AFA Alaska + Hawaiian

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Archives for Council 39 PDX

PDX LEC Officer Elections—Polls Close Friday!

Dear Fellow Flight Attendants:

This is just a reminder that you have less than one week left to have your voice heard in our Local Executive Council (LEC) Officer Elections.  Polls are currently open to elect the three officer positions—President, Vice President, and Secretary.  The officers who are elected to these positions take office on July 1, 2014 and represent you for a three-year term of office.  Polls close on Friday, April 11 at 10 AM Pacific Daylight Time and election results will be announced as soon as the Ballot Certification Committee at AFA International has certified them.

If you have not received your voting instructions with the 16-digit activation code, call the AFA Ballot Helpline at (800) 424-2401, option 1 then extension 706.  If you have questions about dues or membership issues should call AFA Membership Services at (800) 424-2401, option 7.

For more information about the elections, including a list of nominated candidates, please visit the AFA-CWA Elections website at http://afacwa-elections.org/councils/ala-council-39-pdx.

In Solidarity,

Your LEC Officers – Cathy Gwynn and Brian Palmer

Councils 39/17 Joint Local Council Meeting

AFA Council 39 Logo

Please mark your calendar for our next Local Council Meeting, to be held Tuesday, April 15 from 8:30 to 12 PM. The meeting will be held in the Vancouver Room of the PDX Airport Conference Center. From the Oregon Market Food Court, take the stairs near the clock tower to the mezzanine level and turn left. The Vancouver Room is the first room down the hall on the left.

We will conduct Local Business from 8:30 AM to 10 AM and then will be a joined by members and officers from Horizon Air Council 17 (PDX/MFR) from 10 AM to 12 PM to discuss advanced agenda items for the AFA Board of Directors Meeting.

If you have an advance agenda item to submit, please email it to LEC President Cathy Gwynn at catgwynn@comcast.net. Submission deadline for advance agenda items is Tuesday, April 8 at 8:30 AM PDT. Please direct any other questions to LEC Vice President Brian Palmer at bpalmer@alaskamec.org.

New Reserve Committee Member

AFA Council 39 Logo

New Reserve Committee Member

Please join us in welcoming Bethany Gilbo to the Reserve Committee, effective February 12, 2014.  Bethany has been an Alaska Flight Attendant since December 2011 and was with Horizon prior to joining Alaska.  This is her first time being involved in a union position.  She is looking forward to helping Reserve Flight Attendants gain knowledge about their work group and contract while working to make the transition to their new career as easy and understandable as possible.

The main purpose of the Reserve Committee is to help Flight Attendants to interpret and understand the reserve portion of the contract and serve as a liaison between Crew Scheduling and Flight Attendants holding a reserve schedule.  They may be contacted through the PDX AFA Hotline at (503) 396-4089, option 4 or through the AFA website at http://alaskamec.org/pdx/reserves.

Yours In Solidarity,

LEC President Cathy Gwynn, LEC Vice President Brian Palmer, and Local Reserve Committee Chairperson Hannah Winit

Tomorrow’s Local Council Meeting CANCELLED

Dear Fellow Flight Attendants:

Due to the ongoing severe weather emergency in the Portland area, your LEC Officers have elected to cancel tomorrow’s Local Council Meeting.  Information about a rescheduled meeting date will be provided soon.

Yours In Solidarity,

Your LEC Officers – Cathy Gwynn & Brian Palmer

PDX Inflight Service Committee Changes

Inflight Service Committee Changes

The Council 39 Inflight Service Committee will be undergoing a change of Committee Members over the next few weeks.

Tutu Smith

Tutu Smith will be joining the Committee, effective February 12, 2014.  Tutu has been an employee for Alaska Airlines since February 2001.  Her foundation started as a Customer Service Agent in Seattle and she then transferred to Portland after about a year.  In 2007, she decided to pursue a career in Inflight and honestly loves flying.  “I’ve seen familiar faces over the years and definitely have met new ones that have created loyal and lifelong relationships for me,” says Tutu.  Though she has not been involved in any prior union committees, she looks forward to the opportunity to be representing her coworkers on the Inflight Service Committee.

Tutu was born and raised in Portland and has an amazing supporting cast at home: her husband John and daughters Ariana (9) and Averie (4).

David Sutherland

David Sutherland will join the Committee effective February 5, 2014.  David started his flying career 12 years ago and has worked with SkyWest, United and Alaska.  He started his most recent round with Alaska in 2008 and has been based in Portland since 2010.  He loves the Portland base and is lucky enough that he’s able to work with some of closest friends on a regular basis.

David’s previous union involvement includes serving on the Reserve Committee.  As a new member of the Inflight Service Committee, he looks forward to giving Flight Attendant thoughts and feedback on changes that will keep us competitive in this always-changing industry.

David was born and raised in Fairview, Oregon and has lived all over the west coast and in Washington D.C.  He has 3 adorable nephews who keep him occupied on his off time and currently resides in Northwest Portland.

 •    •    •    •

Please join us in thanking Committee Members Alan Sousa and Cali Huynh, who have served on the Committee for the past few years.  They will remain on the Committee during the transition period and will step down on February 28, 2014.  We thank them for their volunteerism and service.

The Inflight Service Committee represents Flight Attendant interests regarding catering and inflight service/sales and addresses Flight Attendant complaints and concerns regarding catering and inflight service/sales.  They may be contacted through the PDX AFA Hotline at (503) 396-4089, option 7 or through the AFA website at alaskamec.org/pdx/inflightservice.

Yours In Solidarity,

LEC President Cathy Gwynn, LEC Vice President Brian Palmer, and Local Inflight Service Committee Chairperson Todd Horn

Register Now: Reserve Webinar – Thursday, August 6

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants As a follow-up to our June 23 save-the-date announcement, we’re excited to share full details and open registration for our August pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! If you’ve ever wondered, “Can they do that?” when Crew Scheduling calls with a reserve assignment or schedule change—whether you’re a Reserve Flight […]

AFA Committee Focus Month: Membership Engagement

July marks our latest AFA Committee Focus Month, and we’re excited to spotlight our Membership Engagement Committee. In May, we kicked off this initiative by showcasing the exceptional work of our EAP/Professional Standards Committee—illustrating how our committees serve and support us every day. Our Membership Engagement Committee is here to make sure every Member feels genuinely […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 16 – July 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.

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, June 24, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing activism to raise awareness and create positive change within our workplace and community. Your representatives attending the meeting were Nyachan Chuar (ANC), Yan Yan Teague (SEA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Trista Vanta (SFO), Louise Borras (LAX-pmAS), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (LAX-pmHA), […]

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2026

On Thursday, June 11, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met with management to represent our Flight Attendants and advance meaningful improvements in our workplace. Your representatives at the meeting included Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX pmAS), Gary Manoi (LAX pmHA), Andrew Malone (SAN), and […]

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX (pmAS) Council 19 SEA (pmAS) Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX Council 43 HNL Council 47 LAX/SEA (pmHA) EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska + Hawaiian news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates