In our latest episode of Talk Story, HAL MEC Chair Larry Payne and HAL MEC Block 3 Representative Sean Kimura explain what was achieved through the mid-January meetings between the Alaska and Hawaiian MECs, where Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) goals were established. They discuss how the bargaining priorities were determined, the pilot input and feedback that went into those priorities, and a look ahead to the beginning of negotiations. In the second segment, Scheduling Committee C...
Jan 31, 2025•28 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast We’re approaching one year since the initial Alaska-Hawaiian merger announcement. In this episode, Hawaiian MEC Chair Larry Payne and Merger Committee Chair Eric Thorstad give an overview of the potential changes that are coming as a result of the merger, what effects they might have, and the ways our pilots can make an impact on the process. Among the topics covered: Current JCBA Follow-Up Survey & Pilot Participation Potential Route Changes TPA Protections Value of LEC Representation Avera...
Nov 24, 2024•23 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast With the merger transaction between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines now final, the separate pilot groups from each carrier will continue the process of combining into one. A significant part of that includes negotiating a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) under which the new combined pilot group will work. The Master Executive Councils (MECs) of each pilot group, as part of the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), have elected six pilots (three from each airline) to negotiat...
Oct 04, 2024•24 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Co-hosts Alaska Communications Chair David Campbell and Hawaiian Communications Chair Mike Davis interview Alaska MEC Chair Will McQuillen and Hawaiian MEC Chair Larry Payne. Captains McQuillen and Payne discuss the vision they share for the collective future of a combined pilot group and the critical importance of pilot unity, engagement, and feedback in upcoming contract negotiations. In addition to the episode’s audio content, please watch the video linked below to hear more ...
Sep 27, 2024•27 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Talk Story, HAL MEC Chair Larry Payne and HAL Negotiating Chair Doug Grant sit down with Communications Chair Mike Davis to discuss a number of recent developments, including a 10-day extension of the Department of Justice antitrust review, the ratification of our new Transition and Process Agreement, and the upcoming changes to PWA Section 21 (Bidding) and 22 (Scheduling). Also, for more details on the bidding and scheduling changes coming in September, please check out our p...
Aug 10, 2024•28 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we'll be covering two separate developments coming in the next two weeks: the beginning of negotiations for a Transition and Process Agreement (TPA) and Hawaiian MEC Officer elections, both happening in early May. Discussing both topics are HAL MEC Chair Larry Payne and Joint Negotiating Committee member Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz, along with HAL Communications Chair Mike Davis. Through the discussion, the group tackles a number of questions, including: What are the next steps in t...
Apr 27, 2024•27 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast This episode, Hawaiian Airlines MEC Chair Larry Payne, ALPA National SPSC Chair Ronan O’Donoghue, and HAL Strategic Planning Committee Chair Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz sit down with HAL Communications Chair Mike Davis for a roundtable discussion of strategic planning. The group gives their thoughts on the purpose of strategic planning and a synopsis of the various methods involved. They also give an overview of the major takeaways from the latest round of joint Alaska-Hawaiian strategic planning se...
Mar 08, 2024•25 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast On December 3, Hawaiian Airlines announced a merger agreement with Alaska Airlines. To talk about what the merger process will look like going forward for our pilot group, MEC Chair Larry Payne, Joint Negotiating Committee appointee Rob Willoughby, and Merger Committee Chair Eric Thorstad joined Communications Chair Mike Davis for an in-depth discussion of the merger. Among the topics discussed: an overview of the merger process, preparations for Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) nego...
Jan 04, 2024•32 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Listen as HAL MEC Strategic Planning Chair Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz discusses our contractual vacancy language with HAL Vacancy Committee Chair Chad Holcomb. The two cover a broad range of topics within vacancies, including bidding timelines, category freezes, activation and effective dates, and much more. To summarize some of the concepts discussed in the podcast, we’ve put together the following helpful infographics: Vacancies (Part 1): http://tinyurl.com/ms26zt8e Vacancies (Part 2): http://tin...
Dec 13, 2023•33 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast This month, we're taking the scenic route on our HAL Contract Explained series, as Block 3 Rep. Sean Kimura is joined by Negotiating Committee Member Rob Willoughby and Secretary Treasurer Sean Lee to dive into the details of PWA Section 6: Vacation! Listen as Rob explains the finer points of our vacation contract language: how we accrue and use vacation, how the number of slots is determined, how vacation can be cancelled, and more! For more information, check out our custom HCE: Vacation infog...
Nov 11, 2023•22 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Host Sean Lee is joined by Negotiating Committee member Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz to discuss all the protections our PWA provides in the case of a merger or acquisition. To see the topics summarized, please check out our infographic on the subject: Mergers and Fragmentation: https://tinyurl.com/ydd9tv37
Sep 30, 2023•15 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Listen to the second episode of our HAL Contract Explained series, covering the topic of scope! Scope is the foundation of an airline union contract, ensuring our job security. In this episode, Secretary-Treasurer Sean Lee sits down with Scope Chair Doug Brayham and Negotiating Committee Member Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz to discuss protections surrounding feeder carriers, code shares, and joint ventures. To help summarize the topics discussed, we’ve provided the following infographics for handy ref...
Sep 09, 2023•22 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we Talk Story with HAL Managing Director of Safety and Security Bennet Walsh. HAL MEC Central Air Safety Chair Captain Scott Clark and HAL MEC Member F/O Sean Lee discuss the new FOQA crosstalk LOA. See more of HAL Contract Explained here: https://www.alpa.org/hal/contract/contract-explained
Aug 17, 2023•53 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast This episode kicks off our brand new "HAL Contract Explained" series, where we break down one contract subject each month with our contract experts. The first episode features Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz from the Negotiating Committee, as we discuss the subject of Deadheads. We also recommend looking at these handy infographics, which help break down the subjects covered in the episode: HCE Deadhead - General: https://tinyurl.com/42c7actw HCE Deadhead - Seating Assignments: https://tinyurl.com/wje8d...
Aug 02, 2023•8 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast This month, we meet with Scheduling Committee Member Ted Hebert in his new role reviewing monthly pilot parings on behalf of the Pilots of Hawaiian Airlines. Ted shares his best tips and tricks when it comes to monthly bidding, as well as how to survive an IROP. Later in the show, we’re joined by the HAL MEC Fatigue committee, fresh off of a all-pilot call on the same subject.
May 31, 2023•29 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Negotiating Committee member Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz sits down with MEC Block 4 Rep. Sean Lee to discuss the new bidding and scheduling language negotiated as part of our new Tentative Agreement. Among the changes discussed: the 24-hour scheduling system, reserve changes (including long call reserve and biddable RAPs) scheduling flexibility, bidding within the Average Line Value system, new order of assignments, and more. (Originally published February 2023)
Feb 08, 2023•27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast With a proposed new contract being offered to the Pilots of Hawaiian Airlines to inspect and ratify, HAL MEC Negotiations Chair Doug Grant and MEC Chairman Larry Payne discuss the next steps on the road to ratification. Talk Story is produced by the HAL MEC in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jan 19, 2023•20 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Thinking of bidding cargo? Join HAL MEC Cargo Committee Chairman George Chetcuti in a discussion on exactly what it takes to fly freight. George is a former DHL cargo pilot with 33 years of ALPA service. We’ll also hear from HAL MEC Chairman Captain Larry Payne and ALPA Contract Administrator Brett Eckelberg recap the year 2022 for Hawaiian Airlines.
Dec 24, 2022•40 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Today on Talk Story we talk with FAA PSAP Representative Frank Waley and our Central Air Safety Committee Chairman Scott Clark. Also in the show: an update from HAL MEC Chairman Larry Payne!
Oct 12, 2022•39 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Feeling tired? This month we talk with HAL MEC Central Air Safety Chair Scott Clark and Fatigue Committee Chair CA Mike Compton about the challenges and responsibilities of managing fatigue on the flight deck. We’re also joined by two special guests from ALPA national from Washington DC, as well as an update from our Chairman, Captain Larry Payne.
Jul 20, 2022•38 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast This month we talk to P2P Chairman Sam Strobel as well as National P2P Chair CA Wes Reed and CA Sean Creed, ALPA Executive Vice President. Talk Story is a Production of The Hawaiian Airlines Master Executive Council (ALPA.)
Dec 21, 2021•18 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Talk Story, we discuss the start of Section Six Negotiations. We're joined by ALPA's Chief Negotiator Bruce York as well as HAL MEC Negotiating Committee Chair Doug Grant. Talk Story is produced by the pilots of Hawaiian Airlines, as represented by the Air Line Pilots Association/HAL MEC in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jul 24, 2021•25 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Talk Story, we talk with MEC Chair Larry Payne and Negotiations Chair Doug Grant about the recovering economics of trans-pacific flying. We'll also cover the latest in the construction of the commissary/garden access to the pilot locker room.
Mar 23, 2021•37 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we talk to Membership Committee Chairman Captain Drew Everett about the recalls of the 69 Hawaiian Airlines Pilots currently on Furlough.
Jan 20, 2021•23 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast HAL MEC Chairman Larry Payne and Sean Lee update the pilots of Hawaiian Airlines on the latest developments in Honolulu. Published on November 12, 2020.
Nov 12, 2020•21 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Join MEC S/T Mathias Lundblad and Negotiating Committee Member Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz on a discussion on the latest MEC news regarding furlough mitigation and the results of Displacement 20-03A.
Sep 11, 2020•22 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Join Hawaiian Airlines MEC Chairman Larry Payne and Vice-Chair Rod Buskas in a special Chairman's Update. Recorded in Honolulu on August 11, 2020.
Aug 15, 2020•25 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast The world is changing fast. Pilots deal with stress in different ways and sometimes it can be tough to get help. Between regulatory disclosure requirements and the pressure to keep up appearances, pilots can quickly find themselves in over their heads. In this episode, we talk with remarkable pilots who volunteer their time to help out other pilots in their time of need.
Jun 01, 2020•28 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Talk Story, we talk about the "f" word and discuss how to navigate the ever-changing world of COVID-19.
Apr 17, 2020•17 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Ever been left behind for your commute home? Want to know how to jumpseat the world with ease? Join ALPA National Officers as well as your HAL Jumpseat Chair for a discussion on jumpseating. Music from https://filmmusic.io by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC
Mar 10, 2020•15 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 
