Mon, Jan 12, 2004
Flight Attendants File Lawsuit Over Furloughed Personnel
US Airways flight attendants,
represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, CWA/AFL-CIO,
has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western
District of Pennsylvania to prevent airline management from
executing what it says is an illegal process in the involuntary
furlough of 552 flight attendants.
"The jobs and livelihoods of people are at stake," said AFA US
Airways Master Executive Council President Perry Hayes. "AFA will
fight with all legal means necessary to protect the US Airways
flight attendants from this kind of blatant disregard for our
contract and rights."
At the same time, the union says US
Airways management has made a public spectacle of asking for
employee cooperation in turning the airline around, it has set off
this clash over furloughs, which also comes on the heels of
management- initiated disputes over the flight attendant reserve
system, sick leave, medical benefits, and cuts in the amount of
time flight attendants are credited for working.
Last month, US Airways management announced that it was
involuntarily furloughing the 552 FAs. According to the collective
bargaining agreement between AFA and US Airways, before flight
attendants are involuntarily furloughed, the airline must first
offer a voluntary furlough. Once, during a furlough in June 2003,
management attempted to by-pass the voluntary process, but was
ultimately forced to follow the contract after an arbitrator ruled
in favor of the flight attendants in an expedited process.
"Management seems to be unnecessarily creating problems with its
workers at a very delicate time for the airline," Hayes said.
"Hopefully US Airways management will work with us instead of
against us in resolving this major dispute. That will clear the way
to finally resolve the management problems that are preventing this
airline from turning around and winning the support of its
workers."
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