In the latest demonstration of national union support for Hawaiian Airlines pilots, Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) president Capt. Tim Canoll met on January 6 with the pilots and the Honolulu news media to express solidarity in the pilots’ fight for a fair contract. Appearing on Hawaii News Now’s "Sunrise" morning show, Capt. Canoll alerted passengers and shippers watching to a possible strike. "We’re at a critical point," he told viewers. Canoll explained that the National Mediation Board has elected to not schedule future talks between pilots and airline management, and that no one knows how soon the board will make a decision to start a 30-day countdown toward a strike.
Speaking with Hawaiian Airlines pilots after signing the lease on a Strike Operations Center in Honolulu, Capt. Canoll reiterated that their union stands behind them in their cause. The group gathered at the now fully-operational center included Hawaiian Airlines pilots who fly to and from many of the airline’s top international destinations such as Japan and China as well as U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.
This was the third time Capt. Canoll has visited Honolulu to support the Hawaiian pilots. He marched with them in an informational picket in Honolulu last July. As he did during his previous visit to the islands, Capt. Canoll highlighted the company’s record profits and emphasized that there is no reason the parties can’t settle this dispute and share Hawaiian Airlines’ success.