her spare time playing pickleball, hiking, and making pottery.

Camile Caldwell

Camile started her flying career with Virgin America in 2017 as a San Francisco-based Flight Attendant. Once the Virgin America/Alaska merger was complete, Camile began volunteering with AFA and has held positions on the Council 35 (SFO) Reserve and Grievance Committees. In addition to her Union roles, Camile works as an inflight instructor, where she helped develop the 2024 RT program. 

Before becoming a Flight Attendant, Camile attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which she continues to call home. When she isn’t flying, you can find Camile on the hiking trails with her boxer dog, Lily, or enjoying time with friends and family.  

Camile is honored to serve our workgroup during the Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines merger as part of the Seniority Merger Integration Committee and will work to create a fair, equitable, and unified seniority list. If you see her out on the line, please stop and say hi!

About The Seniority Merger Integration Committee

The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) is responsible for gathering the information needed to merge the Flight Attendant seniority lists, evaluating any protests from Flight Attendants, and producing a final certified seniority list for the upcoming merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. The full SMIC will be composed of two merger representatives from AFA Alaska and two from AFA Hawaiian.

Save the Date: Reserve Webinar – Thursday, August 6

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Pre-merger Alaska Reserve Flight Attendants: Have you ever had Crew Scheduling call you with a change to your assignment and wondered, “Can they do that?” Lineholders, have you flown with a Reserve Flight Attendant and found yourself asking the same question? You’re not alone! Our Reserve Committee […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – June 2026

On Monday, June 8, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and […]

MEC Town Hall Video and Q&A Recap – June 8, 2026

Whether you joined us live or are looking to watch on your own schedule, we’re excited to share the full recording of our June 8 MEC Town Hall! Catch up on the discussions and hear directly from our MEC Officers and AFA panelists—now available to you anytime on the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian YouTube channel […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, June 4, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Kanako Yamada (LAX), Adrian Alcantara (SAN), and MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 15 – June 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.

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