On Tuesday, February 13th, flight attendants from Hawaii-centric airlines and others will picket outside Honolulu Airport. These include Alaska, American, Southwest, and United, according to the press release from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA).
Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants were not mentioned in the announcement, although they are part of AFA and picketed earlier this month at the Quarterly Board Meeting of the airline.
This is happening one day after Southwest flight attendants dealt with a violent passenger disturbance onboard a flight to Kauai.
The flight attendant’s union is picketing at 30 airports in the US, UK and Guam. Nearly 100,000 flight attendants are currently involved in contract negotiations.
It also comes directly on the heels of Alaska and Hawaiian flight attendants saying that they aren’t ready to give their blessing to the planned merger of the two airlines.
The flight attendants’ unions of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have halted giving their blessing to the proposed merger for now. Their unions seek commitments from both airlines to address merger concerns and preserve crucial elements of current contracts. The delay in endorsing the merger is viewed as a strategy to pressure Alaska towards a favorable contract agreement.
Tuesday’s demonstrations mark a historic moment.
This is the first time flight attendants from 24 airlines will protest in unison. And the fact it is worldwide has significance.
Flight Attendants say they are working under increasingly difficult conditions (consider the brawl on Southwest yesterday), long hours, minimal rest between flights, and time away from their families. Many have not had any raises in years, even as the cost of living has increased. Flight attendants want their fair share of the airlines’ success.
Honolulu (HNL) Worldwide Solidarity Picket
Tuesday’s event will take place at 11:30 am in the breezeway in front of United check-in counters, located in lobby 8 at the departure level.
Flight Attendants have some unusual working conditions.
They don’t paid until the doors close and the plane leaves the gate.
Once the plane arrives at the gate and the doors open they stop getting paid. So all the time while passengers are boarding the plane
and while passengers are getting off the plane flight attendants do not get paid. Very strange?
minimal rest, and time away from their families. Many have not had any raises in years, even as the cost of living has increased. sounds like every job all of us are going thru.
Minimal rest? Not quite. Unlike aircraft mechanics, they get their mandatory 7 hours rest. Meanwhile when there is a broken aircraft, especially one away from a manned maintenance station, technicians work around the clock to get the aircraft back into revenue service.
I am totally supportive of their strike.
They deserve better working conditions and pay.
Im coming to Hawaii March 19th. I hope the flight attendance get everything they want. Good luck guys. Bob H.
No one is forcing them to be FA’s
“Time away from family “ isn’t travel part of the job.
Some don’t have families. So what is their “excuse” then?