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Allegiant to reduce Hawaii flight attendant jobs

HONOLULU - The union representing Allegiant Air flight attendants said Tuesday the airline is eliminating nearly half its Hawaii-based jobs.Hawaii-based flight attendants were notified that 37 full-time positions will be reduced to 20 positions, said Transport Workers Union Local 577, which represents about 600 flight attendants working for the Las Vegas-based airline.Hawaii flight attendants were told they can compete for open jobs in other cities and receive up to $3,000 in relocation costs, said TWU International Vice President Thom McDaniel."Due to changes in our schedule, our ...

Business / In Brief • July 3, 2013

Hawaiian Electric to close power plantHONOLULU - Hawaiian Electric Companies says it plans to close its Honolulu Power Plant and shut down units on other islands as part of a five-year plan to use more renewable energy.Hawaiian Electric said Monday that Honolulu Power Plant would be deactivated next year along with two of four units at Kahului Power Plant on Maui next year. The utility says it also plans to shut down two generators at Waiau Power Plant on Oahu by 2016, and the rest of the Maui plant by 2019.The company says it is moving away from the older, oil-fired units as part of a ...

Tides Of Commerce: Gardens fully restored, open to public

The Enchanting Floral Gardens in Kula has reopened.The restored "living exhibit" of exotic plants and flowers is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2505 Kula Highway. The 8-acre property has more than 1,500 imported tropical and semi-tropical botanical species, including rare proteas, orchids, hibiscus, jade vines and other varieties that cannot be found anywhere else on the island, a news release said.The gardens were developed by renowned Japanese botanist and petunia breeder Kazuo Takeda.Since it was sold in 2012, the property has been fully restored by the new owner. It will soon be ...

Hyatt Hotels, union resolve four-year dispute

WASHINGTON - Hyatt Hotels Corp. has reached a tentative contract with the union representing thousands of it employees, ending a four-year dispute that led to dozens of protests and a global boycott against the Chicago-based hotel chain.The agreement between Hyatt and Unite Here announced Monday will go into effect once union contracts are approved by workers in Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The contracts would provide retroactive wage increases and keep employees' current health care and pension benefits through 2018.Over the past two years, the union staged a number ...

Business / In Brief • July 2, 2013

Governor signs domestic workers billHONOLULU - Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed a domestic workers bill of rights, making Hawaii the second U.S. state to give nannies, housekeepers and others protections on wages and other labor issues.Abercrombie signed the bill Monday afternoon at a ceremony at the Capitol. The legislation was part of a group of bills signed together that touched on several issues, including human trafficking, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and breastfeeding.The domestic workers bill makes it illegal to discriminate against workers based on several ...

Business / In Brief • June 29, 2013

6,000 Navy civilian workers face 11-day furloughsHONOLULU - The 6,000 civil service employees at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai face furloughs of 11 days because of federal budget cuts, according to the commander of Navy Region Hawaii.Rear Adm. Frank Ponds told Hawaii News Now that the employees will be off work about one day per week between July and September to meet budget goals dictated by automatic federal budget cuts that went into effect when Congress did not approve alternatives.The furloughs originally were projected to cover 22 ...