Flight Attendants Rally for Fair Deal at Mesa, US Airways

[Omaha Steve]

Flight Attendants Rally for Fair Deal at Mesa, US Airways

by James Parks, Oct 16, 2007

More than 200 flight attendants from 20 carriers came together in support of their co-workers at Mesa Airlines and America West/US Airways to send a strong message to management that it is time to agree to fair contracts.



The workers—all members of the Flight Attendants/CWA—rallied at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix today. They let officials of Mesa and America West/US Airways know they are tired of drawn-out contract talks and management demands that workers take concessions even though the carriers are profitable.

AFA/CWA President Patricia Friend told the crowd:

We stand together today to send a loud and clear message to management that it is time our negotiations move forward. Mesa and US Airways management would rather we sit back and take whatever scraps they toss our way. We sacrificed, we have helped rebuild, now it is time that we share in the rewards. No more stalling, it is time to move forward.

Flight attendant turnover at Mesa is skyrocketing because of the near-poverty wages, the union says. Instead of paying a living wage, Mesa management is taking company profits and sending them to China where they are in the process of building a new foreign airline, the workers say.

Brian Manning, president of the AFA/CWA Mesa unit, says:

At this time, when we have so many serious issues to address, we need to know that management is committed to our negotiations and not distracted by their legal issues. Management thinks that we should sit across the table and accept a cost-neutral agreement, yet in the meantime they are sending tens of millions of dollars over to China to start a new airline. This investment in a new airline was made possible by the hard work of flight attendants and other employees.

FULL story at link.