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SFO Co-Terminal Negotiations

Management has recently approached AFA regarding their desire to negotiate a co-terminal agreement for the SFO domicile.  Alaska Airlines currently operates a co-terminal agreement at LAX, which allows pairings to be built to begin and end at co-terminal airports through the Los Angeles metropolitan area.  If adopted, an SFO co-terminal agreement would allow a similar arrangement for pairings to begin and end at co-terminal airports throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Why Negotiations?  Can’t Management Just Open Co-Terminals?

Though management retains the right to open and close domiciles at their discretion within the guidelines spelled out in the collective bargaining agreement, co-terminals are not domiciles in themselves but rather additional airports that are part of a single domicile.  There is no contractual mechanism that allows management to add additional airports to a domicile, therefore an agreement must be negotiated. 

Special Negotiating Committee To Be Formed

The voting members of your Master Executive Council (MEC), consisting of the six directly-elected LEC Presidents, have approved the creation of a special negotiating committee to negotiate a co-terminal agreement with management.  The committee will consist of three Negotiating Committee Members who will be selected by the MEC.  The MEC President serves as Chairperson of the committee per the AFA Constitution & Bylaws.

Although a co-terminal agreement would certainly effect Flight Attendants based at SFO, it would also have a further reaching impact throughout the system.  With more trips being able to begin and end at co-terminal airports, there would likely be a reduction in layovers in these locations. The systemwide distribution of flying would also be impacted as co-terminal airports would begin accommodating pairings built out of those locations.  For this reason, the Special Negotiating Committee positions are open to Flight Attendants from all domiciles.

Special Negotiating Committee Positions

Scope of the Special Negotiating Committee

The Special Negotiating Committee will negotiate an agreement for co-terminal airports to be added to the SFO domicile.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Special Negotiating Committee

From Section VI.A.2 of the AFA-CWA Policy Manual

The duties and responsibilities of the Negotiating Committee shall include the following:

a.         The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator shall have the authority to conclude an agreement, subject to the provisions of Article XII. of the Constitution and Bylaws.

b.         All members of the Committee, including alternates whenever possible, shall complete a negotiations training seminar prior to writing an “opener.”

c.         Committee members shall be familiar with Union policy and keep abreast of new developments in the industry.

d.         Committee members shall utilize the facilities and resources of the Union and the experience and knowledge of Union Officers, International Office staff and study committees of the Union. (e.g., Legal, Retirement and Insurance, Wage and Working Conditions, etc.).

e.         Committee members shall maintain a current record of the:

(1)        Financial condition of the company.

(2)        Management lines of authority and methods of communication.

(3)        Operations statistics and experiences of the airline which may be used in bargaining, grievances, litigation, etc.

f.          Committee members shall be familiar with the wishes of the flight attendant group with respect to wages, working conditions, and work rules, through, for example, system-wide distribution of contract surveys, periodic road shows, etc.

g.         The Committee, with the advice of the Staff Negotiator, shall prepare the contract opener.

h.         The Committee shall provide regular updates to the membership on the status of negotiations through, for example, newsletters, hotlines, telephone trees, etc.

i.          The Committee shall maintain a complete record of the negotiations, including proposals, notes and communications, and such record is the property of AFA-CWA. A copy of this record will be forwarded to the International Office by the Negotiating Committee.

Expectations/Qualifications

  • Appointed by the AFA Alaska MEC and terms are served to completion at the approval of the MEC.  Takes direction from the chairperson of the Special Negotiating Committee (i.e. in this case the MEC President) with input from the AFA International Collective Bargaining Department (i.e. staff negotiator) and Legal Department (i.e. staff attorney).  After successful ratification of the SFO Co-Terminal Agreement will continue to serve as a contract interpretation resource for the agreement.
  • Maintain a complete record of negotiations including proposals, notes and communications. Such record is the property of AFA-CWA.
  • Public interactions (including social media) must reflect favorably on AFA Alaska.  If requested by AFA Alaska, Special Negotiating Committee Members must be willing to reasonably limit social media interactions for the duration of preparation, negotiations and implementation.
  • Ability to tolerate controversy amongst one’s peers.
  • Willing to travel for training, preparation, negotiations, roadshows and other meetings as needed.
  • Must be willing to adjust her/his schedule as needed, sometimes with very little notice.

Flight Pay Loss/Expenses

  • 6 TFP for each 8 hours of work 
  • Travel time is unpaid; exceptions will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
  • Meal & incidentals and other expenses to be reimbursed according to AFA Alaska Policy Manual and AFA-CWA C&B.

How to Express Interest In the Positions

  • Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest letter and resume to MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou at linda.christou@afaalaska.org.
  • The expression of interest letter should include responses to the following questions:
    • What interests you about this position?
    • Why do you believe you are a good candidate for the position?
    • What is your understanding of the LAX co-terminal agreement that is currently in place?
  • The deadline for applications is Friday, February 1, 2019 at 5 PM Pacific time.
  • Linda will contact applicants to coordinate an interview with the MEC and arrange travel (if necessary).  Interviews will be held at the AFA MEC Office in Seattle, WA on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

Questions?

Any questions regarding Special Negotiating Committee positions should be directed to MEC President Jeffrey Peterson at jeffrey.peterson@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Council 35 (SFO) Special Election Results

The following AFA Flight Attendants were elected to Local Council Officer positions representing the Flight Attendants based in San Francisco:

LEC President:  Melissa Osborne
LEC Vice President: Aladrian Hillmon
LEC Secretary: James Ikehara

View the certified election results here

These officers will serve a term of office starting immediately and concluding on June 30, 2019.

The Master Executive Council (MEC) congratulates the newly elected officers and we sincerely thank all those who stepped forward to run in the election.

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Linda Christou, Lisa Pinkston, Terry Taylor, Mario de’Medici, Melissa Osborne, Tim Green and Brice McGee

Stay In The Loop: Manage Your AFA Newsletter Subscription

As a reminder, AFA representation for Legacy Virgin America (L-VX) Flight Attendants will shift on August 1.  LAX-based Flight Attendants will move to AFA Council 18, the currently established Local Council that represents Legacy Alaska (L-AS) Flight Attendants based at LAX. Going forward, AFA Council 35 will only represent SFO-based Flight Attendants.

The AFA newsletter system allows Flight Attendants to manage their own account and subscribe to the AFA Local Council(s) of her/his choosing.  L-VX Flight Attendants who are LAX-based might wish to subscribe to Council 18 AFA email newsletters to ensure that they receive correct Local Council emails and up-to-date information.  Additionally, the manage subscription function can be used to make changes in the event of a base transfer.

How To Manage Your Subscription

To manage your subscription, click “manage your subscription” link at the bottom of your email. To ensure security, this is the only way to access the subscription management page.

Once on the subscription management page, check the box for the AFA Local Council(s) you would like to subscribe to emails from.  At the bottom of the page are fields to update personal subscription information (name, email address, airline, base, and employee/PeopleSoft number). After making changes, click the blue “submit” button at the bottom of the page to save any changes.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need assistance with your AFA newsletter subscription, please contact your LEC Officers.  If LAX-based, email lax@afaalaska.org; if SFO-based, email sfo@afaalaska.org.

Upcoming Nomination Ballot for Local Council Officers

In accordance with the AFA Constitution & Bylaws, your new Local Council will soon nominate and elect Flight Attendants as your AFA Leaders.  The two (2) positions being elected for Council 35 (Virgin America–JFK/LAX/SFO) are Local Council President and Local Council Secretary.  The current Local Council Officers who were appointed when the Local Council was created will transition responsibilities to the Flight Attendants who are elected to these two positons.

The Council 35 Election page can be found at http://afacwa-elections.org/councils/ala-council-35-sfo-lax-jfk/.

Within AFA, Local Council Officer elections are a two-part process.  The first step is to nominate candidates for office from amongst the Flight Attendants at your Local Council and the second step is to elect officers from the nominated candidates.  This communication will focus on the first step, the upcoming nomination process.

Nomination Schedule

Mail Date 06/19/2017 Voting packets are mailed to each Flight Attendant. This contains your personal 16-digit activation code.
Polls Open 06/22/2017
12:00 PM EDT		 The polls are open and voting begins.
Polls Close 07/12/2017
12:00 PM EDT		 The polls close and the count takes place.

Electronic Balloting Information

Both the nomination process and election ballots are conducted through Votenet Solutions, a third-party vendor. The direct web address is https://eballotuv.votenet.com/afa/.  The AFA Election site at http://www.afacwa-elections.org/ will address additional questions and provide information regarding the ballot.

For the nomination ballot, the process is conducted completely online.  You will be nominating your elected leaders from a list of all Flight Attendants in your Local Council.  For the election process where you will be selecting leaders from those nominated, ballots may be cast either online or by telephone.

Voting Instructions for Nomination Ballots

All Council 35 Flight Attendants will receive a voting packet by mail. This packet contains the instructions for casting your ballot along with a 16-digit activation code which allows you to access the ballot. If you have already completed an AFA membership application, you will be able to log into the ballot, select your choices for the two positions and cast your vote.

If you have not completed an AFA membership application, you will not be able to cast your vote right away.  You will need to contact AFA Membership Services in order to complete your application and have your ballot activated.

The 16-Digit Authorization Code

The voting packet includes a 16-digit authorization code. This code allows you to obtain a username and password which is your voting credentials for that ballot only.  This ensures that no one at Votenet or AFA has access to your voting credentials. New activation codes are sent for each and every ballot.

To Activate

  1. Enter the 16-digit code you received on the front page of the Votenet website
  2. The site will generate a username and ask you to create a password.
  3. Write the username and password down

Once a Flight Attendant obtains their username and password they may proceed to vote.

Ballot Help Line

The AFA-CWA Membership Services Department handles all voter questions and issues new activation codes should you misplace yours.  The Ballot Help Line is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time.  If you have a question or need a new 16-digit activation code, you may contact the Ballot Help Line at 800-424-2401, then press 1 and dial extension 706.

If your call goes to voicemail, please leave a message and someone will call you back.

Count Day

The ballot will end and no additional votes may be cast after the end date and time listed on the Voting Instructions.  The time will always be listed as Eastern time, NOT your local time.  The opening and closing dates of the ballot are set in accordance with the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws.

The counting of the electronic ballots is conducted in accordance with the AFA Constitution & Bylaws by the Ballot Certification Committee.

Each person who has completed a Commitment to Serve and received at least 2 nominations will appear on the election ballot.

Commitment to Serve

Each Flight Attendant who wishes to run for office must complete a Commitment to Serve (http://afacwa-elections.org/commitment-to-serve-form/) in order to be eligible to appear on the election ballot.  If a Flight Attendant receives two nominations and has not completed a Commitment to Serve, AFA Membership Services will contact those people on the count day and allow them to complete the form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who receives the Voting Notice and Instructions (Ballot Packet)?

A: All Flight Attendants in your Local Council will receive the voting packet including Flight Attendants who have not completed a membership application.

Q: If I change my mind after I cast my ballot, can I revote?

A: No, once you cast your ballot your credentials are separated from your vote. This way no one can see how anyone casts a ballot.

Q: Can a person who has not completed a membership application vote?

A: No. They will receive a voting packet but if their membership application is not on file then they will be stopped from casting a ballot.  However, you may contact AFA-CWA Membership Service to complete a membership application and once completed you will be eligible to vote.

Q: Who do Flight Attendants call if they did not receive the Voting Notice with the 16-digit authorization code?

A: The AFA Ballot Help Line at 800-424-2401, press 1 and dial extension 706.  The Ballot Help Line is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time.

 

Council 35 News – May 18, 2017

Become A Member, Have Your Voice Heard!

If you haven’t already had the chance to complete an AFA membership application, you can download and print one by clicking here.  The AFA membership application is not a form that can be completed online; it must be filled out, signed in ink, and returned to an AFA representative or mailed to AFA.  Signing up to receive AFA email communications is not the same as completing a membership application.  Completing an application ensures that you have the right to vote in officer elections and on tentative agreements.

Equal Rest for Flight Attendants

AFA International has actively been lobbying lawmakers to change FAR rest minimums for Flight Attendants.  In 2014, FAR 117 was enacted to protect pilots from extensive duty days and provided minimum rest requirements. AFA believes Flight Attendants should enjoy the same protections.  For more information on how you can get involved and help make this change for all of us, please visit AFA Interactive.  There you will find instructions on how to petition our political leaders for change.

Village Visits

For several days each week, Local Council President Melissa Osborne, Local Council Secretary James Ikehara, and several other AFA Alaska leaders have visited the Villages in JFK, LAX and SFO to share information about AFA, answer questions, and provide AFA membership applications.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by!  Additional Village Visits will be held over the next few weeks. You can also find the most up-to-date information on Village Visits on the Council 35 Facebook page.

Don’t Forget to Wear Your AFA Pin

The AFA pin is an approved uniform piece and should be worn on the left collar.  If wearing both your AFA pin and anniversary pin, the anniversary pin should be placed closest to the tip of the collar.

Your AFA pin represents our combined strength and unity as we work toward achieving improvements for all of us and should always be worn with your uniform.  If you don’t already have an AFA pin, you can pick one up from an AFA representative during an upcoming Village Visit.  Visit the Council 35 Facebook page for recent “pin pics.”

Have your own pin pics to share?  Send them to us (along with the name of everyone in the picture) at vx@afaalaska.org.

Seniority Integration

Seniority will be integrated based on competitive (bidding) seniority date in accordance with the AFA Constitution & Bylaws. Competitive seniority date is often referred to as “date of hire” although the actual application is more complicated than that. A previous communication on the AFA seniority integration policy can be found here.

Joint Negotiating Committee and Merger Representative Positions

Thanks to everyone who applied for the JNC and Merger Representative positions.  Interviews for both positions were conducted at the MEC Meeting in Seattle earlier this week.  An announcement of the appointees will be sent out within the next several days by AFA email and will also be posted on the Council 35 page of the AFA Alaska website.

FAQs

Are new-hire ITMs able to apply for AFA membership?

Yes!  New hires achieve active member status with AFA after four full calendar months of employment but are considered “apprentice” members from their first day. For example, if you were hired on January 3, you would attain active member status on June 1 (first of the month after completing four full calendar months of employment). “Membership” is a relationship between the F/A and the Union; this is separate from the “probationary period”, which is a relationship between the F/A and the company.  As an apprentice member, you enjoy the benefits of the Union however you will not be able to participate in any voting activities nor hold an officer and/or committee position.

Is it true that that Skywest has the same boarding priority as VX on Alaska metal?

Skywest, though not owned by AAG, operates flights on behalf of Alaska Airlines through a capacity purchase agreement (CPA).  For nonrev purposes on AS metal, Skywest is grouped into the E7 boarding priority code, which is then further subdivided (E7A, E7B, etc.). In addition to Skywest employees, pass riders of several other airlines are also slotted into the E7 boarding priority code. All Virgin America teammates should be boarded after Alaska and Horizon employees and dependents but before other airlines when they use ZED 0 on Alaska flights, including those operated by Horizon or Skywest.  Management is working to integrate the two travel programs and expects this to occur sometime in early 2018.  In the meantime, two different systems prevent them from generating an integrated priority list.

Can we implement a commuter code like AS F/As have in order to get priority boarding status?

Boarding priority for commuters is part of the current AS contract and will not likely become a benefit for VX until we’re on a merged agreement.

Can we adopt the AS summer attendance program?

AS Flight Attendants do not have a perfect summer attendance program per se, but rather a quarterly productivity premium (QPP).  The premium provides an incentive for AS F/As to pick up flying over their awarded schedules. The incentive is $500 per quarter except for the third quarter (July, August, and September) when it is $1000.  This provision is not a company-wide policy, however, it is outlined in section 21.R of the AS contract.  Therefore, VX F/As would not be eligible to participate in the program until we are on a merged agreement.

Will the pay increase be applied to initial training pay?

Training pay is a flat rate for the entire training period and therefore would not be eligible for a rate increase.  Immediately following training, the pay rate is brought up to the pay scale for the 1st year, so on that date the pay increase will be applicable. Anyone who worked at least 1 day after graduation (between Jan 1 and Apr 30, 2017) would be eligible for the retro pay increases.

Alaska’s maternity policy is much more parent friendly.  Can we adopt the same policy at VX?

Some of the maternity leave provisions are contractual, and other parts of it are AS company policy.  As for the contractual side of it, we won’t see any changes for VX until we have a merged agreement.

I commute from SAN, when will I be given the opportunity to change bases?

Base transfers between pre-merger VX and AS bases will not occur until after we are on a merged agreement and have an integrated seniority list.  The earliest this could possibly happen would be approximately Q2 2019, but could take longer.

I would like to leave Virgin America to apply for a position at Alaska.  Can I retain my VX seniority?

Any VX teammate interested in applying to be a Flight Attendant at AS will need to resign from VX and begin as a new-hire employee.  To be eligible for hire at AS, VX teammates would be required to remove their name from the integration list and give up all their seniority rights.  If this is something you have been considering, AFA would like to caution you to consider how this course of action will impact your position and seniority.  If you have any further questions, please reach out to the Council 35 leadership team at vx@afaalaska.org.

I have questions for Melissa and James, how can I reach them?

Please refrain from sending messages to VX email accounts and/or via Facebook messenger.  Your questions will be answered faster if you send them to the Council 35 email vx@afaalaska.org.  Being available to you is important to your AFA leadership team and by following the prescribed methods of communication, your leaders can better assist with your questions, suggestions and concerns.  Thank you for understanding!

I am not getting any emails from AFA Alaska Council 35. What can I do?

Please be sure to subscribe to Council 35 emails using a non-Virgin America email account.  You can subscribe online at http://afanewsletters.org/subscribe/.  If you encounter any problems with the online subscription page, please email us at vx@afaalaska.org.

Please let us know if you have any questions or thoughts!  You can reach us at vx@afaalaska.org.

In Solidarity,

Your Council 35 Officers – Melissa & James

SEA Domicile Negotiations – October 2025

The recent meetings of the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee in Seattle and Honolulu highlighted both progress and persistent challenges in negotiations with management. While there has been advancement on some issues, significant concerns remain. Key topics under discussion include the transfer processes, return options to HNL or LAX, staffing, moving expenses, and safeguarding existing bases. Our committee prepares for the next round of negotiations in Seattle during the week of October 20.

Protecting Yourself From Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

Understanding Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) involves the use of substances to incapacitate someone, making them vulnerable to sexual assault. These substances are often undetectable, having no color, taste, or smell, and can be easily added to drinks. Common Drugs Used in DFSA Important Note: Alcohol significantly enhances the effects of these drugs, […]

Government Affairs Committee Update – 4th Quarter 2025

An update on what our Government Affairs Committee has been working on this quarter. Thank you to all our Members who remain engaged and to all our volunteers and Committee Members for dedicating their time representing our Members, advocating for the safety and advancement of our careers while strengthening our labor movement every single day […]

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, October 2, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 7 – September 2025

Our JNC made significant progress in shaping our JCBA, successfully reaching a Tentative Agreement on Section 13 – Uniforms. Key provisions include enhancements to uniform standards, ensuring protective measures such as no surnames on name tags from the Hawaiian CBA. While we continue discussions on various sections, including Air Safety Health and Security, Training, and Commuter Policy. We appreciate feedback from the 2207 Flight Attendants who participated in our recent Vacation Survey.

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