Dennis Miller
What about my Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2003
- Posts
- 200
Outlook for talks is grim,
Continental's flight attendants not in a mood to give up more
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Talks between Continental Airlines and its flight attendants resume today, but the two sides are starting with a basic disagreement.
Continental says it must have deeper cuts than it originally requested, and union leaders say no.
"We do not agree," union leaders stated in a letter to members posted earlier this month on its Web site.
The new talks come more than three weeks after other unions at Houston-based Continental approved concessions while flight attendants turned thumbs down.
$500 million in cuts
Continental was originally seeking $500 million in concessions from employees.
It has nailed down $418 million in cuts from nonunion and union groups alike, including pilots and mechanics.
It was expecting $72 million from the flight attendants and is still working on about $10 million in other cuts, including from some international employees.
But the airline says now it will need even more than $72 million from the flight attendants because it didn't get their cuts by its deadline.
The airline may have a tough time selling that to the flight attendants.
Better than before
Many attendants say they are willing to approve some concessions, but they add that the deal has to be better than before.
Some are also unhappy at their union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, saying it hasn't represented them as well as they would like. Leaders recommended the deal that the flight attendants voted down.
A number of flight attendants, all of whom requested they not be named, said they voted against the first deal for a variety of reasons.
Among the issues were a lack of changes in procedures governing how they work and union management getting more money from the company to handle internal union matters.
Some cite leadership
One flight attendant also said union leaders failed to negotiate a fair contract.
"I truly feel had the union done their job and truly cared for their flight attendants, then we may have ratified," the flight attendant said. "But they were so off base with this agreement."
Union officials couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
Experts noted that flight attendants have often tangled with management at the nation's airlines.
Historically, flight attendants are the most likely to oppose management in such situations, airline consultant Michael Roach of Roach & Sbarra Airline Consulting said Tuesday.
"The least cooperative union at an airline is the flight attendants union," he said.
Continental has been working since November to secure concessions, which it has said it needs to maintain its liquidity. Analysts said they expect a deal with flight attendants to be reached.
Although the carrier initially indicated all unions had to approve concessions for any to take effect, Continental has already put into place concessions approved by pilots, mechanics, dispatchers and flight simulator engineers.
That could increase pressure on flight attendants, particularly because pilots — with whom they must work closely — approved their contract.
"They are subjected to a lot of peer pressure," Roach said.
Larry Kellner, Continental's chairman and chief executive officer, cited the carrier's $184 million first-quarter loss in highlighting how critical it is for all employee groups to agree to concessions.
"I hope that we can get a deal quickly and fairly that works for everyone," Kellner said in his weekly recorded address to employees Friday.
"It is important that we all participate in the pay and benefit reductions and keep moving in the same direction," he said.
If only they could hold out this much on an overnight, many pilots in this industry wouldn't be paying child support.
Continental's flight attendants not in a mood to give up more
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Talks between Continental Airlines and its flight attendants resume today, but the two sides are starting with a basic disagreement.
Continental says it must have deeper cuts than it originally requested, and union leaders say no.
"We do not agree," union leaders stated in a letter to members posted earlier this month on its Web site.
The new talks come more than three weeks after other unions at Houston-based Continental approved concessions while flight attendants turned thumbs down.
$500 million in cuts
Continental was originally seeking $500 million in concessions from employees.
It has nailed down $418 million in cuts from nonunion and union groups alike, including pilots and mechanics.
It was expecting $72 million from the flight attendants and is still working on about $10 million in other cuts, including from some international employees.
But the airline says now it will need even more than $72 million from the flight attendants because it didn't get their cuts by its deadline.
The airline may have a tough time selling that to the flight attendants.
Better than before
Many attendants say they are willing to approve some concessions, but they add that the deal has to be better than before.
Some are also unhappy at their union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, saying it hasn't represented them as well as they would like. Leaders recommended the deal that the flight attendants voted down.
A number of flight attendants, all of whom requested they not be named, said they voted against the first deal for a variety of reasons.
Among the issues were a lack of changes in procedures governing how they work and union management getting more money from the company to handle internal union matters.
Some cite leadership
One flight attendant also said union leaders failed to negotiate a fair contract.
"I truly feel had the union done their job and truly cared for their flight attendants, then we may have ratified," the flight attendant said. "But they were so off base with this agreement."
Union officials couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
Experts noted that flight attendants have often tangled with management at the nation's airlines.
Historically, flight attendants are the most likely to oppose management in such situations, airline consultant Michael Roach of Roach & Sbarra Airline Consulting said Tuesday.
"The least cooperative union at an airline is the flight attendants union," he said.
Continental has been working since November to secure concessions, which it has said it needs to maintain its liquidity. Analysts said they expect a deal with flight attendants to be reached.
Although the carrier initially indicated all unions had to approve concessions for any to take effect, Continental has already put into place concessions approved by pilots, mechanics, dispatchers and flight simulator engineers.
That could increase pressure on flight attendants, particularly because pilots — with whom they must work closely — approved their contract.
"They are subjected to a lot of peer pressure," Roach said.
Larry Kellner, Continental's chairman and chief executive officer, cited the carrier's $184 million first-quarter loss in highlighting how critical it is for all employee groups to agree to concessions.
"I hope that we can get a deal quickly and fairly that works for everyone," Kellner said in his weekly recorded address to employees Friday.
"It is important that we all participate in the pay and benefit reductions and keep moving in the same direction," he said.
If only they could hold out this much on an overnight, many pilots in this industry wouldn't be paying child support.
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