05-29-2011, 01:26 PM
HA has a very strong union. Their flight attendants have some of the best benefits in the industry. (But don't believe me, ask their flight attendants next time you fly with them).
It's absolutely true that the employees who were shifted to other areas of the company no longer sit in a cushy air-conditioned office. Without a doubt they have a much tougher job now. But most are happy to be employed in a growing company. (I've met and talked with most of them.)
You might be right that future generations will not have these jobs available to them, and that's truly a bummer. But since we're speculating here (and in light of razor thin--if any--margins in the airline industry), if these jobs hadn't been moved overseas, then it's not hard to imagine that HA would have suffered the same fate as Aloha Airlines. In such a scenario, that means the customer service and flight attendant jobs at Hawaiian Air would be gone forever too. And who would suffer? We the consumer; we the people of Hawaii.
But I'm not smart enough to predict the future so I'll stick with the present: HA is still hiring--hundreds of people since last year--with aggressive plans for expansion in Asia and even some new routes to the mainland. I see their growth and consequent job creation as a good thing.
It's absolutely true that the employees who were shifted to other areas of the company no longer sit in a cushy air-conditioned office. Without a doubt they have a much tougher job now. But most are happy to be employed in a growing company. (I've met and talked with most of them.)
You might be right that future generations will not have these jobs available to them, and that's truly a bummer. But since we're speculating here (and in light of razor thin--if any--margins in the airline industry), if these jobs hadn't been moved overseas, then it's not hard to imagine that HA would have suffered the same fate as Aloha Airlines. In such a scenario, that means the customer service and flight attendant jobs at Hawaiian Air would be gone forever too. And who would suffer? We the consumer; we the people of Hawaii.
But I'm not smart enough to predict the future so I'll stick with the present: HA is still hiring--hundreds of people since last year--with aggressive plans for expansion in Asia and even some new routes to the mainland. I see their growth and consequent job creation as a good thing.
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
