Wed, Nov 24, 2010
Some Holiday Travelers At Hartsfield Will Be Met With Picket
Lines
AirTran flight attendants are planning an informational picket
on on Wednesday, November 24 outside Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport. The union says it is frustrated with what it
calls "stalled" negotiations with the airline.
Despite Southwest Airlines' recent announcement to acquire
AirTran, management acknowledges that the flight attendants will
continue to work under the AirTran contract for at least another
two years. Under the Railway Labor Act, this future change in
ownership does not negate the carrier's obligation to negotiate now
with its flight attendants in good faith. Contract negotiations
began in December 2007.
"It is incomprehensible that our flight attendants are subjected
to the worst work rules of any major airline, while it is those
same flight attendants' hard work that has earned AirTran numerous
awards and accolades," said Alison Head, AFA-CWA AirTran President.
"Management has worked with its pilots to negotiate an acceptable
contract to work under through the Southwest merger process –
but refuses to offer some of the same fair work rules to its flight
attendants. Why would you extend fair work rules to one group of
safety professionals and not to the other?"
Following the announcement of the acquisition by Southwest,
AirTran management approached AFA-CWA, which represents the flight
attendants at AirTran, requesting an abbreviated list of the flight
attendants' greatest concerns in order to expedite negotiations.
When presented with the union's "short list" proposal, company
management responded with a counterproposal consisting mostly of
existing contract language and minimal pay increases. In
addition, they failed to address the most basic work, duty and rest
provisions. AFA-CWA rejected management's proposal and filed for
mediation services from the National Mediation Board the following
day.
"AirTran flight attendants have sacrificed for nearly two
decades, accepting far less than their counterparts at other
carriers to help our carrier emerge as an industry leader.
The work rules we seek are still light years behind what our
colleagues at Southwest currently enjoy. We will not
sacrifice any longer," added Head.
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