Media Advisory For:
May 28, 2004
Contact: Dawn Deeks
(202) 712-9799 ext. 804
American Eagle Flight Attendants Picket and Leaflet at Airports Nationwide
Protest Slow Pace of Negotiations for a New Contract
WASHINGTON, D.C. - American Eagle flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, will be picketing and leafleting at airports across the country to protest being stonewalled by Eagle management during negotiations for a new contract.
The flight attendants will be picketing and leafleting on May 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the following airports:
* Boston Logan, Near American Eagle main entrance, Terminal B-upper level. Local contact: Donna Cook 401-935-1150.
* Chicago O'Hare, Terminal 3-upper level doors 3D & 3E. Local contact: Laurette Espeland 630-918-9481
* Dallas/Fort Worth, Terminal B on the sidewalk between doors 1 through 7. Local contact: Derrick Ricketts 214-334-9885
* LaGuardia, Terminal B, concourse C-upper and lower levels. Local contact: Reggie Salas 347-661-6428.
* Los Angeles, Terminal 4-in front of American Eagle ticket counters. Local contact: James Alexander 619-410-3001.
* Miami, Concourse D in front of American Eagle ticket counters. Local contact: Deborah Baldwin 786-382-6985.
* San Juan, Second level-Terminal D. Local contact: Jaime Martinez: 787-557-2479.
While American Eagle continues to add flights, buy more aircraft and hire new employees, flight attendants have been in negotiations for a new contract since May 2001. It has been a difficult struggle as management refuses to recognize the flight attendants' contribution to the airline's success with a contract that includes improvements in pay, benefits and scheduling that would bring Eagle flight attendants' compensation and work rules in line with other similar carriers in the industry.
For example, Eagle flight attendants are frequently scheduled to work up to 16 hours-and can be scheduled for 10 flights a day-without any guaranteed breaks. Since many Eagle planes have 50 or fewer seats, that means there is only one flight attendant per plane to ensure to the passengers' safety, security and comfort.
"American Eagle management is pushing our flight attendants to the breaking point, while they continue to stall at the negotiating table," said AFA American Eagle Master Executive Council President Bill Hennessey. "We've had enough. This contract fight is about more than just money. It's about our quality of life, it's about having a career rather than just a job and it's about Eagle management rewarding our years of hard work and dedication to the success of this airline."
More than 46,000 flight attendants at 26 airlines, including 1,600 at American Eagle, join together to form AFA-CWA, the world's largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000 member strong Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. Visit us @ www.afanet.org.
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