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Dues & Voting—What You Need To Know To Make Sure You Can Vote

Membership Committee

  • Voting is an essential part of our Union’s democratic process.
  • Only active Members in good standing who are current on their dues are eligible to vote on any AFA ballot.
  • Contact AFA International Membership Services if you have questions about your membership or dues account status.

As we continue with our contract negotiations, it will be time for us to vote at some point. Voting is a powerful tool that lets your voice be heard. It’s a vital aspect of democracy in our Union. To be eligible to vote under the AFA Constitution, it’s necessary to be an active Member in good standing.

What Is An Active Member in Good Standing?

An active Member in good standing is a Flight Attendant who has completed an AFA Membership application, has completed their four-month AFA Apprentice Membership, and is referred to as a “Member.” This Member is flying and has a financial obligation for dues to AFA. A Flight Attendant on paid leave (coordinating sick and/or vacation time) is active and eligible to vote as long as their dues account is current.

Most Flight Attendants fill out and submit an AFA membership application during initial training. A Flight Attendant who hasn’t submitted one is not a Member and is not eligible to vote, even though they must pay a fee equivalent to the dues amount each month for representation. Local Membership Committees will be reaching out to anyone who doesn’t have an AFA membership application on file to offer the opportunity to submit one and become a Member.

Members On An Unpaid Leave of Absence

Flight Attendants on an unpaid leave of absence continue to owe dues for the first 90 days; this includes voluntary furloughs and company-offered staffing adjustment leaves. After completing the 90-day leave commencing period in which dues are owed, they’re considered by AFA to be on leave, having no further financial obligation to AFA-CWA until they return to the line. They are NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE unless they have chosen to “Leave and Remain Active.”

The AFA Constitution allows for a Member on an unpaid leave of absence from their airline to remain active with AFA by notifying AFA of their desire to stay active and continue to pay their dues each month. These Members are eligible to vote if their dues accounts are current.

If You Receive A Statement From AFA International

A statement from AFA International indicates that a dues payment you owe has not been received. If you receive an invoice for dues from AFA International, it’s essential to take action as soon as possible to ensure you remain in good standing as a Member.

Dues are owed each month you are active or the first three months of an unpaid leave of absence. You’ll be invoiced if your dues are unable to be fully deducted each month. The deductions that occur from the 20th of the month paycheck each month apply to that month. For example, if you receive an invoice for unpaid dues from May, your dues were not deducted from your May 20 paycheck.  

The payroll department cannot deduct past-due balances and they must be paid directly to AFA. Payments can be made online through the AFA dues payment site. AFA Membership Services offers Flight Attendants with past-due accounts the ability to set up a payment plan to keep you in good standing while making payments. Please get in touch with the AFA Membership Services Department to set up a promissory agreement.

Questions?

If you have any questions about your membership or dues account status, contact AFA International Membership Services using this link. You can also reach out to your Local Membership Committee for assistance.

Council 35 News – April 2021

Important Dates

  • May 6: CA Membership Meeting
  • May 12: Contract Extension TA Voting Closes
  • June 1:  Rainmaker Launch
  • June 30: Q2 CBT Due

CA Bases Local Council Membership Meeting

As previously communicated, our local Council meeting will be Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1100 PDT. The meeting will be via Zoom and is open to all members of Councils 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) in good standing.  The primary purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the AFA Board of Director’s meeting scheduled for May 13-14, and any local council agenda items.  Please submit local council agenda items to SFO@afaalaska.org prior to May 5th, 2021.  Advance registration is required using a personal (non-company) email address. To receive confirmation to attend, please register here. 

COVID Point Forgiveness

Calling in sick for a COVID related issue, such as exposure, vaccine appointments or reaction to the vaccine may receive attendance point forgiveness.  Management has agreed to remove all points related to COVID with documentation.  It is recommended that FAs save all receipts and appointment confirmations and send evidence to performance for conversion.  This process is manual so allow some time for the adjustment to show on the attendance record.  For more information, please review the April 12 Bulletin on the inflight page of Alaskasworld.

Flight Attendant COVID Vaccination Status

AFA International is collecting data on Flight Attendant Vaccinations.  Please complete the form to help discover trends in vaccination availability in your area.  Please visit the website for more information.

Trending Discipline

Reserve Not at Base

Reviewing the JCBA§11 which defines the AS reserve rules, the company expects that a reserve Flight Attendant will be within 2 hours of base at the beginning of the assigned reserve availability period (RAP). Commuting into base or being more than 2 hours aways from base at the start of RAP would be considered time card fraud and normally results in termination with the first offense.  Lineholders picking up reserve days should be aware of the reserve rules found in JCBA§11 in order to be familiar with the expectations.  Any reserve F/A or lineholder picking up reserve days who are interested in extra support or guidance, please reach out to the SFO Reserve Committee for assistance.

Sick Leave Abuse

The focus on sick leave usage has increased again.  Actions that trigger an investigation include calling out sick after a reassignment, calling out sick after a reserve assignment, or calling out when a deadhead leg is converted to a working leg.   Sick leave is not the same as paid time off (PTO).   Company provided sick leave is a benefit that is offered with a condition.  That condition is illness.  Use of this benefit for any other reason is considered fraud.  In the event the company suspects misuse, the burden of proof is on the Flight Attendant to prove an illness.  Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a violation of HIPAA laws, as the company is prohibited from asking the nature of the illness, but rather that illness was the cause of the call out and that the conditional benefit was used appropriately.  If misuse is confirmed (no evidence is discovered), the company has historically discharged on first offense.

A Special Note to Commuters

Commuters with a registered city have also been the focus for many investigations.  This includes sick leave and reserve violations.  When suspicion arises through the above mentioned actions that trigger a closer look,  travel records are often pulled to confirm suspected violations.  Additionally, monthly audits of registered commuters have been performed.  Violations found during the audit normally result in a Confirmation of Oral Warning on first offense, but can escalate up the steps of discipline if multiple violations occur.

TA Extension Info

Questions about the TA and voting?  Please visit the AFA Alaska dedicated TA Extension webpage to find answers!  All roadshows have been uploaded and the Q&A section has been added to the blog.  Questions not already addressed may be sent to: extension@afaalaska.org.  Reminder: voting ends May 12!

Catering Update

by Raymond Ramirez, SFO ISC Chair

With all the catering updates that went into effect on April 13, please utilize B2B to provide feedback with regards to food quality, missing items, new equipment, etc. Also, if you happen to make a note of a catering issue but forget to submit it on B2B before the flight disappears from your IMD, I’m happy to receive feedback through my e-mail raymond.ramirez@afaalaska.org. Please remember to provide the flight # and date, and if possible the aircraft tail and a photograph if possible. Also, if you are flying on Airbus and encounter a FC oven without an insert, that should be written up on B2B and not through the aircraft logbook. Speaking of the aircraft logbook, please write up tray tables that have the appearance of looking brown and stained. The cleaning chemicals over the last 12 months are causing these to look dirtier than they actually are. Although the company is aware, we can help bring more awareness by asking the pilots to write it up.

Uniform Update

by Lisa Mueller, SFO Uniform Chair

Our new uniforms have been on the line for about a year now. Since the new custom uniform was released during COVID, many Flight Attendants returning from furlough will be wearing it for the first time.

Wondering what the guidelines and policy are for the new uniform? Here is a link to the uniform page for guidelines, ordering, the fit center, etc: https://splash.alaskasworld.com/es/uniforms/

Need different uniform pieces? Different sizes? Here are some options to help if it is past the 90 day return policy:

  • Inquire with the Seattle Fit Center.  They have limited pieces that you may possibly (not guaranteed) be able to exchange your pieces for if they have the size you need. These are pieces from flight attendants who have quit, retired etc.  Phone:  206-392-7730,  email: fitcenter@alaskaair.com
  • Trade your uniform pieces with other flight attendants. There are private groups on Facebook that may be a good resource for finding other FAs willing to trade
  • You can also to order new pieces via the Uniform Webpage

In case no one told you today…You look marvelous! See you on the line! 

Updating Personal Information and Membership Dues

by James Ikehara, Council 35 Secretary
Have you recently moved to another city or changed your email address? Please use this link to update your personal details  to ensure the Membership Services department of AFA International has the most current contact information in their database. If you are coming back from a leave and need to inquire about the amount of dues owed on your account, use this link and someone from the Membership Services will contact you with details on the status of your account. Payments on your account can be made using this link.

How do I contact Council 35 Officers?

Using a personal email address, the preferred methods of contact are:

  • Open an Online Support Request ticket
  • Officer group email sfo@afaalaska.org (if one officer is flying /unavailable other officers can respond)
  • Individual officer emails (if information is for a specific officer)
  • Calls/text (if situation requires more urgent attention)

When contacting Council 35 officers please avoid the following methods:

  • Sending to/from alaskaair email (subject to company audits and therefore not private)
  •  Officer personal Facebook/social media accounts (not actively monitored for AFA concerns)
  • Excessively lengthy texts (please use email for important information as it’s easier to respond and forward to appropriate resource-texts should be reserved for alerts to an issue that requires a timely response)

Please allow at least one business day for a response to any method of contact (email, phone, text).  

In solidarity,

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President •  Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary •  James.ikehara@afaalaska.org  • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

AFA Alaska Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement Update – April 14, 2021

AFA Alaska Contract Extension 2021 Tentative Agreement Update – April 14, 2021

Master Executive Council (MEC)

In This Edition

  • Last Chance to Register for Tonight’s Virtual Roadshow!
  • 2nd Virtual Roadshow Recording Posted (w/ Special Guest Panelists)
  • Video Message from AFA International President Sara Nelson Posted
  • Voting Eligibility While on Extended Leave

Last Chance to Register for Tonight’s Virtual Roadshow!

This is your last chance to register for tonight’s virtual roadshow at 7 to 8 PM PT, which is the third of four currently scheduled. The fourth virtual roadshow is scheduled for Saturday, April 17th at 3 to 4 PM PT. Register by visiting the Contract Extension 2021 webpage –> Virtual Roadshows –> Schedule & Registration. Advanced registration is required in order to participate.

Join us!

2nd Virtual Roadshow Recording Posted (w/ Special Guest Panelists)

The second virtual roadshow session recording from Monday, April 12th at 10am PT is now posted. This session included special guest panelists AFA Direction of Collective Bargaining Joe Burns and Aviation Economist Dan Akins of FlightPath Economics. Recordings of the Zoom sessions and their respective transcripts (when available) may be accessed from the Contract Extension 2021 webpage –> Virtual Roadshows –> Session Recordings.

Video Message from AFA International President Sara Nelson Posted

AFA International President Sara Nelson recorded a video message regarding the Alaska Contract Extension 2021-2022 Tentative Agreement. View her message from the Contract Extension 2021 webpage –> Documents & Resources –> Video Message from AFA International President Sara Nelson.

Voting Eligibility While on Extended Leave

Several members have asked the MEC to address voting eligibility while on extended leave. Extended leave in this context would be consecutive months of any type of unpaid leave, including but not limited to COVID leave, Staffing Adjustment Leave (SAL), Enhanced Voluntary Furlough (EVF), Extended Leave of Absence (ELOA). The AFA Constitution & Bylaws Article II.C.1 [Membership – Description of Class – Active Members] states that “An active member in good standing shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of the Union, including the right to vote and hold elected and appointed office.”

While on extended unpaid leave, you are required to pay dues the first 90 days of such leave. You may elect to not pay dues for the remainder of the time on unpaid leave, but you are no longer considered “active” if you choose to not pay dues during that period. You may be current (i.e., paid up) and therefore in good standing by paying the three months of required dues, but you are not necessarily an active member in good standing by doing so. In order to be considered an active member in good standing and to be eligible to vote, you must pay dues for the entire duration of the unpaid extended leave up through the count date of the ballot.

AFA leadership is so appreciative of Flight Attendants who took unpaid leaves in order to prevent other Flight Attendants from being involuntarily furloughed (prior to the second round of the Payroll Support Program being enacted). However, the C&B is very clear regarding voting eligibility while on extended unpaid leaves. After multiple discussions with AFA International, we are also confident the practice has been consistently applied over the years. The MEC understands this will be frustrating to at least some on extended unpaid leaves.

If you are on an extended unpaid leave and would like to pay dues for the entire leave in order to vote, contact AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401 and choose option 7. AFA Membership Services is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM ET. Keep in mind that the AFA International office is currently closed due to the pandemic, so everyone is working from home. Please leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible during regular business hours.

JNC Update – Top FAQ and Voting Reminder

Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has put together the following compilation of the more frequently asked questions that have been submitted to the JNC blog in order to help ensure that the most accurate information is available.

Most Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Q.  Is it true there is a pay “difference” or two different pay rates?

A.  There is no difference in pay, but there are two different pay scales because there are two different systems: One in TFP and one in BLOCK HOURS.

TFP is a pay rate based on distance while BLOCK HOURS pay rates are based on flight time.  The conversion rate is 1.13 TFP = 1 BLOCK HOUR

The JNC has developed additional resources that help provide greater explanation into the difference between TFP and Block Hours.  You can find these resources here:

Q.  Does the Red Circle LOA carry over into Bidding Seniority?

A.  The additional service credit does not count toward bidding for monthly schedules, Flight Attendant domiciles or vacation.  It determines the initial rate of pay (if the TA is ratified) that a Flight Attendant will be held at until their occupational seniority catches up with them.

All Bidding is based on occupational (Flight Attendant service) seniority.

Q.  Why can L-VX Flight Attendants vote without paying dues and L-AS Flight Attendants have to be current?

A.  AFA International policy is that members at carriers without a first contract do not pay dues. L-VX Flight Attendants do not have a first contract – their Work Rules are not contractual, were not bargained over, are not enforceable, and can be changed by management.

Article XI.A.10 [Dues & Assessments: Dues-Active Members] of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws state that Flight Attendants at carriers without a first contract (e.g. Virgin America) do not pay dues until there is a ratified first agreement.

Q.  If we vote this down will it keep Alaska from redeploying the Fleet?

A.  It is important to remember that no base “owns” particular flying or routes. Crew Planning can move network flying around the system and has consistently done so over the years.  The same is true of the aircraft.  Airbus and Boeing aircraft can be shifted around the network.  Can it be done as efficiently with two separate groups of Flight Attendants as opposed to one combined group?  No.  However, the pilot group will be combined.  Other carriers have combined despite pre-merger Flight Attendant groups remaining separate (United and American Flight Attendant groups are slated to combine this October).

Q.  In the Summary of the Tentative Agreement (TA) that was sent with the voting information, why are the percentage increases over the life of the TA different for each pay step and the smallest for those at the top of the scale?

A.  The pay step percentage increases over the life of the TA include increases due to Flight Attendants “moving through the scale” (i.e. advancing from one pay step to the next – Year 10 → Year 11 → Year 12, etc.).   This adds several dollars to a Flight Attendant’s pay rate in addition to the annual percentage increases to the entire pay scale (4.5%, 1.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%).

Flight Attendants who are at the highest pay rate, or “topped out”, receive the percentage increases to the entire pay scale (4.5%, 1.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%), but do not have additional steps.  The compounded rate of all the percentage increases equals 10.35%.

Flight Attendants who are at the top pay step do receive the Longevity Premium at the appropriate years of service and that has not been included in the percentage increase calculation.

Q.  What was the change with PPP and vacation?

A.  If ratified the current QPP program will change to the PPP program. The new program would be based on five total blocks:

A single combined block of 8 months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, payout is $1100- worked TFP must be 40.0 TFP more than your combined PBS bid awards (Plus 40.0 TFP can be achieved in any combination of months).

Four individual blocks: Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec, payout is $350 for each month- worked TFP must be 5.0 TFP more than your PBS bid for each month.

Unlike the current QPP program, vacation is included towards achieving your totals.

More information can be found in the JNC Blog post regarding the Productivity Premium Program (PPP).

Voting Reminders

As a reminder, voting ends on Tuesday, April 3 at 9 AM Pacific time.

If you have not received your voting instructions and activation code or are having difficulty voting, please contact the AFA Ballot Helpline.  The reach the Helpline, call (800) 424-2401 and choose option 1, then enter extension 706.

Flight Attendants who have dues or membership issues should call AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401 and choose option 7.

AFA Membership Services Closed on Friday, March 30

Please note that AFA International Membership Services will be closed on Friday, March 30 for the Good Friday holiday.  Messages left on the Ballot Helpline or Membership Services voicemails will be returned the next business day.

AFA Membership Services will resume normal operating hours on Monday, April 2.  Normal operating hours are 9:30 AM to 5 PM Eastern time.

In Solidarity,

Your JNC – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Jennifer Wise MacColl, Jamie Cogen, Lindsey Steele and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

Merger TA Voting Information

With the upcoming merger tentative agreement (TA) vote, it’s important to exercise your right to cast your ballot.  Please review the information below to ensure that you will be able to receive your ballot in a timely manner and will be eligible to vote.

Voting Timeline

03/13/2018 Ballots mailed to address on file with AFA International
03/16/2018 Polls open/voting begins
04/03/2018 Polls close/voting ends

What Is a Member?

A Flight Attendant must be a member to cast a vote.  If you are a non-member, you can make yourself active by completing a membership application and returning it to AFA Membership Services.  Please contact AFA Membership Services for assistance at (800) 424-2401, option 7.

Pre-merger Alaska Airlines (pmAS) Flight Attendants must also ensure that all membership dues are current and up-to-date.  If you have received an invoice from AFA Membership Service for missed payments, please contact AFA Membership Services to make payment arrangements. Dues payments can also be made online.

How Can I Check To See If I’m a Member?

If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact AFA Membership Services for assistance at (800) 424-2401, option 7.

New Hire Flight Attendants

Pre-merger Alaska Airlines (pmAS) Flight Attendants who have not been employed for 4 full calendar months as of 04/03/2018 are not eligible to vote and cannot make themselves eligible to vote, nor will they receive the voting instructions.  However, if a new hire Flight Attendant has completed 4 full calendar months of employment on or before 04/03/2018 they are eligible to vote during the entire voting period.

Pre-merger Virgin America (pmVX) Flight Attendants do not have a first contract in place and need only complete a membership application to be eligible to vote regardless of date of hire.

Make Sure You Get Your Ballot—Update Your Address

If you’ve recently moved or have a new address, please submit an address update to AFA International using the change of address form at www.afacwa.org/coa.  Please note that updating your address with the company does not automatically update your address with AFA; a separate change of address must be submitted using the link above.

AFA Membership Services will be uploading the roster into the ballot system on or about March 7.  Until then, you may submit an address update via the AFA Membership Services change of address form.  Ballots will be mailed on March 13 and will be sent to the address that was on file with AFA at the time the membership roster was uploaded.

More Information

You can find additional information on the merger TA voting page of the AFA Alaska website.  If you have questions about membership status or voting eligibility, please contact AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401, option 7.

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 News in Review – September 19, 2025

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Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the first group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of merged MEC Committee Chairpersons. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have […]

Election Notice: Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Officer Elections

The term of office for our current Alaska + Hawaiian Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers will conclude on December 31, 2025. The voting members of the MEC (LEC Presidents) will elect new MEC Officers at the November Regular MEC meeting. This communication serves as notice of the election in accordance with the MEC Policy and Procedure Manual. […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025 Update #2

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants Negotiations Update Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with the company on September 11 to review their response to our September 5 proposal.  We feel that it is important to acknowledge the challenges within our company as Alaska management is struggling to understand our Collective Bargaining Agreement […]

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