Posted on 11/16/2004 2:17:23 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
The national president of the flight attendants union is threatening a nationwide strike against all airlines if any labor contracts are abrogated by a bankruptcy judge.
Both United Airlines and US Airways have asked a U.S. Bankruptcy Court to impose a series of concessions if consensual cost-cutting deals can not be reached soon.
"Airline management needs to understand that there will be serious consequences if they persist in their attacks on our contracts," said Pat Friend, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents attendants at 26 airlines, including United and US Airways. Leaders of the union are meeting in Pittsburgh.
All told, AFA represents seven bankrupt carriers.
"Our entire industry is in turmoil and the careers of our flight attendants all hang in the balance," Friend said. "Pensions, for which flight attendants have dedicated many years of hard work, are being wiped out with the sound of a judge's gavel. Health care coverage for employees in an essentially unhealthy work environment is reaching cost levels unaffordable to flight attendants who every year sacrifice more of their income to 'save the airline.' Almost everywhere we look, flight attendants are being forced to work longer hours with reduced rest time, and all for ever-decreasing wages. This must stop."
Despite today's strike threat, negotiations between US Airways and the union will continue, according to flight attendants representative Teddy Xidas in Pittsburgh. The company is seeking $150 million in concessions, including the termination of the union pension plan. The national union will trigger a strike only if the bankruptcy judge grants the company's request to throw out the flight attendants' contract, she said.
The judge will hear that request Dec. 2 and 3.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
I haven't flown since before 9/11, and can't imagine EVER having to fly again. No hostile screeners, no striking flight attendants, no obese seatmates.
Bye
Buh-Bye now.
I actually had an attractive blonde Korean as my stew on a SW flight to Miami two weeks ago. The first attractive one I've had in awhile.
I dated a woman who was one of the first PanAm around the world (no pun intended) stewardesses back in 1972. She was a knockout. Even now she is far friendlier than the grumpy hags on the flights today.
I can only think of three. I'll have to go Google, I suppose.
On a happier note, they don't represent Delta stewardesses, so that airline would benefit greatly from such a strike.
Thaat they are now trained in all sorts of ways to help prevent and to fight back (even psychologically) against TERRORISTS???
Do not knock these people's job. Being your cuddly pillow-bringer or waitress is the LEAST of their duties and the ones I know take their most important duty, KEEPING YOUR BUTT SAFE, very seriously.
ie. Eastern Airlines all over again.
Yea, it's sad! Here in Las Vegas, McCarran airport has several displays of old aviation clothes and they have old pilot & stew outfits.
Man, based on the old outfits and pictures, those women of the skies appear to have looked like the ladies of Benny Hill's old program! WOW! "Fly Me!" indeed!
Oh well, everything old becomes new again - maybe it will come back someday.
-as to the airline in bankruptcy, the court could not selectively abrogate the contract (ie by ordering wage concessions) but still hold the union to the no-strike clause; it's kind of all or nothing. If there were a strike in such a situation (after complying with Railway Labor Act mediation, strike notice, and "cooling off" requirements), the strike would not be in breach of a contract that didn't exist anymore and would not be in contempt of court, but permanent replacements could be hired (unless it was found to be an "unfair labor practice strike", in which case only temporary replacements could be hired);
-as to employees of other airlines, even those in bankruptcy but whose contracts had not yet been set aside, a strike would be in violation of any contractual no-strike clause and the employees could not only be permanently replaced but could be discharged, unless there were some provision in their contract for a "sympathy strike" to be OK and if this situation mest such a definition.
-not intended for legal advice (in other words, don't try this at home).
PATCO were federal employees statutorily prohibited from striking; it didn't involve a contractual situation. PATCO strikers weren't "replaced" - they were discharged.
I've never flown either.
I've flown Delta, American, Northwest and Airtan though.
Are the service and prices that bad on United and US Air?
HOW WILL I FIND MY SEAT??!!!
In that rare instance when a plane makes it to a normal landing on fire, or catches fire on the ground, the slides deploy and the stews' training comes into play. What percentage of incidents are these?
Face it, most people die when there's a serious problem. Sometimes they don't, but the odds are they do. And insulting our intelligence by explaining seatbelts every damn time (thanks to our Big Stupid Government, which probably hasn't figured out seatbelts yet) doesn't help their image.
And statistically (my statistics - MINE, ALL MINE!), they're across the board uglier. Sorry; I flew PSA when they had hotpants, so have a basis for comparison.
United, US Air, Hawaii, ATA. Still missing 3. They might be counting Air Canada, but that would still leave 2 out.
I was a 1K (100,000 miles flown is a single calendar year) flyer on United. Always flew first class though. Service there was fine.
I have gotten some good deals on USAir from consolidators. Their service struck me as the equivalent of Delta or American.
>>and it was okay to bring your own drink and beverage aboard.
Yeah, like I had to have them announce it, in order to do it anyway. Many airports now have decent food that is substantially better than the oxymoronic "airline food".
I support this action.
There used to be pretty specific requirements for flight attendants -- almost like Rockettes -- they had to be unmarried, a certain height, and if I recall had to retire at something like 35. It was definitely a different ballgame. No men needed apply, that's for sure. I think they were chosen largely for their appearance. Oppressive as that sounds today.
It works for me. In another post I described the stew outfits from the 60s and the manniquens and outfits alone were damn impressive - statuesque, buxom, hourglass type figures, etc. The best word, for an admirer of the female form like me, is 'impressive.'
Actually I have nothing categorically against those kind of hiring practices. What's the big deal? I like the idea of flying with goodlooking, buxom, sexually appealing and sexually available women.
I came along a little too late...
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