Dear Sisters and Brothers:
The IAM District 142 Alaska-Hawaiian Negotiating Committee and Alaska Airlines management met this week and continued joint contract negotiations for almost 8,000 Alaska-Hawaiian ground workers. Alaska management issued a comprehensive counterproposal to the Union, responding to the Union’s initial comprehensive proposal passed to the Company on September 22nd.
The Company’s counterproposal is wholly unacceptable.
Since the announcement of the Alaska-Hawaiian merger, your Negotiating Committee has been very clear with the Company that the protection of our work from outsourcing without a drop-dead date, the safeguarding of our jobs from the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), and the opportunity for IAM members to grow with the Company via insourcing future work is of utmost importance.
Based on the Company’s present table position, however, it’s crystal clear that Alaska management wants the ability to outsource our work and reduce/eliminate positions via the use of AI. Not only is this unacceptable, but it is also disrespectful to the thousands of IAM members who continue to make Alaska-Hawaiian the great airline they are today. We deserve to have our work and our jobs protected without a drop-dead date.
The economic component of the Company’s comprehensive counterproposal is also woefully inadequate. Alaska Airlines has spent billions of dollars over the last couple of years purchasing Hawaiian Airlines and new aircraft. It appears, however, that when it comes to fairly compensating the very workers who have made both Alaska and Hawaiian successful, management is not on board. In fact, some of management’s proposals would cause concessions on certain IAM members and provide too little for thousands of others. This too is unacceptable.
We urge ALL IAM members at Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines to stay informed and educated regarding these contract negotiations. Go to your union meetings, talk to your elected representatives and stay involved. Alaska management made it abundantly clear this week that if IAM members at Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines want a fair contract, then we will have to fight for it.
Joint contract bargaining will resume in Seattle, 11/3-11/5.
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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