LoveItaly

It was reported this a.m. that the head of the union for United Airlines attendants is asking the board to authorize a national strike next Tuesday.

FainaAgain

Hmmm... Kikahead, when is your flight >

GoTravel

Gee, that's a grand idea.

Hmmn. An airline that is an inch away from folding and the FAs want to strike? You really have to wonder about the intelligence of some people.

BeachBoi

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/10202636.htm

GoTravel

Beachboi, the url isn't working for me. Could you try again or post the article? Thanks.

rjw_lgb_ca

Go, are you thinking of US Airways? They have threatened a shutdown if any employees go on strike, and they probably wouldn't resume operations in such an event.

United is nowhere near Chapter 7-- their financial problems aren't as dire as US Airways', and besides, UAL is far too large for the US government to let them go belly-up.

BeachBoi

Go....Try this...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...estrike17.html

Craig

It is beyond me how these FA's can be so clueless. To strike would be suicide. If the threat of a strike were successful in preventing wage cuts and the elimination of pension plans, it would only postpone the inevitable demise of their airlines.

rjw_lgb_ca

OK, the Seattle PI article clears it up a bit. It's a multi-company strike, so they could act at US Airways.

GoTravel

rj, from my understanding the situation is a bit worse at United than USAirways. Reason being is United has already leaved all of their assets while US Airways still has quite a few.

GoTravel

The way the article reads, if the FAs strike, they can legally get fired because the strike is illegal?

Sounds like what the Gipper did to the Air Traffic Controllers.

karens

I think we are mixing up United and USAirways. USAir is in more dire straits, but their flight attendants have also authorized a strike.

Yes, the pay cuts at USAir stink, but isn't it better to have a job at less pay, than decide to strike and eliminate your job, leaving you with NO pay?

What is the longest such a union has gone on strike for? Or, could they immediately be fired like the air traffic controllers? As if there are not enough things to worry about when we fly...

Cassandra

Presumably this is all brinksmanship, because think about it: a strike on Tues. would shut down the system for the busiest possible time of the year. If the FAs did strike, they would cost themselves the last dab of public good will and bring UA to a dire financial situation that would almost certainly mean shutting down at least some parts of the system permanently. Thus, the FAs are essentially saying they are prepared to give up any future for/with UA and to do so under the most painful circumstances.

Regardless of whether they have gotten treated worse than anyone else has, they are pointing a gun at their own heads at the same time they are pointing it at UA.

Since I have 2 near and dear planning to be in the air on Wed. on UA, I just have to hope and pray the union isn't hellbent on bringing the airline down at this particular moment.