Flight Attendant News

Flight attendants at United Airlines did not receive warm holiday wishes from their management.

Instead they were informed today by their union MEC that "United encourages supervisors to discipline Flight Attendants without reference to 'just cause.'"

From a letter to the membership posted today on the website of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the union representing United's F/As, we learn that the airline's management orchestrated a campaign to intimidate its flight attendants.

Here is the text of that letter:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have confirmation after years of denial by management that United Airlines measures the performance of Flight Attendant supervisors by the number of disciplinary letters of charge they issue. We have proof that United encourages supervisors to discipline Flight Attendants without reference to "just cause."

Representatives of the Labor Relations group from Onboard Service mistakenly sent an e-mail to ORD Flight Attendants which was intended to go to the Supervisor group in ORDSW. The e-mail congratulates the Supervisors for issuing a "milestone" 400th Letter of Charge while noting that they still have "two more weeks before the year is over." The company's own numbers as listed in the e-mail describe this as being nearly twice as many Letters of Charge as were issued over and above the total for 2004 -- as if it were something to celebrate. The full copy of the e-mail is posted on our website.

The image of managers and supervisors "high-fiving" each other over every new letter of charge is despicable. Like bad cops handing out trumped up traffic tickets in order to meet the desk sergeant's quota, pushing supervisors to meet discipline milestones taints the results. The company has allowed motives other than "just cause" to enter into the disciplinary decision making process.

Anyone disciplined may now reasonably suspect they are the victim of the supervisor's drive to meet disciplinary target numbers. All discipline is suspect in a system that rewards supervisors for the sheer volume they hand out independent of the merits of each case. This e-mail and last week's lost time absence threatening letters sent to Flight Attendants in advance of the holiday expose United's subjective standard in its disciplinary process. The casual tone of the e-mail reveals the familiarity and comfort with which Onboard Service management revels in this score-card approach to discipline as a well established practice.

Executives at other companies would think they were having a good year in labor relations if they had little or no discipline. United's corporate culture, however, is contrary to the fundamental purpose of labor relations. The labor relations policies of this airline are broken. Even worse, it appears to confirm the long-held belief of many who think United management views the employees as the enemy.

We have advised the company that there will be consequences.

In the mean time it is imperative that we not allow this shameful management practice to individually intimidate us, as this is their intended affect. A tremendous number of resources are available to you through our website and our structure of AFA Local Councils and Committees. Our Contract Section 26 provides for a grievance process that allows for representation and challenge of any discipline. An AFA document entitled "Your Rights as an Employee" also provides you with a guide that includes information about your right to a witness, your rights during an investigation or suit case search, and your sick leave rights to name a few.

Do not allow their scare tactics to dissuade you from utilizing your Contractual sick leave when you are ill, obtaining your worker's compensation benefits, or professionally challenging their actions. Since all discipline is now suspect, you may wish to ask any member of management if they are simply trying to fill a quota when discussing your work history or questioning your actions or appearance. If they answer "yes," at least we'll know they are being "consistent."

While management's score card discipline may be absurd, it is also extremely serious. Our Union will not allow this contemptible practice any room to breathe and neither should any Member of AFA. We are anxious to hear from you on this subject - your thoughts and reaction to the management e-mail as well as your own experiences with management. We will continue to provide you with updates on this situation as well as more detail around your rights. Most importantly, every Member should know that we will address managements' actions together. Study your rights and look out for each other.

The letter is signed by Greg Davidowitch, President of the United MEC.

Copies of the offending emails, and a letter about the matter sent from Mr. Davidowitch to Mr. Peter B. Kain, United's Vice President for Labor Relations, also are posted on the MEC's website.

We will be following this shocking story here closely...