AirTran Flight Attendants Continue Six Weeks of Picketing in Orlando

AirTran Flight Attendants Picket: Tuesday, March 1, 2011; Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST; Picketing: Terminal B – Outside AirTran Ticket Counter; Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, FL

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 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 Tuesday, March 1 in Orlando. As frustrations escalate over management's continued stalling of contract negotiations, AirTran Flight Attendants will continue the pickets across the country through April 1. If a tentative agreement is not reached by April 1, then picketing will continue in six additional cities.

Six Cities in Six Weeks Picketing Tour

Monday, February 14 – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL )

Tuesday, March 1 – Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Due to permit restrictions, only 14 Flight Attendants are allowed to protest at one time. Additional Flight Attendants will be on-site to rotate in and out of the picket line.

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 ready to move forward and will not stop until we have an agreement that reflects our contributions to the airline's success," said Stephen Grimaldi, AirTran Flight Attendant and AFA Chairperson of Flight Attendant Mobilization.  "Management has been dragging their feet for too long - enough is enough."

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, AFL-CIO

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