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Council 39 February 2026 Update (February 26, 2026)

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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

AFA-CWA Board of Directors Convention

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The 53rd AFA-CWA Board of Directors Convention will take place in downtown Portland on March 9-11, 2026. Your LEC officers are thrilled that our beautiful city was chosen to host this year from a list of several other major convention cities around the country.

  • DATES: March 9-11
  • TIME: Call To Order at 0900
  • LOCATION: The Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97205

All members in good standing are invited and encouraged to attend one or more days of the BOD Convention as a guest. It’s a great opportunity to learn firsthand how your Union works to represent your interests locally and nationally. Here are some helpful links related to the Board of Directors, the convention, and AFA in general:

If you are interested in attending as a guest, registration is required. Please remember to bid around the dates you register for as trips will not be dropped in order for you to attend. You are welcome to register to attend any or all of the dates. As a reminder, Flight Attendants who are registered air commuters are not permitted to use D8Y status to fly in for the convention.

2026 BOD Convention Registration


AFA Alaska Council 39, in conjunction with AFA Horizon Council 17, will host a pre-BOD meeting on February 25 to discuss the BOD Convention agenda as well as local committee reports and updates.

  • DATE: February 25
  • TIME: 1100
  • LOCATION: Port of Portland Office Building

The AFA Membership Hub is your one-stop-shop to access all of your AFA account information. You can check your dues status, make payments toward past dues and view payment history. This is also the place to update your contact information, including phone numbers and preferred personal email, to make sure you’re staying up to date on important AFA communications.

Council 39 January 2026 Update (January 31, 2026)

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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

Council 39 December 2025 (December 14, 2025) Update

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In This Edition:

  • Happy Holidays!
  • Q4 CBT (Annual Compliance Training) Due 12/31
  • End Of Year Reminders
  • Increase In RODs
  • Communications Committee Update
  • Updating Your Email Address

Happy Holidays!

Whether you’re flying the line or spending time at home with friends and family, we would like to wish you a happy and safe holiday season!

Q4 CBT (Annual Compliance Training)

Annual Compliance Training CBTs are due by Wednesday, December 31st. Please make sure to complete the CBT on time to avoid progressive steps of discipline.

End Of Year Reminders

Current uniform allotment will expire on Wednesday, December 31st and will not roll over to next year. It is best to place orders sooner to ensure they are processed by the deadline. We will be issued a new allotment on January 1st. See Section 13.D of the CBA for details.

The deadline to decide whether to exchange your 2026 Employee Choice Travel Credits for Positive Space Travel (PST) is Tuesday, December 16th. 

Travel Open Enrollment is open now and will close on Tuesday, December 16th.

Remember to convert unused Employee Choice Travel Credits to guest passes. You can print or email the codes to yourself for future use.

Increase In RODs (Records of Discussion)

We have recently seen an increase in Records of Discussion. The leading reasons are reporting for duty without required items, such as Company ID (crew badge) and IMDs, and uniform compliance. Please refer to the FAM, Section 11.100 page 30, for a list of required items and the Uniforms Homepage on Team AAG for uniform compliance guidelines.

Communications Committee Update

We are pleased to announce Russel Rivinius as our new Communications Committee Chairperson.

Russel began his career as an Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant in early 2017. Initially based in Los Angeles, he has been in Portland for six years. He currently serves on the Council 39 Scheduling Committee and will begin a three-year term as MEC Scheduling Committee Fatigue Review Board Alternate Representative on January 1st.

Prior to joining Alaska Airlines, Russel worked in the service industry and managed several bars and restaurants. He lives in the beautiful city of Portland with his partner, Fabio, and their cats, Moira and Jonni.

Please join us in welcoming Russel to his new position.

Updating Your Email Address

Recently, AFA International made the switch to a new software platform for member engagement. As a result of the switch, some Flight Attendants’ profiles were duplicated. The MEC Communications Committee is actively working on merging duplicate profiles, but please log in to the AFA Membership Hub to verify that we have your preferred personal, not company, email address on file. This will ensure you’re receiving up-to-date communications from both Council 39 as well as our Master Executive Council.

As you’re flying, please encourage your fellow Flight Attendants to log in to the Membership Hub as well.

In Solidarity,

Steve, Krystle and Bethany

Council 39 November 2025 Update (November 17, 2025)

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In This Edition:

  • Happy Thanksgiving!
  • Joint JNC/Council 39 Meeting Information
  • Uniform Committee Update/Allotment Reminder
  • Healthcare Open Enrollment – Due November 21st

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether you’re flying the line or spending time at home with friends and family, we would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

Joint JNC/Council 39 Meeting Information:

Please join us on Friday, November 21st at 11:30 am for our local council meeting. Members of the Joint Negotiating Committee will also be available to answer questions.

  1. After landing at PDX, exit the secure area and proceed to the landside (baggage claim area) of the terminal.
  2. Follow signs for “Short-Term Parking” or “Long-Term Parking” garage – the meeting venue signage directs to the Long-Term Parking garage. You can go outside and walk across the roadways into the parking garage or you can take the North Tunnel (near baggage claim carousel 8) and walk all the way to the end of the tunnel and follow signs to the Port offices.
  3. If driving to PDX, you can park in the Long-Term Parking garage (or if that’s full, the east side of the Short-Term garage and use the walkway to the Long-Term garage.) 
  4. Take the elevator from the garage lobby (east end) marked “Port Offices” to the 1st floor lobby, then follow signage/elevators up to the 8th floor of the Port of Portland Headquarters.
  5. On the 8th floor, check in with the receptionist and pick up your visitor’s badge, then go to the “Anchor Room” for the meeting.

Uniform Committee Update/Allotment Reminder:

Our current uniform allotment expires at the end of this year. New allotments will be issued in January. However, current funds in your allotment will not roll over. Please remember to place uniform orders by December 31st so you don’t lose out on any leftover funds. 

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to David Jelinek for his many years of dedication as the Portland Base Uniform Committee Chairperson. David has recently been appointed as the MEC Chairperson, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved transition.

With this change, we are excited to announce that Bob Moore will be stepping into the local chairperson role. Bob began his career with Horizon Air in 1987, where he played a key role in organizing AFA on the property and served on both the EAP and Inflight Service Committees. In 1996, he joined Alaska Inflight, where he continues to serve today. Over the years, Bob has contributed his leadership as co-chair of the PDX Reserve Committee, and as a member of the Voice Committee, Uniform Committee, LEC and MEC Uniform Committees.

Please join us in thanking David for his service and congratulating Bob as he takes on this new role!

In addition to Bob resuming the chairperson role we would like to introduce new Uniform Committee members:

Diana Berni

Diana was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She began her career as an LA based Flight Attendant in 2007. In 2010 she decided to venture out and transferred to the Portland base she now calls home.  

She has volunteered her time by doing various projects with the Alaska Airlines Special Projects Pool and has also participated in the Grand Floral Parade by marching with the Flight Attendant Drill Team.  

Diana is married, has two children and a golden doodle named Maximus. She spends her off days with her family hiking, going to the movies and driving to the coast. 

She looks forward to working closely with AFA as a Uniform Committee member and assisting fellow Flight Attendants with their uniform needs.  

Lexie Rhodes

Lexie Rhodes has been a proud member of the Alaska Airlines family since 2013. Before joining Alaska, she worked as an executive assistant, where she built a strong foundation in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. She studied European History at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a minor in History of Art and Visual Culture and enriched her studies with several design courses that sparked her interest in how aesthetics and function can work hand in hand. Her time studying abroad in Siena, Italy, and Stirling, Scotland further deepened her appreciation for cultural exchange, inclusive perspectives, and thoughtful design.

Lexie is excited to bring her perspective to the AFA Uniform Committee and support her fellow Flight Attendants in advocating for thoughtful, inclusive uniform choices that honor both Alaska’s and Hawaiian Airlines’ cultures, accommodate diverse body types, and balance comfort with style. When she’s not in the air, you’ll find her reading, hiking, daydreaming about her next adventure, hanging with her nine nieces and nephews, pulling playful pranks, or spending time with her close-knit group of girlfriends.

Tutu Smith

Tutu has loved every chapter of her journey with Alaska Airlines since starting as a CSA in 2001 and moving to Inflight in 2007. She’s passionate about her work, takes great pride in wearing the uniform, and is excited to contribute her experience and perspective as a member of the Uniform Committee.

Tutu has previously served on the Inflight Service Committee and the Mobilization Committee during contract negotiations. When she’s not flying, she enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and their dog or catching a good football game on TV.

Healthcare Open Enrollment:

Don’t forget to complete your elections for healthcare benefits by November 21st at 10 PM PST. You can review/update your coverage by clicking here and using your Team AAG single sign-on.

In Solidarity,

Steve, Krystle and Bethany

2026 AFA Board of Directors Convention: What You Need To Know

Next week, our Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, and several other LEC Officers, Committee Chairpersons, and Committee Members will attend the 53rd Annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) Convention in Portland, Oregon. They will join representatives from other AFA airlines to address our Union’s business at the international level. Watch […]

Hawaiian Flight Attendant Seattle Domicile Negotiations – March 2026 Update

Management currently requires Flight Attendants to provide proof of relocation to receive the flat-rate moving expense, a policy that the AFA is formally challenging through the grievance process. While this dispute is ongoing, Flight Attendants able to submit proof of relocation must submit two forms of documentation, such as a lease or updated driver’s license, within 60 days of transfer if they wish to be paid under management’s terms. The union continues to advocate for a fairer process and encourages members to keep records of all related interactions.

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 12 – February 2026

During this negotiation session, we made progress on Sections 15 (Leaves of Absence) and 22 (Expenses). The JNC advocated for positive developments from the Hawaiian CBA to strengthen our proposals. We also introduced our initial proposal for Section 28 (Domiciles) and remain committed to meaningful improvements in all areas of discussion.

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

Mark your calendar—Tuesday, March 3, 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 Details What […]

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, February 19, our AFA Local Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), Bob Moore (PDX), Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather Holmes […]

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