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Hawaiian Flight Attendant Seattle Domicile Update – May 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

  • ETCH folder trips must be cleared in their originating domicile before being available for pickup or trade by Flight Attendants from other bases
  • HNL and LAX Flight Attendants are able to pick up SEA 787-9 pairings, but must order the Dreamliner uniform through Affinity Apparel
  • In accordance with Section 6.V of our contract, jackets are not required from April 15 to October 31 or when the ground cooling system is not working

With three domiciles now operated by pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants, the Seattle Domicile Negotiating Committee would like to clarify how out-of-domicile pickups and trades work.

ETCH Folder

Trips in the ETCH folder must first be cleared in their originating domicile before they become available for pickup or trade by Flight Attendants from other bases. Until that process is complete, those pairings are not eligible for out-of-base pick up or trade.

Dreamliner Uniform (787-9 Pairings)

Flight Attendants who are not based in SEA and are interested in picking up SEA domicile 787-9 pairings should place an order for the Dreamliner uniform through Affinity Apparel. HNL and LAX Flight Attendants have received extra uniform points to support access to the Dreamliner uniform. Those points can be allocated to Dreamliner uniform pieces at the Flight Attendant’s discretion.


The Dreamliner uniform is intended for 787-9 flying, contractually, a Flight Attendant is able to pick up any trip they are legal for. Flight Attendants should make a good faith effort to obtain the appropriate uniform. If a Flight Attendant has a 787-9 pairing approaching and has not yet received your Dreamliner uniform, please reach out to management, Gina Lorenzo, Jenny Bookert, Heather Hailey, and Michaela Littman, and copy sea@afahawaiian.org to explore available uniform options.

Jacket Requirement

As a reminder, in accordance with Section 6.V, jackets are not required to be worn from April 15 through October 31, or at any time the ground cooling system is not working. If management has asked, please reference the contract and notify a union representative.

Mahalo for your continued engagement. If you have more questions, please contact your local leadership or email the SEA Domicile Negotiating Committee at sea@afahawaiian.org.

Council 43 Update – May 3, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Yesterday, we learned the heartbreaking news that Spirit Airlines permanently ceased operations, immediately affecting some 17,000 employees, including approximately 5,500 AFA Flight Attendants. Anyone who has experienced or even been around an airline shutdown knows how devastating it can be to the airline’s employees and their loved-ones. Spirit’s story could have been our story in the mid 1990’s, as Hawaiian teetered on the edge of bankruptcy and liquidation. Sadly, it was Aloha’s story in 2008. Although most people will move on and move forward with their lives, for many of them – many with stories untold – things will never be the same. Our hearts go out to all of them.

The Spirit AFA leaders that we have met and had the privilege to work with through AFA are hard-working professionals who are dedicated to raising the standards of our profession. There are so many similarities between our two groups. As AFA International President Sara Nelson wrote, “We will have more to say about the amazing Spirit AFA members who have inspired us with their stories, determination, and solidarity… Spirit has been a part of our AFA family and we will fly with Spirit Forever.”

In Solidarity,
Martin Gusman & Kela Chong

Council 43 Election & Candidates Forum

The Alaska-Hawaiian Council 43 elections are upon us. Local Council Officers will need to be elected for the term beginning on July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2029, as provided by the AFA-CWA Constitution & Bylaws. Voting notices with credentials to access the electronic ballot were mailed on April 30, 2026, and voting will begin on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

To support and facilitate our Union’s democratic election process, Council 43’s Communications Committee will be hosting a Candidates Forum on Monday, May 4, 2026, (tomorrow) at 1200 HST. Please use this link to register for the meeting, using your personal email address that is on file with AFA. Please note that only members in good standing will be allowed to vote in the election. You may check your membership standing by going to the AFA Membership Hub.

AFA elections are governed by procedures outlined in the Association’s Constitution & Bylaws, Article VIII and the AFA Policy Manual. For more information, please visit afacwa-elections.org.

Dues in Arrears – Overdue Dues Payments

This is a reminder that a Flight Attendant needs to be in good standing in order to vote in an election or vote on a tentative agreement that is up for ratification. A member in good standing is a Flight Attendant who is either current with their AFA dues or has worked out a payment plan for outstanding dues with the AFA-CWA membership department. If you’ve taken a leave of absence in recent years, or have dropped all your trips and did not receive any pay in a month, there is a good chance that an automatic dues deduction was missed. Email reminders will be sent to Flight Attendants with outstanding dues balances later this week. If you have a question about your membership status, please email our Local Membership Chairperson, Phyllis Lau, at phyllis.lau@afahawaiian.org, or your Local Officers at hnl@afahawaiian.org .

Jumpseat Policy Concerns

We have heard from some of you that there may be problems with the new Jumpseat Policy that was implemented at PSS. An issue that came to light involves Flight Attendants jumpseating from foreign stations and the inability to secure a boarding pass without a seat assignment. Even if a Flight Attendant is able to secure a boarding pass for the jumpseat at D-30 (thirty minutes prior to departure), it may not be enough time to get through security and immigration and get to the gate before departure.

Section 30.G.1. of our contract provides that the Company and the Association shall mutually agree on procedures for assignment of cabin jump seat authority. That did not happen. The Alaska-Hawaiian MEC is looking to resolve these issues as quickly as possible and is prepared to file a grievance if it is necessary.

Reserve Webinar

The Council 43 Communications Committee is inviting everyone to join Reserve Committee Co-Chairpersons Sasha Kahele-Manners and Joni Pak for a Reserve webinar on Wednesday, May 5, 2026 @ 1100 HST. Sasha and Joni will be there to let you know about the current state of reserve operations and answer your reserve-related questions. Please be sure to register and feel free to submit your questions prior to the webinar.

Wednesday’s webinar will mark the one-year anniversary of Council 43’s webinars. A big mahalo to the Communications Committee (Chairperson Mikioi Vericalla, Joyce Foley, and Soon Kim) for hosting these events, and to Sasha and Joni who kicked all of this off with their first Reserve Webinar a year ago! We would also like to extend a heartfelt mahalo to all the committee chairpersons and committee members who worked hard to make the webinars a success over the past year! Mahalo!

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month – a month-long celebration that recognizes and acknowledges the history, culture, achievements and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to American society. In recognition and celebration of AAPI month, AFA offers AAPI pins for you to proudly wear on your uniform. Ask one of your Local Officers (or email us at hnl@afahawaiian.org ) for a pin!

Updated Council 43 Committee Roster

Our Council 43 Roster has been updated and moved to its new home at the Alaska-Hawaiian AFA website (afaalaska.org), and may be found on the HNL Council 43 Committee page (https://afaalaska.org/hnl/committees). Please bookmark the page for future reference. In addition you’ll find our 2025 Contract Extension as well as the 2025 SEA Domicile LOA.

May Events

DateEvent
May 1May Day
May 4Council 43 Candidates Forum
May 5Council 43 Election Polls Open
May 6Reserve Webinar
May 19Council 43 Election Polls Close (0900 HST)

Hawaiian MEC Grievance Committee – Flat Rate Survey

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Action Needed: Flat Rate Moving Pay Survey

We are looking for your help to gather data to better advocate for and strengthen our case in regards to our dispute with the company over the proof of relocation requirement to receive the Flat Rate outlined in Section 5.B.2. of our contract. If you transferred between LAX and HNL within the past 10 years and took the flat rate moving expense, we are asking you to complete the form below.

Your participation is critical. The more responses we receive, the stronger and more complete our case will be. 

Click here to fill out the Flat Rate Data Form.

Even if your moving pay was processed without issue, we still need your input. A full set of responses helps ensure we are representing the entire scope of Flight Attendant experiences.

Currently, the grievance has progressed through the initial steps and has been elevated to System Board, with mediation and potential arbitration ahead. Your response directly supports this work.

Mahalo for taking the time to participate and for helping strengthen our advocacy.

In Solidarity,

Hawaiian MEC Grievance Committee

grievance@afahawaiian.org

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 14 – April 2026

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

  • Our JNC met with management this week on April 28 to April 30 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for June 2 to June 4
  • Our JNC is working to combine vacation provisions for Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants, presenting a vision for Section 14 (Vacation) as a starting point for negotiations
  • The Crew Meal Survey will be sent to your inbox on May 12 to collect feedback as the JNC evaluates Section 22 (Expenses)

Negotiations Update

Our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for three days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC met with management on April 28 to April 30 in Seattle, WA. At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonAllen Thieman, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations, Alaska
Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
Virginia Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorKaren Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska

This session, the JNC continued to look closely at both the Alaska and Hawaiian vacation systems. At the start of the week, we had a helpful discussion about how Flight Attendant vacation is managed. Jake Jones, AFA’s MEC Scheduling Chairperson, joined us along with vacation administrators from both Alaska and Hawaiian: Manager of Crew Planning, Jefferey Hunt; Manager of Crew Staffing, Alex Mandus; Manager of Crew Planning, Colin Beard; Flight Crew Administration Manager, Laurie Shiira; Manager of Crew Pay, Debbie Bakke; Senior Crew Plan Analyst, Rich Nicklaw; and Senior Crew Plan Analyst, Choak O’Connell.


As the JNC began discussing combining the elements of the vacation sections, we identified several important issues that would need close work with company stakeholders. We proposed a collaborative approach to management to tackle the complicated provisions, so both sides can work together to find solutions that meet everyone’s needs. With this in mind the JNC presented our vision for Section 14 (Vacation), which will be used as a starting point for discussion.


The JNC also passed and received from management proposals on the new Section 37 (Temporary Duty Assignment) and shared our first proposal for Section 35 (Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges). The committee also continued to trade proposals on Section 36 (Commuter Policy).

Section by Section Progress

The Alaska CBA is being used as the basis of the joint contract for language purposes. Each section and provision from both contracts will be reviewed individually to incorporate and amend the strongest elements from each agreement.

Sections discussed in this session:

  • 🆕 Temporary Duty Assignments (AS CBA does not address these provisions and HA CBA Section 15)
  • Vacations (AS CBA Section 14 and HA CBA Section 18)
  • Commuter Policy (AS CBA Section 36 and HA CBA Section 34-28)
  • Flight Attendant Jumpseat and Pass Privileges (AS CBA Section 35 and HA CBA Section 30)

Sections in ongoing discussion:

  • Leaves of Absence (AS CBA Section 15 and HA CBA Section 17)
  • Sick Leave (AS CBA Section 16 and HA CBA Section 19)
  • General and Miscellaneous (AS CBA Section 24 and HA CBA Section 27)
  • Domiciles (AS CBA Section 28 and HA CBA Section 5, 14, and 27)
  • Training (AS CBA Section 30 and HA CBA Section 26)

Sections listed below are on hold until discussions regarding future sections, which affect specific provisions, take place.

  • Seniority (AS CBA Section 6 and HA CBA Section 9)
  • Grievance Procedures (AS CBA Section 19 and HA CBA Section 23)
  • Charters (AS CBA Section 33 and HA CBA Section 12)

Crew Meal Survey

Our JNC is in the process of reviewing Expenses (AS CBA Section 22 and HA CBA Section 4). We are looking for your feedback regarding Crew Meals. The survey is currently being finalized and will be sent to your inbox on May 12.

  • Survey opens Tuesday, May 12 at 9 AM PT
  • Survey closes on Tuesday, May 25 at Noon

What’s Upcoming

Our next session with management is scheduled for June 2 to June 4.

Reserve Webinar – May 6, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Webinar Series turns one, thanks for a great year!

Join us for our next Reserve Webinar:

May 6, 2026 (Wednesday)
1100 – 1200 HST
Panelists: Sasha & Joni – LEC 43 Reserve Committee Co-Chairs

REGISTER HERE >>>

Stay up-to-date about the current state of Reserve operations.

Learn about Contract provisions that affect Reserve Flight Attendants.

Get answers to your Reserve-related questions!

This Reserve Webinar brings us full circle to complete one year of being able to connect AFA Hawaiian members with Union Leadership.

There was no shortage of operational changes and challenges since the first Reserve Webinar on May 7, 2025. The abrupt changes since our last Reserve Webinar (in March) added to that list.

Reserve Flight Attendants minimize operational disruptions, cover for us when we can’t make it to work, and complete staffing complements to reduce the strain on working crew during non-normal operations.

MAHALO FOR SHOWING UP!!

We are grateful for the opportunity to meet everyone in flight, during lounge sits, and by way of these Webinars. We look forward to future Webinars and the opportunity to answer more of your questions.

In Solidarity,
LEC 43 Communications Committee

REGISTER HERE >>>

Why Vote?

As we continue our Government Affairs Focus Month, our attention turns to civic engagement and the critical role voting plays in shaping our day-to-day work environment. While many of us associate workplace protections primarily with contract negotiations, the laws and regulations that govern our aviation career extend far beyond the bargaining table. Watch: Why Vote? […]

Reminder: Don’t Miss Next Week’s MEC Town Hall!

Mark your calendar: Wednesday, September 23, is almost here! There’s still time to register for our Alaska + Hawaiian Town Hall and hear directly from your MEC Officers: MEC President Tim Green, MEC Vice President Brice McGee, and MEC Secretary-Treasurer Paul Ikioka. Join us for the latest updates and get answers to your questions. The […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, September 3, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Attending on your behalf were Ella Embree (ANC), Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Meghan Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia (SAN). MEC […]

MEC Statement Regarding Management’s New California Timekeeping Policy

Management announced a major policy shift last night that, starting October 1, 2026, California-based pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants in SFO, LAX, and SAN will be required to take an additional and redundant step to record their time worked by punching in and out using a timekeeping system. According to management, this new procedure applies to […]

Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, the United States observes Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month, a vibrant and meaningful tribute to the remarkable contributions, history, and cultures of Hispanic-Latinx Americans. This celebration began as Hispanic Heritage Week, established in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson to recognize the impact and influence of Hispanic-Latinx communities across the […]

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