Mon, Nov 01, 2010
Negotiations Have Reached An Impasse
AirTran flight attendants, represented by the Association of
Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), filed for mediation Thursday with
the National Mediation Board (NMB) after negotiations with the
company broke down. Under the NMB's guidelines, either the union or
management may request mediation if they believe they have reached
an impasse in negotiations.
Southwest Airlines recently announced its intention to acquire
AirTran. Although the ownership of AirTran is about to
change, the union says this does not negate the carrier's
obligation to negotiate with its flight attendants in good
faith.
"It is an interesting marriage," said Alison Head, AFA-CWA
AirTran President. "I was surprised by all the characterizations of
AirTran as 'employee-centric' because we have certainly not
witnessed that. For over three years, AFA-CWA has tried to work
with management on negotiating a contract that adequately reflects
the work and dedication we continue to provide to this
airline."
Following the announcement of the acquisition by Southwest,
AirTran management approached AFA-CWA requesting an abbreviated
list of the flight attendants' greatest concerns in order to
expedite negotiations. When presented with the union's "short list"
proposal, the company 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.
"Management's failure to effectively manage resources and
respect the quality-of-life issues are at the heart of our contract
demands," stated Head. "Just last Friday, Mr. Fornaro
asserted that he 'would like to enter into the relationship with
Southwest with everything buttoned up.' Obviously, the
company is not committed to getting an agreement with its flight
attendants. AirTran flight attendants want a contract and will not
sit idly by watching management drag this process on any
longer. The flight attendants' contribution to the success of
this airline cannot be ignored."
More News
Airbus Racer Demonstrator Makes Inaugural Flight Airbus Helicopters' ambitious Racer demonstrator has achieved its inaugural flight as part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, a corners>[...]
A little Bit Quieter, Said Testers, But in the End it's Still a DA40 Diamond Aircraft recently completed a little pilot project with Lufthansa Aviation Training, putting a pair of >[...]
Line Up And Wait (LUAW) Used by ATC to inform a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway to line up and wait. It is not authorization for takeoff. It is used when takeoff clearance >[...]
Contributing To The Accident Was The Pilot’s Use Of Methamphetamine... Analysis: The pilot departed on a local flight to perform low-altitude maneuvers in a nearby desert val>[...]
From 2015 (YouTube Version): Overcoming Obstacles To Achieve Their Dreams… At EAA AirVenture 2015, FedEx arrived with one of their Airbus freight-hauling aircraft and placed>[...]
Airbus Racer Helicopter Demonstrator First Flight Part of Clean Sky 2 Initiative
See All