HONOLULU – Nov. 09, 2009 - Hawaiian Airlines dispatchers, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), have overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract with the airline that will provide increased pay and benefits as well as profit sharing for the dispatchers and operational improvements for the company.
Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO, commented, “This agreement is entirely consistent with the one overwhelmingly ratified by our flight attendants earlier this year, and with the proposals we have offered all of our union groups. Our agreements with the TWU and the AFA-CWA mean that we have now reached accord with two of the largest unions in the airline industry.”
John M. Conley, TWU International Vice President and Director, Air Transport Division, said, “We are pleased to have negotiated these improvements on behalf of our members at Hawaiian. In these challenging times, it’s refreshing to negotiate with a management team that shares our vision and commitment for improving the working conditions and standard of living of our members.”
The TWU represents 50,000 airline workers in the U.S., 31 of whom are dispatchers at Hawaiian Airlines. The AFA-CWA represents 55,000 flight attendants in the U.S., 1,000 of whom work for Hawaiian.
Hawaiian is in active federally mediated negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents its 400 pilots, and with the International Association of Machinists (IAM), which represents more than 1,400 mechanics and customer service personnel.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian is the nation’s highest-ranked carrier for service quality and performance in 2008 in the 19th annual Airline Quality Rating study. Hawaiian has also led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past five years (2004-2008) and has been an industry leader in fewest misplaced bags during that same period (#1 from 2005-2007, #2 in 2008) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé
Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.
Hawaiian will mark 80 years of continuous service for Hawaii on November 11, 2009. Hawaiian is the state’s biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service to Hawaii from the state’s primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides more than 160 daily jet flights within the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com.