Hawaiian Airlines staff notified of post-merger changes ahead

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaiian Airlines started notifying its 1,400 non-union staff Friday about their futures now that its merger with Alaska Alaska is a finished deal.

Hawaiian has a complete of 7,400 staff. The overwhelming majority of them are unionized, together with the roles that passengers see essentially the most.

“The union employees are in great shape because the jobs of mechanic and pilots and flight attendants and agents and so on — those are needed,” mentioned aviation skilled Peter Forman.

“The non-union people very often fall into categories, for example, supporting the front office, things like that. And you end up with unnecessary repetition of the employees,” mentioned Forman.

“Here in Hawaii both airlines have employee groups that are here. Well, when you put them all together, with less gates, you’re going to need less gate attendants,” mentioned former United Airlines pilot Pat McNamee. He was with United when it merged with Continental Airlines.

McNamee estimates that 30% of the non-union group shall be searching for new jobs.

Interim CEO Joe Sprague instructed Hawaii News Now that almost all of Hawaiian’s non-union workforce can be retained, both in long-term or interim roles. But some of these jobs shall be moved to Alaska’s headquarters in Seattle.

Employees who're lower shall be supplied 90 days of work and a severance bundle, “Which is great,” mentioned McNamee. “At least it gives them a couple of months of pay to find something else.”

The merger total finally ends up saving jobs by growing the monetary well being of Hawaiian, which has had extra competitors on interisland and West Coast routes from Southwest Airlines.

It additionally avoids the destiny of Aloha Airlines, which went by way of chapter greater than as soon as earlier than shutting down in 2008 after a fierce interisland fare battle with go! Airlines and a failed try to get extra monetary backing from United Airlines, which had a minority stake in Aloha.

“Hawaiian’s been down the bankruptcy alley several times and they were knocking on the doorsteps of the judge,” mentioned McNamee.

“Now that they have gone through this merger, they have plenty of access to capital, and it’s just a much more comfortable situation,” mentioned Forman.

As for the non-union employee who’ll finally get lower, “Just give them time,” mentioned McNamee. “They’ll work it out.”

Hawaiian Airlines says it ought to know in about two weeks what its new workforce will seem like.