United Airlines,
isle attendants
reach deal

The compromise, which
includes a cost-of-living cut,
will be put to a vote

By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

The union for United Airlines' Hawaii-based flight attendants says it has found a way for all of them to remain based in the islands.

Late last month, the airline said it would have to relocate about 300 locally based flight attendants due to a drop in its Hawaii service. Since then, the two sides have been negotiating.

Today, the union said that if the local flight attendants take a 50 percent cut in their cost-of-living adjustment and work Hawaii-West Coast round trips without a stay on the mainland, they can save the airline enough money so it will keep them here.

However, all 23,000 members of the United Airlines' unit of the Association of Flight Attendants will be asked to vote on the proposal, even though it affects only the 750 Hawaii-based attendants, said union spokeswoman Maureen Reinecke in Honolulu. That is because the change affects the overall contract with United, the union said.

The results of the vote will be announced Sept. 9, union officials said. The tentative agreement calls for halving the cost-of-living adjustment, which varies from $90 to $100 a month per employee, from Oct. 1 through September 2000.

The change in work rules for the West Coast service also would stay in place through September 2000 and be renewable for additional 24-month periods by mutual agreement or until the Hawaii work force has been reduced by 300 by attrition, such as retirements.

United, the major subsidiary of UAL Corp., has said it needs the reduction in its Hawaii work force because the airline has already cut its Japan-Hawaii service and will cut off an Osaka-Honolulu flight in early October.

"Although we did not secure a long-term solution, I believe this does answer the immediate needs of our members and their families," said James Kaneshiro, president of the United's Hawaii unit of the AFA.

"It is now up to the membership to cast their votes accordingly," he said.

United officials were not available for comment early today. The airline has said it is willing to work out changes with the union so the attendants can stay in the islands but they would have to include reduced costs.

United has said it will delay implementation of Hawaii staff reduction to give the flight attendants' union time to vote on the proposed deal.