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        You are here: Home / Honolulu – Council 43 / Council 43 Officers

        Your Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers

        Took Office: July 1, 2026
        Term Expires: June 30, 2029
        AFA Election Category II
        Click here to view the certified election results


        Kela Chong

        LEC President

        email hnl.lecp@afahawaiian.org
        phone (808) 319-8002


        Martin Gusman

        LEC Vice President

        Martin began his career as a Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant in 1986. Shortly after moving his family back to Honolulu from Seattle in 1991, he started doing Union work by joining the Grievance Committee. Martin is driven by a sense of fairness and respect. Both were painfully lacking when Hawaiian was struggling financially in the 1990s. He took on a number of roles, including being a member of the Negotiating Committee and the Council 43 (HNL) LEC President. He served as the In-Flight PBS administrator for 12 years, which allowed him to ensure that our contractual provisions were being correctly applied to Flight Attendants’ PBS schedules. In 2016, he rejoined the Negotiating Committee and is the current Honolulu LEC Vice President.

        Martin was born on O’ahu, grew up in ‘Aiea, and graduated from Damien High School. He has an Associate’s degree in Computer Science. Martin and his wife, Arlene, have been married for 36 years and have two children.

        email hnl.lecvp@afahawaiian.org
        phone (808) 399-3686


        Soon Kim

        LEC Secretary

        Soon Kim is an experienced organizer with a background in direct-action activism, lobbying, and capacity building. She started her career at Hawaiian Airlines as a Flight Attendant in 2011 and spent one year in Training & Development assisting with Learning & Instructional Design.

        Soon is passionate about labor theory, human rights, and law. She aspires to become an attorney someday, but for now, her priority is to support AFA Alaska-Hawaiian Flight Attendants during the pursuit of a JCBA.

        email hnl.lecs@afahawaiian.org

        Need Help?

        Have an issue or concern to report to AFA?  Click here to access the AFA Alaska online support center.

        Latest News

        • AFA News in Review – August 14, 2026
        • 787-9 Inflight Service Grievance: Protecting Our Contract and Standards
        • Local Committee Appointments – August 2026
        • Pre-Merger Alaska Reserve Webinar Video and Q&A Recap – August 6, 2026
        • AFA News in Review – August 7, 2026
        • Council 47 SEA Base Update – SEA Membership Meeting Reminder
        • Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together
        • Local Committee Interviews – September 2026
        • Benefits Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026
        • Council 47 Committee Update – Communication and Safety Vacancies

        787-9 Inflight Service Grievance: Protecting Our Contract and Standards

        August 14, 2026

        This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants For decades, Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants have defined the Spirit of Aloha. We take pride in delivering world-class service, but management’s current Boeing 787-9 service model is threatening that legacy. It isn’t just inefficient—it’s an unsustainable pace that undermines the quality our passengers expect and the professional […]

        Pre-Merger Alaska Reserve Webinar Video and Q&A Recap – August 6, 2026

        August 12, 2026

        This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Thank you to everyone who joined our first pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! We created this interactive session to share practical contract tips and help you feel more confident about reserve life. You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel using the link below. Please note that […]

        Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together

        August 4, 2026

        July was a remarkable month for our Membership Engagement Committee. We set out with a clear purpose: to bring our Flight Attendant community closer together, share valuable resources, and build authentic connections throughout our system. Over the past four weeks, we explored what it means to be engaged in our AFA family. We kicked things […]

        Benefits Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

        August 3, 2026

        This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Wednesday, July 22, our pre-merger Alaska Benefits Committee Chairpersons met for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting was an internal AFA-only meeting and did not involve management.  Representing you at the meeting were Ava McWilliams Ellington (LAX), Linda Gunselman (PDX), Sonia Quackenbush (SAN), Kathy O’Malley (SEA), […]

        Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

        July 29, 2026

        As part of Membership Engagement Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to spotlight one of our core missions: empowering you with knowledge and confidence to participate more fully in our Union. When we understand how our Union works, we strengthen our collective voice and create a more engaged community. To help you on this journey, we’re […]

        Recent Posts

        • AFA News in Review – August 14, 2026
        • 787-9 Inflight Service Grievance: Protecting Our Contract and Standards
        • Local Committee Appointments – August 2026
        • Pre-Merger Alaska Reserve Webinar Video and Q&A Recap – August 6, 2026
        • AFA News in Review – August 7, 2026
        • Council 47 SEA Base Update – SEA Membership Meeting Reminder
        • Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together
        • Local Committee Interviews – September 2026
        • Benefits Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026
        • Council 47 Committee Update – Communication and Safety Vacancies
        • Benefits Webinar – August 12, 2026
        • Meet Our Local Chairpersons
        • AFA News in Review – July 31, 2026
        • Council 39 July 2026 Update
        • Council 47 Reserve Committee – Meet Your Reserve Chairs

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