Quick links+
HONOLULU, Nov. 24, 2025 — The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board recently endorsed the IAM Union’s (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) history of protecting the local workforce in the Alaska-Hawaiian Merger and the upcoming Union representation vote in a recent opinion piece. The board also expressed strong confidence in the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), highlighting the union’s proven record of protecting aviation jobs across Hawaii.
The newspaper highlighted the critical choice facing Hawaii’s skilled aviation workers following the merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, with a union representation vote now underway. The decision, the editorial noted, will determine the future of local maintenance operations and whether those jobs remain in Hawai‘i.
“When keeping good jobs in Hawaii is the priority, as it must be, IAM’s record of nurturing and preserving a well-paid Hawaii workforce seems to offer an edge,” wrote the Star-Advertiser Editorial Board.
The editorial recognized that the IAM, which has represented Hawaiian Airlines employees since 1951, has a “stake in defending jobs based in Hawaii.” The union’s broad membership includes aircraft mechanics, line service workers, cleaners, and logistics personnel. IAM’s inclusive representation is credited with strengthening Hawai‘i’s economy by protecting the full spectrum of aviation-related work from outsourcing and job loss.
The IAM currently represents 2,550 ground workers and mechanics at Hawaiian Airlines and more than 5,100 ground workers at Alaska Airlines. The editorial noted that this broad scope provides a critical safeguard against the outsourcing of essential support roles that can erode worker pay and job security.
The Star-Advertiser Editorial Board raised concerns about the narrower classifications covered by AMFA and highlighted their lack of local history and a history of worker protections.
“This endorsement reinforces what we’ve known all along, the IAM is the best Union to protect Hawaii’s future in aviation and to keep jobs, skills, and decisions right here at home,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “IAM has protected Hawaii’s workforce for more than 70 years, and we’ll continue fighting to ensure these are not just good jobs, but good jobs that stay in Hawaii.”
###
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
