Alaska Airlines CEO wobbly on issue of ‘kuleana’

The chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines has a lot to learn about the meaning of kuleana.

Brad Tilden’s recent interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser made that very clear ("Alaska Airlines is fueled by boom in isle tourism," Sept. 22).

But why should a mainland corporation care about kuleana? Two other large corporations — Bank of America and NextEra — are beginning to learn the answer to this question.

One is contending with past commitments to Hawaiians, and the other is struggling to convince our people that it is committed to Hawaii’s future.

Last summer I sent a letter to Cathy Bessant — Bank of America’s chief operations and technology officer — about the kuleana she and I share in ensuring that BofA’s $150 million commitment to the Hawaiian people is fulfilled. In my letter I talked about the meaning of kuleana: "The Hawaiian word kuleana expresses the meaning and values I wish to convey and which I believe we hold in common. As with many Hawaiian words, kuleana is not easily translated into English. Kuleana is often simply defined as responsibility, but it also embodies deeper values found in the words concern, community, accountability, authority and obligation."

Cathy responded within a couple of days, which I found quite remarkable given the fact that she is responsible for 110,000 employees and a $17 billion annual budget.

On a follow-up call, Cathy said the following:

"I think you know we believe very strongly in, as a company yes, but also as people and as individuals, in our kuleana and what it should take in terms of both effort and real outcome to fulfill it."

In early September, I spoke at the state Public Utilities Commission’s first public listening session on NextEra’s application to acquire Hawaiian Electric. I talked about the need for Hawaiians to see, touch and talk directly with NextEra’s CEO and other senior leadership.

While I spoke, NextEra’s most senior executive in Hawaii — Eric Gleason — sat silently in the audience.

Earlier that week, in written testimony filed with the PUC, Eric stated that NextEra’s purpose was "to share NextEra Energy’s perspective of its kuleana (responsibility, privilege and obligation) to attain Hawaii’s energy aspirations."

NextEra has repeatedly made reference to kuleana as it seeks approval of its acquisition. Does an executive invoking the Hawaiian word kuleana mean that the corporation she or he works for will automatically follow through and fulfill its kuleana? No. This has not been our experience with Bank of America, and NextEra has not made the case that it will be any different. But the fact that Bank of America and NextEra are talking about kuleana is a step, however small, in the right direction.

This brings me back to Brad Tilden’s interview. When the Star-Advertiser asked about Alaska Airlines’ continuing active opposition to SeaTac’s $15 dollar-an-hour minimum wage, he responded:

"The $15 dollar-an-hour issue applies to the city of SeaTac, which is an 11-square-mile city where Alaska is headquartered. We feel it will affect Alaska Air Group very disproportionately to how it affects other airlines. It will affect our ability to compete with the other airlines."

Alaska Airlines — which markets itself as Seattle’s hometown airline — is earning record profits and currently enjoying success in Hawaii. But it is also actively evading its kuleana in its hometown by fighting SeaTac’s $15 minimum wage — a minimum wage that was approved by local voters and upheld by Washington’s State Supreme Court and which would cost Alaska Airlines approximately 1 percent of its annual profits.

SeaTac’s people say yes, their highest court says yes and yet Mr. Tilden’s company continues to say no.

Why should Hawaii continue to welcome Alaska Airlines when it doesn’t understand that true kuleana begins at home?