Union Members Stand Together In Mock Strike At AA

United Airlines flight attendant members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA-CWA) joined members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) at American Airlines on the picket line at airports around the country Wednesday. While American Flight Attendants conduct a mock strike and walk the picket line, United Flight Attendants joined them in solidarity for a fair Contract and coordinated efforts to lift the standard for Flight Attendants across the industry.

"This may be a mock strike but the issues we share with our colleagues at American are all too real," said Greg Davidowitch, president of the AFA-CWA at United Airlines. "We are standing together for improvements in pay and working conditions. If management does not agree to new contracts, then the next strike won't be a mock strike."

Both United and American flight attendants shouldered deep concessions to help their airlines turn around during United's bankruptcy and American's efforts to avoid Chapter 11. Flight attendants have suffered the effects of huge cuts to pay, benefits and retirement while working longer hours away from their families for nearly a decade. Now the flight attendant union members are standing together to rebuild their career by negotiating fair contracts at each airline with improvements in pay, healthcare, retirement and quality of work life.

The picket lines were set up in locations where United and American both have flight attendant bases, including Boston Logan International Airport, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles International Airport, New York LaGuardia Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Washington National Airport.

"On November 18th and everyday, we stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers on the picket line and on airplanes around the world. We will continue to work together to lift the standards for flight attendants with the pay, healthcare, work rules and retirement equal to our hard work, commitment and sacrifice," Davidowitch said.

FMI: www.afanet.org