Question: Do you know if Southwest Airlines is hiring at the Honolulu airport, or are they contracting out their jobs? If they are hiring, are their positions union-represented? I’ve looked several times on their website and have seen nothing about jobs here.
Answer: The airline has not shared its timeline for local hiring on Oahu. Southwest does employ people in Honolulu, but most of those workers were already with the company and chose to transfer to Hawaii, a spokesman said. Southwest employees are generally unionized, represented by various labor organizations depending on the type of work they do. As for contractors, Southwest is hiring some on the Big Island and Kauai.
“Southwest employees are working in all four airports we intend to be serving in the state by summer. We feel it’s an important part of the Southwest experience, having our world- famous hospitality delivered by our own employees. In many cases, they are kamaaina who have spent decades with the company, working on the mainland. Their seniority facilitated their selection from the hundreds of Southwest employees who bid for the transfer to Hawaii and, in their case, they can come home now to serve locals and family and friends, while working with Southwest,” said Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest.
He said “some of the work around the aircraft handling and baggage (outside on the ramp) will be handled by contractors” at both Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole in Kona and at Lihue Airport.
Workers at the Honolulu and Maui airports will be Southwest employees, not contractors, he said.
He declined to predict when more local hires might occur.
We searched the “careers” section of Southwest’s website Friday and found no Hawaii jobs posted; jobs listed there would be for employment by the airline.
We also searched general employment websites and found older posts, over the past month or more, for Southwest-related jobs with contractors on the Big Island.
Southwest Airlines launched its Hawaii service March 17, with a flight from Oakland, Calif., to Honolulu.
Q: Regarding the dying trees (808ne.ws/329kline), what broke the sprinkler?
A: “We believe vehicles driving on the median damaged the irrigation system,” said Nathan Serota, spokesman for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
At least two monkeypod trees in the median of Ala Moana Boulevard between the mall and the beach park have died, apparently from lack of water, and will be removed and replaced, the city said. Others appear in decline and have been pruned back. The trees in the worst shape are closest to Atkinson Drive end of the median.
Auwe
Auwe to the golfer who walked between parked cars with their golf bag/cart at the Ala Wai Golf Course on Thursday and scratched my door panel. Now I have to bear the cost to paint the whole door since the scratch was pretty deep. Golfers, please be more careful and carry your bag in front of you and not on your shoulders if you are walking between cars. — A.K.
E kala mai
I am so sorry for cutting off a white sedan as I tried to change lanes on the H-1 freeway westbound near the University exit. My car must have a blind spot. Thankfully, I had used my blinker, so you saw the dangerous maneuver coming and hit your horn. I am sorry. I have adjusted my mirrors. — A driver
Mahalo
On March 26 a very kind man turned in my keys, which I had dropped in the parking lot, to Kahala Longs. You saved me much grief. Thank you so very much, and may God bless you.
— Grateful senior citizen
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
