Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Your IAM Negotiating Committee met with Alaska/Hawaiian management last week in Seattle, WA, to continue bargaining on behalf of approximately 8,000 ground workers. Unfortunately, the week concluded with management firmly maintaining its demand for the absolute authority to outsource our work to cheaper third-party vendors.
Furthermore, management is seeking unrestricted freedom to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated systems to perform and redesign our work—offering absolutely no protections for IAM members. They have also rejected our proposal that IAM members should staff new stations that open with a specific level of flight activity. On top of these job security threats, management’s economic offer remains entirely unacceptable and falls drastically short of fairly compensating IAM-represented members for the critical work we do every day.
Your Negotiating Committee demanded that management rethink these untenable positions. We firmly reiterated our core demands:
- Permanent protection against outsourcing with no expiration date.
- Concrete safeguards against the threat of AI and automation.
- The right to insource new stations and work, ensuring our members grow alongside the airline.
- A fair compensation package.
The Company recently spent $1.9 billion to merge with Hawaiian Airlines, publicly boasting about how this merger would benefit both workers and local communities. Yet, based on what management currently has on the table, these promises are nothing but lip service for IAM Union members at Alaska-Hawaiian.
Despite these major hurdles, the Union and the Company were able to clear a few smaller issues and Letters of Agreement (LOAs) off the table, which include:
- New LOA Employment Documents – This letter will help to address the ongoing issues with members who, due to issues outside their control, face hurtles getting necessary employment documents.
- LOA PPG Agents – This letter is designed to provide contractual protections to the members in American Samoa at the PPG station more in line with the members in the rest of the contract.
- New LOA Multiple bid locations within a station – This letter is designed to address ongoing issues with our members ability to move between bid locations within a station.
- LOA GSAP – This is an existing letter, minor updates to bring the letter up to date with current laws.
- New LOA Charter Policy – This letter is designed to clarify length of day requirements for members working charter flight.
All Alaska Airlines IAM Union locations will receive further information on upcoming mobilization activities, future bargaining dates, and how you can support the Negotiating Committee. Now, more than ever, we must stand united to demand the contract we deserve.
Sincerely and fraternally,
| Jesse Wilson General Chair | David Figueira General Chair |
Joint Negotiating Committee:
Alaska COPS: Melissa Hopson, Jane McGrath, Andrea Mondoy-Honaker, Sandra Hagan
Alaska RSSA: Mark Walker, Garrett Gebauer
Hawaiian COSFP: Mana Kanahele, Ku’ulei McGuire, Phyllis Moleta-Torres
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