AirTran Flight Attendants Continue Six Weeks of Picketing in Dallas

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Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA)

Mar 07, 2011, 02:32 ET

AirTran Flight Attendants Picket; Wednesday, March 9, 2011; Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST; Picketing: Terminal E – Ticketing Level; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; Southlake, TX

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AirTran Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), will continue a "Six Cities in Six Weeks" series of public protests on Wednesday, March 9, in Dallas. As management continues to stall contract negotiations, Flight Attendants' frustrations escalated recently over reports that top AirTran executives will be receiving nearly $20 million in merger bonuses. AirTran Flight Attendants will continue the pickets across the country through April 1 until a tentative agreement has been reached. If there is not an agreement by April 1, then picketing will continue in six additional cities.

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Six Cities in Six Weeks Picketing Tour
Monday, February 14 – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL )
Tuesday, March 1 – Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Wednesday, March 9 – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Thursday, March 17 – Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Wednesday, March 23 - Orlando – AirTran Shareholders Meeting
Friday, March 25 – General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Friday, April 1 – Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

Following the announcement of the acquisition by Southwest Airlines, AirTran management approached AFA requesting an abbreviated list of the Flight Attendants' greatest concerns in order to expedite negotiations. When presented with the union's "short list" proposal, company management responded with a minimal counterproposal that failed to address the most basic work, duty and rest provisions. AFA rejected management's proposal and filed for mediation services from the National Mediation Board the following day.

"AirTran Flight Attendants are committed and dedicated to reaching an agreement that reflects our contributions to the airline's success," said Stephen Grimaldi, AirTran Flight Attendant and AFA Chairperson of Flight Attendant Mobilization. "It is shameful that our executives are receiving tens of millions of dollars in bonuses while it has been the hardworking women and men of our airline that has made it the successful carrier it is today."

Ready to begin focusing on the transition to Southwest Airlines, AirTran Flight Attendants may continue to work under the AFA contract for at least another two years. Under the Railway Labor Act, this future change in ownership does not negate the carrier's obligation to negotiate now with its Flight Attendants in good faith.

For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill. Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants at 21 airlines come together to form AFA, the world's largest Flight Attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO.

Visit us at www.afacwa.org

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA)