Following more than two years of contract negotiations, Hawaiian Airlines pilots have voted to authorise local union leadership to call a strike if union and carrier negotiators fail to reach a collective bargaining agreement.
Roughly 98% of the pilots participating in the vote endorsed a strike. Hawaiian's pilot contract became amendable on 30 June 2007, and the National Mediation Board (NMB) became party to Hawaiian's negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association in December 2008.
ALPA and airline representatives met without a federal mediator this week, and it is likely they will meet again before the next round of mediated discussions scheduled for 12 October, an ALPA spokesman says.
Should either party request an out, the NMB may release pilots and management from talks due to their reaching an impasse. The parties then have 30 days to reach a deal or then the local ALPA master executive council (MEC) has the power to call a strike.
But a union spokesman says that as long as the parties make progress, ALPA will not seek a release from negotiations. He adds that progress has been made recently regarding retirement but other outstanding issues remain, including wages and work rules.
ALPA represents 405 pilots at Hawaiian.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
