Greetings,

AFA 66 eCommunication - Monday, November 2, 2009

AFA, US Airways Consider Solutions to Avoid Flight Attendant Furloughs

Company Insensitive to Devastating News for Employees

The Pegasus Project's Online Holiday Auction Now Open

Midwest Airlines Final Flight
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AFA, US Airways Consider Solutions to Avoid Flight Attendant Furloughs
 

Last week, US Airways announced the closure of the Las Vegas, LaGuardia and Boston bases.  AFA’s first priority is in the protection of flight attendant jobs.  We will work with US Airways management to find mutually beneficial means for avoiding involuntary furloughs.

 

In the October 28th letter put out by Hector Adler, Vice President, InFlight Services the Company expected the base realignment to decrease the staffing requirement in PHX by eight flight attendants.

 

AFA is currently in discussions with the Company to find effective solutions to the staffing needs that will reduce the need for any involuntary furloughs. 

An Early Out Program, Voluntary Leaves of Absence and extended Personal Leaves will all be a part of those discussions. Additionally, the language of our 1999 Flight Attendant Agreement requires the Company to offer voluntary furloughs at the same time that involuntary furloughs are announced.

 

Once we have further information regarding solutions to PHX staffing based upon the base realignment, we will communicate that information to you.   

 

 Company Insensitive to Devastating News for Employees

 

  

AFA-CWA Council 66 officers were disappointed with the insensitivity of US Airways management and in particular CEO Doug Parker when he appeared at a company Halloween celebration so soon after the announcement of the closure of the Las Vegas, LaGuardia and Boston bases.

 

While base closures, which affect employees, are never easy, it is particularly difficult to hear this type of news affecting jobs, careers, families and lives during the holiday season. We would have hoped that management could be more sensitive to the perception of Company celebrations on the current moral of the workforce at this time.

 

Council 66 stands in support of our AFA members in LGW and BOS in finding the Company’s actions insensitive during this difficult time for our members. Let us hope that the cost of that celebration was not born by the loss of a flight attendant job.

 
The Pegasus Project's Online Holiday Auction Now Open

The Pegasus Project's "Heroes of the Heart" Online Holiday Auction is now open.  The auction will run from November 1, 2009 to November 30, 2009, with proceeds going to The Pegasus Project in order to support critically ill or injured flight attendants and their families. Auction items range from exotic vacation getaways to donated items guaranteed to delight and surprise.  So, tell your friends, family, community. Let the bidding begin!  http://www.pegasusauction.cmarket.com 

The Pegasus Project is a non-profit organization which provides short-term emergency grants to members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) who are experiencing financial hardship due to a critical, life-threatening illness or injury.

    

The work Pegasus does is vital to the professional AFA-CWA Flight Attendant community.  Whether it is battling breast cancer, HIV, or other life-threatening illness or injury; the Pegasus Project provides a financial lifeline to Flight Attendants who are facing the most difficult times of their lives.

Thank you for your support and being a "Hero of the Heart" to your flying partners in need. For more information on the Pegasus Project please visit our website at http://www.thepegasusproject.org

Last Flight for Midwest Airlines Flight
Over 400 flight attendants lose their jobs to outsourcing and sale of airline

 

Washington, DC – Midwest Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), today will witness the last flight staffed by Midwest crew as flight 210 lands in Milwaukee this evening. Over the past year, more than 400 flight attendants have lost their jobs due to management outsourcing of flight attendant positions to another carrier, and the eventual sale of Midwest to Republic Holdings, Inc.

 

“Today is a sad day for flight attendants who have dedicated their careers to Midwest Airlines by providing the community with award winning customer service over the past 25 years,” said Toni Higgins, AFA-CWA Midwest President. “It is shameful what management has done to Midwest employees, especially the flight crews. AFA-CWA will continue to fight to the end to ensure that the there will be jobs at Republic for flight attendants and that we maintain the provisions that we have worked so hard to gain over the years.”

 

In 2008, Midwest management furloughed over half of the flight attendants and demanded draconian concessions from those who remained. After refusing to accept reasonable cost saving counter proposals from flight attendants and pilots, management announced that they would begin outsourcing flights to Republic Airways. Close to 300 Midwest flight attendants lost their jobs as a direct result of the outsourcing. Then in June 2009, management announced that they had agreed to sell the airline to Republic Holdings.

 

“Today, as the last flight lands in Milwaukee, Midwest Airlines will exist in name only. Management has succeeded in creating a virtual airline that no longer employs Midwest flight attendants or pilots. Over 400 flight attendants, many of whom have dedicated over 20 years to our hometown airline, find themselves jobless, facing the uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring. However, management continues to benefit from destroying our once great airline under the protections of their golden parachutes,” said Higgins.

 

AFA-CWA is currently in negotiations with flight attendant representatives from Republic regarding seniority integration of Midwest flight attendants. In addition, AFA-CWA has a pending grievance against Republic Airlines for violating the Midwest collective bargaining agreement. In this grievance, AFA-CWA is challenging Republic’s right to replace Midwest flight attendants with Republic flight attendants and, in doing so, furlough Midwest flight attendants.

 

For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for flight attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill.  More than 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines come together to form AFA-CWA, the world’s largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afanet.org. 



mec@afa66.org

www.afa66.org