This Time It ISN'T Personal...

Crews are threatening job actions to begin later this year, but it isn't for the usual reasons. 

What started out as a meeting of union delegates from the country's major airlines took an unusual turn last week. The week-long conference held at the Foxwoods resort in Connecticut was supposed to focus on upper management, their six-figure salaries, and their ineffectiveness in running their companies. The delegates planned to submit business plans to show their employers how to properly run their companies. But before the formal meeting began, they had developed an entirely new agenda.

With some 500 delegates arriving in Providence (RI) from locations across the country, only a very few were able to "jumpseat" in the first-class cabins, meaning most were forced to ride in the once-jokingly-referred-to "cattle class" sections.

Upon arriving, they boarded motor coaches for the hour-long ride to the luxury casino resort. "I was completely appalled!" said one delegate, "that bus had better, larger, more comfortable seating than my company's aircraft." Another stated "I spent 3 hours pinched into a hard, uncomfortable coach seat, then had a large, cushy seat, complete with a footrest, for the hour ride on the bus."

That was the topic that dominated conversations during the two-day "crew rest period" before the official proceedings began, and quickly turned the agenda in the formal meetings. "No wonder our passengers are crabby!" "This is ridiculous!" and "Something has to be done!" were the angry shouts heard as the meetings opened. One senior spokesperson commented, "Management has to realize our passengers are our CUSTOMERS, and they need to recognize they just aren't "self-loading cargo," but people! And these people are paying good money to travel with us. They deserve a much higher-quality product for their hard-earned dollars."

The conference ended with a notice of action to be submitted to the air carriers this week. The airlines will have until June 1 to submit a plan that will include designs for more comfortable seats, new aircraft seating plans (see picture, right) with roomier cabins, and improved in-flight meals. Once approved, the plans are to be executed immediately, with completion of the improved passenger comfort standards by November 15, in time for the beginning of the busy holiday travel season. The crews promise to walk off the job on the deadline dates if their demands are not met, and stay off until the project is completed. "We mean business this time," the spokesperson said, "our customers have suffered long enough."

About 50 of the delegates worked through their two-day crew rest period following the conference at the resort to form a watchdog group to make sure the airlines turned their energies to comply with the demands. The group, known as Crews Restoring Advocacy for Passengers (CRAP), will carry the full support of the unions. "The acronym was no accident!" stated one spokesman. "Now when a passenger says 'My flight was CRAP,' we'll know we've done our job."

FMI: www.airlines.org