Pilots’ Strike at United Airlines
My 39th birthday will not be soon forgotten. I was on a day off and spent a beautiful afternoon with friends. In the evening, my flight attendant cohorts and I attended a tele-conference for employees in hopes that the labor dispute between management and our pilots would be resolved; however, the grim news was received as television cameras shone among tears in our eyes.
My friends and I had a tough decision to make--do we cross a picket line? For the prior week, we were barraged with volumes of mail from the company and our flight attendant union. The stress level was running high. We had high mortgages, children with specialized problems, family, medical and other extenuating circumstances. At the same time, our profitable corporation informed us of permanent replacements to fill our positions if we did not report to work.
Like most Americans, I am proud of my profession and have worked hard for 18 1/2 years. I spend a lot of time away from home, including weekends and holidays away from my family. I work long duty periods, often 12 to 15 hours a day on three-day trips with short layovers of 9 to 11 hours. I adjust to various time zones and a different schedule every month.
I work in a smoke-filled environment and am nurse, psychologist, parent, counselor to volumes of passengers day in and day out. I enjoy my job tremendously, the camaraderie among my cohorts, and the benefits the job provides. I am a dedicated professional who earns every penny I am paid. And more important, I work with pilots.
Pilots are paid well. They are paid well because they have a tremendous responsibility, often for 432 passengers on one aircraft. Pilots and flight attendants are not paid for what they do but for what they know how to do. Pilots often have to make split-second decisions. Flight attendants must know how to evacuate any aircraft in 90 seconds. Pilots are also dedicated professionals who never wanted to do any work other than fly airplanes. They are not a disposable commodity.
The dispute involves two-tier pay and parity for new pilots. Two-tier pay is a pay system that pays an employee significantly less money than another employee doing the same job. Incumbents say this creates disharmony in the close quarters of the cockpit. The argument is basically over parity--over when the two-tier pilots’ pay merges with that of the regular pilots.
The hiring of new pilots with limited experience is in progress to replace striking pilots. The pilot union views this as unsafe to the American traveling public. I certainly don’t want to take a risk flying with less qualified pilots. My tough decision was easily made. My flight attendant union directed me to honor the picket line. I have lost all my benefits including seniority because the company now considers me a striking flight attendant. They also put me on the inactive list and re-assigned me to Chicago.
Passenger safety is important; it is the primary reason flight attendants are on board aircraft. The safety of the flying public is at stake with new-hire pilots. It’s a thought you and your family should consider, the next time you fly.
Meanwhile, I’m hoping to return to the skies before my 40th birthday. It may be a long and hard battle. We’re fighting hard.
CARY JANE MILLER
Corona del Mar
