Horizon Air can acquire ERJ-175—if its employees accept cuts

As you may know, Alaska Air Group (AAG) management has told Horizon Air that it can acquire ERJ-175 aircraft and start flying jet routes—but only if Horizon cuts operating expenses so that its cost per block hour is comparable to that of SkyWest. If Horizon employees can’t accept those cuts, management says the planes will go to SkyWest and Horizon will be a rapidly shrinking Q-400 operator.

As part of its plan, Horizon has asked its AFA-represented flight attendants to make significant, mid-term changes to their contract.  They’re asking this even as Alaska Air Group reports record profits and growth, and even as J.D. Power has awarded “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Traditional Network Carriers” to Alaska/Horizon for the eighth consecutive year.

Unanimously adopted resolution by the AFA-CWA Executive Board of Directors

For your information, the following resolution was unanimously adopted on September 10^th at the 40^th AFA-CWA Executive Board Meeting in Washington, DC September 9-10, 2015:

Whereas, Horizon Flight Attendants find themselves facing an either/or choice from Management to accept cuts in pay and work rules in exchange for promises of new aircraft and increased flying, or by maintaining their contract provisions the threat of downsizing and loss of jobs; and

 

Whereas, this is the latest example of Airline Management’s continual shell game of pitting Regional Carriers against each other to drive down wages, work rules and benefits;

 

Therefore Be It Resolved; that the 40th AFA-CWA Executive Board, representing 18 Airlines and 50,000 Flight Attendants around the globe pledges its commitment and support to the Horizon Flight Attendants, Leaders and Members as they consider the best course to follow to protect their contract and provide a strong future for their members and airline.

AFA Alaska MEC offers support and solidarity to our flight attendant brothers and sisters at Horizon Air

The AFA Alaska Master Executive Council firmly believes that all Alaska Airlines flying should remain within the wholly owned (and unionized) AAG carriers. In our opinion, contracting out more flying to a non-union carrier may be financially beneficial in the short term but ultimately hurts all Air Group employees over the long term—including Alaska Airlines flight attendants.  The struggle at Horizon is one that we have seen repeatedly throughout the regional industry and we do not wish it to continue within Air Group. Accordingly, the Alaska MEC offers our support and solidarity to our AFA brothers and sisters at Horizon Air in these difficult times.

* * *

In Solidarity,

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