Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Aloha F/As to lose benefits
Flight Attendants at Aloha Airlines have made another "sacrifice." According to an article in the Honolulu Advertiser, the Aloha flight attendants union has agreed that health benefits for future retirees would be eliminated, and that F/As will be required to contribute to their medical coverage:
Aloha is also negotiating with its pilots. The company wants to cancel the pilots' pension plan and turn it over to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., in a move similar to that taken by United Airlines earlier this year.
The judge hearing the Aloha case urged the company and the pilots to continue negotiating.
Aloha hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of this year.
The tentative agreement, if ratified by the members, does not call for additional pay cuts. Aloha's flight attendants already have taken two pay cuts of 10 percent each since January 2003.The union membership is expected to vote on ratification of this agreement later this month.
"Once again the company is asking the flight attendants to make some major sacrifices after significant givebacks in the past," said Karen Nakaoka, vice president of the 400-member Aloha unit of the Association of Flight Attendants.
Aloha is also negotiating with its pilots. The company wants to cancel the pilots' pension plan and turn it over to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., in a move similar to that taken by United Airlines earlier this year.
The judge hearing the Aloha case urged the company and the pilots to continue negotiating.
Aloha hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of this year.
