Source: http://www.unitedafa.org/

Date: Thursday, July 28, 2005

Flight Attendants Demand Pension Preservation and Replacement of Management

CHICAGO -- Amid calls for removal of current management and competing business plans, United Airlines flight attendants will take their CHAOS™ global on Thursday, with coordinated demonstrations at 20 or more locations on three continents. Flight attendants may strike at any moment since the airline turned their contractually-mandated defined benefit pension plan over to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on June 30 and triggered their right to strike.

“Current United management has held its employees and creditors hostage in Chapter 11 for nearly 1000 days," said Greg Davidowitch, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO at United. "We're hitting the streets around the globe to demonstrate our resolve. We want our pensions back, and we want this management team out."

After 32 months in bankruptcy, United Airlines has little more to show than a single-minded effort to destroy labor contracts and career employees, increased executive bonuses and failed business plans. Current management filed three failed business plans to the government resulting in denial of a federal loan guarantee, failed negotiations with aircraft lessors, failed to institute Salaried and Management concessions allocated as part of their own plan for cost savings, failed to cut non-labor costs that are nearly $1 billion greater than the larger American Airlines, and have yet to produce a plan for the airline’s reorganization. Congress passed a law effective this year that limits the period of time a debtor should retain the exclusive right to propose a plan to 18 months. While the law does not retroactively apply to United’s three year old bankruptcy, it evidences Congressional conclusion that other parties should be permitted to present alternative plans after a limited period of debtor exclusivity. United has extended its period of exclusivity nine times.

"These executives are a dead weight dragging our airline down," said Davidowitch. "We believe interested, qualified investors and executives are eager to work with the employees of this airline who have proven our dedication to its success time and again. Flight attendants, other employees and creditors clearly deserve the opportunity to see competing plans.”

"New money, new ideas and new management are needed to break through the maniacal mesmerism this management imposes on our airline," said Davidowitch. "Only with competing reorganization plans that recognize the value of front-line employees will we see the real potential of this airline realized when we emerge from bankruptcy."

Flight Attendants will picket and leaflet at the following publicly announced locations:

Boston Logan International Airport
Terminal C - outside United Ticket Counters
Time: 2 pm - 5 pm
Local Contact: Adam Thomas, 617-869-9798

Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Terminal One, Doors 3 and 5
Time: 1 pm – 5 pm
Local Contact: Sara Nelson Dela Cruz, 617-794-8951

Denver International Airport
Main Terminal West Side 5th and 6th Levels
Time: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Local Contact: Jody Weant, 303-506-8845

Frankfurt International Airport
In front of United ticket counters
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Local Contact: Marian Drabosenik, 06 11 50 50 377

Hong Kong International Airport
Between Doors 2 and 3
Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Local Contact: Jacke Kande, 011 852 9831 7448

Honolulu International Airport
In front of baggage claim H4
Time: 11:45 am – 2:30 pm
Local Contact: Ed Kalahiki, 808-348-5975

Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
Level Zero at Baggage Claim
Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Local Contact: John Fortune, 702-839-1816

Los Angeles International Airport
Upper Level Terminal 7, Outside United Ticket Counters
Time: 10 am - 1 pm
Local Contact: Darren Shiroma, 310-428-1065

Narita International Airport
United ticket counter, Terminal One
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Local Contact: Rick Gonzales, 090 2206 1924

Newark Liberty International Airport
Outside United ticket counters
Time: 6:00 am – 12:00 pm
Local Contact: Karen Mazuer, 917-428-6777

New York LaGuardia International Airport
Outside United ticket counters
Time: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Local Contact: Wesley Collier, 917-549-4712

Paris
75 Champs Elysee, Metro George 5
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Local Contact: Michael-Eric Schwaabe, 06 32 73 83 48

Palm Spring International Airport
Curbside Outside United Ticketing
Time: 6:30 am media statement, 7:00 am – 9:00 am picketing and leafleting
Local Contact: Karen Reynolds, 760-835-1670

San Francisco International Airport
Terminal 3, Departure Level
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Local Contact: Bro Maugh, 707-486-9565

SEATAC International Airport
Flag Pavilion and Skybridge #5
Time: 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Local Contact: Diane Tucker, 206-910-8110

Washington Dulles International Airport
Upper Level In Front of United Ticket Counters
Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Local Contact: Lois Breece, 703-989-1912

Washington National Airport
Upper Level In Front of United Ticket Counters
Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Local Contact: Mark Palaszewski, 703-901-5051

AFA’s trademarked CHAOS employs carefully targeted strikes as part of its strategy. CHAOS stands for “Create Havoc Around Our System™” and has been successfully employed by AFA at a number of other airlines. Actual strike targets are a closely-guarded secret.

75 Years of Safety & Service: 60 Years of Unity
This year marks the 75 th anniversary of the flight attendant profession and the 60 th anniversary of the Association of Flight Attendants. More than 46,000 flight attendants, including the 20,000 at United, join together to form AFA-CWA, the world’s largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.unitedafa.org.