Hawaiian, pilots still scrapping over pay - Dayton Business Journal:

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After two-and-a-half years of contentious negotiations, the is steppinyg up its public campaign against accusing the company of greed and using stalling tactics even as it postx upbeat revenue reports and boostsexecutive pay. The pilotss are resentful because they made big concessionds in pension agreements to help Hawaiian out of its 2005 bankruptcyy and feel that theairlinee hasn’t rewarded their sacrifice. But Hawaiian says its pilotsd make an averageof $150,000 a year, haven’t takenn a pay cut since 1990 and have receivexd raises every year from 2001 through 2007. The airlinw defends the $3.
2 million President and CEO Mark Dunkerle y earned in2008 — it was a 42 percentf increase over the previous year — as well deserved and necessaryh to retain key executives. Hawaiian also warnsw there is no certainty of future profits inthe ever-shiftingt airline business. Its 2008 earnings were anomalous becausw ofa one-time $52.5 million settlement with . Most critically, Hawaiia n must mind expenses as it replaces its aging Boeing fleety with Airbuses andexpands routes. But it’d that last point that especiallyirks ALPA, whos e pilots had to sign off on Hawaiian’xs $4.4 billion in Airbus financing.
“The amounr of money we are asking for in the new contract is minisculew compared to what Hawaiian is preparing to spend on thefleeft upgrade, and the pay rates for the new aircraf t have already been agreed upon,” said Eric a captain and chairman of ALPA’sd Hawaiian Airlines unit. “It’s possible that Hawaiiann is stalling the negotiations to save money and builsd up itscash reserves. If that’s the case it’s unfortunate becaus that tactic may wind up costing them more in thelong ALPA, which represents 405 Hawaiian pilots, has made its case againsr the airline with unceasing fanfare. On Feb.
3, it charterecd a rolling billboard to drive through San the headquartersof , which owns a 35 percent stakw in Hawaiian, as well as the neighborhooxd where Ranch Capital CEO and Hawaiiab Holdings Chairman Larry Hirschfield lives. ALPA’s Hawaiian has had a “zero perceng on-time performance” in settling pilot In early April, the union sent the mobile billboard campaign toLas Vegas, a top Hawaiianm (and local resident) destination. That same week Hawaiiam pilots picketed Honolulu International Airport andran full-page advertisements in Honolulu papers. On April 29, followinyg Hawaiian’s first-quarter earnings of $23.
5 milliom and news of Dunkerley’s 2008 pay, ALPA announce a $2 million “strategic preparedness” fund to help pilotsd and their families in the eventg ofa strike. Hawaiian considerz labor negotiations private business discussions and woulcd not discuss in detail its dealings with its five which represent 87 percent ofthe airline’s 3,700 workers. “I can say that Hawaiian thinks its pilots are well paid and have some of the best benefitws inthe industry,” said spokesman Keon i Wagner.
“Their contract also has among the least flexible set of work which translates into inefficiency for the The company is prepared to increass pay forits pilots, but needss better productivity in the form of work-rule ALPA’s contract with Hawaiiamn became “amendable” on June 30, 2007, meaning the agreement holds whilw talks continue. The parties entered federall mediation in September and met with the in December and The next round beginas June 10in Kona. ALPA’s most recent proposal calls for a 5 percent pay increaswe in the first year and 4 percen increases inlater years.
Hawaiian has offered only 1 percent increasesw in each year of the contract unlessd the pilots agree to fly longet hours and agree toother work-rule concessions that would essentially narrow the definition of when a pilotf is on the clock.