Although I am "pro-business" in many respects, I don’t like to see workers get screwed and have been sympathetic to the plight of UA flight attendants in the post 9/11 era of dramatic salary reductions and benefit cuts.
When I travel on UA I proudly wear my orange "Glenn’s Gotta Go!" bracelet (that always seems to encourage FA’s) and voice my support for a new labor contract that does not only reward the fat cats at the top.
While one incident won’t change this view, I was deeply disturbed to read this account of a recent United IAD-ORD flight on Flyertalk:
Was sitting in 21B on UA 991 from IAD to ORD this morning. After the beverage service, I watched two flight attendants spend about 40 minutes opening every can of unopened soda and juice, about four trays worth, and pour the contents down the drain in the mid-cabin galley in Economy. They also empied about a dozen full unopened bottles of water. Overheard one of the FAs speaking with another crewmember about union action.
If these allegations are true, not only is this petty and childish behavior, but it is against the law. I condemn the FA’s who took part in this jejune temper tantrum. While I wouldn’t fire the FAs over this action (if it was their first offense), I would deduct the cost of the beverages from their paychecks.
A new labor contract is in the works and I suspect we’ll hear threats of strikes and witness a decline in service levels in the coming months, unless UA rolls over and concedes to the (unreasonable in this economy) demands of the unions.
I’m not one who blames labor unions for the problems of a corporation, but if the story above is true, I expect that the AFA condemn the actions of those two FAs.
Until I learn more about this issue, I will be leaving my "Glenn’s Gotta Go" bracelet off when I fly on United this week and next.
hi mathew, how would i go about finding if a flight attendant was scheduled inflight flying to United training center for requalification training on September 8 2010 but removed from the flight by Ua, missing training.Flight was IAD to ORD.
@Julie,
To be honest, I do not know. The best I can recommend is an e-mail to United.
I wish I could Mathew, the flight attendant died that day instead of boarding her flight, 24 Years UA. No announcement/acknowledgement she ever existed. I think I need Legal Advice, Thank You.
Care to elaborate, Julie? I’m a bit confused.