Our union's Master Executive Council, which is comprised of the Local Council Presidents, met on May 18, 2001 to review the recently decided $0.00 increase for UAL flight attendants.  Among the main points of the meeting, as reported on DEAR-AFA, was the realization that "A thorough review of the arbitrator's decision by AFA legal counsel has determined that there are no legal grounds to challenge or overturn the decision."

The MEC also passed the following resolutions:

• United Flight Attendants and the AFA United MEC are not satisfied with the wage provisions in the current collective bargaining agreement.
• Changes at United and around the industry have completely destroyed the economic basis and rationale for the current wage provisions in the contract; and, United CEO Jim Goodwin and other executives have promised extra-contractual increases but have not delivered.
• It was a mistake to agree to this wage arbitration process in the first place.  Demands were renewed for an extra-contractual pay increase that reflects our value as the primary customer contact employees. 
• AFA will continue our CHAOS campaign in response to the company's threatened major dispute in connection with the proposed US Airways merger.

The third resolution on this list, "It was a mistake to agree to this wage arbitration process in the first place...", seems out of place to me.  For better or worse, crappy or not, birdcage lining or serious legal document, our contract was a.) touted on DEAR-AFA during November, 1997 by the then-acting MEC President as having achieved our goals of Raises, Retirement, and Respect; and b.) agreed to and ratified by a majority of the UAL flight attendant population.

We get into murky territory by having the our own governing body, the MEC, admit to having made agreement and/or bargaining mistakes during our previous contract negotiations.  This resolution has a too close for comfort sounding "We trusted them!  That was a foolish mistake on our part!" ring to it---at least to me.  On the other hand, is it noble to admit mistakes in business as a first healing step in moving forward?  Perhaps, but I don't think so in this particular case regarding the wage arbitration.

Don't blame yourselves for having agreed to something you later decide wasn't what you expected or had hoped...instead, blame the arbitrator for making an unjust decision.  Then simply leave it at that and move forward with a revised plan of action.