Hawaiian Airlines pilots to stage protest pickets

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- The union representing pilots for Hawaiian Airlines said Tuesday it will stage protest pickets at five airports on Wednesday, the start of the most heavily traveled holiday of the year.

Union pilots will continue to fly as scheduled through the Thanksgiving holiday, but representatives will stage pickets to protest stalled contract negotiations, the Air Line Pilots Associations said in a statement.

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"We expect the pickets to be very orderly," said Keori Wagner, a spokesman for the airline, who said the company expects no disruptions to service.

The union, which represents 407 Hawaiian pilots, is demanding better pay and new contract terms in exchange for flying a new, short-hop jet, the Boeing 717-200 on routes within the Hawaiian islands starting next year.

Contract talks between the pilots union and the airline are suspended. The negotiations have been underway for a year and under federal mediation since August.

One of the key issues is the airline's plan to replace its fleet of DC-9s with 13 of the new Boeing 717 jets over the course of next year for inter-island routes, a move the union says requires a new contract.

Wednesday's pickets are scheduled outside airports in Honolulu, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

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Hawaiian Airlines
Air Line Pilots Association

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