Sat, Mar 19, 2011
AFA-CWA And Management Will Negotiate A Settlement
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) won a major
arbitration Wednesday for hundreds of former Midwest Airlines
Flight Attendants, represented by AFA. The arbitration award
validated AFA's assertion that the Midwest Flight Attendant
contract was violated after Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.
purchased Midwest Airlines and staffed the same flights with
non-Midwest Flight Attendants, often compensated up to 70 percent
less.
The AFA Midwest contract outlined strong provisions for
protecting Flight Attendant jobs and contained language that
specified the outcome if Midwest was purchased by another airline.
AFA filed a grievance in 2009 accusing Republic of violating the
terms of these vital scope and successorship provisions after the
merger of the two carriers was completed. As a result of the
contract violation, hundreds of Midwest Flight Attendants were laid
off while lesser paid Flight Attendants from different airlines
staffed the flights they once worked.
"Today is a victory for Midwest Flight Attendants whose careers
were stripped by corporate greed. AFA vowed to stop at nothing
until management was held responsible for stealing the livelihoods
of the hardworking Flight Attendants at Midwest Airlines," said
Veda Shook, AFA International President. "It took the commitment
and effort of over 400 Flight Attendants and other airline
employees to make Midwest one of the best in the country and only
narrow corporate interests to destroy it. The Midwest Flight
Attendants' determination to right this wrong is why AFA worked
tirelessly to hold management responsible."
Now that the arbitrator has ruled that Republic violated the
terms of the Midwest Flight Attendant contract, a remedy must be
reached. At AFA's request, the arbitrator left the task of
negotiating a settlement to AFA and management representatives,
ensuring that the resolution will be in the best interest of
Midwest Flight Attendants.
"It was the dedicated women and men of Midwest Airlines who
helped to create our exceptional carrier," said Toni Higgins,
former AFA Midwest President. "We dedicated our careers to this
hometown airline that was repeatedly one of the highest rated
domestic carriers in the country. Yet after we merged with
Republic, it was the Midwest Flight Attendants and other flight
crew who were tossed aside, without jobs, while our flying partners
from other airlines worked our flights for significantly less pay.
Management's behavior was not only reprehensible, but it was also
in violation of our legally-binding contract. This decision is a
great victory for the Midwest Flight Attendants."
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