Boeing 787-9 Negotiations
Dear Fellow Flight Attendant:
Mahalo to those of you who were able to attend one of the roadshow meetings in Los Angeles and Honolulu to learn about the 787-9 Tentative Agreement. We have an upcoming roadshow in HNL on Tuesday, June 26th, at the Inter-Island 7th Floor Conference Center from 1100-1300. In addition, members of the Negotiating Committee will be in the Honolulu lounge on weekdays from June 25th through July 6th. For those of you who have not had an opportunity to attend a roadshow, we have put together some of the most common questions and answered them below.
If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to email the Negotiating Committee at afacontract2017@halafa.org. More information about the 787-9 Tentative Agreement, including the full text of the Letter of Agreement, may be found on the AFA website at www.halafa.org.
Mahalo!
The Negotiating Committee
Sharon Soper, Diana Huihui, Ka’imi Lee, Martin Gusman, Jeff Fuke, and Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff Negotiator
787-9 Questions & Answers
Q: Is this Boeing 787-9 Tentative Agreement (TA) our new Contract?
A: This is NOT the new Contract. The 787-9 Tentative Agreement was a separate negotiation. Regular negotiations for our new contract are still ongoing.
Q: Why did the Negotiating Committee interrupt contract negotiations for the 787-9 talks?
A: Our Contract (Section 27.C.2.) states that when the company plans to get a new aircraft, we must negotiate with them within 15 days of notification on provisions relative to that aircraft. AFA wanted to include the 787-9 talks with our current contract negotiations, but management insisted on doing it separately.
Q: Did we give up leverage by not including the 787-9 into contract negotiations?
A: No. In fact we were able to negotiate immediate improvements and a signing bonus because we had to set aside regular negotiations.
Q: How do Flight Attendants at other airlines negotiate staffing on new aircraft?
A: They don’t. No other Flight Attendant contract has a provision. Management at American, United, and Delta, decides what the staffing will be on their aircraft. The FAA minimum staffing on HA’s planned 787-9 is 7 Flight Attendants. American initially staffed its 787 with 7 Flight Attendants. American management unilaterally changed it to 8 on domestic flights and 10 internationally when minimum staffing proved unworkable. Their management could change it again at any time.
Q: What happens if the 787-9 Tentative Agreement is not ratified?
A: If this is voted down, the company has stated that they will not negotiate another Tentative Agreement for the 787-9. We could lose all the immediate improvements of the Tentative Agreement, including the rest improvements and the 3% signing bonus. All the provisions of the Tentative Agreement would have to be negotiated again.
The following possibilities may happen:
Company would not get the 787-9 and instead purchase additional A330-200s; or
Company would decide to get the 787-9s and wrap those discussions into the full contract negotiations and we would not be able to capture any immediate improvements.
Q: What is the seating capacity and configuration of the 787-9 that HA is considering?
A: The company plans on having 24 first class seats and between 279-302 coach seats (303-326 total seats on the aircraft).
Q: What about the staffing on the A321 Neo?
A: We feel that the staffing for the service provided is not workable today on the Neo. We will be addressing this concern in our regular contract negotiations.
Q: Why aren’t we getting a raise now?
A: These negotiations were separate from our contract negotiations which continue. The Negotiating Committee has been outspoken to management at the bargaining table that Hawaiian Flight Attendant pay has fallen behind industry leaders and steps must be taken to bring it back up.
Q: Will the 787-9 Tentative Agreement signing bonus hurt our chances of getting a raise in the new Contract?
A: No.
Q: Will the 80% crew-to-load provision only apply to the 787-9? What about the 90% crew-to-load provision on the A330? Will that change?
A: The 80% crew-to-load threshold applies only to the 787-9. However, the Negotiating Committee is determined to secure this improvement for the A330 during our continuing contract negotiations.
Q: If this agreement is ratified, will the company try and change the staffing on the 787-9?
A: The Negotiating Committee told the company that we will not revisit the staffing provisions of the 787-9.
Q: Do we know what the service will look like on the 787-9?
A: The company has not made any decision on what the service will be in 2021. We do have a contractual provision that the AFA will participate in future service design.
Q: Why do we have the West Coast Carve Out?
A: The company felt that if they ever used the aircraft in the West Coast market they needed to be competitive with the other U.S. 787 operators for shorter-haul flying. American and United staff these types of flights with 8 Flight Attendants. It’s very rare that this type of aircraft is used in this type of operation.
Q: On the West Coast Carve Out – how does it make sense that the staffing goes down to 9 on the busier months?
A: This is all about Flight Attendant staffing levels for the entire year. Our flying goes down significantly for 6 months of the year. Management has the tool of furlough to reduce the staffing for those 6 months. So the deal we reached with the company, for those lower-demand months, allows the company to continue to offer full employment and avoid potential furloughs. Some things to consider:
It allows for the creation of additional pairing positions during low flight schedule months.
The company originally wanted 8 Flight Attendants like American and United.
It is a significant improvement over the FAA minimum of 7 Flight Attendants.
Q: What does the 787-9 mean for Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants?
A: This could be a game-changer for us. It will secure our careers at Hawaiian and expand our horizons. The 787-9 will enable Hawaiian to explore new markets and fly significantly farther than we do today. The aircraft will provide a comfortable and healthier work environment for us. The cabin is much quieter and is pressurized at a lower altitude. It has higher humidity levels and better rest facilities.
Q: What happens next?
A: The Negotiating Committee and the company go back to finishing our main negotiations where we can deal with our major issues: pay raises, scheduling, vacation, retirement and medical. But, any gains made in this 787-9 Tentative Agreement are not guaranteed unless it is ratified.
Mahalo Nui Loa!