Prior to granting sanction for a prospective merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, flight attendants employed by both airlines are interested in conducting due diligence on the agreement and require specific assurances.
Alaska Airlines flight attendants have already voted against a proposed 15 percent pay increase and scheduled a strike vote for later this month.
The group demands specific assurances, such as the absence of furloughs, prior to accepting pay increases.
In order to examine the contract, union representatives for flight attendants on both airlines have convened with their respective stakeholders, which includes financial analysts and government affairs officials, among others.
In March, representatives of the flight attendants will convene once more. A resolution delineating their demands was approved and subsequently presented to the airline executives.
However, they did request expedited contract negotiations, which is a positive development. In April, following the March meeting, it will be determined what action management will take regarding the proposals.
This approach diverges from the proposed merger between Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways, which received unanimous support from the flight attendants.
The prospective consolidation was instigated by Alaska Airlines. Approval of the merger would result in the two carriers uniting under the Alaska banner.
Potentially, the union's postponement of endorsing the merger is an effort to coerce Alaska into signing a contract.