Pilots at Island Air have a tentative agreement (TA) after 16 months of contract negotiations with the Hawaii-based carrier's management. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents Island Air pilots, says that the agreement, if ratified by the pilot group, will provide wage increases, work rule improvements and furlough protection.An ALPA news release about the TA said:
The Island Air pilots’ contract became amendable November 30, 2007. Recognizing that they fly in a leisure market, the pilots and company began negotiating a short-term agreement that would provide job protections and improvements to pilots’ wages, benefits and work rules, as well as bolster the company’s financial status amidst declining tourism and rising fuel prices in Hawaii. While the cost of fuel has dropped considerably, tourism continues to suffer and is expected to remain the same for the remainder of 2009.The Island Air Master Executive Council of ALPA is recommending that pilots support this agreemenent.
