I would like to know your opinions on this "editorial" about outsourcing at Hawaiian. The person who wrote the first opinion is Mr Yamashita, second is Mr Dunkerley's comment and last is my opinion...

Please add yours...

From Mr Yamashita...

Multiculturalism isn't good for local airline

Have you noticed the new airline at Honolulu International Airport? It is HIPINZ Airlines. It is the shell of what appears to be the old Hawaiian Airlines (H), which now chooses to outsource its employment to the lowest bidder in the world.
The information technology section of 20 employees had its jobs sent to India (I). So much for the high-technology future that the governor wants for the state's economy.

The call center work cost 98 Hawaii jobs that went to the Philippines (PI), where there was a reported 30- to 45-minute delay in talking to a reservation agent two weeks ago.

The biggest slap in the face to Hawaii workers by Hawaiian Airlines was the $45 million contract to have its fleet of Boeing 767s serviced in New Zealand (NZ). So much for the aircraft maintenance curriculum at Honolulu Community College and the future for those students.

So the next time you are flying on Hawaiian (HIPINZ) Airlines, just remember the good-paying Hawaii jobs you are helping export to the rest of the world.


Russel Yamashita
Honolulu


From Mark Dunkerley...

Outsourcing helps keep Hawaiian hiring locally
RUSSEL Yamashita's visceral disapproval of outsourcing by Hawaiian Airlines (Letters, Star-Bulletin, July 27) is misguided. By outsourcing some operations, Hawaiian has been able to not only employ more people in Hawaii than any other airline but also employ more people today than we did before we started outsourcing. Today, we are the fastest-growing airline in the United States and this would not have been possible without outsourcing.
As fuel and other costs rise inexorably, we must find ways to cut costs so that customers can travel at prices far below what they would otherwise be paying. It is clear what readers of the Star-Bulletin are most concerned with: the number of letters to the editor addressing the price of interisland fares dwarfs that concerned with outsourcing.

Many airlines facing this situation have had to slash the pay and abandon the pensions of their employees while cutting the services they offer their customers. We have done neither, preferring to find smarter, more productive solutions. The outsourcing of some operations is among them.

We shared the need to cut costs with our employees and, through their union, reached an agreement. This agreement allowed the company to outsource certain activities in exchange for giving the affected employees a choice: They could either accept a generous separation package or remain with our company in another area of our operations with the benefit of job security. This choice reflected the valuable contributions of these employees to our past successes and our approach to taking care of those we consider ohana, even in difficult times.

The contract was overwhelmingly approved and we are delighted that the majority of employees affected by outsourcing elected to remain with the company. They are now taking care of our customers on the front line and we are proud of the transition they have made and the enthusiasm with which they are tackling new challenges.

Yamashita raises the outsourcing of a contract to provide heavy maintenance for our Boeing 767 jets. The fact is that this work has never been performed in Hawaii. It has been moved from one third-party contractor to another as a result of a competitive bid to reduce our costs while maintaining quality. In doing so, we saved money and reinforced our ability to maintain our employees' standard of living. I am certain they appreciate the diligence with which we seek competitive rates from vendors before we seek savings from them. Heavy maintenance on our Boeing 717 aircraft is and will continue to be performed in Honolulu.

We do not pretend that the decision to outsource positions is without controversy or, in some instances, without pain. In our case, outsourcing a limited number of functions is contributing to making us a stronger business, which is growing, employing more local residents, delivering a product that is second to none and allowing fares to remain low.

As such we are still very much Hawaii's airline.

from Mark Dunkerley


Last my opinion...

To Mr Yamashita...

I would like to know what research Mr. Yamashita, (Multiculturalism isn't good for local airline), did before writing his "yamatorial". Hawaii jobs were not at stake with the transfer of maintenance contracts to Air New Zealand. 767 Heavy checks were never done in HNL. Maybe he should have been more worried about the truthfulness of his statements instead of working on shock value. In this day and age of cut and slash companies, I would challenge you to find one that offered it's employees choices; to either take a separation package or stay with the company (at the same pay rate) doing another job with Hawaiian. I would like to know if Mr Yamashita knows all the good that Hawaiian Airlines does for the community. It's hard to find a local community event that doesn't have Hawaiian Airlines as a proud sponser. If you are worried about good local jobs that are in danger you only have to look across the ramp. And who offered that aircraft for Honolulu Community College, that's right Hawaiian Airlines, not the other guys. Next time you want to bash a company for trying to KEEP local jobs, do your homework and put the beer down.





Do we allow people to write half-truths and fabrications in order to make a political statement?

Did you think that Yamashita's statement is correct and justified?

Did you think Dunkerley makes a good counter statement?

Did you think I need to stop posting at 02:00 am?

Thanks