February

Council 39 February 2026 Update (February 26, 2026)

March 4, 2026 13:19

In This Edition:

Master Executive Council Town Hall
Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month)
Black History Month
Updated CBA Reference Documents

Master Executive Council Town Hall

Join us at an AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC Town Hall on Tuesday, March 3. Get the latest AFA news and connect directly with our MEC Officers. Bring your questions! This is your chance to get answers directly from AFA Representatives.

Who: MEC President Tim Green, Vice President Brice McGee, and Secretary-Treasurer Paul Ikioka will share updates and answer questions live on Zoom
What: Updates and a live Q&A session
When: Tuesday, March 3, from 11 AM to 12:30 PM PT
Where: Zoom

The Town Hall will take place on Zoom, so you can join from home or while on a layover. Advance registration is required and ensures you get a Zoom link to join the meeting and event reminders. As with all AFA meeting and activities, the AFA mutual respect policy applies during the Town Hall.

When you register, use your personal email address. If you use an Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines email address, your registration will be canceled. Only Members in good standing can attend, and membership status will be verified before the event. If you’re unsure about your status, you can check anytime on the AFA Membership Hub.

After you register, you’ll get a unique Zoom joining link by email. This link is just for you and will only work on one device, so be sure to save it. Each person who wants to attend needs to register separately, since Zoom links can’t be shared.

More information about how to join a Zoom meeting, including system requirements, can be found on the Zoom support website.

You can use our online form to submit your questions before the event. This helps us focus the Town Hall on your concerns—whether it’s negotiations, contract issues, or anything else you want to hear more about.

Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month)

February is Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi or, in English, Hawaiian Language Month, a time to celebrate and uplift the Hawaiian language and the many ways it lives through our fellow Flight Attendants and our work.

Black History Month From Your Council 39 Human Rights & Equity Committee

February is an important month not just for Black culture, but for everyone, as Black history touches everyone in the West. Historically, Black contributions have been taken for granted and even forgotten by many. With recent political pushes to erase measures that have been created to level the playing field for Black people to enter the workforce, gain an education, or hold positions of stature, it is more important than ever to highlight the relevance of Black History and the role Black people play in our society.

In aviation in particular, many know about the Tuskegee Airmen as an all Black fighter pilot wing serving in World War II. However, many are unaware of Ruth Carol Taylor, the first Black Flight Attendant in the United States. In her time, restrictions for Flight Attendants were extreme and discriminated against the majority of people based on many factors such as age, weight, and race. But Ruth still applied, knowing she could be of value having already studied as a nurse, as was also required in those days. TWA rejected her application based on her not meeting the airline’s “physical standards.” Later after more attention was drawn to this discrimination, as well as Ruth’s continued perseverance in applying to fly, Mohawk Airlines, a regional carrier in upstate New York hired Ruth, breaking down a racist barrier and making Black and American history. To learn more about this wonderful story, check out this article about Ruth and her life.

Expand your knowledge about the accomplishments of Black Americans, including those who have shaped the skies we fly, by exploring these additional resources:

Updated CBA Reference Documents

The 2025-2028 AFA Alaska Collective Bargaining Agreement Reference Documents PDF has been updated! This is a great quick-reference resource to answer various commonly asked questions regarding contactability, irregular operations, TFP requirements, and more.

The document includes a hyperlinked table of contents for ease of use. We recommend keeping it in an open tab on your phone’s browser or downloading the document for future reference. As always, any contract questions or issues can be answered by opening a ticket on AFA Alaska Support System or reaching out to the appropriate local committee member here.

2025-2028 CBA Reference Documents

In Solidarity,

Steve, Krystle and Bethany

Management Rejects AFA Recommendation for IAD Hotel

February 27, 2015 20:00

Many of us are excited to soon resume service to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), but for the crew who are laying over there, their stay in suburban Virginia may not be so exciting. Despite an official recommendation by the AFA Hotel Committee for another property, management has selected an inferior hotel for crew accommodations.

How Hotel Selection Works

When a layover hotel in a new city needs to be selected or a hotel contract is up for renewal in an existing city, members of management and the AFA Hotel Committee visit the prospective hotels. Each hotel is evaluated for safety, cleanliness, quality, and to ensure it will meet the needs of our Flight Attendants. The Hotel Committee issues their official recommendation to management, who makes the final decision.

Management Isn’t Listening

The message that has been sent to our Flight Attendants is clear: sorry, you’re just not worth it.

Despite an official recommendation from the Hotel Committee and the urging of the MEC, management has decided to ignore the AFA recommendation for the IAD layover hotel. Under the new contract, when management selects a hotel that the Hotel Committee disagrees with, the MEC can request a written explanation from the division leader detailing the reason why the hotel was chosen (§34.A.1.c)

In an email from the MEC, Vice President of Inflight Services Andy Schneider was asked to provide her detailed explanation in accordance with the contractual language. The response, provided by Director of Crew Strategy & Administration Chad Koehnke, cited cost savings, payment discounts, and contractual terms that favored the company as the reasons for choosing the selected hotel over the preferred hotel recommended by AFA. The message that has been sent to our Flight Attendants is clear: sorry, you’re just not worth it.

Have Hotel Problems? Write It Up!

If you happen to be flying an IAD trip and have feedback to provide about the new layover hotel (or any layover hotel in any city), be sure to share it by writing a feedback report in CrewCare. Reports submitted through CrewCare are automatically routed to the ALPA and AFA Hotel Committees as well as management—they will hear what you have to say. You can access CrewCare by following the link on the main page of the Flight Attendant website or by visiting http://www.alaskaaircrew.com.

In Solidarity,

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

Note: To protect crewmember privacy, hotel names are not mentioned in this post as this article is posted on the AFA Alaska website. Information about crew hotels is available in the FA Crew Hotel Info conference in FirstClass.

Pre-Merger Hawaiian Inflight Service Committee Update – March 2026

March 30, 2026

Editor’s Note: Our MEC Inflight Service Committee now represents both pre-merger airlines, but management still makes service decisions that affect each group of Flight Attendants differently. This update covers changes for both Hawaiian- and Alaska-branded flying, but is specific to aircraft flown by pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines crews. As the work of the merger progresses, we […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 13 – March 2026

March 27, 2026

Our JNC met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC focused on clarifying questions about moving expenses and presented a proposal for Sick Leave, using feedback from Flight Attendants to guide improvements. The Committee is working to incorporate the strongest elements from both contracts to ensure better support for all members.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

March 27, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, March 24, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), […]

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – March 2026

March 26, 2026

On Thursday, March 19, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Bradley Young (SFO), Carin Merritt (LAX pmAS), David Lake (SEA pmAS), Deb Wallstrom (ANC), Eva Gatus […]

Hawaiian Seattle Domicile Council 43 and Council 47 Meeting Recap

March 25, 2026

The Negotiating Committee continues to advocate for clear and consistent guidelines regarding moving expenses and reimbursement for Flight Attendants. Despite management’s refusal to participate in recent meetings, the committee remains committed to addressing members’ concerns and ensuring contractual compliance. As the grievance process moves forward, Flight Attendants are encouraged to document their interactions and stay engaged in upcoming opportunities to seek clarification from management.

Council 39 February 2026 Update (February 26, 2026)