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Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month

September 15 marks the start of Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month in the United States, a vibrant celebration dedicated to honoring the rich contributions and diverse cultures of Hispanic-Latinx Americans. Spanning a full month, this observance—also known as National Hispanic Heritage Month—has its roots in Hispanic Heritage Week, which was established by legislation signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. In 1988, this week-long celebration was expanded to a full month, now taking place from September 15 to October 15 every year.

The choice of September 15 is significant, as it coincides with the independence anniversaries of several Central American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Each of these nations celebrates its sovereignty from Spanish rule during this time, adding a layer of meaning to the month-long festivities. Furthermore, Mexico carries the spirit of independence into the following day, September 16. Chile follows suit with its own independence celebrations on September 18, and Belize rounds out the list with its Independence Day on September 21.

Learn More About Hispanic-Latinx History

To enhance your understanding of Hispanic-Latinx history and contributions, we invite you to explore some of the following informative resources:

Celebrate with a Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month AFA Pin

We invite you to join the celebration by wearing a Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month AFA Pin! In 2021, the AFA Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution recognizing Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month. The resolution also introduced a special commemorative pin for AFA Members to wear throughout the month.

If you’re interested in learning more about the significance of the pin, reach out to your Local Human Rights & Equity Committee. Want to get your hands on this unique pin? Keep an eye out for availability updates from your Local Council or connect with your LEC Officers to ensure you don’t miss out.

Questions?

If you have any questions or are looking for more information, remember that your Local Human Rights & Equity Committee is here to assist you.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Monday, September 8, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in person in Seattle 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), Ila Christy (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich facilitating the meeting.

The Committee met with Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Hotels and Administration Diane Szubert, Senior Crew Hotels Support Specialist Nichole Turner and Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams. 

This was the final meeting of our pre-merger Alaska Hotel Committee, and we’d like to thank everyone who has served on the Committee for their hard work and contributions. Next month, we’ll transition to our newly merged committee, representing the combined Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendant groups. Our next meeting for the Hotel Committee is scheduled for Monday, October 13.

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:

  • City-Specific Discussion: The Hotel Committee addressed several city-specific issues. These included concerns regarding our long-stay hotel at JFK, which has experienced a significant increase in rooms not being ready at check-in, issues with cleanliness, and the availability of refrigerators. Additionally, we discussed our long-stay options at MCO and potential alternatives in BZE. We also inquired about increasing the crew discount for our KOA property. Discussions regarding ground transportation focused on the use of shared transportation reports in ATL and MCI.
  • TBD Hotels in Bid Packet: At the end of June, management announced via an Information Bulletin that they would begin using a “TBD” (To Be Determined) indicator for any hotel that may be uncertain for the month. This change was made at the request of the Hotel Committee to ensure hotel accommodations are accurately represented in both the bid packet and PBS. The Committee has requested a report detailing the reasons for the TBD designation (e.g., hotels that have exceeded contracted room caps on specific days, hotels with known blackout dates, newly added hotels that have not yet been finalized, etc.). This will provide greater insight and help us better respond to questions from Flight Attendants.
  • Final Hotel Decisions: A final hotel decision has been communicated for FLL, and a decision regarding SEA is expected soon. For security reasons, the names of the hotels are not published here and will be shared in an Informational Bulletin on Team AAG near the end of the month.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee conducts visits to hotels that are under consideration by management to ensure that the selected options provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. Crew Hotels has provided the Committee with the remaining cities that will be visited in 2025: SLC (Sept), MSO (Sept), SAN (Oct), CUN (Oct), BNA (Nov), HNL (Nov), MCO – Long Stay (Nov), ORD – Short Stay (Dec), and SJO (Dec). Market reviews are triggered by factors such as contract expirations, crew complaints, and opportunities for cost savings. Depending on the outcome of these reviews, additional site visits may be arranged in those cities.
  2. Hotel Gainshare Program: Conversations regarding the program are ongoing, and hopefully, we’ll be finalizing the program details this month. We’ll continue to keep you updated as developments occur.    

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.

We Will Never Forget – September 11, 2001

AFA Never Forget Website

United Flight 175

Robert J. Fangman
Amy N. Jarret
Amy R. King
Kathryn LaBorie
Alfred G. Marchand
Michael C. Tarrou
Alicia N. Titus
Captain: Victor Saracini
First Officer: Michael Horrocks
Customer Service Representatives: Marianne MacFarlane and Jesus Sanchez

United Flight 93

Lorraine G. Bay
Sandra Bradshaw
Wanda A. Green
CeeCee Lyles
Deborah Welsh
Captain: Jason Dahl
First Officer: Leroy Homer

American Flight 11

Barbara Arestegui
Jeffrey Collman
Sara Low
Karen Martin
Kathleen Nicosia
Betty Ong
Jean Roger
Madeline Sweeney
Dianne Snyder
Captain: John Ogonowski
First Officer: Thomas McGuinness
Customer Service Representative: Renee Newell

American Flight 77

Michele Heidenberger
Jennifer Lewis
Kenneth Lewis
Renee May
Captain: Charles Burlingame
First Officer: David Charlebois

Vacation Survey Now Open

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Your Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is working diligently to understand and improve the vacation benefits for our Flight Attendants at Alaska and Hawaiian. Your input is essential in ensuring that the vacation provisions we adopt reflect your needs and preferences.

To gather your perspectives, we invite you to participate in our Vacation Survey. This survey will help us assess which vacation benefits matter most to you, given the significant differences between the Alaska and Hawaiian vacation systems. The survey is currently open and will close on Tuesday, September 24 at Noon PT. We encourage you to take a moment to click the survey link and share your thoughts, so the JNC can accurately represent your interests.

Our goal is to combine the best aspects of both contracts to enhance your quality of work life. However, we recognize that management may prioritize productivity over flexibility, and it is our responsibility to advocate for your interests.

Please take a moment to review the Vacation Quick Reference Guide, for more detailed information there is a comparison chart included in the survey to help you evaluate the potential improvements for your vacation benefits.

To Access the Survey

  • For pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants, enter your PeopleSoft Number
  • For pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants, enter your Employee Number (without leading zeros)

Some important notes:

  • Once the survey is submitted, your responses cannot be edited. Please ensure your selections are final before hitting ‘Submit’. 
  • For ranking questions, all choices must be ranked. You may skip these questions, but remember to rank all options if you choose to respond.

We encourage you to take the time to participate, as an informed and engaged membership is our strongest asset during these negotiations. Thank you for your continued commitment to our collective success. If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to the JNC at jnc@afaalaska.org.

SEA Domicile Negotiations – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

  • Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met with management from September 3 through September 5 in Honolulu
  • Our Negotiating Committee is focused on addressing those issues that are important to anyone who may be considering transferring to the new, permanent domicile including: moving expenses, staffing, grouping construction, and the ability to return to your domicile of origin
  • Additional discussions with management will be scheduled soon

Negotiations Update

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management.  The SEA NC met with management on September 3 to September 5 in Honolulu. At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
Tim Green, Committee ChairpersonJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations
Martin Gusman, Committee MemberAllen Thieman, Vice President, Inflight
Joshua Aoki, Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations
Jeffrey Fuke, Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations
Lea Franzoi, Committee Support RepresentativeAdriene Tom, Specialist, Labor Relations
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff Negotiator 

After several weeks of planning, we were able to schedule and hold a week of bargaining with management regarding the proposed Hawaiian Flight Attendant domicile in SEA. During negotiations this week in Honolulu, we exchanged several proposals. Per Section 27.D.2 of our CBA, management must negotiate a supplement before opening a new permanent domicile. These negotiations are crucial for establishing a permanent domicile that effectively supports our Flight Attendants’ interests and addresses the key issues that impact us directly.

Here are some key areas we’re focused on:

  • Transfer Processes – strengthening protective elements of the transfer process for those who may be interested in moving to the new domicile
  • Return to HNL or LAX Domicile – addressing the concern of Flight Attendants transferring to SEA and potentially wishing to return to their Hawaiian domicile before the merging of the Hawaiian and Alaska SEA domiciles
  • Staffing – ensuring that staffing is sufficient to meet operational demands
  • Moving Expenses – advocating for fair and comprehensive compensation related to any necessary relocations
  • Operational Concerns – defining the type of flying and pairings that will be constructed in the domicile
  • Safeguarding Existing Bases – protecting our HNL and LAX domiciles during this transition

The SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee is committed to transparency throughout this process. Together, we will forge a stronger foundation for our careers and ensure an improved quality of life.

Thank you for your support and engagement as we navigate this endeavor. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local leadership or email the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee at sea@afahawaiian.org.

Communication

Official SEA Domicile Negotiations Updates can be found on the web here, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

What’s Upcoming

Our SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee intends to schedule additional discussions with management soon.

Crew Meal Survey Closing Soon

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) is committed to prioritizing your nutrition during the work day through our crew meal provisions. We are eager to hear your thoughts on which elements of crew meals are most meaningful to you, as we continue to advocate for […]

Council 43 (HNL) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 12 PM PT today for the election of Council 43 LEC Officers, representing Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants based in Honolulu. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: Kela Chong IVLEC Vice President: Martin GusmanLEC Secretary: Soon Kim View the certified election results here >> These newly elected […]

Council 39 (PDX) LEC Officer Election Results

Polls closed at 11 AM PT today for the election of Council 39 LEC Officers, representing Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants based in Portland. The following AFA Flight Attendants have been elected to Local Council Officer positions: LEC President: Krystle Shae BerryLEC Vice President: Melodie AnderesLEC Secretary: Kevin Sharp View the certified election results here >> These newly elected […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – May 2026

On Monday, May 11, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met virtually 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), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee […]

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