In This Edition:

• AFA Membership Hub
• Employee Assistance Program/Professional Standards
• AFA International Pre-Board of Directors Meeting
• Committee Member Updates
• Joint Contract Negotiations Update

AFA Membership Hub

If you are successfully receiving this email, it means that your contact information in the AFA Membership Hub is accurate and up to date. Thank you! However, many of our flying partners are not signed up to receive important communications from either Council 39, AFA Alaska + Hawaiian MEC, or both, and we need your help with getting the word out.

Please encourage everyone you fly with to log in to the Membership Hub and verify that their preferred personal email address is on file. Click here for a quick video showing how easy it is to do.

Employee Assistance Program/Professional Standards

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a support service provided by Flight Attendants for Flight Attendants. EAP Representatives are trained to provide three distinct but interrelated services that include assessment, support and referral services, professional standards and critical incident response. 

We encourage Flight Attendants to calmly and professionally address workplace conflicts with each other. Sometimes, it may be best to wait until you are on the ground on a layover or outside of work so that everyone involved has time to think things through.

While we encourage the resolution of any disagreement by trying to discuss the specific behavior or area of contention with the individual involved, we understand that there are situations where an objective ear can be beneficial. That is where EAP, specifically Professional Standards, can help. They can assist you in working out any difficulty and avoid “writing up” Flight Attendants or other employees, where both parties may then be subject to disciplinary action. When issues are taken to management to report a fellow Flight Attendant or other employee, the consequences can be severe for all parties involved and rarely turn out as we might anticipate. 

EAP Representatives, all of whom are Flight Attendants and committed to confidentiality, are trained to help you resolve issues with your coworkers when you need them. Our Council 39 EAP Chairperson, Contesa Diaz-Nicolaidis, is available here and you can find the full list of Council 39 EAP/Professional Standards Representatives here. 

AFA International Pre-Board of Directors Meeting

Council 39 will be hosting a joint meeting with Horizon AFA Council 17 on Wednesday, February 25 at 11 AM in the Port of Portland office building ahead of the 2026 AFA International Board of Directors Convention. Topics to be discussed include AFA International BOD agenda items, local committee recaps and reports. 

The 2026 AFA Board of Directors Convention is taking place in downtown Portland at The Benson Hotel on March 9-11. If you are interested in attending one or more of these days as a guest, registration is required. Please email our LEC officers by clicking here and bid accordingly. This is a great opportunity to observe how the Board of Directors works and what they do.

More information about the convention can be found here.

Committee Member Updates

We are pleased to announce Wendy Drake as a new addition to our Council 39 Benefits Committee. Wendy will serve as the Retirement Advisor.

Wendy began her career as a Flight Attendant in 1992 and has previously served on AFA Scheduling and Communications Committees. She holds a BA in Legal Studies from Chapman University in Orange, California. Wendy also spent time working in the financial sector with Bank of New York/Mellon, where she gained valuable insight into personal finance, her favorite subject matter.

Wendy is enthusiastic about helping fellow Flight Attendants prepare for retirement. In her personal life, she is engaged in caring for her elderly mother and learning to navigate Medicare.

Additionally, our Government Affairs Committee Chairperson, Colin Weaver, is stepping down from the position. We thank Colin for his service.

Our new Government Affairs Committee Chairperson is Manda Bednarczyk. Manda started flying for Alaska Airlines in 1999 and has been a proud member of the Portland base for 27 years. Living in southwest Portland, Manda is active in her community as a Girl Scout leader and volunteer at her children’s school. She views civic involvement as integral to a healthy society, and believes that active political engagement on a local and national level is imperative to sustain any democracy. 

As a previous member of the Government Affairs Committee, Manda was excited to return to the committee recently and is looking forward to a new position. She is eager to represent Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants, especially the Portland base, and our interests to our elected officials. 

If you are interested in helping Manda in her new position and joining the Government Affairs Committee, click here. You can find helpful information regarding the committee and their activities here.

Other new additions include Ty Kershaw (Grievance Committee), Lisa Lacaden (Benefits Committee/Workers Compensation Advisor) and Cesar Valencia (Benefits Committee/Kaiser Insurance Advisor). Keep an eye out for their bios in a future communication.  

Joint Contract Negotiations Update

Our JNC (Joint Negotiating Committee) met with management on January 27 to January 29 in Seattle; the next negotiation session is scheduled for February 24 to February 26. Our MEC Air Safety Health and Security Chairperson and Air Quality Representative, along with the AFA-CWA International Industrial Hygienist joined the JNC to speak to management about impacts of air quality on Flight Attendants.

Click here to read the full update from the JNC. 

In Solidarity,

Steve, Krystle and Bethany