johnsyn
12 years ago
Hawaiian Telcom says union threatened employees
Hawaiian Telcom Hawaiian Telcom Latest from The Business Journals Maui Land & Pineapple stock gains, while Hoku loses 14%Stocks drop as markets respond to European debt crisisHawaiian Telcom Holdco reports .4M Q3 profit Follow this company has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Latest from The Business Journals Union starts two-day strike against Hawaiian TelcomBiden to speak Friday at Pitt on jobs planHawaiian Telcom parent learns of strike threat through media Follow this company Local 1357, alleging the union has threatened employees, vendors and customers who choose to cross a picket line.
The union has allegedly told employees that anyone who doesn’t honor a potential strike will have their names published on the union website, www.ibew1357.org, under the heading “Hall of Shame,” Hawaiian Telcom said.
The union voted 513-85 last week to authorize a strike, but workers have yet to walk off the job.
Hawaiian Telcom spokesman Scott Simon said that the company’s understanding is that the National Labor Relations Act protects employee freedom to disagree with recommendations of union leadership and continue working in the event of a strike.
The unfair labor practice charge was filed with the National Labor Relations Board National Labor Relations Board Latest from The Business Journals Kaiser union election rerun likely on holdNBA files labor charge against playersSOCIAL MEDIA: NLRB protects many Facebook postings Follow this company on Friday after Hawaiian Telcom’s human resources department received complaints from employees, said Simon.
Union business manager Scot Long said in an email to PBN that before executing the strategy of the so-called “hall of shame,” the union sought advice and was “informed that we would be within our rights to do so,” as long as it was confirmed that the employee crossed the picket line or continued to work in spite of a strike.
The IBEW Local 1357 rejected Hawaiian Telcom’s latest contract offer because it would reduce the amount of sick leave, require employees to contribute 10 percent to health-care premiums and freeze pension plan benefits at existing values.
In a statement, Hawaiian Telcom noted that union employees currently pay nothing toward full health-care coverage for themselves and dependents.
Employees currently may take up to six months of paid sick leave each year. The new offer provides eight weeks of paid sick leave a year, plus added long-term disability and long-term care insurance benefits.
Union employees are currently provided a pension and matching 401(k) of 82 cents per dollar up to 6 percent of base salary. Hawaiian Telcom’s final offer provided company dollar-for-dollar matching for 401(k) plans up to 10 percent while freezing pension plan benefits at existing values.
The contract also offered 1 percent compounded wage increases and an annual $500 ratification bonus for three years.
The union’s previous contract expired on Aug. 12.
American City Business Journals.
johnsyn
12 years ago
Most Popular Hawaiian Telcom workers go on strike
Reported by: Brianne Randle Email: brandle@khon2.com
Print Story Published: 11/10 10:40 am Share Updated: 11/10 6:26 pm Hawaiian Telcom workers have walked off the job Hawaiian Telcom strike (1.1MB)
Hawaiian Telcom strike (1.5MB)
Hawaiian Telcom strike (1.3MB)
Hawaiian Telcom union workers walked off the job Thursday morning - calling for a new contract.
"We want to show the company not only are we serious, but we want to get back to the table from the beginning we feel the company has only surface bargained with us," says Harold Dias, IBEW International Rep.
More than 700 IBEW 1357 union employees have been working without a contract since October. The union rejected Hawaiian Telcom's last, best and final offer to cut workers' sick leave and increase employees share of health care premiums.
"We see one individual making 6.7 million and that's only one, there's dozens of them making multi-millionaires when they've asked us 6 years to give up things and we have," says Dias.
The company says management has made similar sacrifices and currently union workers pay nothing towards their healthcare and can take up to 6 months paid sick leave.
"The company believes its unfortunate that the union chose to walk out at this time when they could have continued working through the APEC conference without losing anything," says Scott Simon, Hawaiian Telcom.
Hawaiian Telcom management and non-union employees, including contract and temporary hires have been assigned to fill essential functions in the company's call center and out in the field.
"Customers may expect some delays when calling into the company and we will be prioritizing other field work that needs to be done," says Simon.
Workers intend to strike until Friday night. But a decision hasn't been reached if workers would be allowed back.
"We understand that the company may intend to strike for 2 days and come back but the company at this point is considering all options on how to deal with that and our considerations are based on what's best for the customers, best for community and best for business," says Simon.
"If the company chooses not to let our workers back and locks us out that's a clear show and demonstration to the community of what they think of the collective bargaining process and us getting back to the table and working this out but what they think of their customers," says Dias.
HPD officers and civil servant officers are here making sure the strike says peaceful.
johnsyn
12 years ago
Hawaiian Telcom Closing 5 Stores, Eliminating 103 Positions
Despite Closings, Job Cuts, Company Says It's Hiring 60 New Positions
Keoki Kerr KITV4 News
POSTED: 9:07 pm HST June 16, 2011
UPDATED: 5:54 am HST June 17, 2011
HONOLULU -- Hawaiian Telcom plans to close its five retail stores statewide and has notified 103 employees that their positions will be eliminated as part of what the company calls a "re-alignment."
The company said it's rebalancing its workforce consistent with industry norms, Eliminating jobs in more old-fashioned areas like land-line phone service and retail stores but creating positions in high-tech areas like internet services.
Hawaiian Telcom's three retail stores on Oahu, including one at its corporate headquarters on Bishop Street downtown, one at Pearlridge and this store on Kapiolani Boulevard near Ala Moana Center will close in about six weeks.
The company said the stores are mainly used by customers who are paying their bills, and retail business has fallen in recent years as more people pay bills on line, by phone and by automatic payment.
"I come in here to pay the bill. And basically, that's all I do, is come here to pay the bill, 'cause they're friendly people," said Donald Guerrero of Kalihi, Thursday afternoon as he entered the Kapiolani store.
Guerrero said he's happy Hawaiian Telcom customers will still be able to make in-person payments at any First Hawaiian Bank branch across the state.
"I still have a land line, even though I have internet, I have wireless. A land line is really important and I don't know why everybody wants to give it up just because they’re cell phone crazy," Guerrero said. "I'm gonna support Hawaiian Tel because they're the only (locally-based phone) company we have. And I remember when they were Verizon."
Hawaiian Telcom is eliminating 103 jobs, but said those employees will be able to apply for 60 new positions within the company, and the number of people actually losing their jobs will be further lowered because of attrition and early retirement.
“The majority of these new positions are union positions that will support the expansion and delivery of the company’s next generation services,” said Hawaiian Tel in a written statement released late Thursday afternoon.
"... the realignment initiative is a difficult but necessary step toward growth and the company's long-term future success," the company said in the statement. Company officials refused to be interviewed.
About 21 unionized employees at the company’s five retail stores, including one each on Maui and Hawaii, will see their positions eliminated, since the stores are closing.
"It's unfortunate that people gonna lose their jobs. But it happens every day. It's this economy. It took me two years to get one job over here," said Beaugeste AhNee of Makiki, who left the Kapiolani HawaiianTel store after shutting off his land line service Thursday.
Scot Long, a spokesman for IBEW Local 1357, which represents phone company workers, said the number of unionized employees has already declined by 30 percent in the last five years. In 2005, there were approximately 1,100 unionized employees and that number has decreased to 780 today, he said. Another 88 unionized workers will have their positions eliminated in this round of layoffs.
And he said ten phone operators are among those losing their jobs. The company plans to outsource those positions, following the elimination of 32 directory assistance operators’ positions four years ago, Long said.
"It's not about technological change. It's about saving money." said Long, business manager and financial secretary for the union, calling the company’s plans “disappointing.”
Long also said those 103 eliminated positions include 17 customer support technicians, people who work to keep the company's network going. Hawaiian Telcom has had service problems since January in some areas, sometimes not being able to provide basic dial tones, with some people out of service for a week or more, Long said.
And he said he worries about more stress on the phone company's system with fewer employees to maintain it.
He was also critical of what he called the “huge pay hike” that company President and CEO Eric Yeaman received last year, when his salary and benefits package increased by roughly 500 percent, going from $1.2 million to $6.7 million, according to Long.
Several other high-ranking Hawaiian Tel executives saw their pay double in that year, Long said.
Read more: http://www.kitv.com/news/28267028/detail.html#ixzz1eHDrKl00
johnsyn
12 years ago
Hawaiian Telcom Second Quarter Revenues Up 1%
September 14th, 2011 · Hawaiian Telcom Headquarters. By Sonia Isotov
Today, Hawaii Telcom reported second quarter revenues of $100.7 million, which is an increase of 1% from $99.6 million in the same period a year ago.
In the second quarter reporting period, adjusted EBITDA, or Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, grew 6% to $31.8 million from $30.1 million a year ago. EBITDA is a measurement of the company’s operating cash-flow, especially those with large amounts of fixed assets.
Also of significance this quarter was the awarding of a video franchise to Hawaiian Telcom.
“Hawaiian Telcom was awarded its video franchise at the end of the second quarter and we have since begun a staged launch of our TV service on Oahu,” said Eric K. Yeaman, Hawaiian Telcom’s president and CEO in a written statement.
Hawaiian Telcom also generated net income of $6.7 million, or $0.61 per diluted share. This excluded a one-time charges totaling approximately $2.2 million related to a reduction-in-force and lease termination costs associated with the closure of its remaining retail stores.
There was continued improvement in year-over-year access line loss to 5.3%, compared to 7.4% in second quarter 2010, and 8.3% in second quarter 2009.
Approximately 4,500 high-speed internet subscribers were added in the second quarter, which nearly doubled the year over year growth.
2,100 residential packages were added which drove residential bundle penetration to 38% in Hawaii, up from 36% in the prior quarter.
“In the business market, we continue to experience solid growth in our IP-based services. In the second quarter we launched several new bundles tailored to small and medium-sized businesses that leverage these services and strengthen our position as Hawaii’s leading end-to-end solutions provider. In addition, we continue to grow our wholesale business primarily through the deployment of fiber facilities to wireless cell sites to support the increased demand for network capacity from national wireless carriers as a result of the significant growth in wireless data usage by consumers and businesses,” Yeaman added.
MAUI NOW
johnsyn
12 years ago
Hawaiian Telcom Begins Public Trading
January 3rd, 2011 · Comments (0) · Business Share | By Sonia Isotov
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. announced last week that its common stock began trading publicly under the ticker symbol HWLT.
Upon approval of the Company’s pending application to list on the NASDAQ Stock Market, the Company’s common stock is expected to trade under the ticker symbol “HCOM.”
For now, the Company’s common stock is available for purchase on the “Pink Sheets” via market makers under the symbol “HWLT” (sometimes listed as “HWLT.PK”).
“Becoming a public company is an important next step in Hawaiian Telcom’s transformation into a stronger, more competitive company for the benefit of our customers and shareholders,” said President and CEO Eric K. Yeaman.
Registration of the Company’s common stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission and trading of the Company’s common stock marks significant milestones for the Company in implementing its Plan of Reorganization and positioning itself for future growth.
Hawaiian Telcom has selected BNY Mellon to serve as the transfer agent for its common stock.
With roots going back to 1883, Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, is a key provider of voice, Internet, data, wireless, and advanced communication and network services in the state; employing more than 1,400 workers.
In 2005, The Carlyle Group, had purchased Verizon Hawaii, Inc., known previously at GTE Hawaiian Telephone Company, Inc. and Hawaiian Telephone Company.
MAUI NOW
johnsyn
12 years ago
Hawaiian Telcom Emerges from Chapter 11 Reorganization
October 28th, 2010 ·Hawaiian Telcom Communications, Inc. today announced that it has successfully completed its reorganization and has emerged from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The new ownership and capital structure of the Company have been approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.
Through its reorganization, Hawaiian Telcom has reduced its debt by over $850 million, or approximately 74 percent, and has emerged with $300 million of debt.
“As was our goal, we have significantly reduced our debt through the Chapter 11 process and have emerged a much stronger, more financially secure company better positioned to address the growth opportunities as the leading communications provider in the Hawaii marketplace,” said Eric K. Yeaman, Hawaiian Telcom’s president and CEO.
“Providing the highest quality products and services has always remained our priority, and we are now in a stable position to commit even more energy to meeting, and hopefully surpassing, our customers’ communications needs and expectations,” said Yeaman. “We continue to implement our strategic plan focused on leveraging our advanced network infrastructure to introduce new products and services, while improving processes and systems so we can enhance our service delivery.”
Throughout the reorganization, Hawaiian Telcom has launched several new services including its Business All-in-One package, a business communications service for small business customers. Based on voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Business All-in-One unifies all communication services on a single broadband IP connection.
The Company also launched this year its new customer portal, hawaiiantel.net, which offers its high-speed Internet subscribers a single on-line destination combining personalized account management, e-mail and voice mail with a rich content experience including the latest news, weather and sports together with a wide selection of streaming music and video.
Additionally, ongoing strategic investments in its advanced fiber optic network has enabled Hawaiian Telcom to introduce leading class business data services such as Routed Network Services and Enhanced IP Data Services, drive its market share of high-speed Internet through broader reach and enhanced speeds as well as form the backbone of its future “Next Generation” IP-based TV service.
The Company has also been delivering competitive new promotions and services to consumers, in conjunction with new legislation enacted in 2009 and 2010. The new legislation has removed some of the long-standing regulatory approval requirements that lengthened the Company’s timeline to offer these services.
In addition, as provided for in the Plan and effective with the emergence from Chapter 11, the Company has a new Board of Directors. The Company’s existing management team continues to lead Hawaiian Telcom.
“Today marks a new beginning for Hawaiian Telcom driven by the commitment of our incredibly dedicated employees and the Company’s strong management team,” said Yeaman. “Along with our new Board of Directors, we are charting a new course for the Company, shaping it for future growth so we can continue providing the people and businesses of Hawaii with solutions tailored to meet their communications needs.”
Hawaiian Telcom has emerged a well capitalized company with $300 million of senior secured debt and following post-emergence payables will have approximately $75 million in cash, supplemented with an undrawn credit line of up to $30 million. Holders of the Company’s prepetition senior secured debt will receive 100 percent of the new common stock under the Plan, subject to dilution. Additionally, as provided for in the Plan, the Company is pursuing the listing of its common stock on a nationally recognized public exchange.
On December 1, 2008, the Company filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, later transferred to the District of Hawaii. In June 2009, the Company filed with the Bankruptcy Court a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization. The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the Plan at the conclusion of the confirmation hearing on November 13, 2009 and entered a written confirmation order on December 30, 2009. The Federal Communications Commission approved the Company’s transfer of control applications on September 15, 2010. On September 22, 2010, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission approved applicable portions of the Company’s Plan of Reorganization. Hawaiian Telcom emerged from Chapter 11 protection on October 28, 2010. MAUI NOW
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