ATLANTA — “We’re out here today to raise awareness that the company’s new policy on scheduling is costing flight attendants to lose 30% to 40% of their pay compared to what they used to make,” J.D. Minter, local council vice president for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, told the Militant Dec. 11 as we participated in a spirited midday protest outside Frontier Airline’s facilities at Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. “We’re not on strike now, but 99.6% of union members have voted in favor of a strike,” he said.
The union is demanding Frontier Airlines resume negotiations on a new contract, he said. They are still working under their old contract, which became amendable in May. Under the anti-union Railway Labor Act, flight attendants can face years of federally controlled negotiations and other government interference in their right to strike.
“Frontier flight attendants used to fly several times during a shift, staying overnight at different locations for two to four days before returning home,” said AFA member Andre Kirkland. “It meant we got more hours. Now you go to one place, then turn right around and come back. So we have fewer hours and we have to drive to the airport for each flight, which costs us more.”
“Some flight attendants are homeless,” Minter said. “Some are living in their cars, many are working other jobs to make ends meet. But those with less seniority are on call. So it’s harder to have a second job, because they don’t know their schedule.”
Other airport workers greeted and waved to the pickets. Similar protests took place the same day at Frontier locations in Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida.
Show your support! The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA organized actions in contract fights at PSA Airlines and Air Wisconsin Dec. 17 and are planning actions at United Airlines Dec. 19. For more information, visit afacwa.org.