This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants
A Message from our LEC President: 737-800 Interisland Operations
Aloha nui kākou,
Earlier today, the Company publicly announced that the Boeing 737-800 will replace the 717-200 fleet in our interisland network. The Company’s decision to select the 737-800 is no surprise, as Alaska Airlines has operated this aircraft type for many years. While this announcement may have been anticipated for some time, Alaska Airlines has also decided to begin operating interisland flights under the Alaska brand between Honolulu and Maui beginning this October. This decision by the Company is both disheartening and disappointing to us at Hawaiian AFA.
The unfortunate reality of the situation stems from the reliability issues surrounding our aging 717 fleet which is something that we have all recognized throughout the years. Some of our 717s have been out of service much longer than anticipated due to on-going maintenance issues. This has left the Company with very little options to maintain our robust interisland network. While the decision to utilize the existing Alaska branded 737s and its crews is a near-term solution to maintaining our interisland network, it does come with near-term impacts to us as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants.
Our Interisland flying represents more than just taking care of our local people. It represents the very core of our brand and who we are as Hawaiian Airlines. No matter how long each of us has been representing Pualani, or whether you still fly interisland flights or not, we all started out flying between the islands. The infancy of our careers as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants is where we all began flying and so too did the brand itself. The legacy of Hawaiian Airlines from where we came from, to where we’ve gone and how we have grown, stems from our roots here in Hawai‘i. Bringing the Alaska branded 737s to do part of our interisland flying shakes us to our core, especially since it will not be our crews interacting and maintaining our long-standing relationships we have with our local communities throughout Hawai‘i. While there is no denying the factors of this situation, as President of our Honolulu base, I cannot support or stand behind this decision by the Company to bring in the Alaska branded 737s and its crews to do flying that ultimately belongs to us at Hawaiian.
I will be working closely with our HA MEC Grievance Committee as well as the Joint Alaska-Hawaiian MEC to consider all options available to us in our Contract. While I cannot make any promises that we will be able to ultimately prevent this from happening, it is important to know that we as the Hawaiian AFA Leadership will not be sitting idly by and will use the full force of our contract and everything that is available to us to push back. There will be on-going discussions both internally with AFA as well as the Company to ensure that we are protecting our bid lines, but most importantly our jobs as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants in Hawai‘i.
I want to acknowledge that this news hits us hard, and in many ways is demoralizing because of the constant changes that we have been going through along with the reduction of our international flying. The constant taking away and giving to Alaska has pushed each of us to a place where it is starting to affect who we are as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants. Everyone is fatigued from change with no end or relief in sight. The promise of a better future seems to get pushed back further and further as more of these changes continue to disconnect us from who we are as Hawaiian Airlines. The emotional toll that it is taking on each of us is sometimes unbearable and overwhelming. I ask that everyone take a moment to process this information as it will impact and affect everyone differently. Our EAP Committee is available should anyone need to reach out to them for assistance or resources. Remember that while this announcement will affect each of us differently, and at times we may feel alone, know that we are all in this together. The greatest strength that we have as a Hawaiian Airlines ‘ohana is our ability to persevere and to holomua (move forward) in the face of uncertainty and difficulties.
We will continue to keep everyone updated on this developing situation and know that our top priority is to maintain our jobs and our bid lines as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants in Hawai‘i.
E kūpa‘a kākou!
Let us stand firm together!
Me ka ha‘aha‘a,
Kela Chong
President
Hawaiian Airlines Local Executive Council 43 – HNL
Association of Flight Attendants – CWA, AFL-CIO
