Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

Washington, D.C. (October 1, 2019) — Hawaiian Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), are gearing up for a strike vote after mounting frustrations in mediated negotiations. Strike vote ballots will be sent to the over 2,100 Flight Attendants late this month, with a vote count scheduled for November 20, 2019.

Hawaiian Flight Attendants have engaged in almost three years of stalled contract negotiations and are underpaid compared to their counterparts in the industry. Management has proposed minimal pay increases while demanding concessions in 401(k) retirement and healthcare premiums. This proposal from Hawaiian management would leave many Flight Attendants earning less than they do today, while Hawaiian makes record profits.

“We transformed this job into a career over decades of bargaining; we are not going backwards,” said Sharon Soper, AFA Hawaiian President. “We will not agree to concessions while Hawaiian Airlines makes record profits.”

Flight Attendants plan to picket on October 9th at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport at 11:00am to keep the pressure on management. This follows four consecutive months of Flight Attendant protests at HNL and LAX.  

This lack of progress could lead to the National Mediation Board (NMB) declaring that negotiations are deadlocked and releasing both parties into a 30-day "cooling off" period leading to a strike deadline.  AFA has a trademarked strike strategy known as CHAOS™ or Create Havoc Around Our System™. With CHAOS, a strike could affect the entire system or a single flight. The union decides when, where and how to strike without notice to management or passengers.

Hawaii has one of the highest costs of living for any U.S. state. Hawaiian Flight Attendant pay has fallen in comparison with the rest of the industry while the cost of living and medical expenses continue to rise.  Wages, protecting work rules, and achieving security in retirement are key in this contract fight.

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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 74 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.