Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants plan to gather Thursday, July 25 at Los Angeles International Airport to protest failed negotiations with the airline’s management in forging a new contract.
The workers, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, allege their pay has fallen in comparison with the rest of the industry while the cost of living and medical expenses continue to rise.
They have been in labor negotiations for two years and say they are fighting for fair wages, better retirement security and maintaining protections on the job.
“Some of these flight attendants are well into their 60s and 70s but can’t afford to retire,” union spokesman Andrew Feldman said. “And management is trying to erode protections and work rules that were gained in previous negotiations.”
Those protections address such issues as layover rest periods, sick leave and minimum hours worked, among other issues.
In a statement issued late Wednesday afternoon, Hawaiian Airlines said it has reached tentative agreements with the union on many issues since negotiations began in 2017.
“We are now in mediation, to help us navigate remaining issues and we are working very hard to finalize a deal,” the airline said.
Thursday’s one-hour protest will run from 8 to 9 a.m. Feldman said 80 to 100 flight attendants are expected to take part.
“This will not disrupt any flights,” he said. “It’s just to bring these issues to the attention of passengers coming in from flights, so they understand what the flight attendants are facing. We hope they will stand up and support them.”
Thursday’s protest comes on the heels of a larger demonstration held last month at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. That protest included nearly 400 Hawaiian flight attendants.
In an interview with the Honolulu Star Advertiser last month, Hawaiian flight attendant Jeff Fuke said the airline’s top pay rate for flight attendants is about $20 below what other carriers are offering. The last raise they received was in March 2016, he said, which brought their starting pay to $22 an hour.
Following a history of bankruptcies and employee concessions the airline is making record profits, the union said, yet flight attendants are struggling.
Hawaiian Airlines has five daily departures and five daily arrivals out of LAX, according to Feldman.
The Association of Flight Attendants labor union represents 50,000 flight attendants who work at Hawaiian Airlines and 19 other carriers.
