by Vee Hua 華婷婷
Over the weekend, the Alaska Air Group — which operates Alaska Airlines and is the country's fifth largest airline — announced its purchase of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., which operates Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska Air say that the $1.9 billion merger will allow them to more adequately compete with the nation's Big Four airline companies: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines.
Hawaiian Airlines is the largest operator of commercial flights to and from the Hawaiian Islands. It was founded in 1929 and operates 150 daily inter-island flights but went into debt following a difficult year of travel, likely as a result of the Maui wildfires, high fuel costs, and jet engine recall issues.
Both airlines will continue to operate as separate brands, though their frequent flyer programs will be consolidated. They will be a part of the oneworld Alliance, which is a global group that includes American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific.
"The deal includes $900 million in Hawaiian debt, bringing the acquisition's total value to $1.9 billion. The combined airline would be based in Seattle, with Alaska's [CEO Ben] Minicucci at its head," the Associated Press reported. "The companies forecast the acquisition will add to profits within two years of the deal closing, which is forecast to happen between 12 and 18 months from now."
The deal is subject to government regulatory approval, which frequently happens in the case of smaller airlines that are attempting to merge. The Biden administration has recently contested a merger by JetBlue, who attempted to purchase Spirit Airlines.
On Nov. 27, the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) released a press release from 44 nurses at Seattle Children's Hospital who were "demanding immediate help from management on the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit" (PMBU). It followed after two weeks in a row when police had been called twice to escort out patients due to violence.
The first incident, on Nov. 7, involved a patient who overturned carts, swung a pole at people, broke windows, and held a nurse in a chokehold. "Almost simultaneously in a different part of the unit, a nurse was isolated with another patient and was choked, struck in the head 16 times, and nearly lost consciousness, nurses said. Several staff were sent to the Emergency Department due to injuries," the WSNA press release wrote.
Ten days later, the police returned because other patients were throwing ceiling tiles at staff members.
On Nov. 17, 44 nurses in the unit — nearly everyone — sent a message to management addressing their concerns. They wrote, "Staff work in a persistent state of fear as they come into each shift expecting violence and debilitating abuse. Patient care has been compromised to an extent that our milieu is no longer therapeutic, but rather dangerous and detrimental for all who enter the PBMU, staff and patients alike. The unfortunate reality of the unit is an exponentially increasing risk of a sentinel event if the PBMU is left to continue operating under its current conditions."
Among their requests were: three safety offers to be present during the daytime shifts and one to be present during overnight shifts; the hiring of three additional nurse roles who would provide resources to nurses that work directly with patients; a maximum ratio of 1:8 nurses-to-patients; double pay during crisis periods to incentivize nurses to remain on staff.
The full press release and record of past events can be seen on the WSNA website.
Born from her experiences around the "micro-aggressions of the audio-centric environments as a child with an invisible disability," queer and Deaf artist Mia Milling has a series of zines designed to collectively dismantle audism. One such zine is AUDISM 101, which is a resource with tips for hearing people on how they can be more inclusive for those who may be Deaf or Hard of Hearing (HoH).
Some reasons she offers for why the zine should be read include:
Their other zines include the Deaf history mini-zine, "Eleven Underrated Deaf Pioneers," and a 28-page zine called Screaming and Screaming into the VOID, which highlights the "Deaf/HoH community's frustrations due to oppressions and misunderstandings and why sign languages very much should be in our everyday lives!"
AUDISM 101 is available for free via Ko-Fi, which also hosts other zines by Milling. The deadline for pre-orders before the holiday rush is Dec. 6, and Mia will be vending on Dec. 8 at Hotel Crocodile for the last Belltown Art Walk of the year.
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a long-time member of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. They have a master's in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
📸 Featured Image: An Airbus A330-200 aircraft, tail number N385HA, in Hawaiian Airlines livery preparing for take-off from gate C7 of Honolulu International Airport in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. Photo is attributed to Larry D. Moore (under a Creative Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 license.)
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