Gov’s letter asks
airlines to rehire

Cayetano says carriers should
begin to recall laid-off workers
in light of the aid they received

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By Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.com

If Hawaii is to make a comeback as a desirable tourism destination, airlines need to start re-calling furloughed employees.

That was the message Gov. Benjamin Cayetano sent to airline executives in a letter asking them to bring furloughed employees back to work as soon as possible.

The letter, dated Oct. 5 but released yesterday by the governor's office, went to executives of Hawaiian and Aloha airlines as well as U.S. domestic carriers with routes to Hawaii, such as United, Continental and American airlines.

Cayetano reminded the carriers that between the suspension of airport landing fees, the recent $15 billion Congressional support package and the deployment of the Hawaii National Guard to assist in security, airlines have already received a considerable amount of state and federal assistance.

He noted that other businesses connected to the tourism industry, such as hotels, are struggling economically but have yet to receive any similar support.

Cayetano said that the staff cutbacks and the resulting long waits for passengers at the airports are not helping efforts to re-launch Hawaii as a desirable travel destination.

"Customer convenience and the experience our visitors have at Hawaii airports are crucial components in our effort to rebuild and strengthen this destination; we need each and every one of you to help us resolve this issue," Cayetano said.

He characterized re-hiring personnel to boost customer service and spending more money to increase security staff capabilities as "modest measures the airlines can take to get people flying again and keep them coming back."

Aloha Airlines spokesman Stu Glauberman said the airline had no specific comments on the governor's letter but noted that it already offered to recall all 250 of its furloughed employees if they agree to a proposal the airline has already put forward.

The proposal involved all employees agreeing to take two days per month off without pay. If they agree, Glauberman said all employees could be re-hired on or about Nov. 1.

"We've not heard back from the workers on that subject yet so we don't know whether the Aloha recovery plan can be put into effect," Glauberman said.

In the meantime, Aloha has already put some security-related employees back to work in order to comply with recent Federal Aviation Administration directives, Glauberman said.

Over at United Airlines, which employs about 1,800 people in Hawaii, Managing Director Thomas Renville said his company has not laid off any employees yet but would likely have to do so in light of cuts to United's flight schedule.

"We went from nine flights per day to seven flights per day so that will be translated into a reduction of people" he said.

Renville was reluctant to estimate how many positions would eventually be cut.

"It's just a matter of how much so we can make sure we can do the right thing service-wise and operationally," he said.

Renville said he wasn't concerned about the governor's letter, especially since United has yet to lay off any employees.

"I think he just wants us to be mindful of our obligations to employees," he said.

But United will communicate with the governor as soon as it knows what its plans will be, he said.

Renville observed that long waits and long lines at the airport in recent weeks are in many cases, directly related to changing security procedures.

"I know from a security perspective it is very difficult, specifically when we get security directive changes, that's when the lines occur. It takes time to get people trained and comfortable with the new procedures."

At Hawaiian Air, which laid off 430 employees, spokesman Keoni Wagner said he has yet to see the governor's letter and couldn't comment on its contents.

But, Wagner said, Hawaiian is mindful of longer lines at the airport on occasion and has been working closely with the state to find ways to decrease the wait at security check points, which are creating the longer lines.