Special Meal For Holiday Workers Was Catered

Five United Airlines workers sought medical attention for nausea and vomiting after the company provided a Thanksgiving meal to O'Hare employees Thursday. The turkey dinner was offered Thursday to nearly 3,000 mechanics, baggage handlers and other employees working the holiday in Chicago. The catered meal was offered to UAL Corp. workers many of whom were with Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Local 4 as a reconciliatory gesture.

The caterer could not be reached for comment, according to the Associated Press.
 
Unions have been critical of the airlines for offering millions of dollars in pay increases and bonuses to top managers after employees took pay cuts to help the company survive bankruptcy.

"For years, management worked to distance themselves from employees, but now they're trying to reach out to us," said Don Wolfel president of the AMFA Local 4. "The idea is that we're all in this together." A United spokeswoman said that the one of the dayshift meals ended after staff deemed the turkey "not edible."

"There were questions about whether the turkey smelled quite right," Wolfel said. "The popular opinion was that it didn't."

Five employees were treated at a local medical facility, but no cause was given for their illness. Three employees returned to work, said UA spokesperson Megan McCarthy. She didn't know if the other two did.

FMI: www.united.com, www.amfanatl.org