Swa Helps Out Eagle Flight Attendant

[Cleared Direct]

DALLAS, TX - American Eagle management has asked the National Mediation Board to intervene in its negotiations with the airline's flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO, not because contract talks have broken down, but because management was unhappy that the union exposed the callous mistreatment of a flight attendant attempting to fly to the funeral of her murdered son.

Eagle management's Sept. 12 filing came as a surprise. The parties were discussing a joint application for mediation, which would have continued the spirit of cooperation shown at the negotiating table to date. Usually mediation is sought when talks break down. But Eagle cited the union's exposure of management's heartless treatment of a flight attendant, as the reason contract mediation is needed. The flight attendant was trying to fly to her son's funeral but was denied personal emergency travel on flights that had empty seats, Southwest Airlines provided emergency travel to the flight attendant in need after Eagle refused.

The full story of Eagle management's treatment of flight attendant Debra McDougald, who was attempting to fly home to attend the funeral of her slain son, can be viewed at http://www.afa-ae-web.org , click the Sept. 9, 2003 link.

Eagle management's action stunned AFA Master Executive Council President Bill Hennessey, who wrote in a letter to Eagle Vice President Rose Doria, that Eagle management's action, "constitutes nothing more than a pathetic attempt to divert attention from American Eagle's pitiful reaction to a flight attendant's grave personal tragedy. This is a tactic I have unfortunately come to expect from this company."

If mediated contract talks fail to produce an agreement, the NMB declares an impasse in negotiations, and either party refuses to submit open issues to arbitration, a 30-day countdown to self-help will begin. Self-help for flight attendants means CHAOSâ„¢.

CHAOS stands for Create Havoc Around our System, and includes random, unannounced work stoppages. Flight attendants may strike any flight, at any time, leaving management unable to respond, and passengers sitting in airports, rather than getting to their destinations.

More than 36,000 flight attendants join together to form AFA, the world's largest flight attendant union, including the 1,200 flight attendants at American Eagle. For more information, visit http://www.afa-ae-web.org .

 

[Dea Certe]

As always, SWA employees show their care and professional courtesy. To all of you out there, thanks for helping out a fellow airline employee.

American Eagle should be ashamed of themselves. It's absolutely unforgiveable to treat any one like like this. I hope this gets into the press.

Dea

 

[AAmech]

As always, SWA employees show their care and professional courtesy. To all of you out there, thanks for helping out a fellow airline employee.

American Eagle should be ashamed of themselves. It's absolutely unforgiveable to treat any one like like this. I hope this gets into the press.

Dea

Story is one big crock! If you sift thru their BS you will find that this poor innocent victim WAS given confirmed seat emergeny travel tickets for herself and her family. This woman owes SWA an apology and a REFUND! :down:

 

[jimntx]

As always, SWA employees show their care and professional courtesy. To all of you out there, thanks for helping out a fellow airline employee.

American Eagle should be ashamed of themselves. It's absolutely unforgiveable to treat any one like like this. I hope this gets into the press.

Dea

Story is one big crock! If you sift thru their BS you will find that this poor innocent victim WAS given confirmed seat emergeny travel tickets for herself and her family. This woman owes SWA an apology and a REFUND! :down:

Yes, it is true that Debra was granted A9 travel to go to Seattle to IDENTIFY HER SON'S BODY AT THE MORGUE. She was denied any company help when she wanted to return to Seattle FOR THE FUNERAL.

But. maybe it didn't require 2 trips. No doubt she made 4 transcontinental transits--RIC-SEA-RIC--while in a state of shock and grief just so she could embarass AMR management. It's patently obvious. Gee, AAmech, are you trying to qualify for AMR management.

 

[AAmech]

She was fully aware that you only are entitled to get one RT emergency pass. If her supervisor was to gamble and slide her a second one while no one was looking, fine! But to start claiming AE is uncaring and abusing her is dispicable. And then to exploit the situation futher by using it to get free WN tickets is beyond belief!

 

[Light Years]

Kudos to Southwest Airlines... at the end of the day we are all family in this industry. Deepest condolences to the Eagle flight attendant.

 

[Cleared Direct]

She was fully aware that you only are entitled to get one RT emergency pass. If her supervisor was to gamble and slide her a second one while no one was looking, fine! But to start claiming AE is uncaring and abusing her is dispicable. And then to exploit the situation futher by using it to get free WN tickets is beyond belief!

AAmech is part of AMR management. Don't listen to him. AMR's policy does not dictate one pass as he states. There is flexibility in the policy that should have been exercised.

Again thanks to SWA she was able to attend her son's funeral. I posted this on the SWA board as recognition of the wonderful effort that SWA made to help out another airline crew member in need. The fact that AAmech came over on the SWA board to attempt to discredit the details of what happened is sad.

 

[Busdrvr]

CD, Kudos on getting the word out (saw it at ALPA.org to). All I can say is that all you SWA folks should be justifiably proud with the way your FAMILY handled the situation. Most of us used to work at a company like that, and I only hope that we may once again.