Demand CEO's Resignation Following Scheduling Fiasco,
Bonuses
Last week, Northwest Airlines flight attendants, represented by
the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), called for the
resignation of Northwest Airlines President and Chief Executive
Officer Douglas Steenland (right). The union says Northwest
currently faces severe staffing shortages, record flight
cancellations, low employee morale and outraged customers -- the
direct result of poor management by Steenland.
The decision to call for Steenland's resignation came late
Thursday evening during a conference call of AFA-CWA leaders from
Boston, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis, New
York, San Francisco and Seattle. The nine leaders voted
unanimously.
As ANN reported, nearly
one-third of Northwest's flights were cancelled during the last
week in June, due to what the carrier termed a shortage of
available pilots and other employees. Storms also delayed several
flights, which in turn led to pilots "timing out."
The pilots' union contract limits them to 90 hours of flying a
month, and federal law permits only 10 hours of overtime beyond
that. Storms and other delays eat into that time.
Kevin Griffin, AFA-CWA President at Northwest, says the airline
pigeonholed pilots and other workers, by blaming the carrier's own
short-sightedness, and attempts to run the carrier too "lean," on
them.
"Labor groups gave Mr. Steenland early and fair warning that his
business plan was overreaching and destined to fail," said Griffin.
"Instead of listening to his front-line employees, Steenland has
blamed us and used an early summer storm as cover for his lack of
leadership."
"Northwest flight attendants sacrificed 40 percent in pay, work
rules and benefits cuts and are 20 percent more productive, all in
an effort to ensure the survival of Northwest Airlines," Griffin
added. "In return for our investment, Mr. Steenland pocketed a
lucrative compensation package and has mismanaged our airline. It's
insulting to flight attendants that he remains employed."
A poll of Northwest flight attendants, conducted by the Wilson
Center for Public Research, revealed that 89% of respondents
describe their view of NWA management as "mostly negative" or "very
negative."
In a letter to the Northwest Airlines Corporation Board of
Directors, Griffin stated, "It has been particularly demoralizing
for our members, along with the other union employees, to shoulder
the burden of saving Northwest while senior executives continue to
use extremely poor judgment."