United Airlines Crew to Picket 16 Airports Worldwide Thursday
Erica Berardi December 16, 2015
United flight attendants will protest Thursday in a call to the airline for contract negotiations.
United Airlines’ (UA) flight attendants will picket airports around the world Thursday to call on United to complete its merger with Continental Airlines and negotiate a contract with the attendants.
The Association of Flights Attendants (AFA), which represents 24,000 United flight attendants, said in a press release Monday, that five years after the announced merger, United has not negotiated a “fair contract even with a period of historic profits.”
“With a busy holiday travel season underway, passengers flying United suffer under the inefficiency of its fractured three-part operation,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson in the press release. “It’s been five years, and now five holiday seasons since United Airlines initiated the merger. United flight attendants are still without a joint contract, and work another holiday season without sharing in the profits they help create. A joint contract provides flight attendants, the airline and its passengers with the stability of a fully operational airline.”
Flight attendants from all U.S. airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, passengers and other unions are expected to participate.
A United representative responded to FlyerTalk’s request for comment with the following statement:
“Our customers can be confident that this action will not impact their travel. We are disappointed that we have not yet reached a joint agreement with the AFA, but remain committed to working with the union to reach an agreement. We know what it takes to reach agreements and we recently reached an agreement with our technicians and an agreement in principle with our pilots.”
The AFA press release listed the affected airports and local times of the Thursday protests:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Terminal B at United Ticket Counter; 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Terminal 1 United Departures; 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
United’s World Headquarters in Chicago
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Denver International Airport (DEN)
West Side Departure Level Outside United Ticket Counter; 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Terminal 1; 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Guam International Airport (GUM)
United City Ticket Office; 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Departure Level 7 Drop Point Zone 3; 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
United Departure Level; 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
JFK Boulevard; 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
Terminal B Outside United Ticket Counter; 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Queen’s Terminal 2; TBD p.m.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Terminal 7 Departure Level; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Narita International Airport (NRT)
Terminal 1 Outside United Ticket Counter; 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Terminal C Upper Level Door 5; 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Terminal 3 Departure Level; 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Terminal B United Departures; 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Baggage Claim; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
[Photo: Association of Flight Attendants]
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I hope whatever contract they get goes both ways......good flight attendants deserve decent pay and working conditions now that even the worst airlines are making record profits. But.......a contract needs to go both ways. I'm all for pay raises, decent hours, etc JUST LIKE I'm all for airlines being able to get rid of employees that have multiple complaints, etc. no more hiding behind their unions. A good flight attendant is worth good money, a bad one is worth NOTHING
The company has thrown a Last Best and Final offer at Technicians and walked away forcing a vote . NO TENATIVE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED THEY ARE LYING TO THE PUBLIC. Please lend us your support for a Real Agreement together we all can persevere. https://www.change.org/p/united-airlines-remove-teamcare-and-veba-mandates-united-airlines-aircraft-technicians?recruiter=19916667&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-no_msg
Good for them! They've suffered enough at the hands of "Call Me Jeff" now that he's gone-they certainly deserve fair negotiations! Perhaps a new, standardized contract will remove some of the "miserable attitudes" that some of the FA's allegedly have (I say allegedly b/c I've only read about this over in the forums and elsewhere online) I don't know if they can actually negotiate with Munoz in the hospital/recuperating though-since he's the CEO and would have to sign off presumably. Long and short-good for them-the airline's making plenty of $$ and the worked deserve a unified contract and a "United" Airline. I read somewhere UA is even bringing back SNACKS! You know they've gotta be doing well to do that!
Just wondering what the hourly rate for a senior flight attendant currently is.
I'm sure they'll get lots of compassion from harried travelers..