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Join The Picket Line: Support American & United Flight Attendants

Master Executive Council (MEC)

  • It’s time to stand in solidarity with our Flight Attendant families at American and United Airlines as they head to the picket lines.
  • American Flight Attendants are conducting a strike authorization vote and will hold a systemwide informational picket on Wednesday, August 30.
  • United Flight Attendants are holding a systemwide Day of Action on Thursday, August 31, to address ongoing contractual violations.

The spirit of solidarity is alive and well this summer as Flight Attendants and workers everywhere unite to push back against corporate greed and mismanagement. Hundreds of fellow union members joined our picket lines during our Day of Solidarity events, and their support helped to amplify our message to management and make our voices even louder. Now, it’s time for us to stand with our Flight Attendant families at American and United as they ramp up their fights. Keep reading to learn how you can help!

American Airlines Flight Attendants

Flight Attendants at American Airlines, part of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), have been negotiating a new contract since January 2019. However, American Airlines management is continuously trying to undermine the hard work and dedication of American Flight Attendants by offering concessionary proposals that seek to erode the decades of progress achieved through collective bargaining. To top it off, APFA submitted a comprehensive economic proposal to management on March 7, and management has yet to respond, let alone offer a counterproposal.

American Flight Attendants are in the process of taking a strike authorization vote set to end on August 29. On August 30, they’ll hold a systemwide informational picket to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to fight for the contract they have earned. Plan now to stand in solidarity with them! Let’s show management at American Airlines that Flight Attendants and workers everywhere are together in the fight and demanding our fair share of the pie.

APFA Systemwide Picketing Event Information

Date: Wednesday, August 30

BOS, CLT, DCA, LGA, MCO, MIA, PHL: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
DFW, ORD: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT
LAS, LAX, PHX: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM PT

Click here to RSVP >

United Airlines Flight Attendants

United Airlines Flight Attendants are facing a chaotic, ill-equipped, and entirely unsustainable working environment, with staffing shortages in critical areas causing significant problems on the front line. Management is either unwilling or incapable of resolving the issues and running their own operation. During recent operational meltdowns, hold times for Crew Scheduling have regularly exceeded several hours and peaked with some Flight Attendants left waiting on hold for more than an entire day. Instead of hiring additional Crew Schedulers and implementing automated processes as recommended by the United Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC), Flight Attendants have been left to fend for themselves as management completely disregards the contract.

Enough is enough! United Flight Attendants are taking their fight public and inviting everyone to join them in a systemwide Day of Action on Thursday, August 31. Let’s stand in solidarity and send a message to United Airlines management that their incompetence and refusal to act will not be tolerated. Plan to join the picket line and show your support!

United AFA Day Of Action Picketing Event Information

Date: Thursday, August 31

Locations: BOS, CLE, DEN, EWR, FLL, GUM, HNL, IAD, IAH, LAS, LAX, LHR, MCO, ORD, PHX, SAN, SFO, TPA

Click here for event details and to RSVP >

Our Red-Hot Summer is Heating Up!

​

Red AFA Pins! 

​We have heard you loud and clear! Council 15 – SAN members are eager to start wearing our red-hot AFA pins!​Mobilization volunteers will begin distributing red AFA pins beginning next week. Please begin wearing them immediately!  We appreciate your patience; it may be several days before all local volunteers receive the pins.

you can also reach out to our mobilization chair Samantha Wolff sam.wolff@afaalaska.org

Mobilization Events – Coming Soon!  

​Management’s insulting compensation offer has members hot and ready to stand up against corporate greed! It’s time for us to demand our fair share! Our Mobilization Committee is busy planning events designed to harness that energy!  

​Save The Dates:

  • July 17th SAN
  • July 18th LAX
  • August 15 ALL BASES Bid the date off! Additional information will be provided soon. 

Reach out to SAN@AFAAlaska.org for more info on the events

Show Your Solidarity!

Wear your red AFA pin proudly while flying and at all company events, including training and special events.

Get Involved!

​Become a Mobilization Volunteer!  

Share reliable information and help promote solidarity and mobilization events!
Learn more here.  

Stay informed!​

Bookmark the official AFA Alaska Negotiations website https://contract2022.afaalaska.org/

​​Update your newsletter subscription at afanewsletters.org.

​

In Red-Hot Solidarity,

Brice, Melanie, Stephen, Sam

Join the Alaska and Virgin America Pilots for a Unity Event Tomorrow in Seattle

Your Master Executive Council (MEC) knows this is short notice, but if you are not flying tomorrow (Wednesday, August 2nd), please plan to join the Alaska and Virgin America pilots in SeaTac, WA at Angle Lake Park (next door to Alaska Airlines corporate headquarters) for a unity rally and informational picketing event. This is a family-friendly joint unity event for Alaska and Virgin America pilots, their families, friends and invited guests. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Joint Alaska-Virgin America Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) has extended the invitation to Flight Attendants from Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, so come show your support for the Alaska and Virgin America pilots as the ALPA Alaska-Virgin America Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and MEC continues to prepare for arbitration.

If you are able to attend, please RSVP here as soon as possible. (Your RSVP will help ALPA plan for parking and catering.)

What: Unity Rally and Informational Picketing

Where: Angle Lake Park, 19408 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188

When: 10 a.m. – 1:30 or 2 p.m. Shuttles from offsite parking to the park will run beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Click here for parking information >

Why: To send a message to management that we are unified behind the ALPA MEC and JNC, and that you disagree with management’s position that the pilots’ contract should lag far behind their peers in compensation, retirement benefits, and job protections.

For more information, see the “This Merger Won’t Fly” website >

Attire: Very strong preference for the Flight Attendant uniform but no jacket. (Pilots and your AFA leaders will be in uniform but no jacket due to the expected warm temperature.) Alternatively, you may wear orange to show unity.

Food, Family Events, and Other Fun Details: ALPA will have coffee available in the morning, and a catered lunch following the picketing event. Angle Lake Park has a playground, splash pad, and beach, as well as open grassy areas. We have reserved shelters for the day for our group.

Cost: The event is free to all Alaska and Virgin America pilots, their families, friends and invited guests (including Alaska and Virgin America Flight Attendants).

We hope to see you in uniform standing in solidarity with the pilots and your AFA leaders at the rally tomorrow!

In Solidarity,

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

AFA Alaska Support for Horizon Air Flight Attendants

Horizon Air can acquire ERJ-175—if its employees accept cuts

As you may know, Alaska Air Group (AAG) management has told Horizon Air that it can acquire ERJ-175 aircraft and start flying jet routes—but only if Horizon cuts operating expenses so that its cost per block hour is comparable to that of SkyWest. If Horizon employees can’t accept those cuts, management says the planes will go to SkyWest and Horizon will be a rapidly shrinking Q-400 operator.

 

As part of its plan, Horizon has asked its AFA-represented flight attendants to make significant, mid-term changes to their contract.  They’re asking this even as Alaska Air Group reports record profits and growth, and even as J.D. Power has awarded “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Traditional Network Carriers” to Alaska/Horizon for the eighth consecutive year.

 

Unanimously adopted resolution by the AFA-CWA Executive Board of Directors

For your information, the following resolution was unanimously adopted on September 10th at the 40th AFA-CWA Executive Board Meeting in Washington, DC September 9-10, 2015:

 

Whereas, Horizon Flight Attendants find themselves facing an either/or choice from Management to accept cuts in pay and work rules in exchange for promises of new aircraft and increased flying, or by maintaining their contract provisions the threat of downsizing and loss of jobs; and

 

Whereas, this is the latest example of Airline Management’s continual shell game of pitting Regional Carriers against each other to drive down wages, work rules and benefits;

 

Therefore Be It Resolved; that the 40th AFA-CWA Executive Board, representing 18 Airlines and 50,000 Flight Attendants around the globe pledges its commitment and support to the Horizon Flight Attendants, Leaders and Members as they consider the best course to follow to protect their contract and provide a strong future for their members and airline.

 

AFA Alaska MEC offers support and solidarity to our flight attendant brothers and sisters at Horizon Air

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council firmly believes that all Alaska Airlines flying should remain within the wholly owned (and unionized) AAG carriers. In our opinion, contracting out more flying to a non-union carrier may be financially beneficial in the short term but ultimately hurts all Air Group employees over the long term—including Alaska Airlines flight attendants.  The struggle at Horizon is one that we have seen repeatedly throughout the regional industry and we do not wish it to continue within Air Group. Accordingly, the Alaska MEC offers our support and solidarity to our AFA brothers and sisters at Horizon Air in these difficult times.

 

* * *

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

AFA Alaska

RED Hot Informational Picketing Bidding Reminder

Get ready to show your solidarity on November 12th

Please be sure to bid Wednesday, November 12 off for our next RED Hot informational picketing event!  If you aren’t able to bid the day off, you can also bid around the picketing time for your base.  Your Negotiating Committee is counting on your support to demonstrate our solidarity to management on the opening day of the scheduled November mediation session.  More information including a sign-up link and meeting location for each base will be coming soon!

Picketing times for each base

Base Time
ANC 12 to 2 PM
LAX 8 to 10 AM
PDX 6 to 8 AM
SAN 8 to 11 AM
SEA 3 to 5 PM

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Becky Strachan, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow, Stephen Couckuyt and MEC Mobilization Chairperson Adam Clarey

Your Negotiating Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

MEC 5BSS Logo (Web)

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