PAL, PALEA ink 5-year collective bargaining agreement

(From left) PALEA Treasurer Ruben F. Solano, PALEA Secretary Danilo Hermoso, PALEA Vice President Rafael Dela Cruz, PALEA President Edgardo Oredina, PAL EVP/Treasurer & CAO Vivienne K.Tan, PAL SVP/ General Counsel Atty. Siegfred B. Mison SVP legal Counsel, PAL CFO/SVP-Finance Maria Celeste C. Mutuc. PHOTO from Philippine Airlines

MANILA, Philippines – The management of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the PAL Employees Association (PALEA) signed a landmark five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) providing for enhanced employment terms for members.

The CBA was signed by PAL Executive Vice President/Treasurer and Chief Administrative Officer Vivienne K. Tan and PALEA President Edgardo Oredina.

“The timely conclusion of the CBA negotiations reflected a spirit of mutual collaboration and trust-building between management and labor that focused on finding ways to enhance the welfare of PAL ground rank and file employees in an era of great economic challenges,” PAL said in a news release.

Addressing the employees, Tan expressed gratitude, for and on behalf of her father, PAL Chairman and CEO Dr. Lucio C. Tan, to the PALEA officers and members for their long and loyal years of service to the company.

“Despite the many challenges that Philippine Airlines is facing, my father made this new CBA his top priority in recognition of your long years of dedication to PAL. Our Chairman truly values the partnership that we have and your contribution towards the achievement of our shared mission as a flag carrier,” Tan said.

She added, “My father is indeed very pleased that both Management and PALEA reached out to each other and found common ground. I believe that an open and constructive dialogue with PALEA and other unions must always be done in a spirit of good faith which is key to establishing a strong foundation of partnership. I join my father in the hope that with this landmark CBA, all of us will work even more in making a meaningful contribution to enable our beloved Philippine Airlines reach greater heights and serve the Filipinos well. I thank all our employees for their dedicated work in making our flag carrier a world class airline, the Philippines’ best.”

For his part, PALEA President Oredina said, “We thank PAL management for its proactive approach in the negotiations which led to the resolution of key items on the negotiating table. Rest assured, we offer our hand of cooperation and collaboration. Together, we will work as a united PAL family, committed to ensuring industrial peace for the greater good.”

The signing ceremony was held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila, with the senior officials of PALEA present in full force.

The PALEA membership comprises 11 percent of PAL’s workforce of 6,829. The partnership between PAL management and its entire workforce will be vital to the success of the national carrier as it expands its domestic and international route network covering more than 30 domestic and 40 international destinations.