Monday, December 12, 2005
"Airline Bill of Rights" urged by Northwest F/As
From a press release, issued on Dec. 9, 2005 by the Professional Flight Attendants Assn. (PFAA), the union representing the flight attendants at Northwest Airlines:
NWA Flight Attendants Challenge CEO to Sign "Airline Bill of Rights"Read entire press release on the PFAA website.
MINNEAPOLIS - On behalf of its 9,700 members, the public, taxpayers and customers, the Professional Flight Attendants Association today urged Northwest Airlines President/CEO Doug Steenland to sign an "Airline Bill of Rights" in an effort to make NWA executives responsible to stakeholders of the airline.
The "Airline Bill of Rights" challenges Steenland and his executives to join employees in offering the company realistic concessions in order to fly the carrier out of bankruptcy, and also serves as an outline for management accountability.*
In a letter issued today to Steenland, PFAA President Guy D. Meek reminded the CEO of past and continuing sacrifices the NWA Flight Attendant group and others have made to support Northwest Airlines.
"Last month, Northwest Flight Attendants sacrificed again to save this company from liquidation. Flight Attendants took the incredible step of temporarily providing the equivalent of $117 million in temporary annual wage reductions to the company while this company emerges from bankruptcy," Meek wrote. "Northwest Flight Attendants are not alone in their forfeitures to your executive team. Creditors, investors and passengers have all been asked to forego money, service and conveniences. Hub cities, as well as state and federal governments have invested greatly in Northwest Airlines are now facing future service cutbacks, loss of community jobs to foreign countries, and reduction of tax revenue."
Meek noted that in return for all the sacrifices made on behalf of the airline that management must too participate in concessions to demonstrate their long-term commitment, and worthiness, to Northwest and its employees. "It would be outrageous for NWA management to exploit this crisis and profit while employees suffer and hurt," Meek said.
The "Airline Bill of Rights" calls for Steenland to reassess a scheme that would allow the outsourcing of the positions of many loyal, long-term employees to foreign-based employees and other foreign nationals (including more than 2,500 Flight Attendants).**
PFAA represents the nearly 10,000 U.S.-based NWA Flight Attendants, who ensure the highest levels of safety, security and service on the carrier's hundreds of daily flights around the world.
